Daisy in the Fringe

Dear Diary,

After we left the Goddess’s house, we rode to a big pond in the middle of the crater. We spotted a ship half-sunk out in the middle of the water, so Hank decided to swim out and take a look.

Nobody else wanted to get wet, except that scroll-head girl, who wanted to see what was up. So I figured I better swim out there, to make sure Hank didn’t get into no trouble that he couldn’t get out of, cause I didn’t figure that scroll-girl would be much use if things got tight. That meant I had to strip down to my scanties, which made me feel funny, being in front of Hank and Mr Dutch and all. (I suppose it’s all right if Doc sees me like that, him being a doctor and all. Though he doesn’t have eyes for anyone these days but that girly girl that the Nihonese gave him.)

We swam out to the boat, and Hank and the scroll-head dove down and looked around inside. While they were under, I spotted what looked like a gray sail off in the distance. But before long, it was clear that it weren’t no sail, but the fin of some big old fish. Well, Artemis ain’t the goddess of fish, so we didn’t have a truce with no leviathan, so as soon as Hank and the girl came up, we started swimming to shore.

I was kind of nervous – that looked like a mighty big fish – so I kicked in with a burst of speed. And it was strange, but I never felt so good in the water before. I mean, I’m a pretty good swimmer, though I ain’t quite sure how. It’s not like I had lessons or nothing – there was just that time that little Andreas fell in the river back at home and I just dove in without thinking and pulled him out. But this was different: for a good long stretch I was really moving, feeling more graceful in the water than I ever did feel before.

Well, Dutch got out his rifle and peppered that fin, which seemed to give old Mr Leviathan some second thoughts. Whatever the cause, he kept his distance while we got out. Dusty wrapped me right up in a blanket, so I didn’t have to worry too much about standing in front of all them guys in my wet undies. Still, I was awfully glad that the Creep ain’t traveling with us no more. I can only guess what would have been running through his mind if he saw me like that, all dripping and mostly bare.

But I gotta give some thought to what happened out there when I was swimming. It was kinda like what happens when I learn something new – all of a sudden I could do something I never could before. But it was different too. I mean, I already know how to swim, just not that fast. I gotta think about this, maybe ask Dusty. Something strange is going on.

Of course, that’s been true for quite a while now. Near as I can tell, strange is normal nowadays, and I better just get used to it.

Dear Diary,

We was having fun with all the wishes, when this strange lady comes in the door. At first, I thought it was Momma, though I couldn’t reckon how she could have gotten way out here past the Fringe. But then Hank says it’s his ma, which got us all a bit worried, what with Hank always telling them stories about how he killed off all his kin. We was all looking for places to dive, in case the bullets started flying, when Dusty decided to try to use her little tricks to figure out who it really was.

But she only got a nasty headache from the effort, which was pretty strange. And then something even stranger happened – I thought of something I wanted to say to Momma, opened my lips, and danged if them words didn’t just come on out. For the first time ever, I could talk. My voice wasn’t as pretty as Dusty’s, but it was a fine thing to be able to say all I wanted and not have to depend on her to mangle my words however would suit her fancy.

After a little back and forth, the lady introduced herself as Artemis, the Goddess, and this was her special house. It was her killers, that led us here, and she had the house show us some good old fashioned God-style hospitality. That explained why Dusty and me could wish much better than the others, what with her being the Goddess of Maidens and all. (And I was awfully glad I won that shooting match against that lunk Phoebus, back on the ship. I woulda been in all sorts of trouble otherwise!)

Anyway, Artemis was here to offer us a truce. As long as we was in her crater, she didn’t want us killing any of her animals. (She’s the Goddess of wild animals too. Ladies giving birth, wild animals, and virgins – what a strange bunch of things to be in charge of!) So as long as we didn’t mess with them, she said they wouldn’t mess with us.

That sounded good to us, and we figured that if a Goddess offers you a truce, you should just smile and nod. And then we talked a bit, and she gave us some messages to send to Captain Crispin back on the ship. Something about bad things already being around, and that all the vampires that had come out lately were a part of it. (Captain Crispin must have been mighty surprised when he heard who we were meeting with now. First the Daughter of Heaven and that Nihon prince, and now this. Maybe after we’re done in Nihon, he’ll have to send us off to be his ambassadors to Olympus!)

Then she touched me and Dusty and gave us her blessing. And she left us.

But before she left, she said a bunch of us was touched by Gods. Dusty was touched by Hermes, and even Hank was touched by Isis, some old Egyptian goddess. I was touched by a god too, but Artemis didn’t say which one.

I guess now I been touched by two gods, Artemis and whichever other one touched me before. I can’t remember that first touch, but I’ll never forget when Artemis gave me her blessing.

PS: Once she left, I couldn’t talk no more. Dusty says I’m just being stubborn again, and since I could talk to Artemis, that proved it.

PPS: Now that I know that it was the Goddess’s power that made my hair grow out, I ain’t never going to cut it. Well, maybe trim it, if I get split ends or something. But I figure I owe her for giving me her blessing, and I’ll pay up by keeping my hair like she made it.

Dear Diary,

What an amazing day it’s been! We met a Goddess, and had all our wishes come true!

