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eSIM & iSIM
Kigen 2nd Special Edition
by Brian Underdahl
Loic Bonvarlet, Kigen
Patrick Biget, Kigen
Jean-Philippe Betoin, Kigen
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eSIM & iSIM For Dummies®, Kigen 2nd Special Edition
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................ 1
About This Book.................................................................................... 1
Icons Used in This Book........................................................................ 1
Where to Go from Here........................................................................ 2
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CHAPTER 6: Understanding eSIM and iSIM Adoption That Is
Right for You................................................................................... 23
Looking at Secure Identity.................................................................. 23
Protecting Credentials........................................................................ 24
Seeing How eSIMs and iSIMs Provide Security................................ 25
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Introduction
W
ith ever-accelerating deployment of the cellular
Internet of Things (IoT) and other connected devices,
it’s becoming apparent that there’s a growing need for
security. The most well established is found in smartphones — the
familiar SIM, or the standard subscriber identity module. SIMs
need to be replaced with something that’s smaller, more versatile,
and more efficient, or even dematerialized for the end user, while
maintaining the identity and security levels that SIMs provide. As
IoT devices begin to fulfill more and more functions in smaller
packages, ensuring seamless connectivity, saving space, and
reducing power consumption are becoming even more critical
parts of the design process. As those devices become ever more
ubiquitous and present across the globe, there is a growing need to
keep the devices and their data securely managed in field in a scal-
able manner economically. eSIM and iSIM evolve SIM technology
to achieve this affordably and open the benefits of global, secure
connectivity without the need for prior expertise in cellular.
Introduction 1
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Sometimes we need to introduce a bit of technical information
to more fully explain a particular topic. The text marked with
this icon is your chance to pick up a bit of jargon you can use to
impress your boss.
This book also has its share of technical terms. You can find defi-
nitions for the terms shown in italics by turning to the Glossary
at the end of the book.
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IN THIS CHAPTER
»» Understanding how eSIMs evolve
capabilities of SIM technology
Chapter 1
Introducing SIM
Technology
I
oT devices bring the promise of many new possibilities, but
only if they can be connected and identified securely. This
chapter shows how the evolving SIM is designed to meet those
needs.
Understanding SIMs
In the early days of telecommunications, telephone compa-
nies could easily identify who was using their networks. There
weren’t very many users, and all connections were hardwired.
Fast forward to the era of cellular phone networks, and network
operators needed a reliable method of identifying users, checking
the authenticity of endpoint devices, and securing their data. This
need spurred the development of the subscriber identity module
(SIM).
Over the years, SIMs have shrunk from the original plastic card
1FF (FF stands for form factor) to 2FF (Mini SIM), 3FF (Micro
SIM), and finally 4FF (Nano SIM). (See Figure 1-1.) Regardless of
the packaging, all SIMs are built on smart card (UICC) technol-
ogy similar to bank cards. The UICC is a secure computing chip
that contains memory and provides identification services. SIMs
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store operator “profiles,” a set of files with essential applications
and sensitive data, that enable authentication of a subscriber to
authorize access on cellular networks and charge for the provided
services. Traditional SIM cards have the operator-defined profile
programmed during manufacture.
FIGURE 1-1: eSIM and iSIM evolve the SIM technology for compact, energy
efficient, and remote IoT devices.
Discovering eSIMs
Despite being the most adopted and well established security
standard globally, the SIM technology has limitations for new IoT
devices and their data. Some of these issues include:
» Size: Even Nano SIMs, along with their socket, take up too
much space in very small devices.
» Fragility: User-replaceable SIM cards are easy to damage.
» Physical security: A pluggable SIM is easily accessed and
stolen to deny service or to connect another device.
» Management and cost: Because traditional SIM cards are
replaceable, they must be inventoried, shipped, and installed
in devices. Each of these processes adds associated costs.
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» Seamless global connectivity: Networks can be switched
easily and without physical handling, anywhere in the world.
» Size: Because eSIMs are about half the size of Nano SIMs
and don’t require a socket, they easily fit in very small
devices.
» Durability: Users can’t reach eSIMs so they can’t damage or
lose them.
» Physical security: A SIM soldered within a closed device is
hard to locate, remove, and reuse.
» Cost: eSIMs reduce the total cost of ownership of the device
because they optimize and eliminate costly supply chain and
management costs.
The term eSIM can refer to either the embedded SIM form
factor or the ability to store multiple profiles and remotely pro-
vision them. An eUICC is a UICC capable of supporting remote
provisioning. Typically, the terms eSIM and eUICC are used inter-
changeably. This book uses the term eSIM.
