#WordWeavers 2412.22 — Do your characters ever stargaze? Yes, [but...] "What's ...

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2024-12-31 01:48:03

#WordWeavers 2412.22 — Do your characters ever stargaze?

Yes, [but...]

"What's wrong?" Streak asked gently. Always gentle, a good man indeed.

I looked steadfastly up at the stars. I'd had him fly me away from Home City to the edge nearest forest of the Wild, the Woodsea, to ensure quiet and a dark sky.

I glanced east and shivered. Night shine rose over the tops of the tall trees, bright blue white. I shivered and looked steadfastly up again. A wind in the trees rustled leaves, then quieted, then rustled and clattered again a few moments later.

I put a hand on his mouth, and looked at my loaner wrist chronometer. Digits glowed faintly green, as did the heartbeat. Radium not thaumlight, I'd learned. Totally mechanical, totally accurate to the heartbeat. I took a deep breath. "I taught you constellations. Do you see the Boxes and the Star Ribbon?"

I looked south. He followed my gaze. "Three bright blue stars?"

"The ones. Keep looking."

"For how long—?"

Where previously there'd been darkness between the three brilliant blue stars, red flared like a spark off a log in the fireplace, rising, rising toward the zenith.

It multiplied. Like a rabbit, it multiplied and multiplied. Flare after flare, mostly red, but some orange, and one very very blue—as if one of the Ribbon stars had fallen, but it hadn't. Trails developed behind. I knew the truth. Something orbited Home had entered the atmosphere obliquely. Its shape, flat, might have caused it to skip like a shingle rock on a lake, but Rainy Days had said, no, it wouldn't do that.

She could track it precisely with the weather service. Had for days. I'd just learned she could do that.

More and more flares followed as they flew until they crested the zenith. One flare exploded, briefly blinding. A spreading cloud of red continued on the path downward. The display of tailed stars soon crossed the orb of night shine and disappeared behind the Woodsea.

Yes, they stargaze. But those ain't stars...

[An #excerpt from Reluctant Moon redacted for length. Author retains copyright (c)2024 R.S.]

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