There is laughter. Marie-Laure frowns. It is just an iron door witha brass keyhole.
The tour ends and the children disperse and Marie-Laure is rein-stalled in the Grand Gallery with her father. He straightens her glasseson her nose and plucks a leaf from her hair. "Did you have fun, machérie?"
A little brown house sparrow swoops out of the rafters and landson the tiles in front of her. Marie-Laure holds out an open palm. Thesparrow tilts his head, considering. Then it flaps away.
One month later she is blind. - P23