Si'Wren of the Patriarchs

n sleeping rack, and before her was the cobblestone fire pit, the yellow flames of which

alized, looking unsteadily around in the semi-darkness, that she was alone, and s

ng and there was a

s, lulling her somnambulantly to the accompaniment of the rhythmic chi-chi-ching-ching of finge

er after dark, when she had narrowly escaped after wandering foolishly out into the wilds all alone when Habrun

surely have suffered a ter

sons of the noblemen in favor of one so lowly as she. Should Master Rababull ever find o

he bitter memories of the many fond smiles and cheery looks which

e and felt of his iron grip in her hair, doing his utmost to convince Master Rababull that he had not the slightest co

ed with the pungence of tobacco, the tang of wine, and the huge feast with it's jasmine tea, roasted melons

ely. Raising her fingertips to her puffed lips, she felt a dried crust of blood all around her nose and mouth and down the side of

s widen, and then she saw Habrunt standing there, his downcast countenance and the gleam of his bulging muscles appearing in the flickeri

trust with which she had always looked to him before. Then her eyes fell, and she became as a downcast wretc

prise as she felt Habrunt's strong hand placed gently upon he

was simple herbal tea, and not a powerful potion

ugh not enough to be too much for her. She let it's tasteless liquid slip through her feverish lips, and could not

er lips and set it down on the earthen floor, alre

hought he must be angry at her, and deservedly so, but she saw no wrath in the q

s voice a deep, soft reassurance to her.

raised vertically against his pursed lips, beneath cautiously furrowed masc

r, and bent down, and kissed

soft touch of his lips. She quivered all inside at the furriness of his thick beard, and the brush

gently wiping away the congealed saliva and dried blood from her face, her lips, her chin, and her throat. After that, he untied a small clay bottle from his

across the back of her neck. His touch was gentle all over her head and neck, as h

she had suffered no apparent lasting injury despite much swelling and bruises. He felt small solace

s and step to one side of the door. There he stood tall and motionless before her, waiting for the footsteps to carry past

hes and sudden outbursts of laughter to which they resorted in their sensele

sword flashed before Si'Wren's eyes

y, talking with pent-up anticipation of having a good time with a couple of lush young girls from the caravan,

oubt. Four had already died this night, besides Nelatha, and a

r pass. He turned away from Si'Wren, and stepped out into the night without anot

nning to tremble f

ally raucous bellowing of many foolishly happy male voices. Then the voices died down a bit, and the music picked up a thumping tempo of hea

to seize her with shivers and cramps. But the flickering fire was before her still, a

and stared long into the glowing fire pit. She had a fever, and was too full of wonder at the behavior of Habrunt to go back to sleep. In

es, they began to change shape before her de

c from Master Rababull's House. They shifted and changed positions with each other again and again and yet again,

o much so that the persistent demons could not catch even one of the fire girls, who kept disappearing miraculously out of t

from the eerily thin leaping flame figure

ntrancingly intricate pattern of leaps and prances, as the light of the Invis

way from the holy light of the Invisible God, but she, like the fiery dancing girls, could not be c

the fiery light of the eerily beautiful dancing girls, for she smelled the smoke of their torment,

ke, sighing and snoring all around her in the cypress bungalow, and to renewed thirs

, inexplicable emotional void in her soul where once her long-

ne, but not in the House with his honored guests, so that by their hangovers they might not desire the fancies of a freeman with quite the same vigor in times to come. Their lusts were gone from them now, and they all went through their daily

was an important means to gaining much gold. What she had done was tantamount to the symbolic ruination of the very

and especially of Master Rababull himself. Had they even desired to do so, which she susp

he stood guilty of she was henceforth to be counted by all others as an utter and

ehow and make his displeasure known to them instead. For that, Si'Wren was doubly-taboo. Beside

en from aching, an agony which she would have readily traded places with the slaves for their

anymore, had been instructed by Habrunt to make use of herself and be a nursemaid to Si'Wren. With a lifetime of experience to draw

t the simmering stew pot for the sake of the other slaves. They were due to come in from the fields just as d

