Jo Clayton - Drinker of Souls

“House of assignation,” Yaril whispered. “There’s one the next street over. You put on a Hina face and go rent a room, I’ll bring Cathar to you.”

Brann grimaced. “Yaril…”

The changechild scratched at her head, made an impatient gesture with her other hand. “The door’s got twined serpents painted on it. You just go and knock and say you want a room for the afternoon and give the old woman three silver bits and tell her your servant will be bringing someone later and let the maid take you up. When the girl’s gone, you take your clothes off and put on the robe youll find in the room and sit down and wait.” She frowned. “Keep the Hina face. And you’d better make it a kind of wrinkled up face. Dirty old woman paying young men to service her. Just in case Cathar’s Nose decides to check you out.”

Brann wrinkled her nose. “Tchah! What a thing.”

“You don’t have to like it, just do it.”

– Don’t be too long. You sure you can convince him?”

Yaril giggled. “Cathar? You know your brother, never passed up a chance in his life. I’ll get him there, you be ready.”

SHE WAS SITTING at a table near the window when Cathar walked into the room, curiosity bright in his gray-green eyes, his dark brown hair blown into a tangle of small soft curls. She watched him with deep affection and nearly wept with joy to see him so much himself in spite of everything that had happened. He came and looked her over, a glint of amusement and interest in his eyes. He bowed. She felt a knot tighten in her stomach, she didn’t want her brother looking at her like that even if he didn’t know who she was and thought she was some rich Hina matron who got her thrills from picking up young men in the market.

She leaned forward, started to speak.

Yaril said hastily, “Wait.” She darted into the shadows of the bed curtains, emerged as a smear of light sweeping along the walls.

Cathar’s eyes widened, he looked from the light to Brann, began backing toward the door, his hand reaching for the latch.

“Cathar,” Brann whispered, “wait.”

“You know me?” He blinked, stood frozen with shock as Brann’s face rippled and changed ,to the one she woke up with on the flight from the valley. He licked his lips. “What… •’’

Brann glanced at Yaril who was a small blond girlehild again. The changechild nodded. “No one listening right now. I’ll keep an eye out downstairs just to make sure. He had a shadow.” She flicked a hand at Cathar. “Like you suspected.” She grinned up at him. “Relax, baby, no one’s going to hurt you.” She tugged on the latch, pulled the door open and went out.

Brann sighed. “I don’t quite know how to explain this. Cathar, sit down, will you? You make me nervous fidgeting like that.”

He narrowed his eyes, pulled out a chair and sat across the table from her. “I know you?”

“I’m glad it’s you not Duran, he’s so damn hardheaded he’d never believe me. I’m Brann. Your sister.”

He leaned forward, frowning as he scanned her face. “You’re very like Mum. Now. You weren’t a few minutes back.”

She pushed at her hair, still black, she hadn’t bothered changing that again. “And I’m a dozen years too old and I’m a long way from home. And a shapeshifter of sorts.”

“Well.”

“Slya woke, brother, she changed me. Did they tell you, those Temuengs, did they tell you they sent a pimush and his fifty to clean out the valley?”

“They told me.”

“Gingy and Shara are dead, Cathar. All the kids under eleven were killed. All the old ones too. Uncle Eornis. The Yongala. The rest…” She closed her eyes. “I’ve gone over it so often. I saw some of it, Cathar, what they did to Mum, saw Roan get killed, uncle Cynoc. They set the houses on fire too, but they didn’t burn too much, the houses I mean. I was up on Tincreal all day. You know. I found the children there. I came back and the soldiers were in the valley. I watched from Harrag’s Leap, then I went after them. Slya changed me. I told you that. And brought the children. Yaril has a brother.” She opened her eyes, tapped her breast. “She rides me. Slya. I don’t know what she’s going to do. I killed them, Cathar. The pimush and his men. The children helped. They make a poison. It kills between one breath and the next. The pimush told me what happened at Grannsha. He said no one was killed. Jaril tells me about half aren’t here, I suppose they were killed after all. Mum’s all right. Well, as all right as she can be after what happened. Her looms weren’t hurt. Tincreal blew about a week after that. Jaril flew back to see what happened. The hills are scrambled. You could only find your way back to the Valley if you knew where it was. But they’re all right, the ones left alive. I forgot. Marran’s dead, I found him killed. On the trail. Gave him fire. Didn’t do that for the Temuengs. We think you’re bait to catch me, you and the others they let out. The children and me, we think the sribush on Croaldhu knows his men are dead. Before I got off Croaldhu, I gave the Temuengs some sorrow. I expect they guessed I had something to do with Arth Slya. Which is why you and the others have Noses on your tail. How long have they been letting Slyans out?”

“About a month.” His voice was cool, he wasn’t committing himself to anything yet.

She sucked in a long breath. “You’re as hardheaded as Duran. All right, listen. You remember the time you and Trihan caught uncle Cynoc in your dammar trap? Remember what he made you do, bury the offal from the killing ground all that summer?” She made a sharp, impatient gesture. “Either you believe me or you don’t. Did they tell you why they’re letting some, of you out?”

He shrugged. “Said they don’t want their Hina waiting on us, we’re supposed to do for ourselves, they give us a credeen to show and keep track of what we buy. And just send out those with close kin here. They said they’d skin Duran first then Da if I run. Same with the others. First few days we had guards breathing down our necks, but they left us looser after that. I haven’t noticed anyone following us. Be easy enough to do.” He looked around the room. “This was clever, Bramble.” He grinned. “All right, I do believe you, though it’s not easy when I look at you. What have you got in mind? Breaking out won’t be that hard, but where do we go after we’re out?”

“The shipmaster who took me off Croaldhu and brought me to Silili, he’s here now, he’s going to take you down the Palachunt and back to the north end of our island. Where the smugglers come in. You know. Best not to wait, get it done fast, less chance of something disastrous happening. You get the others ready to move sometime the next five days. The children know where to find you, they can get in and out without anyone noticing them. How is Da? The children told me he’s been beaten.”

“Yeah, he wouldn’t work and he won’t take any kind of orders. He’s getting better, but not easier. Mum’s safe, alive, you’re surer’

“Uh-huh. Last time Jaril saw her, she was setting up her loom.” Brann smiled. “You know Mum; house half burned down around her, everything in a mess but as long as the roof is tight over the looms and she’s got the yarn she needs, the rest doesn’t matter.”

“I’ll tell Da that, might make him, bend a little if he has to. He can get about, if that what worries you.

“Do they ever check on you at night? Say after sundown and before dawn.”

“No. At least they haven’t up to now. They change the guards a little after sundown about the seventh hour, leave them on all night, change again about an hour after dawn. I’ve heard them grousing about the long dull duty they’re pulling.”