Drystan hums in the affirmative, chin shelved on a propped elbow.
"Happy that everyone's finally taken into account. They asked what she plans on doing now that she's with us."
"In other words, you lied to them?"
"That's not completely true. I don't know what she will decide to do for sure."
The lever does not wind when they force it. Hermes leans in closer to search for something. Drystan holds out the cross driver. They continue to work like this in silence.
He stares out the window, watching the maids fling silken sheets over clotheslines to flap them dry.
"Soon, we'll finally be together."
Drystan feels a knot choke his words. It still feels like he's letting Ercilia down.
Hermes wipes excess oil from the gears with a soiled cloth and attempts another forced rotation.
"Are you sure that it's what she wants too?"
There is no good answer to that, only half-truths and half-compromises.
