A long canoe-like craft squeezes through the gap that has been cleared in the rubble of the collapsed land bridge, poled along by a team of one burly Rokuga in the center, a Savanite in the front, and an amphibious Shiga in the back. Chigas are thick in the air, and the Shiga's primary contribution so far is to shoot out his long pink tongue to grab as many of the pests as he possible can manage to stuff into his big, round squat frame.

"Lovely day – *SNAP* *THWOOP* – isn't it?" croaks the Shiga, Burbit, in between snaring bugs from over Willow's head.

Moon-Brow reflexively ducks ever so slightly each time, so conditioned after the one time that Burbit accidentally caught her ear. (Not that it did any harm, but having a big sticky tongue shoot out and grab one's ear is not usually a fond memory to have.) She signs, "Here is the City. What's left of it. Sorry we're not traveling in luxury, but Xenea is poor enough that even royalty have to deal with the sun every once in a while." Her ears wiggle.

The Skreek pours some ointment on her fur to keep the bugs off and finishes putting a herb pouch together for the kitten sitting next to her. "It's quite all right. I wish there were a few less bugs to contend with, but nature has a way of providing a means of dealing with them if one tries hard enough." She carefully puts the pouch around her daughter's neck and pats it into place. "Now don't take that off, Nene, otherwise the bugs will be all over you. If anything bites you, then let me know so I can treat it."

Nene just quietly nods, looking up to her mother for a moment, then staring at the warped surroundings as the canoe paddles by.

"So why wasn't the city ever rebuilt? Too many memories?" Willow looks out across the side of the boat.

The Savanite at the fore gets up to a half-standing position, and reaches out his pole for the approaching shoreline. Here, the canoe moves into a relatively still section of water along the river, formed by a "harbor" of fallen rock and piles of sand. A fallen slab of broken stone provides a ramp that descends into the river water, and it is against this that the canoe scrapes as it bumps to a stop.

"Too much WORK," croaks Burbit, his eyes splaying.

The gray rat wraps her arms around the kitten as the boat docks. "Work's healthy for ya, and it gets folks together."

The toad just makes a raspy, croaking laugh, his mouth going froggishly wide as he does so … but his laugh quickly cuts off with a FWIP as he grabs another bug.

A few Savanites congregate near the shoreline, accompanied by an assortment of skittish-looking lizards, some of them clinging to the rocks. The footing is fairly uneven here, though it looks like once one gets away from the "shore", some wooden walkways have been set up over the more broken areas.

"Nene, don't you let go of my tail until we're on solid ground, understand?" Willow sighs to herself. For some reason she feels like there's a broken chunk of rock inside her stomach as well.

Moon-Brow slowly gets up from her seat, once the Rokuga has secured the craft with the help of a rope tossed to the shore and tied to a sturdy pole that looks suspiciously like a giant stone thumb.

A male cheetah in white drapes and netting bows to the new arrivals. "Greetings, Princess Moon-Brow, Lady Dack, Princess Dack. We humbly welcome you to the City of Hands. I am Supervisor Glass-Beads."

The supervisor, despite his name, has no sign on him of his namesake, nor any other sort of ornamentation. He appears to be dressed in very simple work clothes, the "drapes" and netting appearing to be for the purpose of shade against sun and shelter from biting bugs that might go for the face given half a chance.

The Skreek wobbles as she stands on the boat and helps her daughter onto the shore. "Greetings, I'd normally sign my words out of respect but I'll need a moment to free up my hands." She smiles, albeit a bit shakily.

The supervisor bows again. "There is no need. We are not all Savanites here. There is no need to ask Shigas or Rokugas or Kirigas to pause in their work to make hand-signs to us. Better that they use the tongues they have, and the People to not waste much time chattering."

Willow dusts herself off and places a hand on the kitten's head. "Thank you for allowing my family to come here, Glass-Beads. I want my daughter to know about the woman I named her after, and I'd like to see what was once her kingdom. It's an honor to be allowed to walk here."

