Even without turning around, Nita could feel her sister staring at her back. Finally the quiet made Nita twitchy. She turned around, but Dairine was already heading out of the room. "Go on and eat," Dairine said quietly, over her shoulder. "Sound happy." And she was gone.Under her breath, Nita said a word her father would have frowned at, and then sighed and headed for breakfast, plastering onto her face the most sincere smile she could manage. At first it felt hopelessly unnatural, but in a few seconds it was beginning to stick. At the dining-room door, where her father came around the corner from the kitchen and nearly ran her over, Nita took one look at him—in his faded lumberjack shirt and his hat stuck full o>193DEEP WIZARDRYgs h hooks—and wondered why she had ever been worried about getting out Of the fishing trip. It was going to be all right. Her dad looked surprised. "Oh! You're up. Did Dairine—" "She told me," Nita said. "Is there time to eat something?" "Sure. I guess she told Kit too then—I just looked in his room, but he wasn't there. The bed was made; I guess he's ready—"Nita cheerfully allowed her father to draw his own conclusions, especially since they were the wrong ones. "He's probably down at the beach killing time," she said. "I'll go get him after I eat."She made a hurried commando raid on the kitchen and put the kettle on the stove for her mother, who was browsing through the science section of The New York Times and was ready for another cup of tea. Nita's mother looked up at her from the paper and said, "Neets, where's your sister? She hasn't had breakfast."That was when her sister came thumping into the dining room. Nita saw her mom look at Dairine and develop a peculiar expression. "Dari," her mother said, "are you feeling all right?"
