“Now y’all know better than to be gettin’ all into my business!” snapped Tira but she had a slight smile as she spoke.
Kennia turned to Captain Willie, “Shouldn’t you be in the cockpit helpin’ fly this thing?”
“Now y’all need to understand that I need my nourishment. I don’t want to be feeling faint or nothin’”
“Yeah, what if Harry nods off and crashes this thing?” asked Kennia.
“Naw, he stays awake when he needs to. He just nods off between times when we ain’t movin’,” replied the Captain.
“Now you’ve eaten and you’ve surely got something more important to do than to get in our hair.”
“Certainly, I’ll leave you two to discuss Tira’s Secret Loverman,” the Captain smirked as he sauntered away. “Laaaaaadies.”
Neither Kennia nor Tira could help laughing at that.
“So,” asked Kennia, “Is there something to tell me? What have you been holding secret from your best friend?”
“There’s nothin’ to tell. Just because I think the man is fine doesn’t mean that I’m after him. Besides, think about all the time he spends in the hospital recovering from his adventures. I’d be a nervous wreck worryin’ about him all the time.”
“He is pretty handsome, if you are into fellas at least.”
“Well I am” answered Tira. “Into fellas I mean, not necessarily into this particular one. Besides I don’t exactly live a settled life now do I?”
“What’s that got to do with it? It’s better that way; they aren’t underfoot when you don’t want ‘em around!”
“And that was the problem with my husband! He wasn’t ever around even when I wanted him to be!”
As the airship headed almost due south on the last leg of its return trip, they flew over more and more rice fields. The entire coastal region was divided into plots with their attendant tech.
