Page 96 of Dark Chains: First Link
"That's disturbing," she said. "How can you make people blind to what's right in front of their noses?"
"They are not blind. They just see what they expect to see, like the empty bench beside you, and nothing that they don't, like a soldier sitting right next to you. Their minds fill in the gap with whatever makes the most sense."
"What happens when you leave?"
"They won't remember because there's nothing to remember. As far as they know, you've been sitting here all alone this whole time."
She was quiet for a moment, then her expression went through several quick changes. First came relief, because what he had done meant that their conversations would be absolutely private. Second came unease, because the power to alter perception at will was disturbing even when it was wielded by someone she trusted. Then it was back to relief.
"I brought you something." He produced the wrapped books.
Sullha stared at the pile. "What is this?"
"Open it and see for yourself."
She glanced at the other women and then the children. "Can they see this?"
"No. They are not looking your way because I thralled them not to."
With hesitant fingers, she reached for the wrapped bundle and released the string that held the paper over the stack. It was a simple cord, not anything decorative, but she treated it with care as if it were.
"Books," she breathed once she discovered what was inside.
She touched the spine of the top book, her fingers tracing the cloth binding with reverence, but then she pulled her hand back.
"Where did you get these?"
"There's a crate of old books in Lord Navuh's basement. They've been there for a very long time, so there is no chance of anyone missing them."
She picked up the English novel, turned it over, and read the back. Then she set it down and picked up the hardcover about Eastern civilizations with illustrations on the front.
"Yaaf." Her voice was tight. "I can't take these."
"Why not?"
"How would I explain having these books? What if there's an inspection and they find them in my room? They will know right away I got them from someone outside the enclosure, and I will have to tell them it was you."
He hadn't considered that. The collective processed the objection and recognized it as valid. In a controlled environment like the enclosure, unexplained possessions were red flags. A woman suddenly owning books that weren't part of the enclosure's approved library would be questioned, and if she refused to disclose who had given them to her, she would be tortured until she did.
"Are the inspections done often?" he asked.
"They used to be regular when there were guests." She set the book down on the pile. "It's less frequent now that there are no visitors, but it didn't stop altogether."
"What are they looking for?"
She shrugged. "Things the guests might have given the women that might be used inappropriately or that are too valuable for them to keep. Also, knives from the kitchen or anything else that can be potentially used as a weapon."
Number One arched a brow. "To kill the guests?"
Sullha shook her head. "To end their own lives when things become unbearable."
The words were delivered flatly and calmly as if she was talking to him about the weather, but the content ignited the sort of rage that was impossible to extinguish.
At least not on his own. The collective absorbed most of it, distributing it across all of their minds so it wouldn't overwhelm him, but it still burned, hot and corrosive.
Had Sullha ever been so desperate to escape the pain and degradation that she'd contemplated taking her own life?
"Have you ever thought of doing that?" he asked, and the question came out before he could weigh whether it was appropriate.