The supervisor gestures for Willow to accompany him, and then signs, "It is a shame you were not able to come here during the time of the City's glory. But in time, we may be able to restore it, or perhaps our descendants after us. There is much work to be done, to make sure that no secrets are lost in our eagerness to set stones back atop each other."

Moon-Brow signs, "Will my sister be able to see us?"

The supervisor answers Moon-Brow with an apologetic shrug.

"The Priest-Queen is here?" The Skreek quirks an ear upwards. "I'd like to meet her as well."

The supervisor signs, "She frequently visits one of the shrines here." His ear twitches.

Now, the supervisor leads Willow, Moon-Brow and Nene along, the others having returned to their work, or to the business of loading a few items onto the canoe to take back downstream. Presumably, another canoe will be taking the small party downstream on the return trip.

The supervisor signs, "Are there any particular sites you wished to see during your time here? Or should I give you what passes for a tour?"

( The shrine where she prays to the Star, no doubt. I still don't like the idea of only certain people being allowed in certain places to pray. ) The Skreek rubs a ring on her finger. "I'm mostly interested in seeing the places that pertain to Third-Vision. I'm trying to learn as much about her as I can."

The supervisor nods, and scans the ruins about himself. "The city is divided into two parts, primarily, not including the settlements outside of the canyon itself. We are in the downstream half. The palace is in the upstream portion, and we cannot see it from here." He gestures toward the rocky cliffs. The canyon widens out here into several mostly flat shelves, but it narrows again a bit upstream, though some walkways – most of them broken – can be seen leading up and above the river, turning a bend, out of line of sight, though hints of buildings can be seen on the other side of the river beyond the bend.

The supervisor gestures toward a jumble of broken stones. A promenade of some sort leads up to the broken structure, and remnants of stone hands can be seen lining the walkway. "That was the Map Chamber. It is said that the ancients were clever in their use of light. Crystal hands could be used in this chamber to predict the locations of sky islands, if one also knew the positions of all of the planets."

"Are you doing okay, Nene, or do you want to ride on my back?" Willow wipes a bit of sweat from her brow. "Will it be possible to replace all of them?"

Nene mews, "Okay."

The supervisor shakes his head. "Perhaps someday, with proper study of the hands, they might be replicated magically. But with so many pieces to the puzzle missing … I do not think it can be completely recovered. Much the same story holds for the other parts of the city."

The supervisor continues pointing out various buildings and noting what importance they had, and whether they dated back to the time of the Priest-King of old, or the last days of Priest-Queen Third-Vision's rule.

The supervisor leads Willow and her companions down a street. "That building was used by Priest-Queen Third-Vision before she became ruler of the city. She led several of the People here, escaping from Rephidim. They joined her when she came here to free the Twelve-times-Twelve from their prisons in stone."

The Skreek's nostrils flare a bit as she takes in the scents of the city. "I still can't believe that the Nagai destroyed all of this and risked their position like they did. I always figured they'd approach the whole free Savanites thing as though they were tormented masters with uppity children who didn't understand their kindness. You know… like how the Himaat Emir and his folks do the butter-tongued routine. To be able to track a sky island, or all the other wonders I've heard about this place… and they obliterated it all like a bunch of barbarians."

The supervisor shrugs. "The People were, in their eyes, rebelling. The Nagai do not coddle those they consider to be traitors. They had an empire to keep, and a tenuous claim on the lands. If we had settled here quietly, and kept our existence secret – at least symbolically – they might have tolerated us, just as they have tolerated so many petty fiefdoms in the Desolate Band. But we were not content to be, pardon the term, 'squatters', on our own ancestral lands. Nagai history is punctuated with even more bloody suppressions of those who claimed their independence."

The supervisor signs, "It was still a massacre, and it was a grievous wound to the People, but I do not meet it with surprise. We long knew that the day would come. But even so, we pressed on. Why? Because it was what we had to do."

The supervisor signs, "In the eyes of many, it was better to die free than to live a slave."

