Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 278
She sat in the dimness for a while, arms crossed, trying
not to think. Thinking was bad. It led to things worse than
anger.
This will all end soon, she told herself. When we get to
Rhiene everything will be different. Meanwhile, she would
have to make adjustments, and test her patience. So, after a
little while, she adjusted her hair, planted a smile on her face,
"Hello," she said brightly to the startled young man who
Calandria May slung the bag of potatoes over her
shoulder, and made her way out of the market. The place was
still buzzing with talk of the Boros catastrophe; the consensus
was that the Winds had finally gotten around to punishing the
family for unspecified past excesses. Attendance at church
here in the town of Geldon was decidedly up.
assassination. It was laid at the feet of Brendan Sheia, and two
spies from Ravenon were named as accomplices. That
explained why Calandria was currently disguised as a boy. She
had cropped her hair and changed her voice and mannerisms.
Right now she used the bag of potatoes to add swing to her
shoulders as she walked, since otherwise her lower center of
balance was harder to disguise.
People were also talking about Jordan Mason. No one
knew his name, but some people had witnessed a confrontation
between Turcaret and a young man. The controller had
accused the youth of bringing the Heaven hooks down on the
household.
Her shoulders itched as she walked--a familiar feeling