The Crystal Desert by Julia Gray

Author:Julia Gray [Gray, Julia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, General, Fiction, Epic
ISBN: 9781841490939
Google: 3gHSQgAACAAJ
Amazon: 1841490938
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Published: 2003-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

to get to the mountain. I have the banner ready, and I know I'm going to win.' Now that he'd begun to unburden himself, Zahir's words tumbled out in a rush. 'But then, as I'm walking along, someone offers me a drink of water. Of course I refuse. I would lose the race, lose all honour, if I accepted. But this person won't take no for an answer.'

'Do you know who it is?'

'I can never see his face. It's as if the sun is directly behind him, blinding me. He keeps pushing an unstoppered waterskin towards me, even though I tell him again that I don't want any. We go on, and it happens again -and this time I see that everyone else on the team is watching. But then it's not just my team but the whole tribe, and people from other tribes, all watching me. I still refuse, but I'm afraid they'll think I was cheating. I can't seem to move any more, and the other champions are catching up. He tells me I'm going to lose unless I drink, but the idea revolts me. Just the smell of the water makes me feel sick. I'm sweating and dizzy, and everyone's looking at me. Then suddenly he squeezes the skin and water shoots out, splashing my face and arms. Some of it goes in my mouth and I scream, because it burns my skin and my throat. And I know I've lost. That's when I wake up.'

Zahir's dark face was sheened with perspiration. It was obvious that the memory of his nocturnal ordeal was tormenting him.

'I told you it's stupid,' he added, looking thoroughly embarrassed. 'No one would do that to me.'

'Perhaps you're imagining doing it to yourself.'

'What? That's ridiculous.'

'Dreams are sometimes meant to show us things,' Terrel said, quoting Alyssa. 'But sometimes they're just a reflection of what we feel deep inside us, what we're worried about. Being the Toma's champion is a huge responsibility. You're aware of that - and it's enough to make anyone anxious.'

'You think I'm afraid I'll fail?'

'Perhaps you're just afraid of the unknown. We all are, to some extent.'

'The Binhemma-Ghar doesn't frighten me. No desert does.'

'That's not what I meant. This is a new experience for you, your first major task as a man. Anyone would find such a prospect nerve-wracking.'

'I'm only nervous when I'm asleep,' Zahir muttered, sounding exasperated.

'That's because the fears are buried deep in your mind. You hide them - even from yourself- when you're awake.'

'And these fears created the dream? Is that what you're saying? So you don't think it's a premonition, then? It's not actually going to happen?'

'I don't think so, no.'

'So how do I get rid of these fears?'

'You don't,' Terrel said. 'You have to accept them as part of you. Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. It's a very necessary emotion. Without it, you wouldn't pull your foot away when you were about to tread on a scorpion. You need to be afraid of being stung.

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