Atlantia by Ally Condie

Author:Ally Condie [Condie, Ally]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Young Adult, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780525426448
Google: Q959AwAAQBAJ
Amazon: 0525426442
Barnesnoble: 0525426442
Goodreads: 17731926
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2014-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

By the time I walk all the way from Maire’s apartment back up to the main part of Atlantia, it’s almost morning. The lights will come up soon. I have to hurry. I crouch under the temple trees, and carefully gather the metal leaves into the bag that holds my air mask. I hear the rustling of something, and at first I feel afraid, but then I realize how high the sound is.

It must be one of the temple bats.

It settles in a tree above me and I smile to myself. “Knock down all you want this time,” I say, and as if to oblige, the bat moves and a silver leaf comes shaking to the ground. I gather that leaf, too.

The light begins to rise in our false sky.

I hear the bat lift off out of the tree above me, and I look up hoping for a glimpse of it, but all I catch is a slip shadow flitting in the faint light. This is the time when Bay would be climbing back into bed, when she would have stolen an hour or two of sleep before we put on our robes and began another day of work in the temple.

I stand up and pull the bag over my shoulder. It’s heavy, full of leaves. I hope no one looks at it too closely.

The story of the two sirens in the temple has given me an idea, and I need to talk to True. There are several gondola stations large enough to have sheds where the gondolas can be taken for repair, but I’ve seen True’s work and I think he must be one of the best machinists. So I hazard a guess and go to the biggest station in Atlantia, the one near the Council blocks. I hope I’m right about where he works. I hope his shift hasn’t ended yet.

Workers spill out of the station, laughing, talking. I listen for True’s voice among them and, to my relief, I hear it.

I’ll have to follow him until he separates from the others. They’ll wonder what I’m doing out so early. The only people allowed out now are those leaving work.

It doesn’t take long, thankfully. True calls a good-bye to the group and then starts off down a road on his own. It’s lighter every moment. I follow him for a few steps, gathering my thoughts, preparing to flatten out my voice.

I haven’t yet called to him, but his back stiffens. He knows someone’s following. Is this what it feels like to be Maire? Spying, waiting, hiding?

“True,” I say, and he turns.

“Rio,” he says, relief and concern in his voice. “Is everything all right?”

“I’ve had an idea,” I say. “Can I talk to you?”

“Of course,” he says. “In here.” He guides me the short distance back to the gondola shed, keying in a number on the door and then pulling it closed behind us.

The shed is well-lit, and I blink, taking in True. His fingernails are black with

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.