The moments that passed after Rie's last statement seemed like eternity. The young woman's green eyes hardly left Don's brown ones.
She's going to choose now, Rie thought,
she's going to leave me. Just like I left my family. If I scorned my own loved ones so much, how can I expect her to stay? How can I expect that?
Finally, Don spoke.
Rie felt light-headed, but in a way that made it seem like a great burden had been lifted from her. She smiled, a full but teary smile. "Come on," she said softly, standing up, "let's walk a little, shall we? Talk some. We can talk about what you're going to do."
As they walked, in silence for a while, Rie began to sing, very, very softly.
Zâira nênud
adûn izindi batân tâidô ayadda:
îdô kâtha batîna lôkhî
êphalak îdôn Yôzâyan
êphal êphalak îdôn hi-Akallabêth.