"I wonder how many treasures the Nagai lost in their conquests? They claim credit for so much, but it seems as though they've destroyed more than they've ever actually discovered." Willow peers inside the indicated building.

The building looks like it has been cleared out. It seems that it wasn't a specific target of any bombardment, and is for the most part intact, though it is empty of any furniture, and it appears that any rubble has been carefully cleared out. There is evidence of some masonry going on at the upper levels, and some work on the roof, but none of it seems to be in progress at this particular moment.

Willow pokes her head into the doorway. "This is grisly of me to ask, but were there any survivors from the attack?"

Glass-Beads signs, "Only insofar as those who could escape before the Nagai finished their final 'purge' when the overran the City. The Nagai put every last one to the sword that they found in the City. All accounts are that no prisoners were taken."

The Skreek pulls her head out and nods, grateful that her daughter doesn't quite have a full understanding of hand-sign yet.

Glass-Beads points back down the street. "This is the site of where the Unlucky-One had another one of his infamous accidents… " He describes an encounter that sounds like it belongs in some sort of a slapstick story, which involved ladders being knocked down, fake statues of Nagas toppled over, and a bucket of tar dumped unceremoniously on Third-Vision's head. "It is a credit to the Priest-Queen that eventually they became friends."

Willow makes a point of translating the antics to Nene, glad for a momentary break in the somber mood.

Nene stirs from her near-swoon of boredom, and giggles at the story.

The supervisor signs, "Now, perhaps we should see the other side of the City?"

"After you." The Skreek bows. "What's on the other side?"

"The palace," the supervisor signs, "or what is left of it."

Moon-Brow bows her head, and follows along.

Willow hefts the cub up on her shoulders to give her a rest (and a better view) as she follows after the two cheetahs.

The small party is led along an incline, part of it in stone, part of it comprised of wooden walkways on frames set up to fill in the broken gaps. When they round the bend, they can see another widened area. This seems even more blasted than the other. Some of the ruins are faintly recognizable from the representations back in Safarland.

"That was the palace," signs the supervisor, pointing to what looks like a lumpy form of molten rock, twisted and distorted, obviously touched by foul magic. It stands in the middle of a court, which seems to have drawn less interest from the attackers, and around that court is a walled area with twelve archways … or, there would be twelve archways, save for the areas that have been blasted apart or knocked down.

The Skreek sets the kitten back down, sparing her shoulders a little bit. "I hope it can be recovered or rebuilt. Did anything survive that we can look at?"

Glass-Beads points toward the cliff near the palace. "One of the gateways led to a secret area inside the cliffs. In there was the fabled Creen-ship, and the discs once used by the Twelve in the days of old." He points upward to the top of the cliff. "They would depart from above, there. It is possible to go inside. The Nagai defaced as much as they could, but the cliffs are too solid for them to destroy them utterly."

Glass-Beads signs, "Alas, the Creen-ship was destroyed when the Priest-Queen fell at the hands of the Nagai."

The supervisor then points another way. "There," he signs, indicating … well … one of several buildings, all of them looking fairly unassuming, "is the shrine that the Priest-Queen visits. Priest-Queen Third-Vision had forbidden anyone to enter that area, and had commanded the Twelve-times-Twelve to put up wards to set off an alarm should any enter but she and her kin."

Willow scrubs at her eye. "Into battle on her flagship, not the slightest bit afraid. That's my sister." She swallows and looks in the direction the supervisor points. "What's known about that place? It doesn't look much like a church."

Glass-Beads shakes his head. "I do not know. I do not sign of this to just anyone, and consider this but rumor, but the Priest-Queen feared this place, and signed not why. It was of some importance to the Twelve-times-Twelve, however."

The Skreek quirk an eyebrow upwards and glances over to Moon-Brow as if for confirmation on this.

Moon-Brow frowns. "So that is the place. How dare she spite my sister!"

Glass-Beads ducks his head. "I meant no harm, Princess."

"Glass-Beads, are you able to speak with the Priest-Queen at all? Could you deliver a message for me?" Willow counts across her fingers, each of which sports a ring, until she comes across one made of a black translucent material.

