A Ceiling Made of Eggshells by Gail Carson Levine

Author:Gail Carson Levine
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2020-03-01T16:00:00+00:00

24

On the second floor, Pero led me through an arch into a living room, where a Moorish maidservant was polishing a silver floor vase. “Sit! Take your ease.” He told the servant to fetch Marina. “Tell her Loma is here.”

Next to the vase was a settle piled with cushions. I sat and looked around, taking a moment to gather my courage. Across from me, the room overlooked the courtyard. A painted wooden crucifix hung above the arch we’d entered through. The chamber’s chief beauty was the ceiling, with its grid of beaded beams and the plaster between them painted a sea-foam green.

I took a deep breath. “I need more than a week.”

“You can’t have it.”

“He won’t come around in a week.” If he ever would. “Please give me a month.”

“A week.”

“Bela would curse you.”

“She would. I don’t think even she could have saved me from gambling.”

Marina bustled in. “Loma!” She took my hands in hers and shook them. “I’m so happy you’ve come! After Samuel’s wedding, Pero said we might have a visitor, but I didn’t suspect it would be you.” Her eyes glistened.

“I’m glad to see you.”

“And to see Pero, yes?” She finally dropped my hands.

“And his beautiful jewelry.”

“Everything he does is a masterpiece. You must stay for dinner! I always make too much. We were about to sit down.”

If Ledicia and her family didn’t come to our house for dinner, as they often did, Papá would tell everyone I was with her. If she came, they would be frightened, but I doubted they’d look for me here.

If I stayed, maybe I could persuade Pero to give me more time. “If I can eat what you’re serving, I’ll be happy to stay.”

“Let’s see,” Pero said. “What is it today?”

“Goose stew with cinnamon, as my mother makes it.”

“Can someone bring Hamdun inside and give him a meal, too?”

“Yes!” Marina hurried out, calling behind her. “I’m so pleased you’re here!”

When she was gone, I said, “Belo is angry. He’ll come around, but by degrees. Not quickly.”

“A week. Denouncing my own family will bring me Old Christian customers.”

Marina came back, followed by two Muslim maids bearing trays. “Come.”

We followed her through another arch into a pretty dining room, which also overlooked the courtyard. The maids set their trays down on the long table. One went to an open cabinet and lifted out a bowl. Between this cupboard and one just like it hung another crucifix—at least three feet long, big enough to show the whites of Jesus’s eyes.

“Not that cupboard,” Marina said. “The other one.”

Pero looked sharply at her.

Blushing she added, “We should all eat from the same cupboard.”

The maid went to the other cabinet and fetched a bowl that looked identical to the first. I understood. Considerately, Marina didn’t want me to have to eat from a bowl that had held dairy.

Apparently, since she had two sets of dishes, Marina was still observing at least some Jewish laws about food.

“Ask Cook to make fritters for dessert,” she told the maids.

Pero bent

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.