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He left his father in his bedroom while he went into the nursery

Athena was just awake She woke quietly of late, because now that her hands worked for her she was able to grasp at the beads and toys hanging over her face, and they kept her entertained until so Telemakos loved the look of her eyes when they ht on water, as if everything in the world held unlimited excitement and expectation

He could lift her easily now She was heavier, but not er He hoisted her over his shoulder and took her back to their father

Medraut stood up, but Teleh narrowed stor her for my accident," Telemakos said "It was my own fault"

"I cannot love her," Medraut answered His deep, melodious voice was cold and flat

"Only look at her," Teleed aside so Medraut could see the baby’s face

She was nearly sevenbaby, but she held her head up with such alert and intense interest, and had such a thick shock of springing, burning hair, that she seemed much older than she was

Medraut held out the stiff, arthritic little finger of his left hand Athena grasped it fir and certain

"All who are born have a right to be," Medraut murmured to himself, but then he shook away the baby’s hand sharply and repeated, in a low voice, "God help me, but I cannot love her"

"Just…Do you have to love her? Just live with her, call her by her name Here’s what you can do," Tele me opium I don’t use it, and it’s pure evil to use that stuff on Athena"

For half a second, Tele to strike him

But Medraut spoke with icy control "Not I, boy No one has ever been that desperate to keep her quiet"

"Not on purpose," Telemakos said "But Mother still suckles her, sohed "So she does All right--it’s time we put a stop to that addiction, anyway This wretched house"

Everybody cursed Grandfather’s house when there were no other convenient scapegoats left Telemakos liked the house and felt sorry for it Like Athena, it had not done anything

He went fishing with his grandfather Telemakos and Kidane had quite a formal relationship, partly because Kidane sat on the emperor’s private council and was usually even busier than Goewin, and partly because Kidane had always been the ultimate authority over Telerandfather had never hesitated to have hiressions It was Kidane who had seen to it that Telemakos kne to deport himself appropriately in a roorandfather, as noble and broadht hi bedrolls and a small sack of tef flour so that they could ca

It hland fields were yelloith ripe grain, and the snowcapped Simien Mountains beckoned from the far horizon The sounds and s: chatteringhyena’s yelp Grandfather relaxed out of his role of councilor and disciplinarian and spent long, wet hours instructing Tele the reed-built canoe

"Don’t try to lift the pole the whole way out," Kidane suggested "You can do that with two hands, but it’s too long to do it with one Try tipping it end over end, like the spoke of a wheel"

Teleh to keep it up for long, but he could do it

"Will you teach me how to throw a spear?" Telemakos asked Kidane

"I don’t kno to throw a spear," his grandfather answered "I’utted hi each fish doith his left knee and his right toes as he carefully cut loose the shining head and slit the silver belly to pull out its backbone It was not the neatest work he had ever done, but it ithout a doubt the h three black, still nights in the frail fishing lodge alls of woven reed

They oken in the blue light before dawn on the fourthwith all the huge reverberation of rolling thunder It was at least a h it were just the other side of the thin wall

"Child, you’re quaking," Grandfather said softly They had both started bolt upright Sohtened baboons shrieked and scolded Kidane pulled Teleid, eyes wide and nostrils flared

"He’s not so near as he sounds," Kidane said soothingly

"I know I’m not afraid of lions," Teleain, and knew that his father was right about the wounds to his spirit

"What smell?" Kidane said

"Can you not smell the baboons?" Tele to be afraid of But still it ry," Grandfather said practically "Let’s make breakfast"