Obsidian by Lindsey Scholl Page B

the spiraling staircase, the two were surprised to hear Sirin’s voice below. He was not due back for several hours yet, but nevertheless they heard his sonorous tones in conversation with another, lighter voice.
    “You’ve come for the boy, no doubt,” they heard the munkke-trophe say. Lucio and Teehma looked at each other in alarm.
    “If the boy needs a home,” said the other voice, “my wife and I would be happy to give it to him. Ever since we lost our own Nes. . .”
    Sirin cut him off. “You know the child is very dependent on the blind girl. He’ll barely talk with anybody else.”
    Teehma stifled a guffaw. What four-cycle old wouldn’t be scared stiff around Sirin? Trint talked to her and Lucio plenty.
    The other voice continued, sounding very earnest. “We understand that he’s very attached to the girl. If you don’t think. . .” Here the voice paused, as if its owner were considering something. “If you don’t think the boy will be happy without her, we would be willing to take her in, as well. You say that she’s very useful around the house.”
    “I’d say she’s more helpful than the others combined. The two older ones mope as if they’ve been whipped.”
    “If we could return to the boy. . .”
    “The boy’s yours, but you’d better take the girl, too. I’ll come around tomorrow to your house to make sure everything is in order. Then if all is as I see fit, you’ll have yourself two new bratlings.”
    Teehma and Lucio did not bother with the rest of the conversation. They had to talk to Trint and Ester before Sirin did. Trying to ignore the feeling like they’d been punched in the stomach, they hurried to the kitchen. Ester was there, washing some vegetables, while Trint was sitting at the butcher-block table, kicking his feet and fingering the necklace the man Vancien had given him. When they came in, he jumped to his feet.
    “Ester says I have to eat all those veg’tables tonight!” he announced. “She says Sirin won’t be happy if I don’t eat ‘em all. But I don’t ever see Sirin eat veg’tables.”
    “Hush,” Lucio ordered, steering Ester away from the washbasin and toward the table. “You both just sit down and be quiet. We have some news.” Then he looked at Teehma, uncertain how to begin.
    “Sirin’s found you a home.” Teehma blurted out. Better to have it done and over with.
    Trint gave a loud whoop and started running around the table. But Ester did not move. “For whom has he found a home?” she said, so quietly that Teehma barely heard her.
    Teehma was not given to discernment or compassion, but one would have to be a stone not to sympathize with the girl. She was relieved that her answer was a good one. “He found the same home for both of you. You and Trint will live together.”
    The sigh that Ester released sounded as if she’d been holding in it for cycles. She reached for Teehma’s hand, and when she found it, Teehma could feel her shaking. “That is good news. I don’t know what I would have done. . .but what about you? And Lucio? Will you come, too?”
    Teehma fought back tears while Lucio forced Trint back into a seat. The boy’s excitement and Ester’s profound relief only exacerbated their own disappointment. “Sirin only talked about you and Trint. I think that we’ll stay here.”
    “Like the great green Chasm we will,” Lucio interrupted. “The day you and Trint leave, Teehm’ and I are going too.”
    Trint’s jubilation ceased as soon as he figured out that Teehma and Lucio would not be accompanying them. “Are you gonna follow us?”
    Teehma glared at Lucio. “Lucio and I are not going anywhere. And I’m sure that, if you want, your new family will let you come visit us.”
    Trint’s eyes grew even wider as he wailed, “I don’t wanna visit you! I want you to come with us!”
    “We can’t, Trint,” Teehma replied even as Lucio proclaimed, “We’re not staying!” The two girls ignored him in their efforts to