” I clicked to end the call, turned and looked into two pair of eyes.Deena was first. “What’d she say?”“She says she has no idea how I foole... people into thinking my hopelessly inept daughter had any remarkable academic worth.”“She did NOT!” Haley squealed. “I watched your face.”“Me, too,” Deena said.“Okay, she’s on board with us on education. I’m glad to hear that. And she said that Harv’s going to a couple of conventions and she’s staying here to spend time with you,” I said.“I like that. . like porcelain! So clear! And yet so pink!" Toby burbled.Toby reached between her legs to stroke the pinkness. I stepped back, dragging her with me."No!" I said, with as much authority as I could. "Leave her be! We are in enough trouble as it is. Let's not add sexual assault to aggravated burglary!"Toby paused, grinned, and blushed. "Okay," he said, and stepped back to allow me and my squirming burden through the box-room door and onto the landing."Get the paintings," I said. "We'll get this. Next day I went to the same temple, taking my brother too, and offered thanks for such a miracle. And I offered, on returning home, my hibiscus on the linga of my brother and we celebratedIt turned out one day, our business rival, the marwadi, decided to vacate our town. Latter I came to know that it was because of his wife having affair with the servant boys. Also I came to know that my brother had photographed those affairs, but it reached my husband who, without exposing himself, used it to. Something about them pissed her off. Yelling out, she punched the rough bark, scraping her knuckles. Seething, she pulled back. At least the pain cut through the numbness.Tired and hungry, she slumped down at the base of a decaying trunk. She wondered if anyone would hear her scream— if anyone would care. Maybe when the search and rescue team found her rotting corpse, her parents would pretend they didn’t know her, or worse, pretend they were a picture-perfect family and blame Lucifer for her.