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“Damn.” Boy backed away from the friction engine.
Liberty turned in the captain’s chair and stared at him. “What happened?”
Too frustrated to answer, Boy clacked by and walked toward the port side. He could see the railing but his brain didn’t seem able to send the commands to his feet in time for them to stop him running headfirst into it.
“Damn.”
Liberty laughed. “Stop saying that.”
Boy backed up and now headed toward the starboard side. Once again he could see he needed to stop but his feet just weren’t listening. Inside he was screaming, “Stop! Stop! Stop!” but his feet just kept on going, clack, clack, clack. Once again he ran headfirst into the railing.
“Damn.” It was the perfect word to describe how he felt.
Liberty covered her mouth but a giggle slipped out. “Where did you learn to talk like that?”
As if she didn’t know. Instead of answering he backed up and would have headed astern had Liberty not walked over and stood in his path.
“Why are you cursing?”
He blinked as he thought over her question. It took a moment for a memory to return and suddenly it made perfect sense. “It makes me feel better.”
She grinned. “How’s that?”
She knew why, so why was she asking. He answered anyway. “I imagine poison darts are shooting out of my mouth and hitting what pisses me off, that’s how.”
Boy backed up but then, before walking away, added, “Stop staring at my mouth. It’s not really poison darts you know, just pretend ones.” Something inside him stirred when tears ran down Liberty’s face.
Laughter bubble out through her tears, though, and she hugged him. “You’re remembering. That’s wonderful. Maybe by the time we meet up with Mender and Justice you’ll have remembered everything.”
He hoped so too because he was tired of feeling as if the world was speeding by him and he couldn’t catch up. He wanted to remember everything his father had told him before his death, and he wanted to talk with Liberty as they had before – as equals.
Liberty patted his head. “Carry on. I suspect you’ll have to run into a few more things before that happens.”
She leaned over and looked him directly in the eyes. A conspiratorial smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “If you don’t tell Mender who taught them to you, I’ll teach you a few more curse words. You can’t just go around saying ‘Damn’ all the time. It’ll get boring.”
“Damn straight.” Things were sliding into place.
“You made that up. I’m impressed. What does it mean when I say ‘Bloody hell’?”
Happiness bubbled through him. “It means that Airus is either going to blow up or fall out of the sky.” Boy told his hand to reach out and touch Liberty’s tears. “My father sent me here to be your brother. Do you know why?”
Liberty shook her head, scattering her tears onto the deck.
“Your father asked him to finish building me because he didn’t want you to ever be lonely. He loved you so very much.” It was like a veil had been lifted and he no longer felt a crippling despair. It would get better. It might not be today but it would be someday.