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.Theshe-hyena shrieked and sprang away, and the spear missed her – the only time Heart of Dawnever missed his cast, for the Hyena magic is old and very strong – but as she dodged it, shestepped into the fire and the coals burnt her legs, which made her shriek even louder.She castaside Lynx’s stolen belongings and ran away as swiftly as she could, limping from the pain ofher bums.And if you see a hyena today, you will see that he walks as though his feet are tender,as do all the offspring of Hyena’s Daughter, and that his legs are still blackened from Heart ofDawn’s fire.“And so when the hunter had driven the interloper away, he went to the place of waters andbrought his wife out again, and gave her back her ornaments and clothing, and placed her youngson in her arms once more.Then, with Lynx’s sister beside them, they returned to their camp.And now, when the morning star we call Heart of Dawn returns from his hunting, he alwayscomes swiftly, and even the dark night runs from him.When he appears, you can see night fleealong the horizon, the red dust rising up from its heels.And that is the end of my story.”All was silent after the small man had finished.Jeremiah slowly nodded his head, as though hehad heard something confirmed that he had long believed.Long Joseph was nodding, too, but fora different reason; he had dozed off.“That was.wonderful,” Renie said at last.!Xabbu’s tale had seemed oddly vivid, yet familiar,too, as though she had heard parts of it before, although she knew she had not.“That was – itreminded me of so many things.”“I am glad you heard it.I hope you will remember it when you are unhappy.We all must prayfor the kindness of others to give us strength.”For a moment, the glow of the fire seemed to fill the room, pushing the shadows back.Renieallowed herself the luxury of a little hope.She stared down over a broad, night-blotted desert from above.Whether she sat in the branchesof a tree or on the steps of a hillside, she could not tell.People perched on every side of her,although she could barely see them.“I’m glad you’ve come to stay in my house,” said Susan Van Bleeck from the darkness besideher.“It’s too high in the air, of course – sometimes I worry that everyone will fall off.”“But I can’t stay.” Renie was afraid of hurting Susan’s feelings, but she knew it had to be said.“I have to go and take Stephen his school things.Papa will be angry if I don’t.”She felt a dry, bony hand close on her wrist.“Oh, but you can’t leave.He is out there, youknow.”“He is?” Renie felt a mounting agitation.“But I have to go across! I have to take Stephen hisbooks for school!” The idea of her brother waiting for her, alone and crying, vied with thedreadful import of the doctor’s words.She only vaguely knew what or who Susan meant, but sheknew what it signified was bad.“Of course he is! He smells us!” The grip on Renie’s arm tightened.“He hates us because we’reup here and because we’re warm when he’s so cold.”Even as the doctor spoke, Renie felt something – a spike of chill wind coming in off the desert.The other near-invisible shapes felt it, too, and there was a rush of frightened whispering.“But I can’t stay here.Stephen is out there, on the other side.”“But you can’t go down there either.” The doctor’s voice seemed different now and so did hersmell.“ He is waiting – I told you! He’s always waiting, because he’s always on the outside.”It was not the doctor, sitting beside her in the darkness, it was her mother.Renie recognized hervoice and the scent of the lemony perfume she had liked to wear.“Mama?” There was no reply, but she could feel her mother’s warmth only a few inches away.As Renie began to speak again, she sensed something new, something that froze her with fear.Something was out there, prowling in the darkness beneath them, snuffling for something todevour.“Silence!” her mother hissed.“He’s very close, child!”A stink rose toward them, a strange chilly smell of dead things and old, once-burnt things andmusty, deserted places.With the smell came a feeling, as strong and clear to Renie’s senses asthe stench – a tangible wave of wretched evil, of jealousy and gnawing hatred and misery andutter, utter loneliness, the emanation from something that had been consigned to darkness sincebefore time itself began, and which knew nothing of the light except that it hated it.Renie suddenly did not ever want to leave that high place.