[Mercy Merchant]

Thursday, August 9th, 2076


Alyce is in bed next to Grace, listening to her soft breathing.  She does not have to turn her head to watch the gentle movement of the younger woman's breasts as they rise and fall.  Alyce's body is still tingling from the afterglow of extended sex as she relaxes and composes the message that she wants to send.

>>Al [Alyce]:  Hey, you.  I miss you already.  I wanted to get a message off to you before the words got out of my head.  I hope that you read this but you should not feel obligated to reply.  First, and most importantly, you are the love of my life, Al, and my very best friend.  I know that something is bothering you and that this vacation was supposed to be a time when you could figure things out and talk to me about them, and I blame myself for saying and doing things that did not help you get to that point.

No matter where you are, I am just a call away if you want to talk to me.  You have two numbers now that you can use.  The old one is still tied to that ancient meta you gave me years ago, which is never turned off and will forward to me wherever I am.  I have attached that number here just in case you have misplaced the note I wrote you in Cambodia.  The second number, also attached, is to my current ‘link and should also get to me anywhere.  I feel confident that we will meet each other professionally on occasion, but would love to see you at other times as well.  Call me and we can meet.  Call me from anywhere and I will get there.

By the way, I wrote down those words you spoke to me at that breakfast, just to make sure that I never forget them.  They have already given me a peace I probably do not deserve and a certain contentment that I wish my words could give you.  I know that you meant every word and they are the most precious things anyone has ever said to me.

I am going to stay on the train with Grace and see where that may lead for me.  We both miss you very much.  Good night and please be happy.

I love you, Al.

Alyce<<

After sending the message, Alyce rolls to her side, facing the sleeping Grace and folds an arm around the young woman before falling asleep.

[adamu]

Thursday, August 9th, 2076

Sitting in a smoky pub in Sheffield, Al watched his 'link vibrate on the sticky bar top.

He hadn't felt like going back to London. He hadn't been tired of traveling. He hadn't been tired of vacation. He'd been tired of traveling with other people. And of not being the driver.

So he'd gotten a room in which to sit and do nothing in a seedy part of what had once been a nice town and was now just one cell in the body of the urban sprawl that covered most of the British Isles. But there was still a bit of the Peak District left. Most of it has been logged into nothing, but there were a few spots he thought he'd hike up to. Get his head clear.

He glanced at the number on the text he'd just received. So much for waiting a few weeks. But then she wasn't much of a listener. Not like him. He reflected for a moment on what the world would be like if everyone on the planet was as good a communicator as he was - no more war, no more hate, a fucking paradise if people would just learn to be like him. But then he'd definitely never have a moment's peace.

He went ahead and read it. No surprises. Just as painful as he expected. He'd have to make himself read it another few times, just to twist the knife a bit. But he'd be drunk by then. He ordered another beer.

[Mercy Merchant]

Thursday, August 9th, 2076


By the time the women wake up, the train has stopped at the station for Snowdonia National Park, where it will sit for the next three days so the passengers can take advantage of the visual wonders of North Wales.  Alyce leaves the bed to use the toilet, making way for Grace when she is done.  When Grace returns to the room she finds Alyce back on the bed and stops to look upon her own visual wonder that just happens to be in North Wales.

"Hey, don't you want to go see some of the sights?"

Alyce shakes her head and Grace grins before returning to the bed. 

[Mercy Merchant]

Thursday, August 9th, 2076


It is afternoon when the girls finally drag themselves out of bed to take showers.  It is convenient that they can use the showers in both compartments since each one is barely large enough to allow one person to get clean at a time.  They leave the train and are immediately aware of a slight breeze that ruffles the hems of their sundresses.  This far north is bringing a bit of a chill to the breeze and both look at each other with the same thought to buy some climate appropriate clothing.  Fortunately, the town has several locations that serve tourists that arrive here unprepared for the area and they are soon wearing clothing more suited for North Wales.

The next stop is to see what sort of tours are available and they arrange to take a bus and rail tour of Mt. Snowdon, the highest peak in Great Britain south of Scotland.  The train is a replica of an ancient locomotive and cars and will take them all the way to the summit and give them thirty minutes to look about.  They also arrange for the following day a guided tour by motorcoach to one of castles of the Welsh Princes who had defied Edward I when he expanded British rule into Wales.  Having taken care of the next two days, they leisurely walk the lanes of the town, eating lunch outside a tea house then dinner at one of the pubs on the main road.  After most of a day of talking, they realize that they actually have very little in common except a love of the cello, but that realization does nothing to lessen the attraction they feel for each other, nor the satisfaction they get from just walking together and certainly not the immense physical enjoyment they get from making love to each other.

After dinner in the pub, the two walk lazily back to the train to spend the evening up in the observation car where Alyce starts her book from the beginning, reading aloud to Grace, who enjoys the words and the way Alyce reads them.  After a few chapters, Alyce slides the silken bookmark into place and the girls hold hands as they go down to their compartment and spend even more time getting to know each other's carnal desires.