Chapter One

Misha drew a circle in the sand with the tip of her finger. Circles had always fascinated her. She wasn't entirely sure why, maybe because they had no beginning and no end, they just went on and on. She felt they somehow held the answer to the question that lay deep inside her, a question she could not even put into words or make any real sense of. As long as she could remember she had known there was more to life than could be seen, heard or touched. One day she would find out what it was.

She sat back and looked across the lake. What a beautiful tranquil place this was. There was no sound but the gentle whisperings of nature; the water lapping on the shore, the rustle of the breeze in the trees, birds wheeling in the sky. None of these sounds disturbed her thoughts or feelings. The mountains that flanked the lake on the horizon seemed to enclose this place from any outside disturbance, her special sanctuary.

As they walked Lec told her about all the excitement that had been going on in the village. Apparently Nira and Tickhara had come to blows over the rights to a washing line that hung between their homes. Both being loud by nature virtually the entire village had ended up becoming involved.

"You should have seen it!" related Lec with relish, "It was ridiculous. Everyone was taking sides, and everyone had a point of view. The trouble was they were all talking at once, so no one could hear what anyone else was saying. Then all of a sudden Vena appeared, smiled, clapped her hands and said 'Nira, you have the line on even days, Tickhara you have the line on odd days. Let us have peace now'. Then it was over. I think they were all a bit disappointed, they seemed to be enjoying themselves, but they accepted it and went home."

Vena. That was who she needed to talk to. Why hadn't she thought of it before?