Circumnavigation of Shatterworld (Shatterworld Trilogy Book 2) by Lelia Rose Foreman

Author:Lelia Rose Foreman [Foreman, Lelia Rose]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Breath of Life
Published: 2016-04-22T22:00:00+00:00

• • •

Sometime that night an anguished cry from No startled Rejoice awake.

Darkness filled her room. She held her breath until she grew dizzy waiting for the announcement that her world had ended. Would she cry out like No, or scream, or take the news calmly? But no one came to her room. Opportunity had woken too, and she wailed as Rejoice rocked her. Leaving the door ajar so she could hear some of what was happening had been a mistake. She closed the door so her sister’s crying would not disturb anyone.

The next thing that awakened Rejoice was ported sunlight shining on her face. She took her sister to the laundry and dressed her with fingers grown clumsy with dread, and listened, listened to silence.

She shuffled past her parents’ door with heavy Opportunity on her hip. If only she had the courage to look in. She rounded the hall corner.

Brother Hancock slouched in the dining room chair, looking aged and glum, and clutching a cup of applemint tea. He looked at someone Rejoice could not yet see and murmured, “Our first death.”

Elder Chin replied in a leaden voice, “And such a death.”

Rejoice reached the doorway and carefully set Opportunity down. Oh God no! She screamed inside, but her tongue and lips would not move. Slowly she straightened. She felt fragile, as though the next word would smash her into a thousand pieces. She stared at the two men facing each other over their cups of tea and waited, waited for what she did not want to hear.

Elder Chin saw her and sighed, “Young Lady, you look as though you’ve had a hard night.”

Her hands crept up to her face and she stared at him.

He inclined his head as Brother Hancock turned and looked at her. “You might as well know, though this seems scarcely the time, but sometime yesterday Sister Olson killed herself.”

Rejoice’s knees buckled. They weren’t talking about Father! As she fell, Brother Hancock and Elder Chin leaped up.

They dragged her to a chair and propped her up in it while she struggled against wild laughter.

“Young Lady.” Elder Chin tied Opportunity’s tether to her chair as Brother Hancock rushed to the galley.

Rejoice bit her lips. It wasn’t Father! Her hands shook so hard that when she took the tea Brother Hancock brought her, it sloshed out of the cup. Her knuckles turned white. It wasn’t Father!

“Will you pray with us?” Elder Chin asked.

She nodded because she was afraid to speak, afraid of what would bubble out.

Brother Hancock held one of her hands, and Elder Chin held the other as he led in an earnest prayer for the comfort of Brother Olson, the nurturing of their children, wisdom for the colony, and healing and peace for all.

As he prayed, Rejoice sucked in air. Her heartbeat slowed. By the time he had finished, she could control herself better, but she still just nodded when Elder Chin asked if he could get her breakfast. She stared at the pale, green tea as he rose and strode to the galley.

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