Godsfire by Cynthia Felice

Author:Cynthia Felice [Felice, Cynthia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, General
ISBN: 9781451666625
Google: LoxgkQEACAAJ
Amazon: 0671447041
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 1982-08-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

THE WARM vernal winds from beyond the mountains had been blowing steadily for several nights. The farmers began planting fields of mushrooms. Moss patches plumped and flowered, their tiny, straight stalks brightening the plateaus with lively shades of gray. Ferns uncurled along the cobblestones near our house, and I studied their growth with unusual interest; when the fronds were as tall as my ankles, the snow in the passes would be gone and the King-conqueror, with his court, could be expected to arrive any twinight thereafter. Then the torches on the battlements of his stronghold would once again blaze brightly, night and twinight. And with a blink of his sage eyes, he could end the temple’s persecution of me and Rellar.

But the fern fronds were barely as high as my instep when I returned home from a walk to find Baltsar’s slaves filing down the cobblestone path to the concourse, their arms and backs laden with clothes and cushions.

“What are you doing?” I said, bewildered. But no one would answer me. I rushed past them to the house, where the door was propped open to facilitate the exiting slaves. “What’s happening?” I said loudly.

“I’m sorry, Heao.” It was Baltsar, coming from the mudroom. His eyes were miserable, his tail drooping. “I thought you would be away for a few sticks of time.”

I still didn’t understand. “I came back early,” I said, watching more slaves with more of his belongings walk between us and out the door.

“I cannot tolerate it any longer,” he said. He would not meet my eyes, and then I understood. Anger surged through me.

“You tried to sneak away,” I said in a shocked whisper, “without even a word.”

“What could I say, Heao—that I am a selfish man who will not be beaten and broken by anyone? Would you understand if I said I cannot tolerate seeing my children being treated shabbily by their friends . . . that I cannot tolerate their despair? You’ve seen the anguish you’ve caused, yet you are unmoved.”

I shook my head. “It’s just for a while.”

He turned away, his head hanging. “I can’t abide it any longer, Heao. I swear to you that I have tried.”

“It’s not the children,” I said accusingly. “You’re afraid!”

“Yes.”

“Of losing more profits.”

“That, too.” His voice was stronger. He turned and came to within an arm’s length of me before he noticed my tail was twitching. “I didn’t come lightly to my decision to leave you. I have a responsibility to my children that I will honor, even if you will not.”

“Do you think my decision to endure the shunning was easy?”

“No,” he said softly. “But from the very beginning, you have been unrealistic. You have never cooperated with Tarana, and that incites her fears. You came out publicly for slaves with complete disregard for the consequences. You’ve alienated the only champion you might have had, giving Chel no choice but to align himself with the temple. Their backs are to the wall, and so is mine.”

“I am my own champion,” I said, knowing suddenly that I was speaking the truth.

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