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She’s right I do Though I don’t know their naht-out, I heard it in her voice I knew it from the story "They were sisters," I say

"Yes," Maire says "No one else knows this anymore but you and I There had never been two sirens in a family before There have never been two since"

Until the two of us

Until now

CHAPTER 14

By the time I walk all the way from Maire’s apart The lights will come up soon I have to hurry I crouch under the te that holds , and at first I feel afraid, but then I realize how high the sound is

It must be one of the temple bats

It settles in a tree above me and I smile to myself "Knock down all you want this tie, the bat ather that leaf, too

The light begins to rise in our false sky

I hear the bat lift off out of the tree above li in the faint light This is the ti back into bed, when she would have stolen an hour or two of sleep before we put on our robes and began another day of work in the te over my shoulder It’s heavy, full of leaves I hope no one looks at it too closely

The story of the two sirens in the teiven ondola stations large enough to have sheds where the gondolas can be taken for repair, but I’ve seen True’s work and I think he o to the biggest station in Atlantia, the one near the Council blocks I hope I’ht about where he works I hope his shift hasn’t ended yet

Workers spill out of the station, laughing, talking I listen for True’s voice a them and, to my relief, I hear it

I’ll have to follow him until he separates fro out so early The only people allowed out now are those leaving work

It doesn’t take long, thankfully True calls a good-bye to the group and then starts off down a road on his own It’s lighter every hts, preparing to flatten out my voice

I haven’t yet called to hi Is this what it feels like to be Maire? Spying, waiting, hiding?

"True," I say, and he turns

"Rio," he says, relief and concern in his voice "Is everything all right?"

"I’ve had an idea," I say "Can I talk to you?"