[5: I didn't realize]

"I didn't realize we were going to live in this huge house all alone." Sama
flopped on her bed, and Meera tried to let her be long enough to keep the
tears from flowing.

"I know. Me either. I mean, I knew that Uncle Ram had a big house, but I
didn't know it was in the middle of nowhere."

"Yeah, but you can go out by yourself, you can stay out after school. If I'm
not home by teatime, Uncle Ram will send someone to fetch me. Or if I wasn't
to be found..."

She shivered, imagining a dozen things her uncle would do if she crossed him
like that. "I hate it here. I want to be back where it's warm."

"You would not!" Meera thought instantly to the heavy summer air, and the
press of people everywhere. "You hated the heat."

"Yeah. . . but I could see Mother and Father again. It's been a year and a
half now!"