Read Online A Passage of Stars by Kate Elliott - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kate Elliott
Ads: Link
tattoos on her right arm. “But no one knows ya way no more. Ya way back.”
“No one knows ya way,” echoed Lily.
Paisley’s expression cleared. “You know ya story, too?”
Lily shook her head. “I don’t know it. Is it a Ridani story?”
“Sure. It be ya story about how ya people, us tattoos ”—she spoke the word like it was a curse—“come to be here. Long ago, there be ya place where many o’ ya people lived in sore poverty. Not so much different, really. And ya govinment wanted to be rid o’ them—allays has, here or there, cause they never understood ya patterning,” She lifted a colorful hand as if in illumination. “But there be no way, as ya people be too poor to go elsewheres, despite wishing for ya better home. Until Dancer come. He were one o’ us, you see, but graced with ya power to see farther into ya pattern. Ya story starts with him.”
“Tell us,” said Lily.
Paisley’s voice changed, took on a deeper, even huskier tone.
Dancer come took his folk out
Morning bright-o day,
Said, “Follow my pattern,” hey come ho
Sun shine bright-o morning.
Folk they had not one day’s bread
Morning bright-o day
Nor job nor rooftop hey come ho
Sun shine bright-o morning.
Dancer say, “We go on ya road”
Morning bright-o day
“Tae green grass land come” hey come ho
Sun shine bright-o morning.
She smiled, pausing. “It be ya long tale.”
“Go on,” urged Lily.
Paisley took a deep breath. “Ya folk certain wanted ya green grass land, but they be scared o’ ya lowroad. ‘ Cold as night’s breath, ’ it be. ‘ Still as death’s hand. ’ Dancer, he fell wrath and sore, cause they said they never go on ya ships. So he curse them with ya old grey flat. It be ya worst place o’ all to live. Death and sickness and ya babes crying all day for milk.”
“And what happened?”
Paisley began again in her husky singsong, punctuating her words with stylized hand movements.
Now up then spoke min Bonny’s child
Morning dim-dark way
Jehanna said, “No danger here”
“Sun is up, come morning.”
Folk they heartened to her voice
Morning bright-o day
Come they back to ya lowroad ships
Sun shine bright-o morning.
Jehanna she caught Dancer’s eye
Morning bright-o day
He promise green grass land once more
Sun shine bright-o morning.
“So they go there,” said Lily.
“Sure,” said Paisley. “Dancer, he led them on ya lowroad. He be caught by Jehanna, lift her up and now he wish her to pattern with him. Bless be. But Jehanna turn round her bright head, speak out proud. Refuse him. See, she never wanted ya man. She wanted ya green grass land.”
“What did Dancer do?”
“Sure, now there be ya story.” The pinpoint lights speckled them, slipping in and out of Paisley’s tattoos as if they had always been part of her pattern.
Now grew he fierce now grew he cold
Morning dim-dark way
Never she wavered hey come ho
Sunlight dims, dark morning.
Now cast he folk out on lowroad
Morning dim-dark way
And lost they wandered hey come ho
Sunlight dims, dark morning.
Jehanna led them far and cold
Morning dim-dark way
Till came they here come hey come ho
Sunlight dimmed, dark morning.
“And never shall you come back,” he cried
Morning dim-dark way
“Never in green grass land abide”
Sunlight dimmed, dark morning.
“Not till Jehanna gets child by me”
Morning dim-dark way
“And our son grows tae lead you back”
Sun shine dim-dark morning.
Now live we far from green grass land
Morning dim-dark way
But Jehanna’s proud come hey come ho
Sun it brings the morning.
Jehanna she’ll get Dancer’s child
Morning bright-o day
Jehane she’ll call him hey come ho
Sun shine bright-o morning.
We’ll come one day tae green grass land
Morning bright-o day
When Jehane he dance us down ya way
Sun shine bright-o morning.
