Epsilon

Chapter 19

Adelina came home with stiff fingers and an aching back.

"Remind me again why James won't let us get sewing machines?"

Alison snickered at the thought of Adelina being taught to sew by the nagging Mrs. Walden. "Just because he won't let us doesn't mean we can't." She was chopping up some potatoes, lifting her eyes every few minutes to make sure Adelina was alright, despite her indifferent expression to the ex-princess's pain.

"Are you implying that people have sewing machines here in Epsilon?"

Alison lifted her eyebrows. "I wouldn't imply such things in front of royalty."

"It's a good thing none are here, then," Adelina said with finality.

Alison sighed as if disappointed. "I'm not saying that there are, just that it's possible. Dave has been sent out a couple of nights a week to bust smugglers from Earth. He has caught a whole lot of them, but I'm sure many of them still get through."

"Dave told you official business? Not that I think it's wrong, just that it doesn't seem like him."

"Oh, he wouldn't dare, the stick in the mud that he is. But I just know that's what he's doing. I found one of those earth gadgets in his pocket while doing his laundry a few days ago. I was just checking for change and I pull out  one of those mini cannons. It scared me to death just touching the thing."

"As in a gun? How could he get his hands on one of those?"

Alison shrugged. "I suppose he got it from one of his busts. Never told him I found it, just put it right back. The next day it was gone. I found this metal tube in his pocket once, too. I flipped a switch and out came light. It was like holding the sun, I tell you."

Adelina had been slowly leaning forward over the course of Alison's speech, but was jerked out of the trance by a sharp soreness in her back. She straightened up "Even if I could get a sewing machine, I wouldn't be able to convince Mrs. Walden to convert to it. I can just imagine her yelling, "Get that demonic thing out of my house this instant, Adelina!"

Alison laughed at the high-pitched imitation, almost cutting off her finger in the process.

A baby's cry sent the woman flying, and Adelina warily got up to take over Alison's cutting. Each jagged slice sent a throb up her fingers. How many potatoes did Alison need? There was enough to feed the entire house for two weeks.

She cringed at the soreness, angry at herself for being such a wimp. Mrs. Walden was an elderly woman with arthritis, and yet she was about to cry.

She had made a decent pile when Dave waltzed in, freezing when he noticed Adelina. "What are you doing?"

"I'm cooking. See?" She waved the knife.

"Please stop. Please put the knife down."

Adelina slowly lowered it. "I'm just making my contribution to the household's well-being."

"Please contribute something else. I mean, anything else."

"Well, excuse-"

"Where's Alison?"

"Really, Dave. I'm just chopping potatoes."

"Your fingers are sore- you've been sewing all day!"

"I'm not dying, I-"

"Alison!"

"Dave, don't you-"

"Alison!"

Adelina jumped into the guard's way, but Dave was too quick. He bolted down the hall. "Alison!"

"Don't worry, Alison," she cried. "Everything's under control."

She jerked around the corner and bounced off Dave, who had stopped just inside the doorway.

"I am trying to change a child's diaper. What is so important? It better be good, Dave Thompson."

"Adelina was cooking."

Alison dropped the diaper. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Adelina, I was going to come right back, but then the baby needed feeding and..."

"Guys, what is the big deal? I was just chopping potatoes."

"Her fingers are sore, Alison. Sore."

"I should've communicated better, Dave."

"You can stop now. Just stop. I am going back into that kitchen and chopping potatoes or so help me, I will leave. I will do it. You are both the sweetest hosts ever, but you have to understand that I'm just a commoner now. A freeloader, even. I want to start helping out around here, and if you can't accept that, I will just find another place to live."

Dave burst out laughing.

"Adelina, we would really appreciate the help around here. In fact," a smile played on Alison's lips, "we kind of already assumed you would be helping us out."

"But then..."

"I'm making potato soup for the ones who wouldn't be eating otherwise." She was beaming. "You will see. But Dave is a perfectionist when it comes to how it's prepared, insists on completely even pieces and such. As if we were preparing it for royalty," she winked at Adelina.

"And you couldn't have communicated this any better, Dave?"

"You were waving a knife around like a maniac. At that point, I resolved to take you down if I had to, royalty or not."

"And dear, your fingers can't be thanking you right now. You may have cut one of them off trying to help me out, and that would have left us worse off."

"You guys are ridiculous," Adelina said. "Honestly, my brain doesn't understand any of your nonsense."

Dave gave her a big smile. "You'll see."