Tolly and Jasin talk

How much *was* that check?

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Note: Why does Bing keep giving me images of men with beards when I’m asking for orange hair?

Jasin

I shook my head as An left. I knew about her concerns, and shared them to a certain extent. But still, she should have known that it would backfire if attacked directly like that. Jelana, Belinda, and I had been working on him for a while, subtly. Now that work had been totally undone. I called Belinda, and told her what An had said, then went up to see how the big guy was doing. He was sitting at the desk, his head in his hands.

"How are you doing, sir?" I asked.

"Stop calling me that," he said, not looking up.

"No, sir," I said.

"Just call me 'big guy', or something," Tolly said.

"No, sir," I said again.

"An told you what happened," Tolly said after a moment.

"Yes."

"I was an idiot," he said. "I should have known better. I did know better. An just stung me and I reacted. Poorly. And now I don't know where they are."

"Jelana is with her. She'll be fine."

"I know. "

The phone rang on his desk. He glared at it for a moment like it might bite him. Then he snatched it up.

"Yes?" he said, half growling. Then, more calmly, "Yes. Yes, it is real." A pause. "No, there are no strings. She can spend it however she wishes." Another pause. "You're welcome." Then he hung up, and stared at the phone for a moment.

"They're in Sandy Beach," he said. "She's setting up a bank account."

"Just how large was that check, sir?"

"Substantial. Pocket change. What does it matter? She could live on it for months, years, longer if she's careful."

"But she won't," I said, watching him closely.

"Why not?"

"For one thing, it's still not safe out there. Jelana can protect her, but she'll be sure to bring Glorina back."

"Jelana will bring her back." Tolly sounded reassured.

There was a knock on the door, and Belinda came in pulling a cart. "Lunch, Uncle Tolly." She kissed his cheek.

"What? No complaints about me shirking? You've heard, too, haven't you?"

"I know how hard you work," Belinda said neutrally.

"They're in Sandy Beach," I told her.

"Sandy Beach? Good, there are some nice stores there. Glorina's never been shopping for herself before."

"Hasn't she?" Tolly leaned back with a heavy sigh. "Hope she doesn't go overboard."

"Jelana's with her," I said again. "She'll keep Glorina from going overboard. Much."

"She'll probably have trouble talking Glorina into getting enough, rather than getting too much," Belinda put in.

"Sandy Beach," Tolly said, meditatively. "I've never been there. It didn't exist last time I could travel."

"No, sir," I said. That was well beyond his limited distance.

"Does it really have a sandy beach?"

Belinda and I exchanged glances.

"Well, yes," I said. "For a certain definition of the word 'sandy'."

"And a certain definition of the word 'beach'," Belinda added.

"I wouldn't have thought that that the reservoir would have made that much sand already," Tolly said.

"Oh, they import several truckloads of sand every year," I said.

"But it never lasts that long."

"You think they'll be fine then?" the big guy said.

"Jelana and Glorina? I'm sure of it," Belinda said firmly.

"Then I better eat lunch," Tolly said, determinedly cheerful. He looked at the cart. "Did you bring enough for both of you as well?"

"I've got to get back to work," Belinda said. "If you're going to keep shirking, well someone's got to pick up the slack."

"That's more like it," Tolly said, laughing.

"But I did bring enough for Jasin, if he wants it."

"I'd be delighted," I said.

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