“Yeah, well if I were you, I"d try to keep all of that from Dan. He"s smitten, poor lad.”
“So is Maria,” laughed Rex, a laugh which made clear the meaning of Rex"s words, far more eloquently than any words ever could.
The television arrived later that same afternoon. Daniel, thrilled, forgot about Maria and Rex for the moment, all of his interest absorbed in watching, with growing impatience, the engineer securing and adjusting the satellite dish. When everything was working and the forms signed, Daniel settled himself down to explore the channels. It kept his mind busy, but soon the sick, empty feeling returned and when a documentary channel threw up a film about strange, legendary sea-monsters, he turned the set off and flung the remote control away in disgust.
Maria had become like a
