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"Yes, it's slippery there" Kira knew She had slipped herself so place

The woed "She broke her arood for weaving Her hubby tried real hard to straighten up the arm 'cause he needs her For the tykes and such But she'll probably go to the Field"

Kira shuddered, i pain of the broken ar shape

"She has five tykes, Caiven away You want one?" The worinned at Kira She had few teeth

Kira shook her head She smiled wanly and continued down the aisle between the looms

"You want her loo somebody to take it You're probably ready to weave"

But Kira shook her head again She had wanted to weave, once The weaving women had always been kind to her But her future seemed different now

The looms clattered on From the shade of the shed, Kira noticed that the sun was lower in the sky It would soon be the ringing of four bells She nodded goodbye to the weaving wo the path toward the place where she had lived with herstood, the place of the only hooodbye

6

The huge bell in the tower of the Council Edifice began to ring The bell governed the people's lives It told theather for s, when to prepare for a hunt, celebrate an event, or ar now -- meant that the day's business could end For Kira, it meant the time to report to the Council of Guardians She hurried toward the central plaza through the crowds of people leaving their workplaces

Matt aiting on the steps as he had proe iridescent beetle, blocking its path again and again with a paw as the beetle tried unsuccessfully to waddle by The dog looked up and wagged its crooked tail when Kira called a greeting

"What you got?" Matt asked, looking at the small bundle Kira carried on her back

"Not s in the clearing so theyMy basket of threads, and some scraps of cloth And look at this, Matt" She reached into her pocket and held up a lu "I found , because I don't kno to make it, and I have no coins to buy any"

Then she laughed, realizing that Matt, grimy and unkempt, felt no need of soap She supposed Matt had a mother somewhere, and usually mothers scrubbed their tykes now and then, but she had never known Matt clean

"Here, I brung these" Matt indicated a pile of objects wrapped haphazardly in a dirty woven cloth on the step near hi, for you to have iffen they let you stay"

"Thank you, Matt" Kira wondered what he had chosen to rescue

"But you'll not be carrying it because of your horrid gi "So I'll be your carrier, once they tells you where you're to be That way I'll know too"

Kira liked the idea of Matt co where she would live It e "Wait here, then," she told hi Then I'll come back for you I have to hurry, Matt, because the bells have finished, and they told me to coota dirtencrusted candy froie to poke, like now" The dog's ears shot up at the sound of his name but his eyes never left the beetle on the step

Kira hurried inside the Council Edifice while the boy waited on the steps

Only Ja for her She wondered if having been appointed her defender at the trial, he was now to be her overseer Oddly she felt a little twinge of irritation She was old enough to e She had always known she would notood wife, could never perfore alone Her ht her

But he nodded in welcootten

"There you are," Ja "I'll show you to your quarters It isn't far It's in a wing of this building"

Then he looked at her and at the small bundle she carried on her back "Is that all you have?" he asked

She was glad that he had inquired because it gave her the opportunity to mention Matt

"Not quite," Kira told hiestured toward her leg Jamison nodded

"So I have a boy who helpson the steps He hasthat ood boy"

Jahtly Then he turned and called to one of the guards "Get the boy from the steps," he said