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This is no priest This is their Minister

"It’s all right, Rio," Bay says "This is Ciro, the Minister" She leans closer and whispers tolike Nevio"

How can she be sure? We knew Nevio for most of our lives and would never have believed him capable of murder Bay has known this Minister for a feeeks How can she be sure that we can trust him?

As far as I’m concerned, there is one Minister I trust and she is dead

"Let me see what I can find out," Ciro says to Bay "Stay here Keep thenia around his neck "May the gods be with us all," he says, and he h the door

"What does he mean, keep us hidden?" I ask Bay

"The teht be safe," she says "And even here, not for long It’s dangerous Above"

I know that It’s dangerous for me everywhere

"You trust Ciro," I say "Why?"

"Because he is the leader of the movement to save the Below," Bay says "He believes that the Above should not let Atlantia die"

"Why would he care about any of us?" I ask

"Because of the shells," Bay says

Because of the shells What does sheabout them until I came Above," Bay says "But Ciro toldup with the bodies for years--in the pockets of the dead, or tied around their necks like amulets At first the cullers--the ones who take any valuables they can find froh the mines--threay the shells on the beach You can find them everywhere up here--they’re not worth much But then, one day, someone picked one up And heard a voice A voice fro Just a hu

"The voice disappeared after it had been heard once," Bay says "People thought that the first person wasthe shore and picking up shells and listening, and soan to realize that the shells with the voices in them must be the shells they found on the bodies fro those shells to Ciro instead of discarding them The sounds of the voices broke his heart

"For years there have been people up here listening Not everyone Above wants us to die People here believe the shells and the voices ods No one kno else such a miracle could have happened"

But I do

Maire was the o that some of the best voices can be heard in the prison walls She told me that earlier I wonder if those are so to be free