Vita: A Novel by Mazzucco Melania G

Author:Mazzucco, Melania G. [Mazzucco, Melania G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Published: 2005-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

The Son of the Lady Tree

And so he forged the lances, pliers, horseshoes, and all the other instruments the Narts needed, but then the god Lhepsch began to get bored. He went to seek advice from Satanay, the woman who knows everything. And Satanay said, “Now go and walk the face of the earth. You shall see how other peoples live, so as to gather new wisdom and new knowledge to bring back with you. And if God does not abandon you, you may discover some interesting things and learn some stories along the way.” And the god of the blacksmiths asked, “What do I need for this voyage?” “You do not need much,” the prophetess responded. “Prepare some comfortable clothes and then begin your search.” So Lhepsch made a pair of boots of the most resistant steel, put them on, and off he went. He was so swift that in one hour he covered the distance men can travel in a day, and in a month what would take them a year. He crossed the highest mountain in one strong stride, the widest river in a single bound. Walking and leaping, jumping and flying, he crossed the seven seas and soon arrived at the coast. There he uprooted hundreds of trees, ripped off their branches and bound the trunks together to form a raft; he placed it on the water and set sail. The sea was infinite, and Lhepsch navigated for weeks. When he reached the distant shore, he saw a group of girls playing. They were so beautiful he instantly fell in love. He reached for them, but they slipped through his fingers and he wasn’t able to catch even one. He chased and chased, but to no avail. And so finally he begged them, “For the love of God, tell me who you are. I have never seen anyone like you my entire life. No one has ever refused me before.” “We are the handmaids of the Lady Tree,” the maidens replied. “Come, our Lady will receive you and hear your requests.”

So he followed them to the strangest creature his eyes had ever seen. She was not a tree, nor did she have a human form. Her roots penetrated deep into the earth, and her hair floated in the sky like a cloud. She had human hands. And her face was glorious. All gold and silver. The Lady Tree smiled at Lhepsch and welcomed him graciously. She received him with magnificence and then sent him off to bed. But Lhepsch awoke in the heart of the night. He found the Lady Tree, seized her, and tried to rape her.

“This is most discourteous,” Lady Tree protested. “No man has ever laid a hand on me before.”

“But I am a god,” Lhepsch replied. And then he made love to her.

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