The girls and women, who were a miscellaneous collection, were all grabbing at the loaves of bread. They were pulling rather than slicing pieces of them.
They seemed to Norina like animals and then she realised that they were hungry. Like animals they had to fight for every crumb to assuage their hunger.
She made no effort to compete, but Claire snatched a piece of bread and divided it.
“Here you are,” she said. “It will have to last you until luncheon time. Let’s go and grab a cup of coffee while we have the chance.”
Norina took the bread and, as she was about to put it into her mouth, she asked in a whisper,
“You don’t think it is poisoned?”
“No, no, they will not kill you until you have signed the documents,” Claire answered.
It was cold comfort and Norina ate the bread.
Then sh
