Chapter 25
Everything was different now that Nenyi had spoken to Ben. Ben himself was different. Tree leaves looked sharper, edged in gold. Water was filled with jeweled light. The huts didn't look like mere structures but like places of rest and friendship. But the most significant difference was in how Ben saw and heard people. People looked luminous; their songs moved him to tears. It had never been easy for Ben to be himself, to hear everything from everybody, but he was starting to feel thankful for this gift. The Shaper was showing Benayeem a piece of her heart each time she revealed a person's life song to him. This is what I know, she was whispering. This is what I hear.
He often woke earlier than the others. The days since Isika, Ivy, and Brigid had arrived had been filled with
