Leech looked directly at Water Hyacinth. Sometimes, being overly polite to guests just made them feel distant and uncomfortable.
'Treating everyone the same would make the atmosphere more harmonious. Then again,' Leech mused, 'I bet the atmosphere is always pleasant wherever Miss Water Hyacinth is.'
"This is my gift," Miss Water Hyacinth said.
A book of poetry.
"Thank you. Did you write this?"
Miss Water Hyacinth nodded. "They're just some poems I thought were decent. Um, yes, I wrote them myself."
Leech said, "I'll put it in the most prominent spot on my bookshelf. I'll be sure to appreciate it whenever I have a moment."
'He could handle reading travelogues and novels, but poetry... Ugh, spare me.'
'But at least he could put it on his bookshelf to make his collection look more impressive.'
Miss Water Hyacinth smiled and nodded. It was enough that her gift would be treasured, though she would have preferred it if Leech actually took it out to read from time to time.
