Sunday, 1 May 1988, Montreal

[noteful]

Spring in Montreal is short, mild, less than terribly predictable, and welcomed with open arms. 1 May 1988 dawns slightly overcast, but the clouds burn off, and it hits a quite comfortable (by Montreal standards) 12°C.

No one really takes any notice of the three girls who cut across the McGill campus and spend a couple hours rambling around the park on Mont Royal. There's nothing all that remarkable about them . . . except, of course, that one of them is, on some version of Earth or another, being born 1800 miles away today, and one has metal claws in her hands and recovers from injuries almost before she receives them.

They stop for a quick lunch and then ride the Metro down to Old Montreal. They wander down cobblestoned streets and in and out of little shops, past churches and museums and the city hall.

When shadows start getting long and the temperature starts to drop, they turn down a side street.

"I know the best place for dinner," Meg says. "It was in one of those off-the-beaten-path guide books last year, so of course the path beats right to the door now, but I don't think we'll have any trouble getting a table."

There's a small crowd in and around the doorway, but Meg goes past them and waves to a tall man in a white chef's jacket. "Bon soir, Sylvain," she calls.

The man comes over, smiling. "Meg. Bon soir. Trois?"

"Oui, si tu--," Meg starts, but he cuts her off with a wave of his hand.

"Pour toi, bien sûr," he says, and lead them over to a comfortable table in the corner of the restaurant.

"Sylvain, these are my friends, Parker and Laura. They're visiting from the States and I couldn't let them leave without bringing them for the best food in Montréal. Parker, Laura, this Sylvain Gagné."

Sylvain bows slightly. "Bienvenue à Montréal, mesdemoiselles. I hope you will enjoy your visit, and your meal. Alice will be right with you."

"Merci, Sylvain," Meg says, and turns back to Parker and Laura. "Sometimes, it helps to be dating the owner's favorite nephew."

Comments

[cutting_edgex23]

"I know," X says.

Because she does know. Very well.

"But many people do not. It is okay."

Beat.

"We are still friends."

[noteful]

Parker shouldn't be too sure -- she didn't meet Meg till the late 80's, after all.

"We are.

"And I'm very glad."

And, hey, if they ever had to figure out how to rescue someone, they would.

[parkerlee]

"Of course we are."

Unanimous vote.

"I'd say we all got lucky, meeting each other."

[cutting_edgex23]

"Yes," X says. "Milliways is like that."

For her, at least, it has been.

Not that X believes in luck.

Much.

[noteful]

"It really is," Meg agrees.

"So, Parker, do you have plans with Seth for your birthday, too?"

[parkerlee]

Parker grins.

"We're going up to L.A. this weekend. We're staying with his family, and going out on the town. It should be fun."

Parker's looking forward to it.

[cutting_edgex23]

X studies Parker for a moment, considering.

"You will go dancing? When you are out on the town."

It's what Bela likes to do, certainly. That and shop. And hook up with people.

Parker is probably not going to do that last one.

[parkerlee]

"Probably. Seth likes to go. So do I."

Seth can't dance to save his life. But he does it with his whole heart. And that's what matters.

There probably won't be hooking up. Not that Parker would mind. But Seth is a gentlemanly sort. And with parents in the house? That gets awkward.

"And sight see."

[noteful]

Meg grins. "I can recommend dating a native, if you're going to go sightseeing."

Seems like she heard similiar advice once . . . from someone.

Of course, the best thing to go with good advice is pass it on.

[cutting_edgex23]

"Guidebooks are not useful?"

X frowns, very slightly.

"It is for tourists. Sightseeing."

It is entirely possible someone in her neighborhood has Opinions about tourists. And which parts of the city they should stick to.

[parkerlee]

"Guidebooks are useful. Natives are interactive."

And generally cuter, if not as portable.

"It is. But it can be fun to just wander around and look at the sights. Like we've been doing today. Don't you think?"

[noteful]

Except that the guidebook just weighs down your bag, whereas the native guide can be talked into carrying it.

"Well, to be completely fair, half the places we went today I knew about because a native showed me how to find them."

[cutting_edgex23]

"I used to ask Mr. Simmons for directions. A lot."

Beat.

"He knows a lot of interesting places. Pam does, too."

[parkerlee]

"The cycle perpetuates itself," Parker agrees, taking a complacent bite of her crepe.

"They're in San Francisco? Where do you like to go there?"

[cutting_edgex23]

X rattles off a few locations in her neighborhood, including a cafe, the hardware store, and the diner.

"I have quartered the rest of the city. But it is not the same."

She's not exactly a homebody, but -- she does not feel a need to go far afield.

"Chinatown and Japantown are interesting, too. But it is easier if you speak the language."

And, you know, if you know people already. X has a way of getting around.

[noteful]

"It's always easier if you speak the language," says Meg.

"I have a couple of classmates who speak little or no French, and . . . well, it's Montreal, it doesn't limit you the way it would out of the city, but does limit you."

[parkerlee]

"Definitely."

"When I was in Barcelona I tried to stick with Spanish, but it's a pretty international city. In a pinch you could generally find someone who spoke English to some degree."

"Once you got outside the city? Not so much."

"You miss a lot when you don't know the language."

[cutting_edgex23]

"I do not have that problem very often," X says.

Except maybe in parts of Africa. And Eastern Europe.

[noteful]

"Being outside the city? Or not knowing the language?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"Not knowing the language."

X's response is prompt.

"I am good at learning them."

[parkerlee]

"How many do you speak?" Parker asks curiously.

She's fluent in Spanish, and can speak some passable, basic French. But she can't say that learning languages is second nature, or anything.

[cutting_edgex23]

Farsi, Spanish, French, Japanese, English, Russian, Cantonese and Mandarin, maybe a few more --

X has been well-programmed.

"Ten."

[noteful]

"Goodness," says Meg. "That makes my two look like something of an underachievement."

A pause.

"Do you have a favorite?"

[cutting_edgex23]

X is quiet for a long time.

A very long time.

And then, quietly --

"Japanese."

It's only truth.

[parkerlee]

"That's cool."

Japanese is a hard language to learn. Parker has never ventured out of Romance Languages, but she's seen the text books of classmates who are taking Japanese and Mandarin.

They're intimidating.

"I sort of defaulted into Spanish. It was the class that fit into my schedule in middle school, and I've just stuck with it ever since."