In the Eye of the Storm (Storm and Silence 2)

Interesting.

‘What in God’s name…!’ I heard my dear wife’s voice out of the darkness. ‘What is going on?’

It is going dark, my dear. You can tell that from the lack of light everywhere.

‘Holy Moses and macaroons!’

‘Ha!’ Sometimes, she had quite an interesting way with words.

‘What is happening?’

I decided that her limited fema

le mental capacity could probably use some help in assessing the situation. ‘The sun is dying,’ I rasped.

‘What?’

‘Look.’ I stretched out my arm. It hadn’t moved far before its end disappeared in a dark fog, thicker than the smoke from the biggest of my factories. And that was saying something.

‘This… this can’t happen! A storm can’t block out the sun like that! It would have to be…’

I nodded. ‘Several miles high.’

‘No! No, that can’t happen! It simply can’t!’

Females! Impressively talented when it came to ignoring reality.

‘Apparently, it can.’

I felt her shifting around in the darkness. ‘Bloody hell! No!’

Was she still in denial? Women!

She moved again. I felt her slide closer, and then-

‘Ouch!’

A hand grabbed hold of my ear - and not gently either. This was intolerable! It was the second time on our journey she was trying to rip my ears off. Was she going to make a habit of this kind of thing?

Grabbing her arm, I pulled her up against the camel. If she wanted to grab hold of something to sooth her feminine fears, she could just as well use it, and not me. Particularly not parts of me that I still intended to use for the purpose of hearing.

‘I would advise you,’ I told her, keeping my voice cool and calm, ‘to let go of my ear immediately.’

‘Ah.’ To her credit - in the non-banking sense - she did sound apologetic. ‘Sorry.’

She let go, and I pulled her farther up against the camel, where she would have the best company and comfort available. It didn’t seem to work as intended, though. After only a few moments, I heard a low whimper out of the darkness.

I felt a sudden tug in my chest, and before I knew what was happening, I found myself asking, in a half-shout, half-whisper: ‘What’s wrong?’

What the… Why on earth would I want to know?

‘I… I’m alone.’

The voice coming out of the darkness didn’t sound at all like her usual voice. It didn’t sound at all like a little fiery ifrit. It sounded soft and… scared?

I felt that tug in my chest again. What was the matter? Had I pulled a muscle?

‘No, you’re not,’ I told her briskly. ‘The camel is here.’