Strange Noises Fiction by Rachel Greenham

“I have to serve food. Hethan’s—”

“Yeah I know. It’ll just take a minute. You saw how quickly I picked it up last time.”

“And your friend’s upstairs in her room. She’s upset about something.”

“Uh…” Samila. Damn it, I don’t have time for this. “Did she say what?”

Jalese shakes her head. “She wouldn’t tell me. She says I won’t understand.”

I look back towards the bar. “I’ve got to play. We can’t afford to lose this work.”

“I know.” She bites her lip, thinking. “You really don’t remember any other songs?”

I shake my head. “But it’s really quick. You just have to remind me. I can’t keep playing Selkie’s Lament all night. People are going to notice!”

“Oh that depends how much wine they pour through their gills,” Jalese comments dryly.

I blink a couple of times at the unfamiliar idiom. “I don’t think it’s that kind of place,” I say.

“Oh, suddenly you know all about it?” she quips back, with a smile to remind me she’s not being mean.

“Well, there are kids in there. People aren’t going to get really drunk around them are they?” My reasoning actually makes her hesitate. “Look, you could’ve taught me a song by now instead of explaining why you haven’t got time to teach me a song,” I point out.

“Um—”

I play my trump. “Otherwise I’ll have to pull you onstage in front of everyone to teach me,” I say.

“You wouldn’t!”

I grin. “Look, I’ll talk to Kerilas. He can go up and see Samila, find out what’s up.”

“I don’t think that’s appropriate!”

“No, it’s… It’s all right. He’s her friend. They’ve known each other a long time. Longer than she’s known me anyway.”

She looks at me oddly. “But he’s Reki,” she points out, as if it should be obvious. The word for a dark elf.

I stare at her. “So? You were on a sloop with him for four days—”

“It’s different at sea. The ship comes first.” Her words have the weight of proverb. She stares at me critically. “How could you possibly forget that? You’re Neri.”

“Kerilas is all right,” I insist, trying not to get sidetracked. “He wouldn’t do anything. He’s my friend, I trust him.”

“He’s too familiar with you, Miss,” Jalese says, interjecting some of that formality she used on our first day.

“Me?” I stare back at her. “You think me and him… No. No, we’re not like that.”

“I should hope not. It’s not correct.”

We’re just looking at each other. Neither of us know what to say any more.

“Not like what?” Samila says, making me jump. She must have come down the stairs quietly while we were arguing. She’s standing at the bottom, almost hanging onto the wall, almost hiding behind it as if she might bolt back upstairs.

“Nothing,” Jalese says. “Are you feeling better?”

Samila shrugs. She’s clean and her hair’s practically shining like a black grand piano, and she’s wearing a pretty, if a little folksy dress with a bodice front that on her creates quite a cleavage. I’m almost envious. “Just thought I’d better get it over with,” she says.

“What?” Jalese wonders.

But finally I get it. “Ohh.” This would be the first time Lee’s ever worn female clothing then, as opposed to the anonymous tunic and trousers we had from the camp. “You look great,” I say, trying to be reassuring.

“R-Really?”

“Really. Doesn’t she, Jalese?”

“What? Yes, I suppose so. You look very pretty. Why, is there someone here you’re trying to impress?” She gives me a look. I shake my head minutely.

“I feel like a right fucking narner,” Samila says in English.

“You don’t look it,” I promise her. “Trust me.”

“How can you just—” Samila starts, in Jeodine, then catches herself with a glance to Jalese. “How can you just do this girl stuff like it’s nothing?” she asks me in English.”

“It’s not nothing,” I say carefully, replying in English. “It’s just what we have to do okay?”

“I know,” she sighs morosely.

“I mean, what choice do we have?” I press. “Look, you’re not going to have any problems. You look lovely. Really you do.”

She shivers and folds her arms around her breasts, as if trying to hide them.

“I just need Jalese to teach me a few more songs quickly so I can play tonight,” I continue, deliberately changing the subject and switching back to Jeodine, for Jalese’s benefit.

“Songs?”

“Yes I’m… employed,” I explain, showing Samila the box-harp.

“You’re kidding!” Her hands automatically reach for the instrument and I hand it to her. Odd that I feel no hesitation in doing so, compared to Kerilas.

“Why don’t you sit in? Kerilas said you know music, back home.”

“Uh…” She looks between Jalese and myself. “Okay.” She picks out a scale on the box-harp. “Whoah, that’s funky.” All her awkwardness seemed to have just vanished, as she engrossed herself in the instrument.

“Jalese?” I ask. “It’ll only take a little while.”

“I hate to be the one to say this,” Samila says, still plinking on the box-harp, “but there’s too many notes.”

“We noticed.”

Jalese sighs. “All right. But we can’t spend too long. Hethan’s going to get impatient as it is.” She walks off, towards the stairs to the basement. I glance at Samila and follow.

It does go quickly. There’s still that emotional tug as I catch on to each song. Strong flashbacks to times in the past when Taniel has played them. But I’m prepared for them now, and I’m focused on getting them remembered so I can go out there and play them.

“No, you have to sing this,” Jalese explains patiently, to the Dugong Song. It’s a lullaby. “People will expect it.”

“All right, I’ll try.”

“Try now.” And she starts singing the song again. I play, as I have been, and then I join in with the words, uncertainly at first but she matches me and encourages me. “That’s right,” she says, leaving me to sing alone. Only, I’m not singing alone, I realise. Samila is singing too, softly, from where she’s sitting in the corner of the store room. “Don’t stop,” Jalese whispers at me, and goes to Samila’s side. “It’s supposed to be a happy song,” she points out to Samila.

“I know.”

“It’s a children’s song. What does it remind you of?”

I don’t hear her reply. She’s talking too softly into Jalese’s ear, and I’m still singing and playing. But Jalese stands and comes back over to me. “Go upstairs and play. You’ve got enough now?” I nod. “We’ll come upstairs soon.”

“Okay.”