stems of the trepsis bursting under his feet with a soft 'Nop! Nop!' Feeling for a hold, he inadvertently grasped for a moment the curved claws of the off fore-paw, each as long as his hand and thick as his finger. He reached the top, stood beside Sheldra and looked down at the body.
The bear's belly and flank were marked with long, singed streaks, black or dirty grey in colour, as though scored with a burning torch or hot iron bar. In several places the pelt, four fingers thick, had been burned away altogether and the bare flesh, withered and contracted into furrows and proud ridges, was split by cracks and open sores. Here and there hung a cluster of bluebottles' eggs or a maggot that the Tuginda had overlooked. Several of the wounds were putrescent, oozing a glistening, green matter that had discoloured the shaggy hair and clotted it into stiff, dry spikes. A pulpy mess of yellow, withering trepsis showed that the helpless creature had urinated where it lay. No doubt, thought Kelderek, the hind-quarters too were fouled and full of maggots. But he felt no revulsion – only pity and a determination at all costs to play his part in saving Shardik's life.
'There is much to be done,' said the Tuginda, 'if he is not to die. We must work quickly. But first, we will go back and speak with the Baron and I will tell the priestess what we require.'
As they made their way up the side of the pit she said to Kelderek, 'Take heart, clever hunter. You had the skill to find him and God will grant us the skill to save him, never fear.'
'It was no skill of mine, saiyett -' he began, but she motioned him to silence and, turning her head, began speaking in low tones to Sheldra. ' – need both tessik and theltocarna he heard, and a few moments later,'- if he recovers we must attempt the Singing.'
Bel-ka-Trazet was standing where Kelderek had left him. Melathys, white as the moon, had risen to her feet and was standing with eyes fixed on the ground.
'There are many wounds,' said the Tuginda, 'and several are flyblown and poisoned. He must have fled from the fire across the river – but of that I was already sure when Kelderek first told us his tale.'
Bel-ka-Trazet paused as though deliberating with himself. Then, with the air of one resolved, he looked up and said, 'Saiyett, let us understand one another, you and I. You are the Tuginda and I am the High Baron of Ortelga – until someone kills me. The people consent to obey us because they believe that each of us, by one means or another, can keep them safe. Old tales, old dreams – people can be ruled and led by these, as long as they believe in them and in those who draw from them power and mystery. Your women walk on fire, take away men's names out of their minds, plunge knives into their arms and take no hurt. That is good, for the people fear and obey. But of what help to us is this business of the bear, and what use do you mean to make of! it?'
'I don't know,' answered the Tuginda, 'and this is no time to be discussing such things. At all costs we have to act quickly.'
'Nevetheless, hear me, saiyett, for you will need my help and I have learned from long experience what is most likely to follow from this deed and that. We have found a large bear – possibly the largest bear that has ever lived. Certainly I would not have believed that there could be such a bear – that I grant you. But if you heal it, what will follow? If you remain near it, it will kill you and your women and then become a terror to the whole of Ortelga, until men are forced to hunt and destroy it at the risk of their lives. Even supposing that it does not kill you, at the best it will leave the island and then you, having tried to make use of it and failed, will lose influence over the people. Believe me, saiyett, you have nothing to gain. As a memory and a legend, Shardik has power and that power is ours, but to try to make the people believe that he has returned can end in nothing but harm. Be advised by me and go back, now, to your island.'
The Tuginda waited in silence until he had finished speaking. Then, beckoning to the priestess, she said,
'Melathys, go at once to the camp and tell the girls to bring here everything we are going to need. It will be best if they paddle the canoes round the shore and land down there.' She pointed across the pit to the distant, northern shore at the foot of the long slope.
The priestess hurried away without a word and the Tuginda turned back to the hunter.
'Now, Kelderek,' she said, 'you must tell me. Is Lord Shardik too sick to cat?'
'I am sure of that, saiyett. But he will drink, and he might perhaps drink blood, or even take food which has been chewed small, as they sometimes do for babies.'
'If he will, so much the better. There is a medicine which he needs, but it is a herb and must not be weakened by being mixed with water.' 'I will go at once, saiyett, and kill some game: I only wish I had my own bow.' 'Was it taken from you at the Upper Temple?' 'No, saiyett.' He explained.
'We can see to that,' she said. 'I shall need to send to Ortelga on several matters. But go now and do the best you can.'
He turned away, half-expecting Bel-ka-Trazet to call him back. But the Baron remained silent and Kelderek, walking round the pit, made his way to the brook and at last drank his fill before setting out.
His hunting lasted several hours, partly because, remembering the leopard, he moved through-the woods very cautiously, but mainly because the game was shy and he himself nervous and disturbed. He had trouble with the bow and more than once missed an easy mark. It was late in the afternoon before he returned with two brace of duck and a paca – a poor bag by his usual standards, but one for which he had worked hard.
The girls had lit a fire down-wind of the pit. Three or four were bringing in wood, while others were making shelters from branches bound with creeper. Melathys, seated by the fire with a pestle and mortar, was pounding some aromatic herb. He gave the duck to Neelith, who was baking on a hot stone, and laid the paca aside to draw and skin himself. But first he went across to the pit.
The bear was still lying among the scarlet trepsis, but already it looked less foul and wretched. Its great wounds had been dressed with some kind of yellow ointment. One girl was keeping the flies from its eyes and ears with a fan of fern-fronds, while another, with a jar of the ointment, was working along its back and as much as she could reach of the flank on which it was lying. Two others had brought sand to cover patches of soiled ground which they had already cleaned and hoed with pointed sticks. The Tuginda was holding a soaked cloth to the bear's mouth, as he himself had done, but was dipping it not in the pool but in a water-jar at her feet. The unhurried bearing of the girls contrasted strangely with the gashed and monstrous body of the terrible creature they were tending. Kelderek watched them pause in their work, waiting as the bear stirred restlessly. Its mouth gaped open and one hind leg kicked weakly before coming to rest once more among the trepsis. Recalling what the Baron had said, Kelderek thought for the first time, 'If we do succeed in healing it, what, indeed, will happen then?'
11 Bel-ka-Trazet's Story
Waking suddenly, Kelderek was aware first of the expanse of stars and then of a black, shaggy shape against the sky. A man was standing over him. He raised himself quickly on one arm.
'At last!' said Bel-ka-Trazet, thrusting his foot once more into his ribs. 'Well, before long you will be sleeping sounder, I dare say.'
Kelderek clambered to his feet. 'My lord?' He now caught sight of one of the girls standing, bow in hand, a little behind the Baron.
'You took the first watch, Kelderek,' said Bel-ka-Trazet. 'Who took the second?' 'The priestess Melathys, my lord. I woke her, as I was told.' 'How did she strike you? What did she say?'
'Nothing, my lord; that is, nothing that I remember. She seemed – as she seemed yesterday; I think she may be afraid.' Bel-ka-Trazet nodded. 'It is past the third watch.' Again Kelderek looked up at the stars. 'So I see, my lord.'
'This girl here woke of her own accord and went to take her watch, but found no one else awake except the two girls with the bear. The girl who was supposed to have the watch before her had not been woken and the priestess is nowhere to be found.' Kelderek scratched an insect-bite on his arm and said nothing.
'Well?' snarled the Baron. 'Am I to stand here and watch you scratch yourself like a mangy ape?' 'Perhaps we should go down to the river, my lord?'
'I had thought as much myself,' replied the Baron. He turned to the girl. 'Where did you leave the canoes yesterday afternoon?'
'When we had unloaded them, my lord, we pulled them out of the water and laid them up among some trees near by.'
