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.They d passedthrough another wave of influence somewhere: her hair was black instead ofblond, and cut just below the jawline in a smooth line.The other furiesslowly resumed their reality as art students, each of them new versions oftheir former selves.Juele peered sideways into a shop window.The red lighthad faded entirely from her eyes.She was glad.Juele lost count of all the twists and turns that Bella took.They emergedinto a broad square with a small garden and a fountain in the center.Juelejumped as she looked up.Looming over them were the turrets ofthe Castle of Dreams.They must be very close to it.The walls were ofbrilliant white again today, but a different shape.The building was stillhuge. It s so beautiful, Juele said, gazing at the sunlit windows. Is it truethat the castle is always a thousand paces by a thousand? Mere facts, Daline said, impatiently, picking up baskets from a shopfrontPage 50ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlbarrow, then putting them down again. Shopping is much more interesting thanpolitics. With a look of regret at the gleaming tower, Juele followed thegroup into a small a small cul-de-sac lined with shops.Most of the storefacades were adorned with cutout trim under the eaves and multiple colors ofpaint, as if they were wearing too much makeup. It s.quaint, isn t it, Juele said, with what she hoped was the rightamount of tolerant amusement.We like it, dearie, Soma said, the glint of her eyes warning Juele frommaking any more comments.It was hard to tell what they liked and what theydidn t.Let strangers beware of mixing up the two! Juele said nothing more. Here it is, darlings, Bella said, slowing to a stop before a wooden doorthat stood open.Juele peered inside the dim shop.It was very small.Shecould see small spots of bright color and light and the silhouette of a facethat turned toward her. Wait for me.I won t be a tick.As soon as she was gone, the others separated into twos and threes to talk,leaving Juele by herself to study the street.If she d had to pick a word forit, she d choose  cute. The gingerbread cottage in the heart of the loop wasa bakery.Its wicker displays were tilted forward, full of pretty cakes andcookies that tempted the eye.The flower shop next door tried to outdo itsrival s appeal with colors so bright they overlapped into the next spectrum.The scents of both shops vied for her attention, shoving one another out ofthe way under her nose.Juele smelled first flowers, then sweets, then flowersagain, until it blended into a fragrant muddle.But it was the shop justopposite her that caught her eye.It gathered all the sunshine in the shortblock in its bright windows.The glass was cut to reflect the morning lightoff in a thousand different directions.One bit in a corner particularlyattracted her attention.A narrow prism gleamed diamond bright, casting a thinrainbow down off the window and onto the pavement.Curious, Juele went over to look at it.She picked up the dainty strand, whichrelaxed and lengthened in her hands like soft putty so that it maintainedcontact with the glass and the ground.Such an interesting bit of light.Itwould be very pretty as the accent in one of her askance reality illusions.She twisted the rainbow around so that the length crossed over itself andpinched the resulting loop loose.It glowed brightly in her palms with abrilliance like nothing she had ever seen before.She started to put it in thepocket of her smock when a huge hand reached down and grabbed her wrist. Well, well, well, wot s all this, then? Juele looked up in horror.A hugepoliceman in a blue uniform with a tall black helmet stood over her.He hadjust appeared out of nowhere.Were the police following them now, just becauseof the incident with the stop sign? He frowned down at Juele, the big blackmustache under his nose drooping disapprovingly. You can t just takesomething because you sees it sitting about, my girl! But it doesn t belong to anyone, Juele said, alarmed.She gestured at therainbow, now flowing like a waterfall against the wall of the shop. It wasjust here in the window. You can t remove something from a shop window, the policeman said, blowingout his mustache to either side like a party favor. That s stealing! You  andthat over and don t do it again, and all will be well. I m sorry, Juele said, chastened.In trouble twice with the police, andshe d been in the city such a short time! She dropped the gleaming hank oflight into his white-gloved palm. Run along, then, run along, the policeman said, not unkindly, waving a blackclub slung from a thong on his wrist.He walked off, whistling.She slunk back to where the others were waiting.Fortunately, Bella had comeout of the store and they were all clustered about her, so nobody hadwitnessed Juele s humiliation.Juele made her way back into the group to seewhat they were all exclaiming over.Bella displayed an ornate paper fan. Where did you say it was from? Sondra asked. Oneiros, Bella said, flicking the fan open with a quick jerk of her wrist.Page 51ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html Isn t it pretty? As she moved it, different images emerged on the thinsurface. Very pretty, Juele said.She watched a donkey cart carry a woman and a boyin plain clothes with big hats to protect them from the sun across apicturesque, sunbaked landscape. How do they make an illusion like that?Bella snapped it shut. It s not an illusion, child.Illusions are created.This is real.It s a sight someone saw.It s a scenic view, captured onspecially treated paper.A record.An archive.They make thousands of these invacation beauty spots. Totally representational, Daline said, with a sly look at her friend.Bellaraised an eyebrow and gave her friend a catlike smile. But if they captured the view, what s left there? Juele asked, trying tograsp the idea of a bit of captive -reality. Not much, said Cal, with a shrug. That s why the landscape s so bare.Themore people who visit a beautiful location and take in the sights, the lessthat s left.That s why I never tell anyone where I ve been.Don t reveal your sources, that s what I say. No one would dare poach one of your sources, dearie, Erbatu said, battingher eyelashes at him. They wouldn t want to. Cal twisted his lip at her. But, even bare, it continues to be beautiful, Bella said. Its functiondoesn t really change.I require inspiration from reality for my illusions,and I prefer beauty.I like it. Oh, we like it too, the others chorused, including Daline, who had only beenteasing her friend.Aclique was a clique, and they stood together. Me, too, Juele agreed, but she spoke too late.Her admiration fell into apit of silence and hit bottom -almost audibly.Cal snickered.No one jumped to her defense or tried to easeher embarrassment.She wasn t yet a part of the group.One day, she thought.If she was more careful, more observant, and had more experience, they daccept her fully. One more stop, darlings, Bella said, putting the fan away in her bag. Iwant to see how Davney is getting along. She turned to Juele with a casualair. You haven t visited the castle, yet, have you.Come along.Chapter 8 It s not that impressive, Tanner protested, but his words rang hollow asBella steered them up a steep road along which ran a stone wall twice theheight of a man [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]