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"Who told you all this?" I ask

"The knowledge has been passed down aenerations," Maire says "Fro the truth I wish I trusted her

I wanted to love her

"If we can really do all of this, ould the Above let us coed it," Maire says

The door to the transport opens, and the Minister himself appears Everyone hushes instantly

Nevio paces in front of the sirens as if we are a row of acolytes awaiting instruction in the temple "It is our duty as sirens," he says, "to res"

So the sirens knohat he is He has identified himself as one of the without holding back "We ods Their Council understands this They believe that their people have becoreed to let us cohtness of the Divide"

Now he looks at Maire She s I have ever seen

"We have been trying to decide if we should command or persuade," one of the sirens says "And if we should speak in unison or cacophony"

"Ah," Nevio says "I think it must be a command How else can we make sure that they listen to us? But as for the other erly How long have they known that he is one of the have they let theiven to ho live Below?" he asks In his full, real voice, his siren voice

It is honey and blood, dark and warolden and full of shadow It is a beautiful voice, a decayed voice I catchlife, health, strength, and happiness," the other sirens answer, and I a like this, and my heart fills with joy at the beauty of their voices, at the power behind theod, their voices hopeful and full of belief

But their faith has been misdirected

He has taken their power and turned it all toward himself Do they understand that?

"What is the curse of those who live Above?" Nevio asks

"Short life, illness, weakness, and ods decreed at the tiht survive Below"

They go on through all the rest of it Neither Maire nor I join in

"Maire and the new siren didn’t say anything," soht," Nevio says "They’ve been instructed to save their voices Some sirens who don’t train as you do aren’t prepared to use their voices more than once in the space of a few hours" He s us, I realize But he’s also lying He knows that Maire and I are powerful Why is he pretending that we’re not?

"Now," Nevio says, "let’s try the other way"