ned to hear her cries as the old hag came over to her and took her firmly

increasingly overwhelming to her. Such torment and emotional anguish as she had never known filled her being, so re

any responsibilities, kneeling beside her with a clay cup of herb

he beverage offered by his very own hand filled her with such a sense of reassurance that it seemed to

r her suffering was no secret, although what he ever thought of anything was purely his own affair. Moreover

did Habrunt brave the danger willingly enough, apparently

r too useful to chastise for so light an infringement. Instead, Master Rababull pretended that it was so unimportant as to be beneath either his notice or his dignity. Had he not gr

ection to Si'Wren, but ministered to her with stoic mein. Whenever he came, he commanded the ever-present runner boys to wait outside. Then he would enter in and give her tea and broth at his own hand. Whe

part again after speaking scarcely

turn the thinly veiled wrath of Habrunt in his official capacity as Slavemaster of the House. Habrunt was careful in all o

against Si'Wren, and she did not suffer nea

ir day's labor in the fields. They in turn shunned her company, for she was the despised idol-break

yed victim, Si'Wren had committed no mere worldly crim

broken

deity in a world of visible and valuable idols. She was forever

y with others. Not she. No, she was somehow subhuman to them now, and it was onl

oned the idea of ever tryi

time h

at the first. He had commanded L'acoci to care for Si'Wren with all diligence. No longer dared he come so often, lest the Master take no

t her to her newly appointed place of labor. L'acoci had informed her that she would be working in the Master's fields; why else, a

te excuse to come and seek after Si'Wren's w

at her and announced that today Si'Wren might leave her sickbed at long last. Together with L'acoci, Si'Wren had gone to the stream where the women all gathered to wash clothes, to ba

in her recovery. L'acoci then returned and, with a twinkle in her eyes, informed Si'Wren of what she had done. Knowledge of this event had filled Si'Wren with such a perplex

ll in order for the day and that the slaves were all well and truly at their duties, or that the inevitable one or two dropouts

d secretly gave her a quick wink. He folded his muscular, corded forearms across his hairy chest and presented an exceeding handsome figure with his long wavy

ne else the wiser, Si'Wren bowed low, then rose to her ful

yway, eh?" he said, in

hen, lit

wed, her dark hair, which hung nearly to the waist in back, had

tent flap considerately for her

mehow managed to appear so fierce unto all others as to strike terror into their hearts, be they o

follow dutifully close behind him. As they neared the fields, he could tell from glancing back at

, all white of hair and long-fringed beard, with a wrinkled old face that had

d with a few weeds and brush, the harvesters worked steadil

eting, and accepted the offer of a drink from the wat

tent. She had the misfortune to be held accountable for the very stones that come from the ground as well as the herbs she was so

nodded his shrewd understanding, fr

ically sparse of words. One's very breath, so Si'Wren seemed to

ow that she is nearly well again, the good Master would see some recompense at her own hand. She is still of tender years, and as yet infirm from her days of recovery. The

ficantly at this point, his

t my meani

ly aware of Habrunt's true wishes and was of n

re. "So she is ready for the harvest, is she? From the look of her, your pretty new field hand has many goo

d around a fistful of grain stalks, and uprooted the clu

shortcomings. Put her over by herself, and keep a proper shepherd's watch on her. Any good shepherd boy knows his sheep by name. Behold, I have brought you Si'Wren! If she so much as lifts a finger to her work, tally the ledger for a full d

clenched tightly in his fist as he confronted old

s ceremoniously as to the finest idol, "Thy words are gracio

n Geth for a moment, and final

loudly and poi

He held out the grain to her. Regarding it dumbly for a moment, Si'Wren saw him nod encouragemen

e tilted his head back and declared, "Geth, does she not come to you with grain already to hand?

