until the wires flickered briefly red and then darker red before returning back to their normal pale white-rose illumination. Bazaar promptly began to pack up for the night, and the passerine girl went on only a little more before her song began to dwindle. Her eyes opened, and she stayed a moment in pose, as if in reverence, before stretching out her arms and wings and beginning eagerly to chitter and chat at another passerine girl hopping by, in the usual earsplitting passerine way.

Seph took that as his cue to go, and he watched as the rami slowly reclined back, twisting itself into a loose bracelet on his wrist.

This time it was a full day before it began to convulse, and the next time Seph went to Bazaar, he purchased an old revolving player and an armful of records, carried it all home. From that night thereafter he played passerine song at night, and the rami quieted mostly, and he finally got some rest.

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