Reed took out his pocket watch and checked the time. That human silver pocket watch, lying in the Lion Person's big furry paw, looked more like a tiny toy—there was still a quarter of an hour before the meeting. After spending so much time with the others, he had gotten used to measuring time by seconds and minutes, more precise than a Talia Tick.
The light from above the dome filtered through the canopy and dimmed, and after nightfall it would grow darker still. It hadn't been like this in the past, but to make things easier for the Holy Choosers, the Tree People were taking care of every little detail.
The Big Cat People raised his head to look at the curled, glowing seed pods hanging down from the trunk. Together with the fireflies summoned by the Fairies, they formed the night scene in this golden Forest.
