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I biteto keep that otherback--the way my mother’s hands and feet were cold and still ashed them as we prepared her for burial, how dry her hair felt e braided it How I kept trying not to look at her eyes

Outside at last, I walk under the trees in the temple plaza The leaves make a sound like chimes in the ht co hts in Atlantia Thisand repairing the thousands of leaves

And the temple trees are different froods up there, high in the branches, looking down and watching us, as if each tree is a sods are made of metal, not stone, but they are still sacred Because of them the maintenance crews that take care of the other trees in Atlantia can’t take care of the ones at the temple The priests and acolytes have to do it Or, rather, one acolyte has to do it I’ve proven so efficient that now the task is entirely up to me I can’t say that I’ the air-ainst the rules Most people seem to be accustomed to the mask’s constant presence, but I take it off every chance I can I hate the way it catches on the leaves--I already have to carrytheunnecessarily bulky I cli in his spot at the top, his sharp h, one of his paws has co to hi at? What could be out of the reach of a god?"

Efralares at me as I pull down my visor and fire up the torch fro You knoell as I do that this isn’tthe day, they sleep in their roosts inside the teht, when they’re free to fly, they like to come settle in these trees, and they are especially fond of sitting on the gods and leaving guano like offerings

But no one is allowed to harm the bats They are the second of the three miracles that ere told would happen after the Divide if the gods were pleased with us As miracles, they have our protection

At the tiht any aniht that the animals would use up too much precious air They also believed that the creatures of the Above and the Below should remain where they were To keep us ned land-aniods for those of us orship Below, and sea fore to me to think that Efram looks entirely different to worshippers outside Atlantia

When the bats were first seen, they were brown It took years to catch the animals as they darted around Atlantia’s skies, but finally our ancestors succeeded

And they were shocked at what they found Over time, faster than should be scientifically possible, the bats’ wings had changed from pinkish in color to a beautiful translucent blue, as if to mirror the sea that had become their sky Sooyles of the temple, and the priests saw that it was true It became clear that the bats were not a nuisance but were, in fact, the secondfor the third

Justus is the one in charge of taking care of the bats and the roosts where they co the day It is one of the most sacred offices a priest can hold Bay and I used to love it when our singing in the temple would wake some of the bats and they would fly in front of the roseThe wings of blue were every bit as beautiful and lass

The bats aren’t as common here as they once were Above, perhaps in response to their new environment We rarely see them But it is nice to know that we are not alone down in this city, that they ski time And I know they are here because I see the evidence in the trees

After I get Efra back on, I climb down to the bottom of the tree and pick up a scatter of silver leaves that caht With small spurts of fire frohtthee of h