The Crystal City Page 0,137

and Mama Squirrel's family were living even as the house was still being built. "Fifty-seven children," said Taleswapper. "And all of them born to this Mama Squirrel herself."

"We have the legal documentation," said Alvin. "Not only that, but we know of another half dozen on the way."

"A remarkable pregnancy," said Taleswapper. "And such a small woman, she seemed, from what I saw of her."

Arthur Stuart stood outside the house and looked up at the bluff. The house was well placed. At the back door, you could look out onto the river and see any boat that might tie up at the new dock. And out the front door, you could see where the ... tabernacle would stand, and even now you could see the two rows of stacked up crystal blocks waiting to be laid in place.

He felt a hand on his shoulder.

He jumped. "Marie," he said. "You startled me."

"I meant to," she said. "All your makery, but you still don't notice a woman at all."

"Oh, I notice you," said Arthur Stuart.

"I know," said Marie, "You notice me all the time. You make sure you know exactly where I am, so you can always be somewhere else."

"Oh, I don't think that's what I'm..."

But it was what he was doing. He just hadn't realized it.

"You afraid I kiss you again?" asked Marie.

"I didn't mind it, you know," he said.

"Or you afraid I won't?"

"I can live without it, if that's how you want it."

"Ignorant boy," she said. "You are supposed to say, I can't live without your kisses."

"But I can," said Arthur Stuart.

"All right," said Marie. She playfully slapped his shoulder as if brushing dust from it. Then she started to walk back to the house.

"But I don't want to," said Arthur Stuart.

He wasn't quite sure where he had found the courage to say it. Except maybe the fact that it was true, that he hardly went an hour without thinking about her and wondering whether she had kissed him to tease him or whether it meant something and how would he go about finding out. And so the words just spilled out of him.

She turned around and came back to him. "How much do you not want to live without my kisses?"

He gathered her into his arms and kissed her, with perhaps more fervor than skill, but she didn't seem disposed to criticize. "Enough to do that in front of God and everybody," he said.

"Ah, look what you've done now," said Marie.

"What?"

"You kiss me so hard, now I'm going to have a baby."

It took him a moment to realize that she was joking, but in the meantime he'd been standing there with such a stupid look on his face that no wonder she laughed at him. "Why are you always so serious?" she said.

"Because when I kiss you," he said, "it's not a game to me."

"Life is a game," she said. "But you and me, I think we can win it together."

"You proposing something?" asked Arthur Stuart.

"Maybe," she said.

"Like marriage?" asked Arthur Stuart.

"Maybe a man should propose such a thing."

"And if I did, would you say yes?"

"I will say yes," said Marie, "as soon as Purity says yes to Verily Cooper."

"But he ain't asked her," said Arthur Stuart.

Marie laughed gaily and darted back into the cabin.

Leaving Arthur Stuart convinced that something really deep was going on between him and Marie d'Espoir, and he didn't have the least idea what it was.

He turned around and looked back at the rows of crystal blocks up on the bluff, and saw two men standing between them, looking into the walls. He knew them at once, without even sending his doodlebug out to confirm their identity. Jim Bowie and Calvin Miller.

"Alvin," he murmured softly, then jogged around the cabin to where he could see the new house of Moose and Squirrel. Alvin and Taleswapper were out front, with Papa Moose talking all about this and that-he had so many plans for the house that now and then people had to remind him it was just a building-but Arthur Stuart could see that Alvin was looking up at the blocks and seeing just what Arthur Stuart had seen.

Alvin started moving away from the others and jogging toward the bluff. Taleswapper and Papa Moose followed behind, more slowly.

Arthur Stuart ducked inside the cabin again. "Peggy," he said, and beckoned.

"No, don't do that way," said La Tia. "You take her, all we talk about is why she go. Take us all!"

"Calvin's back," said Arthur Stuart. "And the man