It was absolutely more interesting. He wasn’t so sure that he was teaching Renny a good life lesson, but on the other hand, what was life without novels? It couldn’t all be dull histories.
Perian gave the various characters different voices, but then he kept forgetting who he’d given which voice to, and Renny or Kee would tell him that he was doing it wrong, and he’d have to try again, and they’d wind up in a whole discussion about his voices—and then they couldn’t remember where they were in the novel, so they needed to go back, and then the discussion would start all over again.
Theylaughed a lot.
The doctor showed up as he was trying to remember if he was supposed to be using the low and crackly voice or the high-pitched voice for the heroine’s father.
“Why would the heroine’s father have a high-pitched voice?” Renny wanted to know.
“I don’t like to stereotype. Some men have higher-pitched voices. Maybe he’s one of them.”
Renny was laughing again. “Butishe one of them? You’re the one who set his voice!”
“I can’t remember if I was thinking stereotypical thoughts when I started voicing him!” Perian exclaimed.
Renny dissolved into giggles again, and the doctor knocked and entered.
“Well, this is a nice sound to hear this afternoon, I must say.” She eyed Renny. “You look much better, Princess.”
Renny was nodding eagerly. “It’s the picnic and the company! It’s so much better than being wrapped up in bed and told I can’t move and can’t see anyone and can only stare at the ceiling!”
Perian was pretty sure the doctor hadn’t orderedthat, but the woman didn’t attempt to argue.
“Pleasant company can certainly make any convalescence feel more pleasant. Now, tell me truthfully, Princess. Any more dizziness?”
Renny shook her head.
The doctor squinted at her.
“None at all, I promise!” Renny’s eyes were wide and guileless. “I wouldn’t make this up, even if I do want to get out of bed. I know I can get hurt if I fall.” Her face squinched up. “You don’t know what it’s like, not knowing if your body is suddenly going to fail you and you’re going to wake up hurt when you don’t even remember how it happened.”
Perian reached out for her hand. She squeezed it tightly, her fingers clasping with more strength than they’d possessed the day before.
The doctor came over and laid the back of her hand against Renny’s forehead.
“It’s not an easy situation for anyone to be in, Princess, that’s true. But the situation will not be improved with any prevarication.”
Renny shook her head stubbornly. “I’m not lying. I promise. Of course I want to get out of here, but I know that it doesn’t really make it better to pretend to be better. After the dizzy spell, I got bundled into bed, and I’ve been here since. I’ve not tried to get up, and someone picked me up to put me on top of the covers. I’m feeling ever somuch better—truly, I am. But I’m trying to take it easy to make sure that nothing worse happens. I mean it.”
The doctor smiled slightly at all that earnestness.
“You certainly do look improved compared to when I saw you yesterday morning. It’s quite… astonishing.”
The doctor had hesitated for a moment, and Perian wondered what else she’d been contemplating saying.
Renny looked very hopeful, her big gray eyes huge. “Perian came back, and he told me all about his weekend. He made me feel better, and he promised he would come and try to have a picnic with me. He even talked to my mother to convince her to let me do it, and he said that he’d keep having picnics with me, even if they need to be inside until I’m well enough for us to go outside again.”
“I see,” the doctor said, sounding slightly amused.
“He’s my very best friend,” Renny told the doctor seriously.
Perian was absolutely not going to cry. He wasnotgoing to cry. He squeezed Renny’s hand.
“You’re my best friend, too, Renny.”
She eyeballed him. “What about Brannal?”
“Not competing for the spot of best friend. I keep him occupied in other ways.”
