1 00:00:00,100 --> 00:00:29,580 Speaker 1: The 2 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:34,700 Speaker 1: Eighth Self. Chapter One. Kitsari. Meeting Place. 3 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: Catrilla followed her father behind the stage of the Kitsari, wondering if this was 4 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:45,060 Speaker 1: the night they would kill him. The seating area was filled, which was usual. The 5 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: standing areas were also filled, which was not. If the Torrents were going to have 6 00:00:50,160 --> 00:00:54,740 Speaker 1: him killed, this would be the easiest opportunity. The standing area was closest to 7 00:00:54,780 --> 00:00:59,860 Speaker 1: the stage and put him in close proximity to an assassin. Her father, the servant 8 00:01:00,020 --> 00:01:05,620 Speaker 1: prime, the supposed lowest point of society, a man who only 9 00:01:05,700 --> 00:01:11,180 Speaker 1: served the servants, the people who served all of society. If he was beneath 10 00:01:11,260 --> 00:01:15,220 Speaker 1: everyone in the city district, then why were people trying to kill him? Could he 11 00:01:15,340 --> 00:01:21,020 Speaker 1: really be so unimportant? No, it made sense, Catrilla thought. He's beneath 12 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 1: everyone in the sense that he supports them all, like the supporting pillar of a 13 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:30,320 Speaker 1: building. A pillar is not less than the roof, merely beneath it. She pulled her 14 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:35,960 Speaker 1: mirror array out of her pocket and fanned out the six color-tinted mirrors. The 15 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:41,060 Speaker 1: seventh silver mirror got caught and had to be forced into view. The seven selves 16 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:47,040 Speaker 1: looked back at her. Catrilla could hear the distant sounds of the Kitsari crowd. She 17 00:01:47,060 --> 00:01:51,580 Speaker 1: continued to follow her father on his slow march to the podium, but fell back about 18 00:01:51,620 --> 00:01:56,820 Speaker 1: a dozen feet in order to look at the mirrors. Am I thinking too much? I feel like 19 00:01:56,880 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: I'm thinking too much. She whispered to the seven selves. Absolutely. 20 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: Stop thinking about paying attention and actually pay attention instead, 21 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: Violet told her. 22 00:02:11,580 --> 00:02:17,420 Speaker 1: This matters. It's worth some thinking, Red shot back. It wasn't unusual for those 23 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:23,140 Speaker 1: two to be in opposition, though. But what did the moderates think? Yellow merely 24 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:28,620 Speaker 1: smiled and shrugged. Orange wasn't really paying attention. I don't think you should 25 00:02:28,660 --> 00:02:34,580 Speaker 1: be consulting us now, Blue said, indifferent. Just 26 00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:40,380 Speaker 1: make sure you and everyone you meet remembers your name, Green said. 27 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:46,420 Speaker 1: Catrilla started to close the mirror array. Her tinted green reflection danced 28 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:51,540 Speaker 1: around urgently in its little mirror frame. And make sure you meet 29 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 1: everyone. Your name. Say your name. And then the voice was cut off as 30 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:03,580 Speaker 1: the mirrors were folded closed and the reflection disappeared. That had been less 31 00:03:03,640 --> 00:03:08,820 Speaker 1: than helpful. Blue was right. She didn't like it when Catrilla wasted time talking 32 00:03:08,860 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 1: to herself. They were nearly to the back of the stage now, so she had to jog to 33 00:03:13,860 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 1: catch up to her father. She wasn't security. Technically, the prime servant didn't 34 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: have any security. He couldn't, as he was the servant to everyone else. Practically 35 00:03:25,540 --> 00:03:30,940 Speaker 1: speaking, people gave him clothes, kept him fed, gave him a place to sleep, and kept 36 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:35,660 