George hugged Carlos back but didn't reply immediately. She couldn't argue with his observations. Daisy could be remarkably callous sometimes. It was an occupational hazard that George had fallen prey to herself on occasion. Daisy had many decades more experience at letting the horror and confusion and turmoil roll off her back, interacting mostly with other reapers, where war stories and one-upsmanship and that sort of dispassionate, clinical detachment was commonplace.

"Yeah," George said at last. "She could have handled it better. I'll talk to her," George added, though she doubted it would do much good.

George turned her head to look around without releasing Carlos from her bear hug. "I think...Clarice is working on the poles. Isn't that her wrestling with the bamboo over there? Maybe we should help her," George said. Clarice was still awfully fragile and some friendly assistance--or at least offers of assistance, since she might refuse--might make her feel better.