Introducing iSIMs
Kigen recognized that, although eSIMs addresses many tradi-
tional SIM challenges, the technology could benefit from further
optimizations to achieve scale. The integrated SIM (iSIM) moves
the SIM from a separate chip into a secure enclave alongside the
application processor and cellular radio on a purpose-built sys-
tem on a chip (SoC). Delivering these three building blocks in one
embeddable component greatly reduced the circuit board foot-
print (see Figure 1-2), component sourcing, and IoT device man-
ufacturing costs.
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FIGURE 1-2: iSIM builds on the eSIM enhancements reducing the size and bill
of materials.
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IN THIS CHAPTER
»» Seeing how profiles work
Chapter 2
Understanding Remote
SIM Provisioning
P
rovisioning is the act of installing the initial data and soft-
ware that a device needs to start functioning. For a SIM card,
this is essentially the programming of the mobile operator
profile in the memory of the chip for the SIM to be ready to con-
nect to a cellular network.
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connect to a network. The SIM you get will be preprogrammed
for the network you’ve chosen by storing your network operator
profile (also referred to simply as a profile).
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FIGURE 2-1: The two flavors of RSP.
Understanding Profiles
SIM cards enable network access through the use of profiles that
contain information about the related subscription. This infor-
mation includes the operator’s credentials and other unique
identifiers.
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manufacturer holding stocks of SIM cards for multiple network
operators across the globe and coordinating which card should
be inserted into which device, every device can have the correct
profile remotely provisioned at the point of delivery.
» For M2M:
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IN THIS CHAPTER
»» Seeing how eSIMs and iSIMs offer
benefits by solving some key technical
challenges
Chapter 3
Looking at Benefits
T
his chapter looks at how eSIMs and iSIMs offer tangible
benefits to enterprises, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs),
and device manufacturers.
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Futureproof investment in IoT: Enterprises can commit to
IoT deployments with confidence that they will be able to
easily manage their IoT device connectivity remotely at a
global level.
iSIMs take a leap forward from eSIMs by being integrated into the
silicon an existing system on chip, so they provide significantly
reduced device costs and lower power consumption. They simplify
manufacture because of the reduced component count.
eSIMs and iSIMs aren’t limited to being used in IoT devices. Cell
phone manufacturers are increasingly incorporating remote SIM
provisioning support in their new designs to reduce costs, so sup-
porting eSIMs and iSIMs will increasingly become necessary to
remain competitive.
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Considering Benefits for
OEMs and Module Makers
Device or original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and module
makers will see great benefits from the move to eSIMs and iSIMs.
These include:
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Going to Market with iSIM IoT
Typically, a device maker would have to work separately with
a module vendor and the operator as well as a SIM vendor to
place multi-party agreements to add cellular connectivity to its
connected product. Figure 3-1 shows the procuring changes with
iSIM. The critical change is that the device maker can receive the
right combination of its identifiers pre-installed in its chosen
module. This can be personalized in-field to the OEM’s require-
ments with the selected operator profile.
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IN THIS CHAPTER
»» Realizing the potential of IoT
Chapter 4
Understanding
Changes and Emerging
Opportunities
N
ew technologies such as eSIM and iSIM create new oppor-
tunities even for those businesses that have no prior
experience or expertise in cellular. This chapter takes a
brief look at this emerging market.
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Almost any task where something can be counted, measured, or
tracked offers the potential for automation through IoT devices.
Automation can be enabled with cellular IoT independently of
local connectivity options.
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» Digital mobile passports or IDs: With the robust security
that iSIM can offer, a smartphone, home, or wearable can
use a dedicated device root of trust placed within the iSIM as
the authenticator of the user’s data, forming the basis of
mobile ID, digital wallets, and personal health or travel
records.
» Electric vehicle and renewable energy sources: Largely,
the growing number of renewable energy sources are IoT
connected assets. Once authenticated and secured by a root
of trust protected within the iSIM, the data streams from
these devices can be used for financial level transactions to
open new applications that move us to a zero-carbon
economy. Such examples can extend to other models where
an Economy of Things can be enabled through robust and
resilient security.
» Healthcare: Remote patient care is another fast developing
model for the use of devices and data that demands
stringent security and can benefit from remote management
with eSIM and iSIM.
» Micro-mobility: Comprising of journeys less than 15 kms,
micro-mobility transport vehicles such as e-bikes, e-scooters,
and more offer greener ways to travel and make cities more
sustainable. Due to the compact nature, and need to
maximize the battery life between charges, these solutions
benefit from eSIM or iSIM technology.
