The Arms of the Watcher

by r. a. Ben Miller

Chapter 16; Jin’s Plan

  Jin had a new plan. While preparing their small supper, she had approached Mav. “Little Mother, I know you wish me away from this tent.”

  Mav tossed her long dark hair. She looked at her step daughter suspiciously, “And if I do?”

  “You know that I wish to be in my own tent as well.”

  “Really..?”

  “Yes. I have my eyes on a man for me to mate with.”

  “Isn’t that interesting. Your father and I were speaking of this only this afternoon.”

  “Really…”

  “Yes. Why do you speak to me now?”

  “Because you are best at this game. Better than anyone I know.”

  Mav giggled in scary way, “You flatter me.”

  “I need your knowledge ad experience. You know more about catching a man’s eye that anyone I have ever seen.”

  “Piffle…”

  “No really, I have noticed over these last years that many of the young women have come to you for advice and they always seem to get their way.”

  “Why should I help you. You have been nothing but unkind these past two years.”

  “It is all the more reason for you to want to see me quickly gone.”

  Mav turned from her stepdaughter, “I don’t know…”

  Jin went to a basket that she had placed near by. She took the large stone that she had found on the second Gathering day and put it where Mav could see it. She had learned much at her father’s elbow about the art of trading. She felt that she never needed those skills more than right now. She placed her right hand lightly on the stone, “Perhaps and honest trade would be the best way to proceed. Maybe some thing can be done to ease your mind and to repay any hurt I may have caused.”

  Mav’s eyes were glued to the stone, “A trade..?”

  “I get what I want and you get what you want.”

  Mav reached for the stone but Jin snatched it back, placing it in the basket out of sight. Even for the few seconds that the giant stone had been in view, Mav was guessing whether that dusty shell might hold the finest stone seen this year.

  “The Master’s coating hides the truth of it. The bones of an infidel arm would decrease its value.”

  “The bones will leave with the coating. You know that” retorted the younger girl.

  “Aiya…there is but one thing to be done.”

  “Truth…Shall we?”

  Mav returned to her cleaning space. It was still set up from her earlier work. The servants, always listening to their masters conversations, spread the word through out the camp. People came running. They packed around the area. For days, they had been wondering what was hidden under the cursed hand in what was being called the “Infidel Stone”. The men brought their drinks as they left their story telling. This cleaning would become the wild tales of the future.

  Once Mav was settled, Jim came out struggling with the weight of her burden. Together, she and Mav dropped it into the large pot filled with blood. They let it soak a while. After the appropriate time, they reached in and lifted the softened stone out. This job was complicated by their efforts not to touch the hand or the arm.

  Mav took the silver knife and tried to cut along the long axis of the crust. This did not work. She placed the point of the knife in a grooved area and struck the pommel with the silver hammer. The stone split into two large pieces. Everyone was even more excited now as this was a good sign that it was probably not a batch of small stones, but just two or three large ones.

  A small cheer went up from the growing crowd. The noise was quickly silenced by a look from Mav to Sam Ah. Sam Ah then pulled his scimitar. This returned the area to dead silence. The hand had fallen away on the slightly smaller second piece. Mav then turned her attention to the piece nearer to her. She sliced the long axis. This time, it worked as she had intended. A soft “Aaah” went up from the crowd as a green emerald the size of a wild boar’s heart rolled out on to the table.

  It was of the type of emerald called “fire stone.” The flame from the torches all around the cleaning area had danced inside it like a genie. Lar turned then, and left the area. He went to his cave. She had the stone to pay a mother for any young buck that she wished. The other stones would buy her a brand new wedding tent and every fine thing that a new bride would want.

  The women paid him no heed. Mav careful to avoid the bones, split the coverinbg on the other piece. It was rube of great value. Further dissection of the sandy covering brought smaller pieces of blue and yellow stones of little significance except that they added to the total gem weight.

  When he saw the final weigh in of all the stones, Kal spoke, “This is a record haul for a single discovery.” He kissed his daughter, “It makes a father proud.”

  Mav looked with displeasure at his out burst. Jin put the stones back in the basket. “Father..? What do we do with that?” She pointed at the hand.

  “Tomorrow at first light, we will throw it out side of the arms. The desert will cover it… May the Watcher forgive his greedy treachery.”

