"Excuse me, my very bestest of gentlepeople guests," Ixia said, "but this is most certainly likely to be extremely very long. Would you mind coming back?"
âWe can do that," said Grimur. He was not fooled, but he did not fancy himself contradicting or questioning Ixia. She was, after all, pleasing to his experienced eye. Besides, he knew better; she had a dubious reputation.
Besides, he thought, I now have all the time in the world.
As they were walking out, Grimur still could not help himself and whispered discreetly to Ixia. "He does that too often, and we all know it."
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The pixie looked comically shocked and offended. "And yet you still come," she retorted with a grin and a buzz of her wings.
"Indeed, we do. When we can get him involved, he is of great help. And when we cannot, heâs of great company. Be well, Ms. Ixia!"
As the last of them had left, Magenta reappeared behind Ixia and hugged her. "I told you, they would know,â she teased him.
"Yeah, but come on; I mean, what was that act you put on? It was like you intended for them to not believe you." he said.
"Still better than telling them we wanted to snug or meet better friends."
"My impossible love, how I adore you!" said a beaming Magenta.
After a thought, he said: "Even if Liwa had finally reached RK 100 on the Bible, my friends would still come first. And you would come before them." She turned around to face him. And immediately, his gaze was swallowed by the deep viridian green of her eyes. He shivered.
"And I love you, too."