CHAPTER 25

BiBi woke pleasantly with the first rays of sunlight casting a golden glow in her room. She stretched her arms and legs before curling on her side. The silk of her sheets felt glorious on her pampered skin.

Her drowsy mind wandered through her schedule for the day. Breakfast with His Majesty and Tovi was first, followed by her lesson with Tovi. The thought of this tremendous responsibility and attempting to please His Majesty made her stomach twist unpleasantly, but she pushed that thought away. She had no plans for that evening, which likely meant a bubble bath, fabulous wine, and some peace and quiet. She smiled with anticipation.

As she swung her legs out of bed, her maid entered the room. “Good morning, Cora. Quite a bit of walking today, but I’m also visiting the Halo. Needs to be comfortable but make a statement, too.” She yawned and stood. Cora got to work, undressing and dressing her, washing her face, fixing her hair, applying her makeup. “Is anyone attending to Tovi?”

“Yes, ma’am. One of the other girls is next door with her now.”

“Good.” Her mind wandered, contemplating Tovi’s experience on the mountain thus far, and how different this must be for her. BiBi had been to Adia, and she was well aware of their rustic lives. The first time she visited the valley, she was so fascinated by the simplicity that she just sat in the upper branches of a tree watching the people all day. She was filled with a mix of envy and sadness and wistfulness which she didn’t understand. She had everything she could ever want on Mount Damien. Why did something in her wish to stay among the trees? She didn’t dare tell a soul.

She hadn’t always been wealthy, and she remembered what it was like to have an empty belly as a child. But there was a difference between Adia and the Bottom Rung. In Adia, their lack of wealth wasn’t the same as the poverty on the mountain. The valley was full of riches that she could feel even though she couldn’t see. The Bottom Rung was just . . . How could she put it? It was just empty.

Her mission today was to teach Tovi the fullness that prosperity could bring, and she wondered if Tovi’s Adian upbringing would make it a challenging lesson. Could there be a mental block toward gold when you have been lavished with the clear waters and orange rays of sunset in the beautiful valley?

When the servant was finished, BiBi looked in the mirror and smiled. “Thank you, Cora. I will be out most of the day. Please have a bubble bath ready for me after dinner. Draw a bubble bath in Tovi’s room as well.” Cora nodded. “Oh, and please go get her now. It is time to leave for our breakfast.”

In her momentary solitude, BiBi frowned. She wasn’t at all sure how today would go, but the pressure was on to mark Tovi. His Majesty had been extremely impressed by Rhaxma’s quick work the day before, and BiBi knew he would expect her to deliver another mark today.

Tovi entered, and the two women shared the shy smiles of a new friendship. “Good morning, Tovi! Let’s get going.”

BiBi linked her arm through Tovi’s as they crossed the cobblestoned courtyard. They small talked about the weather and yesterday’s lesson with Rhaxma, and soon they were taking their seats with His Majesty.

As the newest council member, BiBi still felt some trepidation in his presence, but she was determined not to show it. “Good morning, Your Majesty,” she said brightly, clasping her hands together to keep them from trembling.

“Good morning, my dears. Congratulations on your second mark, Tovi. What a quick learner you are! I am thrilled that you are acclimating so well. I think you will enjoy today’s lesson even more than yesterday’s. Today we are discussing Prosperity. You see, Tovi, it is really quite simple. Money and wealth are the solution to nearly every problem. And once you have no problems left, gold will fill you with security and joy beyond anything you can imagine.

“That is why, long ago, I set my workers to mining the mountain. The gold and stones found within have made me so prosperous that I am able to share my happiness and wealth with those closest to me. My prosperity starts here in the center of the city, and it flows outward in waves to those who have earned it. First to the families around the courtyard, and then some of it makes its way to the streets beyond.

“My people understand this concept, and they spend their lives working their way closer to me and my gold. They know that the closer they are to me, and the more money that they have, the more their lives will be filled with happy memories.”

BiBi nodded with enthusiasm, trying to convey to Tovi how much she agreed with that statement.

