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It was Louis who broke the silence

"Then the dreae," he said, his words ht French accent "Theyof a tortured soul "

"No They are aThey are meant for all of us, and for the Mother as well "

"But how can you say this?" Gabrielle asked him "We don't knohat her mind is now, or that she even knows that we are here "

"You don't know the whole story," Khayman said "I know it Maharet will tell it " He looked to Maharet

"I saw her," Jesse said unobtrusively, her voice tentative as she looked at Maharet "She's crossed a great river; she's coht I saw as if I were she "

"Yes," Marius answered "Through her eyes!"

"I saw her red hair when I looked down," Jesse said "I saw the jungle giving ith each step "

"The dreams must be a communication," Mael said with sudden i? Our private thoughts don't carry such power She raises her voice; she wants so"

"Or she is obsessed and acting upon that obsession," Marius answered "And oal " He paused "To be united with you, her sister! What else could she possibly want?"

"No," Khayain he looked at Maharet "She has a promise to keep to the Mother, and that is what the dreams mean "

Maharet studied him for a moment in silence; it seemed this was almost beyond her endurance, this discussion of her sister, yet she fortified herself silently for the ordeal that lay ahead

"We were there in the beginning," Khayman said "We were the first children of the Mother; and in these dreaa

n " "Then you ently as he could

"Yes " Maharet sighed "And I will " She looked at each of them in turn and then back to Jesse "I must tell you the whole story," she said, "so that you can understand e may be powerless to avert You see, this is notIt hed suddenly as if the prospect were too much for her "Our world has never seen such upheaval," she said, looking at Marius "Le-stat'sof the Mother, so much death "