[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn returns to the hotel, undresses herself and climbs into bed, sleeping the sleep of the weary.  In the morning, she tells Stephanie that for sure is staying at least two more nights.  The maid nods and says that she has approached the hotel with the idea of leaving and that they are not happy.  Robyn tells her that she will have a word.  After breakfast, Robyn goes to see the manager, who is quite upset at what he thinks is poaching.  Robyn calms him down by offering to tell people that the hotel has done a magnificent job in training its maids.  The reality of such publicity sinks in and the manager becomes far more friendly.  The two discuss how best to word their statements and part as friends, or at least business associates.

Robyn gets directions to the Majestic and walks over to the competing hotel, Al at her side.  Once there, she uses her name to determine which is the MP's suite and takes the elevator to his floor.  She and Al go to the proper suite and enter.  Mrs. Gooden is at a desk in the center of the main room and looks up as Robyn enters.  "Good morning, Miss Lysander.  What a pleasant surprise.  What can I do to assist you this morning?  I am afraid that Mister St. John-Smythe is with some constituents right now.  Would you like me to leave him a message."

"No, thank you very much.  I will wait, if you do not mind."  Robyn sits in one of the comfortable chairs and waits.  Pauline Gooden gives her a distasteful grimace, but says nothing other than to offer some tea, which Robyn politely refuses.  She sits quietly for an hour before the door to one of the offices opens and several men come out accompanied by the Right Honorable Prescott St John-Smyth.  All are laughing and patting each other's backs, but the appearance of the massive Hell Hound puts a stop to that.  Prescott recovers quickly and introduces his companions to Robyn, who graciously files their names away in subfolders within the folder labeled for Prescott.  She looks directly at the man and says, "I know this is unannounced and a terrible inconvenience, but could I have a few minutes of your time?  It is about my daughter."

Prescott says, This really is not a good time, Miss Lysander.  Perhaps a bit later?  Maybe in London?"

Robyn shakes her head and says, "London."  She puts exactly the same tone and volume she had used the previous night and Prescott blinks and goes ashen.  He turns to his companions and tells them that he will catch them up in a few minutes and motions for Robyn to follow him into his office.  Once there he takes a shaky seat and tries to bluster.  "Now see here.  What do you mean by....................by all of this?"

Robyn leans forward on her stick and says.  "Come now, Prescott.  I may call you Prescott, may I not.?  After all, we did share something special last night, did we not?"

The man sits back in his seat, trembling and perspiring.  "My.....my.....my wife and daughter?"

Come now, Prescott.  What do I really gain by telling them?  I know that you are a hypocritical bastard who fucks his personal assistant and is certainly not discriminatory in his selection of other sexual bedmates, both male and female.  And do not think that you could publicly deny your indiscretions.  I can tell everyone the location and shape of two very distinctive birthmarks located in places that I should not be able to know."

"The man splutters and tries to regain some of his lost composure.  "But......but you are blind.  You could not possible know."

Robyn laughs.  "I cannot see with my eyes, Prescott, but my other senses are quite good, I assure you.  And I can certainly discuss how I used my tongue to feel one while I was blowing you.  Besides, you are craven and would collapse under any sort of questioning.  Even if most people do not believe me, your wife would suspect.  What do you think would happen to all of the money she provides you, especially when it would appear that some of that is used to pay for the love nest you share with your current fuck buddy, Mrs. Gooden?  I would think the suspicion alone would leave you very short of funds."

Prescott's body sags; the very picture of a broken man.  "What do you want?"

"It is simple, Prescott.  Lydia and Gem are lovers and are very much in love with each other.  I want you to leave them alone and stand aside as that relationship flourishes.  I also want you to stand aside and give support when they decide they want to marry.  Your own proclivities indicate that you are already fully immersed in the homosexual scene.  You were certainly shagging that young man last night with what I can only describe as wild abandon.  And you also seemed very pleased when you seduced and shagged me.  Tut tut, Preston."

Robyn stands and gathers her things before leaving without saying another word.  She nods to Pauline as she leaves the suite and the hotel.

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn smiles to herself as she walks along the boulevards of Cambridge.  She has several things to be happy about and walks with a light step.  The girls ought to be happy, too.  At some point she is aware that she is standing outside a particular house, looking up at a particular window.  About to turn away, the door opens and she hears a voice call her name.  Smiling, she turns back and walks to the house and through the open door.........................................

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn wakes up alone in the bed, the sheets tossed about as if someone has had a very busy night.  Feeling immensely satisfied and comfortable, she sits up and musses her hair after stretching.  There is a note for her on the nightstand and she lazily reaches over to pick it up.  "I have to leave but you look so serene that I can not make myself wake you up.  I left some a particularly good soycaf blend in the pot for you, if you like and the shower still had forty-three point six minutes of hot water for the day.  Use it all if you want.  I usually get home at half eleven for lunch.  If you are still here............"

