At the end of the hallway, Palia opened another door, this one leading into what looked like a mess hall with black and white floor tiles. Round plastic tables were spread throughout the room, and the lights were on full. Long rectangular windows in the wall to her left should have been admitting sunlight, but the sandstorm blocked it out.
She noticed a man sitting on one table, a tall muscular fellow with copper skin and gray flecks in his scraggly dark beard. “Who"s this?” he said, hopping to his feet. “Don"t tell me we"ve started picking up strays.”
Palia stopped short, standing before Keli with her back turned and facing the man with arms folded. “This one has the gift of Communion,” she explained. “I thought we should at least offer her water.”
The man scrunched up his face before