d had been formally pronounced to show that Habrunt was in dire

n his heel and strode off

ving fields, Geth hefted a large, ungainly scythe

," he

fearful eyes at his wea

her before, and then repeated more quietly to her

r as Fieldmaster, he was accustomed to giving orders and having them obeyed without question, and greatly unused was

llowed him in

im over a low hillock to where a clump of trees grew at the edge of

y see the place in the field where Geth had decided that Si'Wren might work alone and unmolested. That place being closer to the compound than the area

ssured old Geth, with an unaccustomed grimace

oking up at him as she a

the other slaves did not have the opportunity to judge for themselves whether Si'Wren had produced a proper day's work in the fields or not. For Geth to permit them to s

r and reached around from both sides, took her tiny hands in his gnarled old ones, and showed her the precise motion of how to swing it in a rhythmical motion that seemed to roll as naturally as the tips of the wa

ut only wanted to show her how to reap. Geth's kindly old soul was visibly harmless, although his heart was evidently as tough as his gnarled fingers, easily hard enough to mee

d, and tumbled down in a heap in the tall stalks of grain. Geth stood looking down at her in consternation for a moment, and then without so m

with an extremely drawn,

e have heard what Slavemaster Habrunt commanded. A full day's

ay and rest under the shade of this blessed tree, while I go and get the proper measure due to your account from the u

which was his own portion and a full man's share at that, and when she had accepted it from him he smiled at her again and departed. She watched him c

scythe day-in and day-out for the rest of her life, as reward for h

ently, he knew where to get more for himself. Was he going to get his food by taking it from someone else, perhaps from the worst 'slackers' among them, and en

se voice called out unexpectedly

small hill, peering narrowly across the crest at her. Too weak to stand, she dipped her he

and then I shall leave you be for awhile. If you see any wild animal," said Geth, "scream ver

o endure the insults of the others than that. And how should she dare to scream, seeing she had taken a vow of silence, lest she di

ly she sat watching with deepest regret as the back of the friendly old Fieldmas

nd with fear as she thought of all the great and truly savage beasts that were known to stalk this wild land. She stood and looked around fearfully,

ted her position several steps over, and found a slightly elevated place to stand, peering over the tops of the gently undulating fiel

remained alert enough, perhaps she would have just enough time to flee and s

llen, silent persecutions. To be amidst them, and not work, would be to invoke their supreme contempt and irritation, and leave her feel

As long as she could remember, Si'Wren had always been a hard worker, and a willing one

men. All by herself now, she peered expressionlessly across the wild landscape, as the

ge to resist even so loathsome and demeaning a danger as the attack of a mere pack of scavenger dogs, with their many snapping jaws? What of the giant dire wolves, or the huge roaming bears, and fierce prowling wild cats, an

uelling her terrors somehow, she knitted her brow as she stooped to kneel down beside the scythe. Then, with exceeding care, she touched her finger lightly to the feather's edge of the blade in all of it'

of her own muscles if necessary, to settle an argument as brave Habrunt might do? Thinking unhappily on all of this, she felt disconsolate to such a degree as never before in

narrows downstream was a pleasant sound to her ears. The backup o

r the glassy surface of the water. Out in the middle of the tranquil water was a beaver almost as large as herself, which

bugs jinked across the placid water by rowing with their two long oars of legs. Green plant scum floated in the nearby bulrus

nly, startling her as a giant catfish half the size of the beaver

med men became progressively visible as their leader emerged from a far clump of trees and led t

ed down low behind a clump of bushes to watch anxiously as they came into view, marching briskly two-by-two, every one of th

fierce-looking beards. She could tell that they were not soldiers of the Emperor of this land, or they would have had standard bearers, and o

idable force, at least a hu

black flecked with her eyes so close to it. Totally obscured from view, she watched them march past her position, as silent as the wind, and bre

ching to see if more might be forthcoming. When none was, she finally returned to w

rect view of the low-lying stream and what lay beyond. But it was no concern of Si'Wren's. She knew nothing of such matters

ed to deliver many an anxious look both in the direction which

dark shriveled sun-dried fruits, and an ample provision of hard unshelled nuts. Realizing how famished she was, she ate some the provender, crackin

equently. It had been a long time since she had eaten and exercised properly, and she grew fa

ce of dust and swirled parallel lines of bright green algae apart in order to c

of the pond whence the soldiers had marched past,

e at the totally unexpected sight of tall Sorpiala and her female slave servants, dressed in

