#1linewed [1/3] “And ‘One of the Twelve will bring about the death of the Champion…’ ”
But Da’sask’ni’a interrupted me sharply. “Why are you so obsessed with stripping the shadows from Ki’shto’ba’s death? …

#1linewed [2/3] “I will no longer receive these words, I tell you! Go away, Di’fa’kro’mi! Make yourself ready to move on toward your fate!”
And that left me feeling very shaky – as if it might be I who was destined …

#1linewed [3/3] … to bring about the death of my beloved friend Ki’shto’ba Huge-Head.
Or did Da’sask’ni’a see himself in that role, in the distorted visions within his spirit-#haunted mind?

“I’m sorry, I’m not sure we can help. At least they can attend virtually.” said Boss Lady, spreading her hands in a gesture of defeat.

“The furthest Sally has been in months is her front garden.”

“What about -“ Kitty stopped and we all looked at her.

#1linewed "The Librarian's Secret Diary"

#1linewed “Oh, Za’dut, you make the World Beneath sound so humdrum and #meaningless,” said Ra’fa’kat’wei.
“You take away the magic,” said Is’a’pai’a. “Are we not allowed to have magic sometimes?”

#1linewed Without warning A’zhu’lo banged its head once on the stones and surged forward. “I cannot let a Champion die so #meaninglessly!” it cried. “A rescue!”
And it rushed down the rocks in a series of prodigious leaps.

#1linewed “I remembered a #meaningless thing that I took before you even appeared at the ford, and the time to speak it seemed to have arrived. ‘One and Six will come between the rivers, but One and Six will set out on the northern path.’”
Confounded, we all stood wordless.

#1linewed Halrab had strong legs and good aim from incessant playing of ridge ball with his cousins in childhood. The pouch flew into the air, trailing a spurt of flames that #showered the shrieking observers. The pouch itself landed against the breast of the High Elder…

#1linewed A ball of moisture, delicately intermingled w/ light that slightly intensified at its core, was suspended in the air. It shook itself & drops #showered from its periphery to fall silently on the surface of the water.
“Is it a Troi?”Halrab whispered.
“One most elemental.”

#1linewed The spirit did not approach closer, but it led them slowly and steadily, leaving a tunnel of eerie violet light behind it to guide their advance. Finally, it leaped up, marked the opening of the ice cave with a silver #shower, and left them as mysteriously as it had come.

#1linewed Halrab’s mouth opened in perplexity, but then he obeyed, sending up streams of white birds, their wing #showering silver fire; weaving them through the wreaths of opalescent vapor that Gilzara flung out; shaping along with the Master garlands of flowers …

“Seriously? How much effort have you put into planning this weekend, Nina?”

“Listen, I plan events for a living, Alex. It’s about time I used my superpowers for good.”

“Ah yes, my very own Super Librarian,” he said and pulled me in for a kiss.

#1linewed "The Librarian's Secret Diary"

#1linewed That plant – the vine-tree, the host of the mother-net of the Golden Fungus – had very large leaves, as long as my body and #drawn out to a point. The lowest ones were visible as separate entities even from this distance.

#1linewed “Why did Ki’shto’ba want to take the Spear along, when it will not #draw it?” asked Is’a’pai’a.
And I vaguely mumbled my agreement with the others’ mystification, but in my gut I thought I knew the answer and it troubled me exceedingly.

#1linewed [1/4] Bu’gan’zei babbled, “Seer, is it going to do it? #Draw the weapon? Kill this villain again? Are you going to allow that?”
Thru’tei’ga’ma only gibbered and scrabbled among the rocks, and he did not intervene.
Now Ki’shto’ba was speaking further.

#1linewed [2/4] “I am the Three-Mandibled Champion, but I have vowed never again to #draw the Spear in vengeance. I … ”
“Vengeance! Why, it is mercy!” cried Dai’wak’zei. “Have you grown so merciless then, Self-Righteous Champion?”

#1linewed [3/4] “No! But I have learned much about unnatural babble such as yours and I will not be caught by it again Instead, in the name of mercy I will deliver you – like this!”
And as the scavenger made a low pass, Ki’shto’ba sprang into the air …

#1linewed [4/4] … and slashed with its mandibles. The creature flapped up, raining dark drops, and flew away, disappearing into the surrounding darkness. [My rendition of Prometheus chained to the cliff and being eaten alive by a vulture.]

My attempt to be mysterious had failed somewhat by the time we’d reached the fifth floor and I was regretting not noticing that the place didn’t have an elevator, but we arrived, finally, at the door to the top floor apartment.

#1linewed "The Librarian's Secret Diary"

#1linewed [1/2] Simone #restarted the animation. The Ariana disappeared, popping back into view some distance from the star. It then repeated the process, rematerializing near the big gas giant Epsilon Eri b. Simone wrote, “7 days.”