Bradley, Marion Zimmer - Novel 19

by The Ruins of Isis (v2. 1)

  Vaniya turned uncertainly to the woman-by-courtesy. "Maret, is it well with my daughter and my heir, is it safe to leave her?"

  Maret smiled vacantly; the wide blue eyes went blank and the face turned vacant, sagging unpleasantly. After a moment Maret said, in an odd, dazed voice, "Miranda is well and her child has taken no harm...."

  Cendri wondered; is Maret a clairvoyant or some kind of soothsayer, or simply a charlatan? Shamans in some cultures renounced their gender___ She bent and picked up the long slip of paper which the limp fingers had released when Maret let his—or was it her?—eyes go blank. It appeared to be a perfectly ordinary readout from one of the old style seismographs. Strange, the mixture of science and superstition, that Maret would be in charge of this and simultaneously consulted for clairvoyant advice!

  Miranda took an unwary step and grabbed at the nearest thing, which happened to be Dal. Abashed, she took her hand away as if the contact had burned her, and Cendri reached out and steadied her. She clung gratefully to Cendri, saying, "I had better not try to walk until my foot is bandaged—"

  Rhu knelt in front of Miranda, a strip of cloth torn from his tunic in his hands, and began to wind it tightly around her injured ankle. She looked shyly away, and Vaniya beckoned to one of the women, who came and briskly brushed Rhu aside, strapping the improvised bandage into place and knotting it tight. Miranda got to her feet, leaning on Cendri, and tested her weight on the ankle. "That's better," she said, "Thank you, Haliya." She did not glance at Rhu even momentarily. "Go and do what you must, Mother, now my ankle is steady under me I can do whatever is necessary. Your car is waiting, and you are needed in the city."

  Still reluctant, Vaniya gave Miranda's hands a final squeeze, and climbed into the car. Rhu said, "Shall I come with you, Vaniya?"

  "No, my dear, what possible help could you be? Stay here and look after yourself, keep the Scholar Dame's Companion amused and out of the way," she admonished gently, and closed the door.

  Rhu turned disconsolately back to them as the car drove away, but Miranda, moving firmly on her bandaged foot, had already begun moving among the groups of women, speaking to one after another. Rhu moved toward Dal; Cendri hoped Dal would not be rude to him; Dal had, indeed, admired Rhu's singing, but he had no respect for the Companion and had, in fact, been scathing, in private, about him.

  Cendri listened to Miranda giving orders that if there were no aftershocks quite soon, they should all go inside again and try to sleep, but that no kitchen fires should be lighted until they were all quite sure the danger was past. Admiring Miranda's domestic efficiency—she was arranging for the serving of cold food, and for workwomen to inspect each different area when it was sufficiently light, to discover any possible structural damage to walls and foundations of the Residence—Cendri looked up toward the ruins, above them on the hill. The sky was paling, out over the ocean, with the coming dawn; the pinkish glow was reflected on the tops of the ruins, and Cendri wondered how long it would be before they were allowed to go there.

  Vaniya could use the duties connected with this new quake to delay even further. But what could she do? It was unreasonable to ask the Pro-Matriarch to neglect a city where there had been an earthquake and fires.

  Not that Cendri cared; this was the opportunity of a lifetime to study the Matriarchate. But it was hard on Dal___ She looked at her husband, who was listening, with a strained patience, to Rhu. Naturally, Rhu assumed that Dal was his own kind; a Companion, a man whose main function was the amusement and company of a woman of high prestige. I should find out about that. Are only women of high social position allowed to keep a Companion? And what do the rest of the women do?

  Dal had enough good sense not to rebuff Rhu—after all, any

  insult to the Pro-Matriarch's Companion might very possibly be an

  insult to the Pro-Matriarch as well. But he tended to avoid him when

  he could do so without being obvious____

  Miranda came back to Cendri. She said, "I think it is all over; that last aftershock was so mild it would hardly have knocked over a screen. But you must be careful on the stairs, the balustrades have fallen. I think we can send everyone back to bed." She stood looking at the seismograph printout which Cendri still held, absently, in her hand, after Maret let it fall, saying, "This was a land-based quake; we can chart them, and even to some extent predict them. And many of them are far away inland, where no women live. We must take some care to warn the males before they go inland hunting, but otherwise there is little danger." Yet she looked troubled. "It is the great volcanic quakes, deep in the sea-bed, which really cause trouble. We have no way to predict them, and no warning for the great tidal waves which devastate our coastland. And sometimes small quakes like this herald the great quakes and waves—"

  Cendri said, "In the Unity now, Miranda, there are sophisticated computers which can chart and predict the drift of all the tectonic continental plates, even of undersea seismic activity, and compute the strength of the resulting tsunamis—tidal waves—as well as precisely where they will strike and with what strength."

