Then suddenly I felt that shift in perception. There was no space between me and the game. For a time I tried my pebble in various positions. I finally found the perfect move, and when I set my stone in place, it was as if my ears had suddenly cleared, or like blinking sleep from my eyes. I lifted my eyes to consider those around me. ‘Sorry,’ I muttered inadequately. ‘Sorry.’ ‘Better now?’ Kettle asked me softly. She spoke as if I were a toddler. ‘I’m more myself now,’ I told her. I looked up at her, suddenly desperate. ‘What happened to me?’ ‘The Skill,’ she said simply. ‘You just aren’t
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