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“You’re right, Zelandoni of the Fifth,” the Fourteenth said, adding her agreeood idea”

“Or perhaps it should be entrusted to the Zelandoni and the leader jointly,” the Eleventh said, “to avoid any possible conflict I know Kareja would not like it if she didn’t have some control over this new technique”

Ayla smiled at the srip and confident ht was commendable

“These firestones would be too useful to a Cave to be kept a secret,” the First said “We are here to Serve The Mother We give up our personal names to become one with our people We must always think first of the best interests of our Caves Itfor us if we could keep this firestone to ourselves, but the benefit to the entire Zelandonii outweighs bur wishes The stones of the earth are the bones of the Great Earth Mother It is a Gift from Her, we cannot withhold it”

The One Who Was First stopped and looked searchingly at each member of the zelandonia in attendance She knew the firestones could never be kept secret, even if they hadn’t already been shared There was some obvious disappointment and perhaps a little resistance from the doniers of so ready to object

“You can’t make them a secret,” Ayla said with a frown

“Why not?” said the Fourteenth “I think that should be a decision for the zelandonia”

“I have already given some to Jondalar’s family,” Ayla said

“That’s too bad,” the Fifth said, shaking his head, i it, “but what’s done is done”

“We have enough authority without them,” Zelandoni Who Was First said, “and we can still use the ceremony e present the firestone to the Caves I think it will be most effective if Ayla starts the ceremonial fire tomorrow”

“But will it be dark enough to see the spark that early in the evening? It ht it,” said Zelandoni of the Third

“Then hoill the people knoas started by the firestone and not by a live coal?” said an older h Ayla wasn’t sure if it was blond or white “No, I think we need a new hearth, one that has not been lit, but you’re right about the darkness There are too ht, when the ceremonial fire is lit Only when it is totally dark can you draw the attention of everyone where you want it, when they can see nothing except what you want them to see”

“That’s true, Zelandoni of the Seventh Cave,” the First said

Ayla noticed that he was sitting next to the tall blond woman of the Second Cave, and there was a close resemblance He could have been the elder randam She recalled that Jondalar had told her that the Seventh and the Second Caves were related and were located on opposite sides of Grass River and its fioodplain She remembered well because while the Second Cave was the Elder Hearth, the Seventh was Horsehead Rock, and he promised to take her there for a visit when they returned in the autumn to show her the horse in the rock

“We can start the cereht the hearth after it becomes dark,” Zelandoni of the Twenty-ninth Cave volunteered She was a pleasant-looking woman with a conciliatory se detected an underlying strength of character and forcefulness She had met her briefly This was the woman she had heard people say held the Three Rocks of the Twenty-ninth Cave together