'The whispers are like the tides of Shadow!' he said.
'No one can understand them either, also the work of Shar's curse. But legend says that the whispers are the words of the text. The Leaves of One Night are alivealive and bound by the Lady of Loss.'
Rivalen lifted his hand away from the Leaves and asked, 'And the second thing?'
'Legends also say,' Variance said, 'that the text records Shar's only moment of weakness. She cursed the Leaves so no one would know it, even if it meant locking away all the other secrets of the Leaves as wellmagic of ancient darkness so profound they have yet to be rediscovered.'
The high priest breathed in then whispered, 'These secrets?'
Variance looked at him with narrowed eyes and said, 'Inaccessible, Father Night. Unless you would work against the Lady of Loss herself.'
Rivalen fell silent, then bowed his head. 'As vou sav. vigilant sister.' He stepped back and asked, 'Is Shar pleased with the return of The Leaves of One Night?'
'Shar is pleased, Father Night.'
Opening the box, she picked up the slates and set them carefully inside, then closed the box and placed it back in the drawer. Rivalen's footsteps retreated back across the chamber. She felt his presence fade.
She hesitated, then opened the box once more and laid a hand on the cold slate.
'Praise be to Shar, the Mistress of the Night,' she whispered.
The whispers of darkness filled her head. Secrets beyond measure. Incomprehensible. Inaccessible. Except…
Variance looked down at the first page of The Leaves of One Night, at a blank spot on the black slate. A spot that should have been filled with the single silver character that shone on the thumb of Keph Thingoleir.
