Story! To Speak in Silence

To Speak in Silence by Mary Robinette Kowal.

On the pump organ in the formal parlor sat two chickens carved in clay in the place in which, were this another home, one might find candles. The one on the right had a rooster’s comb and was shiny with red atop and a dark black bottom, as if he had been dipped in ink, which—of course—was the case.

A lovely atmospheric story. Part of the joy is discovering how it unfolds, so I won’t say more.