RICHES

By Becky Bain

(Originally published in the fanzine Within the Crystal Rose, Vol.6, under the pseudonym Anna Gerard.)

"`No, I'll never love anybody but you, Tom, and I'll never marryanybody but you' ...Geoffrey!" Samantha stopped reading and jerkedthe book back out of the boy's reach.

"Skip that part," Geoffrey commanded. "It's dumb, mushystuff."

"I'm the one reading it," Samantha replied loftily. "I'm going toread it all."

"Then I'll read it!" Geoffrey lunged for the book, but succeededonly in knocking it out of Samantha's grasp. Both children watched inhorror as *The Adventures of Tom Sawyer* bounced once on the edge ofthe bridge before tumbling down, down into the bottomless abyss belowthe Whispering Gallery.

"Father always says," whispered Geoffrey hoarsely, "we're welcometo borrow his books, but we have to take care of them and put themback when we're finished."

The children stared at each other. "Maybe we could get him anotherone?" Samantha suggested timidly.

"Can I help you kids find something?" the sales clerk asked.

"Please, we're looking for *Tom Sawyer*," Geoffrey explainedhesitantly.

"Children's books are over here," the woman directed them.

"Excuse me, but we don't want that kind," Samantha told her. "Weneed the kind with leather on the covers."

The woman looked startled. "We don't carry those," she explainedto the wide-eyed children. "You'll have to try a rare or used bookstore. Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Yes, ma'am," Geoffrey assured her firmly. "Could you tell uswhere we could find that kind of store?"

The woman kindly wrote down the addresses of several usedbookstores within walking distance. In the third one, the childrenfound what they wanted.

"It's just like Father's!" Samantha whispered excitedly. "Maybe wecould just put it back and he'd never know!"

"What do you kids want?" growled a gruff voice as a large handremoved the book for Samantha's grasp. A disgruntled elderly man eyedtheir patched and darned clothing with open disapproval.

"Please, sir," Samantha asked politely. "How much does itcost?"

"This?" The man's answer dripped scorn. "A hundred thirty-fivedollars. Which, obviously, you don't have." With that, the manimperiously shooed them out of his store.

"A hundred thirty-five dollars!" Samantha was horrified. "That's afortune!"

"How much money do you have?" Geoffrey asked her. "I have fourdollars and sixty-three cents saved."

"I have three dollars and eighty-nine cents."

They looked at each other grimly. "That's... eight dollars andfifty-two cents," said Samantha finally, working the figures out inher head. "Where will we get the rest?"

"Maybe we could borrow it," Geoffrey suggested uncertainly.

"I don't know anyone who has that much money," scoffed Samantha."Nobody we know, anyway."

They trudged slowly back toward the tunnel entrance, dreadinghaving to tell Father they'd lost one of his precious books. SuddenlyGeoffrey stopped, his expression at once distant and eager.

"What is it?" Samantha tugged at his arm.

Geoffrey pulled away absently. "I just remembered," he said,breaking into a smile. "Cullen said once that Catherine had lots ofmoney... she's rich!"

"Rich enough to have a hundred thirty-five dollars?" Samantha wasskeptical. Growing up in a society that used no money left bothchildren woefully uninformed about it. The few dollars and cents theymanaged to acquire went quickly for candy or toys. Larger amountswere just numbers.

"If she's rich..." Geoffrey sounded less certain but stilldetermined. "Come on! I know where she lives." Seizing Samantha'shand, he pulled her with him in the direction of Catherine'sapartment building.

Enjoying the rare luxury of a Saturday afternoon with noobligations, Catherine was sitting out on her balcony in the warmspring sunshine with her feet up. A browning apple core and a plateof chocolate chip cookies were on the wrought iron table at her sideand another apple was in her hand. A worn copy of *Little Women* layopen in her lap.

Engrossed in the adventures of the March sisters, she barely heardthe timid knock on her door. When the sound did penetrate, shehesitated, hating to interrupt her wonderfully self-indulgentafternoon. The knocking continued, though, and with a sigh, she putdown her book and her apple and went inside.

"Who is it?" she called through the closed door.

"It's Geoffrey," answered a child's voice.

"And Samantha," piped another.

Catherine unlocked the door and opened it swiftly, lookingquizzically at the two solemn children. "Do you have a message forme?"

Geoffrey shook his head and exchanged a quick glance withSamantha. Gathering his courage, he blurted, "We need to talk to you.Samantha and me... we need sort of a favor?" He ended on aquestioning note, suddenly sure that this was a bad idea.

Catherine smiled a little as she stepped back to let them in andled them out onto the sunny balcony.

Immediately, Geoffrey went to the low wall and leaned over,looking down. "Neat!" he exclaimed, observing the eighteen-storydrop.

Catherine was about to caution him when he rocked back and gaveher a wide grin. "This is where Vincent comes, isn't it?"

"Yes," Catherine agreed. "Be careful, Geoffrey!" she exclaimed ashe leaned over to look down again.

"That's some climb!" he remarked brightly, his curious gazewandering. His eyes lit up at the sight of the cookies left byCatherine's chair.

"Help yourselves," she offered, rescuing her book from Samantha'shands and sitting down.

"I've already read *Little Women*," Samantha informed her.

"Me, too. But sometimes it's fun to read an old favorite again.That's what I felt like doing today."