» Service-oriented business models: The combination of
being able to add connectivity into a device along with
security allow manufacturers to offer a service that users can
subscribe. Such rent-instead-of-buy models are gaining more
prominence in retail, healthcare, and more. These typically
require resilient connectivity that can be achieved through
remote SIM provisioning capabilities.
» Utilities: eSIMs and iSIMs offer new possibilities, such as
solving the problem of operator lock-in and reducing the
need for site visits. Smart metering is a particular area of
growth where eSIMs allow businesses to meet with evolving
regulations, support smart energy grid and address energy
or resource theft.
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Seeing How eSIMs and iSIMs Open
Differentiation Paths
eSIMs and iSIMs enable devices to be smaller and operate on
less power while still containing secure cellular communications
capabilities. These attributes mean that manufacturers can cre-
ate new types of devices that are less obtrusive, easier to use, and
include new options.
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IN THIS CHAPTER
»» Conforming to standards
Chapter 5
Ensuring Standards for
Connectivity and Data
Security
I
nteroperability of devices from different manufacturers with
other actors such as vendors or users is vital to the success of
any new technology. This chapter discusses how interoperabil-
ity is ensured through the establishment of and conformity with
industry-wide standards.
Conforming to Standards
SIM technology and cellular network authentication are founded
on the standards evolved by the European Telecommunications
Standards Institute (ETSI). More recently, additional industry
groups such as Global Platform, the SIMalliance, and the GSMA
have enabled new technology concepts, including those support-
ing the remotely provisionable SIMs.
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The GSMA has encouraged the industry in formulating documents
and processes to ensure the RSP technology is interoperable and
the ecosystem is secure.
Understanding Accreditation
The GSMA has set up two security accreditations schemes to pro-
mote best operational practices:
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IoT devices typically employ a number of isolated and trusted
components on their processers that are called Root of Trust
(RoT). Often proprietary, they’re spread across hardware, firm-
ware, and software elements, performing specific critical func-
tions. This creates inconsistency. As the SIM or eSIM or iSIM
benefit from GSMA’s defined and widely accepted standards, the
industry has declared the SIM to be the most secure root-of-trust
for IoT.
IoT SAFE meets the needs of IoT security for all SIM form factors:
SIM, eSIM, and iSIM. But if you want to maximize IoT security, it
makes most sense to bake that RoT directly into the the System
on Chip (SoC), where it’s integrated into the heart of a device’s
capabilities from the beginning. iSIM takes IoT SAFE further than
any other SIM form factor as its existence in a device can be relied
upon. An iSIM’s security already offers industry-recognized
levels of protection of network and subscriber credentials that are
built-in from point of manufacture.
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Here are just a few examples of the vertical sectors that will ben-
efit from the eSIM and iSIM ecosystem growth:
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IN THIS CHAPTER
»» Ensuring protection of network and
subscriber credentials
Chapter 6
Understanding eSIM
and iSIM Adoption
That Is Right for You
A
key driver for adopting eSIMs and iSIMs is to secure
identities and open new digital revenues. This chapter
discusses the basics of how identities of IoT devices are
secured and what considerations help you find the best solution
for your needs.
CHAPTER 6 Understanding eSIM and iSIM Adoption That Is Right for You 23
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CHAPTER XIX
IN THE HANDS OF THE TRIBE
With one bound Bomba was across the room and looking at the
picture with all his soul in his eyes.
Yes, it was the same beautiful face, girlish and appealing, the soft
hair waving back from the broad forehead, the half-smiling lips, the
eyes that were dark and melting. And the eyes looked down at him
now as they had looked at him in the hut of Sobrinini, full of love and
tenderness, while the lips seemed ready to murmur words of
endearment.
What chords of memory did that face stir in Bomba’s heart? What
recollections, faint and dim as some far off strains of music, were
tugging at his consciousness? What vague memory told that
desolate lad that he was looking at the pictured face of his mother?
His mother! The mother who perhaps had sung to him the lullaby
that Sobrinini had crooned, who once perhaps had caressed him,
kissed him, called him Bonny, her Bonny!
A passion of tears welled to the boy’s eyes. His heart was stirred to
its depths.
But he dashed the tears away. A native might enter at any minute
and might attribute them to weakness, to fear at the situation in
which he found himself. Above everything, he must remain master of
himself.
How came that picture in the dwelling of Japazy, the half-breed?
Why had a similar picture been in the hut of Sobrinini? What
mysterious link was there between the lovely original of that picture
and Sobrinini, the witch woman, Japazy, the master of Jaguar Island,
Jojasta, the medicine man of the Moving Mountain, and Casson, his
friend and former protector? Somewhere, some time, those residents
of the Amazonian jungle had known the mysterious Bartow, his wife,
Laura, and perhaps the little child named Bonny. How had fate
brought them together? And how had fate torn them apart?
