Страница 34 из 101
"Yes, of course. I'll see you in the morning, Jy
Jy
She didn't stop ru
Her brothers were outside the barn, putting out hay for the plow horse. Seeing her approach, Delon took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Where have you been?" he called. "Lessons."
"This late? Mama's been lookin' for you for an hour at least. She's pretty mad, too."
She had slowed as they talked, but now she started ru
"I don't care," he shouted back. "Tell Mama."
Jy
Her mother was at the hearth, her hair pulled back from her face in a loose braid. She looked up as Jy
"I expected you long ago." Her eyes fell to the basket in Jy
"I got it for you," Jy
A smile crept slowly across her mother's face. After a moment she pointed toward the table where they ate their meals. Turning to look that way, Jy
"You bought one," she said, crestfallen.
"Well, of course, silly girl." But then the frown returned. "How did you get that one?"
"I met the old woman who was selling them. She had two big baskets and a carry sack, and I carried the sack for her, and she gave me a basket."
It wasn't quite what had happened, but it was close enough, and it allowed her to skip the whole magic part.
"Is that why you're so late?"
"Sort of," Jy
Her mother smiled. "You see that we picked out the same one?" Jy
"Clever girl." Still smiling, she picked up the water bucket and handed it to Jy
It was nearly dark when her father returned from the fields. Jy
They entered the house and Jy
"How are you, missy?" he asked.
She giggled. "I'm fine, Papa."
He set her down and leaned toward Jy
"You look flushed," he said. "Are you feeling all right?"
The boys had been laughing about something, but they stopped now and stared at their mother, as did Jy
"I'm fine," she said, forcing a smile. But even her voice sounded weak.
Papa laid the back of his hand against her forehead, then quickly pulled it back. "You've got a fever," he said.
The word "fever" seemed to break her, so suddenly did she double over, clutching her stomach. She stumbled to the doorway and out onto the porch. A moment later they could hear her retching.
"Is it the pestilence, Papa?" asked Blayne, the younger of her two brothers.
"I don't know!" Papa snapped. He shook his head. "Maybe. Qirsar save us all if it is."
Mama staggered back to the doorway, stood there briefly, then whirled away and was sick again.
Papa looked at Delon. "Go get the healer."
Delon nodded once and ran out the door.
For some time Jy
"You two should eat," Papa said at last.
Jy
"Well?" Papa said, his voice rising again.
"I'm not hungry, Papa."
Blayne shook his head. "Neither am I."
Jy
As he said it, Jy
Mama appeared in the doorway again. She didn't look flushed anymore. Instead she was deathly pale, her face nearly as white as her hair, and her bright golden eyes sunken and dull. Only the dark purple lines under her eyes gave her face any color at all. She looked like a wraith.
"I need to lie down," she said, the words coming out as a whisper.
Papa hurried to her side, lifted her as if she were a child, and carried her to their bedroom.
He came out again a few moments later, his expression grim, his cheeks nearly as red as Mama's had been a short time before.
"She's already asleep," he said. "And to be honest, I'm starting to feel it, too."
"So it is the pestilence," Blayne said.
At that moment Delon returned.
"The healer says she'll be along when she can," he told them all, looking scared. "But there's lots of people sick."
"Damn," Papa said, sighing the word. He glanced at Blayne. "Well, there's your answer. It's probably too late, but I want the three of you outside. You're not sick yet. Maybe you'll make it through."
"But Papa-"
"I know what you're going to say, Delon. But there's nothing to be done now. Either your mother and I will live or we won't. But you haven't any way to save us, so it's best you save yourselves."
"I have healing magic," her brother said. "Blayne's come into his power, and he has it, too. We can save you, if you'll just let us."
Papa glared at him, the muscles in his jaw bunching. For just an instant, Jy
Delon lowered his gaze. "Yes, Papa."
"You're past your fourth four. You're a man now. If your mother and I… If the healer can't help us, then it'll fall to you to take care of your brother and sister. You're old enough that you should know better than to speak against the god like that." He started to say more, but then stopped and ran out the door, grabbing at his gut just as Mama had done.
None of them said anything, but Jy
"So what do we do?" Blayne asked, looking at Delon. Jy
"We go outside," Delon said. "And we wait for the healer, just as
Papa told us to."
The boys held each other's gazes for several moments, but they said nothing, and at last they ushered Jy