Chapters (20)
In the chrome torchlight I saw the figure of a man standing at the cliff-edge while my life passed dark behind him. “Is anybody down there?” he called. No one answered him. Even at that distance I saw his head turn as he looked to see how far his place in the line had already travelled beyond him. But he had heard a bird down there. He waited. He must be a leader. “Is anybody down there?” he yelled again, louder but more uncertain. No answer. I breathed into the wetness of Unis’ feathers. The torch wavered; the man ran on, without us.
“Well,” I said, “you’re stuck now with a long, hard journey over lonely mountains, Narra.”
It was still not quite dawn.
The gliller of water, in the pools, beneath the silhouettes of the water weed leaves, the glicker of the huge liquid stars in the sky, the glitter of the torches glittering away into receding distance, the flicker of the wind on all the star-faded grass----
Blob said we must get mules from the palace. “Come back,” he said, “just to the outer courtyard. A matter of a half-mile, and you’re safe now the army’s no longer in occupation.”
We went back with him.
It was nice for Blob, the governor was in the courtyard just as we got there.
“Oh, hello, governor, sir,” swaggered Blob. “Good to find you right here. I brought her, as I said I would.”
The governor looked at me. He smiled.
“You’ll have your reward,” he said to Blob.
“Excuse me, but there’s a bird I managed to get away as well,” Blob said. “I’d be satisfied with him.”
The governor looked Ums over.
“I’m sure you would,” he said. “But he’s far too valuable a beast for you. You shall have gold and a peaceful, healthy working-life in my fields.”
He raped me in the morning. He did not sleep after it. He even let me keep my knife. He had no fear, or perhaps it didn’t occur to him I should dare to use it on him. In any case he was justified. Never have eyes been so wide. He never sleeps with me. As soon as he’s finished with me he sends me away. I fought, I have never fought so hard. He held my hands. I screamed at the pain. It was a hard first entry. His eyes stared away above my head, he jerked and panted and forced. I lay beneath him, as he used me and yet swore at my difficulty, in the last extremity of horror and degradation. He drew away afterwards, dribbling, and sent me away. I ran stumbling down the passage. I felt I must bathe immediately, but I could never bathe him from me. I was in pain. I thought it would ease it to write it here but it has not.