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Description
When they were seated, Tanya told Inlé that she would order for the both of them, ordered, then continued her conversation with him.

"You're a pretty strange guy, you know? You're smart and athletic, but not on any teams or in any clubs. Even though our school has guidelines for 'suggested' clothing, you don't wear anything different than what you wear outside of school--even on a date." Tanya said this last with a hint and a pause, but when Inlé didn't seem to recognize the opening to apologize or make an excuse for being dressed as he was, she continued with a sigh.

"Inlé, you are a walking impossibility. You have no friends in the school, not even any close acquaintances. I've never even heard of anyone doing anything so simple as walking home with you.

"You blatantly disregard any school rules that you don't care about, but you don't go out of your way to break rules. Because of this, half the teachers hate you, and many of the seedier students admire you. But I've asked around, none of the 'druggies' or 'punks' associate with you. Some of the gangs talk about you as a commodity, but they all think you're in another gang.

"You're too 'punk' for the 'preppies', too 'nerdy' for the 'jocks', too scary for the 'spiritual' kids, and too weird for the 'normal' kids. You stand out so much, it almost hurts just to watch it. And yet you don't even care. You treat it as if it's perfectly normal, and everyone avoids everyone else everywhere.

"But the thing that gets me most is that you still help the other kids out. I saw the thing with fivers and that kid last week. I don't know how you did it, but it was great. Really kind. But he'll never know that you just up and gave him that money. Why do you do it?"

Inlé put his glass of water down, and looked at Tanya, then leaned in, conspiratorially. "Do you really want to know? It's easy, that's why. Intellect and athleticism? When the bar is set so low, I would be ashamed to be considered anything but excellent.

"And why should I try to conform to regulations I don't care for? I am my own person, and have no need to rely on such crutches as uniformity. Friends are a hindrance, and it's quite difficult to keep up with me, even when walking.

"There isn't a rule that's been made that can keep me from doing something I want to do, nor than can get me to do something I don't. The teachers hate me because they are blind sheep caught in this same system that every other student in that school is stuck in.

"The other groups won't tolerate me because I am everything they wish they were but are not. And they are ashamed to admit this.

"As far as being generous goes, I wasn't being generous at all. That 'kid' made me angry the other day, so I payed him back. That money wasn't mine, it was from the school treasury, along with a few other things I dropped in his pocket that probably drew attention when they fell out of his pocket. Stolen items tend to attract trouble.

"So, am I still the same person you thought I was?" Inlé asked, expecting a rebuke, and the girl storming out. He was surprised, though he did not show it, by her response.

"Uh-huh. Sure, so you're a vindictive narcissistic misanthrope. Great bullshit story. Care to actually divulge the truth? I won't tell."

A smile almost flickered across Inlé's face. Almost. Then he replied, "Neither will I. But I will tell you that the money truly was not my own. It was borrowed for ... something else. I helped on a whim.

"As for rules, my attire is within regulations. Barely, and with a few things that were originally disputed. I follow every rule the school creates perfectly, and because I follow it so exactly, some believe I do not acknowledge them. Really, very little about me needs to adjust for such rules, as they are basically reinforcement of common sense within the school."

Tanya did smile. "Thought you weren't going to tell."

"I didn't tell you anything you couldn't find out easily enough," he answered. He paused a moment, then began to stand. "If you would excuse me for a moment, though? I need to use the restroom."

"Go ahead," Tanya said. "The food should be ready soon."

Inlé walked past Tanya to the bathroom, down a short hallway opposite the restaurant entrance. Tanya sat and drank her water, waiting for the food to come.

Inlé walked into the restaurant a few moments later, and sat in the chair opposite Tanya. "I apologize for being late, miss," he said.

"What?" Tanya said. "You just went to the bathroom, you're not late. Sit down, let's continue our conversation. And am I gonna have to repeat the 'don't be so formal' talk every time you get out of arm's reach?"

Another Jack, similar to the one who'd taken Inlé to see Oberon that afternoon but making a larger effort to conceal its inhuman nature, sat at the table behind Tanya. It made certain Inlé had noticed it, then discreetly raised one hand and began flipping fingers about, weaving a complex, concealed sign language.

"So, we've covered a bit about what you think of school," Tanya continued. What do you do for fun?"

"Fun, eh?" Inlé said. "How would you like me to show you a trick?" He lifted his fork.

"Like what kind of trick?"

"Just some small bits of legerdemain. Finger tricks."

"This isn't your idea of flirting, is it?" Tanya asked. When Inlé didn't seem to understand, she waved the comment away.

"The first trick," Inlé pretended to explain as he began spinning the fork slowly over his fingers, "is called 'Lancelot' and is followed by 'Taming the Dragon'." Tricks continued for a short while as Tanya watched Inlé silently and secretly talk with the Jack behind her.

