Moving Water Read Online Free PDF Page A

palatial for a province, granite portico, high-relief frieze, gilt columns, solid gold image inside. A pleasant smell of burnt meat and incense wafted over the colorful crowd, there was a medley of sacrifice vendors in the forecourt, a babble of greeting and chaffering and noise from the doves and cocks and lambs on sale, and for once he questioned me outright. “What’s all this?” he said.
    â€œHigh day.” I was surprised. “They’re offering sacrifice.”
    â€œSacrifice?” For once the tables were turned. I had startled him.
    â€œAnimals. Or incense, if you’re rich enough. In thanks, or a petition.” It was on the tip of my tongue to add, How on earth do you worship in Hethria? His eyes silenced me.
    â€œYou mean . . . you kill things? For the Four?”
    â€œThe Four?” Surprise was back with me. “We worship the Lady. I don’t understand what you mean.”
    â€œThe Lady? What Lady?”
    â€œThe Lady Moriana,” I said patiently. “What other could there be?”
    He turned full round. Though he rarely met your glance, from him it did not seem shiftiness. But now his eyes were wide open, and I pulled mine away, for those irises were no longer green but pure black, and his horror was solid as a blow.
    â€œYou worship your ruler? She lets you treat her like a—a—Sky-lord? Another human being?”
    More insulted than shocked I said indignantly, “She is our Lady. And you may be long-lived, but she is immortal. Why should we not worship her?”
    He let out his breath. Very low, utterly appalled, he said, “Imsar . . . Math.”
    â€œDo you”—I was still in arms—“behave differently?”
    He tore his eyes from the beasts.
    â€œSacrifice? To the . . . the Four ?” He sought for words. “We fly kites for Air. Light fires for Fire. Plant trees for Earth. Give wine and flowers to Water.” His eyes returned to the animals, as to some indelible obscenity. “But those are Sky-lords. Not a—a—”
    â€œNo wonder,” I snapped, “you made a desert of Hethria.”
    Shock nearly made him laugh. “Oh, I’m the Four’s only follower in Hethria. Fengthira just believes in Math. The Good. I can’t explain, it’s too complicated. But she doesn’t give it anything at all.”
    He jerked his eyes free and clicked to the mare. We had changed horses and were a mile outside Bhassan before he spoke again.
    â€œYour Lady. You call her undying?”
    Still stiff, I retorted, “I am the tenth Captain of her Guard. And she is still a girl.”
    He caught his breath. Shot a glance at my surcoat. “Moontree,” he muttered. For a second his eyes went vacant. Then he said bleakly, “I see.”
    â€œSee what?” I snapped.
    â€œThis—immortality. Does it touch others too?”
    I recalled my predecessor’s fifty-year reign, my minute-long day beside Los Morryan. “You might share some of it, if you were close to her often enough.”
    â€œI see,” he repeated, with another sort of glance, and I said furiously, “I don’t want to live forever. I have a family to feed!”
    â€œOf course,” he agreed mildly. Provoked, I charged on.
    â€œShe’s a good ruler! Assharral is safe, wealthy, orderly, strong. What more could you ask?”
    â€œAnd nobody,” he retorted softly, “sings.”
    â€œNonsense!” I was thoroughly enraged now. “I’m not afraid of her! Nobody is!”
    He gave me one brief inexpressive look and words died on my lips.
    â€œVery well,” I said, half a mile later. “So people . . . disappear. They are rebels. Troublemakers.” He did not reply. “It’s a small price to pay!” He still did not answer. “What ruler is different?” I found myself near shouting, and hastily dropped my voice. “What if she does have moods?