“You need a distraction,” Ford announced.
He
had to shout, because at this altitude, the wind whistled past the many bracing
wires that turned the open observation deck into a birdcage. Most people tended
to find the constant whistling and moaning irritating. Ess couldn’t understand
why. She liked the background sounds. Something about it held a promise of
turning into music, maybe even words. If she listened long enough, she thought
she might finally have the key, or the code to decipher what the music of
creation tried to tell her in the ethereal, high-altitude song. Maybe it was
just her imagination, but the sensation of memories poised on the brink of bursting
into consciousness confirmed her aching suspicion that her memory had been
tampered with just as her brother's had been.
Besides,
she found the song of the guy wires and the wind actually helped her remember
more clearly what she had just read. The song, more felt than heard, seemed to
open up deeper recesses of her mind and assisted in subconsciously sorting the
information. Athena wore a thoughtful expression just last night over dinner, when
Ess told her why she preferred studying in the chilly observation deck, rather
than the forward lounge. When that tiny vertical line formed between Athena’s
elegant brows and her eyes took on a distant look, Ess had learned she could
expect something interesting.
“I
don’t need a distraction,” she said, scooting around to find a more comfortable
nest among the pile of seat cushions and five blankets she had brought up with
her. The gray clouds threatened rain, and she looked forward to discovering
just what changes rain would make to the song of the air. “I’m up here to avoid
distractions.”
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