[h3]Alexander[/h3]

"Uh, the fountain? Sure, I guess," Wash replied as he glanced over toward the window. Checking the sun for the time of day like always, "I'm not expected for shift until well after nightfall."

"Shift? You have a job here?" Alexander asked, curiously. It was rather hard to imagine Wash picking up a basic old job.

"Man's gotta eat doesn't he?" Wash replied as he stood up and left some money on the table, "I work on a boat nearby."

"Ship," Alexander corrected as they moved to follow Kade and Hannah. That was always a sticking point, it was not a boat it was a [i]ship[/i], and any man who said the B-word was like to be dangled overboard for a time.

"Nah, this one's a boat Xander. Horrifyingly small, wouldn't last a second in any kind of fight. Thing can't even get airborne, that's the worst part. I'm still not used to the water splashing up at me."

"Well at least you're working something with sails and rigging!" Alexander replied, "That's gotta count for something." Spoken, he thought, just like a man who hadn't set foot on a deck in far too long.

"You'd think," Wash replied a little glumly, "But really all it does is pass the time. They take care of you around here, far as needs, but it's just the same old junk day in and day out. It gets boring in no time."

They walked for a bit, not that fountain was far, but as they did Wash seemed to fidget internally, as though he had something he was burning to ask. Before much time had passed however, he finally gave it a voice.

"Xander... did something happen on the ship?"

"Hmm?" Alexander said, "Not that I'm aware of, though that doesn't say much."

"Well," Wash fiddled, "Then why are you here?"

"Oh, that," Alexander's mood immediately went south, "That's a long story. Pretty much... I fell through the clouds, almost the same as you. But I didn't end up here, I went... back to where I came from. There's a place there, for people like me. People who were born one place, but came alive somewhere else. It's there to help us get used to not being where we belong."

"I see," Wash said, "But that's not here, so..."

"That would be because-" Alexander paused for a moment. Kade had nudged Hannah when she nearly asked about the castle, and he'd advised a lot of caution before they even came in. "I'm not sure I can tell you that, Wash. Never show the Dead Man's Dice to your neighbor, yeah?"

"If you say so," Wash shrugged. 

A short silence passed between them, both boys out of their element and not fond of it one bit. Then a smile bridged Alexander's face as he had an idea.

[i]"As I was flying to Elbith, twas on a market day,"[/i] he began to lightly sing.

It took Wash a moment, but once he knew what was happening his face lit up. [i]"I met the finest ram, sir, that ever was fed upon hay!"[/i] he sang, joining in.

[i]"That's a lie, that's a lie, that's a lie, lie, lie!"[/i] the young men sang in unison.

[i]"This ram and I got drunk, sir, we bought the bar a round!"[/i] Alexander continued.

[i]"And when we sobered up sir, we were out among the clouds!"[/i] Wash followed up.

[i]"That's a lie, that's a lie, that's a lie, lie, lie!"[/i]