She smiles and goes to the bathroom to use the toilet and shower, careful to use only eight point three minutes of his ration.  She puts his robe on and walks about the small flat.  The man is obviously not well off, but he spends his small income on nice things.  The generous hot water ration must set him back a bunch, as should the soycaf, which Robyn agrees is a very nice blend.  She roots about in the frig and finds something to cook up for breakfast.  She looks at Al and decides he needs to go out as well and takes him down and out the back exit after finding a large plastic bag.  Once done, she returns to the flat and sits in the window seat overlooking the street.  her mind wanders to various places and various people.  The pain of losing Cali is so new that it still tugs at her and she relives some of their best times together.  She fingers her cross and prays that the woman is still alive somewhere.  As always, she finishes her prayers by asking that Al be safe and healthy.  After that, she just sits at the window, drinking good soycaf and scratching at Al's ears and head.

The man comes home to find Robyn sitting in the window and comes up to put his arms around her, braving the Hell Hound to do so.  She clasps his arms in hers and holds on tight.  She tells him that she has made some lunch and he spares a glance to the table where she has laid out sandwiches and crisps.  He turns back and puts his head on hers.  "Something tells me that I will not have you much longer and I would rather do something besides eat lunch, if you are willing."

Without saying anything, Robyn turns in the chair and kisses him then takes him to the floor where they make love in an amazing manner.  It is everything Robyn has been missing from her life for eight years and she lets go with this man she has only met.  There are tears in her eyes as they lay together on the floor afterwards.  He looks into her face and wipes her tears away.  "Will you be leaving soon."

She nods, "I return to London the day after tomorrow."

"Will you stay with me tonight?  I get out of class at three."

She nods without saying anything and he leans over to kiss her again before getting dressed and leaving.  Robyn lays on the floor for some time before rising for another short shower and returning to the window seat to wait for him.

[Mercy Merchant]

True to his word, the man arrives home a bit after three.  He tells Robyn that he has arranged for a chum to take his EMT shift so he can have the afternoon off.  She smiles and rises from the window seat to slip into his arms.  Seldom has simple contact felt so good and she lets him know that.  They sit and enjoy the simple meal that Robyn has prepared, then the man takes her by the hand and takes her into the bedroom.  They make love, telling each other parts of their lives as they recover their strength.  The sex is amazing and extremely pleasurable and they stay in bed all evening and through the night.  He claims that she has ruined him for other woman and she pretends to believe that and in the morning, she leaves him with a kiss and a promise to come see him when she is in Cambridge.  She remains in his flat for a bit after he leaves for school, sitting in the window seat and wondering for perhaps the first time in her life if this would be enough.  Robyn is certain that the man would declare love for her if given the chance and would likely propose if she even hinted that she was ready for that.  She casts her mind about the flat, letting her sensors tell her everything, and she wonders if she could give up everything to live like this. 

Her mind goes on to wonder what "everything" actually is and determines that, yes, she could give up everything for the right man or woman.  She had been prepared to do that for Al..................and at that point the entire proposition falls apart.  She knows that there will never be anyone in her deepest heart except the man she lost in Cambodia.  Cali had come the closest to replacing him, but Robyn knows what she would have chosen if it came down to having to choose between lovers.  And that would not be fair to the man who has given her back her sexuality.  She owes him far more than she can really explain to him, but feels that he does not really need an explanation. 

Robyn cleans up and finds a piece of paper and a pen in the flat.  Her senses are so much better than sight is so many ways, but they do not allow her the ability to write an actual letter and her effort is usually more like a child's scrawl than anything else, but she painstakingly pens a simple note of thanks to the man and places it on the bed where he is certain to find it.  She then leaves the flat, stopping in the street to look up at the window one last time.  Her eyes cannot see, but her mind can clearly place herself in the window, waiting for the man to come home to her.  As she turns away, she wonders again if it could really be as simple as that.

A light rain is falling by the time she gets to the hotel, disguising the tears she has shed for another might have been.  Her life has been full of these might have beens and now it has one more.  Her mutated brain allows her to remember everything she has ever done, but that can sometimes be a curse as much as a blessing and right now it is more the curse as she considers all of the might have beens in her life.  Not wishing to be alone and maudlin, she lets Stephanie know that she is only in to change and will be going out to play tourist.  The maid tells her that the hotel manager has spoken to her and has agreed to release her.  She says that she will be available to leave for London with Robyn, if the musician wants that.  Robyn smiles and nods, almost breaking down but gathering what strength she can and leaving the room to walk about.

[Mercy Merchant]

The last day is mostly a forgettable blur as she plays tourist.  Except that she cannot forget anything.  But it does allow her the time to just be herself and she rather enjoys it.  She finds a few things to take back to London as souvenirs and finally returns to the hotel in time to dress for a dinner alone.  The following morning she packs and leaves for London with Stephanie.  The next few days are spent settling her new personal assistant in at the hotel in her suite and getting used to living together.  The bookshop below the large flat is a plus for the maid and she settles in happily.  Robyn reconnects with her London contacts and pulls a couple of shifts at London General.  She is revitalized after her visit to Cambridge and many of her friends remark on it, bringing an enigmatic smile to her face.

Robyn again digs into the search for Cali, seeking out her contacts in both the Overworld and Below, she renews her efforts.