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Madding’s face was sole my decision I liked that he did not smile I think he knehat the decision cost lanced at Kitr, who had carefully paid more attention to the street than to us for the past feweveryone in," he said "I don’t like this No lanced back, in the direction of the splashes of blood "And I can’t sense Father anywhere I especially don’t like that"

"Nor can I," said Kitr "There are some of us with the power to hide hi and disle sweep of her eyes "You think this has so to do with Role? Your ot to do with anything?"

"I don’t know, but--"

"Wait There’s so…" This came from the other side of the street I followed the voice and saw the sigil-etched outline of Madding’s scrivener She stood looking up at the buildings nearby, holding a sheet of paper in her hands A series of individual sigils had been drawn at the corners, with three rows of godwords in the il in the upper right corner began to glow htly The scrivener, who apparently knehat this asped and took several steps back I could not see her face, for she had no godwords written there, but terror filled her voice "Oh, gods, I knew it! Look out! All of you, look--"

And suddenly hells filled the street

No, not hells Holes

With a sound like tearing paper, they opened all around us, perfect circles of darkness So unsupported in ht beneath the scrivener’s feet, practically the instant the last word left her lips She didn’t have time to cry out before she fell into it and vanished Another caught Kitr, who had turned to run to Madding’s side It opened before her between one step and another, and she was gone The racing dog cursed in Mekatish and darted around the first hole that opened at his feet, but then another opened above him I saw his short fur stand on end, pulled upward, and then with a yelp he was sucked in as well

Before I could react, Madding suddenly shovedover the doorway’s raised step, I turned back, openingat his back I felt the pull, its force powerful enough to jerk ht the door’s elaborate handle in one hand to bracestick, hoping Madding would be able to grab it Madding, his eyes wide and teeth bared, strained towardchimes was barely audible, sucked away by the hole

He round his teeth, and I heard hiods GET INSIDE!

Then he flew backward, as if a great invisible hand had grabbed hione

I fumbled with the door handle, my breath wild and loud in my ears, my palround I could hear no one else on the street; I was alone Except for the re holes, which hovered all around ot the door open and ran into the house, away from the holes, toward the clean, empty darkness where I was blind but where at least I knehat dangers I faced

I got three steps into the house before the air tore behind me, and I flew backward offmetal filled the world as I tumbled away

"Girl in Darkness" (watercolor)

MY DREAMS HAVE BEEN ht happen, but still… I re

In the dream, I paint a picture But as I lose myself in the colors of the sky and the mountains and theworld, full of strange flora and fungi; I can almost smell the fumes of its alien air--the door to ?" she asks

And though I am still half lost in mountains and mushrooms, I have no choice but to pull myself back into this world, where I airl whose ree on what that is

"Painting," I say, though this is obvious My belly has clenched in defensive tension; I fear a lecture is co