Page 138 of Commander’s Mate

The room smelled faintly of cleaning solvent and smoke because too many of the objects still carried Farseek’s ruins in them.

Names had been entered into the wall display.

CONFIRMED DEAD.

MISSING.

UNKNOWN.

RECOVERED ALIVE.

The last category was too small.

Harper moved along the wall.

“Do people come here often?”

“Yes.”

“What do they do?”

“Stand.”

“That’s it?”

“Sometimes talk.”

“To each other?”

“To the dead.”

Her expression softened.

“That too.”

I led her to my family shelf.

My mother’s ceramic sat beside my father’s blade.

The carved figure had one arm missing.

Tivid had printed copies of the probable records for Meya and Taren and placed them beneath transparent shielding.

Harper saw Meya’s name.

“Three stars.”

“Yes.”

“You weren’t exaggerating. They’re terrible.”

I looked at her.

She smiled.

“Sorry.”

“No, you are correct.”