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And names are strange things. Dangerous things.

CHAPTER SUMMARY

After practicing another piece of sympathy which had fallen into place like a 'puzzle pieces fitting' Kote searches for Abenthy, finding him talking with his parents.  As Kote approaches them he clearly hears the name: 'Chandrian.'

Kote's father had been working on a song, teasing old stories and rhymes from townsfolk, gathering old faerie stories and legends about bogeymen and shamble-men. More recently he had begun asking questions about the Chandrian and less about Lanre, Lyra and the rest. He asks Ben "how many there actually are?" Ben explains Chaen means seven and Chaen-dian means 'seven of them' in Temic, a language that predates Tema by about a thousand years.

Kote's father tells Ben he thinks he knows the reason for the destruction the Chandrian wreak but won't share it until the song is finished.

Kote's mother turns the conversation to 'signs of Chandrian.' They talk about 'blue flames,' goat eyes and black eyes, and no eyes at all, crazed animals, rotting wood, rusting metal, and crumbling brick. Plants dying too. She has a theory that there is one sign for each, with different numbers and groupings producing different signs. Ben is impressed, going on to say they are cold to touch and that fires don't burn near them, contradicting the 'blue flame' sign.

Kote's father mentions being 'yoked to shadow ' which leads Ben to repeat a story about their shadows pointing toward the sun, and another story where one is referred to as 'something the shadow-hamed .'  This leads Kote's father to begin enquiring about their names. Ben interrupts, insisting that names are not spoken. He goes on to make a point about the Chandrian being taken seriously by everyone.

Then the conversation turns to Kote: Ben talks about how quickly Kote learns things, not just memorisation but understanding. Ben draws on the most famous Edema Ruh, saying Kote could be the next Illien. He says Kote would be accepted by the University.

CHARACTERS LIST

TITLE

Ben had given Kote a new piece of 'sympathy' to learn. It didn't take long before Kote had the Puzzle Pieces Fitting.

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