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“We think it is right and proper for a girl to die Girls must die if worms are to feast, and we think it is extremely proper for worms to feast”

I grimaced; Sleeve recoiled “Thank you for your honesty,” I said, “but I think we shall have to disagree” Their faceless smiles broadened “For now,” I added

And so ent to the spiders “I did not want to do this,” Sleeve groused, “but you are dear to me”

The spiders kept to their webs like acrobats deterht Sleeve’s needles must have made them nervous, but she put on a very brave face and asked her question The spiders only laughed, high, tinny laughter like the shaking of marsh reeds

“What do you know about anything?” they jeered “Spiders don’t weave, they eat They spin and hunt and catch and feed You have always been the stupidest of us Whoever heard of a spider weaving dresses? Associating with birds? What is wrong with you, Sleeve? You are the worst sort of maiden aunt for this child Girls weave, you freakish, hideous thing! Girls make dresses Girls squeal very loudly and leap about and clutch their s salts”

Sleeve said nothing Her body sluh she had expected no ainst the dust Well, I certainly leapt about then, and blew their webs into ruined threads “What do you know?” I cried, kicking their silk in “Sleeve s in the world while you sit about snickering into your ratty old webs! You know nothing! I have never made a dress in irl, and I a spider? And I have never smelled salt in all my days; what a stupid idea! Coine”

I cannot really say I was a well-behaved child I cannot really say I have learned much since

Her back was straight and her steps high as we left thelea my toes she coaxedand shadows and tap-tap-tapping of hands against numerals She led ine: huge brass bolts to tiny, intricate silver keyholes no wider than a feather, wooden locks with gaping slots and golden locks with birds carved into their faces, locks so old and worn that only rust was left, and locks in the shape of open, staring eyes blown frolass

I putopen There was no one inside

“Hello?” I called, and Sleeve echoed me

There wasTwo golden eyes blinked at ears which had been her cae

“I am not supposed to come out when company is present,” the creature said uncertainly, allclock hands

“But there is no one here to call us company and make us tea”

“Mother is out,” the glittering woman said

“You can answer our question just as well,” cried Sleeve, delighted, introducing the woman as Hour, who had spider silk in her joints “What is it that girls do in the way that spiders weave?”