Read Online The Fourth Sage (The Circularity Saga) by Stefan Bolz - Free Book Online
Authors: Stefan Bolz
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wish—to not be here, to somehow, hope against hope, change their lives.
"And thank you for your note."
"Which note?"
"Like the wind o'er forgotten plains," Aries exclaims dramatically.
"When the storm clouds whisper names," Kiire replies as dramatically. "Like the girl that came from light..."
"Like the bird 'twas born of night," Aries replies. "A very fine piece of poetry, I must say." She bows her head.
"I must say so myself, I'm afraid. Very fine indeed," Kiire answers.
"There must be more," Aries says.
"More of what?"
"More poetry."
"Ah... alas, a lover of the spoken word, the written word, the riddle, rhythm, and the rhyme."
Aries looks down. "Very much so," she whispers. "Very much so." And for no apparent reason she starts to cry. Not a lot, and she wipes away the tears as soon as they come. "Sorry," she says. "I feel so silly."
"Don't be," Kiire replies. "Please. Not in here."
"It's just so hard sometimes. And I don't know what to do about it."
"I don't know, either, but we'll find a way."
"I hope so." For some reason, Kiire's matter-of-fact reply is comforting to her.
"We will. I know it," he replies.
Aries wipes her tears while realizing that she can sense the hawk's presence, similar to yesterday when she was in the dark shaft. As if Born-of-Night is somehow privy to her emotional state and reacts accordingly.
"I have to find you a place to live," Aries says. "This is too small for you."
"Any ideas?" Kiire asks. "'Cause I don't."
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do have an idea. The other day I found a very odd and very long vertical shaft that connects the core with the duct system. I marked it. I have to find the vent from within the ducts. I could take her there and let her through the vent and into the core. She would have plenty of space."
"What about food?" Kiire replies.
"I'm sure our friends at Rodent Control would appreciate a little help," Aries says.
Kiire smiles. "You think she'll be okay there?"
"I don't know. I hope so. I don't see any other place for her to be."
"It's settled then," Kiire says.
"I need to go."
"Now?"
Aries looks at her watch. "It's 1:59. I have forty minutes. I think I know where to look. It'll take me about fifteen minutes to get there and I'll have plenty of time to get back before the loop expires."
"Okay. But be careful."
"I will."
Kiire stretches out his arm and Born-of-Night jumps over to it.
"Aw, why does it have to hurt so much?" he exclaims.
"See you tomorrow night?" Aries says.
"Yes. See you tomorrow night."
Aries crouches in front of the vent. As she looks back toward Kiire and the hawk, she sees, for just an instant, an image of herself from the hawk's perspective, kneeling in front of the open vent. The colors are brighter and the image is sharp. Then it's gone and Aries climbs into the duct.
She crawls through the narrow channel, part of her trying to make sense of this new friendship with a being that should have no way of understanding her thoughts. But another part of her begins to accept it for what it is, despite it being completely out of the ordinary. But ordinary, she realizes, might not be enough anymore, might not be able to help her do what she knows needs to be done.
* * *
Aries has a pretty solid image in her head of where she has to go to find the marked vent. From the secondary air duct she is in, she soon comes to a larger one. This one is round and allows her to walk while slightly bending her upper body. She walks as quietly as she can, in her mind retracing the channels like she would a three-dimensional maze.
She reaches the perpendicular air duct about a minute later. It goes straight up, about fifteen feet. Without hesitation she jumps straight up into it then uses her hands to hold herself up, pulling up her feet at the same time. This is an exercise she has done so many times that it takes her a mere ten seconds to reach the duct in the next level. From here it's a few turns and two more vertical
"And thank you for your note."
"Which note?"
"Like the wind o'er forgotten plains," Aries exclaims dramatically.
"When the storm clouds whisper names," Kiire replies as dramatically. "Like the girl that came from light..."
"Like the bird 'twas born of night," Aries replies. "A very fine piece of poetry, I must say." She bows her head.
"I must say so myself, I'm afraid. Very fine indeed," Kiire answers.
"There must be more," Aries says.
"More of what?"
"More poetry."
"Ah... alas, a lover of the spoken word, the written word, the riddle, rhythm, and the rhyme."
Aries looks down. "Very much so," she whispers. "Very much so." And for no apparent reason she starts to cry. Not a lot, and she wipes away the tears as soon as they come. "Sorry," she says. "I feel so silly."
"Don't be," Kiire replies. "Please. Not in here."
"It's just so hard sometimes. And I don't know what to do about it."
"I don't know, either, but we'll find a way."
"I hope so." For some reason, Kiire's matter-of-fact reply is comforting to her.
"We will. I know it," he replies.
Aries wipes her tears while realizing that she can sense the hawk's presence, similar to yesterday when she was in the dark shaft. As if Born-of-Night is somehow privy to her emotional state and reacts accordingly.
"I have to find you a place to live," Aries says. "This is too small for you."
"Any ideas?" Kiire asks. "'Cause I don't."
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do have an idea. The other day I found a very odd and very long vertical shaft that connects the core with the duct system. I marked it. I have to find the vent from within the ducts. I could take her there and let her through the vent and into the core. She would have plenty of space."
"What about food?" Kiire replies.
"I'm sure our friends at Rodent Control would appreciate a little help," Aries says.
Kiire smiles. "You think she'll be okay there?"
"I don't know. I hope so. I don't see any other place for her to be."
"It's settled then," Kiire says.
"I need to go."
"Now?"
Aries looks at her watch. "It's 1:59. I have forty minutes. I think I know where to look. It'll take me about fifteen minutes to get there and I'll have plenty of time to get back before the loop expires."
"Okay. But be careful."
"I will."
Kiire stretches out his arm and Born-of-Night jumps over to it.
"Aw, why does it have to hurt so much?" he exclaims.
"See you tomorrow night?" Aries says.
"Yes. See you tomorrow night."
Aries crouches in front of the vent. As she looks back toward Kiire and the hawk, she sees, for just an instant, an image of herself from the hawk's perspective, kneeling in front of the open vent. The colors are brighter and the image is sharp. Then it's gone and Aries climbs into the duct.
She crawls through the narrow channel, part of her trying to make sense of this new friendship with a being that should have no way of understanding her thoughts. But another part of her begins to accept it for what it is, despite it being completely out of the ordinary. But ordinary, she realizes, might not be enough anymore, might not be able to help her do what she knows needs to be done.
* * *
Aries has a pretty solid image in her head of where she has to go to find the marked vent. From the secondary air duct she is in, she soon comes to a larger one. This one is round and allows her to walk while slightly bending her upper body. She walks as quietly as she can, in her mind retracing the channels like she would a three-dimensional maze.
She reaches the perpendicular air duct about a minute later. It goes straight up, about fifteen feet. Without hesitation she jumps straight up into it then uses her hands to hold herself up, pulling up her feet at the same time. This is an exercise she has done so many times that it takes her a mere ten seconds to reach the duct in the next level. From here it's a few turns and two more vertical
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