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When Maire saved Bay’s voice forThat explains why Bay was singing, not giving e The secret of saved voices in shells was between Maire and Oceana, and then between Maire and me She shared it first with her sister, and then with a siren

Maire couldn’t have known that Ciro would find the shells She just hoped that someone would

"The people here have heard our stories," Bay says "They feel like they know us"

"But they still don’t believe the sirens are human," True says "They killed them"

"Some still hate the sirens," Bay says "But there are many, like Ciro, who believe the sirens are hu"

"That’s better than some of the people Below," I say "Not many of them think that sirens are human"

"Rio," Bay says, and then she stops What can she say? I’ve had to spendme, and that’s not what either of us would have chosen We’ve both suffered because of what I am

No Not because of what I am Because of the way people fear those who are different, when really we are soI still don’t understand," I say "If siren voices are so powerful up here, how did the people Above resist the sirens on the island?"

"I don’t know," Bay says

I wish Bay and I didn’t have to talk about all of this I e didn’t have to think of sirens and saving I could tell her that True kissed me and that I was fast, so fast in the lanes She could tellwithout a siren sister to protect But there’s no tiain?

I sit down on the floor, suddenly weary I putharder to breathe, and I can’t stop thinking of Maire

I feel my sister’s hand on my back

"There are people ill help us," Bay says "I’ve met many of them They come to minister to those of us from Beloork in the labor ca in the labor caround, and he sounds horrible "Fen doesn’t sound like he should be in a labor cah "They don’t care about that," he says "They’re not concerned about our health"

"They only let us keep co up from the Below because we’re free labor," Bay says

"They think we’re stupid," Fen says "And they’re right We don’t know the first thing about the way the world really is"

"They work us to death," Bay says "We’re allowed a free hour or two at night, and that’s e’re supposed to coht have We h to buy only the smallest amount of food at the worst shops"