Ynno hummed a tune as he came in and sat in his desk
opposite from Clare. He sorted his morning work into order with
many extra flourishes. Clare smiled warmly at him. "Well you
obviously made it home."
"I don't remember most of it but I was there when I woke up
this morning."
Sarion waltzed around his partition playing an imaginary
instrument. Ynno smiled good humouredly and waited for him to
finish and clapped sarcastically. Clare giggled.
"Well what are you going to do next", he asked.
Ynno looked thoughtful. "I hadn't thought. I'm not quite
over it yet."
Clare leaned forward and handed Sarion a facsimile which he
passed to Ynno. "Concert?" asked Ynno.
"Good choice!" said Sarion. "It isn't too intimate but you
want to woo her slowly. Let her bring someone if she might feel
more comfortable. Better yet invite both herself and Old
Battleaxe. Make it appear even more innocent. Get good seats and
flowers for each."
"Hey! Who's courting her? Me or you?" laughed Ynno.
"Well, you never know", said Sarion. "Someone like that. A
charming personality almost too hard to resist..." Ynno growled
at him and Sarion winked and strode back behind his partition.
Clare smiled on wistfully.
* * *
Ynno was still whistling three days later when he came into
the office. "Good morning!", he called to Clare.
"Ynno", she said soberly. "I've sorted the morning's mail.
You have something in your cubbyhole." He bounced in that
direction. "Ynno", she said warningly. He turned with a raised
eyebrow. "It's not good news."
He went over pensively and took the one sheet of paper and
read it, crestfallen. Sarion arrived in just after him and came
to a quick halt at seeing Ynno. Ynno handed him the paper. "She
said no", he said. Sarion quickly read it. Then again more
slowly. "She said it in an open interdepartmental letter."
Sarion held up a finger. "Remember you invited Old Battleaxe
and Bethula. It was a communique to Amalgamate, you would expect
them to reply in open. Look", he held the bottom of the letter up
to him. "It was written by a secretary. It probably fell under
Old Battleaxe's nose and she just told some secretary to send a
no back."
"But..." said Ynno. Clare handed him a piece of paper.
"What's this?"
"Her home address.Write to _her_." Sarion laid his finger on
the side of his nose.
Ynno smiled weakly but still looked anxious.
He looked anxious for the next couple of days and then
didn't come in at all. Sarion and Clare found him in his
apartment during lunchtime looking miserable. Clare tried to
comfort him and Sarion read the letter expressionlessly.
"She said no", whispered Ynno. "Very no. No way. Not ever."
"It doesn't look that bad to me", muttered Sarion.
"It is very clear in Imperial phraseology", Ynno explained.
"So she knew I would understand. It is an absolute no."
"Tactless bitch", he replied.
Ynno ignored Clare and glared at Sarion. "No, phrased like
an imperial princess."
"She's still a tactless bitch."
"She must know", he mumbled.
"Know what?" asked Sarion.
"That I'm not a man but a machine!" shouted Ynno. "What
else."
"If she cared it wouldn't make a difference", said Clare
quietly.
"She doesn't care!" exclaimed Sarion.
"I can see that", screamed Ynno.
"Sarion, you're not helping", scolded Clare.
"She doesn't care", repeated Sarion. "She never will. Forget
her. Forget she ever existed. She's not good enough for you.
You'll get over it."
Ynno glared at him, chest rising and falling rapidly. He
just shook his head.
Clare squeezed Ynno's limp hand. "It happens", she said
quietly. "Occasionally someone meets someone and something
clicks.You know that this person is _the_ person.No one else will
do. No matter how long it takes..." She looked intently at him
but he didn't seem to be listening.
"And waste the rest of you life?" Sarion had his hands on
his hips and a defensive stance. "Ruin your chance of happiness
for someone who could not care less?"
"Once you've met that person, that's it. You'll never be
happy again", Clare countered fiercely. And back to Ynno. "If you
love her, love her from afar. It's easier to cope."
"That doesn't sound like very healthy advice to me", said
Sarion. "Take a few days off. Sit and stew over it. Pour yourself
a couple of good drinks. You'll get over it." Ynno stared at the
table. Sarion sighed and moved toward the door. "Come on Clare,
lunchtime is nearly over. We've got to get back to the office."
"I'm staying", she said.
"We do have a job we're expected to do."
"I said I am staying", she said resolutely.
He muttered back something she couldn't hear and left,
closing the door behind him.
Clare held Ynno's hand and for a moment looked as if she was
going to say something. But she remained silent and just held him
all afternoon.