said.
"Oh, rubbish," Lillah said, rolling her eyes. "I'd better go help. She's preparing the feast singlehanded, according to her."
"I'll help, too," Magnolia said. She lumbered into a standing position and tested her heel by putting her full weight on it. She winced slightly. "It's fine," she said. "If you could help me up there then I'll sit to chop or roll or whatever," she said.
Magnolia walked between Lillah and Logan. They exchanged smiles behind her back, nods.
Magnolia and Lillah had met twice before. When Magnolia's school walked through Ombu, Lillah was nine and about to leave for school herself, Magnolia eleven. Logan was eleven, walking the Tree, at school. Lillah hated him being away. She was sad, even as an adult, about those years they could have shared. Lillah's school walked through Magnolia's Order when Lillah was eleven and Magnolia thirteen, and just returned from her five years away. They both remembered that meeting very clearly. Magnolia had been very kind to Lillah, finding her sweets to eat when she felt sad and left out.
Magnolia was good with numbers and Logan watched, bemused, as she made the figures show who had been what age at what time.
The feast was a great success. In the end everyone helped with the cooking and the serving, even the Number Taker who took great delight in cutting the bread into perfect slices.
"Look at that!" he'd say after each piece. "Perfect!"
"Is that how they slice it in Torreyas?" one of the women asked.
"I barely know how they do things in Torreyas, I'm there so rarely." He tipped his broad-brimmed hat back, leaving a shiny forehead.
The men in particular listened to his every word. A man who travelled was such a rarity, and from the way he spoke, they could see why. 'Who would want a life like that?' the men said to each other. 'Never at home. Always away. How could you know who you are?'
Lillah and Magnolia had screeched with laughter at the sight of Tax the swaggering so-called heartthrob of the village (not Logan. There was no swagger about Logan). Leaving his trousers to sag loosely below his hips, showing pubic bush combed with twigs, the fashion of the day amongst some. Leaving tiny twigs amongst the curls. Lillah had turned away, her shoulders shaking at the foolishness of him. Magnolia had joined her, laughing too. Two teachers were fooled by Tax, though; they fought for his affections. Lillah, Melia and Agara watched the women snarl at each other with fixed smiles. One managed to spill hot food on the other but that plan backfired: Tax took her away to clean her up.
"We'll never be like that, will we?" Agara said.
"Certainly not over someone like Tax," Melia said. "A fool from a foolish family."
Thea sat at a distance, but her shoulders flinched.
"She heard that," Lillah said, whispering.
"I don't care," Melia said, whispering so loudly she may as well have been talking.
With all that, all the fighting and fuss, neither woman chose to stay. Tax's charms were shortlived. At least he was clear in his base intentions, Lillah thought. One thing in his favour.
The teachers paired off with young men for the night, everyone else stayed up shouting and singing until well past the very dark. Lillah missed Logan's presence but was thrilled he was with Magnolia. At one stage he came back for more Bark wine, his eyes bleary by firelight, his hair mussed. He raised his eyebrows at Lillah and grinned, a very happy man.
Six days later, when the Number-Taker's school prepared to move on, Magnolia announced that she would stay, if she was accepted. Logan turned cartwheels till his face was red and Olea took Magnolia in a tight hold. "You are family," she said. "I will thank the Number-Taker for bringing you to us."
Thea watched as the group left. Lillah tried to be kind to her out of pity; her only friends were her brothers Tax and Dickson. "Did you like those
teachers?" Lillah
"Oh, rubbish," Lillah said, rolling her eyes. "I'd better go help. She's preparing the feast singlehanded, according to her."
"I'll help, too," Magnolia said. She lumbered into a standing position and tested her heel by putting her full weight on it. She winced slightly. "It's fine," she said. "If you could help me up there then I'll sit to chop or roll or whatever," she said.
Magnolia walked between Lillah and Logan. They exchanged smiles behind her back, nods.
Magnolia and Lillah had met twice before. When Magnolia's school walked through Ombu, Lillah was nine and about to leave for school herself, Magnolia eleven. Logan was eleven, walking the Tree, at school. Lillah hated him being away. She was sad, even as an adult, about those years they could have shared. Lillah's school walked through Magnolia's Order when Lillah was eleven and Magnolia thirteen, and just returned from her five years away. They both remembered that meeting very clearly. Magnolia had been very kind to Lillah, finding her sweets to eat when she felt sad and left out.
Magnolia was good with numbers and Logan watched, bemused, as she made the figures show who had been what age at what time.
The feast was a great success. In the end everyone helped with the cooking and the serving, even the Number Taker who took great delight in cutting the bread into perfect slices.
"Look at that!" he'd say after each piece. "Perfect!"
"Is that how they slice it in Torreyas?" one of the women asked.
"I barely know how they do things in Torreyas, I'm there so rarely." He tipped his broad-brimmed hat back, leaving a shiny forehead.
The men in particular listened to his every word. A man who travelled was such a rarity, and from the way he spoke, they could see why. 'Who would want a life like that?' the men said to each other. 'Never at home. Always away. How could you know who you are?'
Lillah and Magnolia had screeched with laughter at the sight of Tax the swaggering so-called heartthrob of the village (not Logan. There was no swagger about Logan). Leaving his trousers to sag loosely below his hips, showing pubic bush combed with twigs, the fashion of the day amongst some. Leaving tiny twigs amongst the curls. Lillah had turned away, her shoulders shaking at the foolishness of him. Magnolia had joined her, laughing too. Two teachers were fooled by Tax, though; they fought for his affections. Lillah, Melia and Agara watched the women snarl at each other with fixed smiles. One managed to spill hot food on the other but that plan backfired: Tax took her away to clean her up.
"We'll never be like that, will we?" Agara said.
"Certainly not over someone like Tax," Melia said. "A fool from a foolish family."
Thea sat at a distance, but her shoulders flinched.
"She heard that," Lillah said, whispering.
"I don't care," Melia said, whispering so loudly she may as well have been talking.
With all that, all the fighting and fuss, neither woman chose to stay. Tax's charms were shortlived. At least he was clear in his base intentions, Lillah thought. One thing in his favour.
The teachers paired off with young men for the night, everyone else stayed up shouting and singing until well past the very dark. Lillah missed Logan's presence but was thrilled he was with Magnolia. At one stage he came back for more Bark wine, his eyes bleary by firelight, his hair mussed. He raised his eyebrows at Lillah and grinned, a very happy man.
Six days later, when the Number-Taker's school prepared to move on, Magnolia announced that she would stay, if she was accepted. Logan turned cartwheels till his face was red and Olea took Magnolia in a tight hold. "You are family," she said. "I will thank the Number-Taker for bringing you to us."
Thea watched as the group left. Lillah tried to be kind to her out of pity; her only friends were her brothers Tax and Dickson. "Did you like those
teachers?" Lillah
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