Nobody moved.
The flowers along the path remained turned toward the First Road, their small white faces angled in perfect unison toward the distant figure still crossing the space between the Answer and the Garden's edge.
The Answer itself stood exactly where it had stopped, unmoving, watching the approach without stepping forward or aside.
Sarya realized, watching the figure grow gradually clearer, that something about the process didn't match ordinary sight.
The distance between them was closing too slowly to account for the increasing clarity of what she was seeing.
The figure wasn't becoming more visible because it was drawing nearer.
It was becoming more visible because everyone watching was remembering a little more with each passing second.
Beside her, Grace made a small sound, barely audible.
"I know that walk," she whispered.
