The
room was cold, and the air felt heavy in...
The
room was cold, and the air felt heavy in their lungsThe candle flames burned weaklySo they went back to
the small room and slid the door closed behind them"I guess," said Lina, "that this first boat is meant as a
sort of sampleWe learn what's what on the one that
has signs'"
They went back out to the river's edgeLina blew
out her candle and began closing up the boxes they'd
openedDoon blew out his, too"I'm going to take my
candle with me," he said, "to look at laterI want some
matches as well' He took a packet of matches from the
box and tucked it inside his shirtLina returned the boxes to the boat room and
slid the door closedThen she and Doon stood
together on the ledge and gazed downLess than a foot
194
below, the river rushed byA short distance down
Stream it plunged into the dark ceramic chanel mouth in the wall and
disappeared
"Well," he said, "we've found it
"We've found it," Lina repeated, wonderingly"And tomorrow, at the start of the Singing," said
Doon, "we'll stand up in Harken Square and tell the
whole city
When they came up out of the Pipeworks, it was nearly
six o'clockThey hadn't realized they'd been down
there so long
