He took my hand.
"Let's find the vein of lapis lazuli."
We began an almost hurried walk beneath the rain.
Nothing about his manner implied madness, stupidity or delusion. He was supremely sharper than anyone else, his recitation of the most intricate of facts was delivered with vigour and grace, and he absorbed every new sight and sensation with the courage and wonder of a child.
He had chosen me. The book had chosen me.
"So, where are we going exactly?" I asked breathlessly, simply wanting to say something to bring myself into the moment.
He made no reply and did not even look my way. The words hung stupidly in the air.
I bit my tongue, then thought to get angry. Of course he had heard, it was just that the question had not been remarkable enough to penetrate his fairytale world and merit a response. In fact, he was making me wary of speaking at all, for the jarring sound of my fat words would surely alert him to the fact that I was far too plain for him, too limited.
"Viky..." He chided, turning to me with a wry smile.
His clever eyes considered my face. I waited, cold but cheeks burning, unable to shake the feeling that he could hear all my thoughts.
"You are the most complicated person I've ever met."
"What-?" I cried, then regretted having not reacted with more elegance.
His features lit up with delight at catching me unawares. How my heart hurt at the sight of his happiness.
But then I realised that my mouth was still fixed in a frown - how ghastly I must look - so I made my lips smile instead and added a self-conscious shrug as a flourish. The theatricality seemed to please him. He nodded slightly and made a sound that resembled a satisfied 'hm,' still staring, staring.
Then the rain stopped.
"Oh!" he chuckled gently, as if surprised by the capriciousness of the weather.
We began to laugh.
"Let's find the vein of lapis lazuli."
We began an almost hurried walk beneath the rain.
Nothing about his manner implied madness, stupidity or delusion. He was supremely sharper than anyone else, his recitation of the most intricate of facts was delivered with vigour and grace, and he absorbed every new sight and sensation with the courage and wonder of a child.
He had chosen me. The book had chosen me.
"So, where are we going exactly?" I asked breathlessly, simply wanting to say something to bring myself into the moment.
He made no reply and did not even look my way. The words hung stupidly in the air.
I bit my tongue, then thought to get angry. Of course he had heard, it was just that the question had not been remarkable enough to penetrate his fairytale world and merit a response. In fact, he was making me wary of speaking at all, for the jarring sound of my fat words would surely alert him to the fact that I was far too plain for him, too limited.
"Viky..." He chided, turning to me with a wry smile.
His clever eyes considered my face. I waited, cold but cheeks burning, unable to shake the feeling that he could hear all my thoughts.
"You are the most complicated person I've ever met."
"What-?" I cried, then regretted having not reacted with more elegance.
His features lit up with delight at catching me unawares. How my heart hurt at the sight of his happiness.
But then I realised that my mouth was still fixed in a frown - how ghastly I must look - so I made my lips smile instead and added a self-conscious shrug as a flourish. The theatricality seemed to please him. He nodded slightly and made a sound that resembled a satisfied 'hm,' still staring, staring.
Then the rain stopped.
"Oh!" he chuckled gently, as if surprised by the capriciousness of the weather.
We began to laugh.
