“I'm sorry," he said at last.
"Don't apologize. For all we know, there is no firebird."
"You don't believe that."
"No, but maybe we weren't meant to find it."
"You don't believe that either." He sighed. "So much for the good soldier."
I winced. "I shouldn't have said that."
"You once put goose droppings in my shoes, Alina. A bad mood I can handle.”