Well, he certainly didn’t disappoint. His prosthetic limbs and long hair made him look distinguished and wise, and what he just said had a certain poetic quality. She did seek inner peace, never consciously at the bottom of a glass, but if someone like him remarked on it, then maybe she should start.
She laughed lightly, her cheeks blushing at his teasing, but taking it in good stride, she rested her cheek on her hand and responded with a half-smile, “Yes, I suppose you’re right.” She could have justified it by saying there was only one bar on the island and she wanted a drink, but leaving the matter alone seemed so much more legitimate – she had nothing to justify, after all.
Taking another sip as he answered her, she raised her eyebrows again when he explained his purpose on the island. Lowering her drink, she repeated, interested, “Inventor and engineer. That’s quite a title.” She had never thought about the logistics of the island any more than the amount of money they pulled in every night and especially during the tournaments, and so people like this gentleman had never occurred to her to be on the payroll. Extending her right hand to him, she smiled and introduced herself, “I’m Abigail. Have you invented anything I might recognize?”