VK says he wishes he could say it was something dramatic and assassin-related. Preferably with sharp implements. But it was initially just a mundane spring fever, which weakened her when Lise was still alive, and that was a precursor of the bout of pneumonia that finally did her in about six months after Lise went.

His dad was the nicer one of the parents. He was so used to being of his station that it didn't bother him so, but the Psycho Mother's family had married up in the world and she was determined not to let her newly upgraded ilk sink again.