tent. So, thought Elemak. Nafai isn’t entirely a child. Or else he was ashamed to have us see him cry.
“Meb,” said Issib softly, “Nafai brought the Index, and you didn’t.”
“Oh, come on,” said Mebbekew. “Can’t anybody take a joke around here?”
“It isn’t a joke to Nafai,” said Issib. “Killing Gaballufix is the most terrible thing he ever did, and he thinks about it all the time.”
“You were out of line to throw it up to him,” said Father. “Don’t do it again.”
“What am I supposed to do,” Mebbekew insisted,“pretend that Nafai got the Index by saying Pity Please?”
It was time for Elemak to get Mebbekew back in line—no one else could do it, and it needed to be done. “What you’re supposed to do is shut up,” said Elemak softly.
Meb looked at him defiantly. It was all an act, though, Elemak knew. All he had to do was meet Meb’s gaze and hold it, and Meb would back down. It didn’t take long, either.
“Elemak,” said Father, “you must go back, you and your brothers.”
“Don’t put this on
me,
” said Elemak. “If anyone can persuade Rasa, it’s
you
.”
“On the contrary,” said Wetchik. “She knows me, she knows I love her, she loves me too—and that didn’t bring her with me before. Do you think I didn’t suggest it? No, if anyone persuades her it will be the Oversoul. All you have to do is go and suggest it to her, wait for the Oversoul to help her understand that she must come, and then provide safe escort for her and her daughters and the young women of her household who come with her.”
“Oh, fine,” said Elemak. He could wait a long cold time for the Oversoul to persuade anybody but Father to do something as idiotic as leaving Basilica for the desert. But at least he’d be waiting in Basilica, even if he had to do it in hiding. “Should I have her bring along a servant for Zdorab, too?”
Father’s face went icy. “Zdorab isn’t a servant now,” he said. “He’s a free man, and the equal of any man here. A woman of Rasa’s household would do for him as well as for any of you, and as for that, a serving girl in Rasa’s house would also do for any of you. Don’t you understand that we’re no longer in Basilica, thatthe society we form now will have no room for snobbery and bigotry, for castes and classes? We will be one people, all equals, with all our children equal in the eyes of the Oversoul.”
In the eyes of the Oversoul, perhaps, but not in my eyes, thought Elemak. I’m the eldest son, and my firstborn son will be my heir as I am
your
heir, Father. Even if you gave up the lands and holdings that should have been my inheritance, I will still inherit your authority, and no matter where we end up settling,
I
will rule, or no one will. I may say nothing of this now, because I know when to speak and when not to speak. But be sure of this, Father. When you die, I will have your place—and anyone who tries to deprive me of it will follow you quickly into the grave.
Elemak looked at Issib and Meb, and knew that neither would resist him when that day came. But Nafai would cause trouble, bless his dear little heart. And Nafai knows it, thought Elemak. He knows that someday it will come down to him and me. For someday Father will try to pass his authority on to this miserable little toady of a boy, all because Nafai is so thick with the Oversoul. Well, Nafai, I’ve had a vision from the Oversoul, too—or at least Father thinks I have, which amounts to the same thing.
“Leave in the morning,” Father said. “Come back with the women who will share the inheritance the Oversoul has prepared for us in another land. Come back with the mothers of my grandchildren.”
“Mebbekew and I,” said Elemak. “No others.”
“Issib will stay home because his chair and his floats make him too conspicuous, and he increases your chances of being caught by our enemies there,” said Father. “And Zdorab will stay.”
Because you don’t
“Meb,” said Issib softly, “Nafai brought the Index, and you didn’t.”
“Oh, come on,” said Mebbekew. “Can’t anybody take a joke around here?”
“It isn’t a joke to Nafai,” said Issib. “Killing Gaballufix is the most terrible thing he ever did, and he thinks about it all the time.”
“You were out of line to throw it up to him,” said Father. “Don’t do it again.”
“What am I supposed to do,” Mebbekew insisted,“pretend that Nafai got the Index by saying Pity Please?”
It was time for Elemak to get Mebbekew back in line—no one else could do it, and it needed to be done. “What you’re supposed to do is shut up,” said Elemak softly.
Meb looked at him defiantly. It was all an act, though, Elemak knew. All he had to do was meet Meb’s gaze and hold it, and Meb would back down. It didn’t take long, either.
“Elemak,” said Father, “you must go back, you and your brothers.”
“Don’t put this on
me,
” said Elemak. “If anyone can persuade Rasa, it’s
you
.”
“On the contrary,” said Wetchik. “She knows me, she knows I love her, she loves me too—and that didn’t bring her with me before. Do you think I didn’t suggest it? No, if anyone persuades her it will be the Oversoul. All you have to do is go and suggest it to her, wait for the Oversoul to help her understand that she must come, and then provide safe escort for her and her daughters and the young women of her household who come with her.”
“Oh, fine,” said Elemak. He could wait a long cold time for the Oversoul to persuade anybody but Father to do something as idiotic as leaving Basilica for the desert. But at least he’d be waiting in Basilica, even if he had to do it in hiding. “Should I have her bring along a servant for Zdorab, too?”
Father’s face went icy. “Zdorab isn’t a servant now,” he said. “He’s a free man, and the equal of any man here. A woman of Rasa’s household would do for him as well as for any of you, and as for that, a serving girl in Rasa’s house would also do for any of you. Don’t you understand that we’re no longer in Basilica, thatthe society we form now will have no room for snobbery and bigotry, for castes and classes? We will be one people, all equals, with all our children equal in the eyes of the Oversoul.”
In the eyes of the Oversoul, perhaps, but not in my eyes, thought Elemak. I’m the eldest son, and my firstborn son will be my heir as I am
your
heir, Father. Even if you gave up the lands and holdings that should have been my inheritance, I will still inherit your authority, and no matter where we end up settling,
I
will rule, or no one will. I may say nothing of this now, because I know when to speak and when not to speak. But be sure of this, Father. When you die, I will have your place—and anyone who tries to deprive me of it will follow you quickly into the grave.
Elemak looked at Issib and Meb, and knew that neither would resist him when that day came. But Nafai would cause trouble, bless his dear little heart. And Nafai knows it, thought Elemak. He knows that someday it will come down to him and me. For someday Father will try to pass his authority on to this miserable little toady of a boy, all because Nafai is so thick with the Oversoul. Well, Nafai, I’ve had a vision from the Oversoul, too—or at least Father thinks I have, which amounts to the same thing.
“Leave in the morning,” Father said. “Come back with the women who will share the inheritance the Oversoul has prepared for us in another land. Come back with the mothers of my grandchildren.”
“Mebbekew and I,” said Elemak. “No others.”
“Issib will stay home because his chair and his floats make him too conspicuous, and he increases your chances of being caught by our enemies there,” said Father. “And Zdorab will stay.”
Because you don’t
Similar Books