Speaker 1: him alive without being asked to do so. He never asked for these things, but in an 37 00:03:35,740 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: unspoken rule, it was made clear they were given to him in trade for his service to 38 00:03:40,100 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: everyone. He wasn't allowed to demand service of others, so everything had to be 39 00:03:44,740 --> 00:03:49,660 Speaker 1: given to him. In theory, that meant he was the only person who could be trusted to 40 00:03:49,740 --> 00:03:54,580 Speaker 1: speak honestly on behalf of his district's people, since he was the only one with 41 00:03:54,720 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: absolutely both everything to lose and nothing to gain by betraying them. Strangely, 42 00:04:00,580 --> 00:04:05,660 Speaker 1: this elevated him again to a sort of figurehead position, a voice for everyone. 43 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: And there was no shortage of people who wanted the voice of everyone silenced. 44 00:04:12,700 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: Catrilla tapped Violet, then walked out ahead of her father and scanned the crowd 45 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:21,540 Speaker 1: with the emotionless, unashamed precision the task demanded. There were no known 46 00:04:21,579 --> 00:04:25,660 Speaker 1: dissidents in the first few rows. No one that looked overly suspicious, anyway. 47 00:04:27,700 --> 00:04:31,660 Speaker 1: She was pleased to see that most of the first few rows were filled out by volunteers 48 00:04:31,700 --> 00:04:36,060 Speaker 1: that she'd asked to be there, people she trusted and would be watching her for any 49 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:40,900 Speaker 1: signs of problems. She released Violet and tapped both Yellow and Green at the same 50 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: time. A flood of thoughts and emotions hit her so hard she nearly fell to the floor. 51 00:04:46,020 --> 00:04:51,820 Speaker 1: She released them immediately. Bad idea. Catrilla steadied herself, then 52 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 1: paced along the edge of the stage, looking down the few feet to the ground. It would 53 00:04:56,320 --> 00:05:00,600 Speaker 1: at least slow anyone trying to get to him. The Prime Servant had suggested on 54 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:06,260 Speaker 1: multiple occasions, very loudly to empty rooms, that he wished the stage would be 55 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:11,560 Speaker 1: lowered beneath the height of the standing crowd. So far, though, no one seemed to 56 00:05:11,580 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 1: have taken up his pleas. That was the trouble with being beneath everyone. When they 57 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: thought you were being stupid, they were welcome to ignore you. And no one ignored 58 00:05:22,940 --> 00:05:28,940 Speaker 1: Tiyango more than Catrilla, the only daughter of the man who served everyone but 59 00:05:28,980 --> 00:05:34,340 Speaker 1: could ask nothing of anyone. If Tiyango was the voice of the people, Catrilla was 60 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:40,220 Speaker 1: the maid, cook, secretary, and chamber pot cleaner of the people. As it turned 61 00:05:40,300 --> 00:05:45,160 Speaker 1: out, a lot of people were willing to shake the Prime Servant's hand, but not many 62 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:50,940 Speaker 1: were willing to wash his sheets or apply balm to his aching feet. The standing crowd 63 00:05:50,980 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: of the Katari erupt into cheers as Tiyango walked onto the stage. On the sitting 64 00:05:56,160 --> 00:06:00,580 Speaker 1: level above, a negligible portion of the crowd clapped politely. 65 00:06:01,996 --> 00:06:07,996 Speaker 1: Hello. Hello. Tiongco folded his hands and bowed to the crowd before him. 66 00:06:08,516 --> 00:06:13,116 Speaker 1: They hushed almost immediately. Her father was known to tell stories before speaking 67 00:06:13,156 --> 00:06:18,215 Speaker 1: on current events. The stories always seemed deliberately frustrating, though. Long, 68 00:06:18,316 --> 00:06:21,676 Speaker 1: winding fables that seemed to end without any obvious lesson to them. 69 00:06:23,476 --> 00:06:28,716 Speaker 1: Tonight, I plan to share the story of the ivy and the eucalyptus. 