“Yeah,” said Thisbe with a sigh. “That’s what Fifer thought too.” She was starting to regret that she hadn’t prepared for this. “But I’ve had a lot of other things to do. I’m getting ready to go back to the land of the dragons.”

Samheed nodded solemnly. “Florence told me. She’s worried about you. Aaron knows you’re planning this, right?”

“Well . . . I mean, I’m not keeping it a secret or anything.”

“Fair enough. You’re thirteen now.”

Thisbe nodded. All of a sudden she felt older.

“So, tonight,” Samheed prompted. “If you had all the time in the world, what would you go as?”

Thisbe explained that she didn’t even really want to go, but she felt like she had to—it was her birthday celebration, after all. And absolutely everyone would be there, with gifts and cake and Fox and Kitten leading the lounge band. So as tempting as it was to stay in her room, she knew she couldn’t get away with it. “I don’t have anything in mind at all.” She peered at the book. “What’s the sad part?”

“You mean in this?” Samheed held it up.

“Yes. Is there a girl in there like me? I’m sad.”

“Are you?” asked Samheed, peering at her with concern. Then his expression softened. “Yes, I imagine you are. You have several things to be sad about.” He didn’t press her on what exactly she meant at that moment, and he didn’t share his own sadness for fear of diminishing hers. Instead, he went on to tell her that the play was a tragic love story about two young lovers named Romeo and Juliet. “Their families are fighting,” he said. “And they aren’t allowed to be together.”

Even though the situation wasn’t the same, Thisbe’s thoughts turned immediately to Rohan and how they weren’t able to be together either. Then she blushed furiously. “Is that the sad part?”

“It’s one of them. But the tragic bit is that Juliet fakes her death by taking sleeping medicine. Romeo finds her and thinks she’s dead, so he takes poison and actually dies.”

“That’s terrible!” said Thisbe.

“Yes. But it. Gets. Worse.”

“Tell me!” Thisbe begged. This kind of play was right up her alley.

“Juliet wakes up, finds Romeo dead, and then takes his dagger and—”

“No!” cried Thisbe, clutching her shirt. Her eyes were wild. “Does she—?” She mimicked thrusting a dagger into her chest.

“Yes!” said Samheed, delighted that Thisbe was so enthralled by the story.

“That’s sooo gory,” murmured Thisbe. “I love it!”

Samheed regarded her for a long moment, tapping his lips. “Then I think I know exactly which character you should dress up as, in order to express your reluctance to celebrate in this terrible time, but also show the people of Artimé that you are a true actor.”