Second floor Dadafodd, threshhold of a door.  It was half opened and I half stepped through.  I glanced frowning up at the sky.  I was thinking.


    wouldn’t be catching Hinte.  It would be finding her.  Even Rhyfel and Ushra were having trouble with that.  Any gradient was long blown away by now.


    They had said she was going to Chwithach???—??at least, that had been where they were looking.  But Ehnym said Chwithach was fleeing???—??and whoever had the other shell was audibly flying.


    was Chwithach running?  I didn’t want???—??he couldn’t be tangled up in all this conspiracy.  But he had something secret going on.)


    Move.”


    through the door, had I?  I must’ve been blocking the way.


    do something.


    do?


    It carries sound from the distance, he said.  The librarian would be on the other side of it, and it’d be just like in the library: I’d speak into it and he’d speak back, conversation.  Magic conversation.


    do to make it work again, and get to talk to Chwithach again, and ask him what was going on.


    ridiculous (hilarious, absurd, silly) if I called forth a demon just by flicking some rods, and after maybe a few more false start and the hatching of some nerves, I brought the magic shell to my earhole again, praying the stars it wouldn’t roar.


    of course he wouldn’t hear me while flying???—??but now, maybe?.)


    fine.  Back into my bag it went.  Listless, thoughtful, I looked up at the stars.


    I should do something, I thought.


    Look at what you accomplish when you try to do anything, another me responded.


    capable of it, I was sure.  But Kinri didn’t talk that way.


    late.  And did Mawla even want me to stick around?  I saw the last look she gave me.  Was she having second thoughts, finally?


    did???—??have an ally in him.


    A plan.  This was good.


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    “You look around like you’re waiting for someone.”


    subtlety.  Do you want them to catch on?


    reason to resist the guard like that.”


    you have a grasp of what’s truly at stake?”


    Come with me.”


    Kinri.”  There was a warmth to that voice.  There was one other wiver in all the world who’d spoken my name that kindly.  I knew the figure had to be a wiver now; only a mother could nurse that tone.  “Don’t be so hasty, darling.  I think you of all people should see the big picture, hear what Hinte and Chwithach aren’t telling you.”


    sharp pulled free.


    * * *