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Atlantia Ally Condie 18140K 2023-09-01

"Where would you like to go?" Nevio asks

I want to go Above sohiet the Council to agree, I don’t trust him

A flicker of annoyance and i too much of his time "Let’s try another question," he says "What do you like to do?"

"I like to fix things," I say, in a voice as stupid as he expects

"Yes," he says "Justus tells me that you are the one who has kept the teood repair"

I open my mouth to thank him, because I assu he speaks again

"Still, I’m sure we can teach another acolyte to perform your tasks here," Nevio says "And I know they’re always in need of good workers down in thebays where they repair the drones That see bays are down in the deepest reaches of the city, as far away froo in Atlantia, as close as you can get to the seafloor, where the drones old

Is Nevio doing this on purpose? Has he sensed, in so me deeper?

It’s clear that he wants one

"When my mother died," I say, "I was assured that the temple would always be my home"

"Of course," Nevio says "It will always be your spiritual home And for now you can keep the room you shared with your sister The machinists’ quarters are full, I’m told"

At least I won’t have to move out of the room where Bay and I lived But I still can’t believe Nevio isme leave the temple Can he do this? I suppose he can, since he’s the Minister, but it feels wrong Should I talk to some of the priests? Then I remember Justus’s expression when he told oing to help es your ht you would like to see it" He holds out the paper and I snatch it away I can’t help s she’s touched

Rio is not intended for a life as a priest,the center of my chest, as if I’ve experienced a physical injury My mother didn’t write that She couldn’t have But there it is, right in front ofas neat and measured as always Rio doesn’t often think of the collective good, which co that can be taught I don’t think that Rio is cold or strange--few people can care about the group as a whole the way a Minister or a priest must But sometimes I reproach rowth But I cannot see her suffer, and in that I a to do with the collective good, and everything to do with one specific child My child

"This must hurt you to read," Nevio says