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Authors: Liliana Bodoc
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dangers. With two of you, you can watch over each other’s sleep, cure the
other’s wounds, and if necessary one of you can sacrifice himself so that the other can continue.’
Cucub yawned and concentrated on rubbing his arms and legs. His gesture showed both his weariness and his satisfaction at the reply Dulkancellin had received.
‘Everything has been said,’ Kupuka concluded. ‘I am going to leave now. I also have difficult days ahead of me. You two have only a few days to prepare for your journey.
Don’t let the seventh sunrise still find you here!’
‘The rain will be a wall against us,’ said Dulkancellin.
‘Of course, but you will have to overcome it. You know the forest better than anyone.’ With this, Kupuka got to his feet and asked Dulkancellin to bring Kush and the children back
in.
By the time Kush and her five grandchildren had entered the room, the Earth Wizard was already standing by the door loaded with all his belongings, his cloak wrapped round his shoulders. They
went over to him. Kupuka placed his palm on the forehead of each in a sign of farewell and protection. Then he turned to the men.
‘Two of you rather than one are setting out, in order to defend each other and protect the outcome of your mission. Two of you rather than an army, so that your movements will go
unnoticed, and the secret be kept as has been ordained.’
‘Are we to see you again?’ asked Dulkancellin.
‘Yes. I will appear at some point on your path, before you finally leave the Ends of the Earth. Oh, I was forgetting!’ the Earth Wizard smote himself on the forehead. ‘You must
ask Cucub for the sign that shows he is the true messenger sent by the Astronomers. It is one of Kukul’s feathers. He is sure to have it.’
‘I’ve never seen a feather from that bird,’ Dulkancellin objected.
‘That is why you will instantly recognize it.’
‘Shouldn’t we have done this as soon as the Zitzahay arrived?’ the warrior said in surprise.
‘As I told you, I forgot. I must be older than any of you imagine.’
Dulkancellin was not convinced by Kupuka’s excuse.
‘Wait. We’ll ask him for it right now,’ he insisted.
‘That’s impossible. Cucub will take ages rummaging in his belongings, and I cannot wait.’
Kupuka said farewell and went out into the rainstorm. They closed the door behind him. Wind, rain and cold were left outside once more.
‘Look! Look!’ shouted Thungür, pointing to one of the walls.
Kupuka’s shadow was still there, with his pack, his staff, and his cloak. It slowly faded away, with all of them watching until it had completely disappeared.
7
‘I CAN STILL HEAR THE RAIN BEFORE YOU!’
‘It’s true Kupuka must be very old,’ said Wilkilén. ‘He forgot his shadow as well!’
‘I think he left so quickly it could not keep up with him,’ Kuy-Kuyen argued.
‘That can’t be right,’ said Piukemán, who did not agree with her. ‘Arrows fly more quickly, and yet they take their shadows with them.’
‘Kupuka does not do things without a reason,’ said Thungür.
‘I know the reason,’ said Kume with a nervous grin. ‘It’s because he enjoys scaring people now and again.’
This children’s chatter helped the family recover from their unease at the sight of the shadow. Dulkancellin remembered his duties, and spoke to the messenger, who at that moment was
gazing round the room, taking in every last detail.
‘Show us the sign so we may know you are who you say you are,’ he asked, then added: ‘Show us the feather which for some reason or other you failed to produce of your own
accord.’
‘Of course I didn’t show it!’ Cucub protested. ‘I had orders not to do so until I was asked. You must understand that we too need proof that you are who you say you are.
What if I took an impostor with me right to the House of the Stars! But since Kupuka has already demonstrated that he knew of the sign, and that it is a feather from Kukul, I must now
other’s wounds, and if necessary one of you can sacrifice himself so that the other can continue.’
Cucub yawned and concentrated on rubbing his arms and legs. His gesture showed both his weariness and his satisfaction at the reply Dulkancellin had received.
‘Everything has been said,’ Kupuka concluded. ‘I am going to leave now. I also have difficult days ahead of me. You two have only a few days to prepare for your journey.
Don’t let the seventh sunrise still find you here!’
‘The rain will be a wall against us,’ said Dulkancellin.
‘Of course, but you will have to overcome it. You know the forest better than anyone.’ With this, Kupuka got to his feet and asked Dulkancellin to bring Kush and the children back
in.
By the time Kush and her five grandchildren had entered the room, the Earth Wizard was already standing by the door loaded with all his belongings, his cloak wrapped round his shoulders. They
went over to him. Kupuka placed his palm on the forehead of each in a sign of farewell and protection. Then he turned to the men.
‘Two of you rather than one are setting out, in order to defend each other and protect the outcome of your mission. Two of you rather than an army, so that your movements will go
unnoticed, and the secret be kept as has been ordained.’
‘Are we to see you again?’ asked Dulkancellin.
‘Yes. I will appear at some point on your path, before you finally leave the Ends of the Earth. Oh, I was forgetting!’ the Earth Wizard smote himself on the forehead. ‘You must
ask Cucub for the sign that shows he is the true messenger sent by the Astronomers. It is one of Kukul’s feathers. He is sure to have it.’
‘I’ve never seen a feather from that bird,’ Dulkancellin objected.
‘That is why you will instantly recognize it.’
‘Shouldn’t we have done this as soon as the Zitzahay arrived?’ the warrior said in surprise.
‘As I told you, I forgot. I must be older than any of you imagine.’
Dulkancellin was not convinced by Kupuka’s excuse.
‘Wait. We’ll ask him for it right now,’ he insisted.
‘That’s impossible. Cucub will take ages rummaging in his belongings, and I cannot wait.’
Kupuka said farewell and went out into the rainstorm. They closed the door behind him. Wind, rain and cold were left outside once more.
‘Look! Look!’ shouted Thungür, pointing to one of the walls.
Kupuka’s shadow was still there, with his pack, his staff, and his cloak. It slowly faded away, with all of them watching until it had completely disappeared.
7
‘I CAN STILL HEAR THE RAIN BEFORE YOU!’
‘It’s true Kupuka must be very old,’ said Wilkilén. ‘He forgot his shadow as well!’
‘I think he left so quickly it could not keep up with him,’ Kuy-Kuyen argued.
‘That can’t be right,’ said Piukemán, who did not agree with her. ‘Arrows fly more quickly, and yet they take their shadows with them.’
‘Kupuka does not do things without a reason,’ said Thungür.
‘I know the reason,’ said Kume with a nervous grin. ‘It’s because he enjoys scaring people now and again.’
This children’s chatter helped the family recover from their unease at the sight of the shadow. Dulkancellin remembered his duties, and spoke to the messenger, who at that moment was
gazing round the room, taking in every last detail.
‘Show us the sign so we may know you are who you say you are,’ he asked, then added: ‘Show us the feather which for some reason or other you failed to produce of your own
accord.’
‘Of course I didn’t show it!’ Cucub protested. ‘I had orders not to do so until I was asked. You must understand that we too need proof that you are who you say you are.
What if I took an impostor with me right to the House of the Stars! But since Kupuka has already demonstrated that he knew of the sign, and that it is a feather from Kukul, I must now
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