My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

At Granny’s funeral, the church is “so packed that people are standing all along the walls” (222). Elsa sees many faces she recognizes, including the policewoman with the green eyes, Alf, and the landlords’ accountant, who is “dressed as a priest now” (222) and winks at Elsa.

Overwhelmed with grief, Elsa runs out of the church. In the cemetery she smells the familiar tobacco before she turns and sees the slim man with the cigarette coming toward her. He grabs her arm, but she breaks free. Elsa runs all the way past her school and into the park, collapsing on a bench. She is picked up and carried out of the park by Wolfheart, who tells her never to run alone again.

Elsa asks Wolfheart about the names of all the other kingdoms in the Land-of-Almost-Awake and what they mean in his mother’s language. He tells her: Miamas means “I love,” Miploris means “I mourn,” Mirevas means “I dream,” Miaudacas means “I dare,” Mimovas means “I dance,” and Mibatolos means “I fight.” Elsa recalls that Wolfheart was born in Miamas but grew up in Mibatalos. Wolfheart says he will never fight again.