blubber, feeding on driftwood, seaweed and landlost gnats. Yen Olass was not convinced; the whale was hardly a credible creature. For that matter, she was not convinced that the sea existed, at least not as it had been descibed to her; she suspected that the sea was half extravagant imagination and half irresponsible exaggeration.
The dragon, on the other hand, carved from stone but painted in the colours of flowers and fire, was so powerful and vibrant that it insisted on the autonomous drama of its own life. Besides, the dragon was not just a credible creature, but also a necessary creature, for each element has its own animal, and the dragon was the beast dedicated to fire, as the worm is to earth, the bird is to sky and the fish is to water.
There were some children playing on the dragon, and for a while Yen Olass watched them. Then one fell over and grazed her knee. A mother appeared, but scolded the child instead of comforting her:
'Look what you've done! Didn't I tell you? Didn't you listen to me? I just can't trust you. Now you – listen – next – time…’
This said while shaking the child.
Which started to cry, a hopeless sobbing wail.
'It's no good crying. It's your own fault. Didn't I tell you? Come along now.’
And the child was dragged off, still crying.
And Yen Olass wished she could have intervened, because the child was so little, and it was only being itself.
Yen Olass – vulnerable because her own world was breaking up around her – was quite upset by what she had seen.
She returned to the bears, which were shown fishing in the river. Yen Olass was an expert on bears, or thought she was. They are the laziest and most comfortable creatures in all of creation; they go fishing and honey-eating, and never get told off for getting their feet wet.
'So you like bears, do you?' said a voice.
And Yen Olass discovered she was being observed by a street derelict, some old soldier without a pension.
She let him tell her all about bears, about how to build bear traps, how to track a bear, the diseases bears carry and how bear meat should be cooked; at the end of his lecture he clearly expected a little money, but instead she gave him rather more.
As she left the statue garden, Yen Olass thought about the children she could have if she was exiled with Lord Alagrace, and married him. She would not be cruel to them; she would dress them in bearskin, and they would live some place where they could run free…
Returning to Lord Alagrace's residence, Yen Olass found a letter of summons waiting for her. She was required to present herself to the Library, immediately, with all her equipment.
Yen Olass was irritated. The last time she had been ordered to the Library, they had gone through her copy of the Book of the Sisterhood page by page, checking every flaw and blemish against their damage records, and they had spent half a day doing it. Never mind. Soon she would be out of the city, and free from such petty harassment.
She went along to the Library and took all her equipment to the Head Librarian for scrutiny: her nordigin, her Casting Board, her Indicators and her copy of the Book. The Head Librarian took them away from her.
'We're keeping these.’
'For how long?' said Yen Olass.
'They're confiscated.’
'But I'm leaving the city tomorrow!’
'Are you?’
'It's all arranged.’
'I have instructions here,' said the Head Librarian. 'You are to report to the Silent One. Immediately.' Yen Olass obeyed, trembling.
When she was ushered into the presence of the Silent One of the Sisterhood, she found herself in a room of ivory and pearl, white as snow and cirrus cloud. Yen Olass made reverence to the enthroned entity who sat veiled in silk, waiting. For what? For a confession? Well, she was not going to get one that easily.
Finally, the Silent One spoke. Her voice was clear, well-modulated and imbued with an imperious anger.
'Yen Olass Ampadara, you have dared altogether too much.’
Yen Olass held her tongue. She would wait for a bill of particulars before she started to defend herself, otherwise she might betray herself by disclosing crimes which the Silent One could not even guess at.
'Why have you taken it upon yourself to move your place of abode to Valslada?' said the Silent One.
'I have been accommodated in Lord Alagrace's city residence because I leave with his convoy tomorrow, for the south.’
'Who has directed you to go south?’
'I am the loyal servant of the Sisterhood,' said Yen Olass. 'I exist only to serve.’
'Well spoken,' said the Silent One. 'We will now give you your chance to serve. Lord Alagrace has made a written application requesting your services for his journey south; this application has been refused.’
Yen Olass stood there in silence, feeling her throat choking up. She was so disappointed. Back to the Woman Sanctuary! She would have to watch out, or somebody would be sure to steal her new boots. It would probably be best to take them to bed with her. And what about her brand new coat? What was she going to do with that? It was definitely against the Rule.
'Another fate has been decreed for you,' said the Silent One. 'We are selling you to Losh Negis, the Ondrask of Noth. He wishes to breed from you.’
'What!’
The Silent One sat in a manner true to her name, letting the cry of outrage which Yen Olass had given die away. 'I'd rather die,' said Yen Olass.
'You have our permission to withdraw and commit suicide.' said the Silent One, without emotion.
That last answer left Yen Olass entirely defenceless. She knew that if she was prepared to die she would have killed herself at the age of twelve. She knew that she wanted to live, even if she had to eat shit for breakfast for the rest of her life. But the Ondrask? He stank. He was a barbarian. He was illiterate. He would treat her like a dog. And he had other women already, she had seen them at his yashram, they would hate her and steal her boots. And when he grew tired of her, what then?
'Does he know…?’
'The Sisterhood does not ask what the Ondrask does know or does not know.' said the Silent One. 'We are satisfied that to serve his wants in this instance will be to serve our own best purposes. We no longer regard you as an asset to our organization.’
Yen Olass bowed her head, fighting down tears. She did not want to be smothered by a stinking barbarian, to chew furs and sew clothes, to live in a yashram with dogs and lice and squalling children and alien women who hated her.
'Return to Lord Alagrace and advise him of our decision,' said the Silent One. 'Another oracle can be supplied to him for the journey south if he so desires.’
Yen Olass, not wanting to make her situation any worse, made reverence to the Silent One, then fled.
Lord Alagrace was not at Valslada. She sought him in Karling Drask, and found him in the office of the Lord Commander of the Imperial City; he was trying to instruct the new incumbent on how to conduct the census planned for the coming winter, and was not pleased to be interrupted.
When Yen Olass made it clear her need was urgent, Lord Alagrace took her into a side room, where she poured out the troubles of her heart.
'Well,' said Lord Alagrace, when she had finished, 'there it is. It's not what we wanted, but we'll just have to live with it.’
'It's me who has to live with it!' said Yen Olass.’
'I don't see what you're making such a fuss about,' said Lord Alagrace. 'Coming south with me, you were likely to get yourself killed. This way, you get a man, a house, some children.’
'I can't have children!' wailed Yen Olass.
That was not true. Despite what the Sisterhood had done to her at the age of twelve, she was still entirely capable of breeding. However, Lord Alagrace, who had no precise knowledge of the messy details, had no reason to
