Below the Root by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Author:Zilpha Keatley Snyder [Snyder, Zilpha Keatley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4532-7192-6
Publisher: Open Road
Published: 2012-10-23T00:52:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

FOLLOWING NERIC AT A distance, Raamo watched him turn aside on a narrow branchpath and disappear from view. After waiting a few minutes, Raamo took the same branchpath and, climbing steeply, he came soon to a thick curtain of Wissenvine. As he approached the Vine, its leaves trembled and parted, revealing Neric’s face.

“Come,” he whispered. “This way.”

On the other side of the Wissenvine curtain, a network of small branches formed a secluded hideaway. As Raamo squeezed past into the enclosure, Neric continued to peer out.

“What are you looking for?” Raamo asked.

“Did she follow you?” Neric asked.

“Follow me? Do you mean Genaa? Why should she follow me?”

Neric shrugged. “It occurred to me that she might. Out of curiosity, if nothing else. She is the kind that must know everything. It seemed to me that she was aware of something passing between us just now. Are you certain she cannot pense?”

Raamo smiled. “I’ve just discovered that she can send rather strongly when she wants to,” he said. “But I’m quite certain she is not able to pense.”

Neric frowned and once more peered out, carefully scanning the path by which they had come. At last, evidently satisfied that no one was approaching, he settled himself comfortably on a moss-covered branch.

“Well,” he said, his dark eyes blinking rapidly as they searched Raamo’s face, “what have you learned? What has happened while I was away?”

“What have I learned?” Raamo repeated smiling. “A great deal more than I could tell you quickly. I have been in classes almost every waking moment since I last saw you and I have learned—”

“That’s not what I meant,” Neric interrupted impatiently. “I mean have you learned anything concerning the Geets-kel? Have you pensed anything, observed anything—” He broke off suddenly, staring at Raamo. Then he nodded sharply. “I see,” he said. “I move too fast. I had taken it for granted that you were with me, that you would work with me against the Geets-kel. And I see now that you are uncertain. Am I not right, Raamo?”

Raamo nodded. “I have thought about what you told me in the Temple Hall, and I am certain that, if there is a Geets-kel and if they do know something concerning a danger to all Green-sky, they should be exposed, and their secret with them. But I have not been certain that these things are true.”

In answer Neric held out his hands, and with palms and eye-touch made his sending as clear as voice-speech. “I have told you nothing that is untrue.” And then in voice-speech he said, “Do you believe me now? You know that I could not lie in mind-touch.”

“I know now that you were not lying,” Raamo said. “But I was quite certain of that before. But for a time I did try to convince myself that you were mistaken. That you perhaps misunderstood what you overheard in the counsel room, and that it was your nature to make great issues out of matters of less than great importance.” He smiled ruefully.

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