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Back Daughter of Eden
Chapters (68)
  1. Title page
  2. Dedication
  3. Part I
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. Twelve
  16. Thirteen
  17. Fourteen
  18. Fifteen
  19. Sixteen
  20. Seventeen
  21. Eighteen
  22. Nineteen
  23. Twenty
  24. Twenty-one
  25. Twenty-two
  26. Twenty-three
  27. Twenty-four
  28. Twenty-five
  29. GAIA YOUNG. SUBJECTIVE IMPRESSIONS.MISSION DAY 20. 20:25 MT.
  30. Part II
  31. Twenty-six
  32. Twenty-seven
  33. Twenty-eight
  34. Twenty-nine
  35. Thirty
  36. Thirty-one
  37. Thirty-two
  38. Thirty-three
  39. Thirty-four
  40. Thirty-five
  41. Thirty-six
  42. Thirty-seven
  43. GAIA YOUNG. SUBJECTIVE IMPRESSIONS.MISSION DAY 22. 20:05 MT.
  44. Thirty-eight
  45. Thirty-nine
  46. Forty
  47. Forty-one
  48. GAIA YOUNG. SUBJECTIVE IMPRESSIONS.MISSION DAY 25. 15:30 MT.
  49. Forty-two
  50. Forty-three
  51. Forty-four
  52. Forty-five
  53. Forty-six
  54. Forty-seven
  55. Forty-eight
  56. Forty-nine
  57. Fifty
  58. Fifty-one
  59. Fifty-two
  60. Fifty-three
  61. Fifty-four
  62. Part III
  63. Fifty-five
  64. Fifty-six
  65. Fifty-seven
  66. Fifty-eight
  67. Also by Chris Beckett
  68. Copyright page

And yet I could have been with Mary. I could have been with someone who was known and loved right across the Davidfolk Ground, from Rockway Edge to the White Streams. I could even have become known and loved in the way that she was. (Yes, and how else could a woman be so known and respected among the Davidfolk except as a shadowspeaker? Even the highest of high women had to live in the shadows of their men.) I could have been part of something important, something big, looking after all the people of True Family, helping them understand things, helping them grow, helping them find their way home. I might have come to know Gela, not in the way that everyone can, but as one of her special special helpers, the ones she trusts most, the ones she calls on. And I could have shared all this with Mary, one of the smartest and strongest people I’d ever known, who could have chosen so many people to be her helper but had chosen me.

No one was smart like Mary in Michael’s Place. Except perhaps for Trueheart, no one was curious about the world in the way she was, no one was quick like she was at figuring things out. The rest of them could talk quite happily all waking about nothing more interesting than the next meal, or their kids, or the trades they managed to get in Veeklehouse, or the scraps of stories they picked up about the high people: ‘They say Leader Hunter’s oldest boy is in big big trouble with his dad.’ ‘I heard Strongheart gave his new woman a whole wrap covered in colour-stones, the lucky girl.’ ‘If we go to Veeklehouse next waking, apparently, we might see Leader Mehmet’s daughters. Everyone says they’re pretty pretty pretty.’

So I think the main reason I never went to Mary’s shows was that I couldn’t bear to be reminded of how much I’d thrown away, and dreaded the thought of her seeing me, and having her turn her back on me once more. But a little part of me also dreaded the idea that she might forgive me, as she forgave so many people the stupid things they did, and offer me the chance to go with her once again. Because how could I go with her, now that I had kids to care for?