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[first lines]
Tom Sherbourne: I'm just looking to get away from things for a little while.
Mr. Coughlan: [sitting behind his desk] Well, it's no paradise out on that island. Just want to make sure you know what you're in for.
Tom Sherbourne: All due respect, Mr. Coughlan, it's not likely to be tougher than the Western Front.
Mr. Coughlan: Oh, you're probably right about that. You pay your own passage to every posting. You're a relief worker so you don't get holidays. I understand you're a single man. No family. So, that's a slight concern. Wouldn't normally send a single man to Janus. It's pretty remote and wife and family can be a great practical help, not just a comfort. But, seeing it's only temporary, you leave for Port Partageuse in two days. From there you'll be shipped off to Janus. Welcome to Commonwealth Lighthouse Service. Proud to have a man who served our country with such distinction amongst our ranks.
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Isabel Graysmark: I can tell you lots about me. My mom taught me the piano.
Tom Sherbourne: You still play?
Isabel Graysmark: Not that well. My brothers used to tease me awfully when I played. I lost both of them - in the War. Just must be so confusing for my parents. I mean, if a wife loses a husband she becomes a widow, but if a parent loses a child there's no special label for it. You're still a mother or father. Even if you no longer have a child. Sometimes I wonder, if I'm still technically a sister now when my brothers are gone.
Extended Reading
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