In the bustling crowd attending and watching the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Shard and Madam Cook stood out like sore thumbs. They planted themselves firmly and parted the stream of people, with Shard holding his breath to distinguish the voices around him. This required not only differentiating from the background noise of ten minutes ago but also from the current ambient sounds.
After all, listening to the past voices did not completely block out the present sounds.
"This way."
The timid voice of a boy asking if he could leave was barely audible, followed by the gentle comforting words from a woman. Shard, with a stern expression, gestured to Madam Cook, who instinctively followed over through the numbing shock of middle age.
The two of them squeezed through the crowd, heading east along the tree-lined path to the east side of Tobesk Station.
