The Song of a Poisoned Star

14

Molina had agreed to meet Gunter at a tavern that stayed open all day for dock workers. It was a relief to be away from the cathedral and back in the noise of Gwum.

They were eating a large, late breakfast when Bilen found them. She pulled up a chair at the table and took some green bread and an egg from Molina's plate.

Gunter looked at her in amazement. 'How did you find us?' he asked, through his bacon.

Molina waved a crust at him. 'She can see the future! You still haven't figured that out, have you?'

Gunter muttered something as he scooped dark purple beans into his mouth.

'Something I've always wondered,' Molina continued, talking to Bilen, 'Just before people do things like bang their heads, why don't you say "that's going to hurt"? It would be funny.'

'Because I was taught not to use my gift for trivial matters. And also, I'm not a five year old?' Bilen replied, eating the eggy bread. 'Mmm, this is good. I'm starving. It's a long old walk here, isn't it? How did it go with the Church? What did they know? Are they going to do anything?'

She was transformed since he'd last seen her. She looked refreshed and reenergised, and had a sparkle in her brown eyes. She'd had her black hair cut, and it was in its familiar short, tight curls. Her skin glowed. Molina wondered what the point of recreation was if you felt better after it than when you started. He was about to answer her, when something struck him.

'Wait a minute, though. Don't you know what I'm going to say?' he asked.

'No, it doesn't work like that. I don't get a book of my life to dip into. I can only see the points I try to see. It's kind of like a telescope.'

'OK. So when you got here, you knew what Gunter would say, because that was the bit you saw, when you looked at the future to find us? You must have seen us at this place, eating, and him saying "How did you find us?" in his stupid way?'

Bilen sat back. 'Seriously? When I got to Gwum I just asked at the dock where the best all-day breakfast place was. I don't need to be a Glass Bearer to figure out where you'll be at this time of day, Alejo. Oh, and for your information, they say that this is only the second best place. You should try that one over there, next time. Although, this is pretty good.'

Molina laughed and then grabbed the last piece of bread. 'So much for travelling with a murmurer! The Church: well, they took Udo in. I had a chat with the bishop. He's on some kind of conversion kick: wants to bring the slinth to the light. However, he thinks that our friend with the faces is the work of your lot. This could be bad.'

'Bad in what way?'

'He's talking about war. Also, Bilen, he knew you were here.'

Bilen shrugged. 'That's weird. But not that weird. I mean, I didn't exactly travel in disguise. I wouldn't worry about it.'

'Yeah. The bishop was pretty pissed about me hanging around with you, though.'

'Is that a problem?' she asked.

'Maybe. I think he's taking the "the only good murmurer is a dead murmurer" line. I hate to sound like you, but I think you should be careful.'

'I will be, thank you. Now here's what I found out: that star thing was a set of souls, all lumped together, using whatever scraps of flesh it could find to house itself. Perhaps it was one of their soul bindings, gone wrong or mad or something. The slinth don't do reanimations, so I don't know why Kiril is wandering around. The Watcher was pretty vague about that. However, I have a job for you.'

'Sure!'

'A slinth has something that is very precious to me. It's the slinth that was with us on that expedition. It took something from that Glass Bearer's bag.'