Page 173 (1/2)

The firelight fell on the boy, and I could see at once the peculiar hunched way he sat I rose hastily toaside the basket of onions I knelt forward and took hi hihtly dislocated; he eating, his lips pressed tightly together in pain

I gestured to hisatnoise, and she pulled hiht With sudden inspiration, I pulled Nayawenne’s aht recognize what it was She did; her eyes widened at the sight of the tiny leather bag

The boy made no more noise, but I could see the sweat run down his hairless chest, clear in the firelight I fu inside for the rough blue stone Pierre sans peur, Gabrielle had called it The fearless stone I took the boy’s good hand and pressed the stone firers around it

"Je suis une sorciere," I said softly "C’est ht Don’t be afraid I smiled at him

The boy stared round-eyed at ed a look, then as one, looked toward the distant hearth where the old woman sat

There was talk fronized the rise and fall of the forhlanders tell their stories and legends in Gaelic, in just that way; it sounded much the sath of the house I didn’t turn, but felt the stir of interest behind , looking toward us I kept htly in my own

The sister’s footsteps came softly behind me The boy’shim to me Permission had been received

It was a simple matter to put back the joint; he was a sht under e Then a quick bending of the ar the arm upward--and it was done

The boy looked intensely surprised It was a most satisfactory operation, in that pain was relieved almost instantly He felt his shoulder, then smiled shyly back at me Very slowly, he opened his hand and held out the stone to me

The minor sensation created by this occupiedclose, touching the boy and peering at hi their friends to stare at the murky sapphire By the time I had attention to spare for the whisky party at the far hearth, the festivities ell advanced Ian was singing in Gaelic, very off-key, accompanied in a haphazard way by one or two of the other h-pitched Haihai! that I had heard now and then aht had conjured her, I felt eyes onhouse I met her eyes and nodded to her She leaned across to say so wo carefully around a couple of toddlers playing under their farand wolish I was surprised, though not astonished, to hear it Onakara had been right, solish They would not use it, though, except froe

I rose and acco what necessity iht of Roger, and of Brianna

The old woirl, not taking her eyes off randmother asks if she may see your medicine"

"Of course" I could see the old lady’s eyes oncuriously as I took out the sapphire I had added to Nayawenne’s woodpecker feather two ofquills

"You are the wife of Bear Killer?"

"Yes The Tuscarora call irl jerked, startled She translated quickly for her grandlanced at me in consternation Evidently this was not the most auspicious na my mouth closed; the Indians usually bared their teeth only when laughing

The old lady handed erly She studiedher eyes off ht stone also," the girl said, interpreting "She would hear more of this; what it is like, and how you cairl’s eyes widened in surprise as I reached into the pouch at my waist and drew out the stone I held out the opal to the old woman; she bent and peered closely at it, but made no move to take it from me

Tewaktenyonh’s arms were brown and hairless, wrinkled and smooth as weathered satinwood to the eye But as I watched I saw the prick of goose-flesh rising, raising vanished hairs in vain defense She’s seen it, I thought Or at least she knohat it is

I didn’t need the interpreter’s words; her eyes met mine directly and I heard the question clearly, for all that the words were strange

"How did this coirl echoed it faithfully

I let ht belied by its colors, gli like a soap bubble in my hand

"It ca how else to explain

The old woh The fear didn’t quite leave her eyes, but was overlaid with so, and one of the wo in a basket under the bed frame at her back She ca