#scarsdale

(Buried in peas!)

buried alive

KHAAAAAAAN!

RIPs?

There's a .... vigorous.... knock at the Schwartz's front door. And muttered grumbling.

Zara goes to answer - Earl dozing, Uncles & Hannah kvetching in the kitchen of coffee...

Oh my. Even from this side of the door it's likely Jacob is learning some new vocabulary.

"don't know why I gotta furking dress up for being called all the sudden...feel like one of Uncle Hirim's cushions... the plaid, it burns"

Dark eyes peer around the partially open door before she steps back to open it the rest of the way.

"Ya know what burns? @)#!@&%)@ Turnpike drivers who don't know what a )@(#)!@ turn signal is."

"Hey Zara."

"Hi Miriam. Hi Jacob."

"Hello, sister" a boy sighs dressed in a plaid shirt and a cute little cap

"What's got Hiriam's panties in a bunch now?"

"Ah..." A slight frown. "Ah. You could ask him..." Something slippery in that whisper.

"Yeah, could. Will. But askin' YOU now." She stomps in; nice outfit, doc martins.

jaccob comes in... and sways "tie, choking...plaid...suffocating"

"Jacob, there is iced tea in the kitchen. You could get a glass. And, mayhaps, coffee for Mother?"

"Yer fine." She wipes the hat off his head. "Manners, you schumck. Yeah, get some drinks." She glares at him till he goes.

A lower whisper. "Forget not the sugar, but never tell her thus."

A sigh and he walks off whispering "are there no prisons? are there no workhouses"

Zara watches Jacob leave, fingers quietly tangling into a knot.

"Awright." Also quietly. "What?"

Her mouth pulls to the side in a brief frown and she looks down at her hands. A shrug. "Needed to tell you the news. Thought it would be better in person, aye?"

"What is it? You knocked up?"

That has her looking up sharply, eyes wide. She shakes her head. "No!"

"Ok."

Earl stirs 'mmmm? kno..uh?"

"Shh, Earl - tis fine. Sleep."

Miriam glances over, does a double take. "What's with the troll pot-pie?"

And he drifts back under his peas

"He was being a schmuck and hiding his cracked ribs."

"So... ah, good news? We should not have to worry about warding the house in Poughkeepsie."

"Why'd you crack his ribs?"

"I did not. Klay did."

"Who?" This one is a bit secretive, stand-offish.

"Matters not. He is dead now."

"Paler is dead now. Golnaz, too. So."

Miriam gives Zara a long look. "Dead."

coffee and tea..the smells betray the boy where his noise does not

"Dead. So it's over." Cats-cradle.

"How."

"A sidhe took his head."

She swallows, not looking at Miriam.

"And you know this how? Yer hiding somethin' Zara."

"I was there. I saw it, so I can attest."

"I did not stop Coradel from killing him, no. It... he shed salt tears, he used iron... Golnaz hesitated not to kill in his service... "

"Ya don't gotta convince me, Zara." She reminds quietly.

"So. That's the news. He's dead. it's over."

Miriam is quiet a moment, then says "I gotta sit down." And she does. Where she stands.