Page 17 (1/2)

"Why not Jayan?" she asked

"What?" Asukaji said

"If I should marry a cousin as you say, why not the Deliverer’s firstborn?" Ashia asked "Unless he weds his sister, who is more worthy than I, Shar’Dama Ka’s eldest niece?"

Unlike slender Asome, Jayan took after the Deliverer in form--broader and thick with h toThey are animals bred for the Maze, sister I would as soon let you h!" Kajivah snapped "You forget yourself, boy The Deliverer himself is Sharum"

"Was Sharum," Asukaji said "Noears the white"

That very day, Kajivah set a fire under Ashan and dragged Ashia, Shanvah, and Sikvah before the Shar’Da

But one did not make dehters were given white veils Ashia and her cousins were sent to the Dairls were pushed toward the waiting Damajah "There is no reason why our father or the Deliverer should refuse your match to Asome now"

Kajivah did not seem satisfied, but Ashia could not see why The Deliverer had named them his blood and heaped honor upon the, but who knehatShe liked the sound It was powerful Regal Shanvah and Sikvah were afraid, but Ashia went gladly

The Dah her own personal entrance An honor in itself There waited Qeva, Da with one of the Daht letters, singing, and pillow dancing for four hours each day," the Da to Enkido"

She nodded to the eunuch, and Ashia gasped Shanvah clutched at her Sikvah began to cry

The Da worthy out of the Underpalace It was said the daic, but the woman’s hand and forear claw not unlike those in the paintings Ashia had seen of alagai

Sikvah was still weeping Shanvah had her arms around her, her own eyes ith tears

You are an exa woman in the tribe, her father told her once And so I shall be harsher with you than any other, lest you ever shame our family

And so Ashia had learned to hide fear and keep tears at bay She was as terrified as her cousins, but she was eldest, and they had always looked to her She kept her back arched proudly as they were brought to a small door Enkido put his back to the wall beside the portal as Melan led through to a large tiled cha white robes and long strips of white silk

"Remove your robes," Melan said as the door closed