071. Cleverness and gullibility. Rachel and Eileen.
Eileen has old eyes. Rachel doesn't understand it-- Edgar and Argine are still so beautifully young, even now that they'd married and had a daughter. But she looks at the little girl and despite the way her eyes glimmer with joy, they still look so very old.

It gets worse as she gets older, when they make her Ace and the way she speaks begins to match the age of her eyes. Rachel hates it, wants to bring her to the days when she could be lead to believe that there really was a man who lived in the moon and who would grant your wishes if you said them kindly enough.

But there's no man on the moon, and Eileen has lost too much to believe that wishes come true, and every so often she'll say something so very sharp for someone her age that Rachel can't help but be startled.

But Eileen is an Ace, and so Rachel hides her quiet grief and gives what support she can, lets her niece know how well she is loved.

And sometimes-- well. Sometimes she looks up at the moon and wishes that innocence could be restored.

She just must never ask it kindly enough.