Tion's Festival began in three days!
Klip rose suddenly and lifted the two packs. Eleal reached for hers and he moved it out of her reach.
"I can manage!” she shouted.
"I want the exercise,” he said gruffly. “I'm trying to make my shoulders stronger."
She detested people taking pity on her because of her leg, but she decided to believe him and let him take both packs. As they began to walk, she concluded Klip Trumpeter was not so bad after all.
"I'll let you into a secret,” she said. “If you promise not to repeat it. A couple of days ago Olimmiar remarked how big and muscular you were getting. You mustn't tell her I said so!"
He glanced down at her with a wan smile. “I won't tell her because I don't believe a word of it."
"Well it's true!"
"No it isn't."
Eleal sniffed and tossed her head. She had only been trying to cheer him up. The least he could have done was pretend to believe her. Just for that, she wouldn't tell him that she had overheard Trong say he would make a good actor one day.
They trudged in silence toward the gate. Then Trumpeter said miserably, “I think it was Uthiam all the time!"
"What was?"
"The priests asked for her specially."
"By name? They knew her name?"
"The one who played Herinia two nights ago, they said—was she there? It was all a plot, Eleal! Don't you see? Some rich man saw her as Herinia and coveted her. He prayed to the Lady, and offered gold, and she granted his prayer! The priests had been instructed."
"Klip!” She put a hand on his sleeve. “You mustn't say such things about the Lady!"
He glowered at her. “I'll say them about Ois, then, even if she is a goddess! They took Uthiam away from the others—so they could send word to the man that she was available now, see? And he could be first. Uthiam's the sweetest, most beautiful—"
"Yes, she is. But—"
"Golfren was going crazy! He offered ninety-four stars if he could be the man to lie with her, the only man. Ninety-four!"
Ninety-four stars? That was a fortune! Eleal had long wondered why Golfren wore a money belt, which he probably thought no one except Uthiam knew about. “How could a wandering troubadour like Golfren Piper ever have collected so much money?"
"Dunno. I think he was planning to offer it to Tion in Suss to grant victory to Uthiam in the festival!"
"The priests refused?"
"They said husbands didn't count. I thought he was going to hit them!"
"Oh, Klip! Poor Golfren!"
Poor Uthiam!
Suddenly Trumpeter stopped and threw down one of the packs, so he could wipe his nose on his sleeve. He glared at Eleal with red-rimmed eyes. “I'll see you back at the hostel!"
She nodded sadly and limped away among the market stalls and the people.
10
AS SHE REACHED THE CLUSTER OF TRADERS’ STALLS BY the gate, Eleal realized that she was very hungry. She felt she should not be thinking of personal comfort when her friends were making so terrible a penance, but she had not eaten since the previous evening—and she no longer had Rilepass to look forward to. She wandered in among the fleece-wrapped servants and housewives, inspecting the wares. Mostly the offerings were of vegetables, for these were farmers’ stalls. Eventually a savory scent drew her and she discovered a booth dispensing meat pies.
T'lin had given her money, of course, but she wanted to keep that. Many women were crowding around that table, competing for the trader's attention. Eleal moved in close at one end, and knelt as if to tie a lace. A moment later, as a customer clinked coins in payment, a small hand made a deft grab between two bulky customers. A pie vanished from the display.
Gleefully clutching her prize close to her, Eleal rose and walked away. When she reached a safe distance, she produced her loot and simultaneously bumped into a tiny woman in blue.
"This is kind of you, my child,” Sister Ahn said, taking the pie in her twisted fingers. “It is long since I last ate. My, this smells delicious!” Her eyes were faded, watery, and filmed by age. They were also quite free of guile.
After a brief pang of annoyance, Eleal decided to be magnanimous. To feed this batty old crone would be meritorious. The Maiden would notice and might intercede with the Lady to turn aside her anger. And there were lots more pies where that one had come from.
"Oh, you are welcome, Sister! You really ought to be taking better care of yourself. A good llama fleece coat is what you need. Do you have somewhere warm to sleep?"
"I cannot accept charity,” the nun mumbled, gazing longingly at the pie she held. “It is written, Everything has its price."
"Payment is not necessary. One of my business ventures proved unexpectedly profitable this morning, so I can easily afford it."
The old woman still appeared frozen in her skimpy wool habit, and still unaware of the fact. The tip of her nose was turning white. “Here is what we shall do,” she said, looking around vaguely, as if in search of a table and chairs. “We shall share this and I shall explain to you about the reaper. Take care of it for a moment.” She returned the booty while she settled herself on the grass—an awkward procedure for which she leaned on her staff with one hand and adjusted the sword with the other, so as not to cut herself. Eleal wondered why the wind did not blow her over.
"Well, I do have pressing business engagements,” she said, dropping to the ground. “But I admit I should like to know about the reaper and why you journey to Suss and why you carry a sword and several other things."
Sister Ahn took the pie in her grotesquely warped fingers, broke it in half, murmuring a grace, and then offered Eleal the larger piece. It was rich and juicy and delicious, still faintly warm from the oven.
"So you are Eleal!” she said, chewing vigorously. “Younger than I expected. What trade do you follow?"
"Eleal Singer. Actually I am more of an actor now, but we have so many Actors in the troupe that it seemed wise—"
The nun frowned. “What do you act?"
"Both tragedy and comedy. And I sing in—"
"What,” Sister Ahn demanded, removing a piece of gristle from the mouth, “is the difference?"
Carefully not showing how shocked she was by the old woman's ignorance, Eleal explained. “Comedies are just about people. Tragedies have gods in them. People too, of—"
"Mmph! You portray goddesses?"
"Sometimes. I mean, I shall when I am tall enough."
"Then you must learn how goddesses think. You will travel to the festival tomorrow?"
Eleal told of the cockerel and the alpaca. When she started to explain what the other women in the troupe were doing, she felt nauseated and stopped eating.
Sister Ahn continued to work on the pie with her few teeth. The skin of her cheeks was like crepe, with all the underlying flesh underneath wasted away. A wisp of pure white hair had escaped from under her headcloth.
"Their penance may last a long time,” she mumbled with her mouth full, “and the festival is soon. You will have to go without them."
"I can't! I mustn't!"
The nun waved a hand dismissively. “It has been foreseen that you will. You can't fight destiny. History awaits you."
"I am not going to leave Narsh without my friends! I must stand by them in their hour of distress."
The nun pursed her already shriveled lips. “Your religious education has been woefully neglected. Why ‘distress'?"
"It seems so horrible!"
"Oh it is. That is why it is valuable. Have you not been taught that everything has a purpose? The purpose of life is to learn obedience to the gods."