  Miranda nodded. "I had guessed there must be," she said, "even in the days when my mother came to Isis from Persephone, there were some such machines. But they are available only to the richest worlds, and after the Labrys disaster, we had no resources to buy such equipment. All our resources could not make them available for at least another hundred years." She looked, dejectedly, at the seismograph printout in her hand. "Land-based quakes do little trouble, because of the way our houses are designed, and our furniture, and we have very rigid fire-laws. But every year there are tidal waves which sweep away villages, destroy boats, destroy the pearl-harvests___ I do not know if Isis can endure another hundred

  years, until we can somehow acquire such equipment!" She sighed, adding, "And if we cannot hold out here, I do not know what we will do-"

  Suddenly, recalling herself, she turned her attention to her guest. "Cendri, it will be quite safe now for you and your Companion to return to your rooms. Sleep again, if you can; we will send breakfast to your room at whatever hour you desire, and later in the afternoon I will send workwomen to repair or take away any broken screens, or replace anything which is damaged."

  Cendri said, "I suppose the Pro-Matriarch will be absent most of the day? Is there any possibility that we might be able to begin our work in the ruins soon?"

  "Not today, I fear," Miranda said, "Even if the damage in the city is minimal, she must make a visit to a village down the coast which was nearly destroyed by a quake some time before you landed here. We have had word that their boats and nets have been repaired, and they are ready to begin their yearly pearl-harvest. Since the High Matriarch still lies sick, unable to speak or perform her duties, my mother must go there and give her blessing to the boats and the pearl-divers. Have you seen our pearl-divers?"

  Cendri shook her head. "I have heard of the pearls of Isis, of course; they are said to be the finest in the Galaxy."

  "They are our major item of trade," Miranda confirmed, "There are some who say that the export of pearls should be stopped—that the pearls are the tears of the Goddess, and that it is not right for them to be sent offworld where She is not held in the highest reverence."

  "The whole Galaxy would be the poorer, if the pearls of Isis could not be sent anywhere else," Cendri said.

  "Isis would be the poorer, too," said Miranda frankly. "Our world needs many things which we cannot make for ourselves. Our pearls are our greatest asset—indeed, almost our only hope of someday having the equipment I spoke of, which may some day allow us to predict and control the tsunamis which wipe out our coastal villages and kill so many of our sea-farmers. I fear I have not as much faith as those who feel we should trust entirely to the mercy of the Goddess, or even the love and concern of the Builders. But enough of that," she added quickly, "Go and rest, my friend." She put her arm briefly around Cendri's shoulders and hugged her. "If you are not too weary, later in the day, w
ould you like to go with me, and see the blessing of the pearl-divers?"

  "I would indeed," Cendri said, "I have not yet visited your seashore."

  Miranda blinked, a little, with an uneasy laugh, then recalled herself. She said, "Well, a visit to a pearl-diver's village is perhaps nearly as welcome an expedition. We will leave just after mid-day, unless another quake should happen, which is not at all likely." She turned to look toward Dal and Rhu, saying, "Call your Companion, he may not know it is safe to go back in the house."

  Cendri hesitated—she hated to summon Dal peremptorily, as Vaniya did with Rhu, but it was true he should be told. She beckoned to Dal, and relayed the news.

  "We can go inside? Good; this is an unholy hour to get up," Dal said, and put his arm around her waist as they began to climb the stairs; under Miranda's startled look Cendri quickly slipped away from his touch, trying not to feel guilty at Dai's irritable look.

  She looked back, briefly, as they went through the warped hinges of the door. No one remained on the lawn now but Miranda and Rhu; Miranda's face, lighted by the sunrise, seemed transformed, quite without her usual aloof shyness; she was talking to Rhu, absorbedly. After a moment Rhu put his hand under her arm and began to assist Miranda toward the steps. Suddenly aware that she was staring, Cendri started and hurried inside.

  She told herself not to imagine things. Rhu was Vaniya's Companion; Miranda was the Pro-Matriarch's most cherished daughter and pregnant with her heir. Rhu was deeply devoted to Vaniya, it was no wonder he should exercise the most careful devotion and protectiveness toward Miranda. And yet—something Cendri called instinct made her lift her eyebrows, ask herself: Rhu and Miranda?