The door of his room opened, and a boy appeared, bringing a tray of
food. It was savory and abundant, and Bomba ate it with a relish.
The boy, who seemed to be about twelve years old, stood by,
watching him with black, beadlike eyes. Curiosity was in the eyes
and awe, awe of this bold stranger, only a little older than himself in
years, but vastly older in strength and experience, who had dared to
take his life in his hands and come to ask questions of the dreaded
Japazy, the lord of life and death on Jaguar Island.
“What is your name?” asked Bomba, who took a liking to the
youngster.
“Thy servant’s name is Solani,” answered the boy. “He is the son of
Abino.”
“Solani has a good father,” said Bomba diplomatically.
“Yes,” answered the boy proudly. “There is no one so wise on the
island of the big cats as Abino, except Japazy himself.”
“Has Solani ever seen ghosts or demons?” asked Bomba. “It is said
that there are many on the island.”
The boy looked about fearfully.
“There are many here,” he answered. “They keep Japazy from harm.
But no one can see them except Japazy. His eyes see everything.”
“Bomba saw some lights on the river,” said the jungle boy,
determined to draw Solani out, for he saw that he was in a
responsive mood. “Bomba did not know but what the lights were the
campfires of the ghosts.”
“The lights are burning brushwood,” explained Solani. “They are
thrown out from the earth when Tamura, the mountain, is angry and
his anger breaks great holes in the ground.”
“Is Tamura often angry?” asked Bomba.
“Many times he speaks in thunder and throws out rocks and rivers of
fire that eat up whatever they touch,” replied Solani. “Tamura has
killed many of our people. The old men say that he will not be silent
until some stranger is offered up to him. Then he will be satisfied and
make no more thunder.”
As Bomba, as far as he knew, was the only stranger at that time on
the island, there was something decidedly uncomfortable in this
information.
At this moment Abino entered, followed by several old men whom
Bomba took to be the chief advisers of the tribe.
Abino motioned to his son to take away the empty dishes and what
food remained, and then he and his companions squatted on their
haunches in a semicircle and gazed fixedly at Bomba.
They said nothing, and their stare persisted so long that Bomba
became restless and himself broke the silence.
“It was good of Abino to send Bomba food,” he said. “There was
much food and it was good.”
“The stranger must not starve until Japazy hears what words the
stranger has to say to him,” replied Abino.
“They will not be many words,” replied Bomba. “They will not make
Japazy shoot lightnings from his eyes. Bomba comes in peace and
his words are good words.”
“What are the words that the stranger would speak with Japazy?”
asked one of the most aged and wizened of his visitors.
Bomba hesitated. Would Japazy resent his confiding his mission to
any one but himself?
On the other hand, he had already gotten some useful information
from Solani. The mention of human sacrifices, for instance, had put
him on his guard, if, in the future, any such thing should be
attempted. Perhaps in conversation with these elders of the tribe he
might learn something else that might be of value to him.
Moreover they had asked him the question, and any lack of
frankness on his part might deepen the suspicion they already
entertained as to his motives.
He decided to answer.
“Bomba would ask Japazy who are the father and mother of Bomba
and how he can find them if they are still alive,” the lad stated.
Bomba caught the quick glances that passed between the Indians at
this announcement, and he was not unaware of the look that Abino
flashed at the picture of the lovely woman on the wall.
“Why does the stranger think that Japazy can tell him who his father
and mother are?” asked Abino, after a pause.
“Sobrinini told Bomba that Japazy knew,” returned Bomba.
“Sobrinini!” exclaimed one of his auditors. “She is the witch woman
who dwells on the island of snakes. To go to that island is death.
How, then, does the stranger say that he has had speech with
Sobrinini?”
“Bomba’s tongue is not forked,” replied the lad. “Bomba went to the
island of snakes and had speech with the witch woman. Then he
took her away from the island and gave her shelter in the hut of
Bomba and the good white man, Casson.”
“Why did not Sobrinini tell the stranger of his father and mother?”
asked his questioner incredulously.
“Sobrinini tried to tell, but the gods had put clouds on her mind and
she could not see through them,” answered Bomba. “But she could
see Japazy through the clouds and she said he would know. So
Bomba is here.”
The promptness and sincerity of his answers evidently had some
effect on his visitors. They looked at each other uncertainly. Then the
eldest of them spoke.
“There is much gold on the island of the big cats,” he said slowly.
