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Authors: S. L. Viehl
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tell me of their lives?"
I told her what I knew, making it clear from the beginning that I had never been permitted to live among the tribes, and what I knew had been gained through stories told by my sisters and my own infrequent observations. I added a little about my life among the skela, the outcast Iisleg females who recovered ensleg corpses from surface shipwrecks and butchered game for the tribal hunters so they would not have to sully their hands with the taint of the dead. She seemed interested in how hard my sisters had worked to ensure their survival away from the protection and safety of the iiskars.
"When the rebellion came, and so many were lost fighting the Toskald, things changed for the women of the tribes," I said. "Part of that was because our Raktar made the skela into vral."
"Vral?"
I explained the old Iisleg legend of the vral, the dead whose spirits returned as faceless healers to judge and restore to health those who were sick or injured, and how we pretended to be the vral by concealing our faces behind Lok-teel masks. "We became vral to save fighters who had fallen during battle, and our men did believe we were gifts from the Gods, sent to those worthy of saving. But Toskald survivors and reinforcements did not know our legends, and often forced us to defend ourselves."
Garphawayn hmphed. "You should not have had to resort to such a ruse."
"We eventually exposed ourselves." I thought of Resa, and how much I missed her fearless presence. "That we had deceived them angered our men, but by then we had healed so many of them that they forgave us for our deception."
"How generous." Garphawayn rose on her one leg. "I have but one question for you, Jam. Why do you continue to behave as an Iisleg female would among us? You must know by now that we are not like the people of Akkabarr."
I wondered why her skin had flushed. "Daneeb, our headwoman, advised me do so. I do not know ensleg ways so it seemed sensible. You females have much more freedom, but your males are not so different from the kheder I knew. Are you feeling ill?"
She ignored my question. "Has my mate been ordering you about, as Reever has?" "Squilyp is my superior," I reminded her. "He
PLAGUE OF MEMORY 67
guides me and prevents me from making mistakes. I am grateful for his direction."
"Cherijo was once Squilyp's superior. He has spoken of those years often, and credits her with teaching him to be a better physician." She hopped over to me. "You did not lose any of your healing skills on Akkabarr, did you?"
"No, but—"
"You are superior in authority to everyone on this vessel. Did no one tell you this?" she continued, her voice growing louder. "I imagine they would not. Always believing they know best."
Now I felt confused. "Something was said about Cherijo's position on some council, but I was told I would not understand—"
"Pah." She made a dismissive gesture. "The males on this ship have gone too far this time. They treat you like a sick child but make use of you as a woman grown. They conceal vital information from you on the pretext of protecting you. This cannot be permitted to continue. You are functioning in a coherent manner. I will not have it."
She had completely lost me. "This is not the way of the women of the tribe."
"In this tribe, Jam, men and women are equals. Power commands respect. The key to power is knowledge, and it cannot be withheld from you simply because you are ignorant of it. So." Garphawayn's expression turned grim. "I will tell you everything they have not."
FOUR
It took Garphawayn some time to relate the many facts that she felt were imperative for me to know. Most had to do with the reasons why my former self had fled Terra. I was shocked to learn of the bioengineering her creator, a Terran named Joseph Grey Veil, had used to transform his own cells into a female, altered version of himself. His experiment had made Cherijo into something more than human, the female Omorr told me, and
I told her what I knew, making it clear from the beginning that I had never been permitted to live among the tribes, and what I knew had been gained through stories told by my sisters and my own infrequent observations. I added a little about my life among the skela, the outcast Iisleg females who recovered ensleg corpses from surface shipwrecks and butchered game for the tribal hunters so they would not have to sully their hands with the taint of the dead. She seemed interested in how hard my sisters had worked to ensure their survival away from the protection and safety of the iiskars.
"When the rebellion came, and so many were lost fighting the Toskald, things changed for the women of the tribes," I said. "Part of that was because our Raktar made the skela into vral."
"Vral?"
I explained the old Iisleg legend of the vral, the dead whose spirits returned as faceless healers to judge and restore to health those who were sick or injured, and how we pretended to be the vral by concealing our faces behind Lok-teel masks. "We became vral to save fighters who had fallen during battle, and our men did believe we were gifts from the Gods, sent to those worthy of saving. But Toskald survivors and reinforcements did not know our legends, and often forced us to defend ourselves."
Garphawayn hmphed. "You should not have had to resort to such a ruse."
"We eventually exposed ourselves." I thought of Resa, and how much I missed her fearless presence. "That we had deceived them angered our men, but by then we had healed so many of them that they forgave us for our deception."
"How generous." Garphawayn rose on her one leg. "I have but one question for you, Jam. Why do you continue to behave as an Iisleg female would among us? You must know by now that we are not like the people of Akkabarr."
I wondered why her skin had flushed. "Daneeb, our headwoman, advised me do so. I do not know ensleg ways so it seemed sensible. You females have much more freedom, but your males are not so different from the kheder I knew. Are you feeling ill?"
She ignored my question. "Has my mate been ordering you about, as Reever has?" "Squilyp is my superior," I reminded her. "He
PLAGUE OF MEMORY 67
guides me and prevents me from making mistakes. I am grateful for his direction."
"Cherijo was once Squilyp's superior. He has spoken of those years often, and credits her with teaching him to be a better physician." She hopped over to me. "You did not lose any of your healing skills on Akkabarr, did you?"
"No, but—"
"You are superior in authority to everyone on this vessel. Did no one tell you this?" she continued, her voice growing louder. "I imagine they would not. Always believing they know best."
Now I felt confused. "Something was said about Cherijo's position on some council, but I was told I would not understand—"
"Pah." She made a dismissive gesture. "The males on this ship have gone too far this time. They treat you like a sick child but make use of you as a woman grown. They conceal vital information from you on the pretext of protecting you. This cannot be permitted to continue. You are functioning in a coherent manner. I will not have it."
She had completely lost me. "This is not the way of the women of the tribe."
"In this tribe, Jam, men and women are equals. Power commands respect. The key to power is knowledge, and it cannot be withheld from you simply because you are ignorant of it. So." Garphawayn's expression turned grim. "I will tell you everything they have not."
FOUR
It took Garphawayn some time to relate the many facts that she felt were imperative for me to know. Most had to do with the reasons why my former self had fled Terra. I was shocked to learn of the bioengineering her creator, a Terran named Joseph Grey Veil, had used to transform his own cells into a female, altered version of himself. His experiment had made Cherijo into something more than human, the female Omorr told me, and
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