Nightmare

computer pad and Ara followed suit. Two screens popped into view over the table.

'We can’t search the houses of the other victims,' Tan rasped. 'Their houses were all sold a long time ago. But we have holograms, photographs, inventories. Let’s skim the reports. See if the on-sight Guardians mentioned finding anything.'

This work went quite a lot faster. They got through the scenes and inventories of Wren Hamil’s house before the food arrived. It was an easier job for Ara to stomach. Photos, holograms, and lists of words were a lot less personal than handling clothes once worn by a woman now lying beaten and bloody on an examination table.

They continued to work as they ate, pouring over the information from Prinna Meg’s house.

'There!' Tan said, stabbing at a holographic list with her fork. 'That’s it!'

'What?' Ara asked, leaning forward. 'I don’t see-'

'The book. I remember it now. Prinna Meg wasn’t an antiquarian. Weren’t any hardcopy books in her house, in fact, except this one. I didn’t think much of it because I wasn’t looking for it. See the title?'

'Ten Love Sonnets by William Shakespeare,' Ara read.

'Except,' Tan said, 'there were only nine. The last one had been torn out.'

CHAPTER TWELVE

If I give you wings, will you ever fly?

— Irfan Qasad

Kendi faltered. Her wings folded slightly and she was falling. She snapped them outward again and-

wings?

— righted herself. Hot, dry air rushed over her feathers. The ground was far, far below, but her eyes made out every detail. Even tiny movements grabbed her attention-

feathers?

— and the five people below her stood out in sharp detail. One of the people looked upward and staggered a bit. Dark skin, slender build, curly black hair. Falcon eyes met human eyes, and falcon Kendi dove straight down. Human Kendi raised an arm and falcon Kendi landed on it with a flurry of wings and feathers. The moment falcon Kendi touched down, a moment of dizziness swept over her. She was sitting on a wiry forearm-

she?

— and at the same time standing on hot Outback sand. The dizziness passed and she clacked her beak. Human Kendi hesitantly touched falcon Kendi’s feathers and falcon Kendi half-closed her eyes, leaning into the comforting touch.

Other humans gathered around, staring. Falcon Kendi watched them through hooded eyes, suspicious. Then human Kendi flung his arm up and with a high, shrill cry falcon Kendi flung her wings open and clawed the air for altitude. In moments, she was high in the free, clear sky.

Kendi shaded his eyes in astonishment as the falcon dwindled into a tiny black speck against the blue. He could no longer feel her mind, but he remembered gliding on the air and dropping down to land on her brother’s arm. Every memory the falcon had was also his own. A breathless excitement rushed through him like adrenaline. Ultralights and aircraft didn’t even come close.

'What the hell?' Jeren said beside him.

'She’s my sister,' Kendi said, awed. 'When we touch, I know what she’s thinking. Wow! Wow! '

'Where did she come from?' Willa asked.

'I don’t know. She was just …there.' He noticed the itch behind his eyes was growing stronger. His drugs were wearing off. If he didn’t leave the Dream soon, he would eventually be yanked out of it, and all his teachers said it was an unpleasant way to leave the Dream. Some Silent ended up bed-ridden for days from the shock. 'I have to get out of here. My stuff’s wearing off.'

'Yeah, me too,' Kite said. 'Let’s talk in the solid world.'

Kendi shut his eyes. If it be in my the best interest and in the best interest of all life everywhere, he thought, let me leave the Dream.

He opened his eyes back in Ara’s living room. The rain had slowed to a few big drops that pattered against the window in irregular splashes. He disentangled himself from the red spear as the others began to open their eyes and stretch. Clanking sounds issued from behind Ben’s closed bedroom door.

'Whatappen?' Kite blurted.

'Yeah,' Dorna said, perching herself cross-legged on the sofa. 'What was that falcon all about?'

Kendi fidgeted. It was hard to sit still. He got up and paced the floor. 'I’m not sure. I felt like I was being pulled in two directions at once, and then suddenly I was in two places at once. I was me, and I was also the falcon. It was …it was a real rush, you know?'

'Should we try it again?' Kite said, slowing down. 'Go back into the Dream and see if Kendi can bring back the falcon?'

'We should call a teacher,' Willa said quietly. 'Mother Ara or one of the other Parents.'

'Mother Ara’s out with-' Kendi paused. 'She’s out. I don’t know how to get hold of her. I want to do it again.'

'Maybe Ben would know how to get hold of her,' Willa said. 'You should have someone with you, Kendi. Someone who knows what’s going on.'

Impatience seized Kendi. He wanted to get back into the Dream. He wanted to fly again, feel the air rush past his head. But he had to admit there was merit in what Willa said. He crossed quickly to Ben’s door, knocked once, and opened it. Ben, face red with exertion, set down the barbell in surprise.

'What’s going on?' he asked.

Kendi quickly explained. Ben got up and came into the living room. 'I’ve never heard of anything like that,' he said. 'But I’m not-not Silent, so there’s a lot I don’t know.'

'Can you get hold of your mom?' Kendi asked.

'Maybe.' Ben tapped the living room wall and a section glowed into a viewscreen. 'Eliza, page Mom. Tell her to call home.'

'Working,' said the house computer. Several moments passed and Kendi continued to fidget. The Dream was calling to him. He barely noticed that he was standing close enough to Ben to feel his body heat.

'Mother Araceil is unavailable,' the computer reported.

'No surprise,' Ben muttered. 'She’s never available.'

'Try Father Ched-Hisak,' Willa said. 'Or Grandfather Melthine.'

Ben relayed the instructions. 'Father Ched-Hisak is unavailable,' said the computer. 'Grandfather Melthine is unavailable.'

'Well, shit,' Jeren said. 'Come on, Kendi. It’s not your fault you can’t reach them. Let’s go and see what you can do.'

'We should wait,' Dorna cautioned. 'Nothing’s going to change between now and when someone shows up.'

'I agree,' Willa said. 'It could be dangerous.'

'It didn’t hurt me before,' Kendi pointed out. 'It felt great! I want to go back in now and make sure I can do it again.'

Ben put a hand on Kendi’s arm. 'You might want to wait,' he said. 'It sounds to me like you’re splitting up your mind, and someone with experience should watch you.'

'You can watch my real body,' Kendi told him. 'I’ll wear a medical monitor and you can keep an eye on the readout. If something starts to go wrong, you shout for help.'

'I don’t-' Ben began.

'Ben, I have to go in,' Kendi said. 'I can’t hold off. Come on-help me out. Please?'