THE BORA RAN OUT OF BREATH YESTERDAY, AND THEN the warm sirocco began to blow from the southeast, and the captain was in a great hurry to set sail. We had to come aboard last night so we could leave at dawn. Everything has happened so quickly.
Yesterday morning I got more marjoram and linseed and wormwood from the surgeon, and then I ran down to the nunnery to see Sister Cika one more time. I knocked loudly on the ribbed door, but no one answered it; perhaps they were all at Terce. After that, it took me quite some time to find Bertie. He wasn’t in Milon’s house or exercising his horse, and in the end I found him in my own tower room, just staring out of the window.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” I said.
Bertie punched the wall.
“That’s how I feel too,” I said. “Angry and worse than that.”
“Tell Milon you’re going to stay.”
“I can’t!” I exclaimed. “I must take care of Lord Stephen. Milon’s right. I must get him home.”
“But…”
“I know.”
“Nothing lasts,” said Bertie. “When those German sausages gave me a chin-pie, and we went to the campo together and met the Saracens, and I told you I was a leucrota, and when the arrow got me and you saved me…”
“I know,” I said.
Bertie shook his head furiously.
“I’ll miss you too,” I said. “You make me laugh. And worry.”
“Why?”
“Why do you think?”
Bertie screwed up his face.
“Don’t be such a miserable wood louse,” I said. “And don’t believe everything other people tell you.”
Bertie and I caught one another’s eyes, and the next thing was we were embracing each other.
“At least you’ve completely recovered,” I said huskily. “Milon has promised he’ll come to England, and he says he’ll bring you.”
“And Bonamy.”
“You’d better!” I said. “Bertrand de Sully!”
I heard someone calling me, so Bertie and I raced each other down the steps, and he won.
Serle was standing at the bottom. “That’s where you are!” he said. “I’m going to exercise Shortneck. Do you want to come?”
“Of course!” I said.
Bertie and I embraced each other again, and he ran across the hall.
All at once, I remembered my Saracen-fish dream, and our galleys sinking; I remembered Bertie laughing and rolling over and over and diving away into the dark. And I knew I’d never see him again.