Ophelia (17 page)

Gion:
(Japanese) one of the geisha districts in Kyoto [Ge-on]

Hood:
a term in the academic world to indicate the completion of a graduate program.
“Hood” comes from the practice in which those who receive a master’s degree
also receive a ceremonial cloak of sorts to wear over their graduation robe.

Knackered:
(Irish slang) tired

La
Alhambra:
a Moorish citadel located in Granada, Spain; the site of
Ophelia’s wedding. [La Ahl-ahm-bra]

Manhattan:
the borough that fronts New York Harbor, located in the northwestern part of
New York City. Osborn Scientific’s N.E. Osborn Executive Tower, which opened in
1979, is located in the heart of Manhattan.

Máthair:
(Irish) mother [Maw-hir]

Mi
padre, mi hermano, mi novio, mi amigo mejor:
(Spanish) “My father, my
brother, my boyfriend, my (male) best friend.” [Me pa-dray, me air-ma-no, me
no-vee-oh, me ah-me-go may-hor]

Mo
chroí:
(Irish) darling
[3]
[Mo kree]

Mo
dheartháir! Mo stór!:
(Irish) “My brother! My dear, sweet brother!” [Mo
dra-haw-er mo store]

Muirnín:
(Irish) darling, beloved, sweetheart
[4]
[Mwir-neen
[5]
]

New
Rochelle:
located about thirty-one minutes from central Manhattan, New
Rochelle is home to OsCorp’s newest and largest building, the Ophelia R. Osborn
Laboratory Complex, which opened in 1991.

Ozashiki:
(Japanese) a word geisha use to refer to the banquets at which they work
[oh-zah-she-key]

Plastered:
(slang) drunk

Psychometry:
the ability to ascertain information by merely touching an object. Psychometric
information usually comes by means of a vision or other images.

Ring:
used here as Irish/British slang, replacing the American term “call”.

Shade:
an old term for “ghost”

Slainté:
(Irish) “cheers!” [Slawn-cha]

Solicitor:
Irish/British term for an attorney

Yukata:
(Japanese) a lightweight robe that is used while lounging around pools and
occasionally as a school uniform, such as geisha and maiko might wear to class.
[You-kah-tuh]

Thank
you to my friends and family for being my tireless cheerleaders all these
years; especially to my mother, who never gave up on me and to Tana Siemaszko,
who kept me sane—most of the time.

I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Yvonne Redmond, for
correcting my Irish grammar and being my glossary of Irish slang—you taught me
things my dictionary never could.

A special extra thank you to Sarah Kim Fine, the Biological
Sciences program manager at Columbia University for helping me double-check
Ophelia’s graduation times for this edition.

To Jamie, who
inspires simply by being himself.
Te amo.