“Marlinchen,” he said, so gently. “If you want me to tell you a story, then I will. You need only ask. I will tell you a beginning and a middle and an end. I will tell you that your mother flew off to live on a lovely green island in the middle of the sea, where there is always rose nectar to sip. I will tell you that it was some hideous creature that killed your sister, be it monster or man. That little I can do for you.”
