The Bird of the River Read Online Free PDF Page B

Motherhouse; they're supposed to provide for any orphans of their girls."
    "I guess I might," said Eliss, not wanting to explain in front of Alder that Falena had been expelled from the motherhouse when he had been born.
    "The other thing you could do is stay on board," said the captain. "But you'd have to make yourselves useful."
    "We could do that!" Eliss looked up at him. The barge was now the only link with the past, the last place Falena had tried to make a home for them. "I could do anything. Look after babies. Wash dishes. And Alder's strong. He could do anything too. Couldn't you?" Alder nodded. "And we could stay in the tent and not have to leave?"
    "If that's what you want," said the captain.

    MR. RIVETER CAME BACK DOWN the hill with the priest and his assistants, carrying wood for the bier and jars of perfumed oil. Falena's body was drenched in the sweet oil, scattered with flowers Wolkin and the other children had picked from the long grass on the riverbank. Mr. Riveter and the other men put the bier together and lifted Falena's body onto it. They went ashore in procession, the priest and the men carrying the bier, Mrs. Riveter walking with Eliss and Alder.
    In the high temple courtyard the sunlight was blinding, reflecting off the white limestone walls. The hot stone underfoot burned their bare feet. The priest brought a torch from the altar fire, -- even the flame seemed transparent as water in the harsh light, throwing a waterlike shadow on the pavement. The priest looked uncertainly at Eliss and Alder before handing the torch to Mr. Riveter at last.
    Mr. Riveter stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Er ... to the Blacksmith our own Father. This is Falena Hammertin. She had a hard life and met her death trying to feed her children. Let that be remembered. And ... carry her through the flame and may she sleep safe in Your arms."
    He lit the stacked wood under the bier. When they were certain it had lit, Mrs. Riveter put her hands on Eliss's and Alder's shoulders.
    "Now we turn our backs and wait," she told them. "The same way we would if she was getting undressed, because really she's slipping out of her old body."
    Eliss, who remembered Uncle Ironbolt's funeral, nodded. Alder looked unwilling but obeyed. Behind them the flame roared up, uncomfortably hot on their backs.
    Mama, I'm sorry your life was so hard . Eliss thought about that morning on the hill above the river landing, when Falena had wanted to camp, not to go down and ask for work. If I hadn't made you get up and come with us, you'd still be alive. But, Mama ... A torrent of memory came back now and choked her prayer, of all the times Eliss had watched Falena making mistakes, simpering at the wrong men, men like Uncle Steelplate who beat her and stole from her and told her how worthless she was. Why, Mama? Why did you only ever love men like that?
    Eliss pushed the memories away. Falena coming home glassy-eyed, with that funny fixed smile, and telling her something had happened to the rent money. Falena waking her in the night and telling her to dress quickly and quietly, because Uncle Bellows was very, very angry and they had to get out of the house before he came back. Falena lying beside her, wracked with sobs in the darkness in the abandoned shed where they were sheltering from the rain, weeping endlessly as the rain falling. Why, Mama? You could have done anything else with your life.
    And the new life Falena had just begun was finished, and there would be no apologies and no promises to change, not this morning or any morning ever again. Falena's story was over. The anger swelled and swelled in Eliss until she felt she couldn't breathe.
    She lifted her head and screamed. The anger shot out with the scream, leaving her empty and sick. Eliss sagged against Mrs. Riveter, who put an arm around her.
    They walked back down to the river afterward. The men stayed to scatter the ashes.

    THE CORPSE THEY HAD FOUND in the river was packed in salt and