acceptance and praise from the Eistaa, before all the others, was a mark of such distinction that no thoughts of jealousy or rebellion could possibly be in her head. At that moment she would have sincerely followed Malsas‹ to certain death. They let the others crowd close now as they walked, to listen and learn, for that was the only way to learn and remember. Only when they went through the opening in the Wall of History did their talk once again turn to darker things since the history in the wall is that of death.
Between the circle of the ambesed and the circle of the birth beaches stood the thorny Wall of History. Embedded in it were the symbolic defenses that once had meaning and importance. Could the Yilane once have really brandished giant crabs such as the ones preserved here, held them in the ocean as weapons to defend the breeding males? It was said to be true, but not since the egg of time could it have been known to be true. The sharp nettles, the thorns themselves, these had been surely used in the past as they were used now. But what of these shells of giant scorpions? No one really knew any more — yet these ancient exoskeletons were carefully preserved and admired, had been taken with great delicacy from the wall of Inegban* and brought here as a sign of the city’s continuity.
Since the wall was living history as well, in the entrance, nearest to the beaches, were woven the preserved bodies of dead hesotsan. Next to them the fanged skulls of the attackers they had killed.
At the very end was a round-domed skull, blank-eyed and bleached by the sun. It was surrounded by spear points and sharp blades of stone. Malsas‹ stopped before it and indicated curiosity and need for an explanation.
“One of the ustuzou that befoul this land. All of the skulls that you see here are from lice-ridden, fur- bearing, warm-stinking ustuzou that have threatened us and that we have killed. But this nameless species was the worst of all. With those sharp-edged stones they committed the deed that is worse than all other deeds.”
“They murdered the males and the children.” Malsas‹ spoke the words with the coldness of death itself.
“They did. We found them and killed them.”
“Of course. You are no longer troubled by them?”
“No. All safely dead. This species is not local but came from the north. We tracked and killed them, every one of them.”
“Then the beaches are now secure?”
“In every way except for the coral reefs. But they grow fast and when they are high enough there will be the first births. Then the birth beaches will be safe in every way.” Vainte drew the claws of one hand over the whiteness of the skull. “Safe in particular from these infant killers.
“We shall never be bothered by them again.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
The eating that afternoon was special, a formal occasion to welcome Malsas‹ and her staff. Events of this kind were so rare that most of the younger fargi had never watched one before; they moved about with excitement all that day talking excitedly to each other — though few were listening. This was a very new and unusual thing to them. In their day-to-day existence the Yilane, although they enjoyed their food, looking forward with anticipation to sleeping with stomachs full, the consuming of the meat itself was a solitary act. Each would present a broad leaf to one of the meat-preparers and receive a portion of deliciously enzymed meat which they would eat in some quiet spot. This was the way food was taken and they could not imagine how it might be otherwise. Very little work was done this day as the inhabitants of the city filled the ambesed, pressed tight against its walls, climbed into the lower branches of the palisade in their eagerness to watch.
After their inspection of the city and the fields, Vainte and Malsas‹ made their way to the ambesed. There Malsas‹ met with one after the other of those responsible for the growth of Alpeasak, spending most of the time with Vanalpe. When she was satisfied with what she had heard Malsas‹ dismissed them all and spoke to Vainte.
“The warmth of the sun and the growth of this city has taken the winter from behind my eyes. I will return to Inegban* with this news. It will make the coming winter less cold for our citizens there. Eremais reports that the uruketo has been loaded and is well-fed and ready to swim at any time. We will eat, then I will leave.”
Vainte communicated her grief at the sudden parting. Malsas‹ thanked her, but dismissed any thought of staying longer.
“I understand your feelings. But I have seen enough to know that the work here is in good hands. But the uruketo is slow: we must not waste a single day. Let us eat. You know Alakensi, my first advisor and efensele. She will serve you meat at this time.”
“I am honored, highly honored,” Vainte said, thinking only about the privilege of this offer, not letting her thoughts dwell at all on Alakensi whom she knew of old. A creature of devious mind and unkind plots.
“Good.” Malsas‹ gestured Vanalpe over. “Now we will eat. Alakensi, who is closest to me in all things, will serve Vainte meat. You, Vanalpe, for what you have done in growing this city, in designing and expanding it so well, you are chosen to serve me.”
Vanalpe was as speechless as a youngster fresh from the ocean at this, radiating pride with every movement of her body.
“For this special occasion there are two meats,” Vainte said. “One from the old world, one from the new.”
“Old and new shall blend in our interiors the way Inegban* shall blend into Alpeasak,” Malsas‹ said.
There were cries of appreciation at this from those who stood close, for she had spoken so well and the idea was so novel that they would tell each other about it and talk about it for some time. Vainte did not speak again until those closest had repeated what Malsas‹ had said so that everyone would know.
“The meat from Entoban* is urukub, grown from the egg brought carefully to these shores, hatched in the Gendasi sun, grown large on Gendasi herbiage. There are others, but this one is the biggest, you have all seen it when you have passed the pasture at the swamp. You have all admired the sleekness of its hide, the arched length of its neck, the full-flesh of its flanks. You have seen it.”
There were murmurs of appreciation at this, for they all had seen the tiny head at the end of that long neck rising high up from the water with a great mouthful of dripping green vegetation.
“The first urukub to be slain, yet one so large that all here will eat their fill of it. Then for Malsas‹ and those who have traveled with her from Inegban* there will be a creature they have never eaten before, sharp-footed deer of the kind found only in this place. The eating will now begin.”
The two who would serve hurried away to return with the gourds of meat, each kneeling before the Eistaa she was to serve. Malsas‹ reached out and took up a long bone with a tiny black hoof attached, cool sweet flesh hanging loosely from it, tore a large bite from it, then held it up so all could see.
“Urukub,” she called out and all who heard her made comment on her humor. For the smallest bone in a urukub was bigger than this entire beast.
Vainte was pleased. The eating went well. When they had finished, washing their hands in gourds of water that their servers held up to them, the ceremony was over and the others went to eat before darkness came.
With no one listening or watching for the moment Malsas‹ could speak in confidence to Vainte. Her voice was soft and the motions of her limbs merely hints of movement.
“Everything said here today was more than true. Everyone has labored hard, you hardest of all. Therefore I know you can use the labors of the Daughters of Death I brought with me.”
“I saw them. They will be used.”
“Use them until they die!” Malsas‹’s teeth clacked together loudly with the force of her expression. “There are more and more of them, like termites eating away at the base of our city. See that they do not attempt to eat this city as well.”
“No possibility, not the slightest, of that happening here. I have hard and dangerous work for all of them. That is their fate.”
“We are of a single mind then. Good. Now about you, work-hardened, never-weary Vainte. What can be done to help you more?”
