The whiteware shudders, but continues its quiet murmurings, obviously miffed. Penny ignores it and begins to remove the samples from her satchel, lining them up on the bench. Maybe she should pay more attention to Matiu’s ramblings. Especially if Makere is back on the scene. What is it they say about misery and company? Matiu’s imaginary friend has a tendency to turn up when Matiu is at his lowest. The last time, Matiu had ended up in a bit of trouble. Actually, that’s understating it. Using ‘a bit of trouble’ to describe Matiu’s past is like using a candle to light a canyon. Penny’s parents had tried to protect her from it, but for a while there, Matiu had been a regular prince of the underworld.
Penny considers the samples. Since there are several of them, and not because anyone told he
