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The faintest brush of color lirays The tunnel dohich they walked split at a crossroads, branching off in five directions, but Diocletia led the wheeze

"God save us," said Gerwita faintly, pressing up behind Rosvita as the tunnel opened into a cavern no larger than a village church, the rock walls marked with odd striations, ribbons of color painted onto the rock

Here, the nuns had constructed a crude living quarters Four pallets lay along one wall, three neatlyand one heaped up untidily At the single table and bench a thin wo her hands; she did not look up as they entered Threeor a small library of scrolls, sat beneath the table A dozen assorted pots and ah Rosvita found it remarkable that she could see at all Two oil lamps rested on a rock shelf in the cavern wall, but neither one was lit

"What isthat noise?" asked Fortunatus

The untidy pallet stirred, like a beast co alive "Have they come safely?"

"God be praised!" Rosvita rushed heedlessly across the cavern to kneel beside the pallet "Mother Obligatia! God is merciful! You are still alive"

"Sister Rosvita!" A painfully thin hand erasped it, careful to hold lightly so that she ht not crush those ancient bones "I had prayed to see you again, but I confess I did not hope that God would bless us so We are prisoners here, but against what enehed bitterly Obligatia looked so ill that it was impossible to understand how soh stubbornness, a sense of duty, or the sie had worn her skin to a dry fragility; a touch ht crumble it to dust

The others ventured cautiously into the cavern, spreading out so they wouldn’t feel cra for the source of the light and that constant wheezing whistle Sister Diocletia leaned down beside the seated woman and spoke to her in an undertone It was Sister Petra, the librarian and scribe She looked so changed, as though half of her soul had fled, leaving the rest behind in a broken vessel

"Pray tell atia Why have you fled the convent? Where are the others?"

"There are things we never dreah they are ht most of the ti voice faltered Her body eak, but her gaze remained sharp and solid, fixed on Rosvita "We have seen terrible things, Sister"

"Look!" said Hanna froives off a glow"