think that even in their separation she and Nate were of the same mind.
She turned her head slightly and I understood that she was offering me a chair.
I also knew that I should leave my hands at my side, speak in a modulated tone, and keep my eyes focused on her while not staring her directly in the face. She was royalty and I a subject, but this distinction had nothing to do with hierarchy; it was more a system of shared duty.
It was as I lowered into my chair that I realized a piano sonata was playing softly, maybe in another room.
My host did not sit. She stood behind the chair across the table from me, resting her delicate hands on its back for support.
Behind Azure the wall was recessed. In this shallow alcove sat the only aberration in an otherwise perfect environment. It was a thin, coal-colored table against the wall supporting golden frames of the picture-portraits of her children and husband.
“And your name is?” she asked, giving me her full beneficent attention.
“McGill,” I said, hoping that the word wasn’t too pointy or sharp.
“You have a message for me from Chrystal?”
I glanced at the portraits behind her.
“Your daughters look very much alike.”
“Very.”
“Did people confuse them for each other from time to time?”
“When they got to be eleven and twelve they used to switch places. They never fooled me, but even their aunts and uncles were tricked sometimes.”
“How could you tell the difference?” I asked.
“If they were standing you could always see that Shawnie was the shorter one. But when they were alone or sitting down you could tell by their eyes. Chrystal has the eyes of an ancient, and Shawnie has the look of a wild creature that stumbled into civilization and can’t find her way back to the wilderness.”
Hearing this analysis, I could imagine the long talks that she and Nate must have had. I felt the pain of his loss—and hers.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
“Where?”
“This, this place.”
“Oh,” she said, “yes. I have a condition, a mental condition.”
“You seem very normal to me.”
“In here I do. But the noise and mess outside drives me crazy. There’s a science word for it but it’s what our mothers would have called nerves. Doctors say that there’s a medicine I could take but I’d rather just keep everything around me quiet and peaceful. That way I don’t have to feel like I’m sick.
“You’re smiling, Mr. McGill.”
“Oh? I hadn’t realized. I guess it’s because what you’re saying is that you are only emotionally disturbed when there’s someone else in the room.”
Azure laughed. It was a very pleasant sound.
“Yes. And only a kindly gentleman like yourself, who keeps still, can know the real me.”
“Who pays for all this?”
“That’s a very blunt question, sir.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m trying to understand who I’m dealing with. Not you, but your daughters and Mr. Tyler.”
“Cyril owns the nursing facility. He bought it when Chrystal couldn’t find a suitable place for me,” she said, adding, “You said you had a message from her?”
“Indirectly,” I said. “A woman who looks like Chrystal came to my office and asked me to help with a problem. But I’m beginning to believe that it was Shawna who approached me, and I’m trying to figure out why.”
“Was she asking you to help Chrystal or herself?” Azure asked with no visible tension showing.
“Chrystal,” I said. “But I’m not sure that Chrystal has a problem.”
“That’s very odd,” Azure commented. “It’s Chrystal who looks after her brother and sister. She was here visiting me only two days ago.”
“Really? What did she say?”
“That she and Cyril were going on a cruise,” Azure said. It was the first lie she told me. “Chrystal has always wanted to be a Merchant Marine like her father. She loves boats, and Cyril is not a very physical man. He lets her take care of everything when they go out on his
She turned her head slightly and I understood that she was offering me a chair.
I also knew that I should leave my hands at my side, speak in a modulated tone, and keep my eyes focused on her while not staring her directly in the face. She was royalty and I a subject, but this distinction had nothing to do with hierarchy; it was more a system of shared duty.
It was as I lowered into my chair that I realized a piano sonata was playing softly, maybe in another room.
My host did not sit. She stood behind the chair across the table from me, resting her delicate hands on its back for support.
Behind Azure the wall was recessed. In this shallow alcove sat the only aberration in an otherwise perfect environment. It was a thin, coal-colored table against the wall supporting golden frames of the picture-portraits of her children and husband.
“And your name is?” she asked, giving me her full beneficent attention.
“McGill,” I said, hoping that the word wasn’t too pointy or sharp.
“You have a message for me from Chrystal?”
I glanced at the portraits behind her.
“Your daughters look very much alike.”
“Very.”
“Did people confuse them for each other from time to time?”
“When they got to be eleven and twelve they used to switch places. They never fooled me, but even their aunts and uncles were tricked sometimes.”
“How could you tell the difference?” I asked.
“If they were standing you could always see that Shawnie was the shorter one. But when they were alone or sitting down you could tell by their eyes. Chrystal has the eyes of an ancient, and Shawnie has the look of a wild creature that stumbled into civilization and can’t find her way back to the wilderness.”
Hearing this analysis, I could imagine the long talks that she and Nate must have had. I felt the pain of his loss—and hers.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
“Where?”
“This, this place.”
“Oh,” she said, “yes. I have a condition, a mental condition.”
“You seem very normal to me.”
“In here I do. But the noise and mess outside drives me crazy. There’s a science word for it but it’s what our mothers would have called nerves. Doctors say that there’s a medicine I could take but I’d rather just keep everything around me quiet and peaceful. That way I don’t have to feel like I’m sick.
“You’re smiling, Mr. McGill.”
“Oh? I hadn’t realized. I guess it’s because what you’re saying is that you are only emotionally disturbed when there’s someone else in the room.”
Azure laughed. It was a very pleasant sound.
“Yes. And only a kindly gentleman like yourself, who keeps still, can know the real me.”
“Who pays for all this?”
“That’s a very blunt question, sir.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m trying to understand who I’m dealing with. Not you, but your daughters and Mr. Tyler.”
“Cyril owns the nursing facility. He bought it when Chrystal couldn’t find a suitable place for me,” she said, adding, “You said you had a message from her?”
“Indirectly,” I said. “A woman who looks like Chrystal came to my office and asked me to help with a problem. But I’m beginning to believe that it was Shawna who approached me, and I’m trying to figure out why.”
“Was she asking you to help Chrystal or herself?” Azure asked with no visible tension showing.
“Chrystal,” I said. “But I’m not sure that Chrystal has a problem.”
“That’s very odd,” Azure commented. “It’s Chrystal who looks after her brother and sister. She was here visiting me only two days ago.”
“Really? What did she say?”
“That she and Cyril were going on a cruise,” Azure said. It was the first lie she told me. “Chrystal has always wanted to be a Merchant Marine like her father. She loves boats, and Cyril is not a very physical man. He lets her take care of everything when they go out on his
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