Three of His Majesty’s servants brought covered plates to the table, revealing a single egg stuffed with lobster and caviar. It would have cost His Majesty a fortune to send for the seafood, as the sea was so far away to the southeast. Tall crystal glasses came next, filled with champagne and pomegranate juice.

Tovi remarked how delicious it was, and His Majesty responded each time with something similar to: “Only the best for you, my dear. You want another, don’t you?”

BiBi watched Tovi closely as a third and fourth round of eggs were requested, and she smiled to herself as she observed Tovi’s clear enjoyment of the excellent cuisine. Perhaps the lesson today would be easier than she thought.

“Your Majesty, this has been absolutely delicious. May Tovi and I begin our lesson now? I don’t want her to have a stomach ache as we travel all over the city today.”

“Of course, of course! And what are the plans, BiBi?”

“First, we are going to visit the sorting tables at the mines so Tovi can learn a bit of a metaphor for what we keep and what we discard. After that, we will spend the rest of the day at the Halo.”

“Excellent, excellent. Now, Tovi, I know you do not have money of your own yet, so here is a small gift to get you started.” King Damien reached below the table and brought out a small blue velvet sack. BiBi could tell it held a fortune in gold coins. “I know it’s a bit heavy, but it shouldn’t be too much for you. There is a strap for wearing it on your shoulder if that is more comfortable.”

The two women set out for the mines, and BiBi could hear the coins clinking together inside the bag. “Hold tight to that as we walk through the Bottom Rung. You never know what those people will do to get their hands on some gold.”

When they reached the mines, they stayed at the top rather than riding a basket down to the floor thousands of feet below. BiBi showed Tovi the tables where the rubble was sorted.

“See here? This is a new pile, fresh from the bottom. See how the workers are sorting through it, bit by bit? Now look over here. This is where they place everything in new, smaller baskets based on type.” She showed Tovi the piles of gold, iron, raw jewels, granite, plain old rocks, and debris. “The gold and jewels are sent away to be refined. Iron is made into weapons and building materials. The granite is used for buildings near the Courtyard.”

The lesson continued as the two women touched the various stones. BiBi held up several raw diamonds and sapphires for Tovi to examine, and they both let gold nuggets pass through their fingers. As they explored, BiBi kept talking. “These lovely things will get even better when refined and shaped. A sign that you are prospering is that you desire these things, longing to touch them and make them yours. It is very similar to what Rhaxma taught you yesterday about Perfection. You should discard the junk,” she said, gesturing to a pile of plain rock that was destined for repairing homes in the Bottom Rung. “And you should seek out the very best for yourself. Hold out your hands.”

Tovi obeyed and held both gloved palms up. BiBi placed a sparkling ruby in one of Tovi’s hands. She placed a crumbling, chalky piece of rock in the other. “See what I mean? Who would want that rock when you can have rubies?”

Tovi gave a noncommittal shrug of the shoulders, and BiBi’s stomach twisted into a tighter knot. This wasn’t sinking in. She was doing a terrible job, and she was less and less confident that today’s lesson would be successful. Why had she brought Tovi here? She thought the gold and stones could turn her head, that the pretty things and glitter would be an easy sell.

Her mind whirled with thoughts of failure—and what that would mean for her future—as she watched Tovi set the ruby and ugly rock down. Tovi’s hands grazed over the pile, and her eyes looked far away. She fingered the raw, unpolished rocks and then held one up close to her eyes for inspection. It was a fist-sized white stone with iridescent flecks of purple and teal.

“Interesting choice, Tovi. That’s an opal,” BiBi said. “It’s very rare.”

“Can it really make you happy?” she said in a strange, distant voice. “These rocks. They make people happy?”

Understanding dawned in BiBi like the pale yellow rays of morning that creep along and illuminate the world inch by inch. “Yes,” she whispered. “I know what it’s like to grow up unhappy. The answers are all right here. The fix . . . the solution . . . the way out . . . This is it. This will fill you in all of those empty spaces.”

“We don’t have money in Adia. We don’t have gold and stones,” Tovi said, still concentrating on the opal.

“Perhaps that is why you have been so unhappy, Tovi. Perhaps your life can completely change, just like mine. You just need the right things.”

