#earthrunes

"Well, Curiosity does nip a'times."

"Never breaks the skin though" Earl says

"Course not, she never wants to HURT anyone she just wants to be loved and feared in exactly the right amounts"

that from the little girl

"I see. That is, indeed, most important."

Earl gives Zara a loving sort of smile at that.

And with that, Isis turns "Can I go now? I think I've embarrassed others enough" asking the baroness

Zara looks mollified.

Shallimar says "Well, owls well that ends well"

And Shalimar dips his hat "I'm told I was the usual suspect in this, in truth, a certain lady of the threads would be most cross stitch if were so... nay. I must now seek out more Novel appraoches to my humor" And he takes Isis with him...

"Bye Bronte, and miss scary books" Isis calls out as the pooka depart

Earl looks at Zara "Well, it's nice to know it wasn't malice"

"Aye, a relief."

"Still... a shanda..."

"What's a shandamight be less so when you factor in the innocence of a child." he says "And others will see it that way. The Baron certainly does. She put this on that mishap, and not you. "

"Aye." Huff.

"In fact, " A pause "only a few even know about it. two of them pooka. One me, another whoeve owns thost magazines... and Coradel. I think it's contained"

"But it's so..." Huff.

"Crude."

"Well, we didn't really look inside" he points out "It's possible it was more tasteful than we think, and we have mostly Bronte's..ah, Calender quotes"

Bronte has been given a book hoping to help her reset.

"Feh."

"But it has no place in this library regardless" he agrees with the Feh

A firm nod.

"Fiona hold or no."

"Now, how can I help settle your nerves?" he offers "An outing? Tea? Act as your pillow while you read?"

"Can we go see my river?"

"Let's" he says offering a hand "Shall we get the tea set and blanket?"

"Aye." A small smile.

He bends down to give her a soft kiss, brief, quite proper, and then leads her to do just that. His eyes shining for her. it is a wonderful thing to see her by the river, by the river..and happy

And the river has leaves floating on it, dead and dropped, tiny colorful corpses of nature that float for a time until finally, they grow too soggy, and sink. How lovely

So much to see and appreciate beneath the stars and shadows!

oh..and tea!

And in the library, the sisters make a covert agreement. the next person to bring a 'skin mag' into THEIR Friend's library is going to get bit someplace delicate making sure they won't be enjoying acting any smut OUT.

But then, they only make this choice while Zara is out. She has spider like sensibilities and would not want her webs shaken by such fuss too openly.

(End scene)