the land outside the shuttle's dome, her face turned away from her daughter.
Marellon sat up abruptly, his mouth open. Harel's eyes widened as his face grew pale; Silla reached for her partner's hand. In that instant, Anra felt a dizzying ripple.
Her mind suddenly fell in on itself, becoming a hard, solid object. The tenuous cords of the Net were gone; she could hear nothing except the low hum of the craft. She pushed against her wall, unable to move it; she was deaf and blind to all other thoughts. She let out a cry and the wall shattered.
The craft was filled with the buzzing of frightened minds. Lydee clutched the arms of her seat; her lips were pressed tightly together.
"Did you feel it?" Harel said aloud. Marellon nodded. "We felt the same thing before, once, in our village."
"What was it?" Anra managed to ask.
"A malfunction," Lydee answered. "The Minds failing temporarily. That's all it could be."
Silla stretched out on her seat; her face had a yellowish tinge. "It's gone now." Her face contorted. "But what about the next time, and the next? And what happens if the Minds fail altogether?"
"They must have repaired the problem by now," Marellon answered. "You shouldn't worry."
"Shouldn't worry!" Silla's dark eyes were wide with fear. "The last time we felt it, a friend was flying toward our home. Had she been farther from the ground, the fall would have killed her when she lost her powers. As it is, she broke some bones." She sat up. "It could happen again. I'm afraid to fly now. Imagine it—being injured, without even the power to reach inside yourself and heal your wounds." Harel took her hand, trying to soothe his partner.
"I spoke to the Minds a short time ago," Anra said. "I was inside one of the mountains where They're housed. They told me we had nothing to fear." She wanted to believe that.
Her mother's eyes narrowed. She was gazing at Anra with suspicion, and Anra caught a glimpse of Silla's thoughts. Silla feared her and feared the village of which her daughter was a part.
Silla leaned toward Lydee. "Is your Homesmind aware of this problem? You've mentioned Its great wisdom often enough. Why doesn't It tell you what's wrong with the Minds?"
"It is trying to find out," Lydee replied, then paused. "Strange, isn't it? You recoil from skydwellers and their ways, and yet you came to me for help."
"You are my sister," Silla said. "But it seems that skydwellers are as helpless in this matter as we are."
"And that means we're useless to you, so you despise us all the more. Yet if we solve everything for you, you'd bring yourself to accept us then."
Silla looked away.
By early afternoon, they were rushing toward a mountain range that reached to the clouds. Anra leaned forward, peering at the white peaks on the horizon. These were not like the mountains she knew, which now seemed more like hills in comparison.
"We'll soon be home," Harel said.
The shuttle shot up, rising until the ground below was hidden by mist. Mountain peaks floated on a sea of clouds. Anra looked down, noting patches of green among the rocky slopes. The ground tilted; a wall of rock was before them. The craft dropped. Anra clutched her armrests, suddenly dizzy even though she could feel no movement. They fell past the cliffs rapidly. Ahead, a waterfall cascaded down a mountainside, feeding a large spring. On the steep slope facing the waterfall, small wooden houses nestled among tall evergreens.
The craft alighted next to the spring. People began to float down the mountainside toward them; others hurried along winding paths. Hundreds of thoughts buffeted Anra; she raised her wall as the craft's door slid open and Marellon led her parents outside.
Anra jumped out, followed by Lydee. A little girl released a woman's hand and ran to Silla, who hugged her. Two boys peered up at Anra, then giggled, pointing at her cloth garments; they, like everyone else here, were wearing hides and fur.
Harel motioned to Anra. She went to his side,
Marellon sat up abruptly, his mouth open. Harel's eyes widened as his face grew pale; Silla reached for her partner's hand. In that instant, Anra felt a dizzying ripple.
Her mind suddenly fell in on itself, becoming a hard, solid object. The tenuous cords of the Net were gone; she could hear nothing except the low hum of the craft. She pushed against her wall, unable to move it; she was deaf and blind to all other thoughts. She let out a cry and the wall shattered.
The craft was filled with the buzzing of frightened minds. Lydee clutched the arms of her seat; her lips were pressed tightly together.
"Did you feel it?" Harel said aloud. Marellon nodded. "We felt the same thing before, once, in our village."
"What was it?" Anra managed to ask.
"A malfunction," Lydee answered. "The Minds failing temporarily. That's all it could be."
Silla stretched out on her seat; her face had a yellowish tinge. "It's gone now." Her face contorted. "But what about the next time, and the next? And what happens if the Minds fail altogether?"
"They must have repaired the problem by now," Marellon answered. "You shouldn't worry."
"Shouldn't worry!" Silla's dark eyes were wide with fear. "The last time we felt it, a friend was flying toward our home. Had she been farther from the ground, the fall would have killed her when she lost her powers. As it is, she broke some bones." She sat up. "It could happen again. I'm afraid to fly now. Imagine it—being injured, without even the power to reach inside yourself and heal your wounds." Harel took her hand, trying to soothe his partner.
"I spoke to the Minds a short time ago," Anra said. "I was inside one of the mountains where They're housed. They told me we had nothing to fear." She wanted to believe that.
Her mother's eyes narrowed. She was gazing at Anra with suspicion, and Anra caught a glimpse of Silla's thoughts. Silla feared her and feared the village of which her daughter was a part.
Silla leaned toward Lydee. "Is your Homesmind aware of this problem? You've mentioned Its great wisdom often enough. Why doesn't It tell you what's wrong with the Minds?"
"It is trying to find out," Lydee replied, then paused. "Strange, isn't it? You recoil from skydwellers and their ways, and yet you came to me for help."
"You are my sister," Silla said. "But it seems that skydwellers are as helpless in this matter as we are."
"And that means we're useless to you, so you despise us all the more. Yet if we solve everything for you, you'd bring yourself to accept us then."
Silla looked away.
By early afternoon, they were rushing toward a mountain range that reached to the clouds. Anra leaned forward, peering at the white peaks on the horizon. These were not like the mountains she knew, which now seemed more like hills in comparison.
"We'll soon be home," Harel said.
The shuttle shot up, rising until the ground below was hidden by mist. Mountain peaks floated on a sea of clouds. Anra looked down, noting patches of green among the rocky slopes. The ground tilted; a wall of rock was before them. The craft dropped. Anra clutched her armrests, suddenly dizzy even though she could feel no movement. They fell past the cliffs rapidly. Ahead, a waterfall cascaded down a mountainside, feeding a large spring. On the steep slope facing the waterfall, small wooden houses nestled among tall evergreens.
The craft alighted next to the spring. People began to float down the mountainside toward them; others hurried along winding paths. Hundreds of thoughts buffeted Anra; she raised her wall as the craft's door slid open and Marellon led her parents outside.
Anra jumped out, followed by Lydee. A little girl released a woman's hand and ran to Silla, who hugged her. Two boys peered up at Anra, then giggled, pointing at her cloth garments; they, like everyone else here, were wearing hides and fur.
Harel motioned to Anra. She went to his side,
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