"Oh."

There was a brief lull as the children munched cookies. Catherinewatched them speculatively. "Tell me about the favor you need," shesuggested at last.

Nervously, the children swallowed half-chewed mouthfuls andexchanged worried looks. "It's sort of hard to explain," Samanthabegan hesitantly.

"You can say no if you want," Geoffrey added.

"All right." Catherine glanced from one anxious face to theother.

There was a long pause. "We need to borrow some money," Samanthablurted finally.

"We'll pay you back," Geoffrey assured hastily. "We pick upbottles and cans in the park."

Catherine pressed her lips together to control a smile. "Before Icould agree to lend you money, I think I would have to know why youneed it," she said gravely, matching their serious manner.

"Well, we were reading in the Whispering Gallery," Geoffreybegan.

"And Geoffrey knocked the book out of my hand!" accusedSamantha.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Geoffrey! Samantha!" Catherine suspected this could go on forsome time, and interrupted. "What happened to the book?" She wasafraid she already knew the answer.

"It fell," Geoffrey admitted, shamefaced. "It was one ofFather's."

Catherine's heart sank. Father owned many old and rare books, someof them precious first editions. Of course, to Father, the value of abook lay in its contents, not its monetary worth, but still!

"You need money to replace the book." She hid her dismay and spokequietly.

Samantha nodded. "We found one just like it in a book store," shesaid eagerly. "But it costs a lot of money," she added in a moresubdued tone.

"How much do you need?" Catherine inquired, her mind already madeup that, one way or another, Father's book would be replaced.

Again the children exchanged looks. In a voice barely above awhisper, Geoffrey told her the price of the book.

Catherine wanted to laugh at the comparative modesty of the sum.Instead, she turned and looked out at the skyline. Only when she feltshe could keep a straight face did she turn back to the solemnyoungsters.

"All right. I'll lend you the money."

Their eyes lit in relief.

"But," she added sternly, "there are some conditions you will haveto meet."

Catherine rested her chin on her fist as she watched Vincent andFather in the last few moves of a long battle at the chess board. Shefocused her attention on the board, trying to anticipate the bestmoves and improve her game; only occasionally did she yield toimpulse and glance up to study Vincent's beloved face.

Father chuckled as he slid a bishop across to put Vincent's kingin check, then looked up as Samantha and Geoffrey hesitantly enteredthe chamber. "It's late, children," he told them sternly. "You shouldbe in bed."

"We know, Father, but we have to tell you something," Samanthaexplained, with a surreptitious glance at Catherine.

Vincent rose and reached for Catherine's hand. "We'll finish thistomorrow, Father," he said, drawing Catherine to her feet.

Father nodded absently, his attention already focused on thechildren.

As Catherine moved past Geoffrey, he furtively pressed somethinginto her hand. Momentarily startled, she recovered quickly, casuallysliding her hand into her pocket. She could hear Samantha behind her,earnestly explaining about the accident to the book and showingFather the replacement.

"A book like this is expensive. Where did you get it?"

At the chamber's entrance, Vincent turned at the sudden sharpnessin Father's voice.

"We bought it. At a bookstore," Samantha said.

"You went above?"

They nodded guiltily. "We had to."

Father sighed. "Well," he said slowly. "You're back safely. Butwhere did you find the money?"

"We borrowed it," Geoffrey said.

"And from whom," Father asked patiently, "did you borrow it?"

The children looked at each other. "We aren't allowed to tellyou," Samantha finally admitted.

"That's one of the conditions," Geoffrey added.

"Conditions?" Father asked, raising an eyebrow.

Catherine could feel Vincent looking at her intently, and as thechildren launched into an explanation, he drew her out into thepassageway.

"So that's your secret," he accused her gently, when they were outof earshot.

"My secret?" Catherine tried to sound innocent. Then she laughedruefully. "I should have known I couldn't hide anything from you!"She dropped his hand to take his arm, clasping both hands loosely inthe crook of his elbow.

"Tell me about the conditions," Vincent said as they began a slowstroll in the general direction of her apartment.

"They didn't say so, but I suspect their original plan was tosimply substitute the new book and hope Father didn't notice,"Catherine explained. "So the first was that they had to tell Fatherwhat happened."

"And the second is that they keep their benefactor's identity asecret," said Vincent thoughtfully. "Is there a third?"

"They have to pay me back." Laughing, Catherine took her hand outof her pocket, displaying the handful of coins Geoffrey had slippedto her. "I think this is the first installment."

"I wondered why you jingled," Vincent teased gently, slipping hisarm around her shoulders and drawing her close.

"Vincent..." Catherine hesitated. He waited patiently for her tofinish. "Will Father believe that they truly borrowed the money?"

"Samantha and Geoffrey are truthful children. I think he willbelieve them," Vincent reassured her.

"If he's worried, you can tell him they got the money fromme."

"It was good of you to help them, Catherine."

"It's only money, Vincent," Catherine demurred.

"No," Vincent corrected her. "You showed them a way to admit theirmistake and set it right... a valuable lesson for a child. I amcurious about something, though," he added. "Why did they come to youfor the money?"

"They think I'm rich," Catherine smiled up at him.

"Aren't you?" he asked, smiling back.

Turning, she slipped her arms around him, pressing her face intohis shoulder. "Yes, I am... in all the ways that really count."

THE END