Read Online Moongather by Jo Clayton - Free Book Online Page B

sister. I used my knee on a man this morning, I got away, but he’ll be waiting for me tonight. I don’t want to be the village whore, meie. Take me with you.”
    Serroi took the waterskin from her and tied it slowly in place. “They won’t let you go.”
    â€œI know. But I’m supposed to watch the posser and keep them out of the trees, what I thought—I’ll go away now and meet you out there, behind the knob where the Kapperin were.”
    â€œYou’ve thought this out very carefully.”
    â€œMeie, I had to.” She glanced nervously around. “Please, I should go now, I’ve been here too long.”
    â€œWait a moment. There’s something I must do first.” She tapped the macai on the rump, sent it a few steps in a tight half-circle. “Start going through that junk.” She pointed to the pile of Kappran leavings on the ground. “At least you’ll look busy. There are some questions you must answer. It’s ritual. Do you understand?”
    â€œYes, meie.” The girl dropped on her knees and fumbled with the bits and pieces, touching them with a determined attempt to conquer her revulsion.
    â€œYou ask to be one of the company of the Biserica?”
    â€œI ask it, meie.” Her hands staled, began moving again.
    â€œThe way is long.” The required words came smoothly enough to Serroi though she felt little joy in speaking them. “We promise nothing.”
    â€œI have learned to endure, meie.”
    â€œWhat do you bring us?”
    â€œOnly my hands and my heart, meie. I’ll do anything, I don’t care what. To get away from here, to be someone, not an animal, I’ll do anything.”
    Serroi took a deep breath. “If you join the company of meie, you must abandon the hope of children.”
    â€œBetter than being raped by whoever takes the notion. I want to rule my own life, meie.” Her body was taut as a bowstring with passion. “I want to be … I don’t know … I want to mean something.”
    â€œThen let it be.” As the girl gathered herself, Serroi added hastily, “Don’t move yet, not for a minute. What’s your name, girl?”
    â€œDinafar.” Her tone turned bitter. “Outsider. That’s what my mother named me before she threw me into the street.”
    â€œAnd I am Serroi. I’ll wait by the knob, but I meant it about the danger. I can’t explain, but think carefully before you come.”
    Dinafar’s face flushed, then paled. She jumped to her feet, staggered, ducked her head in a awkward bow, then ran for the meadowland.
    Serroi chuckled, shook her head as she turned to the macai and checked all the ties and straps, then she pulled herself in the saddle and started riding after Dinafar toward the rocky knob rising like a brown-grey pimple from the rolling green.

THE CHILD: 3
    The Noris’s head jerked, the red gem flickering in the pearly light coming from the room behind him, then flickered again as his mouth twitched into a ghost of a smile. “So it is. Serroi,” he said. “Come, Serroi, I want to show you where you’ll sleep.”
    Rebellion melting away for the moment, she walked carefully past the raised tapestry and into the corridor, glancing repeatedly up at him, surprised at having surprised him, trying to fit his reaction into what she knew of people. The Noris spoke a WORD and the stone to her right gapped suddenly. Stone seemed as malleable as water to him. Light crawled up stairs folding in a tight spiral as the Noris dropped the tapestry and urged her forward with a hand on her shoulder onto steps that seemed to be driving into the stone, forcing it open as they climbed. Serroi trudged reluctantly up those unreeling stairs, feeling very strange. The narrow space made her skin itch; she didn’t like being so enclosed, was glad the Noris followed close behind.
    She came around the last curve of