The hushed exchanges moved through the gathering like water finding its level.
Jeni and Ann were far from the only ones who had caught the murmurs before they were silenced the brief flares of conversation that cut off a beat too quickly, leaving behind the particular kind of quiet that was louder than noise.
By now, in the low hum of a hundred private exchanges, there was hardly a person present who hadn't assembled at least the rough shape of the truth from the pieces that had been allowed to surface.
And the ones clear-minded enough to step back from their own curiosity noticed something else, that it all felt deliberate. That the rumors hadn't leaked so much as been released, carefully for an unknown purpose.
But that observation mattered little, since no one could do anything with it except sit with it, speculate quietly, and wait for the people responsible for both the rumors and the gathering to make their intentions known.
The hour passed without anyone noticing it go.
