Chapter 33: Quiet

I did not speak to anybody on the way home, as ordered, and on Thursday morning I didn't speak at the Registry either.

I walked into the basement room at six and stood on the tile.

Two collared wolves stood in a line.

Opal Harkness sat against the wall with her gloves folded in her lap.

"Good morning, Ms. Linwood. Let us begin."

I said nothing.

"Have them kneel."

I said nothing.

"Ms. Linwood."

"I'm present," I said. "Mark my attendance."

She watched my mouth for an hour.

I watched the floor drain.

At seven she wrote something on a card and let me go, and I drove home with my hands cramped on the wheel.

On Friday the Moot voted on the visitor ordinance.

I stood at the long oak table under the dusty flag and read it again in my plain voice.

I did not push.

I held every ounce of what I carried down in my chest and kept it there, behind my teeth.

For ten months a room of Alphas had leaned toward me whenever I spoke.

That day they sat upright in their chairs.

Several of them glanced at Ronan, behind me, and then at me, waiting for the weight.

It didn't come.

"Eleven homes," I said. "Eleven lists. One visitor each."

The Pine Fork Alpha cleared his throat.

"It's a good idea, Ms. Linwood," he said. "I just don't feel it's the time."

The gray hat counted hands.

Four were up for the ordinance, the north fork's old Alpha among them.

Five were down.

"The ordinance fails," the gray hat said, and he looked at me for a long moment, puzzled.

"Five to four."

"Thank you," I said, and sat.

Ronan's hand came down on my shoulder from behind.

I didn't turn around, because if I had he would have seen my face.

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