Страница 38 из 101
He couldn't have had any idea of how his words struck at Jy
For several moments more the woman just stared at Jy
"How is it she escaped with her life?" one of the men asked.
"We've wondered the same thing," S'Doryn told him. He smiled for just an instant. "Perhaps if we knew for certain, we'd never again have cause to fear the pestilence." No one else so much as gri
An old woman who sat at the table shook her head. "You make it sound easy, S'Doryn. Yet you know it isn't." Before she could say more, she was taken by a fit of coughing that racked her body. No one said anything, although T'Noth did offer her some water, which she waved away even as her paroxysm went on. Eventually her coughing subsided and she pulled a white rag from the folds of her dress and wiped her mouth. "Forgive me." She glanced at Jy
She gri
"It's not that easy," she began again, shifting her gaze back to S'Doryn. "You and I are old for Qirsi, even for Fal'Borna. But others here have young families to care for, children to protect. Jy
"The disease might well have taken care of that for us already." "What do you mean?"
S'Doryn looked down at Jy
"For all we know," one man said, as T'Kaar looked on and nodded, "the pestilence has always done this to the Y'Qatt. Their faith is old, but it's only recently that so many have subscribed to it."
"I've never heard of this happening before," S'Doryn said. "But even if you're right, what does it have to do with Jy
"The risk is too great," the old woman said. She looked at Jy
Jy
"Jy
T'Kaar and the other man who'd spoken of the Y'Qatt faith shook their heads. "Her kind stopped being Qirsi the moment they stopped using magic," the man said.
The old woman frowned at them. "Nonsense. That's the coward's way out. If you fear going to Tivston, as I do, then just say so. But don't pretend that she's not Qirsi simply because of her faith."
T'Kaar looked genuinely abashed. "Yes, A'Laq. Forgive me."
Jy
The woman appeared to notice Jy
Jy
"There's nothing to forgive, child. You're not Fal'Borna. You owe me no obeisance."
It came to Jy
"But I am Fal'Borna. At least I am now. S'Doryn has said that if my family is gone, I can live here in Lowna with him. Doesn't that make me one of you now?"
The woman narrowed her eyes, a sly smile on her wizened face. "Perhaps."
"In which case, I wouldn't be an outsider asking for help. I'd be one of your own. Doesn't that change things?"
"Now, see here-!" T'Kaar broke in.
But U'Selle raised a hand, silencing him, her eyes fixed on Jy
"Yes, A'Laq."
"An easy promise to make," T'Kaar said. "But keeping it-"
"Silence!" U'Selle said, casting a dark look his way. She faced Jy
"Yes, A'Laq."
"She'd say anything-"
"Be silent, T'Kaar! Or leave! I will not tolerate another interruption!" T'Kaar glared at Jy
"He may be right, you know," the a'laq said, eyeing Jy
The words were hard, but Jy
"Because I have no one else, A'Laq. Because you're right, I am desperate. I'm alone. And if my family is dead, if my village is gone, I have only the Fal'Borna. Why would I risk lying to the only family left for me?"
For several moments the woman just looked at her, and even when she began to nod, she didn't smile. "A good answer, Jy
"Can we take horses?" S'Doryn asked.
"Yes. Take several, in case there are other survivors. Don't tarry there. Look around. Learn what you can. Then leave. But I don't want you to return here for eight days. If you're all still well after that, you can come back. Do you understand?"
"Yes, A'Laq," S'Doryn said, bowing to her.
U'Selle and the rest of the clan council rose and filed out of the small house, leaving Jy
"I didn't mean to get you into this," S'Doryn said.