Alice accepted it.
Though she could hardly wait to learn what the gift was, she clearly enjoyed the anticipation even more. After all, knowing how everything would turn out before it began would be terribly dull.
With that in mind, Alice stopped trying to find out what the gift was. She gave a reluctant nod, which counted as her agreement.
But Klein knew the matter was far from over. If he failed to produce a gift Alice liked when the time came, he was dead.
At least Alice had finally quieted down.
They had already agreed where to meet. Klein was now aboard a ship bound for Nas, the capital of the Gargas Archipelago.
There was also the matter of passage fare, but with Alice present, Cattleya had avoided the subject every time they spoke. Then, at the last Tarot Club gathering, Alice had generously praised her:
"You're so generous, Miss Hermit!
"Mr. Hanged Man charged me 1,000 pounds for passage before!
"And you haven't even brought it up! Does that mean you're not charging me?"
At the time, Cattleya couldn't decide whether to admire Alger's courage or mourn the fare she had just lost.
If it had only been "the World," she certainly would have charged him.
But Alice had already praised her generosity. Even though Alice sounded as if she genuinely intended to pay, Cattleya no longer dared ask. She struggled to maintain her smile and nodded.
"It's nothing important. What matters most is that you enjoy yourself."
She carefully avoided flattering remarks like "I'd gladly pay to invite you." Given Alice's way of understanding things, Cattleya feared she might take that literally.
Klein could only tearfully pocket the 3,000 pounds.
In the end, they decided to meet through a crystal ball. Alice had no real objection. She