Marcello nodded. "I know," he said. "I really don't know what to do. Apart from treating her like a stranger. Which is hard, but...I think it would be more uncomfortable to her if everyone kept insisting they knew her and she doesn't remember."

"You didn't do very well with it," she said, with a faint smile. "Although you adapted. But you are a grown man and she is just a little child. Everything is going to be very strange to her."

"Exactly," Marcello said. "And I was thinking about that, when I was gone for a month. She's been gone six years."

Niabheara transfered herself to the arm of Marcello's chair, so that she could lean on his shoulder and play with his hair. "I've been going into this thinking that Acorn wanted to come back as much as we wanted her. I don't want her to run away again, but I don't want to have to keep her bound up, either."

"I know," Marcello said, sliding an arm around her waist. He rested hid head against her breast. "That's just what I've been trying to work out. There has to be a balance. She won't stay on her own, but if she feels trapped, we won't keep her. we need to figure out how to keep her of her own volition."

"Tell her we made a mistake?" she suggested. "Tell her we are terribly sorry and that she can stay here as a guest until Mr. Tumbles comes to fetch her. And it's not our fault if he's slow."

"I did tell her that," Marcello replied. "I told her that we knew him, and he knew us, and he would know where she was and would come to get her." He gave her a sad look. "I don't know what she'll do if it doesn't come."

"There's nothing much she can do, is there? Except hate us." Niabheara grimaced. "Meg won't lie. She's a terrible believer in being honest with children."

"I don't think we should lie," Marcello said. "We all have the same story. That makes it more believable. I already told her what happened," he said. "That she only left us four days ago, that time moved different for her. I think...if we lie now, we can't tell her the truth later without betraying her again."

"What about Morgana?" she asked. "I know she's going to want to see Acorn but I think she . . . if it's the best thing to do, she'll stand off."