70 00:06:29,756 --> 00:06:34,135 Speaker 1: Katriella tapped violet again, then tapped as much blue as she could handle. She 71 00:06:34,216 --> 00:06:39,716 Speaker 1: felt the world slow around her, her father's words slurred into slow motion. She 72 00:06:39,816 --> 00:06:44,456 Speaker 1: scanned the crowd, the blue in her drawing her eyes to the oddities. A woman with a 73 00:06:44,536 --> 00:06:50,416 Speaker 1: strange hat. No, just a foreign fashion. Two men with arms crossed 74 00:06:50,456 --> 00:06:56,216 Speaker 1: and sour looks on their faces. Mm, potential threats, but far enough from the 75 00:06:56,296 --> 00:07:01,996 Speaker 1: stage to handle. Keep an eye on them. She saw a man with decorative eyeglasses, 76 00:07:02,276 --> 00:07:07,676 Speaker 1: a woman with only one arm, a man with no shirt and gang tattoos. Katriella saw them 77 00:07:07,776 --> 00:07:13,476 Speaker 1: all. She saw everything so fast that she wasted most of her time simply waiting for 78 00:07:13,516 --> 00:07:18,416 Speaker 1: her eyeballs to move around the room. A man with a large scarf faced the wrong 79 00:07:18,456 --> 00:07:23,496 Speaker 1: direction, a servant in the seating area that she didn't recognize. She had time to 80 00:07:23,556 --> 00:07:28,916 Speaker 1: survey the entire room as time crawled by for everyone else. Katriella felt her 81 00:07:28,976 --> 00:07:33,916 Speaker 1: thinking grow sluggish, her train of thought winding in odd circles. That was the 82 00:07:33,976 --> 00:07:39,076 Speaker 1: trouble with blue, the side effects built up quickly. If she didn't release the blue 83 00:07:39,296 --> 00:07:45,096 Speaker 1: soon... A bald man with painted fingernails just ten feet from the stage. She 84 00:07:45,136 --> 00:07:49,816 Speaker 1: released the blue and the world sped up and zoomed out at the same time. She braced 85 00:07:49,836 --> 00:07:55,476 Speaker 1: herself. The backlash pounded her brain like a drum. Nausea and pain washed over her 86 00:07:55,516 --> 00:07:59,936 Speaker 1: in a wave. Katriella fought the seizure, forcing her hand out as she fell to the 87 00:07:59,996 --> 00:08:05,216 Speaker 1: stage. She pointed at the bald man before collapsing to the stage, breathing in 88 00:08:05,336 --> 00:08:11,255 Speaker 1: huge, ragged breaths. Tapping blue sped up your mind, but your mind needed air to 89 00:08:11,336 --> 00:08:16,836 Speaker 1: function. It needed pumping blood to clean it out. In those ways, tapping blue was a 90 00:08:16,876 --> 00:08:21,236 Speaker 1: lot like holding your breath. It wasn't the store of blue potential that would hold 91 00:08:21,296 --> 00:08:27,296 Speaker 1: you back. Usually, it was how awful it felt to hold it. Her father stopped speaking 92 00:08:27,336 --> 00:08:32,116 Speaker 1: and helped Katriella to her feet. Her legs didn't work yet. They would come back 93 00:08:32,236 --> 00:08:38,056 Speaker 1: soon, probably. Katriella hated interrupting him, but she knew something was 94 00:08:38,096 --> 00:08:43,476 Speaker 1: wrong. A dozen people with a rainbow of colors in their hair moved casually from the 95 00:08:43,536 --> 00:08:48,116 Speaker 1: front rows through the crowd, converging on the place where Katriella had pointed. 96 00:08:48,696 --> 00:08:53,816 Speaker 1: The bald man was already pushing his way to the exit. Unfortunately, he'd seen them 97 00:08:53,876 --> 00:08:57,876 Speaker 1: coming. Kat, breathe. You need to breathe. 98 00:08:59,556 --> 00:09:00,256 Speaker 1: Satsun. 99 00:09:01,976 --> 00:09:06,436 Speaker 1: She was standing again, but still leaning heavily on him for support. Tiongco looked 100 00:09:06,516 --> 00:09:11,676 Speaker 1: out at the crowd. They were muttering, concerned about... About what? 101 00:09:12,736 --> 00:09:18,416 Speaker 1: Oh, they thought she was hurt. Katriella made a few pitiful groans and put a hand to 102 00:09:18,456 --> 00:09:23,316 Speaker 1: her forehead. Might as well play it up. At the same time, she watched the bald man 103 00:09:23,376 --> 00:09:28,876 Speaker 1: make for the front door just before her security could intercept. Katriella 104 00:09:28,996 --> 00:09:34,896 Speaker 1: scowled. This was going to hurt. She tapped blue again. The world zoomed in 105 00:09:34,956 --> 00:09:39,876 Speaker 1: and slowed down at the same time. She watched the bald man with painted fingernails 106 00:09:39,976 --> 00:09:44,036 Speaker 1: glance once at her on the stage, then slip out the front door onto the crowded 107 00:09:44,116 --> 00:09:49,456 Speaker 1: street. Katriella tried to memorize every detail of his face. He could be a killer. 