“Yet is there not a contradiction here?” the Graveller interposed. “He names the na-Mhoram as friend-and yet the most dire Rede of the Clave speaks against him,”
“For both they must die!” Marid spat immediately. “The na-Mhoram is not our friend, but his power is sure.”
“True!” voices said around the ring.
“Yes.”
“True.”
Linden brushed Covenant with her shoulder. “That man,” she whispered. “Marid. There's something-Do you see it?”
“No,” responded Covenant through his teeth. “I told you I can't. What is it?”
“I don't know.” She sounded frightened. “Something-”
Then another woman stood. “He seeks to be released so that he may go to another Stonedown. Are not all other villages our foes? Twice has Windshorn Stonedown raided our fields during the fertile sun, so that our bellies shrank and our children cried in the night. Let the friends of our foes die.”
Again the Stonedownors growled, “Yes.”
“True.”
Without warning, Marid shouted over the grumble of voices, “They slew Nassic father of Sunder! Are we a people to permit murder unavenged? They must die!”
“No!” Linden's instantaneous denial cracked across the circle like a scourge. “We did not kill that harmless old man!”
Covenant whirled to her. But she did not notice him; her attention was consumed by Marid.
In a tone of acid mockery, the man asked, “Do you fear to die, Linden Avery the Chosen?”
“What is it?” she gritted back at him. “What are you?”
“What do you see?” Covenant urged. “
“Something-” Her voice groped; but her stare did not waver. Perspiration had darkened her hair along the line of her forehead. “It's like that storm. Something evil.”
Intuitions flared like spots of sun-blindness across Covenant's mind. “Something hot.”
“Yes!” Her gaze accused Marid fiercely. “Like the knife.”
Covenant spun, confronted Marid. He was suddenly calm. “You,” he said. “Marid. Come here.”
“No, Marid,” commanded the Graveller.
“Hell and blood!” Covenant rasped like deliberate ice. “My hands are tied. Are you afraid to find out the truth?” He did not glance at the Graveller; he held Marid with his will. “Come here. I'll show you who killed Nassic.”
“Watch out,” Linden whispered. “He wants to hurt you.”
Scorn twisted Marid's face. For a moment, he did not move. But now all the eyes of the Stonedown were on him, watching his reaction. And Covenant gave him no release. A spasm of fear or glee tightened Marid's expression. Abruptly, he strode forward, halted in front of Covenant and the Graveller. “Speak your lies,” he sneered. “You will choke upon them before you die.”
Covenant did not hesitate. “Nassic was stabbed in the back,” he said softly, “with an iron knife. It was a lousy job-he bled to death. When we left him, the knife was still hot.”
Marid swallowed convulsively. “You are a fool. What man or woman of Mithil Stonedown could wield a knife with the fire yet within it? Out of your own mouth you are condemned.”
“Graveller,” Covenant said, “touch him with your staff.”
Around him, the Stonedownors rose to their feet.
“For what purpose?” the Graveller asked uncertainly. “It is mere wood. It has no virtue to determine guilt or innocence.”
Covenant clinched Marid in his gaze. “
Hesitantly, the Graveller obeyed.
As the tip of the staff neared him, Marid shied. But then a savage exaltation lit his face, and he remained still.
The staff touched his shoulder.
Instantly, the wood burst into red fire.
The Graveller recoiled in astonishment. Stonedownors gasped, gripped each other for reassurance.
With an explosive movement, Marid backhanded Covenant across the side of his head.
The unnatural power of the blow catapulted Covenant backward. He tumbled heavily to the ground. Pain like acid burned through his sore skull.
“Covenant!” Linden cried fearfully.
He heard the Graveller protest, “Marid!”-heard the fright of the Stonedownors turn to anger. Then the pain became a roaring that deafened him. For a moment, he was too dizzy to move. But he fought the fire, heaved himself to his knees so that everyone could see the mark of Marid's blow among his bruises. “Nice work, you bastard,” he rasped. His voice seemed to make no sound. “What were you afraid of? Did you think he was going to help us that much? Or were you just having fun?”
He was aware of a low buzzing around him, but could not make out words. Marid stood with arms across his chest, grinning.
Covenant thrust his voice through the roar. “Why don't you tell us your real name? Is it Herem? Jehannum? Maybe Sheol?”
Linden was beside him. She strove fervidly to free her hands; but the bonds held. Her mouth chewed dumb curses.
“Come on,” he continued, though he could barely see Marid beyond the pain. “Attack me. Take your chances. Maybe I've forgotten how to use it.”
Abruptly, Marid began to laugh: laughter as gelid as hate. It penetrated Covenant's hearing, resounded in his head like a concussion. “It will avail you nothing!” he shouted. “Your death is certain! You cannot harm me!”
The Graveller brandished his flaming staff at Marid. Dimly, Covenant heard the man rage, “Have you slain Nassic my father?”
“With joy!” laughed the Raver. “Ah, how it fed me to plant my blade in his back!”
A woman shrieked. Before anyone could stop her, she sped in a blur of grey hair across the open space, hurled herself at Marid.
He collapsed as if the impact had killed him.
Covenant's strength gave out. He fell to his back, lay panting heavily on the stone.
Then a stench of burned flesh sickened the air. One of the Stonedownors cried out, “Sunder! Her hands!”
Another demanded, “Is he slain?”
“No!” came the reply.
Linden was yelling. “Let me go! I'm a doctor! I can help her!” She sounded frantic. “Don't you know what a doctor is?”
A moment later, hands gripped Covenant's arms, lifted him to his feet. A Stonedownor swam toward him through the hurt; slowly, the face resolved, became the Graveller. His brow was a knot of anger and grief. Stiffly, he said, “Marid sleeps. My mother is deeply burned. Tell me the meaning of this.”
“A Raver.” Covenant's breathing shuddered in his lungs. “Bloody hell.” He could not think or find the words he needed.
The Graveller bunched his fists in Covenant's shirt. “Speak!”
From somewhere nearby, Linden shouted, “Goddamn it, leave him alone! Can't you see he's hurt?”
Covenant fought for clarity. “Let her go,” he said to the Graveller. “She's a healer.”
The muscles along the Graveller's jaw knotted, released. “I have not been given reason to trust her. Speak to me of Marid.”
Marid, Covenant panted. “Listen.” Sweating and dizzy, he squeezed the pain out of his mind. “It was a Raver.”
The Graveller's glare revealed no comprehension.
“When he wakes up, he'll probably be normal again. May not even remember what happened. He was taken
