Quoted By:
But as you are beginning to seriously consider abandoning your search pattern and making as much haste as you can in this dress towards the Upper Boardwalk, the rain tapers off, rather abruptly. You come to a stop, and after a silent prayer of thanks and moment to check the puddles on the streets to confirm that no more is falling, you start the process of delicately shifting yourself into a position where you can look at the sky without risking your veil falling into the envelope of Hide-Eyes. Before you can get into position, however, your gaze falls upon a second livery - a larger, better maintained establishment, two streets up from the beltway.
You are struck dumb at the sight of the Livery. One stroke of white luck could be called happenstance, the idle permutations of the Firmament – but two? Perhaps, but only if you discount what transpired last night. You are humbled, grateful and scared of course … but confused as well. After all you have done – and <span class="mu-i">not</span> done – to still be shown Favor like this, it … you really don't have time to dwell on it now, but you have to hope that this is His way of ensuring that your Trial or Trials are not insurmountable. The alternative … your mouth had already gone dry and your stomach had already gone clammy, but the prospect of the alternative … unable, or at least unwilling to dwell on it, you pray. Under your breath, but out loud – which from your understanding of the Forms and the Firmament should be more pleasing to the Patternmaker. Of course, you don't know what the Priests say on this . You don't know what they say on many things, considering how thoroughly your father neglected any and all religious instruction.
Even so, you pray. To thank the Patternmaker, for what you can only assume is an Intervention from Without in stopping the rain so you may still use the sewers tonight, as well as delivering you to this particular spot where you could see the livery. But you also pray for opportunity. You pray for the opportunity to properly seek remission for your sins. The opportunity to fulfill the Oath that you made in the inky darkness of your room last night. And the opportunity to offer more prayers and offerings that may be pleasing to Him. When the last word had fallen from your lips, you turn your attention to more material matters, and make as much haste as you dare to the livery, having done all you can for your Soul and your Thread at the moment. When you alight onto the establishment's yard, you can see that the shingle hanging on the coach-house depicts a carriage in profile, with a paddle-wheel – the sort used by watermills – in place of a typical road-wheel.
