The wind was cool and fragrant. It was quiet here. There were no sounds except the wind, blowing through the valleys and rocks and plants below. Byndii breathed in deep with her eyes closed, soaking up the setting.

She was wearing loose blue robes, the color of mourning, the attire of the mourning. Her hair was free about her face, whipping in the wind. She hummed the long continuous note in her head and through her nose, letting it become part of her being.

She opened her eyes, spreading her arms wide and bringing them back into her body. She pulled the cork form the jar and held it in front of her chest, looking into the dark powder in it.

“Here we are dad. Right where you wanted to be. I came here just for you.” She flung her arm in a wide arc, spilling the ashes to the blowing wind. They were swept up and carried off and spread over the valley below. She dropped the urn over the cliff as well, watching it fall until she could no longer see it.

“Here’s to the wine we love to drink and the food we love to eat. Here’s to our wives and sweethearts and may they never meet. Here’s champagne for our real friends and real pain for our sham friends; and when this journey finally ends, may all of us find peace. Here’s to all the people that I’ve loved, and all the ones I’ve kissed. As for regrets I just have one, that’s all the ones I’ve missed. I wish you health, I wish you wealth and happiness galore. I wish you heaven when you die, what could I wish you more? May your dreams be as deep as the ocean, your troubles as light as its foam; and may you find sweet peace of mind wherever you may roam.”

As she sang the tune, she let her childhood accent creep back into her voice, tinting the words and melody with a lilt that just served to make it all the more eerie.

When the deed was done, she waited for the sounds to die out of her memory and ears. When the rushing of the wind made her just too stir crazy, she backed off the precipice. She hiked her long sleeves up over her shoulders and tied the drawstrings of her pants up over her knees. It would be along hike to the base of Mount Salunbé.

She stood by the edge of her bed and fell over. Flat on her face.

“That bad, eh?”

“Not really bad, just arduous enough to make the muscles in my legs all twitchy when I stop moving.”

“Can I get you something?”

“Order room service soup of some kind with cheese and bread and turn on the hot water in the tub.”

“Room service I can do. Get your own bath.”

“You asked what to do, so I told you. No need to get all snippy.” She used gravity to her advantage and returned her body weight to her feet. Righting herself, she shucked off the flow-y outerwear of mourning and stepped out of her shoes. Snagging a towel, she stalked into the bathroom of the hotel room and started the hot water running into the tub.

Byndii’s muscles protested at the very mention of letting her sit down, but she managed to coax her unwilling limbs into the steaming water. Almost instantaneously, her muscles unlocked and her whole body relaxed. She would be sore tomorrow.

She sat in the tub until the water was cold and her fingers and toes were wrinkly like raisins. She emerged dripping from the bathroom and wrapped in a towel.

“You could put clothes on before you go traipsing about,” said GiGo.

“You could not sit on my suitcase,” said Byndii. GiGo winked and stood up. Byndii clutched the towel around her and dragged the bag away from GiGo and back into the bathroom. She muttered to herself as she pulled clean clothes from the bag and over her head.

She returned to the room, dumping the suitcase unceremoniously into GiGo’s lap. He jumped and flipped over backwards off the luggage stand. He picked himself up with his glasses askew while Byndii watched vindictively. He pretended that nothing had happened and sat right back down on top of Byndii’s suitcase.

Just as he got settled with is book again, there was a knock on the door. He ignored it. Several seconds went by. Byndii glared at GiGo, who acted as if he did not notice. She walked purposefully to the door and opened it.

There was a boy standing on the other side, holding a large tray filled with dishes covered by white napkins. He was startled to see someone who quite so disgruntled as Byndii answering the knock.

“R-room service?” he said, stuttering a little.

“Yes, thank you. I appreciate it,” said Byndii as nicely as she could. She accepted the laden tray and tipped the boy. He was still completely stunned and stood still with wide eyes as Byndii closed the door on him.

She lugged the ray to one of the beds and began whisking cloths off dishes. There were two bowls of aromatic garlicky soup, a plate of assorted cheeses, a basket of fresh rolls, a bottle of sweet strawberry cordial, and two empty glasses along with the necessary eating utensils.

“Mmmmmm…” said Byndii, inhaling deeply, lifting one of the bowls onto her lap and taking up a spoon.

“Don’t go burning your mouth, now,” said GiGo.

“I won’t,” said Byndii loftily, blowing on her spoonful of soup. She tuck it in her mouth decisively.

And immediately pulled it out again.

“Ow! Owowowowowowow!” she waved her hand furiously in front of her mouth with her tongue out. GiGo snickered. Byndii straightened her extended tongue.

“I told you to be careful,” said GiGo.

“The same to you with knobs on,” said Byndii, attempting to swallow more soup.

“Oh, lookie here, every time she opens her mouth she says something,” said GiGo in a sing-song voice.

“Shut your mouth, you cheeky brat,” commanded Byndii. She stuck a piece of bread in her mouth.

“Shut your own, it’s closer,” responded GiGo. For several seconds, neither of them moved a muscle, then they simultaneously began to laugh uproariously. They took deep breaths so they would stop.

When they had hold of themselves, they continued to eat, being careful to blow thoroughly on their soup.

“So, how did it go?” asked GiGo. Byndii poked a floating chive with her spoon.

“Fine.”

“Just ‘fine’?”

“Yeah. I’m really over the whole thing already. Well, not entirely, never entirely, but I’m not ‘distraught with grief’ anymore.” She put more soup in her mouth.

“You sure?”

“Positive.”

The consumption of food proceeded in silence a little longer.

“So, now everything traumatic that’s happened over the past several weeks is completely over with and sealed up tight,” said GiGo.

“’Cept for my leg,” said Byndii ruefully.

“I was speaking metaphorically. So how is it making you feel?” GiGo shot a sideways look at her. She was silent for a while, then she put the dregs of her soup back on the tray and brushed bread crumbs from her lap. She sat back against the headboard of the bed. She closed her eyes for a moment and thought, trying to recall. Finally, she opened her eyes again and leaned forward. She let her voice once more regain its Irish lilt. She said her words carefully, knowing GiGo would appreciate their meaning.

“Today is gone. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. Every day, from here to there, funny things are everywhere.”

And they lived happily ever after (if not together). At least until a large number of unregistered Sphinxes began terrorizing the city completely unchecked.