Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 690
deep roaring, like continual thunder. Men were shouting and
pointing, and the basts were racing as one to the great doors on
the underside of the moon. Lavin followed their gazes upward.
A brilliant light glowed through the tessellated skin of the
vagabond moon. The sun itself made only a diffuse, if bright,
glow. This light was sharp enough that he had to look away
after a second; and it moved, traversing the sky from south to
north.
So far the ranked men on the parade ground had held
formation, so Lavin had no difficulty crossing the floor to
where the basts and a few stray men had gathered. The great
doors were located at about the 15th degree of floor angle.
From here only a sliver of sky was visible, and a great deal of
dizzying ground far below. Lavin caught a glimpse of rushing
pine trees far below, then fixed his gaze on the rolling
mountains at the top of the door.
Something like a tiny blue-white sun hove into view,
dropping and visibly slowing as it went. Shadows radiated
away from it, and he was sure it was the source of the
rumbling.
The small sun went behind an angle of mountainside,
silhouetting the trees along its spine. After a few seconds the
light went out. The rumbling went on for a long time,
gradually dying down to stray echoes.
More miracles. Lavin shook his head in disgust, and
went to take command of his men.
"What was that?" Tamsin blinked at the spot where the
little sun had set. Doubtless she had the same spots before her
eyes as Jordan.
"Mediation?" He had come to rely on the geophysical
Winds as advisors in the past few days. Where once he had