“The next week passed uneventfully despite the tension between the residents of the boarding house. Only Madam Fores remained oblivious. She complained about the fact Tarian and his cousin never accepted her invitation to dine. The men demanded only one meal every day, the noon one before leaving. They returned late every night. Sober and silent, they would climb the stairs, ignoring Isbeth's presence as though she were just a part of the door. Once there, though, they spoke in hushed whispers for another hour or more.