It was true that, from the direction of the market, we could hear the sounds of a massing crowd, and the occasional shout. There were many people heading in that direction, so much so that we felt conspicuous going the other way. But there were others, too, going about their ordinary business. At one point I jumped at a loud crack from above, only to look up and see a man shaking out a wet sheet from a balcony draped with washing.Kip carried the sack, and although we didn’t want to separate, we agreed that I’d walk twenty yards ahead, so that at a glance we wouldn’t necessarily appear to be together. Sticking to the alleys, we skirted the main streets and their crowds. We passed several of the posters bearing our likeness. Each time, after checking we were alone, I ripped them down, shoved them in the sack. The sound from the market to the north grew louder, even as we moved farther away. I concentrated, trying to distinguish between Kip’s footsteps behind me and the city’s noise.The first Council soldiers we saw were on horseback, incongruous in the narrow streets.
