The Threshold Child (16 page)

“Yes, indeed!” broke in Mistress Hulda, “I feel exactly the same.
Would you also honor us with a visit, my dear?”

The young Shimat gave a distracted nod. “If Master Hass and Mistress
Jelana do not object…”

Both ladies effused their assurances that there could not possibly
be any objections, and Adesina turned her attention back to the Governors.

“…but surely not! They live so far north they could not have so
great an impact on our city.”

“Besides, they have always made it very clear that they are
neutral. They will not do anything to risk that standing…”

Gainor, who was sitting across the table from Adesina, leaned
forward. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

This was the fourth time Gainor had asked this question. Adesina
was careful to keep the irritation she felt out of her voice. She gave her
usual answer, “Very much.”

“Do not be a fool, Wadell. It will not come to that! War is
something we all want to avoid!”

Adesina’s eyes darted to the end of the table, where Governor
Ralis sat wide-eyed and afraid. Governor Wadell looked slightly smug at this
reaction. “Only the naive think otherwise, my friend.”

Mistress Hulda beckoned for Adesina to lean closer. She whispered
in her ear, “I hope that such talk does not worry you, my dear. I am sure you
have great concern for you native home, the north.”

The beginnings of a smile played at the corner of Adesina’s lips.
She replied in an equally low voice. “Yes, of course. It is, after all, my
home.”

Mistress Caryl sat forward. “What is that you are saying, my
dear?”

Mistress Hulda straightened with a satisfied look on her face.
“Oh, nothing. Nothing at all.”

Mistress Caryl looked uneasy at the expression on Mistress Hulda’s
face. She leaned in to have her own whispered conversation with Adesina. “You
must be anxious for the north, child.”

Adesina gave a small shake of the head. “Actually, the northerners
were not very kind to my family. That is why I chose to come here to live.”

It was Mistress Caryl’s turn to look smug as she sat back. It
looked as if Adesina was finally going to get a few moments to listen to the
arguing Governors, but the dinner was now over and the conversation put away
for the time being. They all moved into the sitting area for the evening
entertainment.

Each of the men took a turn telling a story about their own
exploits. Adesina suspected that the majority of these stories were
exaggerated, but smiled politely as if she believed them. Then, to end the evening,
Gainor and her sisters sang a song. It was simple and pleasant, but Adesina
could not truly appreciate it because she was spoiled by the exceptional music
she had so often heard from Ravi.

There was a polite but strained conversation about who would have
the honor of walking Adesina to her home. After some quiet debate, it was
decided that Gainor would walk her home alone. The two visiting Governors and
their wives looked disappointed at the missed opportunity, but let it go. They
all shook Adesina’s hand warmly and reminded her of her promise to visit each
of them soon.

Gainor chattered without restraint all the way to Adesina’s home. She
would have been grateful if the volunteered information had been of any use to
her. Unfortunately, Gainor’s thoughts were filled with the trivial that night.
Ravi padded quietly behind them, humming a cheerful little tune.

Master Hass and Mistress Jelana were still waiting up when she
walked through the door. Jelana smiled warmly. “Did you have a nice time?”

She nodded. “Yes. They were very hospitable.”

It was obvious that they were unsure how closely they could
question her without offending her sense of independence. Adesina didn’t really
feel like talking about the dinner, so she gave them a benign smile and walked
up to her room.

Adesina didn’t sleep very well that night. Her thoughts were a
flurry, unable to even arrange themselves in a coherent manner. Strangely, the
thought that seemed to dominate was the fact that she hadn’t Dreamed since
entering the High City. For some reason, that bothered her. Just after midnight
Adesina sat up in exasperation.

“Ravi?”

He lifted his head immediately, as if he had been awake the whole
time. His golden eyes glowed in the moonlight. “Yes, Ma’eve?”

“My mother told me that I did not need the forest in order to
Dream.”

Ravi inclined his head, following her train of thought in spite of
her lack of clarity. “That is true.”

“Then why have I not Dreamed since leaving it?”

A soft sigh escaped Ravi, as if he were preparing for a long
explanation. “The gift of Dreaming is a skill that takes practice. The forest
is a special place that makes Dreaming easier to those who have the ability.
You simply need to learn how to Dream without that extra help.”

A slight frown furrowed Adesina’s brow. “Will you teach me?”

There was a hint of hesitation in Ravi’s eyes. “I can try, but it
would be difficult. Especially for one such as you.”

Her pride was immediately piqued. “What do you mean?”

Ravi smiled at her reaction. “Merely that you have been trained to
think a certain way your entire life. The gift of Dreaming requires a different
sort of perception.”

She leaned forward, eager for a challenge. “How do I begin?”

Ravi nodded his head toward the window. “Look out and tell me what
you see.”

Adesina did as she was bid. The moon was waning, but the white
buildings seemed to amplify the light. Everything was silent, almost as if any
sort of noise would not be allowed in a city such as this. “I see white buildings,
all evenly spaced from each other. Cobblestone streets painted white. Lots of
reflected light and open space.”

She turned around when she heard a quiet chuckle. Ravi was shaking
his head. “That would be helpful to know if I were trying to sneak through the
city, but is that all that there is?”

Adesina looked again. She wasn’t sure what kind of answer Ravi
wanted to hear. She began studying the details of the scene before her. “Each
house has a garden and each yard is surrounded by a white picket fence…”

Ravi appeared noiselessly at her side. “You are only looking at
the obvious, Ma’eve. You must be able to see deeper than what is immediately
apparent.”

