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neck to her waist, ignoring her quiet attempts to free herself.
Gapp! The word lashed suddenly through the young one s preoccupation,
bringing her around so that she faced the kipu. Release the Parakhuzerim.
Oh& come on. Let me have her.
Gapp!
Aleytys shuddered, Gapp s touching hands bringing nausea sour into her
throat. She rubbed her arms absently. When I get back, she thought, I ll take
a bath. I ll take two baths.
Take the Parakhuzerim and instruct her in her role so that she can take her
place in the rites tomorrow.
Im, kipu. Gapp grinned at Aleytys. Aleytys backed away another few steps
and looked rapidly around.
Must she? she asked sharply.
The kipu ignored her. Gapp, she said heavily. Listen to me.
Im?
Control your& your little fancies. Once again the kipu s face showed
distaste. If you touch her before the rites, I ll send Sukall with the
Discipline. Is that clear?
Gapp pouted sulkily. Why? She coupled with that Migru, at least she says
so. She caught the skin and muscle on Aleytys arm between her thumb and
forefinger then squeezed hard. She might enjoy playing with me. Why not?
Because I said so. I don t want her marked, Gapp, or so jangled she can t do
what is necessary. I know the games you play. Well?
Gapp fidgeted. After? she asked hopefully. The kipu shrugged.
You promised. I ll keep hands off her now, but remember, you promised her to
me. She smiled wetly at Aleytys. Just wait, soft one, we ll have some fine
times.
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You. Parakhuzerim.
Because the damper was scrambling her head again, Aleytys was slow to
understand and answer. At last she nodded clumsily.
I don t want to see you again. Not here. You understand?
If I need anything? The kipu shrugged. Tell the guard.
Yes, kipu. Aleytys spoke with proper submissiveness. But behind her back
her hands closed into fists so tightly her nails cut small crescents into her
palms.
Hm. The kipu rubbed her long supple thumb across her chin. Take a little
advice, Parakhuzerim. You can have a very pleasant life if you choose. Serve
us for a year, then I ll give you your freedom.
Yes, kipu. Aleytys choked down a sudden flare of rage. Free, she thought.
Liar!
Although I would prefer not& for various reasons&
I ll drug you if I have to. If you cause me too much trouble, I ll do it. You
understand?
Yes, kipu.
Chapter VI
Aleytys tugged at the tight crotch of the stiff gold bodysuit, while sweat
trickled down her neck as the heavy elaborate helmet pressed on her head until
it ached with a dull throb. The monotonous chant went on and on while the
sacerdoteHarran , wreathed in clouds of heavy incense, paced multiple circles
around the pile of logs. After another few minutes of discomfort and boredom,
Aleytys thrust her thumbs into the armholes and tried to ease the strain put
on her breasts by nayid tailors who didn t know how to cut clothing for a
mammal. She glanced along the line of blank-faced sabutim.
Near the eastern edge of the flat-topped butte, wrapped in layer on layer of
thick gold cloth until it was a flattened, grossly enlarged seed resting on a
shallow gold platter, the old queen s body lay in state on top of the
bunting-draped criss-crossed logs. Seated at her feet, wound with blue-dyed
ropes, the knots accented with gilt paint, Lisshan stared out with dulled
unseeing eyes, lost in some fine euphoria, floating on the wings of a drug.
Hiiri were looped below him around the base of the pyre with their own small
peninsulas of crossed and criss-crossed logs less than half the diameter of
the massive timbers in the main pile. But of course they didn t count& slaves
now, slaves for eternity.
And the chant went on.
And the sacerdote walked back and forth in front of the pyre wreathed in
clouds of heavy incense.
Sick to the point of nausea, Aleytys glanced at the guards on both sides of
her. They faced forward without a tremor in their rigid concentration on the
rite. Abruptly she rebelled. She cautiously stepped back, slipping behind the
guards to the edge of the cliff where the air felt somehow a little cleaner.
Standing on the edge with her back turned to the interminable ceremony she
looked out over the dreaming innocent land.
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It spread out in muted patchwork interrupted by scattered towers of rock that
were other buttes rising in rugged grandeur above the fields. Beside these
buttes were dark blotches where houses clustered in walled cities clinging to
the base of the precipitous rock. Here and there, on pale straight lines,
vehicles like small black bugs scooted in nervous spasms belching behind them
clouds of steam. The river came looping out of the blue in the east in long
lazy bends, glinting gently in the light from the setting sun. That way, she
thought, down the river in that blue mist where that sick blue sky comes down,
there s the star city. That s where I have to go.
The river came to them and split in half, one side hugging the base of the
butte, the other swinging out in a wide lazy crescent that circled the city
and separated it from the farm lands. But I have it backwards, she thought.
Funny. The current runs the other way, from me to the east. Why d I think of
it coming to me?
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