Tovi blinked several times and looked at BiBi. Louder than before, she said, “You’re probably right. Maybe this is what I’ve been missing.”

Sensing the serious moment was over, BiBi took the stone from Tovi, tossed some coins to a guard, and walked toward the arched exit. “Now, let’s get up to the Halo for some real fun.”

They walked back through the Bottom Rung and up through the neighborhoods toward the courtyard. But just as they were reaching the streets near the cobblestoned square, BiBi led Tovi down a road to the left. It was just on the other side of the large homes that sat near the palace.

“Stop and take this in for a moment,” BiBi said, leading by example and taking a big breath as she glanced along the street. White buildings lined the road. They were the same height as those in the Bottom Rung, but they were clean and almost sparkled in the sunlight. Instead of sagging balconies, there were ornate iron railings. The ground floor of each building was made of mostly glass, showing off the dresses, jewelry, vases, and other wares. Everything was pristine, and so were the well-dressed citizens who walked along and popped in and out of the stores.

BiBi glanced at Tovi, whose eyes were wide and shining. She seemed to be enamored and maybe a bit overwhelmed. That was understandable. The girl had experienced so many new things in such a short amount of time.

“This is the Halo,” she said, finally breaking the silence. “It is where we shop and eat and play. I think our first stop will be right over here.”

They entered a shop to their right, and a small bell tinkled above the door. BiBi approached the counter where an elegant old man with a monocle greeted them. “How may I help you today, Miss BiBi?” he asked warmly.

“Good morning, Mr. Hector! I have a special project for you,” she said, placing the raw opal in his hand. “It’s for Tovi. What do you think?”

He looked the opal over carefully, and then he turned his attention to Tovi. His eyes flitted from her hair to her neck to her ears and back to her neck. “I know just the thing,” he said.

“It’s all yours,” BiBi said. “We’ll be back after lunch.” She led Tovi back out of the store.

The next several hours were spent perusing shops, trying on clothes, and drinking fizzy wine handed to them by shopkeepers. Tovi seemed to be enjoying herself, and she had already spent about a quarter of King Damien’s bag of gold on clothing and accessories like a set of diamond-encrusted hair combs and her own custom padding for her chest and hips.

BiBi discovered that Tovi wasn’t gabby the way most of the women on the mountain were. Tovi was polite and responded to questions, but she didn’t fall for any of BiBi’s usual methods for drawing someone into friendship. She seemed to have no complaints about life in their courtyard home, and she couldn’t be prodded into talking about men. What else was there to talk about other than Adia? And BiBi knew that talking about Adia was a terrible idea.

Despite the lack of gossip, BiBi felt hope bubbling up. Tovi’s eyes shone brighter and brighter with each addition to her collection of belongings. They had already sent several boxes and bags to be delivered to the house, and Tovi remarked that she still had plenty of gold left in the bag. “I think I could buy anything I wanted with just this gold,” she said in awe.

“I think you are right,” BiBi laughed, linking arms with Tovi as they continued down the street. She stole a glance at Tovi’s back, and her spirit sank a bit. Still no diamond below Rhaxma’s scales.

As the afternoon grew hotter, BiBi led Tovi back to the first shop they had entered.

“Hello, girls!” Hector greeted. “I think you’ll be very pleased. Come right this way.” He led Tovi to a blue cushion, where she sat and faced a long oval mirror. Hector retrieved a black box approximately the length and width of her forearm. He pulled something from inside and draped it around Tovi’s neck.

Even BiBi—so used to all things that sparkled—was in awe. What once was one large, raw opal had been cut and polished into more than a dozen teardrops. A delicate silver chain linked them together, with small round diamonds in between each droplet.

Tovi leaned forward to get a closer look in the mirror, her eyes bright and fixated. “It’s so lovely,” she said. Her face melted into the biggest smile BiBi had yet seen on her new friend, and suddenly Tovi looked relaxed and much younger. Her eyes swung up to meet BiBi’s in the mirror. “Is it really mine?”

BiBi sneaked a glance down. There it was: a diamond etched on Tovi’s skin. She had done it. She had taught the Adian. She sighed deeply. “Yes, Tovi. It is yours forever.”