GRIEF

1541 4D

Gej‘s sister ripped her skin, gouging long, welling red tracks with the nailblades she wore. She hurled herself at Andrew, screaming in Hejj Gabbozi dialect, and he held her, waiting patiently and with sorrow, while the blades shredded the back of his suit and parts of his skin. Her father came behind her, his eyes dark-circled, and said, “This will go before the Assayers, to try you and Mentrius, the Hejji and the Astran who shed Coll blood. Go away from us.”