the name of the woman Elemak had been courting before Father dragged them out into the desert.
“It’s all right,” said Father. “I understand perfectly. You didn’t want to tell us her name for fear that we would think that your dream was just an erotic wish for the woman you loved, and not a true dream.”
Since that was exactly what Elemak thought his dream actually was, he couldn’t argue with Wetchik’s conclusion.
“But think, my sons. Would the Oversoul require you to choose strangers as your mates? You dreamed of Eiadh because the Oversoul intends her to be your mate,” said Father. “And it makes sense, doesn’t it? For you saw
me
with a mate as well, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” said Elemak, remembering. The dream was still
so
vivid in his mind that he could call it back, not just as a vague memory, but clearly. “Yes, and children. Young ones.”
“There is only one woman I would take as my mate,” said Father. “Rasa.”
“She’d never leave Basilica,” said Issib. “If you think she would, you don’t know Mother.”
“Ah,” said Father. “But
I
would never have left Basilica, either, except that the Oversoul led me. Nor wouldElemak and Mebbekew, except that the Oversoul brought them.”
“Nor I,” said Zdorab.
“Could the woman you saw in your dream, the woman who was
my
mate . . . she was Rasa, wasn’t she?” asked Father.
Of course it was Rasa, but that didn’t prove anything. Rasa had been Father’s wife, year after year, so of course it was Rasa who would show up as his woman in Elemak’s dreams. It would take no vision from the Oversoul for
that.
“Perhaps,” said Elemak.
“And did you recognize any of the other women? For instance, the two other men who were strangers—could their mates have been Rasa’s daughters?”
“I don’t know your wife’s daughters all that well,” said Elemak. How far would this game have to go before he could have done with it?
“Don’t be absurd,” said Father. “They’re your nieces, aren’t they? Gaballufix’s daughters.”
“And one of them is famous,” chimed in Meb. “Sevet, the singer—you’ve seen her.”
“Yes,” said Elemak. “The wives of the two strangers were Rasa’s daughters.” Of course he knew them, and their husbands, too, Vas and Obring.
“There, you see?” said Father. “The Oversoul has given you a true vision. The women you saw are all connected with Rasa. Her daughters, and Eiadh, one of the nieces of her household. I’m sure the others are all of her household, too. So this isn’t some impossible dream that came to you because you had a hunger for venery, my son. This came from the Oversoul, because the Oversoul knows that to accomplish our purpose we must have wives who will bear us children. All of us.”
“Well,” said Elemak, “if it’s really a vision, then
I’m
happy enough for the Oversoul to give me Eiadh. ButI think there’s a better chance of finding a falcon in a frog’s mouth than of anyone
but
the Oversoul ever persuading Eiadh to come out into the desert to marry a penniless, homeless man like me, with no hope of wealth.”
“You forget that the Oversoul has promised us a land of unspeakable richness,” said Father.
“And you forget that we haven’t found it yet,” said Elemak. “We’re not likely to find it, either, squatting in the desert like this.”
“The Oversoul has shown us what we must do,” said Father. “And as Nafai said to me before you left to seek the Index—if the Oversoul requires us to do something, he’ll open a way for us to do it.”
“Great idea,” said Mebbekew. “Whom will Nafai kill to get us some women?”
“That’s enough,” said Father.
“Come on,” said Mebbekew. “How else would Nafai ever get a wife, except by killing some drunk passed out on the street and stealing his blind, crippled daughter.”
To Elemak’s surprise, Nafai said nothing to Mebbekew’s gibes. Instead, the boy got up and left the
“It’s all right,” said Father. “I understand perfectly. You didn’t want to tell us her name for fear that we would think that your dream was just an erotic wish for the woman you loved, and not a true dream.”
Since that was exactly what Elemak thought his dream actually was, he couldn’t argue with Wetchik’s conclusion.
“But think, my sons. Would the Oversoul require you to choose strangers as your mates? You dreamed of Eiadh because the Oversoul intends her to be your mate,” said Father. “And it makes sense, doesn’t it? For you saw
me
with a mate as well, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” said Elemak, remembering. The dream was still
so
vivid in his mind that he could call it back, not just as a vague memory, but clearly. “Yes, and children. Young ones.”
“There is only one woman I would take as my mate,” said Father. “Rasa.”
“She’d never leave Basilica,” said Issib. “If you think she would, you don’t know Mother.”
“Ah,” said Father. “But
I
would never have left Basilica, either, except that the Oversoul led me. Nor wouldElemak and Mebbekew, except that the Oversoul brought them.”
“Nor I,” said Zdorab.
“Could the woman you saw in your dream, the woman who was
my
mate . . . she was Rasa, wasn’t she?” asked Father.
Of course it was Rasa, but that didn’t prove anything. Rasa had been Father’s wife, year after year, so of course it was Rasa who would show up as his woman in Elemak’s dreams. It would take no vision from the Oversoul for
that.
“Perhaps,” said Elemak.
“And did you recognize any of the other women? For instance, the two other men who were strangers—could their mates have been Rasa’s daughters?”
“I don’t know your wife’s daughters all that well,” said Elemak. How far would this game have to go before he could have done with it?
“Don’t be absurd,” said Father. “They’re your nieces, aren’t they? Gaballufix’s daughters.”
“And one of them is famous,” chimed in Meb. “Sevet, the singer—you’ve seen her.”
“Yes,” said Elemak. “The wives of the two strangers were Rasa’s daughters.” Of course he knew them, and their husbands, too, Vas and Obring.
“There, you see?” said Father. “The Oversoul has given you a true vision. The women you saw are all connected with Rasa. Her daughters, and Eiadh, one of the nieces of her household. I’m sure the others are all of her household, too. So this isn’t some impossible dream that came to you because you had a hunger for venery, my son. This came from the Oversoul, because the Oversoul knows that to accomplish our purpose we must have wives who will bear us children. All of us.”
“Well,” said Elemak, “if it’s really a vision, then
I’m
happy enough for the Oversoul to give me Eiadh. ButI think there’s a better chance of finding a falcon in a frog’s mouth than of anyone
but
the Oversoul ever persuading Eiadh to come out into the desert to marry a penniless, homeless man like me, with no hope of wealth.”
“You forget that the Oversoul has promised us a land of unspeakable richness,” said Father.
“And you forget that we haven’t found it yet,” said Elemak. “We’re not likely to find it, either, squatting in the desert like this.”
“The Oversoul has shown us what we must do,” said Father. “And as Nafai said to me before you left to seek the Index—if the Oversoul requires us to do something, he’ll open a way for us to do it.”
“Great idea,” said Mebbekew. “Whom will Nafai kill to get us some women?”
“That’s enough,” said Father.
“Come on,” said Mebbekew. “How else would Nafai ever get a wife, except by killing some drunk passed out on the street and stealing his blind, crippled daughter.”
To Elemak’s surprise, Nafai said nothing to Mebbekew’s gibes. Instead, the boy got up and left the
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