Chapter 6: covering

"Well, Heero, you know the rest. It was there that I met Hilde and lost my ship."

"You mislaid it?" His mouth was twitching again.

I sighed. How I wished that were the truth. Things you misplace can be found again but, no, the truth was far worse than that. I had lost it in a card game.

And then I was heartbroken. It was a fine ship, not big but very fast and agile. I came by it during my time in Asia. For two years, we had a great time sailing and raiding the South Seas and then...

I guess I really shouldn't have played that hand on Hao (1). Hilde had dealt the cards. I only had two aces, but there was this feeling, this feeling that was nagging me. I was certain that the very next card, well, the very next card had to be the ace of spades. Up to the present day, I believe that the very next card would have been the ace of spades - if Hilde hadn't dealt the cards. She was a formidable pirate and a hell of a woman but really quite vindictive.

Heero gave me a very strange guarded look. That had happened before, but after the first couple of weeks of story-telling I had deluded myself that looks like that were a thing of the past. Like scowling and "hn"-ing and insulting. Obviously, I had been wrong.

"You still have a ship, don't you? The Heavyarms."

"Huh? Oh, well, that's Trowa's."

„And your friend Quatre is first mate?"

"Yes. He is, after all, royalty."

"I see."

„Speaking of Quatre... you think they've dinner ready? I'm hungry! Want to call it a day?"

Okay, so it was not even dark outside and Heero never stopped working until an hour or two before midnight. Already bracing myself for the expected dismissal, I offered: "I mean we could have just a break if—"

"Alright, Duo. Let's finish for today."

"Huh?"

"Let's finish working."

„You're—um—coming with me? For dinner?"

"I will join you later."

"You will?"

His mouth twitched, almost smiling now. He nodded and quickly looked down at his working hands.

"Ok, I'll wait for you! God, let's just hope Zechs isn't there. Another night of his god-damn- offers and I..."

"Zechs is an acquaintance of my father. It's not wise to affront him."

I winked at him. "Another offer and he'll answer to me."

That only got me a glare.

"I wonder if he..."

Heero's being so talkative was so very rare that I was always eager to encourage him. "Yes?"

He looked up at me. „Do you think Zechs can... read?"

"Read?"

He nodded.

"Well, wasn't he working as a spy or something? I suppose you should be able to read in that line of business. Why?"

He looked down again. "Nevermind."

"Everthing okay?"

"Yes."

"Ok... I'll see you at dinner then!"

As I said before, Quatre had turned out to be a great cook. His chowder was delicious and his oriental shark steak delectable, but his frog ragout was a veritable dream. Trowa was slowly running to fat because of Quatre's cuisine and everyone else had gained a few pounds as well. With Heero's rum and Quatre's cooking, the Sailor's Inn was at the height of its success during that winter. On those nippy and rainy winter nights almost everybody seemed to be stuffing their faces with Quatre's newest food creations while getting drunk on potentially lethal moonshine.

Heero had promised to join us that night and I was very happy. Maybe he was getting used to the idea of having a friend. Maybe he had started to like my stories, God knows, it was about time. Most of my life had already turned into horrific seaman's yarn and it was getting increasingly difficult to surpass myself.

At the inn I had a brief and bloody tussle over an unoccupied two-seat table in a calmer corner of the bar room before ordering a trough of fish soup and three bottles of rum. Then, I sat back on my shaky wooden chair and waited for Heero.

I should have known that - like everything else about Heero – even something as simple as a dinner invitation couldn't possibly be simple enough. Quatre's soup was slowly growing cold while I waited for Heero's arrival. And then, I opened the first bottle of rum...

After an hour or two, Wufei dropped by and tried to sit down on the second chair, but I shooed him away. Since Trowa was far too occupied with getting stuffed by a happy, pleasure flushed Quatre to even notice him, Wufei had devoted himself to plaguing me.

"Wuu," I slurred at him. "Thaat'ssh Heero's sh-e-eat."

"Oh, really," he asked, very sarcastically.

"Uh-huh."

"And he's... where exactly?"

"I...dunno."

Around midnight, I grew tired of waiting. Dead drunk and frustrated, I decided to hop into bed and forget all about Heero and his abysmal interpersonal skills.

However, I acquiesced that before hopping into bed and forgetting Heero, it would be wise to answer the call of the three emptied bottles of rum.

It was very cold outside, very cold for the last rain-clouded days of a dank February on a frog-infested, mist-cloaked tropical island. West winds were angrily blowing from the open sea, chasing away the wafts of mist that forever hung around the place.

I walked for a short distance in the direction of the docks and then I stopped and stared unhappily at the new-found stars.

If I hadn't been so drunk, I would never have stumbled without actually moving, but as matters stood I was wasted. Still gazing at the stars, I suddenly lost my footing and found myself tumbling towards the dirty ground.

On my way down I first noticed the shadows moving in the darkness of the nearby alleyway. I certainly hadn't paid enough attention before… Luckily, I wasn't a thief for nothing. Survival instincts kicking in, I crouched soundlessly behind a hovel. When I peered back around the corner, I saw a deeper spot of black among the lighter shadows of the surrounding houses. Furiously rubbing at my bleary eyes, I tried to determine the exact shape and substance of the strange thing… when it began to speak.

"He's gone. God, what was he doing there, standing around like an idiot?"

"That is irrelevant. What do you want?"

"Oh, come on! You know what I want!"

"Hn… I don't think so."

"Spit it out, Heero!"

"No."

"I'm warning you. I'll use force if you—"

"Let. Me. Go!"

"Why, you—"

And then, another instinct of mine kicked in, the instinct to protect Heero at all costs, and I jumped to my feet and flung myself at the wobbly shadows without thinking.

(1) Hao is part of the Western Taumotu Archipelago