“You can read upside down?” Emily’s eyes widened, and Luke could hear a note of admiration in her voice.
Luke made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “Not with any speed, no. But I learned how to do it – it is a useful skill when negotiating contracts. You do not have to turn the thing around to see what it says. I find it rather efficient.”
“You know, if it were anyone else saying that I would think them terribly arrogant.” Emily said.
Luke raised an eyebrow at her, unable to keep the surprise from his voice. “Then you do not think I am terribly arrogant?”
“In this instance? No.” She replied.
“If you are attempting to distract me with compliments, I should tell you that it will not work.” Luke gave her a flat look. “I will not be taken in by a charming smile.”
“You think my smile charming, do you?” her tone was teasing.
“Perhaps I simply think you are using it to attempt to charm me. That does not mean I find it so.” Luke swallowed, a feeling of danger sending shivers down him.Let us return to the task at hand.“Now please, read what you can.”
Luke watched the tension return to Emily’s shoulders as she began to read through the book. Her voice wobbled as she read the letters, and occasionally she would frown at them.
“Why did you stop?” Luke asked.If she only knows the alphabet until the letter P, this will be harder work than I thought.
“It just occurred to me thatb, dand apare all basically the same letter.” Emily said as though she were simply stating that a fire was hot.
Luke frowned at her, unable to keep the confusion from his voice. “No, they are not. They are different. They make different sounds.”
“They might make different sounds, but they are the same letter. A ‘b’ is basically a ‘d’ reversed. And a ‘p’ is just an upside down ‘b’.” Emily insisted.
She flipped between the pages, pointing to the smaller form of each letter. “And a ‘q’ is just a ‘p’ reversed.”
As Emily pointed to each letter, Luke’s frown deepened. “But they are different letters.”
“Yes and no. It’s like… Well, if you put a chair upside down it would still be a chair. If you put it on its side, it would still be a chair.” Emily shrugged. “It might not work as well on its side or upside down, but it is still a chair.”
“So, you are saying all of these letters are in fact, the letter B?” Luke shook his head.What game is she playing?
“Yes.” Emily agreed, a note of excitement in her voice. “I think that is why it can be so hard to tell them apart.”
Luke nodded slowly. “Let us suppose I agree with you. I think perhaps it would be easier for me to see if you wrote each letter.”
Emily reached for a quill and then stopped, looking up at him suspiciously. “You are trying to trick me into writing.”
“Perhaps. It would be useful to see what you can write.” Luke gestured for her to pick up the quill and paper.
“You could have just asked.” Emily grumbled.
Luke laughed softly. “And would you have done it if I had just asked?”
“Probably not.”
“Exactly.”
Emily picked up the quill, and Luke watched her as she dipped it in ink and began to write. Her hand was shaky, underconfident, and Luke could see why.
“You are holding your quill incorrectly.” He gestured to her hand.
“What do you mean I am holding it wrong? Surely there is just one way to hold a quill.” Emily’s brow furrowed.
Luke shook his head. “There is one correct way, and what you are doing is not it.”
“Well, how am I supposed to hold it then?” he could hear the irritation in her voice.
