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who was the high priestess of this shrine when it was still on Neotia Prime, that there
were matters pertaining to the house Bosaru in your archives I needed to examine, and
she requested your help. And that the high priestess, who was her friend in her
younger years, would have a message for me&
Imreen Dal tilted her head. I am sorry&
Curious. Odd. My mother said she spoke to the priestess and requested
Who is your mother again?
Ir of the house Bosaru, he repeated. She was the high priestess for five years and
more before she left to marry my father. She left a message. This was more than
passing odd. I m sorry, when did your predecessor as high priestess go to the Great
Void? I m sorry, the Great Merge. Vozuans were sensitive about the distinction
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Eilis Flynn
between the two. It had to have been very recent, since my mother left the message
recently&
I m sorry, but I can t help you with that. You said you needed to access the
archives, Imreen Dal said. I can help you there. This way. She turned and, gesturing,
glided to the back of the shrine, leading him down another hall, this one lined with
statuettes.
Bosaru recognized these statuettes too. In the original shrines, the halls had been
packed full of them from Neotia Prime s long and rich history and legends, both Neoti
and Vozuan. During the evacuation, the priestesses and eunuchs had done their best to
take away as many of the statues they could.
Bosaru had seen the viz-images of the halls from back then. This hall paled in
comparison. But it was still something.
It is beautiful, I know, she said behind him. It is a reminder of our heritage.
She stood in the middle of the corridor, looking up at the ceiling, at the murals
there.
Not much Vozuan art survived, she murmured. Mostly Neoti. Only those that
were on loan off-world from the Vozuan museums when the war started, and the
murals.
The Vozuans specialized in murals, Bosaru remembered. At least there are viz-
images. And artisans, once they re settled in.
If they are allowed to create more murals, of course, she said, looking at him. He
could see a glimmer of moisture at the corner of her eye and he held his breath for a
moment. She looked away. Perhaps it would be better if we were simply absorbed into
Neoti history.
Bosaru took a deep breath. He was not interested in a discussion on the rights of
Vozuans in this new home. This was the new home for Neoti and Vozuan alike, and
they would all be Neotians, united. Your Eminence
She shook her head, as if to dispel her mood. I am sorry. My thoughts are too
dark. She turned back, continuing in her original direction, signaling for Bosaru to
follow her. The archives are this way. We have an archivist who can help you. She has
been organizing the best she can
Thank you, but I don t anticipate needing that much h
The priestess paused in front of a flat gray panel, and if not for the black metal
handle, he would have mistaken it for part of the wall. I think you ll need all the help
you can get, she said, with a sideways glance at him. And I d suggest you remember
that. Excuse me.
And with that, she opened the door and slipped in, closing it behind her, leaving
Bosaru out in the corridor.
Several minutes passed before it occurred to him that, possibly, she wasn t coming
back. He checked the handle. It gave, and he opened the door.
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Echoes of Passion
Nothing. He opened the door wider.
There was nothing there. It was a tiny, empty chamber, high-ceilinged, without
windows, lit by some source he couldn t identify.
He cursed. It had to be a nexus portal, only appropriate for short distances.
So where the hell did she go?
May I help you?
He turned. Another priestess was standing in the hall, this one looking vaguely
confused. This woman was clearly a priestess of Ixtr, with that farseeing gaze, the one
the high priestess had oddly lacked. This one was older, her once-emerald hair now
shot through liberally with silver.
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