Glass-Beads signs, "I can deliver a message, but I am not to disturb her while she is in meditation, unless it is a matter of grave import."

Moon-Brow signs, "The Twelve-times-Twelve wished Third-Vision to go into that place. It was a place of ancient magic. They said that it would be necessary to restore the glory of the old Savanite Empire. But Third-Vision had reason to wish to have no part of it, and commanded that the wards be set up, as Supervisor Glass-Beads signed."

"Then this might be a matter of grave importance indeed." Willow pulls the ring off and hands it to the cheetah supervisor. "Show this to her and tell her that a Skreek named Willow the Wisp and Princess Moon-Brow wish to speak with her. Show her the ring when you sign my name, and for Star's sake don't lose it. I'd sooner lose the finger I wear the ring on, than the ring itself."

Glass-Beads' ears flick, and he looks to Moon-Brow. Moon-Brow returns his glance with a stern gaze and a commanding nod. Glass-Beads bows deferentially … and sprints off toward the cluster of buildings … Moon-Brow carefully tracing his departure.

The Skreek sits down on a broken bit of stone and pulls a wooden whistle from her belt. "So what do you know about this place? I figured it was another one of those stuffy tabernacles they only let Savanites into. I'm beginning to think I was wrong, especially since the Priest-King didn't seem to be much of a follower of the Star."

Moon-Brow shakes her head. "I know not much of it. Only that it was forbidden. I believe I saw a careless sign of the Twelve-times-Twelve … that this place provided a way to call the ancestors of our People."

Moon-Brow settles down as well, and signs to Nene, "You like Creens?"

"That doesn't sound so bad, or are we talking about dead relative communication?" Willow puts the whistle to her lips and plays a quiet, casual tune. Two melodies playing together, one deep and rich and the other simple and almost unnoticed, but the two fit together somehow into one soft voice.

Nene starts to shake her head, then stops, listening to the flute. She smiles and claps her hands together.

Moon-Brow signs, "Unless our ancestors were gods, I would presume that they would be dead by now."

After a bit of flute-playing, Glass-Beads can be seen returning from the building. He doesn't move quite as quickly going back uphill, but he's still doing his best to make a good pace.

The Skreek makes a sour note on the flute, flattening her ears. She tries to recover the tune and simplifies her song so she can play with one hand. "Like small bug – ant, worm." She jerks her head towards the kitten.

Willow stops playing and rises to her feet, looking after the arriving supervisor.

Nene looks disappointed, and then turns to look at the approaching cheetah. "He's fast," she mews.

Glass-Beads comes up to the overlook, pausing a moment to gain his breath, but still able to use his hands – handing the ring back to Willow. With his free hand, he signs, "She will see you."

"Good. I'm beginning to see what Testy meant about having a bad feeling about all of this." The Skreek gently slides the ring back onto her finger and ruffles the kitten's red hair. "I'll back you up as best as I can, Moon-Brow, but we might find ourselves haggling with a bunch of priests more than your sister."

Glass-Beads signs, "She'll receive you in her tent." He gestures toward a cleared off area aside from some of the rubble, where there are several tents set up – a temporary base of operations, evidently, without fear of any cave-ins or collapses of old ruined buildings.

Willow, Moon-Brow and Nene are treated to food and drink – fairly nice, considering their surroundings, but surely paling greatly compared to the fare that would have been served while the palace was still standing. Moon-Brow looks solemn, doing her best to hide her anger, lest she put those about her ill at ease … impatiently waiting for her sister's arrival.

At last, there is a stirring of the tent flaps … and a tall cheetah lady steps in. It wouldn't take a second look to mark her as a relative of Third-Vision and Moon-Brow … but her eyes are a brilliant green, quite rare amongst the People, for Willow has seen not another Savanite with eyes like those – typically of shades ranging from amber to deep brown instead.

She is dressed in simple robes with a modicum of decor, mostly focused on bracelets and necklaces, and a tiara rather than a crown. She presses her hands together. "Greetings. I regret that I was not able to welcome you to the City myself."

