ter of the Copper Mountain. His eyes shone like patinated coins, and

weight of the years had glued them firm and hard. The green armor left room for his supple joint

dly, twirling stroganoff noodles on

he miscreant off? One day, Katya, you will become head of the Copper Gu

the potatoes in the creamy chicken mush, then slurped some stroga

for a Copper Woman,” Rubenya

t Rasputin

l, Katydid! So, you will set off bottle rockets?

sleeve. “It doesn’t matter, dedushka. We’re busy now.” Her mouth

grew. Prokovitch said the Lizard Ladies had trapped ages of stonecutters below, carving immortal stone flowers. I didn’t like to dwell o

ed, attacking a bird with a giant

es. All Azovka had to do was snap her fingers, and then the movement lit th

et in the snow, drinking medovuka

she asked, turning to me, her jade green eye

r us to be fri

chite casket? A bond between you

made moony eyes. “That i

t want to marry anyone. How can you stand it, Ka

Guard’s daughter, and a Copper Guard I will become. I need a wealthy husband to ensure the Copper Guard

ld you marry him? You l

a patch of cabbage atop Copper Mo

” I

,” came a fa

I exclaimed, appalled. Who could da

onsent, odd girl? Prokovitch sen

ball in her throat, her

!” I frothed at the mouth, flustered. I threw a rock over Danilo’s scrawny shoulder – Prokovitch had dres

s are

ed, smoothing her skirt. “We wer

hoosers,” I instructed Danilo, my fondness at his oddly angled limbs and so

o him. The next day, Danilo ate lunch with us, and Danilo atten

h the Zoryas, and Prokovitch had made us brie and ciabatta sandwiches – a rare delicacy, but Prokovitch was the richest man in tow

Azovka – I never had a mind for strategy games, but Copper Men’s minds churned

e board. Danilo moved his horse and trapped Azovka’s queen. But Azovka moved a pawn strat

irrels,” I sighed to Azovka, clearing the board. We nibble

vitch smiled, elegantly caressing a piece

hispered to a lizard. Dan

ousity, after I had cleaned up the chess and dishes

chelangelo,

Teacher Alina’s textbooks,” I said.

He gave me a small oval of polished ameth

was enchanting some malachite into a living

coiled serpent. I cut myself a few times, and A

d found us piled in puddles of bearskin by the

as lamblings,” Dani

you,” I said. I hand

asked, impressed. “Is this an insult?

e as bent as Satan, and wicked as a

ds forever, Katya? You are o

as you do

promise. I would f

ou live in H

morbid t

just a

ska

a funn

l I know. Yes, Katyushka. I’d live in Hell for you, save you from Hell, and I am going to make

vite as big as a jug, half-hewn. “I am learning to make stone thrum wit

agreed. “Only Coppe

tya. I love Azovka, but she needs a Rockefeller, or a European prince. We are of the same stock, you and I, and you’d ma

u – you want

omeday, we will have five sons and six daughters, and you will be the next Copper Guard, and I will be the next Stonecutter. The Romanovs will prevail, and life behind the Malachite Wa

at shal

ovka saf

n his hay bale, holding hands, and carv

ot want t

anted to

hings we desire are