Read Online ICE BURIAL: The Oldest Human Murder Mystery (The Mother People Series Book 3) by Joan Dahr Lambert - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joan Dahr Lambert
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from his face, and his eyes roamed restlessly across the attentive faces. She saw them stop on one face, then another. Had they stopped on Mara ’s ? With movements so slow they could hardly be seen, Korg wriggled to one side of the circle ; then he was still again, all but his eyes. His nubile body was tense with waiting, as if he were preparing himself for would happen next . There was menace in hi s stillness , and even as the people listened to the Leader, they stole glances at Korg, their faces wary. Tension rose in the visitors bodies too .
The Leader was speaking now of the horrors that would come if the rules were not obeyed . In powerful tones, he described the afflictions that would result from disobedience , lingering on the spreading ice that had covered th e land before the Great Spirit had come to them . The ice is still there, he warned, pointing up at the glaciers that hung over the valley, and could come crashing down to bury them all, as had happened in another village. Zena ’s eyes follo wed his pointing finger and she shivered. Could one of the glaciers really crash down upon the village?
“ All will be well, ” the Leader told them sternly, “ if only we obey. ”
The massed heads nodded again, and Zena almost found herself nodding with them. The message sounded so simple, so reassuring. Obey, and all will be well.
Another long silence came, and now fear was palpable among the listeners.
“ Transgression! ” The word came so suddenly that everyone jumped. “ There has been a transgression! ”
As soon as the Leader ’s voice rang out, Korg was on his feet. He ran through the crowd, his body once again stooped like that of an old man. Abruptly, he stopped and pointed his finger at a young woman. Her eyes dilated with fear.
“ I have done nothing, ” she shrieked. “ Nothing! ”
“ The Great Spirit points to you, and the Great Spirit cannot speak other than truth, ” the Leader answered quietly. There was sadness in his voice and in his face, and Zena had the impression he did not like this part of the ritual.
“S he has sinned against the man chosen for her. ” This time the voice was Korg ’s , hard and menacing compared to the Leader ’s gentle tones. Nothing more was said, but no one looked at the woman after that. She slunk away, misery and fear etched on her face. Lief saw that she was big with child. No wonder the women he had approached during his travels had been so afraid !
Another woman was singled out, then another. Korg ’s accusing finger went next to an older man. “ He has taken what did not belong to him! ” Korg spat out.
The man made no response , only stared sullenly at the ground.
“ The Great Spirit knows all truth, ” the Leader said, and now his tone was weary, as if he wanted only to be finished with the ritual.
Two children were the next to be accused. “ They have not obeyed their elders as they should, ” Korg said, raking their young faces with malevolent eyes.
The Leader , however, regarded them tolerantly. “ Children must obey the man who fathers them first, then all the other men of the tribe and after that the woman they call mother, ” he reminded them gently. “ This must not be forgotten again, lest all in the tribe suffer. Next time, you must obey. ”
One of the children looked abashed, the other rebellious. To this one, Korg gave another long, hard look before he turned and rejoined the Leader in the dirt circle.
The Leader repeated t he opening refrain and the audience responded, but their tone was automatic now. As soon as the words stopped, they began to talk among themselves, and Zena sensed that the ceremony was over. She looked again for Mara, but she was no longer there. In the place where she had been was an older woman who regarded Zena gravely . There was a terrible weariness in the woman ’s face, as if she had endured many trials, but at the same time there was great strength.
She w ill be an ally , Zena
The Leader was speaking now of the horrors that would come if the rules were not obeyed . In powerful tones, he described the afflictions that would result from disobedience , lingering on the spreading ice that had covered th e land before the Great Spirit had come to them . The ice is still there, he warned, pointing up at the glaciers that hung over the valley, and could come crashing down to bury them all, as had happened in another village. Zena ’s eyes follo wed his pointing finger and she shivered. Could one of the glaciers really crash down upon the village?
“ All will be well, ” the Leader told them sternly, “ if only we obey. ”
The massed heads nodded again, and Zena almost found herself nodding with them. The message sounded so simple, so reassuring. Obey, and all will be well.
Another long silence came, and now fear was palpable among the listeners.
“ Transgression! ” The word came so suddenly that everyone jumped. “ There has been a transgression! ”
As soon as the Leader ’s voice rang out, Korg was on his feet. He ran through the crowd, his body once again stooped like that of an old man. Abruptly, he stopped and pointed his finger at a young woman. Her eyes dilated with fear.
“ I have done nothing, ” she shrieked. “ Nothing! ”
“ The Great Spirit points to you, and the Great Spirit cannot speak other than truth, ” the Leader answered quietly. There was sadness in his voice and in his face, and Zena had the impression he did not like this part of the ritual.
“S he has sinned against the man chosen for her. ” This time the voice was Korg ’s , hard and menacing compared to the Leader ’s gentle tones. Nothing more was said, but no one looked at the woman after that. She slunk away, misery and fear etched on her face. Lief saw that she was big with child. No wonder the women he had approached during his travels had been so afraid !
Another woman was singled out, then another. Korg ’s accusing finger went next to an older man. “ He has taken what did not belong to him! ” Korg spat out.
The man made no response , only stared sullenly at the ground.
“ The Great Spirit knows all truth, ” the Leader said, and now his tone was weary, as if he wanted only to be finished with the ritual.
Two children were the next to be accused. “ They have not obeyed their elders as they should, ” Korg said, raking their young faces with malevolent eyes.
The Leader , however, regarded them tolerantly. “ Children must obey the man who fathers them first, then all the other men of the tribe and after that the woman they call mother, ” he reminded them gently. “ This must not be forgotten again, lest all in the tribe suffer. Next time, you must obey. ”
One of the children looked abashed, the other rebellious. To this one, Korg gave another long, hard look before he turned and rejoined the Leader in the dirt circle.
The Leader repeated t he opening refrain and the audience responded, but their tone was automatic now. As soon as the words stopped, they began to talk among themselves, and Zena sensed that the ceremony was over. She looked again for Mara, but she was no longer there. In the place where she had been was an older woman who regarded Zena gravely . There was a terrible weariness in the woman ’s face, as if she had endured many trials, but at the same time there was great strength.
She w ill be an ally , Zena
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