The Prophecy Machine

32

“This is another of that dandy's despicable jokes,” Finn said. “Fraud, chicanery and lies have stained the man's soul. Treachery's the only skill he knows. He must be a fool to think we'll fall for something so utterly transparent as this.”

“I'm certain you're right, dear. He's cunning, devious and sly.”

“And we're not taken in, not by a whit.”

“If you'd like, I'll scrub your back, Finn. Then, if you please, you may do mine.”

“I'd be delighted, for sure.”

The tub was made of staves, held in shape by hammered copper bands, rolled in with steamy water buckets from the hall. It was clearly not a tub for two, but once Letitia let her dress slip to the floor, dipped a tiny toe, and immersed her lovely self, Finn was not far behind. He backed up against her, so close that her legs had to wrap around his front. A rather tight squeeze, but wasn't that the idea, after all?

“I'll bet that feels good,” Letitia said, scrubbing him with a brush. “It's been some time.”

“It has indeed,” Finn said, scarcely aware of any brush at all.

“I'd give a silver penny to know what he's up to,” he said, watching Letitia's wiggly toes.

“Well, whatever it is, this wonderful tub and real soap and-clean clothes! That's no trickery, Finn, that's real!”

“Oh, it's trickery all right, make no mistake in that.” He leaned back against her, resting his head in the hollow of her shoulder, whispering in her ear.

“It's a cruel hoax, my dear, playing on our needs. All this is meant to distract us from some other purpose hatching in his devious mind.”

“What, though? I can't imagine what it might be.”

“Nor I, and it doesn't greatly matter, since it plays right into our plans to make our way out of here tonight.”

He kissed the steamy droplets on her cheek, and nibbled at her ear.

Letitia leaned away and gave him a wary look. “He said there'd be real food. I don't intend to miss that.”

“We won't, we won't. I can't imagine he knows what decent food is, but we'll gladly play along. The bath, the clothes, the food-it all bends in our favor instead of his. We'll be much better prepared to make our move. Cleaner, clothed and fed. The fellow doesn't know he's filling all our needs.”

“Oh, I know it's going to work. It's a good plan, Finn. And we are going to eat first, right? I feel it's essential that we do.”

“Well, yes. I think he might grow suspicious if we don't.”

“Come here, please. Turn around, love.”

Finn felt his heart leap. “I-think I can. If I stand up first. I don't want to flood the place. We might go right through the floor.”

Letitia watched his clumsy gyrations, hiding a laugh behind her hands.

“Take your time,” she said, with a glow, with a glimmer, with a shine, with a very saucy hint in her great enormous eyes.

“I'll be right here, love …”

And Julia Jessica Slagg, aware there were times when she shouldn't be around, took a lizard nap beneath the chair.

Sometimes she felt Finn had built in a toggle or a spring, a tiny little switch that said forget you're even here. She couldn't say for sure, and could never quite remember to ask …