Page 35 of Simon Says

He pulled her in for a sweet, soft, lingering kiss and that time she let him take his time. Her taste and touch and feel were exactly as he remembered, but so much more powerful in the flesh.

“Okay, you two. There’ll be plenty of time for smooches when you’re back where you belong. Simon, I popped in and told your assistant to cancel your appointments because you’re on extended personal time, but if you’re gone much longer, there will be a crisis in management.”

Simon looked at Rosie. “What do you mean? I…” It dawned on him that time was moving faster in his own dimension. “How long have I been gone?”

Deliverance wiggled his fingers like he was calculating. “Twenty-five days.”

Simon paled and looked like he needed to sit down. The idea of leaving the helm unattended for twenty-five days was beyond unthinkable. Given the number of things he attended to each and every day, an unexpected absence of that sort was sure to have created disasters, catastrophes, bedlam, pandemonium, and shit hitting the fan so often the fan stopped working.

“Oh gods,” he said.

“Don’t worry,” Deliverance reassured him. “The important stuff never depends on just one person. The world wasn’t set up that way.”

Simon didn’t know if that was wisdom for the ages or Deliverance gibberish. “We need to get back.”

Rosie turned to Deliverance. “We need handcuffs.”

“Handcuffs?” Sorcha sounded understandably alarmed.

“You know how you arrived here,” Simon waved at the suite where they stood, “by unusual means. It’s possible to be lost in transit. Handcuffs are a safeguard to ensure that doesn’t happen. Don’t worry. They’ve done this a hundred times.”

She looked back over her shoulder. Rosie was standing there alone.

“Where did he go?” Sorcha asked.

“To get the handcuffs,” Rosie said.

“You just need one pair. I’m going back the way I came,” Simon said decidedly.

Rosie shook her head. “Not an option.”

“Why’s that?”

“How long did it take you to get here from the Ring of Thorgall?” Simon’s eyes began to glaze over when he grasped what she was saying. He really didn’t want another experience with the passes. But he couldn’t afford to be gone for another… “Eight days, six hours. That’s how much longer you’d be gone.”

Simon looked defeated. “I guess you’re right. That’s not an option.”

“What’s the problem?” Sorcha asked.

“He’s human,” Rosie answered.

“I know that,” Sorcha said.

“He can’t go through the passes as easily as you because he’s human.”

“Oh.” Sorcha looked at Simon sympathetically. “What happens to him?”

“His tummy gets upset and he feels like he’s not in control. It’d be hard to say which he objects to more.”

Simon rolled his eyes. That was punctuated by Deliverance arriving half a second after the Lucasfilm sound system version of Mario Brothers flower.

“Props. And jealous,” said Rosie. “Youdefinitelygot the best ringtone.”

Deliverance preened while holding up two pairs of fuzzy handcuffs, one black, one pink. He grinned at Sorcha and wiggled his eyebrows. Contrary to the reaction of most women, Sorcha looked at Rosie and said, “I’ll go with you.”

Deliverance barked out a laugh. “Looks like you made a real conquest, old man,” he told Simon. Again holding up the cuffs, he gave Simon the choice. “Pink or black?”

“What do you think?” Simon replied.

“Right. Pink. Good choice,” Deliverance said.

If they were going for a walk on Princes Street, Simon would have protested, but there was no one to care in the passes. At least that was what he was choosing to believe at the moment.

As soon asthey stepped into Simon’s inner office inside Black Swan Headquarters, Simon told Rosie, “Will you please explain the somewhat unique circumstances to your parents and ask if they can hold down the fort here? I know I’ve been MIA, but I need twenty-four hours with my… Sorcha.”

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