".....maybe because she feels the house she wants you there working with her so the best can be done for the house."
"How could she know that?"
"She might. Does she have a name?"
"Who?"
"Don't play dumb and dense, Alma. This architect. The architect, the woman, that's how you keep referring to her. What's her name?"
"What difference does it make? Her name's Adonie. That's all she told me."
"And you wouldn't ask for more if it meant saving your life."
"Which it doesn't---"
"---and never will."

"I don't want to work at the house, but I'm taking the job."
"What decided you?"
"No money. At all. No other offers."
"That you'd take."
"That meant anything. That weren't an offense."
"You ought to show Adonie some of your sculptures."
"No."
"But they're beautiful. You like that better, don't you?"
"Not at all, now. When I thought my sister and I might produce joint pieces, I did, but not now."
"Still---"
"I like carpentry. I've always liked the two, going from one to the other. They bring out different facets, let me think, and process the next step."
"But you haven't done any sculpture at all in at least four years."
"That's right."
"But---"
"I don't intend to."

 

"If you did sculpt---"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"If you did, it'd be a whole new range of connections, job offers, commissions."
"I said I don't want to talk about it."
"It'd be a great positive feedback loop inside your work. I bet you'd be better than ever. I bet Adonie knows that, if she's the architect you've sketched."

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