Part 5 (2/2)
She was Valeria of the Red Brotherhood; she had eaten worse than rawher nale defeat her, not while that cursed Cih at her!
Dobanpu Spirit-Speaker had for hih for half a score of faed it to hi scarce on the island
No one had sweated to build Dobanpu's house; it was a cave burrowing deep into the hill at the southern end of the island None doubted that for s mentioned only in whispers, if at all-he needed more space than a basket-weaver or a trident-maker None wished, either, to see or hear anko, for all that bringing the prisoners to Dobanpu hadjourney for already tired men to the southern end of the island, then over the beach and uphill to the cave It was as well that feat Dobanpu's hands
Already as that a wo, which they said was a man's wisdoive him her powers as any wo tongues say if they learned that Dobanpu hianko? The warrior kneould be even harder then to avoid death-duels, or poison in his porridge
Seyganko sat in the cave with Dobanpu and Emwaya All three wore headdresses of feathers and crocodile teeth and amulets of fire-stones
The fire-stones pulsed like beating hearts, growing stronger each moment as Dobanpu and Emwaya chanted the spirits into the of scented oil To Seyganko's e to have borne at least two children, and would doubtless bear many fine sons when she and the warrior at last wed Noever, her waist res well-ht entered Seyganko's ht held aanko not seen the smile on Eht ca his lips save to return her snity before the spirits!
None could h Dobanpu's face bore all the expression of a carved lodge htened backs and coher
The chant was drawing echoes frohted recesses of the cave, far beyond the lahter Lithe and gleaht, she ran swiftly to a niche behind her father and brought out a basket of small clay pots
The basket was of reeds soaked in spiceberry juice, the odor intended to drive insects froanko had no doubt of its success; it nearly drove hie to sit cross-legged and watch as E an empty one With pinches of herbs and fruit and a few drops of oil, she concocted a potion and handed it to her father He dipped a finger in, then licked it off, for all the world like a brew-sister testing her beer Emwaya smiled, and this ti a beat of the chant
To the rest of the Ichiribu, Dobanpu was a figure of awe, even of terror His daughter knew him too well for that-and he knew that she knew It was one of anko blessed whatever had contrived that he and Emwaya be matched one with the other He need have no fear of his wife's father
Now Dobanpu stood and spread his aran to curl frohtanko's vision
Emwaya lifted the pot, and the warrior wanted to cry out as the shapes seee of thorns around a cattle pen For a anko, it seemed that even her father's face went taut
He told himself that the deadliest of the spirits had no visible forms, that these were only little spirits of the woods and waters that Dobanpu had conjured up to reach the captive's ht even believe this after he saaya safe and whole
In the next moment, she darted from the smoke and knelt beside her father Her breasts rose and fell with quick breathing as she gripped her father's shoulder and joined her strength to his The shapes left the smoke; now they danced in the air above the prostrate form of the Kwanyi captive on the black stone
The man was too near death to speak, but the other captive, who had not been so badly hurt, had said he served the God-Men He also said that the God-Men had learned so that put even their servants in fear
He had not said much of this without some persuasion, but the Ichiribu had men and wohter could be saved for tireater need
Thunder burst in the cave The smoke vanished in a brief scream of wind For a last ht the urge to claw at it He held his breath that he rew tight
The sanko had to breathe So did the shapes
The warrior watched theripped one hand with the other so hecaptive sat upright and began to speak