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"I'm Fenna," she says, "I just moved in next door."

"Wha-- Who are you?"

"I'm Fenna," she repeats, more slowly and deliberately, "I just moved in next door."

"No, I mean, what are you doing in my house?"

"The door was unlocked," she answers, innocently.

He briefly wonders if she is mocking him. "I don't leave the door unlocked."

She does not seem to sense the implications. "Then someone else must have unlocked it."

He decides that talking sense with this girl would probably be a failure, so, instead, he asks, "Why aren't you in school? You moved here last week."

She returns the question, "Why aren't you?"

"I have the flu," he replys, but then amends with, "I'm sick."

"Oh!" she exclaims, as if she had just realized something. "Oh, then, I must be sick too!"

He stares at her with bewilderment. "Are you really?"

"I don't know. Am I?"

"Don't return questions with questions."

"I can't?"

"You can, but it isn't polite."

She tilts her head. "Mother never told me anything about being impolite by asking questions. She and father both said that asking questions were good."

"Well, it isn't good when you want answers."

She blinks and looks at him, almost uncomprehending. Then, suddenly, she starts and exclaims, "Oh! I remember now! I'm not sick after all. It was cousin Amethyst that was sick. She is always in bed and such and the adults never would let me play with her..."

He sighs. He does not understand this girl.

"Oh, I'm being rude, aren't I? I haven't even asked for your name."

He briefly considers not telling her but decides against it. The sooner he answers her questions, the sooner she'll leave. Or, at least, he hopes so.

"Cian."

"That's a nice name," she comments, "I'm Fenna. I just moved in next door."

And, Cian finds that the cycle has started all over again.