Читать книгу Thrive - Mary Borsellino - Страница 14

After school the next day, she goes to the souvlaki place and walks through to the kitchen at the back. One thing she's learned from knowing people like her father is that if you appear to know where you're going and why you belong there, nobody will stop you or ask questions.

Sam's refilling the salt shakers from a larger container. He looks up as she comes in, then back at his work. He doesn't seem surprised to see her. Olivia gets the feeling that Sam has known the secret about going where you want even longer than Olivia has.

'I'm reading The Iliad. From your list,' she says.

'Good,' Sam says.

'I'm not far into it. There was a summary on the download site though. The Trojan horse — that's the big one they all hide inside, right?'

Sam looks up again and nods.

'I'd only heard that term in computer class before. Trojan horse,' she admits. Sam gives her a momentary smile, skittish and fleeting.

'Me too,' he tells her. 'That's why I wanted to read the story. To know why it was called that.'

'It's a cool name. For a computer thing, or a real thing. All the names in the book are good,' Olivia agrees. 'Do you want my help?'

Sam shrugs, but he makes room for her to join in beside him.

'I like the name Erida best,' he says. 'Of the names in the story. It's a girl's name.'

'I'm not up to her yet. But it's pretty.'

'She's the goddess of hate. She lets out a scream so fierce and bitter that all the soldiers forget everything they used to know — their fathers, their families. All they can think about is doing battle. If I ever got to name a girl, I'd name her Erida.'

'If I got to name a girl,' Olivia offers. 'I'd call her Arcadia. That's from a play.'

'It's not a girl-name, though. It's a place-name.'

Olivia shrugs. 'I like it.'

'Stoppard, right? The play. It's about mathematics.'

'Chaos, yes,' she agrees.

'The ending's sad. I remember that. I didn't think there were any modern stories with sad endings in the legal archives.'

'No.' Olivia shakes her head. 'Not sad. Perfect. Even though you already know that she dies and he goes crazy, that's not where it ends. It ends with them dancing. Whatever comes next, it stops them in that perfect moment. That's the secret to a happy ending. Knowing where to stop.'

Sam gives her a long look, like she's a puzzle he wants to understand. They finish his work without further conversation.