Then what are you putting up a tent for? She hooted, gazing shamelessly at the front of his breeches and he doubled up awkwardly in the saddle. With a disconcerting change of mood, she seemed to take pity on him and she went back to the pony's head and led him along the track, giving Shasa a chance to recover his composure.
What did my brother tell you about me? she asked, without looking round.
Nothing, he assured her.
Don't believe what he says. She was unconvinced. He always tries to make out bad things about me. Did he tell you about Fourie, the driver? Everybody at the mine knew how Gerhard Fourie's wife had caught the two of them in the cab of his truck after the Christmas party. Fourie's wife was older than Annalisa's mother, but she had blackened both the girl's eyes and torn her only good dress to tatters.
He didn't tell me anything, Shasa reiterated stoutly, and then with interest, What happened? Nothing, she said quickly. It was all lies. And then, with another change of direction, Would you like me to show you something? Yes, please. Shasa answered with alacrity.
He had an inkling of what it might be.
Give me an arm. She came to his stirrup and he leaned down and they hooked elbows. He swung her up and she was light and strong. She sat behind him astride the pony's rump and slid both arms around Shasa's waist.
Take the path to the left. She directed him and they rode in silence for ten minutes.
How old are you.' she asked at last.
Almost fifteen. She stretched the truth a little and she said, 'I'll be sixteen in two months. if there had been any doubts as to who was in charge, this declaration effectively settled it. Shasa deferred to her and she felt it in his carriage.
She pressed her breasts to his back as though to emphasize her control and they were big and rubbery hard and burned him through his thin cotton shirt.
Where are we going, he asked after another long silence.
They had by-passed the bungalow.
Hush up! I'll show you when we get there. The track had narrowed and become rougher. Shasa doubted anybody had passed this way in months, other than the small wild beasts that still lived this close to the mine.
Finally it petered out altogether against the base of the cliff, and Annaliss slid down from the pony's back.
Leave Your horse here. He tethered the pony and looked around him with interest.
He had never been so far along the base of the cliffs. They must be three miles from the bungalow at least.
Below them the scree slope plunged downwards at a steep angle, and the ground was Tiven with gorges and ravines, all of them choked with rank thorny undergrowth.
Come on, Annalisa ordered. We haven't got Much time.
A it will be dark soon. She ducked under a branch and started down the slope.
Hey' Shasa cautioned her. You can't go down there.
You'll hurt Yourself.
'You're scared, she mocked.
I am not. The taunt goaded him onto the rock-strewn slope and they climbed downwards. Once Annalisa paused to pluck a spray of yellow flowers from a thorn bush, then they went on, helping each other over the bad places, crouching under the thorn branches, teetering on the boulders and hopping across the gaps like a pair of rock rabbits until they
reached the bottom of the ravine and paused to catch their breath.
Shasa bent backwards from the waist and stared up at the cliff that towered above them, sheer as a fortress wall, but Annalisa tugged his arm to gain his attention.
It's a secret. You have to swear an oath not to tell anybody, especially not my brother. All right, I swear. You have to do it properly. Lift your right hand and put the other on your heart. Solemnly she led him through the oath, and then took his hand and drew him to a lichenvered pile of boulders. Kneel down! He obeyed, and she carefully pulled aside a leafy branch that screened a niche amongst the boulders. Shasa gasped and pulled back, coming half to his feet. The niche was shaped like a shrine. There was a collection of empty glass jars arranged on the floor but the wild flowers in them had withered and turned brown. Beyond the floral offering a pile of white bones had been carefully arranged in a small pyrafind and Surmounting this was a human skull, with gaping eye sockets and yellow teeth.
Who is it' Shasa whispered, his eyes wide with superstitious awe.
The witch of the mountain. Annalisa took his hand. I found her bones lying here, and I made this magic place. How do you know she's a witch? Shasa had a bad attack of the creeps by now, and his whisper shook and cracked.
She told me so. That raised such frightful images that he did not question her further; skulls and bones were creepy enough, voices from beyond were a hundred times worse, and the hairs at the back of- his neck and along his arms itched and stood erect. lie watched while she changed the withered flowers for the fresh yellow acacia blossom and then sat back on her ankles and took his hand again.
The witch will grant you one wish, she whispered, and he thought about it.
What do you want? she tugged his hand, Can I wish for anything? Yes, anything, she nodded, watching his face eagerly.
Staring at the bleached skull his awe faded; he was suddenly aware of a new sensation. Something seemed to reach out to him, a sensation of warmth and familiar comfort that he had known before only as an infant when his mother held him to her bosom.