108 00:09:49,856 --> 00:09:55,556 Speaker 1: He could be a spy. He could... She really needed air. Katriella released the blue 109 00:09:55,596 --> 00:10:00,416 Speaker 1: and screamed in agony. She took a single gasping breath, then immediately tapped 110 00:10:00,496 --> 00:10:05,656 Speaker 1: red. The flood of painkillers hit the searing agony and relief billowed through her. 111 00:10:06,236 --> 00:10:09,896 Speaker 1: Katriella limped off the stage and waved a thanks to her father, who looked 112 00:10:09,996 --> 00:10:14,956 Speaker 1: genuinely concerned but stayed at the podium. The red made it easy to make a show of 113 00:10:15,116 --> 00:10:20,915 Speaker 1: actually feeling okay. Don't worry about me. I'm just the idiot who 114 00:10:20,956 --> 00:10:25,816 Speaker 1: blue-burned themselves in front of three hundred people. Nothing to see here. 115 00:10:26,856 --> 00:10:31,316 Speaker 1: Flashes of red pulsed behind her eyes with each new step like little red bolts of 116 00:10:31,416 --> 00:10:37,336 Speaker 1: lightning. Katriella doubled the red she was tapping. Not good, not good. She was 117 00:10:37,396 --> 00:10:42,696 Speaker 1: about to take a floor nap. Too much. Too much blue. 118 00:10:43,556 --> 00:10:48,856 Speaker 1: She was nearly off the stage by the time she realized her mistake. The woman with 119 00:10:48,956 --> 00:10:54,876 Speaker 1: one arm had unrolled her empty sleeve. She had a throwing knife in one hand. She was 120 00:10:54,936 --> 00:11:00,716 Speaker 1: bringing her hand back for a throw. Tiongco was already addressing the crowd. No one 121 00:11:00,796 --> 00:11:06,396 Speaker 1: else had seen. It was a ruse. The bald man with painted fingernails, just a 122 00:11:06,436 --> 00:11:12,016 Speaker 1: distraction from the real... A silver blur spun through the air toward her father. 123 00:11:12,536 --> 00:11:15,856 Speaker 1: The world went black as Katriella tried to scream. 124 00:11:26,236 --> 00:11:29,596 Speaker 1: Chapter two. Undura. Shadow. 125 00:11:32,476 --> 00:11:36,716 Speaker 1: Lenau sat at the end of her bed. He didn't try to open the shutters and let the 126 00:11:36,776 --> 00:11:41,896 Speaker 1: light in, like Auntie Mota. He didn't try to tell her a story about the good times, 127 00:11:42,216 --> 00:11:47,476 Speaker 1: like Otafu had. He simply sat at the end of the bed, soaking in the same misery that 128 00:11:47,536 --> 00:11:53,196 Speaker 1: she'd steeped in for three days. Lenau rolled his head to face Katriella. Kat, 129 00:11:53,456 --> 00:11:58,756 Speaker 1: there's been something I've been meaning to ask you. Don't want to talk. Please. 130 00:11:59,236 --> 00:12:04,676 Speaker 1: It's important. I don't want to talk Please, just hear me out. 131 00:12:05,836 --> 00:12:11,596 Speaker 1: Fine. Lanau cleared his throat. You, uh, got any 132 00:12:11,636 --> 00:12:16,616 Speaker 1: dream leaf? I'm really tired of feeling normal. Catrilla threw a pillow at him. 133 00:12:17,156 --> 00:12:21,436 Speaker 1: Then, because he deflected it, she kicked him in the chest. She kicked him again. 134 00:12:22,436 --> 00:12:28,376 Speaker 1: Seriously? That's what you're gonna ask me? [laughs] I just thought, you 135 00:12:28,476 --> 00:12:29,736 Speaker 1: know, you'd had some. 136 00:12:31,396 --> 00:12:37,336 Speaker 1: Me? He shrugged. Uh, guessed I really wasted my time here. Well, see you 137 00:12:37,376 --> 00:12:43,376 Speaker 1: later. Catrilla kicked him again, more playful this time. Get out of 138 00:12:43,396 --> 00:12:48,136 Speaker 1: here. You're supposed to take this seriously. Lanau put his hands up in surrender, 139 00:12:48,216 --> 00:12:52,556 Speaker 1: then walked out of the room, leaving her in the gloom, steeping in the malaise of 140 00:12:52,656 --> 00:12:58,216 Speaker 1: failure. For three days she'd moped about failing to save her father from an 141 00:12:58,296 --> 00:13:03,536 Speaker 1: attack, and in the end, Lanau had known exactly what to do to cheer her up. He'd 142 00:13:03,596 --> 00:13:08,055 Speaker 1: also been considerate enough to let her suffer for three days before stepping in. 143 00:13:08,856 --> 00:13:14,596 Speaker 1: That pain was important to her. If anyone understood her insane little life, 144 00:13:14,916 --> 00:13:19,736 Speaker 1: it was him. Catrilla left her room and walked to the common area of the servant 145 00:13:19,776 --> 00:13:25,656 Speaker 1: building. Servants bowed to her as she passed them. She never liked that. Unlike 146 00:13:25,716 --> 00:13:30,396 Speaker 1: everyone else in the hovel, Catrilla wasn't a servant. Technically, this was their 147 00:13:30,456 --> 00:13:34,756 Speaker 1: home. Most servants were only home long enough to get a brief moment's rest before 148 00:13:34,796 --> 00:13:39,816 Speaker 1: returning to work. Lately, many of them had only been coming home every other day. 149 00:13:40,456 --> 00:13:46,296 Speaker 1: Times were hard in their district of Aruntu. Times were hard in all of Catala, 150 00:13:46,836 --> 00:13:51,016 Speaker 1: and the servants responded how they always did, by working harder. 