"Now watch the fork closely," Inlé said. "This last trick is difficult. It is called the 'Leap of Faith', and is mildly dangerous with a fork. If a mistake is made, I could injure myself or lose the fork. Watch the fork carefully." He spun the fork, quickly gathering speed, then flung it up with his wrist, so that it almost hit the restaurant's low ceiling. It spun wildly, a sphere of shining silver hanging in the air for a moment before descending.

As Tanya watched the fork fly, Inlé's fingers tore through signs quickly, 'speaking' at a feverish pace with the Jack. Their speedy exchange had Inlé's full attention, but when the seconds it took the fork to rise and fall had passed, he caught the fork effortlessly by spinning it off the extended index finger, and brought it back to palm, spinning it moments longer. Finding the conversation finished, Inlé lightly flipped the fork into a light grip, and replaced it on the table.

"There," he said. "How was that for fun?"

"That was amazing," Tanya answered. "Can you do other things?"

"Certainly, but another time. Our food is arriving now."

The Jack headed for the restrooms as a waiter presented two plates of baked ziti. The two ate in silence for a short while, then Tanya said, "So what were you actually doing, there?"

"With the fork?"

"With your fingers."

Inlé cut into his food delicately. "I move them in a way that only one or two touch the fork at any moment. So long as one finger is in contact with the fork, I have the ability to spin it around that finger."

"That's not what I mean," Tanya said.

"Is it not?" he asked.

Tanya took a large bite of pasta and chewed slowly before answering. "While I'll admit the tricks were well done, I know they were a smokescreen.

"You never once looked at your hand or the fork. Not even at the end."

"I was watching it out of the corner of my eye," Inlé explained. "The hand knows what the eye does not see."

"Right, sure," Tanya said unconvinced. "But your hands didn't stop moving even after you started 'Leap of Faith'. Call me crazy, but I doubt you were just doing legerdemain tricks. So what kind of sign language is it?"

Inlé said nothing for a long moment as he cut his food. "You are a very perceptive girl, are you not?" he said, raising a bite to his mouth.

"I like to think so," she answered.

"And you seem to have been watching me," he said. "How and why?"

"Well, you stand out at school so much," she began. "And then you showed up at work. And not voluntarily, either. I mean, not many of the patients get a personal escort by the police for their first visit."

"Ah, that," Inlé said. The two ate quietly again for a moment before Inlé continued.

"Then you are a student at the high school as well."

"Thanks for noticing so soon," she said.

"I apologize that I had not before."

"Do you even look around you at the school?"

"No, I do not," Inlé answered. "Should I?"

"You wouldn't miss as much," Tanya chided. "You're hardly even awake most days, let alone what anyone would call perceptive." They finished their meal in silence.

As soon as the food was finished, the waiter appeared, asking, "Did you enjoy your meals?"

In unison, the two answered, "Yes, thank you."

"How much do we owe you?" Inlé asked.

"No no," the waiter said, holding up both hands in refusal. "Do not worry about it, sir. This meal is on the house, courtesy of the owner."

"The owner?" Inlé repeated impassively.

The waiter gestured toward a proud man in the deep purple tuxedo with a silver flower on his lapel standing in the kitchen door across the dining room, who immediately nodded and retreated into the kitchen. The waiter said, "Our owner has seen you wander by many times, sir. But before today, you have never come in. He offers this to you in the hopes that you will return again soon."

Tanya stared perplexedly at Inlé, who in turn appeared unfazed as he spoke with the waiter. "Does he, now? Well, I suppose thanks are in order. Should we approach him now, sir?"

"No no, please, go on your way. No need to embarrass him with your thanks, sir. Please be on your way." Inlé and Tanya rose and prepared to leave. "Oh, and give the owner's regards to your mother, young master Zapfino."

"'Young master Zapfino'?" Tanya said once the two were outside.

"I truly do not know," Inlé said impassively.

"Mmhm. Right," Tanya said skeptically. "So what do you have to do before the movie?"

"What do you mean?"

"Inlé," Tanya began, "much as you'd like me to be, I'm not stupid. I know you have something to do."

"If you mean the meal ..."

"No," Tanya cut Inlé off. "You looked as surprised as me at that. Well, you seemed that way, at least." She leaned close and squinted at Inlé. "Your face doesn't give anything away, does it?"

"Only words and looks," Inlé replied calmly.

"Sir wait!" a voice called. Inlé and Tanya turned to see the Jack from the restaurant catch up to them. "You dropped these on your way out, sir."

Handing two movie tickets to Inlé, the Jack said, "Forgive me for looking, but it looks like it's almost time for the movie to start, sir. Best you hurry yourself and your lady friend quickly. Wouldn't want to miss it, after all."

"No," Inlé said. He turned and continued walking, followed half a step later by Tanya.

"Enjoy the show, sir," the Jack called, heading into an alleyway.

