The Splintered Light by Ginger Johnson

Author:Ginger Johnson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Published: 2018-09-04T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

27

The Hall of Hue apprentices sat at the long tables during lunch discussing the Jubilee contest.

“I don’t know why you’re getting yourselves all worked up,” Jacob said. “I keep telling you, Luc’s winning is a foregone conclusion.”

“If Luc is going to win, why did Color Master require all of us to enter the contest?” Hannah asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Jacob said. “She’s just making it look like there’s a real contest.” He helped himself to a large serving of barley and vegetables.

“Color Master wouldn’t do that,” Hannah said.

“You’re being naive.”

“I’m not being naive!” Hannah’s voice rose. Her eyebrows became darts of anger, and her rounded cheeks flamed. “It’s not obvious, it’s not true, and it’s certainly not fair.”

“Why else would she do it? She had to give Luc a place to go. Besides, none of us could possibly oversee such a project.”

“Not us, but what about the older apprentices? They’ve been here longer. They know more.” Hannah ripped a piece of bread apart.

Thomas waved his fork back and forth. “The fat man is not always the best cook.”

The bickering was unbearable, and the glum look on Matthew’s face cast a pall over the meal. Undoubtedly, he’d begin hiccupping soon. Ishmael tried to block out their quarrel by visualizing colors that matched the food, but he couldn’t concentrate. “I’m going outside,” he said and grabbed a piece of bread as he left the table.

“I’ll join you.” Hannah took a piece of bread, too, and followed him out the door. The noises of the refectory left them behind as they headed toward the shade of the cloister wall.

“All the talk about this Jubilee posticum is making me crazy,” Hannah said. The two sat down with their backs against the wall.

Ishmael, who was afraid to turn Hannah’s wrath toward him, took a bite of bread, chewed, and then swallowed. “I’ll be happy just seeing the finished product.”

“I thought you were going home.”

“I was. I am. I just need to see Luc through this, so I can tell Mam what he’s done. Where he is. What he’ll be doing.” He pulled off another bit of bread. He couldn’t bring himself to meet Hannah’s eyes. Was that really why he wanted to stay? “I can’t leave knowing he’s angry with me. I don’t think I could bear it.”

The raucous laughter of apprentices crossing the cloister sounded, and they both turned.

Hannah popped the final bite of bread into her mouth. “If Luc wins the contest, you’ll find a way to fix this.”

Ishmael stood up, brushed himself off, and they walked over to the fountain. He cupped his hands together and scooped up the water, drinking deeply. The cold water roused him. “I hope so.”

They walked through the courtyard and passed an apprentice from the Hall of Scent with a large glass orb in his hands. Another Scent apprentice perched on a ladder. It was the diminutive dark-haired girl who had competed in the challenge. Three glass orbs were attached to the corner of the courtyard wall, and she reached down for the fourth.

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