One-Who-Chooses," hereplied.
"One-Who-Chooses," she repeated. "Yes, of thatcustom I have heard, warrior. Though we do not altogether follow it here. If you seek the Ancestor, he iswithin. A new find, Foskatt?" She looked to the box.
"No. Just perhaps a new use for an old one. Yousee, Liliha, even we who are not seekers-in-depth maymake discoveries also."
Did Foskatt then sound defensive, as if he had aneed to outdo the In-born in some way? If he did,Furtig could well understand that emotion.
"All knowledge is three times welcome," was Liliha's answer. Once more she was industriously nippingthe fabric into those smooth, much deflated folds.
Gammage was not alone in that last chamber. Hewas seated on one of the wide seats of the Demons',all of which were raised just the wrong distance fromthe floor to be comfortable for one of the People, unless the feet were drawn up.
Beside him on the same seat was a powerfully builtwarrior with a notched ear and a long scar on his jaw.His one hand rested on his knee, and he gestured withhis other arm as he talked. There was no fur-backedhand on that arm; instead, it ended in a ball of metalequipped with claws, and a cuff which was lashed tohis own flesh and bone. This must be Dolar, Furtigreasoned.
The other there, a Chooser, was plainly of the Inborn, just as Dolar was of the out-country. Her furwas silky black, and around her neck was a chain ofbright stones. She wore bands of a like nature abouther wrists.
Both she and the battered warrior showed no welcome to those who entered. But Gammage gave a purring call:
"What have you, Foskatt? It seems that you comein haste with something new."
"It is one of the see boxes," the female broke in."Of these we have plenty—amusements for younglings."
To Furtig's secret satisfaction, Foskatt caught her
BREEO TO COME
up quickly. "Not used as this brother can use it!"
"How?" Gammage squirmed off his seat and cameto them. "How do you use it?"
Between them Furtig and Foskatt explained. ThenFurtig demonstrated. He produced two pictures, thefirst of the caves, and the second of Eu-La.
In that small, vivid scene she was busied with anumber of strips cut from hide. These she twisted andturned in a fashion which seemed to Furtig useless.And it was apparent she was frustrated at not achieving what she attempted. But Gammage uttered an exclamation.
"Lohanna, see what this young female does!"
At his call the In-born looked. After a long momentof close attention she turned on Furtig almost accusingly.
"Who is this youngling?" she demanded, as if Furtig were attempting to conceal a matter of importance. He remembered his promise to Eu-La—thiswas the time to carry it out. And he freed the bagfrom his belt.
"She is Eu-La of Gammage's cave. This she madeand asked me to show to Gammage."
The Ancestor took the bag, turned it about as if itwere indeed some treasure newly discovered, thenpassed it to Lohanna. She studied it with the same attention and then said to Gammage:
"She is one we should have with us. Elder. Thoughshe is not of the In-born, yet see what she has wrought. And what does she there?" She gestured tothe picture. "She rediscovers by herself one of the secrets of the Demons—doing it clumsily, but from herown mind! The old strain is not finished in the Out World!"
"So it seems. And we shall try to bring her, Lohanna. Now—" Gammage looked to Furtig. "So you canmake the picture become what you wish— How?"
"I do not know how. I think—and there is the picture of the one I think of. Not as I remember themlast, but perhaps as they are at present. But how canI be sure? I do not know it for the truth!" He was notgoing to claim any talent that could later be provenfalse. In spite of Foskatt's enthusiasm, Furtig wasstubbornly determined to walk cautiously before theIn-born.
"Tell him how you were led through the lairs—"
Reluctantly Furtig added that piece of information.
"Not so strange." For the first time the metal handed
"One-Who-Chooses," she repeated. "Yes, of thatcustom I have heard, warrior. Though we do not altogether follow it here. If you seek the Ancestor, he iswithin. A new find, Foskatt?" She looked to the box.
"No. Just perhaps a new use for an old one. Yousee, Liliha, even we who are not seekers-in-depth maymake discoveries also."
Did Foskatt then sound defensive, as if he had aneed to outdo the In-born in some way? If he did,Furtig could well understand that emotion.
"All knowledge is three times welcome," was Liliha's answer. Once more she was industriously nippingthe fabric into those smooth, much deflated folds.
Gammage was not alone in that last chamber. Hewas seated on one of the wide seats of the Demons',all of which were raised just the wrong distance fromthe floor to be comfortable for one of the People, unless the feet were drawn up.
Beside him on the same seat was a powerfully builtwarrior with a notched ear and a long scar on his jaw.His one hand rested on his knee, and he gestured withhis other arm as he talked. There was no fur-backedhand on that arm; instead, it ended in a ball of metalequipped with claws, and a cuff which was lashed tohis own flesh and bone. This must be Dolar, Furtigreasoned.
The other there, a Chooser, was plainly of the Inborn, just as Dolar was of the out-country. Her furwas silky black, and around her neck was a chain ofbright stones. She wore bands of a like nature abouther wrists.
Both she and the battered warrior showed no welcome to those who entered. But Gammage gave a purring call:
"What have you, Foskatt? It seems that you comein haste with something new."
"It is one of the see boxes," the female broke in."Of these we have plenty—amusements for younglings."
To Furtig's secret satisfaction, Foskatt caught her
BREEO TO COME
up quickly. "Not used as this brother can use it!"
"How?" Gammage squirmed off his seat and cameto them. "How do you use it?"
Between them Furtig and Foskatt explained. ThenFurtig demonstrated. He produced two pictures, thefirst of the caves, and the second of Eu-La.
In that small, vivid scene she was busied with anumber of strips cut from hide. These she twisted andturned in a fashion which seemed to Furtig useless.And it was apparent she was frustrated at not achieving what she attempted. But Gammage uttered an exclamation.
"Lohanna, see what this young female does!"
At his call the In-born looked. After a long momentof close attention she turned on Furtig almost accusingly.
"Who is this youngling?" she demanded, as if Furtig were attempting to conceal a matter of importance. He remembered his promise to Eu-La—thiswas the time to carry it out. And he freed the bagfrom his belt.
"She is Eu-La of Gammage's cave. This she madeand asked me to show to Gammage."
The Ancestor took the bag, turned it about as if itwere indeed some treasure newly discovered, thenpassed it to Lohanna. She studied it with the same attention and then said to Gammage:
"She is one we should have with us. Elder. Thoughshe is not of the In-born, yet see what she has wrought. And what does she there?" She gestured tothe picture. "She rediscovers by herself one of the secrets of the Demons—doing it clumsily, but from herown mind! The old strain is not finished in the Out World!"
"So it seems. And we shall try to bring her, Lohanna. Now—" Gammage looked to Furtig. "So you canmake the picture become what you wish— How?"
"I do not know how. I think—and there is the picture of the one I think of. Not as I remember themlast, but perhaps as they are at present. But how canI be sure? I do not know it for the truth!" He was notgoing to claim any talent that could later be provenfalse. In spite of Foskatt's enthusiasm, Furtig wasstubbornly determined to walk cautiously before theIn-born.
"Tell him how you were led through the lairs—"
Reluctantly Furtig added that piece of information.
"Not so strange." For the first time the metal handed
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