Description
When they were seated, Tanya told Inlé that she would order for the both of them, ordered, then continued her conversation with him.

"You're a pretty strange guy, you know? You're smart and athletic, but not on any teams or in any clubs. Even though our school has guidelines for 'suggested' clothing, you don't wear anything different than what you wear outside of school--even on a date." Tanya said this last with a hint and a pause, but when Inlé didn't seem to recognize the opening to apologize or make an excuse for being dressed as he was, she continued with a sigh.

"Inlé, you are a walking impossibility. You have no friends in the school, not even any close acquaintances. I've never even heard of anyone doing anything so simple as walking home with you.

"You blatantly disregard any school rules that you don't care about, but you don't go out of your way to break rules. Because of this, half the teachers hate you, and many of the seedier students admire you. But I've asked around, none of the 'druggies' or 'punks' associate with you. Some of the gangs talk about you as a commodity, but they all think you're in another gang.

"You're too 'punk' for the 'preppies', too 'nerdy' for the 'jocks', too scary for the 'spiritual' kids, and too weird for the 'normal' kids. You stand out so much, it almost hurts just to watch it. And yet you don't even care. You treat it as if it's perfectly normal, and everyone avoids everyone else everywhere.

"But the thing that gets me most is that you still help the other kids out. I saw the thing with fivers and that kid last week. I don't know how you did it, but it was great. Really kind. But he'll never know that you just up and gave him that money. Why do you do it?"

Inlé put his glass of water down, and looked at Tanya, then leaned in, conspiratorially. "Do you really want to know? It's easy, that's why. Intellect and athleticism? When the bar is set so low, I would be ashamed to be considered anything but excellent.

"And why should I try to conform to regulations I don't care for? I am my own person, and have no need to rely on such crutches as uniformity. Friends are a hindrance, and it's quite difficult to keep up with me, even when walking.

"There isn't a rule that's been made that can keep me from doing something I want to do, nor than can get me to do something I don't. The teachers hate me because they are blind sheep caught in this same system that every other student in that school is stuck in.

"The other groups won't tolerate me because I am everything they wish they were but are not. And they are ashamed to admit this.

"As far as being generous goes, I wasn't being generous at all. That 'kid' made me angry the other day, so I payed him back. That money wasn't mine, it was from the school treasury, along with a few other things I dropped in his pocket that probably drew attention when they fell out of his pocket. Stolen items tend to attract trouble.

"So, am I still the same person you thought I was?" Inlé asked, expecting a rebuke, and the girl storming out. He was surprised, though he did not show it, by her response.

"Uh-huh. Sure, so you're a vindictive narcissistic misanthrope. Great bullshit story. Care to actually divulge the truth? I won't tell."

A smile almost flickered across Inlé's face. Almost. Then he replied, "Neither will I. But I will tell you that the money truly was not my own. It was borrowed for ... something else. I helped on a whim.

"As for rules, my attire is within regulations. Barely, and with a few things that were originally disputed. I follow every rule the school creates perfectly, and because I follow it so exactly, some believe I do not acknowledge them. Really, very little about me needs to adjust for such rules, as they are basically reinforcement of common sense within the school."

Tanya did smile. "Thought you weren't going to tell."

"I didn't tell you anything you couldn't find out easily enough," he answered. He paused a moment, then began to stand. "If you would excuse me for a moment, though? I need to use the restroom."

"Go ahead," Tanya said. "The food should be ready soon."

Inlé walked past Tanya to the bathroom, down a short hallway opposite the restaurant entrance. Tanya sat and drank her water, waiting for the food to come.

Inlé walked into the restaurant a few moments later, and sat in the chair opposite Tanya. "I apologize for being late, miss," he said.

"What?" Tanya said. "You just went to the bathroom, you're not late. Sit down, let's continue our conversation. And am I gonna have to repeat the 'don't be so formal' talk every time you get out of arm's reach?"

Another Jack, similar to the one who'd taken Inlé to see Oberon that afternoon but making a larger effort to conceal its inhuman nature, sat at the table behind Tanya. It made certain Inlé had noticed it, then discreetly raised one hand and began flipping fingers about, weaving a complex, concealed sign language.

"So, we've covered a bit about what you think of school," Tanya continued. What do you do for fun?"

"Fun, eh?" Inlé said. "How would you like me to show you a trick?" He lifted his fork.

"Like what kind of trick?"

"Just some small bits of legerdemain. Finger tricks."

"This isn't your idea of flirting, is it?" Tanya asked. When Inlé didn't seem to understand, she waved the comment away.

"The first trick," Inlé pretended to explain as he began spinning the fork slowly over his fingers, "is called 'Lancelot' and is followed by 'Taming the Dragon'." Tricks continued for a short while as Tanya watched Inlé silently and secretly talk with the Jack behind her.