The girl lowered her hands first, like the settling of waves, then let her breath out in a long sigh that filled the room. She
“No one knows ya way,” echoed Lily.
Paisley’s expression cleared. “You know ya story, too?”
Lily shook her head. “I don’t know it. Is it a Ridani story?”
“Sure. It be ya story about how ya people, us tattoos ”—she spoke the word like it was a curse—“come to be here. Long ago, there be ya place where many o’ ya people lived in sore poverty. Not so much different, really. And ya govinment wanted to be rid o’ them—allays has, here or there, cause they never understood ya patterning,” She lifted a colorful hand as if in illumination. “But there be no way, as ya people be too poor to go elsewheres, despite wishing for ya better home. Until Dancer come. He were one o’ us, you see, but graced with ya power to see farther into ya pattern. Ya story starts with him.”
“Tell us,” said Lily.
Paisley’s voice changed, took on a deeper, even huskier tone.
Dancer come took his folk out
Morning bright-o day,
Said, “Follow my pattern,” hey come ho
Sun shine bright-o morning.
Folk they had not one day’s bread
Morning bright-o day
Nor job nor rooftop hey come ho
Sun shine bright-o morning.
Dancer say, “We go on ya road”
Morning bright-o day
“Tae green grass land come” hey come ho
Sun shine bright-o morning.
She smiled, pausing. “It be ya long tale.”
“Go on,” urged Lily.
Paisley took a deep breath. “Ya folk certain wanted ya green grass land, but they be scared o’ ya lowroad. ‘ Cold as night’s breath, ’ it be. ‘ Still as death’s hand. ’ Dancer, he fell wrath and sore, cause they said they never go on ya ships. So he curse them with ya old grey flat. It be ya worst place o’ all to live. Death and sickness and ya babes crying all day for milk.”
“And what happened?”
Paisley began again in her husky singsong, punctuating her words with stylized hand movements.
Now up then spoke min Bonny’s child
Morning dim-dark way
Jehanna said, “No danger here”
“Sun is up, come morning.”
Folk they heartened to her voice
Morning bright-o day
Come they back to ya lowroad ships
Sun shine bright-o morning.
Jehanna she caught Dancer’s eye
Morning bright-o day
He promise green grass land once more
Sun shine bright-o morning.
“So they go there,” said Lily.
“Sure,” said Paisley. “Dancer, he led them on ya lowroad. He be caught by Jehanna, lift her up and now he wish her to pattern with him. Bless be. But Jehanna turn round her bright head, speak out proud. Refuse him. See, she never wanted ya man. She wanted ya green grass land.”
“What did Dancer do?”
“Sure, now there be ya story.” The pinpoint lights speckled them, slipping in and out of Paisley’s tattoos as if they had always been part of her pattern.
Now grew he fierce now grew he cold
Morning dim-dark way
Never she wavered hey come ho
Sunlight dims, dark morning.
Now cast he folk out on lowroad
Morning dim-dark way
And lost they wandered hey come ho
Sunlight dims, dark morning.
Jehanna led them far and cold
Morning dim-dark way
Till came they here come hey come ho
Sunlight dimmed, dark morning.
“And never shall you come back,” he cried
Morning dim-dark way
“Never in green grass land abide”
Sunlight dimmed, dark morning.
“Not till Jehanna gets child by me”
Morning dim-dark way
“And our son grows tae lead you back”
Sun shine dim-dark morning.
Now live we far from green grass land
Morning dim-dark way
But Jehanna’s proud come hey come ho
Sun it brings the morning.
Jehanna she’ll get Dancer’s child
Morning bright-o day
Jehane she’ll call him hey come ho
Sun shine bright-o morning.
We’ll come one day tae green grass land
Morning bright-o day
When Jehane he dance us down ya way
Sun shine bright-o morning.
The girl lowered her hands first, like the settling of waves, then let her breath out in a long sigh that filled the room. She
Similar Books
