looking at her. Instead, the girl was deeply engaged in picking her nose. Jinny blanched at the sight but said nothing. She didn’t want to start Ess weeping again, but she did wonder what an Elder was supposed to do about a habit like that. Deen hadn’t given her any lessons at all on the nose-picking front. Jinny was sure she’d remember if he had. She tried not to cringe as the little girl slid down from the bed with one finger still in her nostril. But when the two girls stepped out of the cabin onto the sandy path, the problem melted away. At the sight of the early morning, Ess was so awestruck, she withdrew the offending finger to raise both hands skyward in delight. “Ahh!” she gasped. Directly overhead, the sky was a blue-purple color, stained with the last traces of night. Above the mist in the distance over the water, the sun was beginning to streak and shine, sending golden snakes writhing out into the rich expanse of the sky and waking up the day. “Yeah?” said Jinny, glad to see the sudden change in the girl’s mood. “See, I told you sunrise shapes are best of all. But wait. Just wait a minute. This is only the beginning. We’re in time for everything. Hang on. . . .” Ess watched the sky with an unblinking gaze. The girl’s eyes widened when the sky began to lighten, as the snakes continued to make their way into the morning, fingers of fire carving up the lavender expanse and setting pictures in
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