"That's bullshit," Veronica immediately says, frowning. The cool way he says it stings like a betrayal. Even in English, he sounds indifferent, but this matters to her. It ought to matter to everyone, and not in the holding hands, cleansing meditation way Miss Flem was always trying to push down their throats. They're human beings, they deserve dignity. They deserve people actually giving a shit when they're no longer alive.

"You don't know anything about it. Don't imply I shouldn't care about whether people are murdered. That's basic fucking human decency," she says, and swallows hard, trying to decide whether she wants to just keep on walking.