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.Mingas spoke again, very softly. Our father has lost one son,Pirs.Our best fighter.Lost him because you were care-less.You have amoral duty to replace that son.Angakirs said nothing, but Shadith, listening, had no doubt of his agreementwith that.Pirs drew a long shuddery breath, let it out again, the hiss loud incontinuing silence. All right, he said finally. I ll come and I ll bringthe men.If you arm them.I will not strip this Rinta for you, not even foryou. What good are men without arms? I will not strip this Rinta. Well, get them to me and I ll arm them. No, Father.Send the guns here, good guns and am-munition for them.As soonas the weapons are here, my trucks will roll. We need drugs and cloth and other supplies, I ll give you a list.Bring atruckload of those with the men. All right. The chair creaked again.Shadith made the rodent creep forward until she could see what was happening.Pirs was on his feet. Father, he said. Mingas. He turned and walked out.##Shadith knew she should stay and listen to Mingas and the Artwa, but she wastired of these men and their prob-lems.She loosed the rodent and let him goscooting back to his nest.She stretched out on the bed and stared at thecandle shadow shivering on the ceiling.One damn thing after another.well, maybe it ll be over soon.##The Artwa and Mingas left next morning, going without ceremony.Shadith leaned on her windowsill and watched the skim-mer disappearinto the clouds.Oneopportunity gone.How many more would she see before she managed to kickloose?##Five days later the weapons came.Mingas brought them in the skimmer,Page 127ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmloffloaded them, and left immediately.4Arring Pirs came into Allina s sitting room.He stood behind her, watching herwork on her tapestry, then crossed the room to look into his son s cradle.Hebent, touched the sleeping baby s cheek, then came back to her.She looked up, managed a smile. Are the guns what you wanted? Wanted. He poured heavy irony into the word, rested the tips of his fingerson her shoulder. Not new, he said,  but they work.P murr s finishing theinspection. When will you be leaving, you and P murr? I m not taking P murr.She stabbed the needle into the canvas, left it hanging there, caught hold ofhis hand and held it against her face. You will, she said. You must. No. Amurra.Amurra.Amurra, she whispered. Please, please, kiya-mi,kaltji-mi.If you re worried about us here, what happens to us if you die? You have Paji now.Father will take care of you.She was silent.She couldn t agree and he wouldn t hear her if she tried toargue.In her corner Shadith continued to play softly, shivering at the anger andhelplessness in the Matja.She knew what Allina was thinking.It wasn t just the war that was waiting forPirs; it was Mingas spite, Utilas jealousy, An-gakirs stupidity.Allina wassick with fear that Pirs wasn t going to come home from this, especially if heleft P murr behind. I have Tinoopa and Kizra, Wuraj for the men, the chal and chapa,Allina said after several moments of silence. Don t you trust them,mi-Arring? Take P murr, please? For my peace of mind, if nothing else. No. He pulled away, angry. I have said, Matja. I hear, Arring.5Two days later, Pirs left with fifty chal in three trucks, a fourth truckloaded with supplies.Matja Allina stood on the steps for the Ceremony of Leavetaking, calm,smiling, pride stiffening her spine.When the last truck vanished through thegate, she signaled the young Amur-drummer.He played a quick roll, then blew into the convoluted shell of a land snail.Matja Allina looked down into the faces of her people. You know what thismeans, she said.She spoke slow-ly, her voice carrying to the farthestcorners of the court. Chal, explain to chapa.Chal and chapa, take great careof your lives, you are dear to us and you are needed.There will be tumakscome to burn and kill.Don t go beyond the walls alone, don t go without aguard.I will see you have them when you need them.P murr, bring the herdersto the Great Hall in one hour.I will have arms for them.And ammunition. One by one she named the leaders of the men, those left atthe Kuysstead after Pirswinnowing, set-ting a time for each to bring his men to the Hall. We must goon, she finished. Shearing waits for no man s war to end, planting has itsseasons. She signaled the drummer, turned, and went inside to the rattle ofhis sticks.##For three days she worked to tighten down the Kuysstead, then she took Aghiloand her baby into her suite, pulled the shades down, and grieved.She was inagony [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]