Light danced along the edge of the hands as Jo looked at his watch. How long had Suzé given for Jay and himself to get to the welcome room? Ten minutes. And there he was, stepping out of the corridor with two minutes to spare.

"Make that one," Suzé drawled from one of the curved greeting sofas. "It's a minute to half-past."

"But it's two on my watch," said Jo, looking at it again. "Only had a few more bits to put on."

"Unlike Fight Starter."

"I am here you know," a voice said from the receptionist chair; revealing the violet and white form of Jay.

"When did - you - get down here?" Jo gasped.

"A minute before you," said Suzé, adjusting her multi-pleated trousers. "Took me by surprise, considering how he was so wrapped up in previous events."

"Letting it go in the slipstream," Jay hummed, flicking back the triple tails of his pink-purple and gold headscarf.

"Although I would love to know where you're planning to play ringwhal this time of night," Suzé continued, looking at Jay, then at Jo.

"It's exercise-casual," said Jo, looking at his indigo half-sleeve coat with matching below-knee shorts and dark grey - or was it black - t-shirt and leggings.

"Or trying to blend in," Jay added as Jo took in the former's violet long-sleeved t-shirt and leggings; over which were turquoise, green-trimmed white shorts and a matching half-sleeved coat.

"If it's tea-time on the pitches, or afterwards at the Lake House," said Suzé. "Here, however, it's like you want to take part in moonrise sports."

"But won't the skirt hold you back if we're creeping through the undergrowth?"

"I think they're trousers," said Jo. "Wide-flowing, like a skirt. But trousers."

Suzé opened her mouth. But a deep rhymatic beat seemed to pulsate out rather than words. A beat that was already resonating with the deep point attuned to music within Jo and could launch him into a-

"Great pulse," said Jay, moving upright in the chair. "When did you gain that as a talent?"

"It's not me," Suzé said, looking up at the ceiling. "Although I have heard an intro not far off this recently."

"Only if you have a built-in synthesizer, you would like to tell us about," said Jo, trying to stop himself from moving side to side.

"Well, if it's not her, then who is it?" said Jay, glancing at a miniature pearl frog bouncing on the desk.

"Are you really asking that question," Suzé replied, gaze hardening on a spot level with were four walls met ceiling.

"I'm not as 'in the know' as you are," Jay began, following the angle of Suzé's gaze, then leaning back. "Oh, no - not a one, two, three am again..."

"I thought you liked his sets," said Jo. "Help you get into an exercise groove."

"Not when I come back and want to get some sleep."

Something that didn't seem to phase the creator of the set coming from the adjacent home/shop. In fact, Jo wasn't sure when Lorne Fields did sleep, as he had a residency in two porcelain salons and an after-sunset cake bar. Not counting his sets in the more nocturnal spots closer to the Water.

"You did when you, me, Fields and Delph and his sister were all listening to tracks 'til sunrise," he continued. "Saying that it was early July, so it could have been Four or Five when you went to bed."

"He's only just started," a voice came from the front door, "best bit starts between Half-Midnight and One."

Jo spun around and Suzé and Jay both got to their feet.

"What in all Rumsey are you doing sneaking in like that," Suzé snapped at the sky-coated figure looking at the three of them as if they were startled cats. "You could have said 'Hi' Montarion."

"I was reminiscing over an Eleven-to-Sunrise at the Crystal House with Fields and Delph," Montarion said as he put his side-twinkle gloves into their pockets. "In tears at the end, as we didn't want it to be over."

"I still haven't got over his 'delicate' track," Jo shivered. "I didn't need headphones to get the essence of the subject's vocal eruption on not getting a blueberry sorbet..."

"Or when he jumped up complete with modified klaxon on creating a track whilst I was reading a Guide to Patchwork Flora," added Suzé.

"You said that you wouldn't give him - or Delph - the time of day," Jay began.

"That Field's sets made you want to run out of Shimmer Scissors," said Jo. Although the last time Suzé had dragged him there, he had wanted to run out of the salon too.

"Forgotten again, haven't you," Suzé sighed. "On how long I have been at this establishment. Next door was Natalia's abode before she upgraded and her brother and his 'musical' friend arrived."

"Ah, so that's her name," said Jo, nodding at Jay. "I was trying to remember it last week, but it wouldn't come up."

"I won't ask what you actually thought her name was," Suzé continued. "Let's just say that after-school activities really widen your acquaintance circles."

"That far back?" Montarion wheezed. "That's the What's-it."

"Letting that pass, Tar," Suzé hummed. "See if I let the next one go."

"Fields would have started earlier - if we hadn't been so caught up in listening to the radio," Montarion said, stepping away from Suzé's vicinity. "Some chap phoned up with the same 'A-hoy' condition as you, Jay."

Jo looked at Jay but saw only a vacant chair. Instead, Montarion was by the grand sparkling fish tank and between him - and a surging Jay - stood an arms-spread Suzé.

"Let it pass, James," she began.

"But you're not alone, Jay," said Montarion. "There are other people you can share Pirate Life with."

"I was the Caller," Jay growled.

"What? You're gonna fight Ansel? That's Mad Hat's mate."

Jo stared as Suzé stepped to one side. "You can get him for that," she waved. But Jay took a step back.

"Where in all the world did you get that from?" Jo gasped.

"From your new friends in Tialat?" Jay added. "New vocabulary as well as a new career?"

"I had to put some feelers out."

"It's still too soon."

"I wasn't expecting a reply."

"I'm still feeling it."

"Over the vocabulary; but not Tialat," said Suzé, stepping back in.

"It just comes out," Montarion continued. "When I get a bit happy; get a bit flowy. Also happens when an elephant like this smashes into the room. There hasn't been a match-up on there since Trav was challenged by a caller from the Opera. Tuned up all the way to the prom he was. Until he found out that she was a soap from M.C."

Jay looked at Jo, who looked at Suzé.

"Are you really asking me that question?" Suzé began.

"It was Brantismett," said Jo.

"It's an eventful place."

"You had seats," said Jay.

"It wasn't an opera. Although the set did have a few vocals that pierced the clouds."

"Might explain the belligerence during the call," Jay continued. "Hansel trying to get one over on the Host by going more than through with it."

"The ball's in this court," Jo signed. "He can decide where, when, and how long to keep you waiting."

"Not long enough so that it looks like he's backed out."

"Anyway, we don't have to lock-up now that you're back, Montarion," Suzé said as she adjusted her jacket. "It's the least you can do."

"I-I can come as back-up," Montarion said as Suzé headed towards the door. "You don't know what's lurking about this time of- are you two alright? You've both gone... queasy..."

"You showed that with your entrance," Suzé said in the doorway. "Hold the fort and I hope Fields has finished his set by the time we get back."

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