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fool would do that. Breia was whey- faded it was the beginning to hurt
faced little shrew, and she’d quite a bit.
overstepped herself. The King of Eddis Stenides smiled at him and then
was ill and bot his sons had died. He turned to offer him a ride on his back.
had only daughters to inherit unless “You’re an idiot,” he said.
one of his brothers seized the throne. “Breia should have her lips sewed
With her sniping comment, Breia had shut,” said Gen.
insulted not only Gen’s mother, who “She’ll probably wish she had
was the daughter of the King’s Thief before her father’s through with her.”
and strictly speaking not a member of It was Breia’s insults that would be
a landholding family, but also Gen’s officially forgotten, but nonetheless
father, implying that he would discussed in scandalized whispers by
consider denying his niece her rightful everyone in the palace now that Gen
inheritance. This kind of insult had been successful in his theft. So
dragged whole families into feuds that long as he left the jewelry on an altar,
lasted for years. dedicated to a god or goddess where it
Cleon looked appalled. Then he could never be retrieved by the
shrugged an apology. “I’m sorry, original owner or by himself, no
Sten,” he said. “I had no idea. I’ll talk criticism would come his way.
to father and he’ll talk to Breia.” He was holding the earrings so
The cousin bobbed their heads and tightly in his right hand that he could
melted away. feel their sides digging into his palm
Stenides turned to Gen. and suspected that their delicate wires
“You’re lucky, whelp,” he said. “If I would be badly bent before he got
hadn’t been here they would have them to the temple.
pounded you to mush and taken the “He’s not going to give her another
earrings back.” Gen’s theft would have set of earrings, that’s for certain,” said
been overlooked by common consent, Gen with great satisfaction.
as the earrings would have been safely Stenides sighed. “If you had just
returned, and nobody would have told me…”
heard any more of Breia’s insulting “If I had told you, you would have
words. told Cleon and he would have made
“If they’d caught me,” said Gen. her apologize, and she would have
“Which they would have.” smiled with all of her teeth showing
“Would not,” Gen protested. “I and said, ‘Oh I am so sorry, of course I
would have disappeared like that” – he was just joking …,’ and she was not
snapped his fingers – “before they joking at all,” said Gen.
were halfway around the light well.” Stenides came to a staircase. “Do
“You would have hopped it?” you want to go dedicate them now?”
“Yes!” he asked.
“That’s why you’ve been standing Gen had to think for a minute
on one foot this whole time?” Stenides before he answered. The boys’
asked. dormitory would be empty in the
Gen Stuck out his chin and put his middle of the afternoon. He needn’t
sore foot on the ground, but he didn’t dedicate the earrings immediately.
put any weught on it. He’d twisted his “Do you want to go lie down for a
ankle falling from the wall. It hadn’t while?” Stenides asked, sensing his
hurt at first, but as the excitement hesitation.
“Yes, please,” said Gen.
76 | Extensive Listening & Reading
