The Closest Book

I've decided to partake in this new meme going around. I heard about it from Marilyn of The Stair Landing who decided to participate in it.

The rules are as follows:

Open the closest book to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment, to page 56. Write out the fifth sentence, as well as two to five sentences following.

The closest book to me is called The Dreamstone by C.J. Cherryh and I haven't begun it yet so technically I'll be reading ahead a bit to do this meme. lol. The book is a fantasy and it's from the early 80s so I'm not sure what the quality of writing will be like. Here's the selected passage below:

She brought out food of her own store, a gift of trees and bees and whatsoever things felt no hurt at sharing. She gave him a share, and he took it with a desperate dread and hunger.
"It's good," he pronounced quickly and laughed a little, and finished it all. He licked the very last from his fingers, and now there was relief in his eyes, of hunger, of fear, of so many burdens. He gave great sigh and she smiled a warmer smile than she was wont, remembrance of a brighter world.
"Play for me," she wished him.
He played for her then, idly and softly, heart-healing songs, and slept again, for bright day in Ealdwood counseled sleep, when the sun burned its warmth through the tangled branches and brambles and the air hung still, nothing breathing, least of all the wind.

Anyone else who would like to do this meme just follow the rules and let me know so I can come and check it out on your blog!