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that Geenari toss me out a window?”
    He looked abashed, “He did. That is where I caught you. The Orb must have given you my point of view of the event. If you want to see it from another perspective, we can go to the library after you have obtained your cowl.”
    “Library?”
    “Key moments in time are stored and recorded in the library. You can view any moment from countless worlds.” He grinned, “It is both educational and entertaining.”
    They moved forward in line, and she peeked over the shoulder of the woman in front of her as she made her selections. The process seemed straightforward.
    Idara moved up and started by selecting the scan-for-measurements feature. The beam shot out and covered her from head to toe. From there, she was free to pick the style that best suited her.
    She selected a cowl that would look like a loose collar until she lifted the hood. Once she had made her selections, she stepped to the side and waited.
    The box was narrow, but once she had put the cowl into place, the robot arms removed the empty box, and she turned to Harken with a happy smile. “There, all…uh oh.”
    He was glowing. It was a strange look. It lit all of his musculature from within.
    Idara’s fingers curled into fists to stop the urge to touch.
    “You are glowing, Harken.”
    He laughed, “It happens, Idara. Would you care to accompany me to witness?”
    She cocked her head as thoughts began to stream into her mind. Images of another world, a procession and an explosion rippled through her consciousness.
    There was a woman outlined in black light, and to Idara, she glowed more brightly than any other being at the procession. With her skin matching her target, she looked to Harken helplessly.
    “Idara, I have never seen one of our kind glow with a black light before. I am guessing that you are getting thoughts that are not your own?”
    She nodded and swallowed.
    Harken lifted his cowl and settled it so that it shadowed his eyes.
    Idara did the same. She took the hand he extended, and his light flared and engulfed her as they stepped onto the world where all hell was about to break loose.
    “Why is it that no one notices our clothing?”
    “They are busy watching the royals. I am here to watch the event. Why are you still glowing black?”
    Idara looked around her as casually as she could manage. The woman that she had been sent for was standing in the crowd, close to the path that the royals were about to take.
    As smoothly as she could, Idara worked her way through the crowd and picked up a beverage off the edge of a cart. Wincing at what she had to do, she moved forward, tripped and dumped the beverage all over the woman who glowed black with the mark of the Orb.
    The young woman cried out, “Oh, what in the name of the living gods?”
    Idara apologized. “I am so sorry. Come here, there is some water, and we can try and get the stains out before the promenade starts. If they won’t come out, I will buy you a new outfit.”
    The woman was brushing frantically at her clothing and had tears in her eyes. “I will lose my place.”
    “Better to lose your place and look presentable when the royals come by.”
    Idara ushered her into an archway and made a show of getting some water from a nearby shop to dab at the stain that reached from her shoulder to her thigh. “I don’t even know what I spilled on you.”
    “Fermented makkaki juice. Where are you from, stranger?” The woman inclined her head and tried to make eye contact.
    “Far away. I did so want to see the festivities.” Idara was going to say something else, but a tremendous thunderclap shook the ground.
    Screams sounded and people ran in every direction. The young woman’s black aura faded and Idara breathed a sigh of relief.
    She looked around and spotted Harken walking toward her. The moment he was close enough for speech, she asked, “Did you see what you needed?”
    “I did. It is time for us to go.”
    The young woman was stunned and