He repeated the gesture with his hand. But like a Yilanè he saw the hand gesture as part of a whole that involved the entire body, all of the limbs. So without realizing it he dropped his shoulder, held his hand before his chest in a protective, feminine gesture, even for one instant stood with his legs just as Matili had stood. Nenne saw this writhing movement and did not understand it, like many things he did not understand about Kerrick. He did not like them either, but he kept his feelings to himself. The moment had come to tell Kerrick; it was time that he understood. “Come over here, I will try to explain.”

They walked under the trees until they could not be overheard. “It was the words you spoke last night. You talked with the manduktos, you shouted and many heard. Matili has been told what you said. What she did with her hand when she saw you, that is what foolish women do to turn Karognis away from them.”

Kerrick was puzzled. “My words last night—and Karognis? I do not understand.”

“Karognis is the evil one, as evil as the murgu, his eyes must not rest upon one or harm will befall.”

“What have I to do with Karognis?”

“Some say you speak with the tongue of Karognis. You spoke—words about Kadair that were overheard. That was not a good thing to do.”

Kerrick looked at the grim expression on Nenne’s face and knew that although he might deny it, he really felt the same as Matili did. The Sasku listened to the manduktos and understood them when they talked about the living world, how Kadair had made all of the world, and how all things in the world knew that. In this they were like the Tanu who saw life around them in everything, the animals and the birds, even the rivers and trees. Knowing where this life came from they would never speak of Ermanpadar with other than deepest respect. Kerrick always forgot this, had not grown up with these strong beliefs as the Tanu and the Sasku had done. He tried to make amends.

“I spoke in anger and fear. Tell Matili that it was not myself talking, what I said I did not mean.”

“I must return.” Nenne turned and walked away without answering. It was obvious now that he really believed as the women did. Kerrick did not display his instant anger and call out after him the words that would only have added to the ill feeling. But he hated their stupidities.

They are only ustuzou.

They were, yes, but that was a Yilanè thought that he should not have—would not have. He was ustuzou just as they were, he was not Yilanè at all.