Dorinda wipes her eyes with her scarf and blows her nose into it. “Oh, it was all too much for him. Poor, tormented, Ishtar,” she wails dramatically. “Now he"ll never know if Saliana is rescued.
“What did he mean - tell Saliana she can stop singing now?” Judiah"s voice trembles, like someone who knows he is in trouble but not quite sure how deep.
“Well,” Dorinda says, regaining her composure, “you know that Saliana only agreed to sing for the Glass Snake to assure that Ishtar would be safe.” Judiah nods. “But now that he"s –” She begins to wail again. Judiah pats her shoulder gingerly. Clearing her throat and restraining her emotions, Dorinda continues. “As soon as Saliana stops singing, the Snake will begin to weaken. He will no longer be invincible.”
Judiah"s mouth pops open in stunne
