"The Loons" Piquette Tonnerre was daughter of Lazarus. She had long black hair and her broad coarse-featured face bore on expression Piqutte was thirteen years old. She was older than Vanessa, but they were together in the same grade. Piquette failed several grades, because her attendance had always been sporadic and her interest in schoolwork was negligible. She missed a lot of school because she had tuberculosis of the bone, and had once spent months in hospital Piquette's voice was hoarse and she was limping when she was walking. She wore grimy cotton dresses that were always miles too long. Jules Tonnerre built a small square cabin