“Strangers have come here before, and their words were as smooth
as the skin of the baby and as sweet as honey in the comb. But they
said one thing with their tongue and another in their heart. The
demons that guard Japazy told him what word was in the stranger’s
heart; and that word was gold. The strangers did not go away again
from the island of the big cats.”
“Bomba has not two ways of speaking,” answered the lad. “The
words from his lips are the same as the words in his heart. Bomba
does not care for the gold of Japazy. He would not know what to do
with it if Japazy gave it to him. May the gods lay their curse on
Bomba if he is not speaking from a clean heart!”
Another long pause ensued.
“Is it true that the stranger does not even know the name of his
father or that of his mother?” asked one of the group.
“Bomba does not surely know,” returned the lad. “But when Sobrinini
saw Bomba she called him Bartow. And Jojasta of the Moving
Mountain called him Bartow. They thought Bomba was Bartow or
Bartow’s ghost. So if Bomba looked so much like Bartow, it may be
that Bartow was Bomba’s father. And Sobrinini spoke of Laura. And
Casson spoke of Laura. It is in Bomba’s heart that that may have
been the name of his mother.”
Was it fancy, or did Abino again steal a glance at that picture on the
wall?
“It is well,” said the oldest of the group as he rose to his feet, an
example followed by the others. “We will think over what the stranger
has said.”
The old men went out of the room silently, in single file. But the
silence persisted only until they had gone some distance down the
corridor that led to the large hall. Then they broke out into excited
speech.
Bomba would have given a great deal to know what they were
saying, but they were too far away for him to hear them distinctly.
After they had gone out of the door of the building, however, their
way led them under his window. They were still talking excitedly,
and, as he strained his ears, these words floated up to him:
“Bartow! Was not that the name of the man Japazy killed?”
CHAPTER XXII
THE CREEPING DEATH
Bomba, his head in a whirl, staggered back from the window when
he heard the sinister words:
“Was not that the name of the man Japazy killed?”
Was it possible that the father whom he had sought so long was
really dead? Had all his search been futile?
But the despair that this thought brought him was quickly swallowed
up by another emotion. Rage, blinding rage, at the man who had
killed his father, at Japazy, the half-breed, the arrogant, heartless
monster who lorded it over this ignorant people.
If this should prove true—that Japazy was really his father’s
murderer—Bomba then and there vowed vengeance. Let Japazy
look to himself! Let him gather all his ghosts and demons to protect
him! They would be of no avail. Bomba’s arrow or Bomba’s knife
would find the black heart of the half-breed! His father’s murder
should be avenged!
Bomba knew nothing of the Christian law of forgiveness. He had
been brought up in the jungle, whose first law was self-preservation,
whose second law was vengeance for evil received. If Japazy had
taken Bartow’s life, Japazy’s life must pay the forfeit.
Oh, if Japazy were only here! Oh, if Bomba could meet him face to
face and wrest the truth from him! The lad paced the room, gnashing
his teeth with impatience.
His restless pacings brought him beneath the lovely pictured face on
the wall. He gazed at it yearningly. If she were his mother, perhaps
she still lived, even if his father was dead.
Then another thought came to him and his rage flamed up anew.
Perhaps she, too, had fallen a victim to Japazy. The hand that slew
the one might also have slain the other. In that case, Bomba would
owe a double debt of vengeance. And he would pay that debt!
Oh, if he only knew!
But there was nothing he could do until Japazy returned.
Suppose, however, that Japazy did not return? What if any one of
the thousand perils of the jungle should cut short his life? Then
perhaps Bomba could never get the knowledge for which his soul
panted. He would be cheated, too, of his vengeance—supposing it
were true that Japazy had indeed slain his father.
Even while immersed in these gloomy reflections, a gleam of hope
came to Bomba.
Abino!
Perhaps Abino knew. He was the chosen counselor of Japazy as far
as that haughty despot permitted any one to advise him. Perhaps he
was also the repository of Japazy’s secrets. Those quick and furtive
glances that Abino had cast at the picture on the wall! What did they
mean? What did Abino know?
Tired out finally by these ponderings and questionings, Bomba at
last threw himself on the floor and slept. And for this he chose a
place directly beneath the picture, where those lovely, tender eyes
could look down upon him.
It was dark when he woke, and the immediate occasion of his
waking was the entrance of Solani, bringing his supper.
The boy lighted a torch and thrust it into a holder against the wall. By
its light, Bomba noted that the boy looked disturbed and frightened.
“Solani is sad to-night,” observed Bomba, as he prepared to eat the
meal that the lad had set on the table. “What is it that makes the
heart of Solani heavy?”
The boy looked about him carefully, and when he answered, it was
almost in a whisper.