he flies and mosquitoes they openly swatted at. If one ate too many sweets and pastries, as they always did, one's sweat stank, as theirs did. Thus; no matter how frequent the bath

om over a slight ridge of the grassy hill's broad hummock. They were scann

e could also see the uppermost parts of their legs sometimes, as they waded through the tall, coarse grasses of the uneven and unworkable parts of the hill. One stumbled and fell, to aris

e over her all at once that she who now approached Si'Wren was none other than dear Sorpiala the once-trusted elder slave-sister, the very one w

own in the tall grass, when suddenly one of Sorpiala's cohorts cried out oddly like some wild bird as she victoriously poi

near. Si'Wren felt overwhelmed by a dizzy, empty feeling of utter helplessness. She felt her heart pounding rapidly

ared boldly at her. This was their hour of victory, and they reveled openly in it, flattering themselves with a pretense of false-charity towards Si'Wren

Si'Wren's face was all scarr

ly normal. You know, it must be like her pe

d!" volunteered a third, ga

ly, "if you can't say anything nice, j

he attention which Habrunt had so openly bestowed upon a recently convalescing Si'Wren. Sorpiala never cared a whit for Ha

iderate manner of my friends here. They do not mean to be so rude. Surely you of all people must understand. I mean, it's ju

surrounded by them all

ull-face at Si'Wren. "You could at

rude push from behind. "Are you deliberately trying to be in

rls giggle

again, and she stagger

of laugh

ushed her, she was suddenly flung to the gr

speak to you!" sa

seeingly for support as she looked up at her, and felt her finger

-this idol-breaker h

nant, self-righteous stare. It was a hard

don't

ems that Si'Wren has not gleaned enough trouble yet. Not content

er head in mute, pleading denial as

e face of their accusers," said anothe

uously. "It is our proper duty to see that justice is speed

" agreed several oth

lope, away from edge of the pond where a trembling S

even before," said one indistinctly, as

catty, girlish laughter. Then they were gone, leaving her in her torment and abjec

rting voices, and found herself staring at the peaceful stream through

a sweep of her hand, and dipped

beheld herself in th

k hair, an orphan who had never known her parents, whose beauty, unperceived to her own as-yet childish understandin

her's likeness could also be seen by reflection in water. That was to say, by inner

already

here was a vision to marvel at. Timorously, as her tears ran down her cheeks to fall and rip

ed petitions to a long-forgotten Deity in a world hopelessly lost to e

ulder. Startled, she gasped as she looked up into his eyes. Eyes that were

one of their number!" Then he rose to his feet and cast about curiously, before raising his voice and sh

ne who is utterly doomed to destruction, an enemy to be permanently rem

arm and pulled her bodily to her feet, although he di

he com

e marched Si'Wren up the grassy slope to the top of the rise. Si'Wren felt so

he occasionally glimpsed the other field slaves pausing to gawk at the sight of their

and declared loudly and formally, "Sorpiala has charged thee before the Master, and behold, thou hast been judge

he tall stalks which made a gentle whispering sound as they cushioned her fall. Weeping, she lay looking up at him through tear-flooded eyes

hip, and there was a strange look of ferocit

as he took hold of the whip by it's heavy pommel and shook it out behind him on the grassy knoll, sn

hes!" he

el to shoulder height and brought it around once to round it out properly, and then

s a scream was ripped from Si'Wren's throat and a distant flock of surprised birds too

Si'Wren, felt sudden horror at the astonishing

next stroke and rotated it around forward ag

ding gophers, rabbits, and other animals scur

men in the field

his tall figure towered above

watched with clenched jaws, remembering the way Master Rababull himself had put out

An eye f

erself as she heard the distant knell of doom, and full of gloating, she pretended to be o

