Page 18 of Captain Santiago and the Sky Dome Waitress
“And if I have to traipse down to the plaza and fill in a thousand forms, I’ll be shut down for the rest of the day. No, thank you. A couple of hours here, and we’ll be open for afternoon tea and dinner.”
Roderick scratched the back of his head, his helmet lifting at the movement.
“I think she’s on something,” Olivette added.
“Shewasacting crazy,” Edme said.
“Someone should sober her up. She’ll be sorry about this, after that,” Olivette said.
“Well, if you’re sure, Olivette,” Roderick said.
“I am.”
“I’m going to walk Lucie home,” Santiago said. “A walk, a meal and sleep, and she can come back and help you tonight.”
Olivette looked so grateful about that, that Lucie nodded. She still couldn’t think too far ahead. Tonight seemed to be a few years away.
~ 7 ~
Santiago severed them from the fuss in the restaurant and guided her out onto the wide balcony that ran around the top of the dome with little effort. They were suddenly alone, with the ongoing hysteria a low murmur behind them.
Lucie took a deep breath, immensely grateful to be able to do that, and let it out.
“Where are you staying?” Santiago asked.
“Celestial. I’m renting a house…” She realized that the statement would sound much grander than it really was. “A little one,” she added.
“Celestial. Here, let’s use the elevator. I don’t want to test your balance on the stairs right now.”
Neither did Lucie, even though she usually ran up them and skipped down them.
The elevator was already waiting at the top, and the doors sprang open as soon as Santiago touched the pad.
They stepped inside.
“Mr. Santiago! Sir! Is Lucie alright?” Barney said, through the speaker.
“Excuse me, Barney?” Santiago said heavily.
“I’m sorry to barge in, sir,” Barney said, in a tone Lucie had never heard him use before.
“I’m fine, Barney,” Lucie said. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Okay. I’m going. I have a riot to control.”
Santiago frowned at the speaker panel. “That’s the second person to act oddly today.”
“Barney? That seems just like him,” Lucie said honestly. “Are you talking about me as the first?”
“The woman, of course,” Santiago said. “I think her name is Shearer. Sarah…no, Sona. Sona Shearer. She’s a tankball player. Perhaps Olivette was right, and she really was on something.”
Lucie nodded. She had no basis upon which to make any sort of judgement like that.
“You’re worried about your behavior?” Santiago asked, as the elevator doors slid open. They were on the main floor of the plaza. There was the long walk across the plaza and through the downtown buildings that made up Central City, then the road that led to all the original village domes; Beltane, Gantry, Jorunn and Celestial.
Lucie wondered if she should be frank, or not. The last time she’d spoken to Santiago, over a week ago, he’d snarled at her. And Edme and Olivette had said that was the man’s usual nature.
This moment of solicitousness could be a temporary thing and he’d revert to his true nature in a while.
