That made him laugh. “You did leave out the best part of the mimei."
“Of course I did. I want to dance that only for you."
“Lui has gone to bed, or I'd ask you to."
“Oh, I don't need a drummer. Here, here's my drum.” She took his hands and put them on her full breasts. “Feel the beat?” she said. She stood, struck the pose, raised her arms, and began the dance, there right in front of him, till he seized her, burying his face between her thighs, and she sank down on him laughing.
Hehum came out into the dancing room; she drew back, seeing them, but Modh untangled herself from her husband and went to the old woman.
“Mal is ill,” Hehum began, with a worried face.
“Oh I knew it, I knew it!” Modh cried, instantly certain that it was her fault, that her lie had made itself truth. She ran to Mal's room, which she shared with her so long.
Hehum followed her. “She hides her ears,” she said, “I think she has the earache. She cries and hides her ears."
Mal sat up when Modh came into the room. She looked wild and haggard. “You hear it, you hear it, don't you?” she cried, taking Modh's hands.
“No,” Modh murmured, “no, I don't hear it. I hear nothing. There is nothing, Mal."
Mal stared up at her. “When he comes,” she whispered.
“No,” Mal said.
“Groda comes with him."
“No. It was years ago, years ago. You have got to be strong, Mal, you have got to put all that away."
Mal let out a piteous, loud moan and put Modh's hands up over her own ears. “I don't want to hear it!” she cried, and began to sob violently.
“Tell my husband I will spend this night with Mal,” Modh said to Hehum. She held her sister in her arms till she slept at last, and then she slept too, though not easily, waking often, listening always.
In the morning she went to Bedh and asked him if he knew what people did about ghosts-people in the villages.
He thought about it. “I think if there was a ghost somewhere they didn't go there. Or they moved away. What kind of ghost?"
“An unburied person."
Bedh made a face. “They would move away,” he said with certainty.
“What if it followed them?"
Bedh held out his hands. “I don't know! The priest, the yegug, would do something, I guess. Some spell. The yegug knew all about things like that. These priests here, these temple people, they don't know anything but their dances and singing and talk-talk-talk. So, what is this? Is it Mal?"
“Yes."
He made a face again. “Poor little one,” he said. Then, brightening, “Maybe it would be good if she left this house."
Several days passed. Mal was feverish and sleepless, hearing the ghost cry or fearing to hear it every night. Modh spent the nights with her, and Bela made no objection. But one evening when he came home he talked some while with Alo, and then the brothers came to the hanan. Hehum and Nata were there with the children. The brothers sent the children away, and asked that Modh come. Mal stayed in her room.
“Ralo ten Bal wants Mal for his wife,” Alo said. He looked at Modh, forestalling whatever she might say. “We said she is very young, and has not been well. He says he will not sleep with her until she is fifteen. He will have her looked after with every attention. He wants to marry her now so that no other man may compete with him for her."
“And so raise her price,” Nata said, with unusual sharpness. She had been the object of such a bidding war, which was why the Belens had all but beggared themselves to buy her.
“The price the Bals offer now could not be matched by any house in the City,” Alo said gravely. “Seeing we were unwilling, they at once increased what they offered, and increased it again. It is the largest bride-bargain I ever heard of. Larger than yours, Nata.” He looked with a strange smile at his wife, half pride, half shame, rueful, intimate. Then he looked at his mother and at Modh. “They offer all the fields of Nuila. Their western orchards. Five Root houses on Wall Street. The new silk factory. And gifts-jewelry, fine garments, gold.” He looked down. “It is impossible for us to refuse,” he said.
“We will be nearly as wealthy as we used to be,” Bela said.
“Nearly as wealthy as the Bals,” Alo said, with the same rueful twist to his mouth. “They thought we were bargaining. It was ridiculous. Every time I began to speak, old Loho ten Bal would hold up his hand to stop me and add something to the offer!” He glanced at Bela, who nodded and laughed.
“Have you spoken to Tudju?” Modh said.
“Yes,” Bela answered.
“She agrees?” The question was unnecessary. Bela nodded.
“Ralo will not mistreat your sister, Modh,” Alo said seriously. “Not after paying such a price for her. He'll treat her like a golden statue. They all will. He is sick with desire for her. I never saw a man so infatuated. It's odd, he's barely seen her, only at your wedding. But he's enthralled."
“He wants to marry her right away?” Nata asked.
“Yes. But he won't touch her till she's fifteen. If we'd asked him he might have promised never to touch her at all!"
“Promises are easy,” Nata said.
“If he does lie with her it won't kill her,” Bela said. “It might do her good. She's been spoiled here. You spoil her, Modh. A man in her bed may be what she needs."
“But- thatman-” Modh said, her mouth dry, her ears ringing.
“Ralo's a bit spoiled himself. There's nothing wrong with him."
“He-” She bit her lip. She could not say the words.
Bela was keeping her from turning back to pick up the baby, jabbing his sword at her, dragging her by the arm, Mal was crying and stumbling behind them in the dust, up the steep hill, among the trees.
They all sat in uncomfortable silence.
“So,” Alo said, louder than necessary, “there will be another wedding."
“When?"
“Before the Sacrifice."
Another silence.
“We mean no harm to come to Mal,” Alo said to Modh. “Be sure of that, Modh. Tell her that."
She sat unable to move or speak.
“Neither of you has ever been mistreated!” Bela said resentfully, as if answering an accusation. His mother frowned at him and clicked her tongue. He reddened and fidgeted.
“Go speak to your sister, Modh,” Hehum said. Modh got up, seeing the walls and tapestries and faces grow small and bright, sparkling with little lights. She walked slowly and stopped in the doorway.
“I am not the one to tell her,” she said, hearing her own voice far away.
“Bring her here then,” Alo said.
She nodded; but when she nodded the walls kept turning around her, and reaching out for support, she fell in a half-faint.
Bela came to her and cradled her in his arms. “Little fox, little fox,” he murmured. She heard him say angrily to Alo, “The sooner the better."
He carried Modh to their bedroom, sat with her till she pretended to sleep, then left her quietly.
She knew that by her concern, by the nights she had spent with Mal, she had let him become jealous of her sister.
It was for her sake I came to you!she cried to him in her heart.
But there was nothing she could say now that would not cause more harm.
When she got up she went to Mal's room. Mal ran to her weeping, but Modh only held her, not speaking, till the girl grew quieter. Then she said, “Mal, there is nothing I can do. You must endure this. So must I."
Mal drew back a little and said nothing for a while. “It cannot happen,” she said then, with a kind of certainty. “It will not be allowed. The child will not allow it."
Modh was bewildered for a moment; she had been wondering if she were pregnant; now she thought for a moment that Mal was pregnant; then she understood.
“You must not think about that child,” she said. “She was not yours or mine. She was not daughter or sister of ours. Her death was not our death."