Jo Clayton: The Burning Ground

“I know.” There was sadness but acceptance in the old fem’s voice. “Those are fine young mals you brought back to us. Impix, aren’t they?”

“Farmer’s sons.”

“Ah. That will be useful.” She grinned, the years falling from her face though the wrinkles deepened. “Never thought I’d be welcoming Impix. We’ll have to build like that coast village, remember? We can’t make things like city Impix, but we can grow food and raise maphiks for their meat and leather. Did you know I planned to pass the Shawl to you when we reached Linojin?”

“I thought maybe you would.”

“Do you mind if I don’t?”

“No. Now that I understand where you’re going.” Luca looked at the mix out round the fire-two Remnants to blend and a pair of Impix to fit in somehow. “Everything’s going to be so different, we’ll need a center for a while to give us order. When the Change is finished, though… vumah vumay, we’ll see.”

The Mountain nurtures and teaches, is cruel and kind. Teach the Right Path, discipline the heart.

Thann turned and looked back a last time at the House of Mercy.

Isaho was theirs now. Xe’s daughter was dead-the Isaho walking about didn’t recognize xe when she saw xe. The grief of that was heavy on xe’s shoulders as xe took up the pack of clothes the Anyas of Mercy had given her and walked away. Xe was more than a little frightened, but xe couldn’t bear to spend another night under that roof.

Mind on the instructions the Grand Mercy’s aide had given xe, xe’s free hand resting in the side slit of the hatchry robe, ready to hold the anyalit inside xe’s pouch, xe moved along the twisty lanes that led to Progress Way. The babbit was curled up and sleeping now, but xe was blessed or cursed with an abundance of energy and never slept for long. Xe didn’t know what waited for xe in the west quarter where the hohekils were, for xe had only the few coins the Mercys had given xe, no kin, nobody to protect xe, but with so many exiles and broken families over there, maybe xe could find a place to take xe where xe could raise the anyalit in some kind of peace.

As xe left the Way and began moving into narrow lanes again, xe heard shouts, sounds of running feet.

A small compact form came round a corner, slammed into xe, knocking xe against the wall of the house beside xe. Hastily, xe thrust xe’s hand farther, inside the robe,: pressed xe’s palm against the sphincter to keep the anyalit from wriggling out.

“Oy!” A small hot hand caught hold of xe’s, pulled xe away from the wall. “Run. Please.”

Shouts and curses from the alley, a mal’s voice, angry, vengeful and coming closer. Slap of boots on the pavement.

Still dazed by the collision, Thann let the femlit pull xe along until xe was back on Progress Way and in the shadow of the Yeson wall.

The femlit let go of xe’s hand, dropped to a squat and panted, eyes sweeping over the Pilgrim throng moving past them.

Thann stroked the bulge of the babbit, relaxed when xe started suckling. Xe bent, tapped the femlit’s head. When she looked up, xe signed, +Why?+

The femlit coughed, spat. “When I saw you were anya and by yourself, I couldn’t leave you there. 01’ Fishbreath, he wouldn’t even break stride, just scoop you up and sell you to his friend the flesh broker.”

+Why was he after you? Did he want to sell you?+

“Nah. Femlits don’t fetch enough to pay for the trouble of carting me there.” She ran bright shrewd eyes over Thann, seemed to make up her mind about something. “’Cause I just lifted his purse, that’s why.” She made a face, shrugged. “I’m not very good at it yet. How come you walking about by your lone self? Bad idea, anya.”

+Because I don’t have a place to be. I might ask the same of you, femlit.+

“Where’s your family? How’d you get to Linojin without them?”

Thann managed a smile at the deft way the child avoided her question. +You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.+

The femlit got to her feet, stood with her hands clasped

behind her, her eyes once again searching the crowd. “What I seen the last few days, bet I would. Uh-oh, Fishbreath isn’t giving up. We better move on some. I know, I’ll take you to the Arbiter’s place. I can get you there real easy, I was a guide till a few days ago.”

Thann followed her, bemused with how much xe was trusting this child. Under the surface charm, the femlit was angry and hurting for some reason, but oddly cheerful for all that. As they moved swiftly through a maze of narrow streets, a disturbing thought came to xe. Am I making her into Isaho, what I hoped Isaho would be?

The babbit stirred restlessly, disturbed by what xe was reading of Thann’s sudden revulsion.

Xe slipped xe’s hand inside the pouch, guided the babbit’s mouth back to the teat, then stroked the small, strong body, bathed xe with the burst of helpless love that flooded xe.

The femlit tapped xe’s arm. “There,” she said and pointed to a large blocky building with black iron bars on the windows. “You go in there and somebody’ll fix you up with a place to live where you won’t have to be scared of the flesh mal.”

Thann withdrew her hand from the pouch. +Wait. What are you going to do?+

The femlit scowled at xe. “You going to try running my life, too?”

+I thin you don’t like that much. Hm, say it’s curiosity. I like to know what’s happening to people I’ve grown fond of. You know you’re a charmer, so untwist that face and tell me.+

“You’re sharp for an anya. They usually dumber’n rocks. All right. I’m going to keep my head down till Fishbreath’s ship steams out, he works on this coast trader, then go nosing round and see what’s hanging loose.”

+Then you’ve got time to come in there with me and show me how to work them, so they don’t notice I’m not dumber than a rock. Besides, I’ll tell you my story while we’re waiting. If you’ll tell me yours.+

The femlit eyed xe a moment, still wary, then she grinned and nodded. “You got it. My name’s Zot, and I helped take the Fence down.”

Thann waggled xe’s hand in anya laughter. +My name is Thann, and I flew to Linojin on a broomstick with someone I think is a friend of yours, an offworld person named Shadow. This should be interesting for us both.+

Death is the end and the beginning, the change from which there is no returning.

Yseyl stood in the shadow of the thile tree on the crumbling cliff b eside the last of the wharves along the bayfront of Lala Gemali. She slipped the carrystrap of the disruptor case from her shoulder, let the case dangle against her leg, and frowned at the flier as it plunged toward the water out near the middle of the lake. “I still think that was a mistake. You just announced we’re here.”

“Maybe, but when the water hits the lifters and they blow, that erases any chance the Ptaks will sniff out enough to identify me. That’s more important right now than making this an easy sneak.” Shadith reached for the strap. “Time to pay the bill, Ghost.”

Yseyl watched the hunter settle the case against her side. “Now that you have that, tell me true. Was that job offer real or a delusion.”

“Oh, it’s real, all right. I get all sorts of nice bonus points if I bring you back alive and willing. As I said when we first met, Digby collects talents. Time to split. You know where to go, what to look for. See you.”

As Shadith hurried along the lanes toward The Strip, she wondered if the Ghost would trust her enough to show up at the landing field. Yseyl had only come this far because she wanted to put a lot of distance between her self and that kid. Shadith sighed. Complications. Well, I’ll leave that for Digby to handle.