151 00:13:52,676 --> 00:13:57,416 Speaker 1: It felt wrong making them bow to her in their own homes. Catrilla nodded politely 152 00:13:57,456 --> 00:14:02,236 Speaker 1: and hurried off to the clinic. She paused outside the door and took a deep breath. 153 00:14:02,896 --> 00:14:08,216 Speaker 1: She flipped open her pocket mirror array for the first time since that night. A 154 00:14:08,296 --> 00:14:13,816 Speaker 1: flood of voices hit her all at once. You poor thing, Yellow said. 155 00:14:14,536 --> 00:14:19,796 Speaker 1: What were you thinking? Green screamed at her. Lack of 156 00:14:19,896 --> 00:14:25,796 Speaker 1: self-control, Blue muttered. I have to agree, Violet said. 157 00:14:26,576 --> 00:14:32,216 Speaker 1: I don't like how you fell asleep. You gave up and you know it. I'm withdrawing 158 00:14:32,276 --> 00:14:38,076 Speaker 1: support, Orange said. Hold on, hold on. One at a time. And don't withdraw 159 00:14:38,116 --> 00:14:43,636 Speaker 1: until I've at least explained myself. I don't need an explanation. You fell over 160 00:14:43,676 --> 00:14:49,296 Speaker 1: like a sad, floppy little fish. That pitiful display was all I needed to see. 161 00:14:50,036 --> 00:14:54,856 Speaker 1: Her orange reflection jumped around, overly animated in her tiny mirror frame. 162 00:14:55,836 --> 00:15:00,216 Speaker 1: Catrilla flipped a few locks of her hair around to the front. The orange locks 163 00:15:00,296 --> 00:15:06,256 Speaker 1: quickly faded to black. She groaned. Orange was easily lost, but easily won back 164 00:15:06,316 --> 00:15:11,396 Speaker 1: too. Once this next task was done, she could probably just run the district blocks 165 00:15:11,436 --> 00:15:16,096 Speaker 1: to win her over again. Orange respected enthusiasm, determination. 166 00:15:17,336 --> 00:15:23,116 Speaker 1: Red hadn't spoken yet. She looked to the right, a worried look on her face. Catrilla 167 00:15:23,196 --> 00:15:27,916 Speaker 1: followed her gaze, in the real world, down the hall. It was just an empty hall. 168 00:15:28,476 --> 00:15:33,096 Speaker 1: Could her red reflection see something different in there? And what do you think, 169 00:15:33,176 --> 00:15:37,936 Speaker 1: Red? Am I a complete failure of a daughter? Are you going to tell me what a weakling 170 00:15:38,076 --> 00:15:43,556 Speaker 1: I am for passing out from a little blue? Orange nodded enthusiastically at that last 171 00:15:43,616 --> 00:15:49,396 Speaker 1: part. Red glanced back at Catrilla, distracted. Oh, what? No, it 172 00:15:49,436 --> 00:15:53,396 Speaker 1: wasn't your fault. Not really. Learn from this mistake. It could have been worse. 173 00:15:54,476 --> 00:15:59,376 Speaker 1: Then she went back to looking off to the right, searching for something. What are 174 00:15:59,436 --> 00:16:05,136 Speaker 1: you looking for, Red? I keep hearing something. Wait, did we do Dreamleaf? 175 00:16:05,996 --> 00:16:10,856 Speaker 1: Orange said. I think we would remember that, right? Yellow asked. 176 00:16:11,636 --> 00:16:16,696 Speaker 1: Catrilla ignored their banter and watched Red curiously. It wasn't like her to be so 177 00:16:16,776 --> 00:16:22,216 Speaker 1: quiet. What do you hear? It's a... It's like a scratching sound. 178 00:16:22,736 --> 00:16:28,636 Speaker 1: Mm, never mind. Listen, Catrilla, just get back on our feet. Time stops for 179 00:16:28,696 --> 00:16:32,956 Speaker 1: no one. Training starts again today. Personally, I think you need to practice 180 00:16:33,016 --> 00:16:38,796 Speaker 1: holding Blue. Great. That was exactly what she wanted more of. Splitting 181 00:16:38,856 --> 00:16:44,836 Speaker 1: headaches and seizures. Fine. She wanted to tell herself to eat dirt. 182 00:16:45,476 --> 00:16:51,176 Speaker 1: She wanted to go back to her room and just lay in the gloom again. But that's not 183 00:16:51,236 --> 00:16:57,116 Speaker 1: how you improve, so it was fine. You just do that in the hallway, huh? 184 00:16:58,736 --> 00:17:02,056 Speaker 1: Ahem. You just do that in the hallway, huh? 185 00:17:04,236 --> 00:17:09,116 Speaker 1: Catrilla looked up from herself. A nurse was standing there, hand on one hip, 186 00:17:09,516 --> 00:17:15,256 Speaker 1: disgust written on her face. The other woman wouldn't be able to hear the voices 187 00:17:15,376 --> 00:17:20,856 Speaker 1: or see her distinct moving impressions. But it was pretty obvious