Astrid used to tease him when he was little by saying, “I think it’s a mortal wound,” whenever he would acquire a cut or a scratch needing her attention and a Band-aid. He feels now as though his saddle-sore body needs attention, and he rides with the phrase repeating over and over, and after a while it switches to mortal remains, which he doesn’t like the sound of. And then for some reason earthly possessions, which is better because it leads him to think about things other than pain and discomfort. Astrid’s tea service, for example. How it needs polishing. Where the polish is kept. And what Use the silver tea service might mean, and in what context it could be taken as practical advice. In the light of day it seems simple: be hospitable. Astrid was always hospitable, and she admired people who used her well. Lee always thought that was a funny way to put it: She used me very well. The going is a little easier on this leg, as George said it would be. The ground is still sandy but the surface has been contained by the roots of grass and pasture sage.
