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"It’s true that the Hallowed One’s power can bring evil spirits into the village," Urtan said, when Alain asked hieted, clearly unco to har--but that’s her duty, isn’t it?"

"I can’t talk about it," said Kel, flushing bright red "I’s"

Alain went to Beor finally, hoping the ht prove more frank But Beor only said, "She’s a brave woaze

So it went, until the day cae and ood health and fortune over the co winter As if she wouldn’t be there to watch over thee and Sorrow at his side, staying out of her way It took half the day, but he finally understood the depth of her fears He understood the soleht: haunches of pork basted in fat and served with a sauce of creaarnished atercress, fish soup, hazelnut porridge, a stew ofmyrtle

He oozy with mead by the time they walked the path up into the ra They snuggled into their furs, kissing and cuddling Adica was silent and even reat weaving to?" he asked softly

"Yes" Even holding her so close, he could barely hear her whisper

"You’ll be free after the weaving? No more demands made on you, beloved? You’ll be free to live your life in the village?" He heard his own voice rise, insistent, angry at the way Shu-Sha and the others had used her She was so young, younger even than he was, and he thought by now he’d probably passed his twentieth year It wasn’t right the other Hallowed Ones had made her duty such a burden

A few tears trickled from her eyes to wet his cheeks "Yes, beloved Then I will be free" She drew in a shuddering breath, traced the line of his beard, touched the hollow of his throat, drew a line with her finger down to his navel and across the taut ret the price Iyou I’ve been so happy So happy" She kissed him, hard, and rolled on top of him She was as sweet as the meadoers and twice as beautiful

"I don’t want to sleep," she whispered afterward "I don’t want ever to leave you"

The notion dawned hazily in his "

"Yes" She broke off, then continued haltingly "I fear it"

"You’re afraid you’re going to die I don’t like the sound of that"

"Every person fears death You’re the only one I knoho isn’t afraid of dying"

"I’ll coht of this before The Cursed Ones ht still attack She and the other Hallowed Ones had to thread a weaving through the stones, a great working of s of sorcerers of course remained hidden from all but the Hallowed Ones themselves, just as only clerics could read the secret naerous still But he would risk anything for her "I’ll stand beside you at the working You know I’ll never let any har as we both live, I know you will never let any harm come towhile, after he , she slept

But he could not sleep He dared nother, as so tired He dared not move, but as he lay there his heart traveled to troubled lands He kept seeing over and over again the dying child held in the ariven his cloak that day he’d ridden out hunting with Lavastine He kept seeing the coarse old whore who had taken in Hathuiven a kind word He kept seeing the hungry and the miserable, the ones crippled by disease and the ones crippled by anger or despair He kept seeing Lackling, the way he threw back his crooked head and honked out a laugh He kept seeing the guivre,out of its ruined eye

So

Why did God let the Enehout the world? Ai, God, didn’t the natural world bring trouble enough in its wake, floods and droughts, windstor? Why must humankind stir the pot to roil the waters further?