The sight of her violated home awakens Scarlett's inner fury. From broken girl to determined fighter in one easy step. And Violet has an idea for what Scarlett can do about it.
I'm angry. I think I haven't been angry for weeks, maybe months. At least, angry with anyone who isn't me. But now I'm angry. It feels... nice. Strong. Alive.
Vi took me back to dad's house - I didn't want to go there by myself but I'd left some stuff there and wanted to see if anything had been taken. Whoever it was - Vi guesses some journalist - had turned everything over. Not just turned over. Destroyed. The Zingiber sofas my mother chose, ripped to shreds. Urns and vases smashed. Drawers tipped out onto the floor. Paintings cut out of their frames and left, curled and crumpled, on the floor with the other debris. It felt angry. The whole thing felt like someone was personally angry with us, wanted to hurt us.
The bedrooms were just the same. All my books were thrown on the floor, the photos I took in Tanraga which I'd had printed out as posters were ripped and crushed. They'd even gone through my wardrobe, ripped into the linings of my coats. One of them was Violet's coat, in fact, but she didn't seem too angry. She wanted to know if anything was missing but I couldn't tell. There could be loads of things missing that I'll only think of when I go to look for them in six months' time. This was what made me really, properly angry. Someone I've never met, someone I don't even know. After everything that's happened, everything I've done and it's not even... it just doesn't make sense.
Vi went to look around the rest of the house while I sat in my bedroom. I picked up one of the antique leather-bound books my father had bought me years ago - the faceless someone had ripped its covers off. She found me still staring at it when she came back.
"Are you OK, Lettie?" she said. "We can leave if you want to. You don't have to stay here."
I didn't answer.
"Lettie? We'll get someone in to clean up. Everything can be replaced."
I turned that book over in my hands.
"Lettie? Sweetheart? Let's go now, OK? Maybe you should take a little nap."
She's been like this for months.
"I'm not a child, you know," I said.
"Um. OK. Yes. I know."
"I don't need anyone looking after me."
"OK then. Let's go?"
"You know, while you and Kurt were sitting at home messing around with investigating libraries and Recons I went to Anjsbourg!"
"Yes," she said, "I remember."
"I've been further away from the City than anyone else we know! I'm different from you! You don't have to treat me like a baby, I don't have to always be taking naps and drinking tea!"
I looked up at her. She was smiling.
"Yes. Good. In which case, I have an idea for you."
