There was a sudden sound, an impact of fist on flesh; and Eddan, who did not swear, swore. "She'pan," he said then. "May the Kel ask?"
"There is nothing more to ask, Eddan," said Intel. That is the thing that happened: that cost 10,000 mri lives, and shipsships of which I do not know the tally; many, many of the ships were regul, without regul personnel aboard, because the regul feared to stay. They killed 10,000 mri. And I curse the she'panei who lent their children to such as that."
A fine sweat beaded Intel's face, and pallor underlay her skin. The sound of her breathing was audible, a hoarseness, above the sound of the rain outside. Never had the gentle Mother cursed anyone; and the enormity of cursing she'panei chilled the heart; but neither was there repentance on her face. Niun drew his breaths carefully, sucking in air as if he drew it off the noon-heated sands. His muscles began to tremble, and he clenched his hands the harder lest someone notice it, if anyone could notice anything but his own heartbeat in that terrible silence.
"Little Mother," Sathell pleaded. "Enough, Enough."
"The Kel," she said, "finds it necessary to ask questions. They are due their answer." And she paused a moment, drawing great breaths, as if she intended next something necessary, something urgent. "Kel'ein," she said, "chant me the Shon'jir."
There was a stirring among the kel'ein, outright panic and dismay. She is dying, was Niun's first thought, and: O gods, what an ill omen of things! And he could not say the words she asked of them.
"Are you children," she asked of her Husbands, "to believe any longer in luck either good or bad? Chant me the Passing ritual."
They looked at Eddan, who inclined his head in a gesture of surrender, and began, softly. Niun joined them, uncertain in this insanity in which they were bidden join.
From Dark beginning
To Dark at ending,
Between them a Sun,
But after comes Dark,
And in that Dark
One ending.
From Dark to Dark
Is one voyage.
From Dark to Dark
Is our voyage.
And after the Dark,
O brothers, o sisters,
Come we home.
Intel listened with her eyes closed, and afterward there was a long silence; and her eyes opened, and she looked on all of them as from a far place.
"I give you," she said, "a knowledge which Kel'ein knew long ago, but which passed from the Kel-lore. Remember it again. I make it lawful. Kesrith is only a between, and Aram only one of many suns, and we are near an ending. In the People's history, kel'ein, are many such Darks; and the regul have afforded us only the latest of our many homes. For this reason we call it Shon'jir,and in the low language, the Passing ritual. For this reason we say it at the beginning of each life of the People and at each life's ending; and at the beginning of each era and at its ending. Until another she'pan shall bid your children's children, Niun, forget what I have told you, the Kel may remember."
"Mother," he said, raising hand to her in entreaty, "Mother, is it the moving of homeworld you mean?"
Too long she had been mother to him, and he realized after he had spoken his question that she was due more courtesy; he sat with his heart pounding and waited to hear her coldly rebuff him by asking Eddan if the Kel had a question to pose.
But she neither frowned nor refused his question. "Niun, I give you more truth to ponder. The regul call themselves old; but the People are older. The 2,000 years of which you know are only an interlude. We are nomads. I say that the Kel shall not fight; but the Kel has other purposes. Last of my sons, the Kel of the Darks is a different Kel from the Kel of the Between. Last of my daughters, the she'panate of the Darks is a duty I do not envy you."
Upon an instant the whole Kel was torn from one to the other of them, a fearful, astonished attention.
The succession was passed, not in fact, but in intent; and Niun looked at his onetime brothers, and saw their dismay; and looked at Melein and saw her pale and shaken. She veiled herself and turned away from them; and of a sudden he felt himself utterly alone, even amid the Kel. He bowed his head and stayed so while the voice of Eddan, subdued, begged leave to question, which the she'pan refused.
"The Sen asks," said Sathell's voice then, and by that, posed a question that could not be refused. "She'pan, we cannot make these plans without consulting together."
"Is that a question, Sen?" the she'pan asked dryly, and in the shock of that collision of wills, there was silence. Niun looked at them, from one to the other, appalled that those who ruled his life did not agree.
"It is a question," said Sathell.
The she'pan bit at her lip and nodded. "Yet," she said, "we have made these plans without consulting. I did not consult when I made sure that Ahanal was reserved from the madness of Elag. I did not consult when I maintained our base on Kesrith against the urging of some to leave. I have made these plans without consultingand I have left the People no other choice."
"To the death of our Kath and most of our Kel, when we might have had Lushain for homeworld instead, where there is water and gentle climate, where we might have had a rich world, she'pan."
'That old quarrel," she said in a still voice."But I had my way, Sathell, because the she'pan, not the sen'anth, leads the People. Remember it."
"The Sen asks," said Sathell in a trembling voice, "why. Why must it have been Kesrith?"
"Is your knowledge adequate? Do you know the last Mysteries, sen'anth?"
"No," Sathell acknowledged, an answer wrung from him.
"Kesrith was the best choice."
"I do not believe it."
"I said at the time," said Intel softly, "that I decided as I saw fit. That is still true. I do not require your belief."
"This I know," said Sathell.
"Kesrith is hard. It kills the weak. It performed its function."
"This forge of the People, as you called it, performed its function too well. We are too few. And Elag has left us with nothing."
"Elag has left us with a remnant like the remnant of Kesrith," said Intel. "With what has been through fire."
"A handful."
"We have given the People," she said, "a place to stand, and stand we shall until humans stand on Kesrith. And then the Dark. And then a decision that will belong to others than you and me, Sathell."
There was silence. Sathell rose suddenly and caught at the wall for support, his weakness betraying him. "To others then," he said, "let it pass now."
And he walked out. His footsteps descended the tower.
Eddan bowed himself, came to Intel and took her hand. "Little Mother," he said gently, "the Kel approves you."
"The Kel knows little," she said, "even now."
"The Kel knows the she'pan," he said in a faint voice. And then he looked about him at the others, at Melein last of all. "Sen Meleinmake the cup for her."
"I will not drink it tonight, Eddan," Intel said.
But Eddan's look said otherwise, and Melein nodded, silent conspiracy against Intel's will, and rose and poured water and komal into a cup, preparing the draught that would give Intel ease.
"Go," said Eddan to the Kel.
"Niun will stay," said Intel, and Niun, who had risen with the others, stopped.
And downstairs the main door opened and closed, a hollow crash.
"Gods," Pasev breathed, and cast a look at Intel. "He is leaving the edun."