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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] Dugarnn looked the volunteers over and picked out those who had distinguished themselves during the fighting. He chose more women than men, especially those with children. There was an initial cere-mony of ritual torture, which consisted of lightly burning the candi-date on his or her groin. Normally, a captured enemy was tortured to death unless he exhibited exceptional stoicism and bravery. Then he could be initiated into the tribe. In emergencies, such as now, the torture was only token. Later, after the island had set sail, the initiates would go through a ceremony in which each would mingle his blood with that of an Ilmawir. This prevented revenge from the surface-people, since blood-brotherhood was sacred. "There's another reason besides needing more crew," Vala said. "The abutal-in fact both surface and air islanders-have a tendency to inbreed. To avoid this, prisoners are sometimes adopted into the tribe." She was very friendly with Wolff now and insisted on being with him every moment. She had even resumed calling him wivkrath, the Lords' term for "darling." She leaned against him every time she had a chance and once even gave him a light kiss on the cheek. Wolff did not respond. He had not forgotten, even after 500 years, that they had been lovers and yet she had tried to kill him. Wolff set out for the area of the gate through which he had en-tered. Vala went with him. To her questions, he answered that he wanted to talk to Theotormon once more. "That sea-slug! What can he have that you would want?" "Information, perhaps." Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html They came to the gate. Theotormon was not in sight. Wolff walked along the edge of the island, noting that here and there the land sank slightly under his weight. Apparently, the bladders were not so thick in these places. "How many of these islands are there on this planet and what is the maximum size?" he said. "I do not know. We have sighted two since we've been here, and the Friiqan say that there are many more. They speak of the Mother of Islands, a relatively huge island that they claim to have heard of. There are many aerial islands, too, but none larger than the Ilma-wirs'. Why do you want to talk of boring things like that, when we have ourselves to discuss?" "Like what?" he said. She faced him, so close that her upraised lips almost touched his chin. "Why can't we forget what happened to us? After all, that was a long time ago, when we were much younger and therefore not so wise." "I doubt that you've changed," he said. She smiled and said, "How would you know? Let me prove that I am different now." She put her arms around him and placed her head on his chest. "Different in everything but one. I loved you once, and now that I see you again, I realize I've never really stopped loving you." "Even when you tried to murder me in my bed?" he said. "Oh, that! Darling, I thought you were with that loathsome and conniving Alagraada. I thought you were betraying me. Can you blame me because I was crazed with jealousy? You know how terri-bly possessive I am." Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html "I know only too well." He pushed her away and said, "Even as a child, you were selfish. All Lords are selfish, but few to the degree to which you were. I cannot see now why I ever loved you." "You toad!" she cried. "You loved me because I am Vala. That's all, just that I am Vala." He shook his head and said, "That may have been true once. But it is not true any longer. Nor will it ever be true again." "You love another! Do I know her? It's not Anana, not my stupid murderous sister." "No," he said. "Anana is murderous, but she's not stupid. She didn't fall into Urizen's trap. I don't see her here. Or has something happened to her? Is she dead?" Vala shrugged, turned away, and said, "I haven't heard of her for three hundred years. But your concern shows that you do care for her. Anana! Who would have thought it?" Wolff did not try to change her mind. He did not think that it was wise to mention Chryseis, even though Vala might never have con-tact with her. There was no use taking a chance. Vala spun around and said, "What happened to that Earth girl?" "What Earth girl?" he said, taken aback at her viciousness. "What Earth girl?" she mimicked. "I mean that Chryseis, the mor-tal you abducted from Earth some two and a half millennia ago. From a region the Earthlings call Troy or something like that. You made her immortal, and she became your mistress." "Along with quite a few thousand others," he said. "Why pick on her?" Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html "Oh, I know, I know. You have really become degenerate, my brother Wolff-Jadawin." "So you know my Earth name, the name by which I prefer to be called? And how much else do you know about me? And why?" "I've always made it my business to have as much information about the Lords as it is possible to get," she said. "That is why I have stayed alive so long." "And why so many others have died." Her voice became soft again, and she smiled at him. "There's no reason for you to pick a quarrel with me. Why can't we let bygones be bygones?" "Who picked a quarrel? No, there's no reason why bygones can't be just that, provided they are bygones. But the Lords never re-member a good turn or forget an injury. And until you've convinced me otherwise, I will regard you as the same old Vala. As beautiful, maybe even more beautiful, but still with a black and rotten soul." She tried to smile. "You always were too blunt. Maybe that was one reason why I loved you so much. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |