"I doubt it; my flight wasn't scheduled. And I'm not hurt, except for
a few scratches and bruises. There's no need to disturb your party."
She'd discarded her boots and equipment belt for the swim ashore, and
sometime during that swim or her wandering--probably coming ashore over
those rocks--she'd lost her badge and pretty well shredded her uniform.
It was no wonder they didn't recognize her; she doubted she'd be able
to recognize herself, huddled under a blanket with her hair plastered
down by salt water.
Another knock on the door brought laughter, especially from the woman
who opened it to admit a kilt-clad man bearing a piece of coal and a
bottle of whiskey.
"'Tis a few minutes late you are, Angus," Donal MacGregor called. "Our
first guest of the year is this poor cold lass here."
"And half drowned, by the look of her," Angus replied. He scowled
ferociously--a half-grin betraying his apparent ferocity--at the woman
tending Sue. "Tara, you know she needs something hot, not whiskey."
"Bridget's making cocoa, as you should be able to smell," Tara
retorted.
"It's made," the young woman entering the room said, going straight to
Sue and handing her the steaming mug.
Sue traded her whiskey glass for it, wrapping her hands around the mug
to warm them and taking a deep breath of the chocolatey steam, while
her hosts gave Angus the story.
When they were done, he looked at her curiously, with a half-grin.
"Your name's a familiar one, lass."
Sue returned his smile. He knew who she was, but he didn't seem
inclined to spread his knowledge, if she chose not to reveal herself;
he got points for discretion. "It's a common enough name, sir. I
don't believe we've met before."
"No; I'd remember if we had. It's an honor now, though, and I'd be
pleased if you'd call me Angus."
"The honor is mine, Angus." Sue smiled at him again, briefly.
"Perhaps, under more formal circumstances, things would be different.
At the moment, though, I'm just an unlucky pilot."
"And so you are, lass." Angus nodded once, then turned to their hosts.
"Well, now, this is supposed to be a party. Tara, may I have the next
dance?"
"Indeed you may!" Tara--Sue guessed her to be Donal's wife--called
across the room. "Geordie, some music!"
Sue felt herself relaxing as warmth crept back into her, and she
automatically evaluated her surroundings. They were nothing like what
she was used to: a small living room, festively decorated but obviously
not rich--more homey, she thought, than anything else. Bookshelves
lined one wall almost completely, their ranks broken only by two small
windows and a holoset--on, but being ignored; she couldn't tell what
the program was. A five- or six-person table held food and drinks; it
looked too heavy to move easily, so this was probably the dining room,
as well. Wall decorations were mostly stitchery, though a crucifix
held a place of honor above the mantel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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