0425277054 (F) by Sharon Shinn

Author:Sharon Shinn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-10-18T21:00:00+00:00

FOURTEEN

The days following the discovery of Sarona’s body were so somber that Corene sometimes felt the whole enormous palace was sinking into the ground, weighted by grief and uneasiness. Preparations for the big celebration continued, as it was barely three ninedays away, but everyone felt bad about planning a party alongside a funeral. The formal evening dinners were sparsely attended, with Filomara skipping about half of them and various other family members choosing to take their meals elsewhere on random days.

“This is almost as bad as the time Aravani died,” Jiramondi said one afternoon as he tutored Corene in her Malinquese lessons. “I mean, I was only ten, but I remember how oppressive it was. No one wanted to evince the slightest joy in anything, no matter how trivial, for fear of offending Filomara. It felt like no one spoke above a whisper for a whole quintile.”

“I’ve been trying to figure out who’s genuinely sad and who’s horrified because it’s such a dreadful thing to happen and who’s just pretending,” Corene said.

One corner of Jiramondi’s mouth curled up sardonically. “That’s my very practical Welchin girl speaking,” he said.

Corene shrugged. “I didn’t know her, so I can hardly be in mourning. But I find it interesting to watch everyone else.”

“And what have you determined?”

“Greggorio is really sorry she’s dead. He genuinely liked her.”

“Probably too much for my aunt’s comfort, but I agree.”

“Filomara—found her problematic when she was alive, but even more problematic now that she’s dead.”

Jiramondi looked slightly amused. “Again, I’d say you’re right. Who else?”

She looked him straight in the eye. “You didn’t care for her much. And Garameno despised her.”

Jiramondi hesitated a moment, and then nodded ruefully. “She was a difficult and unlikable girl. I don’t know if you’ve ever come across someone who’s been blessed with every gift, and who doesn’t show a scrap of gratitude about it. Sarona just assumed that she deserved to be beautiful, to be wealthy, to be well-connected. She didn’t care that other people have struggles—if she noticed them at all, it was to look at them with scorn. She didn’t have an ounce of compassion or empathy.”

“Of course I’ve known people like that,” Corene said. “I was like that, at least when I was younger—and until I faced a few disasters of my own.” She thought about it a moment. “I might still be more like that than I’d want to admit.”

Jiramondi sat back in his chair and regarded her with a half-smile. “Now that surprises me,” he said.

She smiled back. “That I’d realize it about myself? Or admit it?”

“That you’d think it’s true. You’re much more aware of other people than Sarona ever was.”

“Maybe,” she said. “But I never liked people that much. And they never liked me.”

Jiramondi rested his chin on his fist and continued to regard her. “But they don’t repulse you because they’re different. Sarona was often repulsed.”

“Who’s different? Different in what way?”

He smiled. “And that’s what I mean.”

“Because Garameno is in a wheelchair, for instance?”

“Exactly. He’s not—” Jiramondi searched for a word.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.