In a flash, Moon-Brow is to her feet. "What is the meaning of this?!" she signs in angry gestures. Nene shrinks back, her ears flattening in alarm at the sudden movement, and she burrows into Willow's side, clutching the Skreek tightly.

The Skreek bows her head, the most she can manage while seated. "Moon-Brow, sit down. I'm an expert on how much good starting a conversation with an explosion really is, and you're scaring my daughter." She puts an arm around the kitten. "Your Highness, could you please sit with us? If it isn't obvious we've been hearing news that has the both of us rather concerned and upset."

Moon-Brow's ears flush, and for a moment it looks like she might ignore the Skreek's counsel … but at last she relents, with a quick bow of her head. "Forgive my outburst." She then sits down once more, trying to smooth out her tail fur.

Jade-Eyes blinks a few times, then signs, "It would seem much has been signed in my absence. Have you been shown proper hospitality?" She finds a large cushion to set herself down upon, crossing her legs in a casual gesture to indicate that she has no plans to get up and suddenly leave anytime soon.

"We've been treated extremely well, but it's not ourselves that I'm concerned about, Priest-Queen. May I tell you of a warrior I met while I was in Safar?" Willow pulls Nene into her lap.

"Certainly," signs Jade-Eyes with a nod. She takes a moment to smile pleasantly at Nene. Nene, however, still startled by Moon-Brow's earlier "outburst", just chews shyly on one paw.

The Skreek swallows. "The man I met was an Abaddonian warrior who had come to Sinai to seek the truth about the Star. I'd met him once before a few years ago, when I was going to Abaddon on my honeymoon to walk in the footsteps of your sister. When I saw him again just recently, he had all but lost every scrap of faith that he had, and part of the reason for that was because your proclamation had dubbed him an 'impostor'."

Jade-Eyes nods. "And?" she signs with a rolling gesture.

"He felt unwelcome, and it may take a long time before his faith can be rebuilt. You're supposed to be a religious figure, someone that people look to as a representative of the Star… and when he looked at you, he felt pushed away. He felt like the Star didn't want him. I don't know why you think he and his people are impostors, but they're still your brothers and sisters and judging them like such will only drive them away." Willow's tail begins to flick every so slightly, hinting at her frustration.

Jade-Eyes nods. "Part of being a religious leader is to state the truth, not to coddle heresy."

The Skreek stands upright. "Are they not children of the Star just like you are? Will their spots wash off? The Star is the one who makes judgments, not its children."

Jade-Eyes signs, "I do not condemn them to the void or grant them passage to the light. But if someone comes to you and claims that, say, sacrificing cubs is the proper way to honor the Star, would you not condemn such teachings? How much more so, if you were appointed to a position of authority as a representative of the Star?"

"Yet in your judgement of calling them all impostors you might be losing the few souls who come here to seek the Star. Not all Abaddonians are like the priests there. What about Testament-Blaze or Born-In-Shame? One of those Abaddonians was your brother-in-law. You can't push someone from their path without showing them the right path to take at the same time." Willow pats Nene's head again.

Jade-Eyes signs, "They have put themselves in the position of preachers of the word of the Star. They have been spreading falsehoods amongst my people, setting themselves up as religious authorities. For me to accept their words would be to let their falsehoods take root in the hearts of my people. I will not allow my position to be vague – I will not repeat the same mistake that my sister made in the early part of her reign."

"You talk in blacks and whites, and you deal in the same rigidity that the very people you call impostors do. You should not allow yourself to become what you perceive as your enemy, as a means of defeating it. I walked into one tabernacle and spoke with one guard, and that one guard has now left his order to see the true Star. To right a wrong you don't need to erect a wall to keep it out, you try to turn the people to the right ways." The Skreek holds her hands out at her sides. "Truth and love is the proper way. What use is anything if there is no love behind it?"