CRACK!!-

the tenth an

all leather pouch from the left side of his belt, swollen with animal blood, pinched it's contents upwards and drew the end of the whip through it several times to coa

w as to be completely out of view from any

d his hand carefully as he poured them into the pouch. Without a word to her, he noos

s a backward glance at her, he turned on his heel and marched down the slope to the stream, where he cast the pouch far into the middle of the peaceful beave

turned and marched off t

Si'Wren lay motionless in t

only to hear as it banged harmlessly above her and spent it's fearsome energy

d, and that surely the next delivery, or the next, should not fail to find it's mark. Of a truth, she was covered with the rain of fallen grain stems, cut by the wh

ly as his bent frame could carry him up the opposite slope of the

his heels, the sooner to see to the poor girl's condition. Most whippings were conducted with punishment in mind, something to return the violator to useful duty. But what they ha

hey found Si'Wren looking about her with a dazed expression, propped up on

the maid is unharmed!" cr

in the grass!

ing voice as she sank to her knees and rais

d head, looking down at the mysteriously unharmed girl. She had suffered so much already. What Slav

ith the others, "Ahh, what a miracle is done here, for with mine own eyes did I see the cruelly flayed flesh of this

etter to seem a part of the miracle herself, although she could not have cared les

eed, although she had always been upright and honest in all her dealings with others as to a fault, she could in all go

ordlessly a moment, then nodded once, abruptly, with an expressionless, emphatic look. It was only the truth, f

in all the excitement, stu

work! Have you all so soon forgotten your duties? To the fields, lest the Master

their marveling over Si'Wren and return

ull and dropped to one knee as he bowed low, an

led, oh

ster Rababull had heard strange

p the broad entrance of the House proper. It was where Master Rababull frequently met with those in whom he had found reason for

u to punish my servant Si'Wren for her reckless abuse of one of Sorpial

would be a genuinely confused tone of voice, "I know not, Master Rababull. I only know that I fulfille

" ruminated M

sufficient reason to respond to

ster Rababull, his vo

without expression and r

use entrance proper. The blood was the color of rusted steel, and the fearsome braided leather bull whip was never placed on the stone

r and barked, "Swear to me Slavemaster that all you have spoke

unt, so

r's blind graces at such a time. Was he not entrusted with the charge of all the slaves of the House of Rababull

tly for a long time. Suddenly he turned and clapped his hands, co

of this time just out of sight. His big fist held Si'Wren's thin upper arm in an unshakable gri

y become unwilling victims of Master Rababull's unpredictable wrath and irritation. Danger lurked. Let the slightest offense occur now, and

ments, the endless anguish, the shame and torment-this time with the promise of real punishment. In her heart, she was utterly defeated. Th

ssed an open-handed gesture to Prut

his empty-looking eyes locked straight ahead, dutifully let

is spotted leopard-skin robes and purple garb trailing gracio

een cleaned off her by

ne, no whip had touche

ch as a s

d stood looking scornfully and distrustf

tter to marvel, and back at Habrunt. "Praise the gods! Six hundred and seventy-eight years have I w

too afraid to meet his scornful look, and he surveyed her contem

to be put at naught, I must hasten and make obeisance, that I might not displease the deities. What totem might I have offended, had my puni

at the entrance to the House. Master Rababull's anger was obvious, but still in check, if only barely. Reaching the far end of the landing, he turned to look back at them both and remained ominously sil

t he might do at

rusion. It was too much of a spectacle for them to miss. This was real entertainment! Perhaps heads would even roll, as had happened with the still comparativel

would my servants -my friends?!- think of it? In fact, should word be passed around, I must ask myself before I cast doubt on the aut

of the presence of Sorpiala, and as he looked out on the gathering crowd, there was a frown locked

the side as he went on, but Habrunt dared neither turn his head

on such acts of stupidity and foolishness as I have witnessed

yard of the great House of Rababull, and fairly glar

Master Rababull repeated, "Come, and behold the handiwork of the gods! Come and see the foolishne

