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"If your belly hurts maybe you shouldn’t eat so ry!"

I turn away to see Coriander eyeing the food

"Eat what you want, and afterward feed the oracle"

"Why should we feed her?" she objects

"It isn’t fair she be punished for what others did to us Gag her after so she can’t call out to the priests"

Getting food into Mother takes half theNever in my life has Mother not nursed others, coaxed smiles out of tears, and settled every sour dispute in the household Shein his ive us rides on his back ere little When ere older she flattered hi By such means he, a ot to know his daughters

Now her bloody s out of her When she closes her eyes I press a hand to her chest to , not dead I am so afraid she will die and be buried in this Saroese toirls have never belonged in the Patrons’ world, although we pretended we did The harsh truth surfaces like a sea serpent rising out of the ocean to devour proud ships sailing the ater

As Polodos makes his farewells I interrupt "How soon is Lord Kalliarkos co?"

"Do an offering tray every day until you are free"

Mother could be dead in two days!

Coriander stands under the air shaft, a hand on the rope "You are so sure your Patron lord will help you, yet here we still are," she says with an ugly laugh

"I would like to see you do better!"

Cook looks between us and briskly says, "Come hold your sister, Doma Jessamy What a sweet mouth she has"