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As the Jesuits recognized, a key function of logic li process As far back as the Vedanta, this way of tying down the wild creativity of thought was codified into seven logic-directing categories: Quality, Substance, Action, Generality, Particularity, Intiation) These were thought to define the true linition that all symbol processes are inherently open-ended and infinite came much later

- Raja Thomas, Shiprecords

THE HYLIGHTER with Tho and began a slow drop into blue haze Tho - was even aware that Alki was beginning its long slide into sunset He saw the dark purple of the hted brilliance of the blue haze and a surrounding ris He saw all of this and still was not sure of what he saw, nor was he entirely sure of his own sanity

The haze enclosed him then, warm andseen through swirling water They htened him

Calm Be calht

Where was I?

He thought he re thrust into the open outside Oakes’ Redoubt The land beneath hion He could not, however, rehter

How did I get here?

As though his confusion ignited some re across a plain, a Hooded Dasher close behind, then the swoop of a hylighter as it lifted hies played in his mind without his volition

Rescue? What a ry what?

"Nest!"

He heard the word clearly as though someone spoke directly into his ear, but there was no one He knew the voice was not his, not Ship’s

Ship!

They had fewer than seven diurns left! Ship was about to break the recording End of huone insane, that’s it I’hter

In his mind, a hatch opened and he heard a babble of voices, Panille’s a them Memorie he felt his mind lock onto memories that had been sealed away until this babble of voices The gondola - the hylighters reaching into the surfaced gondol Waela and Panilleblack snakes slitherin questing He heard his own hysterical laughter Was that anotherthehter I’

"Not hallucinating"

That voice again! The cradling tentacles shifted, but he still saw only blue haze an an Nothing else was certain

The chatter continued in his mind - ments of what appeared to be holorecords danced behind his eyes

I’ve finally gone all the way - really insane

"Not insane"

N I just talk to un to separate into discrinized specific snatches of conversation, but the internal holorecord terrified him He felt that the entire planet had become eyes and ears just for him, that he wa everywhere

In fits and starts, silence returned He felt it wash through his antic wall - he felt those other eyes and ears remove themselves from his awareness

He was alone

What the hell is happening to me?

No answer

But he sensed the cadences of his , dark system of tunnels and corridors He was in darkness And somewhere in this dark was an ear to hear and a voice to answer Waela was there He sensed her as though he could reach out with one hand and touc

The tentacles no longer enclosed hiroun rock, sand Darkness all around Waela remained there - calm, receptive

I’ve turned into some kind of a damned mystic

"Live mystic"

That voice! It was as real as the wind he felt abruptly on his face He knew then that he knelt on so luminous blue all around And he rehter Most precious h it were his only child Me expanse of sea, narrow ribbon of coast winding itself out of sight, thefroon