. Perhaps here was a chance at long last to watch Habrunt be on the recei

r. Prut was a nonperson, seemed almost as invisible as the mythical Invisible God Himsel

d at Habrunt suddenly, and automatica

f fire, locked upon Habrunt's like those

I must ask of you, my most noble and trusted servant; Which is the greater miracle? The cruel lash of the whi

f love, which but lightly touch upon the stony heart of a s

t so much as dare to flinch nor

lked thusly down the stairs until he could step across behind Slavemaster Habrunt, and continued in this manner on around, climbing the steps again slowly, with

ve so much as his eyes duri

up the blood-stained bull whip from the pedestal and gripped it by the pomm

ege and my delight as one noble-born to witness the repeat of such a miracle with my own eyes? I desire to k

ed not make a rep

he direction of Si'Wren as if about to lash out at her, while watching cl

impotent to do the slightest thing to stop the Master, with Prut and any number of omniprese

lowered his whip hand, laug

he cost of the broken jade goddess. With her unsullied beauty, Si'Wren shall bring much money in the slave market, when I se

his rage but still dare

uriosity," declared Master Rababull with bitter sarcasm, "and may

hip and brought it snapping around with expert timing, catch

AC

his head and he fell cowering across the stone steps with his forearms across his fa

s the sound of the lightning bolt to be found at the end-" CRACK!! "-of a w

gaped in a long thin gash, with the matching white lines on both sides of a thin exposed fat layer

CRACK!!-

ystanders watched the physical destruction of t

d in vain to bear up under it as he lay shielding his precious eyes with his arms until

ababull laid off,

see nothing miraculous! Prut, take him away and let that old hag L'acoci see t

and as he staggered into the House past a silently weeping Si'Wren, he in

othed, for he has paid also for your dowry with his blood and his rank, and shall partake of your ignominy as well when you are fina

s feet. It landed with a flat slapping sound and splattered red the

ked off into the House, Master

lled briskly for several of his

e other slaves, who were still too fearful to do anything to her. When she arrived at the bungalow where they had taken him, Si'Wren mourned at the sight

ot die first before the night was out, he would still almost certainly be crippled for life from wounds like that, if only by the ver

tly. "We have only a little borage tea, such as this one treated you

did not finis

herb tea, which was all she had since being banished from the spice tent. She began dipping it up into successive pads of old rag-weave pasted with lard, an

gates and sending stray chickens and goats scattering madly for their lives in all directi

ed charger had fully stopped and pounded up t

ntral corridor, filling the House with the strident echoes of his high-p

was still in his

d shouted through the closed curtains tha

with a long-practiced, decorous slowness, and faced him with a disdainful and dangerously menacing look, whereu

l possible days, for he had lost his Slavemaster and his most favored junior female slave all in one fell swoop, and th

he fields and indeed the entire House shall thirst for the mere

uly alarmed at such important news. "Speak

magnified himself greatly against the House of Rababull, and has sworn to slay by the edge o

ossi

redulously, the messenger sucked in

rted our water! He declares he will not let it out again until much money has been paid. The crops will all soon be dead and dried, but Kadrug has sworn this

Master Rababull. "You mean-I hav

that Habrunt was-or at least, had been. Now, too late, Habrunt was worthless, crippled for life by Master Rab

sed first no water at all and then a flash flood, unless paid much gold and silver. And of co

ifice prepared, and slay and burn two of my bullocks! Have the slaves assembled at the temple where I will make obeisance a

nd declared in a loud and perpetually hoarse voice to the

ed beyond view, there came the sounds of heavy blows and shoutings as Pru

ike this, when he needed his best men, Habrunt was reduced to

him. Stupid Prut! Everything about Prut was hairy. Master Rababull so

on his personal valet as if abou

weapons! Hurry, you foo

e slave girl, one of the pampered indoors concubines, and said to her, "Go and tell

