Read Online Shame of Man by Piers Anthony - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Piers Anthony
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if he hadn't been able to see its steep angry peak ahead.
Suddenly both girls went silent. They were standing on a ridge, looking down at something beyond Hue's line of sight. “What?” he called.
“Stranger,” Lee replied.
Hue hurried to join them on the ridge, because strangers could be serious business. Normally they weren't hostile, but caution was essential.
It was a woman and a little boy. She was reasonably young and attractive, but the boy had an ugly red mark on his forehead, as if he had been recently injured. Yet he seemed healthy, so it must be a scar or a spirit mark. The woman was standing quite still, as wary of the girls as they were of her.
Hue knew what to do. “Fae!” he called, without moving.
In a moment Fae hurried up. “Trouble?” she asked.
“Stranger,” he said, gesturing. “Woman. Fae talk.”
Fae nodded. The woman would flee Hue, but might talk with another woman. It was the best way to handle contacts with strangers who might not be hostile. She made her way down the slope toward the strange woman, slowly. The boy, who looked to be about four years old, moved closer to his mother, who still did not move.
Fae stopped at a suitable distance, close enough to talk, not close enough to grab. She pointed to herself. “Fae.”
The woman made a similar gesture. “Sue.” Then she touched the boy's head. “Blaze.”
Fae looked at the boy. “Hurt?”
Sue shook her head. “No.” Then she made a gesture of something coming out of her body. “Blaze born scar.”
Fae nodded. Then she gestured to Hue onthe ridge. “Hue.” She made as if to hug someone. “Hue Fae.” Then she pointed to her belly. “Baby no.”
Sue ventured more trust. “Sue lost. Stranger hurt. Flee. Home—” She made a gesture of bewilderment.
By this time Lil had caught up. Hue filled her in. “Stranger. Woman. Lost.”
Lil went down the slope toward Fae and Sue. Fae meanwhile explained: “Lil. Hue Lil. Son Jae.” And to Lil: “Sue. Son Blaze.”
“Lost,” Sue repeated. “Home?” Again she signaled confusion.
Lil looked at Fae, and the two nodded. They would try to help Sue find her home band. She was friendly, so should be helped, but they didn't want Hue to take her as another mate. Two mates, they felt, was enough for him. Of course he could overrule them.
But Hue had learned that women could be taciturn when crossed. He could discover urine or red ants in the food they brought him, and sex could become scarce. He could safely take another mate only with the concurrence of the existing mates. He would not seek to take the strange woman.
They were aware of his decision even as he made it. Women were uncannily sharp, that way. Even the stranger woman understood. She looked relieved. Had he demanded sex from her, none of them would have stopped him, but none of them would have liked the decision. Sex was normally reserved for more significant commitments, unless a person's usual mates were not around when the inclination came.
Now he descended the slope, flanked by the two girls. Sue made a ritual obeisance, bending down and presenting her rear to him, for he was a dominant male. He simply said, “No,” freeing her of the obligation, completing the ritual. Sex was also a special social commitment, as people who shared sex did not fight. The offer and turndown were lesser commitments, suggesting an amicable temporary association. “Truce.” That wasn't strictly applicable, because there was no question of combat here, but it was the way those of different bands agreed not to fight for a time.
“Truce,” Sue agreed, relaxing.
Hue questioned Sue about the identity of her band. “Erl,” she said, naming its dominant male.
Erl. He was all right. Joe's band had met Erl's band once on the range during a hunt, and agreed to go to opposite sides of the range so as not to interfere with each other's pursuits. Each band had honored the agreement, and each remembered that the other was being
Suddenly both girls went silent. They were standing on a ridge, looking down at something beyond Hue's line of sight. “What?” he called.
“Stranger,” Lee replied.
Hue hurried to join them on the ridge, because strangers could be serious business. Normally they weren't hostile, but caution was essential.
It was a woman and a little boy. She was reasonably young and attractive, but the boy had an ugly red mark on his forehead, as if he had been recently injured. Yet he seemed healthy, so it must be a scar or a spirit mark. The woman was standing quite still, as wary of the girls as they were of her.
Hue knew what to do. “Fae!” he called, without moving.
In a moment Fae hurried up. “Trouble?” she asked.
“Stranger,” he said, gesturing. “Woman. Fae talk.”
Fae nodded. The woman would flee Hue, but might talk with another woman. It was the best way to handle contacts with strangers who might not be hostile. She made her way down the slope toward the strange woman, slowly. The boy, who looked to be about four years old, moved closer to his mother, who still did not move.
Fae stopped at a suitable distance, close enough to talk, not close enough to grab. She pointed to herself. “Fae.”
The woman made a similar gesture. “Sue.” Then she touched the boy's head. “Blaze.”
Fae looked at the boy. “Hurt?”
Sue shook her head. “No.” Then she made a gesture of something coming out of her body. “Blaze born scar.”
Fae nodded. Then she gestured to Hue onthe ridge. “Hue.” She made as if to hug someone. “Hue Fae.” Then she pointed to her belly. “Baby no.”
Sue ventured more trust. “Sue lost. Stranger hurt. Flee. Home—” She made a gesture of bewilderment.
By this time Lil had caught up. Hue filled her in. “Stranger. Woman. Lost.”
Lil went down the slope toward Fae and Sue. Fae meanwhile explained: “Lil. Hue Lil. Son Jae.” And to Lil: “Sue. Son Blaze.”
“Lost,” Sue repeated. “Home?” Again she signaled confusion.
Lil looked at Fae, and the two nodded. They would try to help Sue find her home band. She was friendly, so should be helped, but they didn't want Hue to take her as another mate. Two mates, they felt, was enough for him. Of course he could overrule them.
But Hue had learned that women could be taciturn when crossed. He could discover urine or red ants in the food they brought him, and sex could become scarce. He could safely take another mate only with the concurrence of the existing mates. He would not seek to take the strange woman.
They were aware of his decision even as he made it. Women were uncannily sharp, that way. Even the stranger woman understood. She looked relieved. Had he demanded sex from her, none of them would have stopped him, but none of them would have liked the decision. Sex was normally reserved for more significant commitments, unless a person's usual mates were not around when the inclination came.
Now he descended the slope, flanked by the two girls. Sue made a ritual obeisance, bending down and presenting her rear to him, for he was a dominant male. He simply said, “No,” freeing her of the obligation, completing the ritual. Sex was also a special social commitment, as people who shared sex did not fight. The offer and turndown were lesser commitments, suggesting an amicable temporary association. “Truce.” That wasn't strictly applicable, because there was no question of combat here, but it was the way those of different bands agreed not to fight for a time.
“Truce,” Sue agreed, relaxing.
Hue questioned Sue about the identity of her band. “Erl,” she said, naming its dominant male.
Erl. He was all right. Joe's band had met Erl's band once on the range during a hunt, and agreed to go to opposite sides of the range so as not to interfere with each other's pursuits. Each band had honored the agreement, and each remembered that the other was being
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