Chapter Thirty-EightGently, Mariko placed the crimson seedling in the hole that she had dug, then scooped in red soil with a trowel. When the hole was full, she used the trowel to smooth the earth around the base of the seedling; as a finishing touch, she put the tool down and patted the dirt with her bare hands.
Even before the applause started, she felt a wave of congratulatory relief and resolution. In spite of setbacks and suffering, she not only had survived a terrible ordeal, but had helped stave off an invasion and unite two alienated species. Throughout most of the gauntlet, she had been deprived of the gift of speech and the aid of her crewmates; silenced, imprisoned, and manipulated, she had descended to the depths of despair…only to resurface with renewed strength and determ
