The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
Page 54

I ran. All around me were bodiesnot dead, I understood with the certainty of a dream, but dying. The grass was dry and dessicated, crackling beneath my bare feet. Enefa was dead. Everything was dying. Leaves fell around me like heavy snow. Ahead, just through the trees
Is this what you want? Is it? Inhuman fury in that voice, echoing through the forest shadows. Following it came a scream of such agony as I have never imagined
I ran through the trees and stopped at the edge of a crater and saw
O Goddess, I saw
* * *
Yeine. A hand slapped my face lightly. Yeine!
My eyes were open. I blinked because they were dry. I was on my knees on the floor. Sieh crouched before me, his eyes wide with concern. Kurue and Zhakkarn were watching, too, Kurue looking worried and Zhakkarn soldier-still.
I did not think. I swung around and looked at Nahadoth, who stood with one handthe one that had been in my bodystill raised. He stared down at me, and I realized he somehow knew what I had seen.
I dont understand. Kurue rose from the desk chair. Her hand, on the chairs back, tightened. Its been twenty years. The soul should be able to survive extraction by now.
No one has ever put a gods soul into a mortal, said Zhakkarn. We knew there was a risk.
Not of this! Kurue pointed at me almost accusingly. Will the soul even be usable now, contaminated with this mortal filth?
Be silent! Sieh snapped, whipping around to glare at her. His voice dropped suddenly, a young mans again; instant puberty. How dare you? I have told you time and againmortals are as much Enefas creations as we ourselves.
Leftovers, Kurue retorted. Weak and cowardly and too stupid to look beyond themselves for more than five minutes. Yet you and Naha will insist on putting your trust in them
Sieh rolled his eyes. Oh, please. Tell me, Kurue, which of your proud, god-only plans has gotten us free?
Kurue turned away in resentful silence.
I barely saw all this. Nahadoth and I were still staring at each other.
Yeine. Siehs small, soft hand touched my cheek, coaxing my head around to face him. His voice had returned to a childish treble. Are you all right?
What happened? I asked.
Were not certain.
I sighed and pulled away from him, trying to get to my feet. My body felt hollowed out, stuffed with cotton. I slipped and settled onto my knees again, and cursed.
Yeine
If youre going to lie to me again, dont bother.
A muscle worked in Siehs jaw; he glanced at his siblings. Its true, Yeine. We arent certain. But for some reason Enefas soul has not healed as much as we hoped it would in the time since we put it in you. Its whole, and here he glanced at Kurue significantly. Enough to serve its purpose. But its very fragiletoo fragile to be drawn out safely.
Safely for the soul, he meant, not for me. I shook my head, too tired to laugh.
No telling how much damage has been done, Kurue muttered, turning away to pace the rooms small confines.
An unused limb withers, Zhakkarn said softly. She had her own soul, and no need for another.
Which I would happily have told you, I thought sourly, if Id been able to protest at the time.
But what in the Maelstrom did all this mean for me? That the Enefadeh would make no further attempt to draw the soul from my body? Good, since I had no desire to experience that pain ever again. But it also meant that they were committed to their plan now, because they couldnt get the thing out of me otherwise.
Was that, then, why I had all these strange dreams and visions? Because a goddesss soul had begun to rot inside me?
Demons and darkness. Like a compass needle seeking north, I swung back around to look at Nahadoth. He turned away.
What did you say earlier? Kurue suddenly demanded. About Dekarta.
That particular concern seemed a million miles away. I pulled myself back to it, the here and now, and tried to push from my mind that terrible sky and the image of shining hands gripping and twisting flesh.
Dekarta is throwing a ball in my honor, I replied, in one week. To celebrate my designation as one of the possible heirs. I shook my head. Who knows? Maybe its just a ball.
The Enefadeh looked at each other.
So soon, murmured Sieh, frowning. I had no idea he would do it this soon.
Kurue nodded to herself. Canny old bastard. Hell probably have the ceremony at dawn the morning after.
Could this mean hes discovered what weve done? asked Zhakkarn.
No, Kurue said, looking at me, or shed be dead and the soul would already be in Itempass hands.
I shuddered at the thought and finally pushed myself to my feet. I did not turn to Nahadoth again.
Are you done being angry with me? I asked, brushing wrinkles out of my skirt. I think we have unfinished business.