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‘We’re a fair pot and kettle then, aren’t we?’ he said ‘You could give a round’

‘A cross between a oat and a rateful you acquired ypt you would have to part withsuch a sturdy wife’

He rubbed his jaw, an audible rasp in the quiet of the cabin Her body tingled and she called it to order The man was in no state for any of that

‘Sturdy Sam’ There was still that smile in his voice and she wondered if it was kind to wish he suffer frorims more often

‘That sounds like a poorly nae fair exhibit: Sturdy Sam and her Spectacular Stalactites’

‘Thank you, Sah her nonsense and flooding her with embarrassment

‘That is an even worse nah it rhys of a limerick there’

‘You never could take gratitude or compliments very well I seem to remember the first time I heard you use a profanity hen I told you that you had drawn a fine copy of a wall carving at Karnak Soot that’

‘Well, now that you’ve remembered, keep it in mind’

‘I shall try’

His smile widened and so did the pit under her feet, but then he frowned

‘You said you slept Don’t tell me you slept on the floor, without even a mattress or a pillow!’

‘Of course not I slept in the hammock’

He looked in disbelief at the lihed

‘It is true Iin without cracking h, because ht, I slept better than on that rack of a cot’

He didn’t answer and absurdly she felt a wave of long-forgotten shyness join her embarrassment She fiddled with her pencil

‘Are you hungry?’

He stretched again and shook his head

‘No My appetite takes a while to recover after having nails slaehammer’

‘Is that what it feels like?’