She nodded. This was a principle that was taught at the Shimat
fortress. However, Ravi had stated that her Shimat training would be different
from what he was teaching her. She blew out her breath as she turned her eyes
to the window again. “What am I supposed to be seeking?”

Ravi returned to his place on the floor next to her bed. “Keep
looking. When you see it, you will know.”

Adesina sat at the window for the remainder of the night. She
studied the street until she knew every minute detail. Still, she could not see
anything miraculous. She did not know what Ravi expected her to see. Even as
the first rays of dawn crept through the city, her perspective didn’t change.

She even neglected her exercise routine that morning in favor of
this new training, but could not help but think it was a waste of time.

Jelana appeared at the appointed hour to encourage her to hurry
downstairs. Adesina gave Ravi a reproachful glance as she got ready for the
day. “I still do not see anything.”

Ravi nodded as if that was what he had expected. “Keep looking,
Ma’eve. It will come to you in time.”

Days passed and Adesina could see nothing out of the ordinary. Any
time she observed something new to Ravi, he smiled and shook his head. Finally,
after a week of this, Adesina gave it up in frustration. She went back to her
Shimat routine every morning with a glare shot at Ravi, daring him to comment.

Even though she had given up her daily vigil at the window, she
still studied her surrounding more carefully than she had done before. She had
never failed a challenge before, and she didn’t intend to fail now.

The afternoon after she resumed her Shimat training, Adesina and
Ravi were alone in the shop, which was a rare occurrence. Ravi had settled in a
patch of sunlight and closed his eyes as if to sleep. Adesina knew he was wide
awake and usually liked to use their limited time alone to talk. Today, she
felt should be an exception and she left him to immerse himself in whatever
deep thoughts swirled around in his head.

Adesina picked up her tools and began finishing the repairs on the
chairs she had been assigned by Hass. There was a sort of content absorption
that filled Adesina’s mind when she sat to do carpentry work. All of her focus
turned on the task, freeing her thoughts from the drudgery of her everyday
life.

As she sat smoothing a replacement rung, a quiet noise penetrated
her consciousness. Her hand paused as she turned her attention to the sound. It
was a voice singing—a rich baritone that swelled with poignant emotion. Almost
involuntarily, Adesina got to her feet and followed the music, which led to the
medical clinic next door.

She had never taken the time to meet their business neighbors. Her
brief encounter with the lumberers was the only time she had seen anyone other
than Hass and his customers. Adesina saw that the door to the clinic stood wide
open. She was met with a curious assortment of sights and smells. There were
many shelves filled with containers of all shapes, sizes, and colors. All of
these were labeled in a neat feminine handwriting. There were quite a few
chairs lining the wall and a couple of tables where patients could lie down,
and one of the back corners was curtained off for privacy. There were also a
large number of drawings and notices attached to the wall. Some encouraged
cleanliness, some showed diagrams of human hands or feet, and so forth.

The source of the music was in the middle of the room. Adesina
recognized the curly haired head of the boy who had bumped into her at school.
Aleron, she had been told was his name. He sat facing away from the door,
mixing together herbs for his mother’s trade. He sang in a voice that rivaled
Ravi’s. He was alone in the clinic and did not notice Adesina standing in the
entrance.

The hidden darkness behind closed eyes

The silent fear that pursues the mind

A lost generation that longs for rebirth

The lost turn of time wasted by its own

We sing of the legacy left by our
fathers

We sing of a purpose that has not been
fulfilled

To bring the sun from its faded glory

Back to the light of its first birth

Look to the stars and See them in truth

For in the Heavens all Knowledge is
written

Through the eyes of the Gods all
darkness flees

And the world can be seen in the purity
of light

The last notes died away, leaving behind traces of the powerful
emotion that had filled the song. Adesina quietly backed away, not wishing to
make her presence known. She went back to her work frowning slightly and
oblivious to her surroundings. She did not even notice that Ravi was studying
her with a thoughtful expression on his face.

The words of the song ran through Adesina’s mind in a maddening
circle. She wished she had heard the beginning of the song. Perhaps then she
would have been able to make the connection that stood just outside her reach.
Her focus destroyed, Adesina put her work away for the day and began closing
up.

As she was locking the door to the shop, Aleron was leaving the
clinic. He spotted her and gave a friendly wave. “I did not know that you were
an apprentice to Master Hass! Just think of all the boring afternoons I
suffered through, when I could have walked next door and talked to you!” He
offered his hand to Adesina. “I do not believe we have been formally
introduced. I am Aleron.”

Adesina took his hand, a little wary of his enthusiasm for a
stranger. It wasn’t the open curiosity and slight suspicion she was accustomed
to meeting. It was almost as if he considered them to already be friends.

“My name is Adrie.”

He did not question her about her origins or give her unusual
features an inquisitive glance, for which Adesina was grateful. Instead he
nodded with the happy manner that seemed natural to him. “I walk past Master
Hass’s house on my way home. May I walk with you?”

Unlike some of the young men she had met, Aleron was actually
asking permission. Adesina had a feeling that, regardless of her answer, he
would walk through the Square with a content look on his face. Aleron seemed to
be the kind of person that let nothing dampen his spirits. In that way he
reminded her of Lanil, her childhood Shi friend.

Adesina nodded. “Yes, you may.”

A sunny grin broke across his face. “Thank you.”

As they turned to walk away from the shop, Adesina caught a
glimpse of Master Chatham glaring at them from his window next door. She
reached out and rested her hand on Ravi’s back, which had become a habit.