Edmond Carey
July 30, 2011 6:00 PM
Getting News by Edmond Carey
At school, Edmond supposed he could have eaten anything he wanted, even engaged in his sister’s habit of trying new things just because she didn’t recognize them, but he usually stuck to the same kinds of foods he had at home. Plain things, well-suited to the plain, heavy white bowls and plates and unornamented forks and spoons his parents used for all but formal occasions. Not, he thought, as suited to the prettier things they had here. His lunch of roast chicken, potato soup, green beans, biscuits, and milk seemed slightly outclassed by the plates and glasses.It was good, though, and would mean he could concentrate through his afternoon classes without worrying about being hungry until near the end of his study period in the library before supper, so he ate it without more than a momentary amusement at the discrepancy before the part of his attention not on eating went to sorting out which bit of notes from the class he had a test in to look over. He wasn’t completely sure which area he needed to review the most, but there definitely wasn’t time to look over everything, even though he’d arrived, thanks to a free period, earlier than most people to lunch and still had most of the dining hall to himself.
He was just making up his mind when the first owl arrived, looking harried from a journey across a great deal of land. He didn’t recognize it, but, seeing the family seal on the letter it held, took its message warily, not sure he wanted to know. Before he had the circle of red wax broken properly, two more showed up, one from Robert, the other sealed with his Morgaine’s monogram. The M and the C were clear enough in the deep blue wax, but she had left out the V, for reasons he had never cared enough to ask about but was thinking about now because it was better than thinking about what might be in these letters, because the news, whatever it was, was sure to be bad. He could think of nothing good that would involve being sent three letters so close together. If one of the owls hadn’t belonged to his father, he would have been terrified out of his wits that Robert was dead.
He looked up suddenly and found Jane looking at him, her black eyes wide. He shook his head, and she relaxed slightly, but was still watching. Finally, he unfolded the first letter. Thomas’ hand bore the distinctive marks of having been learned in the nineteenth century, but it was clear enough to read.
I regret to inform you of the death of your most esteemed cousin, Richard Carey III….
Not sure what to feel, he looked up at Jane and shook his head again, more firmly this time. It wasn’t anything…well, of course it was important that Richard III was dead, both for the usual political reasons and because it was sad that someone had died, but it wasn’t something that concerned them too much. He read on, already composing polite remarks of condolence to Edena in his head, before he got to Morgaine and Robert’s letters and blanched a little.
“Oh, no,” he said aloud, folding Morgaine’s back again and sitting back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face. He couldn’t be sure, because two years ago he wouldn’t have even thought to think of it, but now…Robert’s letter was tense, Morgaine’s worse, and all three of them did not need to write to inform him of the death of someone he’d met once in his life that he could remember. Which meant something bad could very well be happening again.
He should, he thought, have known, though, as soon as he read past the second line of Thomas’ formal letter. ‘It appears he was taken by Vanishing Sickness’ indeed. He hadn’t read all of the histories – he wouldn’t even touch Alasdair’s, and was a little disturbed by how fascinating Morgaine seemed to find it – but even he knew that it was never Vanishing Sickness. He supposed people really did die of that sometimes, or else even the Aurors would have to raise an eyebrow sometime, but he couldn’t remember a Carey who really had instead of that just being a convenient excuse.
0
Edmond Carey
Getting News
143
Edmond Carey
1
5