Umurhan signaled and the singing stopped. He turned to the altar, saying, O Rybian, Merciful Master of us all, take pity on this poor mortal before you. Forgive him his sins. Accept this humble gift he presents you. And let him sleep once again in all innocence."
Umurhan motioned and one of the boys led Muzine to the lioness. He handed the merchant a large sacrificial knife. The other boys crowded close, holding elaborately decorated jars to catch the blood. Muzine gingerly gripped the lioness by her scruff. She made no motion or sign that she understood what was happening. The Muzine drew the knife across her throat. Blood dribbled from the cut, but the flow was so slight that Safar knew Muzine's nerve had failed and he hadn't been able to cut deeply enough to end the lioness suffering.
Muzine tried again and this time a boy gripped his hand, pushing hard and making sure the deed was properly done. The lioness moaned and blood gushed into the bowls.
She sagged to the floor.
Everyone cheered and jumped up, praising Rybian and welcoming the sinner Muzine's return to the fold. Muzine came forward, Umurhan at his side, to accept the acolytes congratulations. Behind them the three white-robed lads got busy butchering the lioness out to prepare for the next stage of the ceremony.
Then the din was shattered by a spine-freezing roar and everyone's heart stopped and everyone's head jerked toward the half-skinned corpse.
The air above the dead beast turned an angry red and then all gasped as the lioness ghost emerged, crouching on the body, tail lashing, lips peeled back over long yellow fangs, screaming her hatred.
The ghost lioness leaped and the frozen tableaux became unstuck. There were screams and the crowd ran for cover, tangling and jamming the exits with their bodies.
Safar stayed in his hiding place and saw that despite the hysteria a dozen priests and acolytes quickly surrounded Umurhan and Muzine and got them to safety through a small door at the edge of the altar.
Meanwhile, the ghost cat sailed into the mass of fleeing figures. She struck out with her translucent claws. Blood sprayed in every direction and there were screams of pain from the wounded. Then she caught someone in her jaws and held him down while the others scrambled awayjamming the exits and hugging the walls.
The ghost lion crouched over her victim, gripping him by the shoulder and shaking him furiously back and forth. The young man she'd caught was still alive and wailed most piteously.
Suddenly what felt like an unseen hand pushed Safar out of hiding. He walked slowly toward the raging lioness, one part of him gibbering in fear, the other intent only on the soul of the poor Ghostmother, alone and agonizing over her newborn cubs the only way she knew how.
The ghost saw him and dropped the screaming acolyte. She snarled and paced toward him, extended claws clicking on the stone. But Safar kept on, his pace slow and measured. He held out his right handtwo fingers and a thumb spreading wide in the universal gesture of a wizard forming a spell.
He spoke, his voice low and soothing. I'm sorry to see you here, Ghostmother, he said. This is a terrible place for a ghost. So much blood. So little pity. It will spoil your milk and your cubs will go hungry."
The lioness ghost kept coming, eyes boiling, jaws open and slavering. Safar went on, closing the distance between them, talking all the while.
"Evil men did this to you Ghostmother, he said. They trapped you and slew your cubs. They brought you to this place to die. But the guilty ones aren't in this courtyard, Ghostmother. There are only human cubs, here. Male cubs, Ghostmother. And it your duty to see that no harm comes to male cubs."
The stalking ghost growled, but her fury seemed lessened. A few more steps and then the two metand stopped.
Safar steeled his nerves as the lioness, instead of killing him on the spot, sniffed his body, growling all the while. When she was done she looked him in the face, cat's eyes searching deep into his own for any lie that might be hidden there. Then she roared and it was so loud he was nearly lifted out of his sandals. But he held steady, and then the ghostly form of the lioness sat back her heelsface level with his own.
"You see how it is, Ghostmother, he said. I had nothing to do with your sadness, although I mourn the loss. He gestured at the cowering acolytes. And these male cubs are as innocent as I. Please don't harm them, Ghostmother."
The lion ghost yawned its anxiety, but sank down at Safar's feet.
"It's time you thought of yourself, Ghostmother, Safar said. Your cubs are dead and their little ghosts are hungry. You should go to them quickly so they don't suffer. Think of them, Ghostmother. They have no experience in this world, much less the next. Haven't you heard them crying for you?
"Why, listenthey're crying now."
Safar made a gesture and there came the faint sound of mewing from far away. The ghost's ears shot up and she cocked her head, eyes wide with concern. Safar gestured again and the mewing grew louder and more frantic. The lioness whined.
"Go to them, Ghostmother, Safar said. Leave this place and find peace with your cubs."
The lioness bolted up. Safar forced to himself not to react in alarm. Then she roared a final time and vanished.
For a moment the only sound was the echo of the lioness roar. Then all became confusion as everyone shouted in relief and ran to Safar to thank him. Then, in the midst of this chaos, the crowd suddenly went silent and parted. Safar, still dazed and weary from his effort, saw Umurhan approach as if in a haze.
"Who is he? he heard the wizard ask.
"Safar Timura, Master. Safar Timura. A new acolyte. He's new."
Umurhan's eyes swiveled to Safar. They looked him up and down, measuring. Then he asked, Why didn't tell anyone you had the talent, Acolyte Timura?"
"It's nothing, Master, Safar said. My talent is very small."
"I'll be the judge of that, acolyte, Umurhan answered. He turned to the repetitious priest. Begin Acolyte Timura's education tomorrow, he ordered.
Then, without another word or look at Safar, he stalked away.
All became confusion again as Safar's fellow students crowded around to clap his back and congratulate him for being admitted to the ranks of the university's elite.
Safar hurried down the long main corridor of the first floor. There was no one to be seenmost of the students and priests would be gathered in prayer in the main assembly hall at this hour. The classrooms and offices he went by were empty and he could smell the stale stink of old magic from the practice spells his fellow students had cast the day before.
At the end of the corridor he came to the vast stairwell that joined the various levels. One group of stairs led downward, into the bowels of the university. The other climbed to the second floor where Umurhan and the priests lived. Safar hesitated, torn between his original purpose and the sudden thought the knowledge he sought in Umurhan's library would most likely be unguarded. He'd have about half an hour before the daily assembly ended and Umurhan and the other priests returned to the top floor.
"You can go either way, Gundara whispered from his shoulder. Both are safe."
"Maybe later, Safar muttered, and then he ran down the stairs before the new idea could delay him from his most important task.
Although Safar met with Umurhan many times after the incident with the lioness, the wizard never thanked him or even raised the subject again. As Safar's education progressed and it soon became clear to all that he was a remarkable student of sorcery, Umurhan not only kept his distance but seemed to become colderand Safar would look up suddenly from his studies and find the wizard watching him. Gubadan had warned Safar about Umurhan before he'd left Kyrania. Although he'd never told the old priest about his abilities, Safar got the impression during that last conversation somehow Gubadan had guessed something was upand that there was magic behind it.