Page 14 (2/2)

Though I hate Bien for doing this, and ht in fists that could hurt her, push her down, pin her there and tell her to take it back--I know I could, I ae relief in hearing it said out loud In knowing that it’s not only Bay and I who have thought of the possibility of murder

Still, I have to wait a moment before I have the control to speak Next to e, tells Bien that she is cruel, sacrilegious

"I don’t know," I say at last "I don’t knoho killed her or how she died Her heart just stopped"

"Do you want to knoho I think did it?" Bien asks

I will not give her the pleasure of nodding But, actually, I do want to knoant to knohat people are saying And of course Bien wants to tell me

"Maire," Bien says She has an expression of perverse pleasure on her face She enjoysme miserable Does she do this to other people? I haven’t seen it, but I haven’t known her long I can’t tell if it is me in particular she wants to torment, or if she is a narrow- strokes of cruelty that encompass as many people as possible "Most of us think that Oceana was killed by her own sister"

"Not everyone thinks that," Elinor says

Soives us a wave and sets off to join another group I hear a burst of laughter as she joins them

"I’m so sorry," Elinor says "Bien is a trouble about your aunt I’ve heard people say that Bien’s own brother was a siren and s before the Council took him away to raise, so she is especially poisonous where sirens are concerned She thinks they should all be eliminated"

"Do you believe that, too?"

"No," Elinor says "Of course not"

But do you think we should be locked up and contained? I want to ask her this, but of course I don’t

"That explains why Bien hates my aunt," I say, "but why does she hate me? And my mother?"

"I don’t know," Elinor says

"Who do you think killed my mother?"

Elinor shakes her head "I don’t think anyone did kill her Her grand, generous heart siods If so, it would be the third lad to hear that others do, too, I can’t believe her a one too soon

"At least that ets sent to the people Above," Elinor says, her voice almost fierce "Still, I hate to think that you wasted a wish on Bien"

But I didn’t When I threw the gold coin into the pool, I made the same selfish, wonderful wish I’ve made ever since I was a child I wish that I could see the Above

Perhaps I should have wished for so else Perhaps I should have wished to know the truth