Page 96 of Crewel (Crewel World 1)

‘I think the part of the thread that disappears goes back into Arras.’

‘Into the weave? But wouldn’t that provide new raw material?’ I ask.

‘Theoretically.’ A note of distrust rings in her voice. ‘It could strengthen Arras.’

‘Then why rip them pre-emptively? Why not utilise them?’

‘The Guild doesn’t trust what it can’t understand. Letting those people go is an act of faith they’re incapable of.’

I know she’s right, but I still don’t fully understand the Guild’s motives for the pre-emptive removals, and I don’t think Loricel does either. This is about more than control.

‘I don’t understand why they don’t tell us about Earth or remnants. There has to be a reason they don’t want us to know about them. Even you think it’s important enough to tell me,’ I point out.

‘Some things shouldn’t be forgotten.’

‘Remembrance is never useless,’ I say, recalling my mother’s wise, quiet smile whenever she spoke those words to me as a child. My fingers twist to the techprint on my wrist.

‘It’s important that you understand where we come from, Adelice. Especially if you will be assisting in the mining operations,’ she continues. ‘Earth’s resources can’t last forever, not if the Guild tries to mine without the support of a Creweler. They won’t have anyone who can see the raw materials, but that won’t stop them from trying.’

‘Wait, if we’re pulling the material from the surface,’ I say, my eyes growing wide, ‘then Earth is frozen!’

Loricel cocks her head to the side and regards me thoughtfully. ‘So you’ve discovered warping.’

Warping – that’s the perfect word for it. The moments I made in my quarters weren’t frozen, they were warped. I take a deep breath and admit my secret to her. How I can touch time without a loom. I even tell her about the separate moments I’ve woven, but I leave Jost out of my stories.

‘Yes,’ she says. ‘I knew you could do it, but I had no idea you knew.’

‘It was a happy accident,’ I say. I’m instantly drawn back to the stolen moments spent with Jost in my room. I look away so she won’t see me blush.

‘Are you leading with your left hand?’ she asks.

I pause and consider the question. ‘I don’t honestly know. We were taught to lead with our right on the loom, so I don’t think so. Does it make a difference?’

‘You’re left-handed,’ she says. ‘Crewelers always are. It allows us not to be constrained by the forward motion of time. That’s what helps us catch it.’

‘Should I always use my left hand?’ I ask, flexing my left hand’s fingers now and staring at them in wonder.

‘No.’ Loricel shakes her head. ‘It’s very powerful. If you can warp with your right hand, or using both hands at the same time, it’s much safer until you’ve truly honed your ability. The fact that you can warp without starting with the left is impressive. But be careful.’

‘Okay,’ I say, inhaling deeply.

‘There’s something else you have to understand about warping,’ she explains, holding out a hand in warning. ‘Yes, it pauses the moment around you. But it also puts you on a different time line. Within the warp, you can live a whole life.’

‘Can I die there?’ I ask. Would wasting away slowly with Jost be better than a quick, painless remap? I’d be dead either way.

‘Yes.’

‘And I would be dead everywhere – in the warp and in the real world?’

‘Yes,’ she says emphatically.

‘But the world outside,’ I say, biting my lip slightly in concentration, ‘is locked in that moment.’

‘That’s what you have to understand,’ Loricel says, leaning toward me. ‘Only the moment where you’ve caught the time is frozen. Essentially you’ve created a field of safety. The time and matter around it is frozen and no one can enter it. But merely in the immediate area where you’ve warped the weave.’

‘Outside that, time continues?’

‘Yes. And eventually the Guild would be able to break through your warp, but it would take a while.’