contact. See more of him. In time you might learn something to help us in our struggle with the Serke.”
“I see.”
“You do not approve?”
“It is not my place to approve or disapprove, mistress.”
“You have reservations then?”
“Yes, mistress. But I cannot say what they are exactly. Except that the thought of using Bagnel makes me uncomfortable.”
“It should. We should not use our friends. They are too precious.”
Marika gave the most senior a calculating look. Had she meant more than she had said? Was that a warning?
“Yet at times greater issues intervene. I think Reugge survival warrants pursuit of any path to salvation.”
“As you say, mistress.”
“Will you pursue it? Will you cultivate this male?”
“Yes, mistress.” She had decided instantly. She would, for her own purposes. For information she wanted. If some also fell the most senior’s way, good. It would keep the cloister doors open.
“I thought you would.” The most senior’s tone said she knew Marika’s mind. It said also that she was growing excited, though she concealed it well.
Perhaps she could read minds, Marika thought. Some silth could touch other minds and steal secrets. Was that not how a truthsaying worked? And would that not be a most useful talent for one who would command an entire unruly Community?
“I will tell Dorteka to let you out whenever you want. Do not overdo it. You will make the brethren suspicious.”
“Yes, mistress.”
“There is plenty of time, Marika. We will not reach the time of real crisis for many years yet.”
“Yes, mistress.”
Gradwohl again expressed restrained amusement. “You could become one of the great silth, Marika. You have the proper turn of mind.”
“They whisper behind my back, mistress. They call me doomstalker and Jiana.”
“Probably. Any of us who amount to anything endure a youth filled with distrust and fear. Our sisters sense the upward pressure. But no matter. That is all for today. Unless there is something you want to discuss.”
“Why do we not make our own darkships, mistress? Why depend upon tradermales?”
“Two answers come to mind immediately. One is that most sisters prefer to believe that we should not sully our paws with physical labor. Another, and the one that is more close to the honest truth, is that we are dependent upon the brethren in too many other areas. They have insinuated tentacles into every aspect of life. If they came to suspect that we were trespassing on what they see as their proper rights, they might then cut us off from everything else they do for us.
“There is an ecological balance between male and female in our society, as expressed in silth and brethren. We are interdependent, and ever more so. In fact, I suspect an imbalance is in the offing. We have come to need them more than they need us. Nowadays we would be missed less than they.”
Marika rose. “Maybe steps ought to be taken to change that instead of pursuing these squabbles between Communities.”
“An idea that has been expressed often enough before. Without winning more than lip service support. The brethren have the advantage of us there, too. Though they have their various bonds and subbonds, they answer to a central authority. They have their internal feuds, but they are much more monolithic than we. They can play one sisterhood against another.”
“Find ways to split them into factions,” Marika said from the doorway. And, “We built our own ships for ages. Before the tradermales.”
Gradwohl scowled.
“Thank you, mistress. I will visit Bagnel soon.”
II
Grauel and Barlog were beside themselves when Marika announced another expedition to the tradermale enclave. They did everything possible to dissuade her. She did not tell them she had the most senior’s blessing. They gossiped. She knew, because they brought her snippets about the Maksche sisters. She did not doubt but what they paid in kind.
The huntresses became suspicious
“I see.”
“You do not approve?”
“It is not my place to approve or disapprove, mistress.”
“You have reservations then?”
“Yes, mistress. But I cannot say what they are exactly. Except that the thought of using Bagnel makes me uncomfortable.”
“It should. We should not use our friends. They are too precious.”
Marika gave the most senior a calculating look. Had she meant more than she had said? Was that a warning?
“Yet at times greater issues intervene. I think Reugge survival warrants pursuit of any path to salvation.”
“As you say, mistress.”
“Will you pursue it? Will you cultivate this male?”
“Yes, mistress.” She had decided instantly. She would, for her own purposes. For information she wanted. If some also fell the most senior’s way, good. It would keep the cloister doors open.
“I thought you would.” The most senior’s tone said she knew Marika’s mind. It said also that she was growing excited, though she concealed it well.
Perhaps she could read minds, Marika thought. Some silth could touch other minds and steal secrets. Was that not how a truthsaying worked? And would that not be a most useful talent for one who would command an entire unruly Community?
“I will tell Dorteka to let you out whenever you want. Do not overdo it. You will make the brethren suspicious.”
“Yes, mistress.”
“There is plenty of time, Marika. We will not reach the time of real crisis for many years yet.”
“Yes, mistress.”
Gradwohl again expressed restrained amusement. “You could become one of the great silth, Marika. You have the proper turn of mind.”
“They whisper behind my back, mistress. They call me doomstalker and Jiana.”
“Probably. Any of us who amount to anything endure a youth filled with distrust and fear. Our sisters sense the upward pressure. But no matter. That is all for today. Unless there is something you want to discuss.”
“Why do we not make our own darkships, mistress? Why depend upon tradermales?”
“Two answers come to mind immediately. One is that most sisters prefer to believe that we should not sully our paws with physical labor. Another, and the one that is more close to the honest truth, is that we are dependent upon the brethren in too many other areas. They have insinuated tentacles into every aspect of life. If they came to suspect that we were trespassing on what they see as their proper rights, they might then cut us off from everything else they do for us.
“There is an ecological balance between male and female in our society, as expressed in silth and brethren. We are interdependent, and ever more so. In fact, I suspect an imbalance is in the offing. We have come to need them more than they need us. Nowadays we would be missed less than they.”
Marika rose. “Maybe steps ought to be taken to change that instead of pursuing these squabbles between Communities.”
“An idea that has been expressed often enough before. Without winning more than lip service support. The brethren have the advantage of us there, too. Though they have their various bonds and subbonds, they answer to a central authority. They have their internal feuds, but they are much more monolithic than we. They can play one sisterhood against another.”
“Find ways to split them into factions,” Marika said from the doorway. And, “We built our own ships for ages. Before the tradermales.”
Gradwohl scowled.
“Thank you, mistress. I will visit Bagnel soon.”
II
Grauel and Barlog were beside themselves when Marika announced another expedition to the tradermale enclave. They did everything possible to dissuade her. She did not tell them she had the most senior’s blessing. They gossiped. She knew, because they brought her snippets about the Maksche sisters. She did not doubt but what they paid in kind.
The huntresses became suspicious