Wind of Memory asked. She alone tasted almost as calm as Golden Voice, yet she watched the younger female unblinkingly, her concentrated gaze a pale reflection of the intensity with which she tasted the other’s mind glow and mind voice.

Golden Voice told her.

Wind of Memory considered that, then flicked her ears in agreement.

Golden Voice continued, she used the human word, for the mind voices of the People had no matching reference, yet all who heard it knew of what she spoke The tail wrapped about her mate tightened again, and his tail slipped comfortingly about her, as well.

A cold mental silence answered her, and Branch Leaper felt that same icy chill at his own heart. He had never even considered such a possibility, yet he knew now that he should have. He, too, had heard the memory songs, tasted the very mind glows, of Laughs Brightly and his human as they faced the terrible weapons Golden Voice had just described. And in those songs, Laughs Brightly had always known that such terrible human tools might be unleashed even here on the world of the People. Yet somehow the connection had never made itself for Branch Leaper, for such devices were too utterly beyond his own ken. And as he tasted the stunned silence about him, he knew he was not alone in that. That perhaps even the memory singers themselves had not recognized—or admitted to themselves that they did—the implications of all Laughs Brightly and others like him from other clans had reported to their memory singers.

Golden Voice went on with that same terrible, unflinching honesty and awareness,

Bark Master pointed out. His mind voice was no longer stubborn. It was half-stunned and frightened, yet his response was not one of simple panic. He spoke as a clan elder, one whose responsibility it was to recognize the dangers which beset Bright Water and to avert them… and who knew now that there was a danger he could not avert, however hard he might seek to do so.

Golden Voice told him.

Bark Master stared at her in disbelief, and she flicked her ears with just a hint of impatience.

she said firmly, with all the authority of the memory singer she had never become.

Wind of Memory pointed out, raising a true-hand to gesture at the dense green leaves and broad picketwood branches about them.

Golden Voice agreed.