It happened like this. We was roaming around the fringe, when these Killers – big wolfish things with a mouthful of daggers and a belly full of hunger – started herding us to this house. We could have tried to shoot them, but there were so many that we figured we wouldn’t have stood much chance. And besides, we were supposed to check out weird goings-on out here in this crater, and being led around by a bunch of Killers was about as weird as anything we’d ever heard of, so we figured we’d follow along and see what would come of it.

We go into the house, a big fancy place, and it’s plenty comfortable. But we’re getting a little hungry, and Dusty is getting kind of tired of trail rations. So she says, “I sure do wish I had me some pancakes and syrup.” And soon as she spoke, bam – there was a plate full of pancakes with a pitcher of maple syrup right there on the kitchen table. They was good, too – light and fluffy, with the sweetest syrup I’ve ever tasted.

But Hank and Dutch wouldn’t eat none at first. Dutch came around before long and had some sausages and beer, but Hank kept saying he weren’t going to eat no fairy food, that it was bound to lead to trouble. I never thought I’d see such a hardened killer get so worked up over a plate of pancakes!

After some experimenting, Dusty found that she could wish for just about anything and it would appear. She got a closet to turn into a big old bathroom with two large claw-foot tubs full of steaming water – one for her and one for me. And she wished up just about everything you could imagine that would be tasty to eat. I got into it myself – even though I can’t talk, I only had to think of a wish and it would come true.

Well, not quite every wish. But Dusty even wished us long hair, down to the middle of our backs, long and blond and shiny. It sure looks pretty like that, and Dusty says when we go to Nihon, we’ll be able to do our hair up in all sorts of fancy doos, just like the Daughter of Heaven does.

(And speaking of Nihon, Dusty was able to learn the whole Nihon language and manners letter-perfect, just from wishing it. That sure will be useful when we go there as ambassadors.)

Then Dusty got the devil in her eye and started wishing up new hairdoos for Dutch and Hank. She started off by making their hair turn red. Dutch was okay with that, and he looks right nice with a big red beard. It gives him a fine foxy look to him. But Hank didn’t much care for the color – you’da thought Dusty made him eat up a whole platter of magic pancakes, the way he let on. So Dusty wished him rainbow colored hair, which really set him off. He said, “Dangnabbit, Dusty, you make my hair black again!” So she did, only all slick and curly, like I once saw a fancy gambling man wearing. That looked even funnier than the red, what with Hank not normally being what you’d call a fashion plate. But Hank was stuck with it – no matter how much he tried rubbing dirt into the shine and cutting off the curls, they kept coming back. Dusty just laughed and laughed, though I finally took pity on him and wished his hair back the way it was.

But then an even more amazing thing happened. But I think I’ll leave that for my next entry…

Dear Diary,

Well, we’re back on the planet yet again.  We’re going to be riding off into the fringe to find out about some stuff.

I got me a new horse.  She’s a pretty little mare, kind of a yellow-brown color.  I named her Buttercup.  She’s a real sweet thing.  I hope I get to keep her awhile.

And oh, I went to see Posca again before we left the ship.  He don’t seem any more interested in me than I am in him.  I suppose that ain’t a big surprise.  I mean, after getting beaten up for me, he probably don’t think it’s worth getting too friendly.

Dear Diary,

Here we are, back on the ship again, and nothing much has changed.  We’re still having dinner with the Daughter of Heaven and various folks, we’re still locked up in our little rooms, and there’s still no fresh air and not much to do but watch them little screens all day.

Them little screens are starting to get on my nerves.  At first they’re pretty interesting, what with all them little people in there telling those fancy stories, but in about two shakes they get pretty darned boring.  What good is watching something when you could be doing something instead?  Except I guess there ain’t much for us to be doing on the ship, so watching is all we got.

It turns out that Posca did get beat up, the day after our date.  That’s why he never wrote or nothing.  I feel kind of bad about thinking ill of him.  But I feel even worse that it was probably on account of me that he got beat up, seeing as it was done by Phoebus and Fiero.  They’re in the brig now, and will probably get tossed out of the marines.  Serves them right.

I sat in the sickbay by Posca’s bed for a while, but he never woke up.  He wasn’t looking too good, but Doc gave him some of his special treatment, so I guess Posca will be okay soon.  I wonder that they don’t got healers like Doc working on this ship.  I suppose they must be rarer than I figured – we sure are lucky to have Doc.  I know I felt lucky to have him around when I got poked by that spear last week.

I don’t know what to do about Posca.  I suppose I should be extra nice to him, since he got beaten up for me and all.  But, well, I don’t know – he just don’t give me no spark.  I mean, he’s a nice guy and all, and I wouldn’t mind having him for a friend.  But he just don’t make me feel all funny, like I hear a boyfriend is supposed to.

And oh, that Nihonese gentleman that we rescued gave us all some pretty neat weapons.  I got this here fan with bladed edges that they let the women carry in Nihon.  It looks real deadly, though you’d have to get up close and all to use it.  Maybe if I ever see Phoebus again, and he tries to get real close and friendly, I’ll get a chance to try out that old fan.