gathering_blue_novel-2

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Walter Lorraine BooksCopyright © 2000 by Lois LowryAll rights reserved. For information about permissionto reproduce selections from this book, write toPermissions, Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 ParkAvenue South, New York, New York 10003.Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataLowry, Lois.Gathering Blue / by Lois Lowry.p. cm.Summary: Lamed and suddenly orphaned, Kira is mysteriously removed from hersqualid village to live in the palatial Council Edifice, where she is expected to useher gifts as a weaver to do the bidding of the all-powerful Guardians.ISBN 0-618-05581-9[1. Science fiction.] I. Title.PZ7.L9673 Gat 2000[Fic]—dc21 00-024359Printed in the United States of AmericaRRD 10 9 8
1"Mother?"There was no reply. She hadn't expected one. Her mother had been dead nowfor four days, and Kira could tell that the last of the spirit was drifting away."Mother." She said it again, quietly, to whatever was leaving. She thoughtthat she could feel its leave-taking, the way one could feel a small whisper ofbreeze at night.Now she was all alone. Kira felt the aloneness, the uncertainty, and a greatsadness.This had been her mother, the warm and vital woman whose name had beenKatrina. Then after the brief and unexpected sickness, it had become the body ofKatrina, still containing the lingering spirit. After four sunsets and sunrises, thespirit, too, was gone. It was simply a body. Diggers would come and sprinkle alayer of soil over the flesh, but even so it would be eaten by the clawing, hungrycreatures that came at night. Then the bones would scatter, rot, and crumble tobecome part of the earth.Kira wiped briefly at her eyes, which had filled suddenly with tears. She hadloved her mother, and would miss her terribly. But it was time for her to go. Shewedged her walking stick in the soft ground, leaned on it, and pulled herself up.She looked around uncertainly. She was young still, and had not experienceddeath before, not in the small two-person family that she and her mother hadbeen. Of course she had seen others go through the rituals. She could see someof them in the vast foul-smelling Field of Leaving, huddled beside the ones whoselingering spirits they tended. She knew that a woman named Helena was there,watching the spirit leave her infant, who had been born too soon. Helena hadcome to the Field only the day before. Infants did not require the four days ofwatching; the wisps of their spirits, barely arrived, drifted away quickly. So Helenawould return to the village and her family soon.As for Kira, she had no family, now. Nor any home. The cott she had sharedwith her mother had been burned. This was always done after sickness. The smallstructure, the only home Kira had ever known, was gone. She had seen the smokein the distance as she sat with the body. As she watched the spirit of her motherdrift away, she had seen the cindered fragments of her childhood life whirl intothe sky as well.
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Page 8 and 9: She felt a small shudder of fear. F
Page 10 and 11: "Do you want me to go on?"Kira nodd
Page 12 and 13: Matt frowned. "I tried to save thin
Page 14 and 15: First, Kira decided, it made sense
Page 16 and 17: Unlike the forest creature, Kira ha
Page 18 and 19: Nodding in agreement, the women tur
Page 20 and 21: than those who have none."She remem
Page 22 and 23: "The accuser will speak first," the
Page 24 and 25: remembered how this one, this desig
Page 26 and 27: He opened to a page he had marked d
Page 28 and 29: weed, or even tend the domestic bea
Page 30 and 31: The boy Matt appeared, running past
Page 32 and 33: peered from their seats at the stag
Page 34 and 35: slid and twisted its rays into the
Page 36 and 37: "We are told that your skill is gre
Page 38 and 39: The summer-start day was hot. Near
Page 40 and 41: illness and death. So much had happ
Page 42 and 43: 6The huge bell in the tower of the
Page 44 and 45: said in a low voice. "He won't go a
Page 46 and 47: "Your supper will be brought," he t
Page 48 and 49: dried blossoms. But the little rock
Page 50 and 51: "This is where I live," he explaine
Page 52 and 53: "And look," he said, "here comes th
Page 54 and 55: Jamison looked at her with a slight
Page 56 and 57:
"Like Branchie. Look, he catched hi
Page 58 and 59:
tree stump, and Kira sank down grat
Page 60 and 61:
remains of an outdoor fire.Kira lea
Page 62 and 63:
9The Singer's robe contained only a
Page 64 and 65:
The vegetable garden was completely
Page 66 and 67:
"It's a lovely thing," he said, see
Page 68 and 69:
But her fingers ached. Kira rubbed
Page 70 and 71:
10It was difficult to get through t
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mirror for him. Mirrors had been ne
Page 74 and 75:
corridor."The two friends sat silen
Page 76 and 77:
nearby, smaller fire, she lifted a
Page 78 and 79:
"Thomas," Kira asked as they ate to
Page 80 and 81:
air made her feel cleansed and invi
Page 82 and 83:
Perhaps he had seen beasts.When the
Page 84 and 85:
hesitantly, "would you go with me?
Page 86 and 87:
13Usually Branch scampered eagerly
Page 88 and 89:
Kira and Thomas nodded."Well," Matt
Page 90 and 91:
He looked at Kira oddly. The expres
Page 92 and 93:
"What happened to her?"Marlena shru
Page 94 and 95:
Kira was startled at Matt's ignoran
Page 96 and 97:
herself until her mouth was beside
Page 98 and 99:
didn't wake. That was all. No myste
Page 100 and 101:
"Yes," Thomas said. "Matt said she
Page 102 and 103:
It was true. Back in his room, he s
Page 104 and 105:
sounds. Kira's hand, in her pocket,
Page 106 and 107:
Kira lifted her down to the floor.
Page 108 and 109:
17"Thomas, I've worked hard all mor
Page 110 and 111:
"I asked them about Matt," Thomas e
Page 112 and 113:
"No. I'm sorry." Kira held her hand
Page 114 and 115:
"No," she told the tyke, and her fi
Page 116 and 117:
18The day of the Gathering was appr
Page 118 and 119:
each year," she confessed. "I was a
Page 120 and 121:
broken threads for you to fix.""The
Page 122 and 123:
No Matt. A wave of sorrow swept thr
Page 124 and 125:
"For the first time I present the R
Page 126 and 127:
20Thomas nudged her and gestured wi
Page 128 and 129:
now that Matt had returned and was
Page 130 and 131:
Kira half listened to his tale as s
Page 132 and 133:
21"What's wrong, Kira? Tell me!" Th
Page 134 and 135:
"What?" The man seemed amused."She
Page 136 and 137:
people about, so it was safe for us
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"I was soon to be appointed to the
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"But who were they?" Kira asked aga
Page 142 and 143:
wanted me dead were still here."Fin
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23Alone in the dim pre-dawn moonlig
Page 146 and 147:
Kira could feel it in her fingertip
Page 148:
Her father smiled. "I had time, sit
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