«I am sorry if I have done you harm,» Blade whispered. «But what you asked of me-I would rather die than give it, no matter to whom.»
The Guardian blinked and seemed to be able to focus on Blade for the first time. «You-die? I was far closer to death than you could have been.»
«That was not my wish.»
«I know. But-I have never been hurled out of a man's mind like that before. I was doomed but for your help.»
«If I have passed my testing-«
«Oh you have, you have,» the Guardian said almost irritably. «You have done so well I think it may have been a waste of my time to test you at all. «
«I thank you,» said Blade. «Now, if I have passed my testing, will you teach me as much about the Wisdom and the Voice as you think I can learn? Clearly you will not be the only man I can put in danger, if I have this kind of strength in my mind.»
Then he looked around the circle and added quickly, «But first, could you tell these people that I have passed the test and you are not hurt? Otherwise I fear I shall not live long enough to be taught anything, or else have to kill some of your people to keep them from killing me.»
The Guardian managed to laugh. «Certainly, Blade of the English. If you will help me to stand…»
Blade pulled the Guardian to his feet and then held him with a hand under one arm as he spoke to the crowd. «Put down your weapons and set aside your anger,» he began. He had to repeat himself twice before anyone heard him, and twice more before people started obeying. Then he had to be quiet until he'd caught his breath.
«Blade of the English has passed his testing. He is a good man, with a great power, but his people did not teach him how to use it to the fullest.»
«He used that power against you!» shouted River Over Stones. «How can he be within the law?» Mutters of agreement.
«Do you know the law better than I? Is it the custom that a barely fledged warrior shall dispute He Who Guards the Voice?» That silenced River Over Stones, but not the muttering.
«Blade is a mighty warrior. His strength and his skill and his heart are all good, though he does not know all that he ought to know about using them. He has traveled far, fought in many lands, and used strange and magical weapons. I have seen them, and I have also seen that he always used them lawfully, against unlawful enemies.»
«Then why did he fight you?» said someone. He didn't sound angry now, just curious. That was a considerable improvement.
The Guardian whispered, «Blade, I must tell the tale of your-dying woman-before they will understand. May I?» Blade nodded.
«The last memory I reached was the death of the woman he loved most, at the hands of a great and evil magician.» Blade supposed that was as good a description of the Ngaa as any other these people would understand. «He would not live through her death again, so he drove me from his mind. He did not wish me harm, only that I should not know something that indeed I did not need to know, because it was very painful for him to think of it.»
The Guardian seemed to glare at each person in the circle of witnesses in turn. «Who here has not lost one they loved? And who here would care to live through the moment of that death again? If there is one among you who would not fear to do that, he may speak against Blade. Everyone else will keep silent or face my anger.»
The silence was agreeably long. Blade reflected again on how the Guardian could control a crowd. He knew that if the shaman had spoken against him, the people would have swarmed over him and torn him to pieces with their bare hands no matter how many he killed. When it came to being either a good friend or a deadly enemy, He Who Guards the Voice of the Uchendi made the Wise One of the Rutari look like a child.
The Guardian turned toward Blade. «It seems our day's work is done. I thank you for your help. As for teaching you-may we speak of that another day? I am not against the idea. But I am more in favor of food, sleep, and beer now. Travel into the Sphere of Wisdom can be as hard as war ….»
If Blade hadn't known before that telepathy could be hard work, he knew now. He wasn't sleepy, but he very much wanted to sit down. Sweat was streaming off him, and his mouth felt like a lump of charcoal. Sitting down and letting Eye of Crystal serve him hot food and cool beer did seem the best way to spend the rest of the day.
«And of course, my daughter will be glad to honor you by serving you,» said the Guardian.
Blade was fairly sure he hadn't felt any telepathic contact from the Guardian just then-but then, did a loving, observant father need telepathy to know when his daughter was attracted to a man?
Chapter 16
«More beer?» said Eye of Crystal.
Blade held up his empty wooden cup and contemplated it by the light of the fire in his hut. Good. He saw only one cup. It was too early in the evening for him to be so drunk that he was seeing two cups, particularly since he'd only been drinking beer.
However, he was in a mood to celebrate. «Do you have anything stronger?»
«Stronger? How?»
«More-more of what there is in beer to make you-«
«Piss a lot?»
Blade laughed. «That wasn't quite what I had in mind. «He tried to explain alcohol, then wine and distilled beverages. Unlike the Rutari, the Uchendi apparently hadn't invented distilling.
«There is winter ale,» said Eye of Crystal dubiously. «It is stronger than summer ale, in the way that you talk about. Are you stronger than it?»
«I am stronger than anything men can make to drink,» said Blade with mock bravado. Except some really Godawful cheap Turkish raki he and a friend and fellow agent (now dead) had drunk once, to celebrate a minor victory. Come to think of it, he still wasn't quite sure the stuff hadn't been poisoned. Probably not by the Russians, though-more likely by the brothel-keeper they'd put out of business in the process of uncovering the Russian listening post.
«You are sure?» Crystal's gaze started by focusing on the bridge of Blade's nose. She wasn't entirely sober either. Then the gaze wandered downward, past Blade's chin, over his chest and stomach, and down a little farther. There it stopped.
Blade poured himself some more beer from the jug and raised the cup in salute. «I'm very sure.»
As Blade drank, some of the beer slopped over the rim of the cup and fell onto his bare chest. Eye of Crystal knelt beside him, bent over his chest, and began licking the beer off Blade's skin. Her tongue darted in and out, lapping up the beer and wetting her full lips. They were very red lips, although the Uchendi used no cosmetics except the warriors' war paint.
That flickering tongue and its warm caresses on his skin were slowly hypnotizing Blade with pleasure. He hardly cared. Then the sensations of Crystal's tongue gave way to another one, stronger and more familiar. She was bending so low that her full breasts were pressing against his chest.
Blade felt small but firmly erect nipples and the lovely give of breasts changing shape under pressure. Crystal was also feeling it. Her eyes were closed, and one hand was now creeping down Blade's stomach.
Crystal unhooked Blade's loinguard and pushed it aside. She held Blade's manhood, warm fingers teasing as skillfully as the tongue. Blade groaned happily-
«Strong enough, yes,» she murmured.
Blade would have been almost past saying anything, but fortunately no words were needed. Eye of Crystal pulled away from Blade just long enough to untie the drawstring of her leather skirt, her only garment. It slid down over her well-rounded hips. As it reached the floor she stepped aside, too eager to move gracefully. She nearly fell, and Blade had to reach up and balance her as she lowered herself into place.