ICE BURIAL: The Oldest Human Murder Mystery (The Mother People Series Book 3) by Joan Dahr Lambert Page B
Authors: Joan Dahr Lambert
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join Zena and Lief as soon as we are finished here. By that time Zena will know more. ”
“ I hope I do, ” Zena answered, feeling doubt rise again. She pushed it away and spoke without thinking . “ There is a way to prevent this horror from coming to pass, ” she said forcefully. “ We have only to think of it, and then we will know what to do. ”
The words seemed to have burst out of her from a place she had not known, and she was astonished. So were the others. They had never heard Zena speak in such a forceful way before.
Lief, however, was not surprised. It was as Larak had said: The power is there, waiting to be released . He wondered if Zena heard his thought for she gave him an odd look. Again, their eyes held; then she turned away, frowning a little. Her cheeks were very pink.
Lief smiled to himself. The fire is there, too, Larak had warned . He hoped at least some of it would be directed at him.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The next day, Lief and Zena set out for the village Mara had mentioned. Lief was pleased that no one had questioned his decision to accompany Zena . He wanted badly to have time alone with her. They still had hardly spoken together, but the few words and looks they had exchanged had told him that they understood each other well. He was also certain now that Zena was as attracted to him as he was to her . The flush in her cheeks and the tautness of her mouth told him that. Still, he must be patient . When the right moment came, he would know.
Zena ’s voice broke into his thoughts. “ I do not know where this village is, only that we must go west to find it, ” she explained as they climbed the steep slope above Mara ’s village. Her voice sounded strained and self-conscious even to her own ears, and she was irritated with herself. Whatever was the matter with her?
“ I think I know where the village is located, though I have not been there before, ” Lief answered pleasantly. He wished he could help her relax in his presence , but perhaps that was impossible. The tension between them was fierce and strong and until it found an outlet, it would continue to plague them. The thought made him stiffen with desire.
Zena sensed that he was trying to help her and her irritation at herself increased. She had to stop behaving like a nervous child. Even more, she had to concentrate on the task before her and not let her attraction to Lief distract her.
“ I do not know when this child will be born, either, except that it is soon, ” she went on determinedly. “ We are constantly watched, so Mara and I have not been able to speak again. ”
“ I, too, have been watching, ” L ie f answered dryly. He wondered if she was aware that a good part of his watching was devoted to her. Her reply told him she was not.
“ I as well, ” she admitted, “ but I think your eyes are sharper than mine. Tell me what you have observed. ”
“ Or I am less watched than you, ” L i ef corrected with a smile. “ I have seen that the Leader and Korg are preparing for a journey, perhaps to the same village we seek, ” he went on more seriously. “ I have seen that there is an understanding between them that I cannot grasp, that Korg controls the Leader in some way, even as the Leader seems to be in charge, believes himself to be in charge. What this means, I do not know. ”
Zena nodded. “ I think you are right. It is as if Korg makes it possible for the Leader to speak as he does, to influence the people. But how does he do this? ”
“ That is what we must discover, ” L i ef answered.
They were quiet then, saving their breath for the steep climb. High peaks tipped with snow rose on either side of them, glittering in the sun; here , in the meadow s enclosed by the mountains, the greenness of grass and bushes pre dominated, and the pervasive scent of flowers. A string of small lakes, milky turquoise from the glaciers that fed them, dotted the slope; above them small swift birds, as blue as the
“ I hope I do, ” Zena answered, feeling doubt rise again. She pushed it away and spoke without thinking . “ There is a way to prevent this horror from coming to pass, ” she said forcefully. “ We have only to think of it, and then we will know what to do. ”
The words seemed to have burst out of her from a place she had not known, and she was astonished. So were the others. They had never heard Zena speak in such a forceful way before.
Lief, however, was not surprised. It was as Larak had said: The power is there, waiting to be released . He wondered if Zena heard his thought for she gave him an odd look. Again, their eyes held; then she turned away, frowning a little. Her cheeks were very pink.
Lief smiled to himself. The fire is there, too, Larak had warned . He hoped at least some of it would be directed at him.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The next day, Lief and Zena set out for the village Mara had mentioned. Lief was pleased that no one had questioned his decision to accompany Zena . He wanted badly to have time alone with her. They still had hardly spoken together, but the few words and looks they had exchanged had told him that they understood each other well. He was also certain now that Zena was as attracted to him as he was to her . The flush in her cheeks and the tautness of her mouth told him that. Still, he must be patient . When the right moment came, he would know.
Zena ’s voice broke into his thoughts. “ I do not know where this village is, only that we must go west to find it, ” she explained as they climbed the steep slope above Mara ’s village. Her voice sounded strained and self-conscious even to her own ears, and she was irritated with herself. Whatever was the matter with her?
“ I think I know where the village is located, though I have not been there before, ” Lief answered pleasantly. He wished he could help her relax in his presence , but perhaps that was impossible. The tension between them was fierce and strong and until it found an outlet, it would continue to plague them. The thought made him stiffen with desire.
Zena sensed that he was trying to help her and her irritation at herself increased. She had to stop behaving like a nervous child. Even more, she had to concentrate on the task before her and not let her attraction to Lief distract her.
“ I do not know when this child will be born, either, except that it is soon, ” she went on determinedly. “ We are constantly watched, so Mara and I have not been able to speak again. ”
“ I, too, have been watching, ” L ie f answered dryly. He wondered if she was aware that a good part of his watching was devoted to her. Her reply told him she was not.
“ I as well, ” she admitted, “ but I think your eyes are sharper than mine. Tell me what you have observed. ”
“ Or I am less watched than you, ” L i ef corrected with a smile. “ I have seen that the Leader and Korg are preparing for a journey, perhaps to the same village we seek, ” he went on more seriously. “ I have seen that there is an understanding between them that I cannot grasp, that Korg controls the Leader in some way, even as the Leader seems to be in charge, believes himself to be in charge. What this means, I do not know. ”
Zena nodded. “ I think you are right. It is as if Korg makes it possible for the Leader to speak as he does, to influence the people. But how does he do this? ”
“ That is what we must discover, ” L i ef answered.
They were quiet then, saving their breath for the steep climb. High peaks tipped with snow rose on either side of them, glittering in the sun; here , in the meadow s enclosed by the mountains, the greenness of grass and bushes pre dominated, and the pervasive scent of flowers. A string of small lakes, milky turquoise from the glaciers that fed them, dotted the slope; above them small swift birds, as blue as the
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