“Mama,” she began, “I need to [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Theshe-hyena shrieked and sprang away, and the spear missed her – the only time Heart of Dawnever missed his cast, for the Hyena magic is old and very strong – but as she dodged it, shestepped into the fire and the coals burnt her legs, which made her shriek even louder.She castaside Lynx’s stolen belongings and ran away as swiftly as she could, limping from the pain ofher bums.And if you see a hyena today, you will see that he walks as though his feet are tender,as do all the offspring of Hyena’s Daughter, and that his legs are still blackened from Heart ofDawn’s fire.“And so when the hunter had driven the interloper away, he went to the place of waters andbrought his wife out again, and gave her back her ornaments and clothing, and placed her youngson in her arms once more.Then, with Lynx’s sister beside them, they returned to their camp.And now, when the morning star we call Heart of Dawn returns from his hunting, he alwayscomes swiftly, and even the dark night runs from him.When he appears, you can see night fleealong the horizon, the red dust rising up from its heels.And that is the end of my story.”All was silent after the small man had finished.Jeremiah slowly nodded his head, as though hehad heard something confirmed that he had long believed.Long Joseph was nodding, too, but fora different reason; he had dozed off.“That was.wonderful,” Renie said at last.!Xabbu’s tale had seemed oddly vivid, yet familiar,too, as though she had heard parts of it before, although she knew she had not.“That was – itreminded me of so many things.”“I am glad you heard it.I hope you will remember it when you are unhappy.We all must prayfor the kindness of others to give us strength.”For a moment, the glow of the fire seemed to fill the room, pushing the shadows back.Renieallowed herself the luxury of a little hope.She stared down over a broad, night-blotted desert from above.Whether she sat in the branchesof a tree or on the steps of a hillside, she could not tell.People perched on every side of her,although she could barely see them.“I’m glad you’ve come to stay in my house,” said Susan Van Bleeck from the darkness besideher.“It’s too high in the air, of course – sometimes I worry that everyone will fall off.”“But I can’t stay.” Renie was afraid of hurting Susan’s feelings, but she knew it had to be said.“I have to go and take Stephen his school things.Papa will be angry if I don’t.”She felt a dry, bony hand close on her wrist.“Oh, but you can’t leave.He is out there, youknow.”“He is?” Renie felt a mounting agitation.“But I have to go across! I have to take Stephen hisbooks for school!” The idea of her brother waiting for her, alone and crying, vied with thedreadful import of the doctor’s words.She only vaguely knew what or who Susan meant, but sheknew what it signified was bad.“Of course he is! He smells us!” The grip on Renie’s arm tightened.“He hates us because we’reup here and because we’re warm when he’s so cold.”Even as the doctor spoke, Renie felt something – a spike of chill wind coming in off the desert.The other near-invisible shapes felt it, too, and there was a rush of frightened whispering.“But I can’t stay here.Stephen is out there, on the other side.”“But you can’t go down there either.” The doctor’s voice seemed different now and so did hersmell.“ He is waiting – I told you! He’s always waiting, because he’s always on the outside.”It was not the doctor, sitting beside her in the darkness, it was her mother.Renie recognized hervoice and the scent of the lemony perfume she had liked to wear.“Mama?” There was no reply, but she could feel her mother’s warmth only a few inches away.As Renie began to speak again, she sensed something new, something that froze her with fear.Something was out there, prowling in the darkness beneath them, snuffling for something todevour.“Silence!” her mother hissed.“He’s very close, child!”A stink rose toward them, a strange chilly smell of dead things and old, once-burnt things andmusty, deserted places.With the smell came a feeling, as strong and clear to Renie’s senses asthe stench – a tangible wave of wretched evil, of jealousy and gnawing hatred and misery andutter, utter loneliness, the emanation from something that had been consigned to darkness sincebefore time itself began, and which knew nothing of the light except that it hated it.Renie suddenly did not ever want to leave that high place.“Mama,” she began, “I need to [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]