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"Your mother," Maire says She closes her eyes "My sister" Her voice is so full of pride and love that it brings tears to my eyes It is hoant to speak of Bay It is how I hope Bay speaks of me

"You loved her," I say

"Always," Maire says "I love her still"

With her eyes closed and her voice soft like this, she looks the smallest bit like my mother, her sister

"She loved you," I say

"Of course she did," Maire says "And I care enough about s I’ve done" Before I can ask what she ods after all, she opens her eyes and looks right at me

"You didn’t care about me until you heard my voice," I say

"Your voice is part of you," Maire says "So when I say that I love your voice, which I do, I a that I love you"

"But you didn’t love me without it"

"No," she says "I didn’t Not as much But that is the kind of person I am" She pauses "Would you love ht Perhaps I could love her

"Yes," she says "That is how it has always been for me"

My cheeks are wet

"Maire," I say, "how do you know you can do this? How do you know I can do this?"

"My dear," Maire says, "the only chance of success is to trust in your oer"

And then she gestures for us to run, and sheout to the people in the boats

"Listen," she says In a voice full of power but also hope, and kindness, no curses, no fear It’s golden, beautiful, pure When I hear it, I believe in her as absolutely as I used to believe in my mother I know Maire has the power to save us

But we have to go now

I reach out and try to touch the sleeve of her robe in farewell, but she doesn’t turn True grabsin, our breath colance back once but I can’t see Maire

What has happened to her? Has she disappeared? Is she dead?

True and I pull off our robes and leave theavein my ears And then, for the first time in my life, I swiether inside the cave, wet and waiting There’s not ainst the walls of the cave The constant sound of it re

We

My exhilaration over the success of our swim vanishes

What have I done?

I left Maire behind because I wanted to get True away from the people in the boats, but now he’s safe in the cave