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The chime sounded again. Luke looked up as the connecting doors slid shut and the status light turned red. There was an almost imperceptible deceleration as the cars separated and the lights of Podadun began to flash through the unfiltered viewpanes.

The infant stirred in its sleep, and Luke retreated. What is wrong with me? he demanded silently as he made his way back to his seat, the aisle tilting under him as the car swung off the main line and onto the banked spur to Sodonna. Why am I jumping at shadows?

Akanah had slept through it all, oblivious. When she finally woke to the spectacular salmon-and-pink sunrise warming her face, Luke said nothing to her about it. He didn’t know what he could have said, except that he had had another waking dream and still didn’t know its meaning.

The name Kell Plath no longer appeared in the Sodonna directories, but not because Teyr’s winds had ripped it from the map or because the name had become burdened by shame. An hour at the city library uncovered not only its location, but also the petition under which its new owners had asked for the more marketable name of River Gardens.

Kell Plath had been a commonal—a walled and gated space enclosing a group of small residences surrounding a common green space. The design was popular in Sodonna. Standing in front of the gate to River Gardens, Luke and Akanah could see more than a dozen other commonals along the road winding along the high bank above the river.

According to the traveler’s aid card, the commonal was a piece of the region’s history, as well—a reminder of rougher days when the walls and gates protected unmated children and other valuables from the less refined types who came to Sodonna to work the docks.

As a matter of form, Luke and Akanah approached the security droid at the gate and asked after Trobe Saar, Norika, and the other children. In each case, the answer was the same: “I am unable to identify the resident requested.”

“I’m interested in purchasing a share in River Gardens,” Luke said, trying another tack. “Who could arrange a tour of the facilities for us?”

“No shares are currently available for purchase,” the security droid said. “When shares become available, they will be listed with Indal Properties of Sodonna.”

Akanah stepped forward. “I’m researching the history of commonals for Teyr Tours subscribers,” she said. “I’d like to know more about the history of this site—is the property manager available to talk to me for a few minutes?”

Directed for a second time to Indal Properties, they retreated to the other side of the street to regroup.

“So much for the front door,” Luke said with a sigh. “I hate trying to wiggle past a security droid. They’re too dumb to deceive and too single-minded to finesse.”

“We have to get inside.”

“They’re not there—you know that. They’ve been gone for fifteen years.”

“But they were here,” she said. “And the way will be marked.”

Luke looked back over his shoulder. “You don’t think they were considerate enough to leave their mark on the outside of the commonal, do you?”

The wall of the commonal was three meters high and slippery smooth, curving slightly outward and topped with a line of sharp-edged fracturestone that was both decorative and functional.

“I can vault this,” Luke said. “It isn’t a problem.”

“It is for me.”

“I can get us both over.”

“Give me a chance to read here first.”

She moved down the wall at her own pace, trailing her fingertips along the surface. Luke followed a few steps behind, trying to sense the interaction between her and the wall, to understand what opening she was looking through in search of the Fallanassi scribing.

When they rounded the third corner, Akanah cried out in surprise and fell back a step. With two quick strides, Luke was beside her. It was then that he saw the security droid blocking her way.

“This is your only warning,” the droid said. “You are loitering on private property. Your likeness has been recorded. Your suspicious behavior has been documented. Remove yourself from this