When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain (The Singing Hills Cycle, #2)

by Nghi Vo

“Why are we talking to tigers?” asked Si-yu. “Because they are talking to us,” Chih said, stifling a somewhat hysterical giggle. “They can talk, and now they’ve seen that we can. That’s—that means that they’ll treat us like people.” “But there’s still a chance that they’re going to eat us.” “Oh yes. Some people are just more . . . edible than others if you are a tiger.”

When you love a thing too much, it is a special kind of pain to show it to others and to see that it is lacking.