Chapter 9 Summary

Back in the Edifice, Kira inspects the robe, deciding where she can begin her repairs. As she works, she recites the names of the plants and their uses, diligently trying to learn them all. Thomas stops in her room to visit and then offers to write the names of the plants so that he might help her study. Women are forbidden from learning to read and write, so Kira accepts his help, but she takes care to avoid looking at the words for fear of learning how to read.

The next morning, Kira visits her mother's old color garden in hopes of salvaging some of her mother's plants. The sight of the pen already being constructed where her home once stood saddens her, but she is surprised to find some of her mother's color plants still growing. She quickly harvests what she can...