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head around and up at her touch, curiosity written in the spare lines of his
face. What s your name, child? she said, hoping he did indeed understand the
words, it would make things a lot easier.
Linfyar, Mistress.
Aleytys damped her startle reaction at the extraordinary music in the boy s
voice; he did understand, that was all that was important now. That s a
pretty name.
He continued to watch her with his whistles, indifferent to her praise.
Take me with you? Small hands closed painfully tight on her arm. I sing for
you.
Don t you think you d be better off with your family? You might be angry with
them now, but sure as sure, you ll miss them come the night.
If I go back, Bigman, he cut off my feet. Besides, I got no family.
You re young for that.
Old enough for gelding to keep m voice. Linfyar spoke with a grim
matter-of-fact lack of emphasis that was more convincing than any angry
protest.
That why you ran?
That and Ol Kus. He like boys. Me Mam, she die a week ago. Long time she was
Bigman s cook, so she get to keep me. The boy s ears fluttered, then he
leaned back against her, warm and soft and small, his head between her
breasts, the tangle of brown-gold curls fluttering against the russet of her
suede tunic. She die a somethin, don know what. Bigman, he been having me
sing for him long time too. Now he tell me, he sell me to Ol Kus who going to
cut me, keep the voice from changin . We kradj, we know more n big folk they
think. Lots stories about Ol Kus and things he do. Me Mam, she wouldna like
any of that, no, nor me, so I figure better to get way, outcast they eat me
maybe, but that over fast, the cuttin, it for always. Aleytys could feel the
slight body tremble against her, then the tiny boy sighed with pleasure and
moved with a twisting motion against her as if he wanted to be sure he could
feel her there holding him. They guardin me after Bigman tol me, he not
softhead. But Klian, she new cook, me mam s blood kin, she bring the guards
hot drinks when she dare, comes back close to nightend when drink makes them
sleep. She aks me I want stay or cut out n I say o yes, cut out, n she give
me this to wear. He patted the coarsely woven shorts and sleeveless top dyed
a dull brown. N she put me with the field kradj who bound out to pull
weeds. They don say nothin, they don care nothin but do they work and eat
somethin if they can sneak it n watch out for they overseer whip. So I sneak
out with them and when overseer not lookin ... He grinned then and bounced a
little on the saddle pad, feeling quite at home now and secure, something that
told her a lot about his short life. Women must have always been kind to him,
all women, not just his mother. He had a quick acceptance of kindness, a sort
of expectation that the world would be good to him. Even the troubles ahead of
him hadn t struck deep; with the help of one of his protecting women, he d got
away from that and was sure now that he was safe, sure of her.
Not looking, she said. How do you know that?
I know, I do. Linfyar gave a soft gurgling laugh. I feel when they look, be
like bugs crawling on the place they lookin at. the thin shoulders moved in
a little ripple. Then you all come n I get out n go with you. He relaxed
against her again with a little contented sigh.
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Linfyar ... she started, then fell silent as the small face turned up to
her, the lips fluttering in those silent pulses of sound that drew her face
for him. We go into strange lands, Linfyar, there s always danger in that.
Isn t there anyone anywhere you can stay with?
No, Mistress. Take me, I sing for you.
She felt the small body gather itself and hastily touched the boy s cheek.
Not now, Linfy. We re too close to the city yet. She looked over her
shoulder. There was no sign of pursuit so she relaxed again. Shadith was
scowling and Eload Wakille looked sour, but she didn t care about them,
Linfyar was a way to salvage some of the self-respect she d felt slipping away
from her.
We re running a damn conducted tour, Shadith said. Then she shook herself
like a horse getting rid of flies, smiled reluctantly. I suppose we really
couldn t leave him to the outcasts. She rode closer, ran her eyes over the
boy. Aleytys could feel his breath slowing. He was close to being asleep.
Asleep, Shadith said. He knows he s found himself a home.
Shadi.
Never mind, Lee. I understand. Shadith looked from the small fur-child to
Aleytys s face and back. Me, I never had any kids. Just as well,
considering.
That s enough, Shadi.
More than enough, I think, Shadith said cheerfully, not at all oppressed by
Aleytys s stern tone.
They rode in silence after that, the boy slumbering in Aleytys s arms. The
extraordinary clarity of the air vanished with the rising of the wind and the
stirring up of a haze of dust and pollen over the everpresent brush and the
yellowing grass. On the right the river hushed briefly beside them before
turning north. The land began rising toward the mountains, more grass now than
brush, long grass whispering in the wind.
Linfyar stirred, yawned, sat up and turned his head from side to side, his
lips fluttering rapidly as he scanned the rippling hillsides on either side of
the road. Aleytys watched, curious about just what it was the eyeless child
perceived. What a strange world he must live in, she thought. She swept a
swift probe over the hillsides, but the quiet emptiness on the surface was
echoed by the hidden quiet. Small-lives in large numbers and variety pattered
about, nosing out grubs, picking crawlers off leaves and grassblades, munching
on tender greens, sucking juice from plants or other animals, grubbing up
roots and tubers of all kinds, a web of busy life invisible and vigorous and
non-threatening. The boy turned his head up and smiled at her, the broad
angelic smile that turned her insides to mush even as she realized it was
something he cultivated, part of his survival game. I m hungry, Mistress, he
said, pathos lightly touched into the lovely voice.
Aleytys glanced at the sun. Not time to stop yet, Linfyar. When did you eat
last?
Klian she give me a bit bread fore sunup. That be long long time since. His
silvery voice was coaxing, teasing, setting a lilt into the words that made
them almost a song.
Hang on. She ran her fingers over the pockets of her belt, found the pocket
where she d stashed a trail bar. Here. She touched the boy s arm, put the
trailbar in his hand, Take the skin off before you eat this. It s sweet, but
eat it slow. Slow, Linfy, or you ll give yourself a bellyache.
He giggled, sighed with pleasure, settled back against her, gnawing at the
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