[ And if she is, he's there quickly. He's obviously a bit nervous and trying to hide it—second-guessing himself even as he knows he's really and truly made up his mind this time. ]
"Thank you." He clasps his hands behind his back, as if he were making some more formal sort of inquiry. "I—before he left, Francis—he said something to me about—how did he put it? Asking for a bed that wasn't the size of a tinderbox. I've decided to take his advice."
Ulla laughs softly. "Of course. There are limits on what you can have as
an inmate, but we can certainly manage a little more space than that. What
sort of room would you like?"
He draws a deep breath. "I'd still be most at ease in a ship's cabin of some sort—but I need somewhere that might actually admit a guest or two. I thought of the great cabin of Erebus, but—"
He never felt it was really his.
"—the associations are ... difficult. So I should like instead the captain's cabin of HMS Clio, my first command. There'll be room for a table and chairs alongside the berth and clothes-press and so forth."
Ulla nods. "That makes sense. Is there anything you'd like to make sure
is kept, from your room now? I want to make sure you don't lose something
that matters when the cabin shifts."
"A reasonable enough request," Ulla tells him, keeping any amused
suspicions to herself as she quickly adds that to the details she's given
the Admiral.
Ulla didn't even bother adding a door to her own cabin until Taylor started
spending so much time here. She lived with a curtain of kelp for two years.
Ulla shakes her head. "Immediately, once he approves. We could go see it
together, if you're willing?" Just as soon as the Admiral replies, which
shouldn't be long.
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I'll come to you, if you're available now.
[ And if she is, he's there quickly. He's obviously a bit nervous and trying to hide it—second-guessing himself even as he knows he's really and truly made up his mind this time. ]
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Ulla lets him in. The water is at half tide, and she has towels spread on the sand for them to sit on.
"You're always welcome to make requests. You try so hard to help me. I want to do the same for you."
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"Thank you." He clasps his hands behind his back, as if he were making some more formal sort of inquiry. "I—before he left, Francis—he said something to me about—how did he put it? Asking for a bed that wasn't the size of a tinderbox. I've decided to take his advice."
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Ulla laughs softly. "Of course. There are limits on what you can have as an inmate, but we can certainly manage a little more space than that. What sort of room would you like?"
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He draws a deep breath. "I'd still be most at ease in a ship's cabin of some sort—but I need somewhere that might actually admit a guest or two. I thought of the great cabin of Erebus, but—"
He never felt it was really his.
"—the associations are ... difficult. So I should like instead the captain's cabin of HMS Clio, my first command. There'll be room for a table and chairs alongside the berth and clothes-press and so forth."
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Ulla nods. "That makes sense. Is there anything you'd like to make sure is kept, from your room now? I want to make sure you don't lose something that matters when the cabin shifts."
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"Little enough that isn't portable," he says. "Only the portrait of William."
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"I'll ask now." And she reaches for her communicator to do so on the spot.
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"Oh, and—" he adds almost as an afterthought, "a wider bed than is common aboard ships. If we're asking for unlikely things, why not?" He grins.
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"A reasonable enough request," Ulla tells him, keeping any amused suspicions to herself as she quickly adds that to the details she's given the Admiral.
Ulla didn't even bother adding a door to her own cabin until Taylor started spending so much time here. She lived with a curtain of kelp for two years.
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Were he to know of Ulla's suspicions, Fitzjames would declare them entirely unfounded. At most, he might be accused simply of thinking ahead.
(... to some other time when Jonathan Strange needs a lie-down, perhaps? No.)
"Thank you. Does—will it take long?"
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Ulla shakes her head. "Immediately, once he approves. We could go see it together, if you're willing?" Just as soon as the Admiral replies, which shouldn't be long.
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"Of course," he says. He's a little apprehensive, but there's unlikely to be anything there that will expose anything that Ulla doesn't already know.
She's seen the file, he reminds himself. She knows.
Doesn't make it any easier to discuss.