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beauty easily rivaled that. She had a hard time tearing herself away from the panoramic view when Folcrum started down the slope.
    As he led her into the gardens along a winding gravel path, however, Jalila found herself absorbed in drinking in the scenery from a new perspective. The beauty of the gardens enfolded her, limitless varieties of spectacular flora vying for her attention.
    The leaves and vines and stems were tinted a thousand shades of red--pink, rust, copper, fuchsia, scarlet, crimson, and more. The flowers, on the other hand, were a riot of colors, sizes, textures...and light. Like the moss and flowers on the walls and ceiling, many of them glowed from within.
    Tiny blue blossoms blinked like clusters of Christmas tree lights. Yellow bell-like flowers flecked with mauve hung from lacy blood-red webs of vine, the tips of their waxy stamens blazing like candles on a birthday cake. Atop stiff vermilion stalks, giant eye-level blooms changed color as Jalila watched, emerald light flowing into azure into gold into silver. Pale aquamarine fronds brushed her arms and face, twinkling like fiber optic strands.
    Even the butterfly creatures glowed with inner light. They were five times the size of any butterfly Jalila had ever seen, with furry bodies that looked more mammal than insect, and their wings swirled with luminescent pastel colors like the electrostatically active panels of the buildings on the planet's surface.
    Wide-eyed, Jalila trailed after Folcrum and took it all in, marveling at the intricate display of color and light and life. If not for the pressure of time and worries to move her along, she easily could have spent hours on that path, lingering spellbound at each remarkable sight. The fragrances alone were enough to mesmerize her, richer and thicker than ever in the heart of the perfumed gardens.
    As Jalila lagged further behind, Folcrum stopped and waited for her to catch up. " Do you hear it? " He drew in a deep breath. " Do you hear the garden talking? "
    Jalila took a deep breath of her own, inhaling the intoxicating mixture of scents.
    " This is the Garden of Yesterday ," said Folcrum. " It has existed for countless generations. If you know how to listen , you can hear the history of the world in here. "
    Jalila breathed deeply again. The complex blend of scents was different now, though she hadn't moved and there was no breeze to stir the fragrance. When she drew another breath, it had changed again, the acrid smell of coffee replaced by a syrupy sweetness with a mild vinegar undertone.
    Folcrum closed his eyes and inhaled again. " Lots of secrets , i f you know how to listen. "
    Jalila smelled roses and sawdust and wine...then salt water and leather. The fragrance of the garden shifted with each passing moment, scents rising and fading and resurging in unpredictable combinations.
    Or were they so unpredictable after all? Perhaps, Folcrum wasn't speaking figuratively when he said that the garden was talking. Perhaps, there was more to the scents than a random mixture of olfactory stimuli.
    Folcrum opened his eyes and nodded. " There ' s a secret here for you , too . The secret of the word you said. "
    Jalila frowned. She smelled walnut and cucumber and gardenias.
    " Nalo could not tell you ," said Folcrum, " but I know how to listen. "
    Inhaling again, Jalila strained to detect patterns in the play of perfumes, but they still seemed to fluctuate without reason. Even if what she was being led to believe was true, she was not able to take advantage of it. Even if there was a fourth language on this world, and vital information was flowing around her in the form of scent signals, she could not understand it.
    " I will tell you this much now and the rest later ," said Folcrum. " The Vox people were not the true mazeesh. "
    Jalila stared at him, stunned. If not for the gag, her mouth would have fallen open in dumbstruck shock.
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    *****
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    Chapter 9

    By far, Oric and Giza had the most elaborate