"That genetics stuff is science, Jason. How people think about it, how people think about other people, is something else."

"I never…" Jason looked away, his expression tight with thought. "We're not special, Kira. People aren't special. We're just another life form."

"Every person is special," Kira insisted. "Every person deserves dignity and respect, and being thought of as something that matters. Maybe some person will be an awful person who I need to kick in the jaw, but even he is not an animal. Even animals deserve respect! They are not toys like those dragon things on Mars you talked about."

He gazed at her, for some reason sad. "We change them all the time. Fur, body, immune functions… To make them look like we want them to or be like we want them to. And then we started doing it to people, too. To fix things. To improve things. And to make them taller and thinner and whatever we thought was better-looking. Because it's just genetics, and we're just another life form."

"We're not," Kira said. "I'm not. You're not."

"You're right. Again. You do that a lot."

"Oh, stop it. I've just had good people in my life telling me things that I couldn't have figured out on my own. You think that more Mage talents are emerging in me because of the danger we're facing? Father said that. He said foresight could emerge in times of danger. So I guess it's all right." Jason didn't look entirely convinced, but Kira didn't want to pursue the subject any further. She looked around. She couldn't hear any traces of uproar from the direction of the north gate, so things must have died down. But the sun was setting, shadow stealing across the square before them to merge with twilight and darken the city. "Jason, they were waiting for us. Maybe someone recognized us when we got off the longboat. Maybe one of the Mages had foresight that we'd be in Kelsi and try to leave by that gate."

"That can happen?"

"Yes." Kira ran one hand through her hair, thinking. "They'll keep the gates under watch. And if some of them know we're here, others will find out. Kelsi is going to become very dangerous for us very quickly. But there is one way out they might not be watching. The harbor."

"How can we get to the harbor? Didn't we come in through a gate on the waterfront?"

"There will be sally ports," Kira said. "Do you know what a sally port is?"

"Um…a small door in the wall that defenders can use to sneak out and surprise attackers. Right?"

"Right! There won't be any sentries on them in peacetime. Just locks."

"Locks?" Jason smiled with relief. "Do you think you can open them?"

"There's a pretty good chance of it," Kira said, smiling back at him. "Let's head that way. It'll be full dark by the time we get back to the sea-facing wall."