Eye of the Ocean Book 3 Ji'jin Station

Eye of the Ocean – Book 3: Ji’Jin Station
“So who's stopping you?” Not stopping but following.
Hesitating, she tried to make him out in the dark. Did she hear bells? A hand
on her arm and she jumped, barely swallowing a scream. Quick moons swarmed
around them, Bolda whistled and the glow globes rose abruptly, brightening as
they did. The two of them stood in a circle of light. The sound of bells was louder
and with it she could hear hooves striking stone. She couldn't tell how far, sound
had a strange way out here of appearing very close and then just as fast, far
away again.
Another buzz from the Net, Temple Net, she realized. Even with her night sight
destroyed by the glow globes, she could see the curtain of blue flicking where the
lights of the city had been moments before.
“Warding?” she asked. She'd seen small areas protected, usually just faint
shimmers of light at gates, even more often only concentrated at the locks.
“Why?”
Definitely horses, but Bolda didn't appear worried. “Some trouble in the city.
Seems people have heard rumors about the Lady appearing.”
Ulanda pulled the blanket closer, wishing she had the dark back again. “That's
old news,” she said, startled that she hadn't made the connection. “Nobody
believes it anymore. And nobody would believe it of me.”
Hanging flesh scrunched into a scowl. “The Overpriest of Forms arrived a week
ago. He's believable and less inclined to lie about all this than we were.” A loud
snort. “At least the Priests believe him, the Salins, the Councilors... you name it,
just work your way down from there, whoever had the ranking to get the news
first off, then more got it second hand, worrying the various Nets for Temple
leads like a dog with a marrow bone. Finding them too, the Net's a mess. Nobody
around here seems to be able to keep a secret.” He scratched his nose. “The San
of the Empress's House is here too, came with us.”
Almost a month since she had seen him in the market. “Were you waiting for
the Overpriest?”
“Waiting for something.”
“Is that part of the explanation you haven't gotten to?” Alicia had reached as
far as a rather muddled account of the Wu'lim leaving the Holding for Wilni. “I've
heard better from bards in the market hoping for a penny or two.”
Bolda scratched his head. “You'd hear better from what's being said in the mob
outside the Speakerhouse.”
The riot. She hadn't made that connection either, she felt as though her mind
had shut down. “The Speaker, he was talking about Clan Zimmer.”
“Them too. A'Genn.”
“You all really believe this.”
“You sounded as though you believed it.”
Laurel Hickey www.2morrow.bc.ca