"Now watch the fork closely," Inlé said. "This last trick is difficult. It is called the 'Leap of Faith', and is mildly dangerous with a fork. If a mistake is made, I could injure myself or lose the fork. Watch the fork carefully." He spun the fork, quickly gathering speed, then flung it up with his wrist, so that it almost hit the restaurant's low ceiling. It spun wildly, a sphere of shining silver hanging in the air for a moment before descending.

As Tanya watched the fork fly, Inlé's fingers tore through signs quickly, 'speaking' at a feverish pace with the Jack. Their speedy exchange had Inlé's full attention, but when the seconds it took the fork to rise and fall had passed, he caught the fork effortlessly by spinning it off the extended index finger, and brought it back to palm, spinning it moments longer. Finding the conversation finished, Inlé lightly flipped the fork into a light grip, and replaced it on the table.

"There," he said. "How was that for fun?"

"That was amazing," Tanya answered. "Can you do other things?"

"Certainly, but another time. Our food is arriving now."

The Jack headed for the restrooms as a waiter presented two plates of baked ziti. The two ate in silence for a short while, then Tanya said, "So what were you actually doing, there?"

"With the fork?"

"With your fingers."

Inlé cut into his food delicately. "I move them in a way that only one or two touch the fork at any moment. So long as one finger is in contact with the fork, I have the ability to spin it around that finger."

"That's not what I mean," Tanya said.

"Is it not?" he asked.

Tanya took a large bite of pasta and chewed slowly before answering. "While I'll admit the tricks were well done, I know they were a smokescreen.

"You never once looked at your hand or the fork. Not even at the end."

"I was watching it out of the corner of my eye," Inlé explained. "The hand knows what the eye does not see."

"Right, sure," Tanya said unconvinced. "But your hands didn't stop moving even after you started 'Leap of Faith'. Call me crazy, but I doubt you were just doing legerdemain tricks. So what kind of sign language is it?"

Inlé said nothing for a long moment as he cut his food. "You are a very perceptive girl, are you not?" he said, raising a bite to his mouth.

"I like to think so," she answered.

"And you seem to have been watching me," he said. "How and why?"

"Well, you stand out at school so much," she began. "And then you showed up at work. And not voluntarily, either. I mean, not many of the patients get a personal escort by the police for their first visit."

"Ah, that," Inlé said. The two ate quietly again for a moment before Inlé continued.

"Then you are a student at the high school as well."

"Thanks for noticing so soon," she said.

"I apologize that I had not before."

"Do you even look around you at the school?"

"No, I do not," Inlé answered. "Should I?"

"You wouldn't miss as much," Tanya chided. "You're hardly even awake most days, let alone what anyone would call perceptive." They finished their meal in silence.

As soon as the food was finished, the waiter appeared, asking, "Did you enjoy your meals?"

In unison, the two answered, "Yes, thank you."

"How much do we owe you?" Inlé asked.

"No no," the waiter said, holding up both hands in refusal. "Do not worry about it, sir. This meal is on the house, courtesy of the owner."

"The owner?" Inlé repeated impassively.

The waiter gestured toward a proud man in the deep purple tuxedo with a silver flower on his lapel standing in the kitchen door across the dining room, who immediately nodded and retreated into the kitchen. The waiter said, "Our owner has seen you wander by many times, sir. But before today, you have never come in. He offers this to you in the hopes that you will return again soon."

Tanya stared perplexedly at Inlé, who in turn appeared unfazed as he spoke with the waiter. "Does he, now? Well, I suppose thanks are in order. Should we approach him now, sir?"

"No no, please, go on your way. No need to embarrass him with your thanks, sir. Please be on your way." Inlé and Tanya rose and prepared to leave. "Oh, and give the owner's regards to your mother, young master Zapfino."

"'Young master Zapfino'?" Tanya said once the two were outside.

"I truly do not know," Inlé said impassively.

"Mmhm. Right," Tanya said skeptically. "So what do you have to do before the movie?"

"What do you mean?"

"Inlé," Tanya began, "much as you'd like me to be, I'm not stupid. I know you have something to do."

"If you mean the meal ..."

"No," Tanya cut Inlé off. "You looked as surprised as me at that. Well, you seemed that way, at least." She leaned close and squinted at Inlé. "Your face doesn't give anything away, does it?"

"Only words and looks," Inlé replied calmly.

"Sir wait!" a voice called. Inlé and Tanya turned to see the Jack from the restaurant catch up to them. "You dropped these on your way out, sir."

Handing two movie tickets to Inlé, the Jack said, "Forgive me for looking, but it looks like it's almost time for the movie to start, sir. Best you hurry yourself and your lady friend quickly. Wouldn't want to miss it, after all."

"No," Inlé said. He turned and continued walking, followed half a step later by Tanya.

"Enjoy the show, sir," the Jack called, heading into an alleyway.