But the rains kept up, and although the water levels dropped a bit, the river remained a churning mass of water. Visiting that farm seemed like it might create more problems than she could deal with. Over the next week increasing numbers of people came to the riverbank where the boys had seen Celine. Someone put up a wooden post in the water with a platform on top and the next day a little statue appeared there, whittled from wood, and depicting a woman. It was a rough and coarsely-made thing, but the long hair and cloak made it clear that this represented Princess Celine. People stood at the riverbank and gazed at it. Some people even brought small offerings: flowers or whatever scraps of food they could spare. The riverbank became muddy and trampled, and the ever-rising waters came close
