“Tell me … do you grow?” Then, as if explanation was necessary: “Have your limbs elongated over time? Your height—is it increasing?” It sounded to Ariel like she was asking if he breathed. “Of course I grow. I am—” He did not want to say he was a child. “I am still young!” Hughes shook her head. “Astonishing. A body that can grow … I have heard it is possible. This will be new territory for me.”
