Page 63 - DivineSparkRisingFinal

Nicholas Boothman
Henry’s pulse hammered. They weren’t just
going to kill the idea, they would gut it and feed it
back until no one recognized the taste.
“And if that fails?”
Silence.
Then: “Deploy the Caladors.”
Henry stiffened. He remembered the man on the
magnolia bench.
A Calador.
And not just any Calador: one who’d broken
ranks. Which meant two things: Caladors could
turn. And one of them had just chosen him.
It wasn’t that Chorus hated people. It was
worse. They didn’t think people could handle
being free.
He backed away, heart pounding, careful not to
make a sound. He had what he needed. Proof.
Philosophy. Names.
And now, he had to get it out.
As he turned to leave, the Curator’s voice
echoed through the chamber:
“Find the leak. And if Talbot is alive: bring him
to me.”
By the time Henry reached the tram tunnel, his
shirt was soaked through and his breath came in
63