The light outside the window changes from orange to dark blue. Below them, the Temple’s gravitic portal slides down, rumbling with the sound of stone scraping against stone.
Gil turns on a small litlamp by his bed so he can read his tablet, though he finds he’s too nervous to do anything but stare at it blankly. He keeps on checking the water clock as the level inches up towards midnight.
Finally, someone knocks at the door. Gil jumps up and opens it.
She’s wearing a long hooded robe over her dress. Gil nods eagerly.
Everyone in the room is awkwardly silent.
Halparuntiyas nods. Aku gives a thumbs up.
Gil turns to go. They exit the room and shut the door.
Gil winces.
They tiptoe down the stairs. Matreya is on the first floor, and they’re quite conscious of her good hearing. They make their way to the second-floor window at the end of the hallway. Kiddu puts her legs over the windowsill and climbs down the rough brick wall.
Gil looks over the edge. It’s only a single story down, and the window is right over a closed wooden dumpster that Kiddu has landed on. But he still cringes.
Kiddu waves him down, half-shouting, half-whispering.
Gil carefully puts one leg over the windowsill. His long robe makes it awkward to get both legs over, and he grips the edge like his life depends on it. He turns to look below him—Kiddu is holding out her arms, as if she’s ready to catch him if he falls.
He slips, and screams on his way down.