  The crowd intoned, “O main…”

  As Jin left the area, she brushed close to Mav, “We must speak.”

  Mav nodded, “Once the rabble has dispersed.”

  The crowd was doing just that. Mav’s husband and his friends were headed for the Huntsmen’s fire to rehash this evenings events and drink more. Jin went to the inner most room to wait for her step mother.

  Mav bustled in. She was surprisingly pleasant, “You wish to speak to me?”

  Jin placed the emerald on the table between them, “You would give me this?”

  Jin placed her hand over the stone protectively, “No…”

  She took the topaz out. “If you get me into the bed of the Watch Man, and make me his woman, I would leave this tent forever. This stone would be yours.”

  Mav appeared to be considering her request. “Is there more?”

  “If your witch craft is successful, on the last night of this festival, My mother…”

  “Me..?”

  “Do not flatter yourself, witch. Zet…”

  “She is dead!”

  Jin looked daggers at the other woman.“You will allow this or there will be no further negotiation. I will find another way.”

  Mav gulped at the ferocity in Jin’s voice,“Continue…”

  My mother will meet Lar’s mother at Loi’s tent. She will bring this stone to Loi as my Bride Price. Loi will talk to my father. Lov will bring Lar to my betrothal meeting. My father must accept it”

  “Your father..?”

  “Yes… You must convince him to take this stone for me. Then, it would be his.”

  “And then,… it would be MINE!”

  Mav became quiet, turning the idea over in her mind, “That stone will be mine…” she said again quietly to herself.

  “Yes. This conversation would be our little secret.”

  “Ooooh…Thee has high aspirations, little girl. I thought I was greedy wishing for the tent of the Tear master. My dreams pale beside yours.”

  “No…I just have a powerful love.”

  “I understand this love. I love your father this way.”

  Jin tried her best to hide her inner thoughts. “You love his power, you witch,” she said. Mav paid no attention, remembering how the stone had made the flames inside it dance.

  “You know, “continued Jin, “With this stone, you would be seen as the owner of the best stone for this Gathering Time.”

  She put down the stone and tossed her hair again. She knew what every one would say. Every one had seen Jin pull the Infidel Stone out of the sand at great peril. “That is nothing to me…” but her eyes betrayed her lust for that stone.

  “I will think on this.”

  Jin took the basket to her tent. She slept fitfully through the night. In the morning, she slept in. She had no interest in further hunting. She possessed all the stones she could want and her mother had enough. Lar had looked for her. Using the vision, he
searched the Gathering area. He stopped when he found her asleep in her tent.

  Near time for the noon meal, Jin came to the cook tent. She brought the basket with her. She placed it under the table and began grinding meal for the breads. Mav came up beside her and said quietly, “Okay…”

  “Sorry? Did you say something?”

  Mav turned the spit one more time and then turned to the girl. “I have decided to help you. You are of wedded age and are nearly too old for first consideration.”

  “Thanks…I’m not that old.”

  “But you have not been chosen. You have been bleeding for a while, but you remain unchosen.”

  Jin sighed, “I have refused advances. I want Lar and no other.”

  “It is a comfort to me that the Watch Man has already bedded a red headed girl, your sister.”

  “Crude but true…” said Jin grimly.

  “Right… He should not fear your fire tinted mane like many men would. Come with me.”

  She turned and pointed at a rotund serving girl, “Lit, you lazy girl, come watch this meat for me.” The girl hurried to her mistress’s command.

  “If this meat burns, I will beat you in front of the whole camp.”

  “Yes,m” said the girl who began turning the spit with vigor.

  Mav took Jin’s hand and lead the younger girl into her private room. “Here…” She gave her soaps and potions. “Bathe after dinner… Then go to Kiv’s tent where your beloved will be.”

  “Kiv? I don’t want Kiv.”

  “Listen carefully…Lar supps every night in the camp of the Huntsmen. Become Lar’s server as he eats and drinks. Stay at his elbow all through the night. In the heat of that place, the smell of you will fill him. Say nothing to him, but by tomorrow, he will be unable to resist you.”

  “Thank you, Mav…”

  “Go on…serve thy father his mid day meal…then, slip away to the bathing area to prepare thyself for your mating night. Soak those feet. Wear soft shoes. You have the feet of a mountain goat.”