that she was 188 00:17:20,956 --> 00:17:26,696 Speaker 1: reflecting. Some people considered that a private thing. And so what? What did 189 00:17:26,736 --> 00:17:31,876 Speaker 1: Catrilla care if other people saw her reflecting? It was a natural thing to do. It 190 00:17:31,936 --> 00:17:37,716 Speaker 1: was a beautiful thing to do. We were a sad, floppy little fish, Orange 191 00:17:37,796 --> 00:17:42,716 Speaker 1: said. She made fish lips at Catrilla and crossed her eyes. Catrilla fanned the 192 00:17:42,756 --> 00:17:47,116 Speaker 1: mirror array closed and put it back in her pocket. She couldn't help but notice the 193 00:17:47,216 --> 00:17:52,576 Speaker 1: nurse had a plain, dark hair. And the green eyes and light skin that marked her as a 194 00:17:52,636 --> 00:17:58,556 Speaker 1: foreigner. A Torrentian foreigner, too. That explained it, then. It also explained 195 00:17:58,596 --> 00:18:04,536 Speaker 1: her attitude. Oh, I don't mind reflecting anywhere. I have to keep my hair pretty. 196 00:18:05,176 --> 00:18:10,644 Speaker 1: You understand. Well, at least the others do it behind closed doors. 197 00:18:10,884 --> 00:18:16,464 Speaker 1: Seems the sensible thing to do. That was all Katrilla needed to hear. She 198 00:18:16,524 --> 00:18:21,184 Speaker 1: clenched a fist and stepped up to the nurse with her chin up. She tapped enough red 199 00:18:21,224 --> 00:18:27,024 Speaker 1: to make veins bulge on her arms. She felt her neck swell and stiffen. You might be 200 00:18:27,104 --> 00:18:31,284 Speaker 1: able to get away with word daggers where you come from, but in Fatala we treat a 201 00:18:31,324 --> 00:18:37,284 Speaker 1: dagger like a dagger. If you want to strike me, strike me. She said, 202 00:18:37,524 --> 00:18:43,104 Speaker 1: spreading her arms. They felt as light as balsa wood, but strong. She would enjoy 203 00:18:43,144 --> 00:18:47,764 Speaker 1: throwing this woman across the room if it came to that. The nurse looked completely 204 00:18:47,804 --> 00:18:52,164 Speaker 1: bewildered. Being called out on her sly attacks must be a novel experience. 205 00:18:53,284 --> 00:18:57,864 Speaker 1: Torinchan's weren't used to this level of directness. She skittered away down the 206 00:18:57,924 --> 00:19:03,744 Speaker 1: hall and Katrilla released the red. Her father's door was left open. Tiango was 207 00:19:03,804 --> 00:19:08,924 Speaker 1: awake and sitting up in bed. He watched her, his face unreadable. 208 00:19:09,824 --> 00:19:14,964 Speaker 1: Great. So far, she'd been able to make her daily visits while he was asleep. 209 00:19:15,584 --> 00:19:20,704 Speaker 1: Until now. Katrilla knew she should be happy he was recovering, but couldn't quite 210 00:19:20,764 --> 00:19:26,504 Speaker 1: shake the shadow of guilt. You showed that person exactly who she expected to see. 211 00:19:27,264 --> 00:19:32,384 Speaker 1: Is that what you intended? The bandages around his neck were no longer stained red, 212 00:19:32,464 --> 00:19:37,584 Speaker 1: but he still looked pained. The knife hadn't missed him after all. It just hadn't 213 00:19:37,644 --> 00:19:42,644 Speaker 1: killed him. But it had gotten close. Far, far too close. 214 00:19:43,364 --> 00:19:48,104 Speaker 1: Katrilla grimaced and turned away from him. She looked out the window instead. There 215 00:19:48,124 --> 00:19:52,424 Speaker 1: were so many flower wreaths piled up outside the window that she could barely see 216 00:19:52,524 --> 00:19:57,544 Speaker 1: out. We can't let them push us around. Tolerance is permission, father. This is 217 00:19:57,784 --> 00:20:03,764 Speaker 1: still our city. True. But our country must change. Adapt if it 218 00:20:03,824 --> 00:20:09,464 Speaker 1: is to survive this revolution. Katrilla started to speak, but her father folded his 219 00:20:09,524 --> 00:20:14,564 Speaker 1: hands and closed his eyes. The surgeon had told him not to bow until his wound 220 00:20:14,624 --> 00:20:20,444 Speaker 1: healed. Our culture must change too. So we should just throw away our 221 00:20:20,504 --> 00:20:26,064 Speaker 1: traditions then? Live like the Torrents and worship coins? Or perhaps we should skip 222 00:20:26,144 --> 00:20:31,924 Speaker 1: all that and just burn and destroy like the Badlands nomads? Tiango tapped the side 223 00:20:31,964 --> 00:20:36,904 Speaker 1: of his neck and his eyes watered. She was pushing him too hard. But what this man 224 00:20:37,004 --> 00:20:42,024 Speaker 1: thought mattered. If he was caving to foreign influence, others would follow. 