nor was the reason too hard to understand. Vainte was the first sarn’enoto the city had ever known, and her power at times had exceeded even that of the Eistaa herself. Malsas‹ had approved of this, had approved of all the preparations Vainte had made. Vainte had fallen from favor only after her return from the west.
Until this had happened the resources of the city had been hers to command, even the resources of the great continent across the sea. The fleet of uruketo that had brought the citizens of Inegban* to Alpeasak had made the voyage many times to the cities of Entoban* bearing welcome messages, telling them that there was a whole new world across the western sea, that the city of Alpeasak was now established there. Alpeasak, growing and expanding in that unknown wilderness, could be of aid to the cities of Entoban*, could relieve of them of the excess of fargi that clogged their cities’ ways, ate the cities’ food. The Eistaa of these cities were only too happy to rid themselves of the burden of unwanted fargi, happy as well to grant small favors in the way of beasts and plants that Alpeasak could make use of.
While this was happening a model of Gendasi was growing close beside that of Alpeasak. At first only the coast north of Alpeasak was well known and complete in detail, while inland from the ocean there were little or no markings. This gradually changed as the raptors and the newer birds produced more and more pictures of the continent. Skilled Yilane translated their flat designs into mountains and rivers, valleys, and forests, until the model grew in richest detail. West of Alpeasak there was a warm sea with a verdant coastline. Wide rivers drained into it from a land of plenty, theirs for the taking. Except for the ustuzou, of course.
Their presence in this otherwise perfect landscape was a great annoyance. They were there, almost all of them in the north, and the positions of their packs were carefully noted on the model. The packs were scattered in a thin and broken line from the ocean to the high mountains, just south of the ice and snow. In due time they would be hunted down and slain. When some of them had come south, Vainte had taken her fargi on the new uruktop and tarakast and sought them out, killed them and drove them back to the land of ice. With each victory like this Vainte’s esteem had grown. It would take a great failure indeed to bring her down from grace.
When more ustuzou had been discovered to the west, prowling comfortably away from the snowy north, Vainte knew instantly that they must be destroyed. The distance was great, but her urge for revenge was greater. Many uruketo were needed to move the great mass of fargi and mounts to their landing site on the coast. At winter’s end Vainte had led forth an army such as the world had never seen before. They had marched inland, well supplied and equipped with strong defenses. The location of every ustuzou was known and, one by one, each pack was to be overwhelmed and destroyed. This was to be the beginning of the end for the ustuzou.
Then the defeated army had returned.
Word of what had happened had reached the city long before the first fargi had come ashore. When Vainte had made her report to the council Malsas‹ had not been present. The Eistaa’s absence had been message enough. The council listened coldly to her explanations, tallied up her losses, then had dismissed her. Sent her away like a common fargi.
After this fall from power Vainte had not gone near the ambesed where the Yilane gathered each day, where the Eistaa sat, the hub of the city. She stayed away, alone and apparently forgotten, waited for a message that never came. She was out of favor and none came near her lest they share her outcast position as well.
After many days had passed she did have one visitor, though one that she would rather not have seen. But a meeting with an efensele could never be avoided.
“It would have to be you,” Vainte said grimly. “The only one who will risk being seen with me, a Daughter of Death.”
“I wish to talk, efensele,” Enge said. “I have heard many things said about this last adventure and all of them sadden me.”
“I am not that pleased myself, efensele. When I left here I was sarn’enoto. Now I sit alone and wait for a summons that never comes — and do not even know if I am the sarn’enoto who commands or something lower than a fargi.”
“I am not here to add to your misery. Although those who swim to the top of the highest wave…”
“Can only sink into the deepest trough. Save your crude philosophies for your comrades. I know all of the stupidities that your founder Farneksei has spoken and reject them in their totality.”
“I will make my stay a brief one. I ask you only to tell me the truth behind the whispered stories…”
Vainte cut her off with abrupt silencing slashes of her thumbs. “I care nothing about what the stupid fargi tell one another, nor will I discuss their mindless mouthings.”
“Then we will talk only of facts.” Enge’s movements were grim, implacable and inescapable. “There is a fact known to us both. Peleine divided the ranks of the Daughters with her doubts and her arguments. She convinced many that your cause was a just one, and these misguided ones swelled the ranks of your army. They went with you on your murderous campaign. They did not return.”
“Naturally.” Vainte made only the slightest movements when she spoke, conveying the absolute minimum amount of information, instantly settling into immobility when she was through. “They are dead.”
“You killed them.”
“The ustuzou killed them.”
“You sent them against the ustuzou without weapons, they could only die.”
“I sent them against the ustuzou, as I did all of the others. They chose not to carry weapons.”
“Why did they do that? You must tell me.” Enge leaned forward with anticipation and dread. Vainte leaned back away from her.
“I choose not to tell you,” she said, again with the absolute minimum amount of communication. “Leave me.”
“Not until you have answered my question. I have thought long about this and have reached the inescapable conclusion that the reason for their actions is vital to our very existence. Peleine and I differed in our interpretations of Ugunenapsa’s teachings. Peleine and her followers decided that your cause was a just one so they went with you. Now they are dead. Why?”
“You will get no answer from me, no words to support or aid your destructive philosophy. Go.”
There was no crack in Vainte’s wall of grim immobility — yet Enge was equally as steadfast and determined in her assault.
“They bore weapons when they left here. They were empty-handed when they died. You have told me that this was their choice. Your choice was merely that of a murderer, a butcher in the abattoir, sending them to their deaths.” Vainte was not immune to these calculated insults; a shiver trembled her limbs, yet still she did not speak. Enge went on relentlessly.
“Now I ask you — why did they decide to do that? What happened that made them change their thinking about carrying weapons? Something happened. You know what it was. You will tell me.”
“Never!”
“You will!”
Enge lurched forward and seized Vainte’s arms tight-clamped between her powerful thumbs, her mouth gaping wide in anger. Then Enge saw the slight movements of joy and she released Vainte at once, pushing her away and stumbling back.
“You would like me to use violence, wouldn’t you?” she said, panting with the effort to control her violent emotions. “You would like to see me forget the truth of my beliefs and sink to your level of desperate violence. But I will not debase myself that much no matter how provoked. I will not join you in your despicable animal corruption.”
Rage swept away all of Vainte’s reserve, released all of her anger that had been suppressed since her return and fall from favor.
“You won’t join me — you have joined me! These marks in my flesh where your thumbs bit deep, where your nails drew blood. Your treasured superiority is as hollow and empty as you are. You grow angry as I do — and you will kill as I do.”
“No,” Enge said, calm again. “That I will never do, that low I will never sink.”
“Never! You will, you all will. Those who followed Peleine did. They happily aimed their hesotsan and killed the verminous ustuzou. For one instant they were true Yilane and not whining and despicable outcasts.”
“They killed — and they died,” Enge said, speaking softly.
“Yes, they died. Like you they could not face the fact that they are no different, no better than the rest of us…”