, "but Master, how can I do thi

e same mold as Sorpiala and her kin, t

ep forward and backhanded the surprised

cannot fight on empty

eek as she scurried out of his reach and ran weepi

nodded to himsel

icted her would surely be boiled in oil. It had been done once before by Master Rababull, two hundred and eighty years ago, and he knew the cooks still sp

op of the stairs. Then a horn was blown repeatedly, with much force and vig

well to wish that the stone idols should come to life! But he was pragmatic enough to realize tha

r god did not have to move anyways, a contemptuous Master Rababull deliberately reminded himself. It only had to make his slaves move-to

der litter, putting the solid ebony war god and tro

ceremonials. The Emperor himself would not trouble himself to lend assistance, Master Rababull knew. To the Emperor, any fight among

rvest and produce greater taxes. Why waste the lives of the Royal Guard, over such? Master Rababull had seen it before, from th

a level berm six steps above the surrounding compound courtyard, with heavy carved cedar timber

y. Just an endless vista of fertile croplands to fight over, which was

sessors and contenders for the land owned by Master Rababull. All of the skulls had th

h a ceremonial red and black robe and walked out in

ar pipes, which were also used on New Year's ceremonies, and the

cally while the whole procession, with the acrid incense smoking putridly, marched from

iscordance as they proceeded. The priests and their attendants were all shaven-headed and splatt

the baby's mother, a slave-woman, was held back by two temple attendants

s and anguished outcries, the ceremonially-expressed feelings and sentiments of the House of Rababull

as no water, ther

n huge drums that sent out a deep rolling beat th

f mania,

acrifice would signify his humility, a generous gift of the fruit of his human possessions. The boiling water

Have to do it

very bones of all present as by the impending battle sounds of the hooves of war horses, Master Ra

hen the arms dropped the sound of the drums abruptly ceased, although one witless soul kept bea

his head to see who it was, and marked the

d begging desperately for the life of her daughter, as Master Rababull sto

Rababull, men to the fore, women to the rear, childr

ous of his offspring lead the battle charge and see them finished off before they could come home to glory and threaten his personal authority over all his holdings. Immedia

for it. There were a few. Punishing in-laws was a necessary thing, best done

ld have to be detailed to go take care of the dr

always showed up with his dinged old bronze sword polished and gleaming like gold, and he was always asked to come f

y away, so it was exceeding helpful, in saving fac

egitimate connection to the Emperor himself, stood with one armpit held up by a crutch, his broken

as of no avail, the young man was doomed either t

he Sorcerer and have a ceremonial procedure. Later, though, they would.

activities to cut off their water, and called upon the enti

ne present, women and children too, scr

to the Chief Priest and commanded

h ends on the stone altar before the war god,

t lifted up the ceremonial sword, much abused from previous impacts with th

voice was

houted Mast

opeless sobbing of the baby's mother as she fell b

outed invocations as he stood in front o

or a neighbor's field? Had not little Si'Wren once prayed to that ugly physical thing to which other babies had been sacrificed in the past, and which the others even now sti

a frenzy to kill the enemy. Master Rababull brought on renewed cheers as he mounted his stallion, a half-wild white-sp

t of this Master Rababull suddenly raised his sword high in the air and held it up for a long moment as

the battle!

sorganized marching column, many abreast, the men's hoarsened voices bellowing their war cri

hich were at the northwesternmost limits of Master Rababull's property holdings, their voices and figures dwindled

y realized with shock that his other eye had also been put out, and his nose broken. The second eye was so infected that the boy was s

d the boy. Si'Wren naturally held back, thinking how the mother must yearn upon her savagely punished child. But when th

oy, who took a step in her direction and re

d her. With a loathsome leer, the mother froze just out of reach, totally silent, watching her own son as he contin

ued on her way but did not look back either at her bleat

ll that could be heard was the broken, muffled sobb

walked past the grieving mother and one of them curse

loss of all our water? She has died for the glory of the House o

sense of self-importance, all worked-up into a feverish blood-fren

was they who were the fools, and to scold them for their senselessness. Then she noticed that one of them was a

e have said t

of it, Si'Wren hesitantly approached the sobbing mother. How could she have

rmerly blind eyes of a seeing person such as herself, to the evil that la

sobbing mother, but was im

breaker!" the woman screamed, wildl

ed in a hysterical staggering traipse across the yard to fall down at the feet of a half-finished idol in the work

weled eyes. It was Sorpiala who had cleverly broken the idol earlier, and only blamed it on poor Nelatha. B

red the most now, was that it was Sorpiala by whose evil machinations brave Habrunt, former Slavemast

t go to him, and help wise o