Free Alcatraz vs. the Shattered Lens by Brandon Sanderson Page A

mission does you honor. We are already in communication with the embassy in Nalhalla."
    Aydee blushed. "Thank you, Your . . . er . . . General Mallo."
    "We had not expected you to return, however," he said sternly. "You should have remained in Nalhalla, where it is safe."
    Her blush deepened. "But my cousin needed a pilot! He had to come to Mokia!"
    "Yes," Mallo said flatly. "I've received a report from the embassy regarding the urgent departure. A vacation to visit the mud baths? That is ridiculous, even for a Smedry."
    Now it was my turn to blush. "General," I said, "there are other reasons for our visit. I need to speak to the queen as soon as possible - and after that, I'll need a little time with your Communicator's Glass. I might be able to get you some help for this siege."
    The soldiers nearby perked up, and the general gave me an appraising look. "Very well. The Smedry clan has long been friends, and sometimes family, of the Mokian royalty. You are always welcome." He gathered some soldiers, then led us to the city gate.
    "I feel I should give you some kind of grand introduction, Lord Smedry," General Mallo said as we entered Tuki Tuki. "But these are not days for joyful tours. So instead, just let me say this. Welcome to the City of Flowers." He raised a hand as I stepped through the gate.
    We were at the bottom of the gentle hillside. I looked up along the main road that ran all the way to the palace. Flowers grew on virtually everything. The hutlike buildings were overgrown with vines that intertwined with the reeds that made up their walls, and these sprouted colorful, hibiscuslike blossoms. Flower beds ran alongside the road, with exotic bird-of-paradise blooms perching atop them. A line of enormous trees ran behind the buildings, their limbs extending out over the rooftops. These grew heaps of purple flowers that hung down over the road, collected in batches like bunches of grapes. It was gorgeous.
    “Wow," I said. "Glad I'm not allergic!"
    General Mallo grunted, gesturing with his flaming spear, leading us forward. Carrying that spear around struck me as a little bit dangerous, but who was I to speak? After all, I was the one walking around with a weapons-grade Smedry Talent stuffed inside me.
    “Fortunately, Lord Smedry," Mallo said as we walked, "our flowers are all nonallergenic."
    "How did you get them that way?" I asked.
    "We asked them very nicely,” Mallo said.
    "Er, okay.”
    "It was much more difficult than it sounds, Alcatraz,” Aydee added. "Do you know how many different species of flower there are in the city? Six thousand! Our floralinguists had to learn each and every language."
    "Floralinguists?" I said.
    “They talk to flowers!” Aydee said excitedly.
    "I kind of figured that," I said. "What kinds of things do they say?"
    "Oh,” Mallo said, "they tend to ramble a lot and use big words, but there isn't often much substance to what they say, despite the beauty and ornamentation of the language."
    "So. . . er . . ." I said.
    "Yeah," Mallo said. "Their speech is quite flowery."
    I walked right into that one like a bird hitting a glass sliding door at seventy miles an hour. Beside me, Bastille rolled her eyes.
    Kaz whistled, watching the city. "There are more things in heaven and earth . . . €er, sorry. I'm having trouble getting over that last chapter. Anyway, I've always loved visiting Tuki Tuki. There's no place like it; I always forget how beautiful it is."
    "Perhaps it was a pleasure to visit in the past,” Mallo said, his face growing even more solemn, "but the siege has been difficult for all of us. See how our regal daftdonias droop? The Shielder's Glass lets in light, but the plants can feel that they are enclosed. The entire city wilts beneath the Librarian oppression."
    Indeed, many of the flowers lining the street did seem to be drooping. As the wonder of my first sight of Tuki Tuki began to wear off, I saw many other signs of the siege. Open yards where people were up despite