Stars slept dim on a bed of night. Nisha peered at them, curious. She had never seen a faded star before. "Arundhati left us spares, of course." Manjusha eased one black-gloved hand into the box and picked out a star. She dropped it into the silvery pouch and held that out to Nisha, who hesitated. "Go on," Manjusha instructed. "Put it around your neck." Nisha complied. The thin silver thread rested smooth against the back of her neck, and the weight on her chest was nothing at all. You wouldn't think a star with the power to create a world could weigh so little. Manjusha gave another star to Dipti, who took it with confidence. Dipti never doubted herself. That was why she always won. "Two stars," Manjusha said. "Two divers. Bring back both, or don't come back at all." Nisha is an ice-diver, who must visit the frozen halls of Arundhati and bring back the magic that sustains her own garden country. But deep under the ice, she loses her way - and risks her life to save that of her closest friend.
