Read Online Playing God by Sarah Zettel - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sarah Zettel
Tags: FIC022000
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of herself and closed her mouth. Theia pressed close to her side, and, reflexively, Praeis wrapped an arm around her.
Vaier and Aires Byu both glowered at their sister.
“I don't care!” Ueani Byu jumped to her feet. She began to pace back and forth, working figure eights around the chairs. “We've had enough subtlety here. We are the Queens-of-All, and there's no one to hear our voices but cooks and shit cleaners! We've got to get out of here, back into the thick of our lands and people, but we don't know where we can go in safety or whom we can trust. You”—she stabbed a finger at Praeis—”are going to find out for us! You are going to gather the loyal following we need, and you are going to hand us your living sisters to try for high treason if we tell you to. Yes? Good?”
Ueani Byu stood there, feet spread, fingers flexing. Praeis felt her heart beat wildly. Her nostrils clamped shut and her ears cringed. For a moment, she thought if she refused, her Queen would go for her throat.
Praeis swallowed hard and forced her nostrils open. “Why me?” she asked, ashamed at the weakness in her voice. “It cannot be that my Majestic Sisters have no allies.”
“Because you have traded t'Therian lives for peace,” said Vaier Byu. “We have no one else who has done that. We may require you to do it again. Once before, you were our hands and eyes and did for us things which no one else could, or would do. We can trust you to act for us as we can trust no other.”
So there it was. The real reason she had been allowed to come home. The Queens needed someone who could and would betray her family. Praeis looked at the floor. The harbor islands sprawled under her feet. She panted hard and did not try to stop herself.
At last, she closed her eyes and raised her hands. “Obedience first, obedience second, obedience third.”
It was nearly dark by the time Praeis and her daughters were released from the Queens’ presence. Two soldiers Praeis didn't know drove them out of the city and into the working lands. Walls enclosed factories, fields, and orchards, so it was like driving through a cement maze.
Here and there, the walls opened up to reveal distressingly weedy lawns for the crematoriums. Praeis remembered only two on the whole length of road between the city and home. Today, though, she had counted eight, and each one of them had its fire going. The familiar, dreaded, sweet-sour burning scent from the bodies being burned before their ashes were commited to the earth of the Ancestors filled the damp wind. At the smell, both Theia and Res grew quiet and huddled closer to her, and Praeis held them gratefully.
Finally, the road took a sharp corner and the walls opened up again. This time, though, Praeis saw rain damp grass and a few sprawling trees no one had ever bothered to prune.
Then she saw home.
Its walls were smooth white cement. She and her sisters had spent hours scrubbing the cursed things. Any breach of family discipline would get them sent out with hoses and soap. Four adolescents sat on top of the walls, either as lookouts or just looking. As the car drove past the wall, the daughters turned and shouted. Praeis couldn't understand the words.
Behind the walls Praeis could just see the four chimneys and peaked slate roof of the main house. The wide wood and iron gate glided into view. The timbers were a little darker than they had been, and there were flecks of rust on the reinforcing iron bars and hinges, but it remained the entrance to her home.
Their driver braked roughly and gestured to the roadside. “Here we complete our commission.”
Praeis dipped her ears. “Thank you. With me, Daughters.”
Resaime and Theiareth clambered out of the car, fast enough to make themselves clumsy.
“PRAEIS!”
Praeis barely had time to turn around before the gate swung open and the floodwave of family broke against them. Cousins crowded around, becoming a blur of hands and faces as they were hugged and
Vaier and Aires Byu both glowered at their sister.
“I don't care!” Ueani Byu jumped to her feet. She began to pace back and forth, working figure eights around the chairs. “We've had enough subtlety here. We are the Queens-of-All, and there's no one to hear our voices but cooks and shit cleaners! We've got to get out of here, back into the thick of our lands and people, but we don't know where we can go in safety or whom we can trust. You”—she stabbed a finger at Praeis—”are going to find out for us! You are going to gather the loyal following we need, and you are going to hand us your living sisters to try for high treason if we tell you to. Yes? Good?”
Ueani Byu stood there, feet spread, fingers flexing. Praeis felt her heart beat wildly. Her nostrils clamped shut and her ears cringed. For a moment, she thought if she refused, her Queen would go for her throat.
Praeis swallowed hard and forced her nostrils open. “Why me?” she asked, ashamed at the weakness in her voice. “It cannot be that my Majestic Sisters have no allies.”
“Because you have traded t'Therian lives for peace,” said Vaier Byu. “We have no one else who has done that. We may require you to do it again. Once before, you were our hands and eyes and did for us things which no one else could, or would do. We can trust you to act for us as we can trust no other.”
So there it was. The real reason she had been allowed to come home. The Queens needed someone who could and would betray her family. Praeis looked at the floor. The harbor islands sprawled under her feet. She panted hard and did not try to stop herself.
At last, she closed her eyes and raised her hands. “Obedience first, obedience second, obedience third.”
It was nearly dark by the time Praeis and her daughters were released from the Queens’ presence. Two soldiers Praeis didn't know drove them out of the city and into the working lands. Walls enclosed factories, fields, and orchards, so it was like driving through a cement maze.
Here and there, the walls opened up to reveal distressingly weedy lawns for the crematoriums. Praeis remembered only two on the whole length of road between the city and home. Today, though, she had counted eight, and each one of them had its fire going. The familiar, dreaded, sweet-sour burning scent from the bodies being burned before their ashes were commited to the earth of the Ancestors filled the damp wind. At the smell, both Theia and Res grew quiet and huddled closer to her, and Praeis held them gratefully.
Finally, the road took a sharp corner and the walls opened up again. This time, though, Praeis saw rain damp grass and a few sprawling trees no one had ever bothered to prune.
Then she saw home.
Its walls were smooth white cement. She and her sisters had spent hours scrubbing the cursed things. Any breach of family discipline would get them sent out with hoses and soap. Four adolescents sat on top of the walls, either as lookouts or just looking. As the car drove past the wall, the daughters turned and shouted. Praeis couldn't understand the words.
Behind the walls Praeis could just see the four chimneys and peaked slate roof of the main house. The wide wood and iron gate glided into view. The timbers were a little darker than they had been, and there were flecks of rust on the reinforcing iron bars and hinges, but it remained the entrance to her home.
Their driver braked roughly and gestured to the roadside. “Here we complete our commission.”
Praeis dipped her ears. “Thank you. With me, Daughters.”
Resaime and Theiareth clambered out of the car, fast enough to make themselves clumsy.
“PRAEIS!”
Praeis barely had time to turn around before the gate swung open and the floodwave of family broke against them. Cousins crowded around, becoming a blur of hands and faces as they were hugged and
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