Dark Shimmer (32 page)

She is right, that daughter of mine. Her plea is right. Let love prevail.

My head has strong moments; it is possible that it could heal.

But this body can never revive.
Thank you, dear Lord, for that much, at least.

“She said something else, too,” says Marin. “She told me what you did with the mirrors, for the slaves. They all know. She said that proves you are there still, the mother she knew, full of love. Are you, Dolce?”

I have never loved them more. But I won't answer Marin. He has a right to his rage. It will help him through.

I stand and look at the two sets of boots: the first with spikes, the second to walk in fire. I know they wait.

Fire and weddings, after all, they make a match.

Biancaneve didn't know what she asked for when she said she wants no more mistakes. My poor, dear daughter.
Let me be strong enough to make no more mistakes. Guide me, please.

“I'm not much of a dancer. But our daughter's getting married. I won't dance at her wedding—I'd only be a blight, a reminder of the worst. Make her understand my absence is a gift of love. Tell her to smile that I am at least capable of this much. I'm going to dance here. Tell her my last dance was for her. You can turn your back if you wish.” I step into the second pair of boots.

Marin clasps my arm. “I loved you once, Dolce. You loved me. Perhaps…”

“No, Marin. We could never trust me. Ask Agnola. That's what madness means, don't you know? Let me go, dear man, love of my life.”

Marin's face crumples. He lets go.

I stomp through the coals. I stomp and stomp. I dance. My feet may be iron, but the rest of me is grace, the spirit of love, the essence of beauty. Biancaneve is alive. And so is my soul. This is how it ends.

Most instances of mercury poisoning can be treated by removing the source of the mercury and sometimes following up with medications, completely reversing the symptoms. But when mercury vapor is the source, a cure can be elusive even with present-day medications. Dolce, like others of her time, was misinformed about vapor. If exposure to mercury vapor continues, the body becomes infertile and declines in many ways, with deteriorating skin, teeth, nails, kidneys, eyes, and psychological well-being. Exposure like Dolce's would ultimately lead to insanity and death.

The comb in this story has been dipped in aconite, which is poisonous on contact. It can certainly be fatal, but Biancaneve didn't get a strong enough dosage to kill her. The apple half in this story was doused with orange juice mixed with the liquids of mussels infected with neurotoxins from algae and bacteria. These liquids cause paralytic shellfish poisoning, which can be fatal. Sometimes a person who has consumed infected shellfish will breathe so shallowly that they will be believed dead. If they don't die, when they recover, it seems they are rising from death.

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Thank you first and always to Barry Furrow, and to Brenda Bowen, Maggie Christ, Ivy Drexel, Sharon Friedler, Elena Furrow, Nick Furrow, Alice Galenson, Ashley Hoyle, Lorraine Leeson, Meg McWilliams-Piraino, Kate Nicholes, Nathan Sanders, and Rachel Sutton-Spence for comments on earlier drafts and troubleshooting details of plot with me. And a crystal-white thank-you to my constant cheer squad and editorial team, Alex Borbolla, Dana Carey, Sarah Eckstein, Teria Jennings, Alexandra West, Hannah Weverka, and, especially, Wendy Lamb, who said, “Why not Venice?” Many thanks, as well, to copy editors Heather Lockwood Hughes and Colleen Fellingham for their care and attention to detail, and to kid-ethic.com and Shannon Plunkett in the art department for the striking cover and interior design.