225 00:20:42,604 --> 00:20:48,424 Speaker 1: Katrilla needed to stamp out this madness before he spread it. Each person has 226 00:20:48,544 --> 00:20:54,384 Speaker 1: something to teach. Each culture. Refusing to 227 00:20:54,484 --> 00:20:57,384 Speaker 1: change does not insulate us from it. 228 00:21:00,084 --> 00:21:05,224 Speaker 1: A little trail of blood ran down his neck and Katrilla winced. This was going too 229 00:21:05,304 --> 00:21:11,024 Speaker 1: far. Let me get you a pencil instead. Hear me. If we 230 00:21:11,344 --> 00:21:16,984 Speaker 1: choose to change, we can shape it. If we fight change, 231 00:21:17,504 --> 00:21:23,224 Speaker 1: we will lose that choice. Tiango collapsed back to the pillows. 232 00:21:23,484 --> 00:21:29,244 Speaker 1: Tears flowed from his scrunched up face. That is not the will of the people. What 233 00:21:29,284 --> 00:21:34,524 Speaker 1: would those who clothe you think? Those who feed you? Those who treated your wounds? 234 00:21:35,324 --> 00:21:40,584 Speaker 1: Do you really think they are interested in compromise with the Torrents? Tiango kept 235 00:21:40,624 --> 00:21:45,964 Speaker 1: his eyes shut and grimaced. It's what they need. 236 00:21:46,944 --> 00:21:52,144 Speaker 1: Katrilla was fuming. The Prime Servant's role was not to decide what their district 237 00:21:52,204 --> 00:21:57,684 Speaker 1: needed, but to interpret and understand the views of its people. The world was 238 00:21:57,784 --> 00:22:03,764 Speaker 1: changing, true, but it didn't have to. If everyone in every district of Aruntu, if 239 00:22:03,864 --> 00:22:09,224 Speaker 1: every city in the entire country of Katala would just force the foreigners out, this 240 00:22:09,244 --> 00:22:14,944 Speaker 1: could all be solved in a day. Without bloodshed, without endless argument. Someone 241 00:22:15,024 --> 00:22:19,244 Speaker 1: tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around. The Torinchian nurse stood there 242 00:22:19,364 --> 00:22:25,364 Speaker 1: flanked by three large Torinchian men in a uniform she didn't recognize. Once 243 00:22:25,404 --> 00:22:30,504 Speaker 1: the nurse had led them in to Katrilla, she walked off in a hurry. Thank you, Ria. 244 00:22:31,044 --> 00:22:35,304 Speaker 1: One of the men stepped forward and put a firm hand on Katrilla's shoulder. You need 245 00:22:35,344 --> 00:22:40,324 Speaker 1: to leave the building immediately. Then he forcefully turned her around and shoved 246 00:22:40,344 --> 00:22:45,184 Speaker 1: her a few steps down the hallway. The other two men stepped up on either side of her 247 00:22:45,224 --> 00:22:50,164 Speaker 1: while they forced her to march down the hallway. You can't make me leave. This isn't 248 00:22:50,204 --> 00:22:55,504 Speaker 1: your building. Last night we were authorized to keep the peace in the White Leaf 249 00:22:55,584 --> 00:23:01,404 Speaker 1: District during civil unrest. Civil unrest? What was this green eye talking about? 250 00:23:02,124 --> 00:23:07,224 Speaker 1: We'll keep watch over the Prime Servant. Keep walking. Yeah, like she was really 251 00:23:07,284 --> 00:23:12,164 Speaker 1: going to leave her father with the very people who'd tried to murder him. Where was 252 00:23:12,204 --> 00:23:17,984 Speaker 1: the rest of her security? She'd been out of touch for a while. While she'd 253 00:23:18,024 --> 00:23:23,964 Speaker 1: been pouting, basically. Katrilla turned around and planted her feet. If they wanted 254 00:23:24,024 --> 00:23:29,944 Speaker 1: a fight, let them throw the first punch. Make me. She tapped green. 255 00:23:30,244 --> 00:23:33,944 Speaker 1: The man on the right was going to take her arm and twist it, hopefully pinning her 256 00:23:33,984 --> 00:23:38,824 Speaker 1: to the wall. The man on the left would wait for orders. The man in the middle Well, 257 00:23:38,944 --> 00:23:43,164 Speaker 1: he was trying to do something she didn't understand. Katrilla easily stepped away 258 00:23:43,204 --> 00:23:47,344 Speaker 1: from the first man's grab, having seen it coming. It looked so casual he might have 259 00:23:47,384 --> 00:23:52,824 Speaker 1: assumed that she'd dodged it by accident. She tapped orange and Nothing happened. 