sheu says. “I thought I should get to know folk better.”

“Thir no ower much tae ken.” Noor flenches an poors

her uncan discomfort intae her soor drink.

Eynar sees an relents. “Whit like’s yir wracks?”

“Big,” sheu says. “Blank,” sheu says. “Empty.” An flenches again

at hoo sheu’s lairned hid’s ferfil grand tae be soor.

Abasht, sheu blethers on, sayan hoo

hid’s gey bonnie here, hoo sheu loves it,

the coothie fock, and Eynar listens, ootward,

noddan. “No bad, ya, hid isno bad.”

Noor disno see the barman’s worm-taen widdrim

so sheu asks if Eynar is thowt o flittan,

ivver waanted tae bide somepiece ither.

The quaistion skites aff his slite an cuttit wirds.

“Hid’ll deu.” “We deu fine.” “No bad.”

Thir quiet a piece. He poors, sheu drinks, thay smile.

An a thowt comes tae Eynar at waarms him, o somtheen

he coud share wi this bonnie aakward body.

“If thoo waants tae ken fock better, come

tae the Dance Firstday next. Hid’s wiss at wir best.”

Noor coudno, sheu didno, sheu wadno waant tae impose,

disno think sheu’d be walcome, canno dance,

but Eynar’s insistan wi more an more blide wirds

as ony gien the night. Forbye, Noor waants

tae gang, an dance. Whan sheu’s finished her drink,

he asks, “A’ll see thee thir?” an Noor says, “Yass.”

Noor needs a drink

“You haven’t visited much,” says Eynar, awaydeaddistracted. Noor sits by herself at the bar. “My loss,” she says. “I thought I should get to know folk better.” “There’s not too much to know.” Noor shiftflinches and pours

her strangerweird discomfort into her sourbitterrudemiserable drink. Eynar sees and relents. “How are your wrecks?” “Big,” she says. “Blank,” she says. “Empty.” And shiftflinches again at how she’s learned that it’s veryfearfully goodbig to be sourbitterrudemiserable.

Abashed, she talkchatrambles on, saying how it’s pretty finepretty here, how she loves it, the friendlycomfortablepleasantunthreatening folk, and Eynar listens, outwardreserveddistant, nodding. “Not bad, yes, it’s not bad.”

Noor doesn’t see the barman’s worm-brought nightmaredazeconfusion, so she asks if Eynar ever thought of leaveflyescaping, ever wanted to waitstaylive somewhere else. The question slidebounceshoots off his smoothstilllevel and cutcurt words.

“It’ll do.” “We do well enough.” “Not bad.” They are quiet for a placedistancepartwhile. He pours, she drinks, they smile. And a thought comes to Eynar that warms him, of something he could share with this finepretty awkward personbody.

“If you want to know us folk better, come to the Dance next Firstday. It’s us at our best.” Noor couldn’t, she didn’t, she wouldn’t want to impose, doesn’t think she’d be welcome, can’t dance,

but Eynar’s insisting with more and more happyfondpleased words than any he’s offered all night. Besides, Noor wants to go, and dance. When she’s finished her drink, he asks, “I’ll see you there?” and Noor says, “Yes.”