Jade-Eyes signs, "I do the bidding of the Star, and the Star is love. Perhaps you simply do not understand the full complexities of love. But all shall be revealed in good time. The Star shall descend upon us, and draw its people until itself, so that we will all reign in paradise. Then, all truths will be made evident. I only seek to prepare my People for that time, which draws near."

Willow blinks. "What are you talking about?"

Jade-Eyes smiles at Willow. "The Star is coming. You have read the Holy Book, have you not? I have exchanged signs with an angel watching over Sinai, and have been given prophesies. We enter a golden age."

Moon-Brow just looks at Jade-Eyes with an … incredulous expression frozen on her face. Jade-Eyes could have just as easily claimed that she had personally devoured the Procession and washed it down with the ocean.

"I've read that, yes… but… ," the Skreek sputters for a moment, completely taken aback by this revelation. "How do you know this is true? For all you know, you could be getting prophecy from a demon instead."

Jade-Eyes frowns. "I know the truth in my heart," she signs.

"There was a time when I felt I knew the truth in my heart, and that anyone who worshipped the Star was an idiot following a slave's religion. I would still be following it to this day or long ago died believing it, had someone not been there to offer counsel. We were put amongst people and given words and signs to read so that we wouldn't stray from our faith. That's where many of the Abaddonians have fallen; they have been denied access to the words of the Star and many are left to contemplate it on their own with none to point them in the right direction." Willow sighs. "Are you getting these words from that tabernacle? The one that allows you to sign with your ancestors?"

Jade-Eyes nods. "Yes. Third-Vision was not brave enough to go into the tabernacle. Perhaps she feared that its dictates might contradict her own decisions. But I am determined to make the right choices for my People, and will accept this counsel. Who would refuse the counsel of angels, after all?"

"But the tabernacle was built by the Priest-King, was it not? Why would a man who sought to become a god build something to communicate with the true Star, and how is it that you cannot seek the Star's counsel simply by praying for it?" The Skreek shakes her head. "How do you know this is an angel?"

"Ah," signs Jade-Eyes. "The truth of the matter is that the last of the Priest-Kings of old had turned away from the Star … but he was not the one to build the tabernacle. It dates back to an earlier time when the People were still faithful. And I know that this is an angel, because I have seen it with my own eyes, and I have seen such glorious signs from the hands of this angel. Truly, it is a being too beautiful for signs, nor even for the eyes to comprehend."

"The book tells of fallen angels that were beautiful, and the most beautiful of all the angels was the leader of the fallen." Willow looks weary. "I don't speak these things of you to challenge you or to try and rip down your hope, but when I heard that Testament-Blaze could not sign to you about this, and that no one else was allowed to accompany you when you went into the tabernacle, it disturbed me. I seek only reassurance, and the truth."

Jade-Eyes shakes her head. "Please, do not be concerned. It is simply a matter of ancient tradition. In the most Holy of Holies, only the highest priest is allowed, after proper purification, to make sacrifices for the People, and to seek the light from the Star. As Priest-Queen for the People, that duty falls to me. And when another replaces me, that one will take on this duty. It is meant as no slight to anyone else – it is simply a matter of my duty as leader of the People."

"Then tell me exactly what was signed to you, and tell me what this angel looked like and said." Willow folds her arms across her knee. "I don't think it was cowardice that kept Third-Vision from entering the chamber. If the truth was that we were riding on the top of a giant gumball being balanced on the nose of a Creen, I'd suffer any humiliation to know the truth. Where does this tradition stem from?"

Jade-Eyes shakes her head, smiling. "It is a tradition from the oldest parts of the Holy Book, dictated by the Star itself. And I assure that the truth is nothing so absurd. As for the specifics… " Jade-Eyes shakes her head again. "I'm afraid that now is not the time. When the time draws nearer, I will reveal that which I have been instructed to. But I am not to break the seal before its time."

"So what reassurance do you have that you're not speaking to a demon?" The Skreek rubs her nose. "Has it given you any message at all to give to the people? Or could you ask it a question of it for me as a follower of the Star who seeks an answer?"

