There were lanterns all around us. I took her hand in mine. Her hand had a lot of strength gained through the process of gentleness and that strength made my hand feel secure, but there was a certain excitement, too. She sat very close to me. I could feel the warmth of her body through her dress. In my mind the warmth was the same color as her dress, a kind of golden. “How’s the book coming along?” she said. “Fine,” I said. “What’s it about?” she said. “Oh, I don’t know,” I said. “Is it a secret?” she said, smiling. “No,” I said. “Is it a romance like some of the books from the Forgotten Works?” “No,” I said. “It’s not like those books.” “I remember when I was a child,” she said. “We used to burn those books for fuel. There were so many of them. They burned for a long time, but there aren’t that many now.” “No, it’s just a book,” I said. “All right,” she said. “I’ll get off you, but you can’t blame a person for being curious.
