Free The Orchard of Hope by Amy Neftzger Page A

of
the prairie and headed toward the sea. Even the cool air from it
didn’t help her feel refreshed.
    As the tall grass dissipated into a
mixture of mud and sand, they encountered a woman dressed in a pale
aquamarine satin dress that reminded Kelsey of ice. The woman was
holding a parasol to shield herself from the sun. The parasol
matched the color of her dress and shoes. A deep purple velvet bag
with a few coins inside of it sat open at her feet.
    “Oh, no, ” Kelsey moaned.
    “What? ” Maggie asked with concern.
    “One of the
sisters, ” said
Kelsey as she nodded her head toward the woman.
    “They ’ re not so bad, ” Roland said.
    “They ’ re no trouble for
you , ” Kelsey
replied.
    “Your
experience with them depends upon how you treat them. Always show
respect. It helps. ”
    “I did show
them respect and they treated me poorly. ”
    “Not what you
think of as respect. They need to feel respected.
It ’ s all in
their perception. ”
    “Easy for you
to say. They won ’ t argue with Death. ”
    Kelsey ’ s previous experiences with the sisters had been
unpleasant, but she made up her mind to treat this sister with as
much respect as she could muster. They seemed to be everywhere and
had the potential to give advice that could help on the quest. Even
if the women were difficult, it was worth having the sisters on
your side.
    “She ’s beautiful , ” Maggie exclaimed loudly in admiration as they approached
the woman. The woman took the string of pearls around her neck and
played with them as she smiled with appreciation.
    “Good morning, ” the woman said, nodding at each
of them in turn.
    “It ’ s always a radiant day when I
see you, ” Roland replied with a slight bow. Kelsey felt inadequate in
the situation. Roland always knew what to say to the sisters, and
Maggie had been so charmed by this woman ’ s beauty, she had gotten on her
good side without trying. Kelsey didn ’ t know what to say in order to
be respectful and carry on a conversation
naturally.
    “I love your
dress, ” Maggie
said with awe in her voice.
    “Aren ’ t you just the most precious
thing, ” the
woman said, beaming at Maggie. She dropped her pearls and grabbed
the handle of the parasol with both hands as she leaned
forward. “ You
have quite an eye for fine things, don ’ t you? ”
    “I know what I
like, ” said
Maggie. “ And I
think I would like to have a dress like yours
someday. ” Maggie abruptly turned to Kelsey. “ Wouldn ’ t you just love a dress like
that one? ” she
asked.
    It was an
awkward moment. Kelsey didn ’ t like dresses on general
principle because they were very impractical during battles. Kelsey
took a step to the side and studied the dress for the first time.
She knew she could lie, but she also knew that the sister would
know if she was lying. She felt caught and didn ’ t know how to
respond.
    “The fabric
doesn ’ t look
terribly durable, ” Kelsey said aloud.
    “Appearances
are deceiving – especially in this kingdom, ” the sister replied flatly.
Kelsey immediately knew she had said the wrong thing. She struggled
for a way to save the situation.
    “But the dress
fits you perfectly, ” Kelsey said. The statement was true, and it also
didn ’ t require
Kelsey to state that she hated the dress.
    “Thank you. But
you haven ’ t
answered the question. ”
    Kelsey struggled
for something to say. She searched her memory of other
conversations she ’ d had, but her training didn ’ t include any lessons in
flattery. Then she remembered that the sisters were the Sisters of
Wisdom. So Kelsey decided to try a different
approach.
    “Would this
dress be appropriate for me? ” Kelsey asked the sister.
    The woman removed one hand from the
parasol handle and stroked her slightly wavy blond hair. Kelsey
thought she saw the woman smiling discretely to herself.
    “No, ” the woman replied firmly.
    “Since you do
not recommend the dress for me, I would do well to follow