got my wits about me, she thought. Mother's only thinking of the money, but there's a lot more to it than that. I'm not going to lose my head or rush into anything.
"Very pleased, I'm sure," she said primly. "But this is quite without any-er-without any promising, of course. A drink, but not to say a bargain yet: that's right, isn't it?" She smiled graciously at the sandy-haired man-the other seemed just a grumpy fool, she thought-and sat down on the bench.
"Oh, no, no," he gabbled, seating himself beside her. "Oh, no bargain, no!" The tall man remained standing, but Morca sat down opposite, picking up a cup in each hand. Maia noticed that she was sweating heavily and that her hands were trembling. The sultry weather, she thought; she had seen enough of pregnancy to know that it sometimes had this kind of effect.
"Feeling a bit queer, mum?" she asked. "You all right?"
"Oh, well, this'U put me right," answered Morca with a laugh. "It'll pass off quick enough. Now here's yours, sir, and this one's for you, Maia-"
Stooping, the tall man, without a word, leant over and took out of her hand the goblet she was offering to Maia. Morca bit her lip-and no wonder, thought Maia; we may be poor, but at least we've got better manners than that- and then gave her one of the remaining two goblets which the sandy-haired man pushed across the table.
"Well, here's good health to us all!" said Morca rather shrilly.
Maia took a sip of tepid, yellow wine. The taste was strong and strange to her, though perhaps a little like the licorice sweetmeats she had once or twice tasted at Meer-zat. It was not altogether pleasant, but it was certainly heady; of course (she told herself), as Tharrin had once said, girls of her age had to be at it for a while before they could really enjoy the taste of certain wines; but it would not do, before these men, to appear childishly inexperienced.
"It's very nice," she said, making herself take a longer draft. "Yeldashay, isn't it?"
"Oh,
you're
very nice, yer, very nice girl," said the
sandy-haired man, touching his goblet to hers. Raising one hand, he stroked Maia's shoulder; then dropped his arm, laughed and looked away. Maia, to cover her confusion, took another mouthful of the wine. At least that was better than the man's breath, which had quite disgusted her. And no wonder, she thought, with those teeth. I wonder whether his employer knows he behaves like this when he's out working for him? Still, I'd better not risk offending him, I suppose-he might say something against me when he gets back. She edged a foot or two away along the bench.
"That's a lovely dress you brought with you, isn't it?" she said, to resume the conversation. "The flowers are beautifully embroidered. Do you carry the dresses round in that cart? I suppose that's what it's for, is it-so they can lie unfolded, and it's shut-in on top to keep out the dust an' that?"
"Oh, yer, that's the way, that's the way," answered the man. "There's lots in the cart now, plenty of others- prettier than that, too."
"Prettier than that?" asked Maia. "Really?"
"Oh, yer, yer," he said, draining his goblet. "Want to come and see? Finish up what you got left, and I'll show y' if you like."
"I'll finish it when I come back," said Maia. "I'd like to see the dresses."
"Go on, you can drink up that little drop, dear," urged Morca.
"Too strong for you, is it?" laughed the man. "Not had any the like of that before, eh? Like it when you're older, when you're older, that's it."
"I like it now!" retorted Maia indignantly.
With this she finished the wine, swallowing with an effort which she did her best to conceal. Then, standing up, she led the way across to the door.
The tall man followed her closely, stooping under the lintel as he came out. The leaves hung unmoving in the hot, noonday air and the lake, level to the horizon, reflected a cloudless sky. The birds had fallen silent. Even the oxen under the trees seemed to have ceased their restless
"Very pleased, I'm sure," she said primly. "But this is quite without any-er-without any promising, of course. A drink, but not to say a bargain yet: that's right, isn't it?" She smiled graciously at the sandy-haired man-the other seemed just a grumpy fool, she thought-and sat down on the bench.
"Oh, no, no," he gabbled, seating himself beside her. "Oh, no bargain, no!" The tall man remained standing, but Morca sat down opposite, picking up a cup in each hand. Maia noticed that she was sweating heavily and that her hands were trembling. The sultry weather, she thought; she had seen enough of pregnancy to know that it sometimes had this kind of effect.
"Feeling a bit queer, mum?" she asked. "You all right?"
"Oh, well, this'U put me right," answered Morca with a laugh. "It'll pass off quick enough. Now here's yours, sir, and this one's for you, Maia-"
Stooping, the tall man, without a word, leant over and took out of her hand the goblet she was offering to Maia. Morca bit her lip-and no wonder, thought Maia; we may be poor, but at least we've got better manners than that- and then gave her one of the remaining two goblets which the sandy-haired man pushed across the table.
"Well, here's good health to us all!" said Morca rather shrilly.
Maia took a sip of tepid, yellow wine. The taste was strong and strange to her, though perhaps a little like the licorice sweetmeats she had once or twice tasted at Meer-zat. It was not altogether pleasant, but it was certainly heady; of course (she told herself), as Tharrin had once said, girls of her age had to be at it for a while before they could really enjoy the taste of certain wines; but it would not do, before these men, to appear childishly inexperienced.
"It's very nice," she said, making herself take a longer draft. "Yeldashay, isn't it?"
"Oh,
you're
very nice, yer, very nice girl," said the
sandy-haired man, touching his goblet to hers. Raising one hand, he stroked Maia's shoulder; then dropped his arm, laughed and looked away. Maia, to cover her confusion, took another mouthful of the wine. At least that was better than the man's breath, which had quite disgusted her. And no wonder, she thought, with those teeth. I wonder whether his employer knows he behaves like this when he's out working for him? Still, I'd better not risk offending him, I suppose-he might say something against me when he gets back. She edged a foot or two away along the bench.
"That's a lovely dress you brought with you, isn't it?" she said, to resume the conversation. "The flowers are beautifully embroidered. Do you carry the dresses round in that cart? I suppose that's what it's for, is it-so they can lie unfolded, and it's shut-in on top to keep out the dust an' that?"
"Oh, yer, that's the way, that's the way," answered the man. "There's lots in the cart now, plenty of others- prettier than that, too."
"Prettier than that?" asked Maia. "Really?"
"Oh, yer, yer," he said, draining his goblet. "Want to come and see? Finish up what you got left, and I'll show y' if you like."
"I'll finish it when I come back," said Maia. "I'd like to see the dresses."
"Go on, you can drink up that little drop, dear," urged Morca.
"Too strong for you, is it?" laughed the man. "Not had any the like of that before, eh? Like it when you're older, when you're older, that's it."
"I like it now!" retorted Maia indignantly.
With this she finished the wine, swallowing with an effort which she did her best to conceal. Then, standing up, she led the way across to the door.
The tall man followed her closely, stooping under the lintel as he came out. The leaves hung unmoving in the hot, noonday air and the lake, level to the horizon, reflected a cloudless sky. The birds had fallen silent. Even the oxen under the trees seemed to have ceased their restless
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