Read Online The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin - Free Book Online
Authors: Ursula K. Le Guin
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them blow whither they will. On that, all agree, and tell the same tale. That is why they are great sailors; they can put the wind of magic in their sails, and go where they will, and hush the stormsat sea. And it is said that they can make light at will, and darkness; and change rocks to diamonds, and lead to gold; that they can build a great palace or a whole city in one instant, at least in seeming; that they can turn themselves into bears, or fish, or dragons, just as they please.”
“I do not believe all that,” said Kossil. “That they are dangerous, subtle with trickery, slippery as eels, yes. But they say that if you take his wooden staff away from a sorcerer, he has no power left. Probably there are evil runes written on the staff.”
Thar shook her head again. “They carry a staff, indeed, but it is only a tool for the power they bear within them.”
“But how do they get the power?” Arha asked. “Where does it come from?”
“Lies,” Kossil said.
“Words,” said Thar. “So I was told by one who once had watched a great sorcerer of the Inner Lands, a Mage as they are called. They had taken him prisoner, raiding to the West. He showed them a stick of dry wood, and spoke a word to it. And lo! it blossomed. And he spoke another word, and lo! it bore red apples. And he spoke one word more, and stick, blossoms, apples, and all vanished, and with them the sorcerer. With one word he had gone as a rainbow goes, like a wink, without a trace; and they never found him on that isle. Was that mere jugglery?”
“It’s easy to fool fools,” Kossil said.
Thar said no more, avoiding argument; but Arha was loath tohave the subject dropped. “What do the wizard-folk look like?” she asked. “Are they truly black all over, with white eyes?”
“They are black and vile. I have never seen one,” Kossil said with satisfaction, shifting her heavy bulk on the low stool and spreading her hands to the fire.
“May the Twin Gods keep them afar,” Thar muttered.
“They will never come here again,” said Kossil. And the fire sputtered, and the rain spattered on the roof, and outside the gloomy doorway Manan cried shrilly, “Aha! A half for me, a half!”
CHAPTER 5
LIGHT UNDER THE HILL
A S THE YEAR WAS ROUNDING again toward winter, Thar died. In the summer a wasting disease had come upon her; she who had been thin grew skeletal, she who had been grim now did not speak at all. Only to Arha would she talk, sometimes, when they were alone together; then even that ceased, and she went silently into the dark. When she was gone, Arha missed her sorely. If Thar had been stern, she had never been cruel. It was pride she had taught to Arha, not fear.
Now there was only Kossil.
A new High Priestess for the Temple of the Twin Gods would come in spring from Awabath; until then, Arha and Kossil between them were the rulers of the Place. The woman called the girl “mistress,” and should obey her if commanded. But Arha had learned not to command Kossil. She had the right to do so, but not the strength; it would take very great strength to stand up against Kossil’s jealousy of a higher status than her own, her hatred of anything she herself did not control.
Since Arha had learned (from gentle Penthe) of the existence of unfaith, and had accepted it as a reality even though it frightened her, she had been able to look at Kossil much more steadily, and to understand her. Kossil had no true worship in her heart of the Nameless Ones or of the gods. She held nothing sacred but power. The Emperor of the Kargad Lands now held the power, and therefore he was indeed a godking in her eyes, and she would serve him well. But to her the temples were mere show, the Tombstones were rocks, the Tombs of Atuan were dark holes in the ground, terrible but empty. She would do away with the worship of the Empty Throne, if she could. She would do away with the First Priestess, if she dared.
Arha had come to face even this last fact quite
“I do not believe all that,” said Kossil. “That they are dangerous, subtle with trickery, slippery as eels, yes. But they say that if you take his wooden staff away from a sorcerer, he has no power left. Probably there are evil runes written on the staff.”
Thar shook her head again. “They carry a staff, indeed, but it is only a tool for the power they bear within them.”
“But how do they get the power?” Arha asked. “Where does it come from?”
“Lies,” Kossil said.
“Words,” said Thar. “So I was told by one who once had watched a great sorcerer of the Inner Lands, a Mage as they are called. They had taken him prisoner, raiding to the West. He showed them a stick of dry wood, and spoke a word to it. And lo! it blossomed. And he spoke another word, and lo! it bore red apples. And he spoke one word more, and stick, blossoms, apples, and all vanished, and with them the sorcerer. With one word he had gone as a rainbow goes, like a wink, without a trace; and they never found him on that isle. Was that mere jugglery?”
“It’s easy to fool fools,” Kossil said.
Thar said no more, avoiding argument; but Arha was loath tohave the subject dropped. “What do the wizard-folk look like?” she asked. “Are they truly black all over, with white eyes?”
“They are black and vile. I have never seen one,” Kossil said with satisfaction, shifting her heavy bulk on the low stool and spreading her hands to the fire.
“May the Twin Gods keep them afar,” Thar muttered.
“They will never come here again,” said Kossil. And the fire sputtered, and the rain spattered on the roof, and outside the gloomy doorway Manan cried shrilly, “Aha! A half for me, a half!”
CHAPTER 5
LIGHT UNDER THE HILL
A S THE YEAR WAS ROUNDING again toward winter, Thar died. In the summer a wasting disease had come upon her; she who had been thin grew skeletal, she who had been grim now did not speak at all. Only to Arha would she talk, sometimes, when they were alone together; then even that ceased, and she went silently into the dark. When she was gone, Arha missed her sorely. If Thar had been stern, she had never been cruel. It was pride she had taught to Arha, not fear.
Now there was only Kossil.
A new High Priestess for the Temple of the Twin Gods would come in spring from Awabath; until then, Arha and Kossil between them were the rulers of the Place. The woman called the girl “mistress,” and should obey her if commanded. But Arha had learned not to command Kossil. She had the right to do so, but not the strength; it would take very great strength to stand up against Kossil’s jealousy of a higher status than her own, her hatred of anything she herself did not control.
Since Arha had learned (from gentle Penthe) of the existence of unfaith, and had accepted it as a reality even though it frightened her, she had been able to look at Kossil much more steadily, and to understand her. Kossil had no true worship in her heart of the Nameless Ones or of the gods. She held nothing sacred but power. The Emperor of the Kargad Lands now held the power, and therefore he was indeed a godking in her eyes, and she would serve him well. But to her the temples were mere show, the Tombstones were rocks, the Tombs of Atuan were dark holes in the ground, terrible but empty. She would do away with the worship of the Empty Throne, if she could. She would do away with the First Priestess, if she dared.
Arha had come to face even this last fact quite
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