Welcome to Stories from Among the Stars.

You're listening to The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Clune, narrated by Daniel Henning.

16.

If Linus's life were a drama, the last week of his stay on Marcia's would have been cold and rainy,

the gray clouds shifting overhead to match his mood, but it was sunny, of course.

The sky and the sea were Surulian.

On Monday, Linus sat in on the children's classes, listening as they discussed the Magna Carta

in the morning, and the Canterbury tales in the afternoon. Sal was quite vexed the stories

were unfinished, which led Arthur to bring up the mystery of Edwin Drood. Sal vowed to read it

and come up with his own ending. Linus thought it would be marvelous and wondered if he would ever get to

read it. On Tuesday, from the hours of five in the afternoon to seven, he sat with Talia in her garden.

She was fretting slightly over what Helen would think when she visited next week. She worried that

Helen wouldn't like what she'd grown. What if it's not good enough?

Talia muttered in Nomish, and the fact that Linus understood her barely crossed his mind.

I think you'll find that it's more than adequate, he replied.

She scowled at him.

More than adequate?

Gee, Linus, thank you for that.

I feel so much better already.

He patted her on the top of the head.

We do need to keep the ego in check. You have nothing to fear.

She looked around her garden doubtfully.

...