"I have freely given to the people the messages I have been told to relate," signs the Priest-Queen. "And, yes, I would be willing to present a question on your behalf, if it will soothe your doubts."

"Tell it that I am a Skreek by the name of Willow the Wisp Dack, and that I have seen demons and those who claim to be gods and all sorts of false religions in my travels. I am a follower of the Star, but I fear impostors and demons… so how do I know that this is the true Star and not another impostor? When I speak to the Star, I pray, and sometimes I get messages in return. The Star knows my heart and knows what will reassure me. That is what I ask of it." Willow glances sidelong at Moon-Brow.

The Skreek clears her throat. "I have always understood that signs from the Star and speaking to the Star are not as easy as conjuring up instant miracles or talking to someone, so hearing of a place where one can directly speak to the Star or an angel? It makes it difficult to believe or trust; the Star wouldn't suddenly change its methods after all."

Jade-Eyes nods. "It would be quite strange if the Star had changed its methods … but it has not. We simply have been ignorant of the proper way that the Star set in place. Now that is being corrected. And I shall convey your message to the Star." She looks aside to an aide. "You have that question recorded, do you not?"

Jade-Eyes is met with a head-nod.

Jade-Eyes smiles back to Willow. "There. I shall have a message delivered to you as soon as I have a response. Now … if you will excuse me, I have to tend to some matters in the excavation of the ruins. But you are welcome to stay as my honored guests, or I can summon a boat to take you back to Safar, as you wish."

Willow stands up. "I would like to remain until I have my answer. I am willing to wait and help you with your work in the meantime. I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty and wouldn't mind having a small hand in making the city beautiful again."

Jade-Eyes nods, smiling. "As you wish." She gets up from her cushions. To her aides, she signs, "See to it that they are made comfortable during their stay. And if they wish to help, make certain someone guides them to where they may be the most useful."

The aides bow in response. Jade-Eyes looks to Willow. "Please enjoy yourselves. I shall be going now. May the Star shine brightly upon you." She signs a blessing over her sister and the visiting royalty.

"Thank you, Priest-Queen." Willow bows again and nudges the kitten. "Show the Queen your curtsey, Jezebel," she whispers.

Nene gets up and curtseys. "Pleased to meet you, your majesty!" she mews.

There's a twitch of Jade-Eyes' ears as she hears the name "Jezebel", but she inclines her head, smiling grandly to the kitten. "And you," she signs. And then, she leaves the tent.

Moon-Brow unwraps her fingers from about each other, where they had been clenched for the duration of the exchange. She rubs her sore knuckles.

"I'm so sorry, Moon-Brow. I probably humiliated you in front of your sister." The Skreek holds a hand out to the cheetah. "Whatever this is, she believes in it something fierce. I'm expecting the message to be something about my lack of faith, but it may surprise me, I suppose. Maybe we should get settled in our rooms, before we go out and get dirty." She jerks her head towards one of the servants and signs the word "private" across her chest.

The servants bow and exit, leaving Moon-Brow, Nene and Willow in the tent.

Moon-Brow quietly gets up, and looks out the tent. She comes back, signing, "We are alone."

The Skreek sits down on one of the cushions. "My first impulse is to think that she's so desperate to prove that she's as good as or a better ruler than Third-Vision that she leapt upon this as a chance to prove herself. But I don't know if it's common sense telling it to me, or jealousy that she might be right and that Third-Vision might be wrong. That is why I wanted a question answered. If these are truly the words of the Star, then I'm hoping that it knows my heart well enough to know what will bring me comfort. If it is something else, it will either spout trite and meaningless babble, or condemn me. That is why I wanted it to know who I was."

Moon-Brow frowns, then signs, "What if it is a demon? What if it commands her to have us slain or detained or worse? If Third-Vision shunned it, then it was for good cause."

"If it comes to that, we get the fires out of here and start warning people. It has my name, not yours. I did all the talking and I will take all the responsibility. Just take care of Nene if anything happens to me," Willow signs, a determined look growing on her face. "I consider Third-Vision to be as much my sister as yours, and if this is wrong, then Jade-Eyes is as guilty of murdering her as the Nagai were. I cannot let her die twice."

