CITY OF THE GODS: FORGOTTEN by M.Scott Verne, Wynn Wynn Mercere Page B

attention to what the children were doing. When she realized she was alone a few minutes later, she resolved to find Nianzu and ask again if she could leave the retreat. Rising, she went back through the courtyard gate and wandered through the compound.
    Aavi found him lighting a great iron lantern. It was shaped like a globe, a cage of ornate metal spirals encasing a central oil reservoir. Noticing Aavi standing nearby, Nianzu suppressed a frown. Why wasn’t she in her room? Shan and Xiu were obviously being disobedient again, and he resolved to address that problem more actively. Guessing why Aavi had come, he headed off her question.
    “This is Mazu’s signal. She will return when she can.”
    Aavi watched as Nianzu hoisted the signal with a rope and tackle, raising it to the top of a pole almost as tall as the largest trees. Her eyes followed it upward.
    “It’s . . . so big and bright.”
    Nianzu’s eyes shifted to the strange innocent. The lantern wasn’t that big. Distance and perspective had actually reduced its apparent size. Shaking his head, he secured the pulley rope. As Aavi continued to stare raptly at the sky, Xiu returned with a folded bundle of cloth in her arms.
    “Teacher, the room is ready.”
    The sticky residue of honey syrup around Xiu’s lips told Nianzu everything he needed to know. “It would have been ready sooner, if you had not wasted time stealing food from our guest.” Xiu gasped and bowed her head guiltily as she stepped forward to take Aavi’s hand. Aavi looked down at her touch, which was followed by an insistent tug. Clearly Xiu had no desire to linger in the presence of Nianzu. Nor did the scribe wish to prolong his contact with Aavi. He thanked fortune that this helpless being would soon be gone. Nianzu retreated to the sanctuary of the library.
    Aavi followed as Xiu led her around the inner walls of the retreat to a cluster of small wooden buildings. She immediately noticed that the structures were quite plain compared to the inner halls. There were no statues, fountains, or carvings, but each small cottage did have a neat arrangement of small plants growing out of mismatched pots. Some of the plants had colorful flowers. Others sprouted pods or prickly thorns. Aavi remembered seeing things like them spilling from the bags and boxes in Kafele’s shop. She wanted to take a closer look, but Xiu was pushing open a sliding door and gesturing for her to go inside. She stepped in. A single lantern cast just enough light to show a row of thin mats on the floor.
    “Take any one. You are the only guest in this room tonight,” Xiu said. “Someone will come get you when Mazu arrives. Here is a robe to keep you warm.”
    “Thank you,” Aavi said, taking the garment from Xiu. She took a few more steps into the room and did exactly what Xiu said, picking up one of the mats. Xiu laughed at this strange behavior, but immediately covered her mouth with one hand. She was already in trouble with Nianzu, and did not want to incur even more punishment. The little girl’s smile turned to a pout. It was hardly her fault. It was hard to respect guests when they were dumb as chickens. Nonetheless, she managed to bid Aavi a polite goodnight before running back to Shan to report the latest silly thing the pilgrim had done.
    Aavi stood in the room, wondering what to do next. It was so quiet. She could hear all the sounds her body made, breath pushing in and out of her chest and a strange clenching noise far back in her throat each time she swallowed. Aavi’s hands drifted down to her middle to hover over the one place where Kafele had whispered a hole was missing. She suddenly regretted not asking the Oracle about that when she had the chance.
    Accepting that she was supposed to stay in the room for the night, Aavi put the mat in her hands back on the floor, sat down on it, and waited. As the moments slipped past, she grew tired of sitting and lay down. She wondered if she would find it hard to