Maia (Beklan Empire 1)

"Doan' you start thinkin' this is Kantza-Merada," said Occula, observing with satisfaction the undisguised fear and horror of the younger girl. "This is only jus' to put anyone in mind of Kantza-Merada, that's all."

"You ought to be in the Govig at night, banzi, with the sand-wind blowin', and hear the drums beatin' when you know there's no one around for hundreds of miles. That's when you pray to Kantza-Merada--not when you're safe in bed in Thettit. Where I come from, they pray to a real goddess; one with power--not to Cran and Airtha. Still, never min' that now. We're goin' back down, and I'm goin' to kick up a real bastin' racket, understand? You keep out of the way, but whatever you do stay close to the fire."

"Once I start in they'll forget about you. When you hear me call on Kantza-Merada, and not before, put that ball in the fire--only doan' let anyone see you doin' it--and then run straight over to me and act like you're frightened. Go mad--call out "No, no, doan'!"--anythin' you like. And doan' get it wrong, see? because everythin' depends on that ball burnin'. If that dirty little Megdon thinks he can baste me for nothin' and get away with it, I'm goin' to hit him with everythin' I've got. Now doan' start askin' questions, banzi, or we'll never get to Hirdo tonight. Come on down, and min' you get it right."

Megdon, with a look of satisfied contentment, was drowsing on a bench, while the old woman crouched on the floor, scouring a pot with sharp sand. Occula, who was still wearing nothing but her shift, walked up to her and kicked the pot out of her hands. At the clatter Megdon sat up quickly.

"Baste you!" said the black girl. "I'm goin' to Hirdo-- now! Understand?"

"Now don't go too far, Occula!" said Megdon sharply. "Enough's enough! I can have you whipped, d'you realize that? Just you go and pick that pot up, go on!"

Occula spat in her hand and slapped his face. At the same moment the old woman, coming up behind her, grabbed her by the hair. Occula turned quickly, clenched her fist and knocked her down.

"Perdan!" shouted Megdon at the top of his voice. "Perdan! Here! Quick!"

Running across to the door leading into the courtyard, Occula beat on it frenziedly.

"Open this damned, bastin' door!" she screamed. "I'm goin' to Hirdo! I'm goin' to Hirdo!"

Perdan, stooping under the lintel, strode quickly into the room holding a length of cord in one hand.

"Now, miss, now!" yelled the old woman, picking herself up and following him across to the door.

"You'll just find out--"

"Don't damage her, Perdan!" said Megdon quickly. "Just tie her up!"

"Kantza-Merada!" cried Occula. "Kantza-Merada, blot this damn' place off the face of the earth!"

Kneeling, flinging back her head and raising both arms, she burst into a torrent of speech in a snarling, foreign tongue.

Maia, standing close beside the hearth, dropped the canvas ball into the red heart of the fire.

"Kantza-Merada!" cried Occula again. "Fire and smoke! Fire and smoke come down!"

Maia rushed across the room.

"Don't, Occula, don't! Not that! No, not that! You'll kill us all! You'll kill us!"

"Belch smoke and fall roof!" screamed Occula at the top of her voice. "Kantza-Merada, smoke and smother this filthy house!"

On the instant there leapt up on the hearth a quick, brilliant flash. As it vanished, masses of dense, black smoke began to pour into the room. Perdan, cursing, let go his hold of Occula. Megdon and the old woman, choking and gasping, were blotted out in an all-enveloping, acrid smother. Maia, terrified, felt Occula grab her wrist.

"Keep it up, banzi," whispered the black girl. "Go on!"

"Take it away, Occula!" screamed Maia. "Call it back! Don't kill them! Oh, no! not like that last time--"

She could get no further. Her throat was full of the smoke, which seemed almost palpable, thick as wool and bitter. She felt herself suffocating, her head reeling, eyes burning under tight-shut lids. The invisible room seemed turning upside-down. She fell forward into Occula's arms.

At the same instant one or other of the two men contrived to get the door open. A few moments later Occula, stumbling through the swirling blackness, half-dragged and half-supported Maia outside. In the doorway she almost fell over the prostrate body of the old woman but, recovering herself, groped forward into the open courtyard and lowered Maia into a sitting position on the edge of a stone cattle-trough. Both girls were covered with a thick grime which clung in greasy, cobweb-like streaks to their faces, hair and clothes.

"Well done, banzi!" panted Occula. "Do you reckon it'll burn the damned house down?"

"That old woman, Occula!" gasped Maia. "We'll have to get her out or she'll die!"

"Hope so," answered the black girl. "No; no such luck: here she comes, look!"

The smoke was still pouring thickly both out of the windows and the door, but in the courtyard had dispersed into a somewhat thinner cloud. Through this, as they watched, Megdon and Perdan appeared, dragging the old woman between them. They laid her down on the cobbles and Megdon, kneeling beside her, raised her head with one hand and slapped her cheeks with the other.

"It's stoppin', look!" whispered Occula. "You wait here, banzi: I've got to be quick, now."

With this she ran up the courtyard towards the house. At her approach both men backed away in obvious fear, leaving the old woman lying where she was. Occula, spreading her arms, faced about and stood in the doorway. For several seconds she waited. Then, bowing her head and folding her hands at her waist she called, "O Kantza-Merada, take back thy fire! If it be thy will, spare this vile house at thy servant's plea!" Then once more she spoke in the unknown tongue; and at length fell silent, standing motionless as the smoke slowly thinned about her.

Meanwhile the old woman had come to her senses, sitting up on the stones and weakly clutching here and there at her fouled clothes. So forlorn and bedraggled did she appear, like some wretched old hen not worth the killing,, that Maia could not help pitying her. She stood up, intending to go and help her if she could; but at this the old woman gave a screech

, got to her feet and hobbled across to the men on the other side of the courtyard.

Occula continued to stand in the doorway, gazing at the ground as though in a trance. The men were plainly at a loss, afraid to go near or even speak to her. So for a while they remained as they were, the black girl still as a statue; the men muttering to each other in low voices; the old woman moaning and rocking herself from side to side; and Maia, a little distance away, sitting down once more on the edge of the trough.

At length Megdon, with the air of one compelling himself to act, went across to Occula. He seemed about to speak when the girl--taller than he--raised her head and stared at him. His words died on his lips and after a moment she, as though giving a command to some animal-- an ox in the shafts, perhaps, or a dog--uttered the one word: "Hirdo!"

Megdon seemed about to reply when suddenly Perdan forestalled him.

"Let her go, the damned black witch, before she kills us all with her sorcery!"

"Ay, ay! In Cran's name!" whimpered the old woman.

Megdon said nothing. Occula turned and walked slowly back into the kitchen; and here the others, following one by one--Maia a little behind the rest--found her leaning, with folded arms, against the side of the hearth. The fire was burning normally, but the entire room and everything in it was coated with a foul soot clinging alike to walls and furniture. There was a disgusting, vellicative reek, as of burnt bones.

The old woman began to weep--from fear, it seemed, as much as from dismay.

Megdon turned to Perdan. "The girls Genshed's bringing'll have to clean this up tonight. It'll take hours. Shirrin can't do it on her own."

Perdan made no reply.

"Go and get one of the carts ready," said Megdon.

Perdan looked up. "I'm not taking her!"

"I'll drive it," replied Megdon. "Just go and get the damned cart ready, Perdan, that's all!"

Occula spoke from the fireside. "Food." She jerked her thumb towards Maia. "Get her some hot water. Fresh clothes."