Moon-Brow drums her fingers on her chin. "There is something else I have considered… " She signs, "If the ward of the Twelve-times-Twelve is still up at Third-Vision's bequest, then its old flaws still hold. I am a sister of Third-Vision. I should have as much a right to enter the tabernacle as she, or Jade-Eyes, if what I heard was right. And I had been told that if I take another with me… " Jade-Eyes looks down. "But what if what I heard was wrong?"

Willow holds up a finger. "Keep one thing in mind, I've been through a hefty magical change. I may be more vulnerable to the wards when the mages stripped my resistance to magic. Would that affect it at all?"

Moon-Brow shakes her head. "If the Twelve-times-Twelve made a ward to allow the Priest-Queen – or a sister – through with whomever she took along, then your susceptibility to magic should have no bearing on it – only whether I am of blood with … " She ponders. "Well, I suppose this would prove Jade-Eyes is indeed my sister by blood, now wouldn't it?"

"How good are you at sneaking? Maybe we can creep in tonight? Fires, I wish I knew when she was going to ask this question… " The Skreek sticks her tongue out.

Moon-Brow smirks. "Perhaps we could say we were just trying to see how forgiving the Star really is?"

Willow smiles, but then her expression drops sharply. "What about Nene?"

Moon-Brow's ears drop a fraction of an inch, too. "I'm sorry. I hadn't stopped to think about her. I'm letting this cloud my thoughts too much."

The rat folds her arms as she ponders for a moment. Finally she signs, "Can you take a boat and get Nene back to Safar and then return here? I'll have probably gotten my reply back by then, and I'll know that she's safe and out of the way. You can return and you'll either see what became of me, or we can try to sneak in there together for our real answers."

Moon-Brow signs, "Yes, I can do that. I suppose I can come up with plenty of excuses as to why we wouldn't want to keep a kitten out here." She smiles at the kitten.

"I brought a servant with me who's helped raise Nene since she was a baby; he should be able to finish my business in Safar and get Nene back to Kroz. Sebazhan was probably half expecting something like this to happen anyways." The Skreek glances out the opening to the tent. "There's also an Abaddonian named Son-Of-Thunder. Tell him what is happening and ask him to join us. You may need someone that can fight."

Moon-Brow nods, and walks over to Nene. "All right. We're going on a boat ride! Won't that be fun?"

Nene looks up to Willow with wide questioning eyes.

The Skreek kneels down and hugs her daughter, giving her a kiss on the cheek and smoothing out her hair a little. "It's all right. I'm just going to do some boring work up here. Go on with your godmother and she'll take you back to Uncle Alex. I love you, Jezzy, now you be good."

"Love you too, Mama," the kitten mews, and then she leans forward and plants a meek little kiss on her mother's nose.

"You can tell her all about the polys on the way back. Now hurry up or you might miss the ride." Willow tousles the kitten's hair and tries to look nonchalant.

Moon-Brow leads Nene out of the tent, the little kitten toddling along, and looking back frequently at her mother, waving a paw. "Bye!" And then the cheetah and kitten are gone, leaving Willow alone to wait for word from the Priest-Queen.

The Skreek folds her legs underneath her until she's kneeling, folds her hands in front of her and prays quietly while she waits. She has a great deal to pray for, it seems, and thus it makes for a way of passing the time and calming her insides.

It isn't until later that night that Willow gets her reply from the Priest-Queen. "The Star is coming. When the Star has arrived, all truth will be revealed, and all doubts will be purged from the hearts of the faithful. And those who resist the purging of their doubts will be cleansed with holy fire."

But that isn't the only message Willow receives that night.

A visit from Glass-Beads brings also a rolled scroll, with Testament-Blaze's imprint on it, and a note. "These are prophesies from a monk serving the Star, known as the Champion of Amber. I thought you might want to read these prophesies… "