Nayefa Jaskinor endured the Festival of Masks in alert silence. When it was over, she returned to her room. She found a square pine box on her dressing table. With trembling hands, she opened it and once again saw her son’s face.
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softly down the stairs ~ trembling ~ past the reflecting pool ~ climb through small window ~ terrified ~ shipwright’s shop? ~ run to dock ~ suspiciously unattended small ship – heart pounding ~ no matter, SAIL – safe!
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» Rasesar Wej has won The Game of the Festival of Masks.
» Nayefa Jaskinor returned to her husband and daughter with a square pine box. The family has gone into hiding again.
» At 12:01 a.m. on June 20th, the sultan of Nujel’m was beheaded by the island’s guillotine.
» The new sultan has declared the death a suicide. He also reminds the inquisitive that Nujel’m is a sovereign island. A sovereign island with a working guillotine.
» The Eye of Dahsk is no longer on display in the throne room. Some say it has gone missing again.
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Now we take off our masks, wrap our dolls in finest silk, and put them in the cedar chest for a time. A year, twelve years? The Game endures.