Chapter 6: The Slideshow

"I came to check the doors," Torben said.

Nobody believed him, least of all Torben.

His eyes went to the tote bag on my shoulder and the corner of white card sticking out of it.

"That's from the shelf," he said. "You can't take that."

"It's my box. I paid for the shelf."

He stood in the doorway with his keys hanging from his fingers.

For a moment I watched him decide, which for Torben meant waiting for someone else to.

"I knew you didn't draw," he said at last. "Mother said it was only until the oath."

"Only until the oath."

"She said it was a custom for the unsworn."

"It's a custom she wrote on an index card," I said. "Underlined twice."

Torben looked at the floor.

"I didn't know about the card."

"But you knew about the rest."

He didn't answer, and that was the answer.

Conal hadn't said a word the whole time.

Now he stepped aside from the door, which was all the invitation anyone needed.

Torben stepped aside too.

"I didn't see you," he said. "Go. Just be at brunch, Isla. If you don't come, it will be worse."

"I'll be there," I said.

At eleven the next morning, the back lawn of Gull Point House was set with white tents and long tables.

The founding families sat in their good coats with their mimosas.

A big screen had been put up beside the buffet for the commemorative slideshow.

The slideshow was in my contract, and so was my name, and nobody had thought to remove either.

I walked across the grass in my navy dress with my camera card in my fist.

The technician at the screen was a tired young man who looked relieved to see me.

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