Eye of the Ocean Book 3 Ji'jin Station

Eye of the Ocean – Book 3: Ji’Jin Station
“When Cassa, the Empress left, most of the Imperial Suite turned to granite,”
Clanny said, speaking reluctantly. “The source of the change was the study where
she had been reviewing Empire Law cases. The twins were there with her. The
Law case...”
“The same as the one here,” Poss a'ltic said. “It had to do with possession and
ownership.”
“With identity,” Clanny corrected. “And it wouldn't have been the same without
Cassa to take it over from the High Temple Court. There was no judgment...”
“We are aware of that.”
“Are you really?” he asked coldly. “Did you know that Gennady had been in the
Empress' rooms with Anga for a tour, more than just the audience chamber
where you saw them. That information would have been in the Ladybugs records
same as the difference in the law cases. Your associates have held back.”
Mullaki laughed. “And you're burdened with us. Another time, I told the old
Simic.”
“More memories?” Cayse asked.
The binding threads changed again, Ulanda stirred, a low groan sounding in
her throat. Clanny soothed her, chanting a Poultat song under his breath. Mullaki
was glad that her memories now included him. “What are any of us but
memories?” she said as she knelt, signing her tass'alt to stay when he would
have come to help her. “The Empress' San has chosen an interesting end for
this,” she said. “The minor story speaks his heart, the major... you were correct,
Empress. I've provided shaping by being here, but then, I'm here because I'm
supposed to be. Examine the second story...”
Cayse coughed to interrupt her. “Is it a story?”
She shrugged. “A series of images, if you prefer, and each of them paired.
Consider that there are two characters, not equal mind you, but paired. And then
seen in a mirror that has its own mind about what it reflects.” She laughed.
“Mirrored as a child is from an image of the parents.” The binding threads were
twisting again, but not to get rid of her and Clanny. The scowl on Anga's face told
her he'd given up on that for now. She thought that the setting of the threads had
a momentum that he could change only within limits. The garden was starting to
yield to something else.
- 36 -
The wind blew Alicia backwards; Eunni broke her fall as best she could. They
were both covered in ice: her hair, her eyelashes... she thought they might chip
Laurel Hickey www.2morrow.bc.ca