Chapter 19
Ben hardly knew what he was doing anymore. The days were tied together with a long thread of anxiety that hummed in his brain. He felt as if he were sleepwalking, and he sang constantly, trying to keep the outer music at a distance. But everywhere, always, in and underneath everything, he could hear the Desert King’s music coming closer, growing louder as it approached the city. It was horrifying, doom-filled music full of wrong notes and ominous drumbeats.
The city was in a state of preparation, the Maweel fortifying their city and looking for wisdom. Everyone had their roles, and he and Isika came and went from their house to the palace, back and forth throughout the day. Isika had ceased to go to the pottery workshop at all, spending all her time fortifying the dome.
Ben w