260 00:23:53,304 --> 00:23:58,324 Speaker 1: Crap. She'd forgotten that orange was upset with her. The man who missed his first 261 00:23:58,384 --> 00:24:02,684 Speaker 1: grab intended to sweep her legs next, so she tapped enough red to make her eyes 262 00:24:02,724 --> 00:24:07,284 Speaker 1: bulge. When the kick connected with the back of her knees, it stopped. The 263 00:24:07,344 --> 00:24:11,324 Speaker 1: Torinchian grunted in pain and stumbled away, rubbing at his shin as if he'd kicked 264 00:24:11,384 --> 00:24:16,288 Speaker 1: a wall. She released the red for a moment, waiting for the next attack. The red 265 00:24:16,328 --> 00:24:21,708 Speaker 1: backlash hit her, but tried to look as if nothing were wrong. She'd only been 266 00:24:21,808 --> 00:24:26,248 Speaker 1: standing there, after all, while they attacked her. The man who'd hesitated intended 267 00:24:26,288 --> 00:24:31,808 Speaker 1: to move in for a bear hug. Catrilla tapped blue. She felt the world slow and zoom 268 00:24:31,908 --> 00:24:37,328 Speaker 1: in. While the man was still spreading his arms, Catrilla began to duck and spin. It 269 00:24:37,408 --> 00:24:42,288 Speaker 1: took forever for her body to respond. She got to see her assailant's surprise in 270 00:24:42,428 --> 00:24:47,848 Speaker 1: slow motion as she preempted his next lunge. He tried to correct for her dodge, but 271 00:24:47,888 --> 00:24:53,348 Speaker 1: it was easy to pivot away when everything moved so slowly. Catrilla released the 272 00:24:53,388 --> 00:24:57,688 Speaker 1: blue before it was too late. It burned fast, and she didn't need a repeat of the 273 00:24:57,728 --> 00:25:02,688 Speaker 1: last incident. The world sped up, and the man fell to the floor beside Catrilla, 274 00:25:03,288 --> 00:25:08,188 Speaker 1: losing his balance as she completed the dodge. The backlash hit her immediately. She 275 00:25:08,228 --> 00:25:12,828 Speaker 1: had to prop herself up against the wall while the worst of it subsided. She couldn't 276 00:25:12,888 --> 00:25:17,428 Speaker 1: understand why their leader had simply sat there watching his friends be made fools 277 00:25:17,528 --> 00:25:22,368 Speaker 1: of. She still had green tapped. All her green could tell her was that he intended to 278 00:25:23,148 --> 00:25:28,348 Speaker 1: peel her? What did that mean? Catrilla glanced down at her fingernails. One of the 279 00:25:28,408 --> 00:25:32,608 Speaker 1: red fingernails had changed back to skin tone, but the other two were still bright 280 00:25:32,668 --> 00:25:37,448 Speaker 1: red. Plenty of potential, then, to deal with this guy. She wouldn't even need 281 00:25:37,548 --> 00:25:42,188 Speaker 1: orange. Their leader stepped forward for a strike. She tapped as much red as she 282 00:25:42,248 --> 00:25:48,088 Speaker 1: could, lifted her chin, and stood there defiantly to take the blow. His hand came 283 00:25:48,148 --> 00:25:52,988 Speaker 1: down on her head as an open-handed slap. A bizarre fighting technique, she thought. 284 00:25:53,388 --> 00:25:58,908 Speaker 1: His hand bounced right off her head. And then she fell out of her body. 285 00:26:00,208 --> 00:26:04,588 Speaker 1: Catrilla lay on the floor, looking up at the three men who held her limp body in 286 00:26:04,648 --> 00:26:10,588 Speaker 1: their hands. That That was her. She watched their leader lift 287 00:26:10,628 --> 00:26:16,248 Speaker 1: her up over his shoulder and start walking down the hall. This wasn't possible. 288 00:26:16,508 --> 00:26:21,727 Speaker 1: It wasn't You should follow us, he said without looking back. 289 00:26:22,567 --> 00:26:27,048 Speaker 1: It may be a few hours until you can re-enter your body. I don't know if it will be 290 00:26:27,148 --> 00:26:32,148 Speaker 1: moved and I don't want you to lose it. Catrilla watched the four of them go down the 291 00:26:32,188 --> 00:26:37,988 Speaker 1: hall. It wasn't real. She looked down at her hands. They were still there, 292 00:26:38,128 --> 00:26:43,488 Speaker 1: but translucent. When she walked, no sound came out. When she screamed, 293 00:26:44,008 --> 00:26:49,828 Speaker 1: no sound came out. So she chased after the men who stole her body. Just 294 00:26:49,868 --> 00:26:54,548 Speaker 1: before she got to the door, she turned around. There was a sensation of being 295 00:26:54,648 --> 00:27:00,368 Speaker 1: followed and an odd sound in the distance. No matter how she turned her head, it 296 00:27:00,488 --> 00:27:06,248 Speaker 1: always seemed to come from the same direction. A fixed point and yet nowhere at 297 00:27:06,348 --> 00:27:12,108 Speaker 1: all. A faint scratching sound, like something small clawing at a door. 298 00:27:12,808 --> 00:27:18,448 Speaker 1: As she jogged after her body, questions flooded her mind. She wondered if 299 00:27:18,528 --> 00:27:24,148 Speaker 1: this was what it was like to go insane and if she could stop it somehow. How would 300 00:27:24,208 --> 00:27:29,548 Speaker 1: she know what was real and what wasn't? And most important of all, how 301 00:27:29,788 --> 00:27:34,888 Speaker 1: soon would she be able to get back into her body, find the people who'd done this, 302 00:27:35,268 --> 00:27:36,948 Speaker 1: and kick them between the legs?