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“You know I’ve always been uncomfortable with the spirit world, Zelandoni,” Jondalar said, “and in the last couple of days, ith digging graves and everything, I’ve been much closer to that place than I want to be until the Mother calls me But I was the one who asked you to help Thonolan, and I can do no less than help you in any way I can In fact, I’ll be just as glad to get it all over with”

“Then why don’t you both come over here and sit down on this leather pad, and we’ll proceed,” said the First A Those Who Served The Great Earth Mother

When they sat down the young wolanced at Mejera and smiled She s She seemed nervous, and Ayla wondered if it was the first ti in this kind of cere this occasion as a teaching experience

“Take your time,” they were told by Zelandoni of the Third, as assisting the acolyte in handing the, but with the mint, it’s not too bad”

Ayla took a sip and thought “not too bad” was a matter of opinion Under any other circumstances, she would have spit it out The fire in the hearth was out, but the beverage was rather hot, and she thought that whatever else was in it a

ctually made the mint taste bad Besides, this wasn’t really a tea It had been boiled, not steeped, and boiling never did bring out the best qualities of mint She wondered if there weren’t other, ht blend with the priredients in a pleasanter way Licorice root, perhaps, or linden flowers added later, after it was boiled In any case, it wasn’t a taste to savor, and she finally just drank it down

She saw that Jondalar had done the same, and so did the First Then she noticed that Mejera, who had boiled the water and ladled the beverage, had also drunk a cup

“Jondalar, is this the stone you brought with you fro hiray stone with one iridescent blue opal face

“Yes, it is,” he said He would recognize that stone anywhere

“Good It is an unusual stone, and I’m sure it still carries a trace of your brother’s elan Take it in your hand, Jondalar, and then hold hands with Ayla so that the stone is held by both of you Move close to my seat and with your other hand, take my hand Now, Mejera, you move up close to me and take my hand, and Ayla, if you will come a little closer, you and Mejera can hold hands”

Mejera ht I wonder if it is her first ti like this It’s h that ti with Creb was probably similar, and of course, what I did with Ma her last experience with the old man of the Lion Camp who interceded with the spirit world, and it did not make her feel better When Mamut found out she’d had so-urs used, he wanted to try them, but he was unfaer than he had thought They were both nearly lost to the deep void, and Mah she did have more of those roots with her, she didn’t plan to take them

The four who had consu hands, the First sitting on a low padded stool, the rest sitting on the leather ht an oil lamp and placed it in the middle of theued by it She was already beginning to feel some effects from the drink as she stared at the stone that held fire

The la the bowl-like section and the handle extension, had been pecked out with a ranite Then it was ss etched in with a flint burin Three wicks were resting against the side of the bowl opposite the handle at different angles, each with one end sticking out of the liquid fat, and the rest of the absorbentlichen that melted the fat, the second was dried ht, and the third was us that absorbed the liquefied fat so well, it kept burning even after the oil was gone The animal fat that was used for the fuel had been rendered in boiling water so that the i only pure white tallow floating on top after the water cooled The flame burned clean, with no visible smoke or soot

Ayla glanced around and noted, so out an oil la out Soon all the la to defy its dile la hands with a warlow But beyond the circle deep and utter darkness filled every cranny every crack and holloith a black so coan to feel apprehensive, then she turned her head and caught the bare gli corridor Souided their way ht, and let out a breath that she didn’t know she was holding

She was feeling very strange The decoction was taking effect quickly It see down or that she was going faster She looked at Jondalar and found hiest sense that she al Then she looked at Zelandoni and Mejera, and felt so with Jondalar, and she wondered if she was i it