"Polly, they believe he has passed." Regina spoke softly, her grating smoke laden voice now disappeared and the true voice, of a cultured lady came into play.
"Aah, now there is the voice, I prefer," turning to face her friend, a slight sadness in her eyes. "Yes, you told me that. I can hardly believe it myself."
Together they sat at the larger table, pushing aside the spare settings. Making themselves at home. Polly did not feel hungry, but allowed Regina to whisper a order to the young man that had entered the room. Regina's scrutiny was intense as she watched Polly.
"What?" a definite sharpness was in Polly's voice.
"Nothing, everything, whats been happening?" Regina's voice softened as did her eyes, as she realized that Polly had been thinking of Ahab. "Tell me what happened after I saw you last..." her eyes drifted "Oh my, its been ten years." Realization dawned, making Regina feel utterly stupid.
Polly leaned forward over the table, and the candle flames danced. She whispered "He is near. I feel him..." her hand touched the two puffy scars on her neck. A movement that was not missed by Regina.
"No Polly, he didn't." Polly stood rapidly, sending the empty glasses flying, as she rushed around, flicking the hair from her friends neck and gasping. "He did."
Sobs wracked at Polly's body with such force that she shook off, Regina's attempts to console her. Her arms gripped the other side of the table for comfort. But Regina pried her fingers loose and brought her arms to her sides and then held her tightly.
"Tell me, of the past Polly." She whispered, into her friends hair. "When you both left, you were very much in love, you were both on the road to become the greatest lean, modern, and vicious of all the Serial vampire killers."
Polly's tremors had lessened and the tears, ran silently, down her face as rain runs down glass. Her head hung low, her bangs flattened against Regina's breasts. A look of hope from Regina, made Polly take a gulping breath.
"Alright, but let go of me."
The serving boy, choose that moment to return. On a wheeled trolley, he sallied forth with steaming platters of vegetables and rice. Beside the platters there was a huge coffee urn, sitting over the top of its own little flame. Just enough to keep the coffee warm.
Regina, quickly shooed the lad from the room, with a per-functionary look and bade him to close the door. Turning, she served bowls of the sweet smelling vegetables. Her look at Polly, was enough to make her force feed herself. Polly knew from past experience that her friend would do exactly that if it came to it and right now, it seemed she did have a hunger for anything that did not bleed.
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