and Stel were dead.
These worshippers could not harm me there. I said, “I have been called.”
The boy snickered; the man shot him a look. “I saw,” the man said. “You were thrashing about possessed, as your soul traveled to Her realm. I thought you had only Her blessing until I saw the joyous smile on your face. Are you older than you look?”
“This is my twelfth winter outside the enclave.”
“I do not know why the Goddess would call one so young, but Her purposes are unknown to us.”
He led the boy toward the couches near me, and both lay down, closing their eyes and donning the circlets. It was soon clear that the Lady would not speak to them. At last, the man sat up.
“Where is your band?” He spoke each word slowly, as if unused to my language. I, in turn, was surprised that he knew it; we had spoken in the holy speech before. “Are these not your words?” he continued. “You have the look of men who speak in this way.”
“It is my tongue,” I admitted.
“Where is your band?” he asked again.
I was suddenly cautious. I could not lie to him in a shrine, where the Lady would take offense at false words. “They are elsewhere,” I replied; the Lady could not consider that a falsehood.
He looked at the sack beside my couch, then raised his eyes to me. “And you have been called. Your band will be pleased when you run to them with the news.” He rose. “Peace be with you.” He led the boy from the shrine.
I slept in that holy place, hoping that the Lady would again visit me. I had been given Her blessing before, and yet I had never felt such pleasure at other times. I had been near death, and She had restored me to life. She had called me to Her enclave, and that meant that She had forgiven me for falling under the spell of Truthspeaker’s band. I had learned why men obeyed Her call, why some even forsook taking such pleasure with other men when they were blessed often enough in shrines. But She did not return to me that night.
I ate some of my meat and left the shrine at dawn. The weather had grown warmer. The snow was beginning to melt and the ground was muddier. I warmed snow in my hands and drank of it.
I had been called. I would be a man when I came out of the enclave. I said it to myself again and again, exulting in the words. Even Tal had not been called so young. For the first time in my life, I wished that Cor were with me so that I could glory in the triumph, and that thought gave me pain. I wanted to tell everyone of that summons, and there was no one to tell.
As I walked north, I recalled the landmarks Bint had shown me. I wondered if I could have controlled a horse by myself and was sorry I had not tried to bring one with me from the plateau. I would have to move quickly, and my body was still stiff and sore from the days of riding. Soon, I came to a small hill, topped by a few thin trees, where we had stopped during our journey. As I climbed, I began to feel that I was not alone.
Eyes were watching me. Tal had taught me to trust such feelings. When I reached the top of the hill, I knelt as if to examine the ground, then peered quickly through my legs.
Below, someone disappeared behind a rock. I caught only a glimpse of my tracker’s furry brown cloak, but I knew who he was. The dark man I had seen at Hecate’s shrine was trailing me, and if he discovered I was alone, I would be in danger.
LAISSA
Inside my tower, a few small girls were playing near the entrance. I crossed the lobby and entered the lift; the platform carried me up through its transparent cylinder and stopped at my floor. Women leaned over the railings on other floors and called to the girls below; I hurried along the walkway to my door.
Button was sitting on the couch playing with a pocket puzzle. I felt a twinge as I compared his lot to that of the girls in the lobby. “Where’s Mother?” I asked. “It’s nearly suppertime.”
“She had to go to the wall.” He lifted his head and glared
These worshippers could not harm me there. I said, “I have been called.”
The boy snickered; the man shot him a look. “I saw,” the man said. “You were thrashing about possessed, as your soul traveled to Her realm. I thought you had only Her blessing until I saw the joyous smile on your face. Are you older than you look?”
“This is my twelfth winter outside the enclave.”
“I do not know why the Goddess would call one so young, but Her purposes are unknown to us.”
He led the boy toward the couches near me, and both lay down, closing their eyes and donning the circlets. It was soon clear that the Lady would not speak to them. At last, the man sat up.
“Where is your band?” He spoke each word slowly, as if unused to my language. I, in turn, was surprised that he knew it; we had spoken in the holy speech before. “Are these not your words?” he continued. “You have the look of men who speak in this way.”
“It is my tongue,” I admitted.
“Where is your band?” he asked again.
I was suddenly cautious. I could not lie to him in a shrine, where the Lady would take offense at false words. “They are elsewhere,” I replied; the Lady could not consider that a falsehood.
He looked at the sack beside my couch, then raised his eyes to me. “And you have been called. Your band will be pleased when you run to them with the news.” He rose. “Peace be with you.” He led the boy from the shrine.
I slept in that holy place, hoping that the Lady would again visit me. I had been given Her blessing before, and yet I had never felt such pleasure at other times. I had been near death, and She had restored me to life. She had called me to Her enclave, and that meant that She had forgiven me for falling under the spell of Truthspeaker’s band. I had learned why men obeyed Her call, why some even forsook taking such pleasure with other men when they were blessed often enough in shrines. But She did not return to me that night.
I ate some of my meat and left the shrine at dawn. The weather had grown warmer. The snow was beginning to melt and the ground was muddier. I warmed snow in my hands and drank of it.
I had been called. I would be a man when I came out of the enclave. I said it to myself again and again, exulting in the words. Even Tal had not been called so young. For the first time in my life, I wished that Cor were with me so that I could glory in the triumph, and that thought gave me pain. I wanted to tell everyone of that summons, and there was no one to tell.
As I walked north, I recalled the landmarks Bint had shown me. I wondered if I could have controlled a horse by myself and was sorry I had not tried to bring one with me from the plateau. I would have to move quickly, and my body was still stiff and sore from the days of riding. Soon, I came to a small hill, topped by a few thin trees, where we had stopped during our journey. As I climbed, I began to feel that I was not alone.
Eyes were watching me. Tal had taught me to trust such feelings. When I reached the top of the hill, I knelt as if to examine the ground, then peered quickly through my legs.
Below, someone disappeared behind a rock. I caught only a glimpse of my tracker’s furry brown cloak, but I knew who he was. The dark man I had seen at Hecate’s shrine was trailing me, and if he discovered I was alone, I would be in danger.
LAISSA
Inside my tower, a few small girls were playing near the entrance. I crossed the lobby and entered the lift; the platform carried me up through its transparent cylinder and stopped at my floor. Women leaned over the railings on other floors and called to the girls below; I hurried along the walkway to my door.
Button was sitting on the couch playing with a pocket puzzle. I felt a twinge as I compared his lot to that of the girls in the lobby. “Where’s Mother?” I asked. “It’s nearly suppertime.”
“She had to go to the wall.” He lifted his head and glared
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