The Mountains Sang Their Silent Melody

II

When Frances heard Ophelia's voice rising from the kitchen, they rushed down the stairs two at a time. They nearly tripped on the last step.

Frances knew why Ophelia was there once they saw the bruise streaking across her face. All the same, they were happy to see her. Frances plunked themself down in the chair next to her.

Ophelia was clearly ravenous. Frances's mothers, Ida and Gianna, politely ignored Ophelia's lack of table manners. After she chugged her second glass of milk, Ophelia thanked her hosts. Her voice cracked in the process, which caused Ida to shoot a glance at her wife. Ophelia was going into puberty, and, for Ophelia, it would be the wrong kind of puberty. The Solomons could help Ophelia in some ways, but this was not one of them. One could not reason with nature.

When breakfast was done, Ida left for the textile mill, Gianna headed off to the blacksmith shop, and Ophelia and Frances were left sitting beneath the mountain ash tree behind the house.

"My mothers wanted me to give you this," Frances said. In their hand was a small key. It was brass, like the doorknob of Frances's house. "They thought it would be better for you to sleep inside instead of on the porch."

Ophelia took the key graciously. She titled her head back against the trunk of the tree. Ophelia tried not to cry.

"I want to try to find my mother," Ophelia said.

"How are you going to do that?" Frances asked. Nobody had heard anything of Ophelia's mother since she'd left the town several years ago.

Ophelia shrugged. "I think I'll start with the library. They know how to find things there. I'd welcome your help."

Frances agreed, and they rose together. If you were watching from the mountaintop, you would have seen the mismatched pair: the first a tall, thin youth with too-short jeans, and the second a short, fat child whose tunic bunched up in strange places. If you were watching, you might think them a strange pair.

Someone was watching from the mountaintop, but you won't meet her just yet.

The two took the gondola down to the valley. It swayed rhythmically throughout its descent, giving the beat to an unheard melody. When the gondola creaked to a halt, they transferred onto the trolley going to town.

The library welcomed them with sunlit rooms and musty smells. School was out of session, meaning the library did not have much in the way of a bustling clientele. It was unusual for the librarian to see signs of human life so early in the day, so she leapt from her desk to greet the children and offer assistance to them.

Ophelia spoke in the most confident voice she could fathom, given the circumstances. "I'm looking for my mother. Her name is Akari Kronos. Or maybe she went back to using her unmarried name, which was Miura. She left five years ago and went to live in the city."

"We thought you might have records or something," Frances interjected.

The librarian frowned. "I don't think I can help you. But why don't you try the Corpus? They can contact the district office in the city."

Frances and Ophelia glanced at one another. Neither felt very comfortable approaching an officer of the Corpus, but they would do what had to be done.

They thanked the librarian and headed to the Corpus office in the town square. An officer was sitting at the desk reading a book when they entered the building. He was a thin man sporting a thinner mustache and downward-curving lips. Like all the Corpus officers, he wore a long navy blue robe. The Corpus sigil was pinned to his chest. Two smaller versions appeared on his sleeves.