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So ry with o back" He steadied , too This is a ht--it was alow in the water at the dock It was overloaded Sailors tossed goods overboard, while passengers screaood if they drowned?

"Where is Nory?" I looked around I didn’t want to get punched again I also wasn’t sure what Nory et the children aboard our ship That one over there, with the sun on its prow" Osalked over to a faon He helped theet aboard your ship, Evvy Myrrhtide wants to set sail He says the shakes are setting up strong currents in the sea Once we’re out there, he can use his ic and those currents to help us move quicker And the captains have winds tied up in knots They’re going to set theet us away from here"

"Not southeast" I unsaddledforto have to leave et away froh? I slapped her on the rump when I had all of her tack off and watched her run "Oswin, did you hear me?"

Oswin turned to look at o southeast," I called "A volcano is co up underwater there That’s what caused the quake a little while ago"

"Southeast--got it" Oswin stared at the ship where Tahar sat Treak stood beside her, ju up and down He waved to Oswin The other children ith hi The others looked miserable, furious, or both The boy who had ridden with rip Osalked toward the ship, his eyes searching the faces at the rail "Treak, where’s Nory?"

My belly flip-flopped I knehere she was And if Nory had gone o he’d been standing with Azaze Now Azaze and the guards were ers onto the ships I couldn’t see Jayat anywhere

Oswin turned and strode down the dock, his face grim Ash streaks made him look like a Qidao shaman had painted him for war His eyes blazed turquoise, blind with the ideas in his head He looked half crazy

Azaze ?"

"Nory’s out there," he said hurriedly "She went after Meryem They--"

"And what of your other eleven children?" she deht Azaze should have been born as a queen Right now Moharrin needed a queen, not a headwoman Only a queen could stop Oswin if they wanted to keep him "You are all they have, Oswin Forest You saved them from starvation yourself You stepped in and interfered with the destiny the gods chose for theods will surely strike all of you down as payment for your abandonment of your duty"

"You can’t know that" Oswin’s voice was as hard as diaods watch when you replace their plans with one of your own," Azaze’s voice was sure "You had best ood on your new plan if you interfere in theirs You can’t just decide you’re tired of your new plan, or that one part of it is more important than the rest What will happen to those children e get to wherever we’re going? I’ll do my best, but I can’t control them The only one who could ever do that is you"

"Azaze--" Oswin reached out to Azaze His hand shook "They’re my children, too"

Azaze’s face was iron hard "But they are only two of your children, and they are out of your reach Treak obeys only you, Oswin You’re the only person I knoho can grind lenses so that Jesy can see Deva calls you ‘Papa’ And--"

A boy’s voice rang out clear over a sudden quiet at the docks "Oswin, are you leaving us?"

Oswin’s shoulders drooped He looked back at the ship where the other children waited "No It’s all right, Natan I’ll be there in a moment"

Azaze took one of his hands "I am sorry, my boy"

"They have my idiot Jayat with them, or Norya does, at least!" Tahar screeched from the ship "That’s more luck than they deserve!" She looked and sounded furious, but there et streaks under her eyes

I’ot back to work I need Luvo

He stood with Rosethorn and Myrrhtide, on the dock Enough of the refugees were on the ships that they had decided it was tiic Rosethorn twisted and knotted strands of hethen the ropes and sails of the ships Myrrhtide whispered over chains set ater-ic stones: jade, pearls, beryl, aqua ic I told hiets hoo back into the fault

Luvo reared up onto his hindquarters I couldn’t see his eyes bulge If he’d had theh, they’d have popped fro What would it accomplish? You are as weak as a flake of h if these meat creatures hurry