"Because Bram can make friends with a green adder," Niabheara said dryly. She shook her head. "That was not calling your sister a green adder, mind." She shook her finger gently until the baby turned loose. "I will bear it in mind."

"She just takes some getting used to, is all," Miranda assured Niabheara. "I've had eighteen years of it. You've had...a few days."

Niabheara smiled. "We have a whole month together. Sooner or later we're going to have to sit at a table and dip bread together like civilized people."

"And it's going to be fine," Miranda agreed. "Rillie likes it when people tell her she's special, or different, or smarter than everyone. She likes people to acknowledge how much harder things are for her than everyone else, because she's so smart and so special. She's really...not all that much smarter than anyone else. It's just that her smart-ness is different than ours and she doesn't acknowledge anyone else's smartness as being smart."

Niabheara shrugged. "Everyone likes being told they're special and having their troubles acknowledged. I don't mind doing that. But your sister needs to realize that you just had a baby, this whole house has been in chaos, there's a child still missing, and I have just been married. Her delicate personal problems can wait a few days until the other pots are off the fire."

"Well, I know that, and you know that," Miranda replied. "But Rillie has more feelings than everyone else. Always."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. This is going to be difficult, considering that I vowed not to speak to her again after she slapped me--" her voice tightened "--but I will try. And if she tries to goad me again I'll point out that constantly needling people for reassurance is exactly what Marcello does, except that he acknowledges that's what he's doing so it's sweet and a little funny and you don't mind going along with it."

Miranda snorted. "They're actually a lot alike," she replied. "Everyone says he and I are alike...and we are. But I think part of the reason she never got along with him as much as I do is that they have too much in common."

"I have ne'er understood how people can be so alike, and still clash with one another. I suppose they feel they're always going for the same goal, and neither wants to be the one to give way." She looked embarrassed, but a little wistful. "But then, I'm the odd one out in my family."

"I don't think Lysander had a problem with it, so much," Miranda replied. "He's so easygoing. You know. Unless it's something important. I think Rillie got upset that being the oldest sibling got usurped and she never got over it."