Nightmare

dormitory had followed. It had been too dark to see much of his new home, and the exhausted Kendi had fallen almost instantly asleep. A glance at the clock set into the vid-screen told him he had only slept about five hours, but three years of waking at dawn for work were hard to shake. He shoved aside the covers and stood up to stretch. His wrist and ankle felt gloriously bare. Time to get dressed.

The only thing Misstr-that is, Giselle Blanc had permitted him to take was the knee-length white tunic she had sold him in. Brother Manny, however, had scrounged up a spare shirt, shorts, and sandals. Kendi pulled them on and trotted up the hall to the community bathroom, which sported individual sink and shower stalls. Not as luxurious as the bathroom he had briefly shared with Pup, but a far cry above the barrack-like facilities of the slave barn, especially since he didn’t have to rush through his shower. It did take him a moment to figure out that the box set into the wall was a sonic cleanser that would launder his clothes. Afterward, he went back to his room. The sun had just cleared the horizon, but it was high summer and the hour was therefore still very early. Kendi stood next to the bed and realized he had no idea what to do next. His stomach rumbled.

Is someone going to come get me for breakfast? he thought. Maybe he was supposed to figure it out on his own. Would he have to pay for the food?

Then, Where is Mom waking up?

The thought struck down the earlier comfortable feeling. Kendi didn’t even know who had bought her or where they had taken her. What was she doing right now? He imagined her scared and alone and wanted to run straight out and find her. And then, unbidden, a memory whispered in his mind.

What you cannot change, it said, accept.

A creed of the Real People. Kendi, the quick and magical lizard, nodded. He couldn’t run out to find his mother or the rest of his family now, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t do it later.

Voices murmured from outside. Kendi pushed the thoughts aside and stuck his head out the French doors. He caught his breath. The view, which he hadn’t been able to see last night, was spectacular. The dormitory was built into one of the tallest trees in the forest, and new student rooms were on the highest floor. Beyond the branches framing balcony, Kendi saw a vast carpet of white fog that stretched all the way to the horizon, where a scarlet sun was slowly edging upward. Gargantuan treetops poked up out the mist, and small flying creatures skimmed over it like insects. It was like looking at a giant’s garden.

A small group of people had gathered on the balcony, which ran the length of the floor and was shared by several rooms. With relief Kendi recognized Jeren, Kite, and Willa. Kite saw him and waved him over.

'Cantsleeptherhuh?' he said.

Kendi untangled the blur of words. 'Nope. I want to explore. Is the whole monastery up in the treetops, do you think?'

Jeren spat over the side and watched it fall. 'Hell of a long drop if you fell over. How long do you think it’d take before you splattered all over the ground?'

'Don’t,' Willa said with a shudder. 'How can you even stand to look?'

Jeren grinned at her and jumped up to the waist-high balcony rail to balance on it like a cat. Willa shrieked and clapped her hands over her eyes. Kite looked concerned. Kendi swallowed.

'Jeren,' Kendi said hesitantly. 'Maybe you shouldn’t-'

'Hey, it’s easy,' Jeren said. He strolled casually up and down the rail, then paused to look down. White mist buried the ground below.

'Don’thinkyoush-'

'Whoa!' Jeren frantically windmilled his arms. Willa, who had been peeking between her fingers, screamed. Kendi lunged for Jeren, but he regained his balance with an easy grin. 'Gotcha!' he laughed. Kendi scowled and suppressed an urge to punch him.

'That earns you demerits, guy,' said a new voice.

They all turned to look. A young woman was striding toward them. She had curly black hair and emerald eyes set into a sharp, pixie-like face. Her movements were quick and darting as a hummingbird’s. A simple gold medallion hung around her neck. She looked to be in her mid-twenties.

'Hey, Sis,' Jeren said. 'Am I in trouble then?'

'I’m not a Sister yet, bucko,' the woman replied. 'I’m a second-year student and I’ve been assigned as your mentor. My name’s Dorna Saline. Jeren, come down from there before I beat your ass.'

With a flourish, Jeren jumped to the balcony floor. Willa lowered her hands.

'If you want to play with heights, Jeren, use one of those,' she said, and pointed to two ropes that ended in knots big enough to sit on. The other ends were tied to branches higher up. They were clearly designed to swing out beyond the balcony, and Kendi wondered who would be brave enough-or stupid enough-to swing on such a thing. As if reading his thoughts, Dorna added, 'There’s a net below to catch you if you fall, Kendi. You just can’t see it for the mist, yeah?'

'Howdyknowournames?' Kite asked.

'Mother Ara described you,' Dorna said. 'Kite, right? And you’re Willa and you’re Kendi. Welcome to the Children of Irfan. You probably want breakfast, yeah?'

They all assented, and Dorna took them to the end of the balcony and down a set of stairs to a wooden walkway that lead around to the front of the dormitory. Kendi looked up at it, fascinated. He hadn’t been able to see much last night. The building was enormous, fully five stories high, and it was the only building in the entire tree. The trunk ran up the middle of the building, and several branches supported it as well. Other branches framed it in fine green leaves. The dorm itself was built of warm brown wood and covered with ivy. Balconies jutted out everywhere, connected by ladders, staircases, and even sliding poles. Ropes dangled from a fair number of windows. Fresh morning dew coated every surface. The double doors in front opened onto a wide deck big enough to play rugby on. Kendi looked over the edge. An ocean of white mist obscured the forest floor below. He decided the entire place was beautiful, more homelike than anyplace he had ever lived. His mother would love it, and he wished with all his heart that he could show it to his entire family.

One day, he told himself firmly.

Dorna lead them through the main doors, waved to the sleepy desk clerk on duty in the high-ceilinged foyer, and herded them into a cafeteria. A food buffet took up one wall and the room was filled with long tables furnished with wooden chairs.

'You can get food at any hour, day or night,' Dorna told them, 'but there’s a schedule for hot food. It’s pretty good slop, right? We’re too soon for hot breakfast, but I know that ex-slaves are always up early, so I though I’d bring you down.'

Ex-slaves, Kendi thought. I’m an ex- slave.

After a breakfast of cold cereal, rolls, and juice, Dorna shepherded them back outside for a tour of the monastery.

'It’s kind of confusing at first,' she said as they headed out, 'real easy to lose your way, yeah?'

A few minutes later, Kendi indeed found himself thoroughly lost. Because the monastery-and everything else-was constructed in the top of a giant forest, there was no way to make a regular grid of streets. Walkways and staircases made of planks and ivy-draped wire ran in many different directions on a dozen different levels. The buildings varied in size from small cottages to multi-story edifices like the student dormitory, but they were all made of wood and were of similar design, making it hard to tell them apart. Some were living quarters, some were academic buildings for teaching and research, and some were business offices. Dorna pointed out the places where they’d be taking their classes, and Kendi hoped he could get his hands on a map so he could find them again.

The group walked slowly, chatting and pointing out things of interest. Dorna seemed to take a big-sisterly approach to the proceedings as she guided them unhurriedly along, allowing them to take in what sights they liked.

The sun, now well above the horizon, had burned off most of the mist below. Kendi quickly learned to ignore the sight of the stomach-wrenching drop that lay in wait everywhere. The air was sweet, warm, and clean, and birds mingled with small gliding lizards among the leaves, both filling the morning with song. As the morning grew old, people began to appear on the walkways and in the metal gondolas that coasted by on a system of wires and electric pulleys. Many, though not all, wore loose brown clothes and the simple gold medallion that marked them as Children of Irfan.

'Are all the Children Silent?' Willa asked at one point.