Chapter Seven
An announcement was to be made in the stadium. Cariad’s gaze roved the gathering crowd as she waited. A gaping hole in the seating remained from the bomb explosion. All loose material had been stripped away by the Guardians for investigation, and the structure temporarily braced for safety. To Cariad, it was a stark reminder of the terrible event, and the sight of it made her newly fixed arm ache in psychosomatic sympathy.
The mood was in somber contrast to that at the Naming Ceremony. Most of the noise came from people maneuvering between the seats. No one was saying much, and what was said was conveyed in low voices, as if in fear of being overheard. Guardians had scanned the stadium thoroughly for any explosive devices and found nothing, but the tension and unease in the
