“There is only one Yilane of small importance who bears the name Vainte.”
Saagakel expressed great pleasure. “Doubly welcome to my city, Vainte. You must tell me of this new land of Gendasi * across the ocean and of all the things that have happened there. Here, sit close to my right thumbs, and speak to us. Move, fat Ostuku, and make room for our new comrade.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Each day after that Vainte would go the ambesed and join the circle of confidantes that ringed the Eistaa. It was a pleasure to watch the flow of a great city again, the problems being brought to Saagakel, her orders issued. She delegated authority easily, but always in limited terms; have these fields prepared, those animals moved, the fishing catch to be improved. Those who acted for her would then be ignored — until they reported success of assignment. It was always success because any Yilane who did not carry out the Eistaa’s directions, precisely and completely, was never seen again in the ruling half of the ambesed. Vainte admired this, as well as the not too obvious fact that none of the assistants were ever delegated power in more than one area — or for more than a limited amount of time. Saagakel was the Eistaa and saw to it that no other had the experience or opportunity to aspire to that place.
When her day’s work was finished, the Eistaa would bathe in the pool of warm water hidden by the trees behind her place of power. Once she was refreshed and cleansed, meat would be brought to her and she would eat with great pleasure. Then, on most days, she would sign to Vainte to tell them more about Gendasi* distant across the sea, of Alpeasak the city that grew and was Yilane, was burnt and infected by ustuzou, was reclaimed again in the end. There was so much to tell that Vainte could choose the content and manner of telling. Her listeners noticed no gaps in her history for she told it in separate units and each unit was complete. They were entertained, horrified, fascinated and grateful. They, like Vainte, wanted the story to be long in the telling in order to extract the maximum amount of diversion.
Vainte for her part wanted to learn everything she could about the city and the Eistaa. After the long, bleak time of silence it was pleasure magnified to speak and to listen. By avoiding those topics that caused her pain of memory she healed herself. Yebeisk was a fine city to be in. Like all other cities it was centered on the ambesed. Around and above the ambesed there grew the city tree, the complex web of life that nourished and formed the city. To one side, there was the sea, as in all cities, always ocean or river, where the birth beaches were. On all the other flanks the fields and forests stretched away until they reached the outermost rampart of the city. A living wall of trees and poisonous plants — and great indestructible animals like nenitesk and onetsensast, living fossils of bygone ages, that protected the city from the creatures of the wild forests. The city ended at the wall. Beyond it were the mountains, deserts and dry plains, unsuitable for Yilane, stretching into the unmeasurable distance, uncharted and unmapped; although there were those few who knew ways across them. Then, when the soil and the climate became amenable again, there would be another wall and another city. All across the great continent of Entoban* the wild country stretched between the cities of the Yilane.
One day there appeared, out of the trackless forest, a hunter of great skill by the name of Fafnepto. She was not of Yebeisk, or of any city that anyone knew of, for she moved from one to the other as it pleased her. Fafnepto had just arrived from one of these distant cities and all present listened to her with eagerness.
“You have returned, Fafnepto,” Saagakel said, with modifiers of appreciation, rewards pending.
“I have, Eistaa, as I said I would.” She touched the container on the grass next to her with one foot. Tall and strong, her skin scarred by her years beyond the cities, she reminded Vainte of one who had been very close to her, one Stallan, once her staunchest ally and friend. A hunter as well; it was no chance resemblance. Although Fafnepto did bear a disfigurement that made her unique. Some creature, she never spoke of it and none dared ask, had lashed her across the head and rib cage, leaving an immense length of scar. This cut across her face and had removed her left eye. It was said that she saw better with the remaining eye than others did with two, which was undoubtedly true.
“I have brought that which you requested, Eistaa. The eggs lie safe in here.”
Saagakel moved with gratitude and pleasure. “Fafnepto, first among Yilane of strength and wisdom, do you speak of the eggs of the okhalakx?” She signed pleasure unbounded at Fafnepto’s affirmative answer. The listeners echoed the pleasure, all except for Vainte.
“You are not familiar with the okhalakx?” Saagakel asked.
“Apologies for ignorance,” Vainte said.
“Lack of information, one day to be replaced by pleasure. It is one of the older animals, found in very few cities. Solid of body, strong of skull — and most important — tasty of flesh. We had a small herd, they grow slowly, but they were destroyed by disease. A tragedy turned now to a happiness by Fafnepto, for whom the city’s gratitude is boundless. Requests of any magnitude granted.”
“One,” Fafnepto said in a plain-spoken, rough but not impolite manner. She turned a penetrating eye on Vainte. “I have been told that this visitor has great knowledge of Gendasi*, land across the sea. And of the ustuzou and other animals there. I have questions about them I would ask.”
“My knowledge is yours,” Vainte said, and Saagakel was gratified by her loyalty and clarity of speech. Fafnepto signed her away from the group and they walked by the stream.
“The ustuzou I know are small and covered with fur,” Fafhepto said. “It is said that they are different in Gendasi*.”
“Some are just as you have said. But there are larger ones with branching horns that make the best eating. We kept them in the city for that. Then there are the others of some intelligence and much guile. Poisonous creatures, fit only to be destroyed. As they destroyed Alpeasak, though it grew again.”
“Those are the ones of which I heard. Are they yilane?”
“No. It has been said that they converse with each other, but none can understand it. There was one once who was yilane, a creature of great destruction.”
When she talked now of Kerrick Vainte felt her body move with expressions of great loathing and hatred. So strong were these that she had to stop and force herself into silence to regain control. Fafnepto waited, patient and unmoving, until Vainte could speak again.
“You have seen how I feel. That one ustuzou has destroyed everything that I have worked for.”
“I will kill it for you if I can find it.”
Vainte felt a great warmth of feeling towards this stolid, scarred Yilane and it shaped her speaking. “I believe you, strong Fafnepto, and thank you. I will tell you all that I know about the creatures and Inegban*, for they are different in many ways.”
Fafnepto was a good listener and asked only for amplification and clarification on points of particular interest. Vainte spoke of things that she had not even thought about since returning to Gendasi*. This calmed her and made the speaking all that more pleasant. When she had finished she hesitated and Fafnepto caught the suggestion of question unspoken.
“If Vainte has need of something — tell me.”
“Not need, curiosity that is more than curiosity. You, who are both of this city and of other cities, might speak to me of it. Yebeisk has made me welcome and I am privileged to talk often with the Eistaa. There is freedom of speaking — yet there is one thing that no one talks of. Something that if it is suggested to exist is rejected. Since this is a strong rejection I have not mentioned it here. May I speak of it to you?”
“Tell me what it is.”
“The Daughters of Life.”
The hunter signed for respectful silence even before Vainte had finished speaking the name. She looked on all sides as she said it, saw that none were close enough to hear, then led Vainte further away, to a sunny spot behind low hedges where the others were out of sight.
“We are here,” Fafnepto said, “so no possible interpretation can be placed upon body movements. You were right to come to me for none other here would dare speak of what happened. Do you know much of the Daughters?”
“Far too much. Endless trouble/pain caused by them. I wish them all dead.”
“As does the Eistaa. There were many here, imprisoned in a fruit grove to prevent their poison from
