Eye of the Ocean Book 3 Ji'jin Station

Eye of the Ocean – Book 3: Ji’Jin Station
Shapes moved in the glow of the starlight, more guards were on the walls
above them. The roar grew in the open areas, faded within stone. Once, the buzz
of a flitter passed, the sound coming from the other way towards where the river
would be, she wouldn't have thought those in the streets outside could have
heard but the building roar of voices followed the flitter noise and died slower.
The end of this tunnel wouldn't be far, she thought and let her horse fall back
until she was next to Tu'pin. He hummed a tune, apparently taken from the noise
of the crowd. His eyes were pale from blocker; she could smell it on his breath.
Jass, his other tass'altin watched her nervously but didn't let go of the lead rein.
The faint silver night became violet as Oimit deliberately raised yuin sight.
Tu'pin looked at her. “Was that a mercy as well?” he asked then turned to his
tass'altin a moment. “Jass? Would you like such a mercy granted to you?” At his
words, the tass'altin shook her head as though an answer was required.
Tu'pin must be speaking of Be'ell's death, but she didn't know where the
reference had come from unless he was being given information she wasn't. Or
was taking it from pattern. Athliki must have died as well. “From the moment she
entered your service, she came under my control as well. Her life was mine to
take.” He didn't reply. I have lost him, Oimit thought again, but was unable to
find any sympathy in herself for the tass'altin. The woman had let herself be
used. “If you wanted her alive, you should have been more careful of her. Either
you were lax or you thought the result was worth the risk.” As she had with
Be'ell.
“Which result is that?” he asked before turning his face away. His words had
been soft, out of the hearing of the others, but they cut like a blade.
For him, she could find sympathy. “The old mother called your name. Not
mine.”
“I see her at night. I'm on Zimmer then.” He looked back at her. “Except...”
One of those with Tu'pin brought his horse up, stark fear riding his concern. A
Salin - was Tu'pin raising pattern? She signed dismissal; Tu'pin echoed her
motion and the man dropped back.
“I fly until I think the clouds have to break, that I'd be able to see stars and
the curve of the world under me but it doesn't happen. What is there is worldpattern.
Like the scent of the sasi rose, like the veil... like the taste of sugar in
my mouth. Like the taste of you.”
“Is that all you bring back with you from pattern?”
“From dreams. And it's not all.” He blinked as though seeing it. “We call it
pattern, as though it has a static shape, but it's nothing like that. But it does take
a form although I see it more easily in my memory than I do at the time. I'm
learning some of this at Temple, mostly how to put it in words. It really has to be
experienced rather than understood.”
“The words appear to have only taught you how to escape into them.”
Laurel Hickey www.2morrow.bc.ca