These things were all too petty to be considered. What she should be thinking about was the riverine city of Mesekei and the important tasks that must be undertaken there. If she were to achieve her ends careful planning would be needed, not mindless anger. For all of her life she had kept her anger carefully in check and she wondered now at the newfound strength of it. It was the ustuzou that had done that, destroyed her calm and turned her into a creature of intemperate justice. Kerrick and his ustuzou had made her like this. It would not be forgotten. In the future her anger would be kept under control at all times, for all things. Except one. Hatred treasured was hatred that grew strong in a hidden place. One day to be released.
With the working of these thoughts the tension eased and her body was hers again. She looked around and found that she was alone. Erafnais was in the fin above with the crewmembers who were on duty; the rest were comatose and asleep. Vainte looked toward the place where Enge and her followers had slept and it was just an empty area that meant nothing to her. This was as it should be. She was back in control of her body and her emotions again. There was a movement in the darkness beyond and she could clearly hear the sounds of communication-desired. Only then did she remember the presence of the fat scientist and the male. She approached them.
“Aid a helpless male creature, great Vainte,” the captive pleaded, squirming in Akotolp’s unyielding grasp.
“I know you from the hanale,” Vainte said, amused by the thing’s mewling. “You are Esetta‹ who sings — are you not?”
“Vainte is first-always because she recalls the name of everything, smallest to highest. But now miserable Esetta‹ has nothing to sing of. The heavy one who now holds me, she pulled me from the hanale, dragged me through smells and fog that hurt my breathing, half-drowned me on the way to this uruketo, now holds me in her unbreakable grip of great pain. Speak with her I entreat, suggest she release me before death of arm.”
“Why aren’t you dead completely?” Vainte asked with brutal candor. Esetta‹ recoiled and squealed.
“Oh, great Vainte — why do you wish this one of no importance dead?”
“I do not, but all the others died. Brave Yilane of Alpeasak. Cast out by their dead city to die with it.”
Even as she spoke Vainte felt the crushing wave of fear. They were dead — not she. Why? She had told loyal-dead Stallan that this was because of their hatred of the ustuzou. Was it? Was that reason enough to stay alive when all others died? She looked at Akotolp as these dark thoughts embraced her and realized for the first time what the scientist was experiencing. Doubt-in-life, avoidance-of-death. Akotolp had labored in many cities, so felt no life-destroying loyalty to any single one. But she was scientist enough to know that the death of rejection could be triggered in an instant. That was what her rigid, silent battle was about. By the force of her will she was keeping herself among the living.
This knowledge was a flow of strength to Vainte. If this fat one could live by will alone then she, with an eistaa’s strength of will could live, survive — and rule once more. Nothing was beyond her!
Before the unseeing eyes of Akotolp, the fear-filled eyes of the male, Vainte raised clenched thumbs in a forceful gesture of victory, trod strongly with outstretched claws upon the resilient surface. A moan of fear penetrated her consciousness and she looked down with growing pleasure at the cowering Esetta‹: desire came instantly.
She bent and her strong thumbs pried loose the scientist’s grip on the male’s wrist. His repeated sounds of gratitude changed quickly to moans as she pressed him over backward, painfully excited him, mounted him brutally.
Akotolp’s tight-locked muscles never relaxed — but her nearest eye moved slowly to gaze at the entwined couple. Even more slowly her stiff features moved with unreadable expressions.
After this Vainte welcomed deep sleep, slept comatose until the following morning. When she awoke the first thing that she saw was the fat scientist climbing breathlessly up into the fin. Vainte looked around but did not see the male; hiding from her without doubt. She moved slightly with humor at the thought, then found herself awake, excited by thought of Esetta‹. The uruketo rolled as it encountered a large wave and a shaft of bright sunlight from the fin illuminated the interior. The sun looked warm and attractive and Vainte came fully awake, standing, yawning and stretching. The sunlight drew her on and she went to the fin, climbed slowly up to its top. Akotolp stood there, her eyes in the bright sunshine mere vertical slits in her round face. She glanced at Vainte and acknowledged grateful presence.
“Come bask in the sun, kind Vainte, to take pleasure while I thank you.”
Vainte signed acceptance, pleasure — and question of source. Akotolp laced her fat thumbs together in relaxed companionship and spoke.
“I thank you, strong Vainte, because your example was instrumental in saving my life. The logic of science rules my existence, but I know too well the part the body plays, irrespective of the brain’s control. I know that an eistaa’s command can trigger the metabolic changes in a Yilane that will cause her certain death. Then I saw, when all died in tragic Alpeasak, that the death of a city could start this response as well. When I realized what was happening I feared for myself, despite my superior knowledge, feared that I too would be mortally stricken. The male’s survival helped. When he remained alive so might I. That is the reason that my hand stayed tight- clamped to him while I fought for survival. Then you came and took him from me and I was aware and vision returned. I saw you magnificently alive, so feminile that I took strength from you and knew that my death was averted. I thank you for my life, strong Vainte. It is yours to dispose of: I am your fargi and will do as you command.”
At this moment another long wave rocked the uruketo and Akotolp’s ample form fell sideways. Vainte reached out and took her arms, stopped her from falling, held her and expressed sincere thanks of equal to equal.
“Now it is I who thank you, great Akotolp. I have much to do and a long way to go. I will need aid. I welcome you as my first follower in that which I must accomplish.”
“I take pleasure in that Vainte, and am yours to command.”
They swayed in unison now as the uruketo rose over a greater wave: a shadow blotted out the sun for an instant. They looked up and Akotolp signed joy-of-vision.
“See there, see how they launch themselves into the air,” Akotolp cried with pleasure. “I have studied these animals. If you examine them you will see that their wingspan is so great, their legs so short, that it is impossible for them to take flight other than from an estuary like this. Here high waves form and march into the wind rather than away from it. So the estekel*, after eating their fill, launch themselves from the crest of the wave into the wind — and are airborne. Wonderful!”
Vainte did not share the scientist’s enthusiasm for the fish-stinking, fur-matted flying creatures. They dived too close and their shrieking hurt the ears. She left Akotolp there and climbed below and, despite the rocking, fell asleep again. She spent the rest of the voyage this way, comatose and unmoving, was still asleep when Erafnais sent a crewmember to inform her that they had reached their island destination and soon would be coming to Ikhalmenets.
Vainte climbed the fin to see that the ocean behind them was empty. They had traveled most of the day away from the shores of Entoban* to reach this archipelago, isolated here in the vastness of the sea. They were now passing a large island with a ridge of high mountains in the center of it. The summits were topped by snow, wreathed with clouds and swept by sheets of rain, a grim reminder of the winter that was the enemy of them all. These rocky islands were too far to the north for Vainte’s liking and she felt chill at the thought, looked forward to leaving just as soon as it was possible.
Or should she? They were coming to sea-girt Ikhalmenets now, the city backed by green jungles, flanked by yellow sand beaches, a high, snow-topped mountain rising above. This was their destination. She looked at the snow-capped peak of the island, stared at it, unmoving, her body rigid, letting the new idea grow and mature. Perhaps coming to Ikhalmenets had been a good thing after all.
CHAPTER THREE
Es et naudiz igo kaloi, thuwot et freinazmal.
