donedayleaveprofoundlysaddehecastofcharacters,infact,stantlyrevolves,butsoslowlyovertimethattheyseemedpermaplayers.Igelwastheoldest,followedbyBéka,Blomma,Kivi,awins,RagnoandZanzara,whocamelateintheeeury.Onionsarrivedintheauspiciousyearof1900.SmaoladLuchógwerethesonsoftwofamilieswhohademigratedfromthesamevillageinIrelandinthefirstdecadesofthetwehtury,andChavisorywasaFrenadianwhoseparentshaddiedinthegreatinfluenzaepidemicof1918.Besidesmyself,Speckwasthebaby,haviolenasafour-year-oldinthesedyearoftheGreatDepression.

    "IwasalotyouhanmostoftheotherswhenImadethege,"shesaid."Exceptforthetwins.Fromthebeginning,therehavebeentwinsinthisline,andtheyreimpossibletotakeunlessveryyoung.Andweakebabies.Toomuchtrouble."

    Vaguememoriesstirredthesauythoughts.WherehadIknowntwinsbefore?

    "Luamedme,becauseIeckofagirlwhentheysnatchedme.Everyoneelseisaheadofmeihege,exceptyou.Yourethebottomofthetotempole."

    "AndIgelhasbeenwaitingforhisturnforawholetury?"

    "Hesseenadozehegeandhadtobidehistime.Nowwereallinlinebehindhim."Thementionofsuchawaitcausedhertoshuthereyes.Ileanedagainstatreetrunk,feelinghelplessforherandhopelessformyself.Escapewasnotastantthought,butoccasionallyIallowedmyselftodreamofleavingthegroupandrejoiningmyfamily.Dejected,Spegherhead,darkhairchereyes,herlipsparted,drawinginairasifeachbreathwasachore.

    "Sowhatdowedonow?"Iasked.

    Shelookedup."HelpIgel."

    Inoticedthatheronce-wh