Bhotta's Tears: Book Two of the Black Bead Chronicles Read Online Free PDF Page A

nodded, not totally understanding. She made a mental note to practice spiraling out and in at the same time. Being told a thing was impossible only goaded her to prove them wrong. Absolute statements drove her mad.
    “Huh?” grunted Tam, a confused look on his face. Alain and Connor mirrored his bewildered look.
    “The theory of the pan-dimensional flow of the psychic energy,” Megan explained with a grin, happy that she knew something that Tam did not. “One can focus it down into a pinpoint of intense power, allowing one to kill or one can expand it to include all things, so that you can Hear. It’s the first thing they teach little girls in meditation classes.”
    Cheobawn vaguely remembered spiraling being mentioned once in her meditation classes, but that did not mean much. She hated meditation class and hardly ever listened. Megan, four years her senior, was doing advanced studies.
    “So, there you have it,” Tam said, looking back at
    Cheobawn, “Ears don’t need to know stuff that boys know and boys don’t know everything that Ears know. That’s how it has to be. Did that answer your question?”
    “Sure, but what does that have to do with Lowlanders?” Cheobawn asked. Her eyes widened in sudden horror. “Do you kill Lowlanders?” she whispered, aghast.
    “Huh?” Tam looked up at Alain, totally lost at the conversation’s sudden change in direction.
    “She got into a restricted section of the hub crystalmind this morning. It triggered a security alert,” Alain admitted. Tam stood up, looking alarmed. “I don’t expect any backsplatter, but it’s too early to tell,” Alain hastened to add.
    “Why is information about Lowlanders gender restricted?” Megan asked having sorted out all the confusing threads of the conversation and come to the correct conclusion.
    “I don’t … I can’t,” Tam scowled, pressing his lips together.  
    “Wait!” Cheobawn fixed her eyes on Megan. “You know there are people who live below the Escarpment? How come I have never heard about it until now?”
    Megan opened her mouth to say something, looked up at the boys, and then blushed so hard Cheobawn could almost feel the heat radiating off her red face. “Ah, well, Mothers, um… make jokes about… husbands, the husbands’ skills at…“ Megan made a vague gesture with her hands, “in the … bedroom, comparing them to …” Megan’s explanation petered out into thin air under the pointed scrutiny of Tam and Alain.
    Cheobawn waited patiently, not really understanding what could be so difficult to say.
    “I did not need to know that,” Alain breathed out in horror.
    “They do not! Do they?” Tam sputtered. “They talk about it behind our backs?”
    “Don’t take it so personal. It’s not like it is you they are talking about,” the older girl scoffed, annoyed at being put on the spot.
    “Do what?” Connor insisted, frustrated with the whole conversation.
    “Are you guys talking about sex?” Cheobawn asked.
    “Oh, that,” Connor sniffed in disinterest. The older children laughed, though Cheobawn had only a vague idea why. She held up her hands, waving them into silence.
    “Stop, stop, stop. Why do Fathers want to kill Lowlanders? Are the Fathers jealous because the Mothers would rather play games with Lowlanders?”
    Megan blinked in surprise. Tam looked truly confused. Alain was trying to choke himself with his fist. Connor just shook his head, disgusted with all of them.
    “Ch’che,” Megan asked carefully, “What do you think happens when Mora brings one of the Husbands into her bedroom at night?”
    “I don’t know. They play games, take baths together, brush each other’s hair, stay up all night telling stories,” Cheobawn said, mentally ticking off all her favorite things to do when she had Megan over for sleepover.
    “So you think baby lambs come from the sheep getting together at night and telling stories?” Connor asked, pity warring with scorn in his tone. Tam and