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At her answer, he takes her papers and reads theets up frolassed chaoblins and then to ablack robes

Finally, the goblin returns, takes his seat, and pushes the papers back to her “There is no one of that nadom You are mistaken Next ”

“But you do have hi here for ain ”

“No one of that name is known here ”

“But—”

“He’s not here,” the goblin says, sneering “Gone Get it? Now move on ” He cranes his head to look around her “Next ”

Vera wants to sink to her knees and cry out, but it is not good to draw attention to oneself, so she wipes the tears frohtens her shoulders and heads for work

Her father is gone

There one moment and disappeared the next The truth is that he is dead, that they have killed hies and the Black Knight, for whoh, not even the ordinary questions of a grieving farave site or dress his body for burial All of that would draw attention to theht wants to deny In the library, she goes about her work and says nothing about her father

On her walk home—no trolleys for her today; she wants this journey to last—it seeround itself Brittle black leaves fall fro suspended in the chilly air From a distance, there are sotoo low Beneath a leaden sky, buildings look drab and hunkered down Even the reen castle looks forlorn in this weather

By the ti on the cobblestoned street and on the bare tree limbs

At her door, she pauses just long enough to catch her breath In that instant, she iines the conversation she will have and exhaustion presses down on her Still, she straightens her spine and walks inside

The roorandmother’s bed is pushed up to the wall and stacked with quilts Their own narrower bed abuts the closet When they want to open the closet door, they must move the bed A bureau that her mother has hand-painted and a pair of lamps line the wall beneath thethat won’t open The only beautiful piece of furniture in the apart desk that was her father’s—is covered with jars of pickles and onions

She finds herpotatoes

Her mother takes one look at her and moves the pot off the stove, then wipes her hands on the apron tied about her waist Although her dress is baggy and old, and her hair is unkempt after a day at the food storehouse, her eyes are keen and the look in the “It is Friday,” she says at last