The Prince of Mist (Niebla 1)

‘And who’s going to sleep tonight after a story like that?’ Max blurted out.

‘Your sister’s right,’ said Roland.

‘Creep,’ Max shot back.

‘Changing the subject, I was planning to go diving again tomorrow. I might get back the sextant someone dropped the other day …’ Roland stated.

Max was trying to think of a crushing reply – he thought it was a terrible idea to go diving around the Orpheus once more – but Alicia answered first.

‘We’ll be there,’ she said softly.

A sixth sense told Max that the plural she had used was just her way of being polite.

‘I’ll see you tomorrow then,’ Roland replied, his eyes never leaving Alicia’s face.

‘Hello, I’m here,’ said Max in a singsong voice.

‘See you tomorrow, Max.’ Roland walked off towards his bicycle.

They watched as Roland

rode off into the storm, remaining on the porch until his figure had disappeared.

‘You should put on some dry clothes, Max. While you change I’ll make something for dinner,’ Alicia said.

‘You?’ Max retorted. ‘You can’t even cook.’

‘Who said anything about cooking? This isn’t a hotel. In you go,’ ordered Alicia, a wicked smile on her lips.

Max decided to follow her advice and went indoors. The absence of Irina and his parents increased the feeling the house gave him of being an intruder in someone else’s home. It was unusually quiet inside, as if something was missing. As he climbed the stairs towards his bedroom, he realised what it was. The cat. He hadn’t seen Irina’s odious pet for a couple of days now. All things considered, he decided it wasn’t a great loss and put the thought from his mind.

*

True to her word, Alicia didn’t waste a second longer in the kitchen than was strictly necessary. She prepared a few slices of bread with butter and jam, and poured two glasses of milk.

When Max glimpsed the tray with what was supposed to be his dinner, the expression on his face said it all.

‘Not one word,’ Alicia threatened. ‘I didn’t come into this world to spend my life cooking.’

‘You don’t say …’ replied Max, who wasn’t very hungry anyway.

They ate their meal quietly, waiting for the phone to ring with news from the hospital, but the call didn’t come.

‘Perhaps they rang earlier, while we were at the lighthouse,’ Max suggested.

‘Perhaps,’ said Alicia.

Max noticed the worried expression on his sister’s face.

‘If anything had happened, they would have called,’ he argued. ‘Everything will be fine.’

Alicia smiled meekly, confirming to Max his ability to comfort others with arguments that even he didn’t believe.

‘I suppose so,’ she agreed. ‘I’m going to bed. What about you?’

Max downed his milk and pointed towards the kitchen.

‘I’ll be up in a minute, but I think I’ll get something else to eat. I’m starving,’ he lied.