The Olive Conspiracy Read Online Free PDF Page A

stepped closer to the other
queen’s sorrowful bower. “Carolina,” she said in a cracking voice,
in Imbrian. “I’m so sorry.”
    Carolina’s attention shifted abruptly as she
turned her head at the sound. “Shulamit! Thank you, thank you for
coming.” The words poured out in voluble fluent but accented
Perachi. “Oh, Shulamit, Shulamit, tell me… how long does it hurt?
How long do I feel like screaming? Like… breaking? There is
something breaking .”
    Carolina’s husband rubbed her shoulder
soothingly. On her other side, the bearded man squeezed her hand,
then let it drop and wandered off.
    Shulamit smiled wistfully. “I wish I had the
answer you want to hear. It’s just going to take a lot of
time.”
    “ How long with you?” There was an
intensity about Carolina.
    Shulamit sighed. “Couple of years? You never
really stop being sad, not all the way. But you’ll go longer and
longer without the really hard bits. And eventually you’ll just be
sad that he’s not there, not sad that he died. If that makes any
sense.”
    Isaac noticed her shrinking back into Aviva,
who was waiting supportively just behind her with entirely
non-platonic closeness. Ever since they’d entered the Imbrian
capital city but especially here in the palace, Shulamit had been
physically clingy with her sweetheart. Had she been a different
type of woman, Isaac would have wondered if she was trying to show
off to Carolina, her old crush, that she had a pretty girlfriend.
With Shulamit, it seemed to be more about Aviva being a security
blanket.
    He understood the feeling, a little. On the
rare occasions women who weren’t Rivka piqued his interest, it
disturbed him and made him immediately want to seek her out, to
recalibrate his settings back to normal.
    “ I’m glad you came,” said Carolina,
“and I’m sorry I couldn’t be there, you know, five years ago. I had
just given birth to this little one, you see…” She gestured to her
daughter, who had gotten bored of sitting quietly and was lying on
the floor clapping her hands.
    “ But your father was there,” said
Shulamit, “and I never forgot that. So now, I am here for him. And,
well, to see if there’s anything I can do to help you.”
    “ Just that you came means
something.”
    “ Um.” Shulamit licked her lips.
“This is Aviva.” Then came the awkward, grimacing grin she usually
kept hidden, because, as Isaac knew, she thought it looked like the
face of an angry ape.
    “ Pleased to meet you, Your
Majesty,” said Aviva.
    A light of understanding came into Carolina’s
eyes. “Ahh, I remember those things you said! When you visited,
what was it, nine years ago?”
    “ Think so.” Shulamit bounced Naomi
in her wrap, burning off spare energy.
    “ I’m glad things worked out for you
the way you wanted, that way,” said Carolina.
    “ We’ve brought you…” Shulamit
turned around, motioning to her guards. “We’ve brought all kinds of
food. I don’t know very much about your mourning customs, but in my
culture, when somebody dies, we have days where people come and
bring us food, and take care of us, and let us… you know, tell
stories, or just cry, or whatever we want. And we cover the mirrors
so we don’t have to see ourselves ugly-crying.”
    Carolina let out a smirking sniff, the closest
thing to laughter her grief would allow. “I don’t need a mirror. I
have to see my little ones crying.”
    Shulamit looked down at Naomi protectively as
the guards set the gift baskets in front of Carolina. “A sampling
of Perach’s agricultural riches, hand-picked just for
you.”
    “ Thank you.”
    The children playing on the floor started to
pick through the basket. “Ooh! Papaya!” said the tiny princess.
“Mamae, can I have it? Can I have it?” It was so large compared to
her tiny, roly-poly frame that she could barely lift it.
    “ Go see if Papai will call a
servant to cut it up for you.” Carolina patted her on the head
affectionately.
    Really?