  Nonsense, she told herself. She didn't know enough about the relationship to jump to conclusions like that! She followed Dal up the steps.

  In their room, Dal looked with dismay at the books and recordings showered all over the floor. "I should have taken those holders on the shelves more seriously! It never occurred to me there would be another quake so soon!" Disgustedly, he bent to assess the disorder. "I don't suppose that while you were talking to Vaniya, or that precious daughter of hers, you thought to ask if we could get started in the ruins any time in the foreseeable future?"

  "As a matter of fact, Dal, I did," she protested, "but Miranda said that this afternoon she was supposed to go and visit a pearl-diver's village, to bless their boats or something—"

  "All right, all right," Dal said in disgust. "I get the picture, you let her put us off again!"

  "I let her?" That left Cendri speechless. "What was I supposed to do, kick and scream and put up a fight about it? Vaniya has duties of her own—I can't insist she neglect them, Dal. Anyway, it will be interesting to see the pearl-divers' villages—"

  "For you, maybe," Dal said, tight-lipped. "I'm not interested in quaint native customs." He turned away, lifting one of the fallen screens.

  "Leave it, Dal, Miranda said she would send workwomen to repair the screens and the other damage—"

  "I have to have something to do, don't I?" he asked savagely. "You have enough to keep you busy—and do you really think I'd trust those damned women with our reference books and tapes?" He turned his back on Cendri and began gathering up the scattered materials. Cendri sighed, and said nothing. It occurred to her that she was getting a lot of practice in holding her tongue lately. She went and lay down, with no expectation of getting back to sleep; but after a time she fell into an uneasy doze.

  She was wakened by a soft, furtive rapping; she looked around, but Dal had vanished into the other room of the suite. She got up and went slowly toward the door, but before she reached it, it was thrust violently open, and a man sidled quickly through the door, shoved it shut behind him.

  A man; the first she had seen, other than Rhu, inside the Pro-

  Matriarch's residence. He was small and bent and hunched, his hair

  grey, his eyes wide with fear, looking all around himself with quick,

  furtive, darting glances. His lips were a thin, terrified line; he had

  been branded, and the brand was like a flaming scar across the

  wrinkled forehead. Cendri had grown so used, in these days, to

  seeing only women, that she was frightened. His eyes looked so

  wild! Maybe here the men really were dangerous animals, cultural

  traits were more important than inborn ones_____

  "What do you want here?" she said sharply, and at the way he twitched at her voice, she realized he was more afraid of her than she could possibly be of him! His voice was only a shaking whisper.

  "I must see the—the Scholar from the Outside Worlds—from the maleworlds—"

  "I am the Scholar," Cendri said, baffled, "What do you want with me?"

  "Repect, Scholar," he whispered, in his frightened voice, his eyes darting here and there in terror, alert for any movement, with little scared movements of his head. "We had heard—it was rumored—there is a male here from the—the outside worlds—if it is not forbidden—"

  "I think he wants to talk to me, Cendri," Dal said in his deep voice, coming up behind her. He shoved her aside—Cendri registered the man's shock at that—and faced the man. "What is your name?"

  "Bak, respected Him," the stranger said, in a somewhat stronger whisper. "Truly, you dare speak so, you are here from—"

  "There is no time for that," Dal said quickly, and from where she stood, watching, Cendri contrasted Dai's quiet poise with the terrified Bak. "I am the Master Scholar Dallard Malocq. Have you a sign for me?"

  Recalling himself, the man made the curious sign Cendri had seen at the space-shuttle port; bunching the fingers together, touching the thumb, slowly drawing them apart. He said, in his shrill whisper, "We were not born in chains—"

  "Nor will you die in them," Dal said, "I do not know if those are the words you want, but I think we should talk. Cendri, go and leave us alone..."

  Slowly, Cendri moved away from the door as Dal drew Bak into the room. He said, "I have been expecting someone. Come and tell me—damnation! What is that commotion? Come in here, quickly—"

  He drew him quickly through the door of the bathroom, as pounding feet raced up the stairs. Then, rudely, the door was thrust inward, and two or three sturdy women stepped inside.

  Cendri began to protest: "What is—"

  "Respect, Scholar," one of the women said, "but we have reason to believe an escaped male has taken refuge here. Our duties require us to search." Cendri began to protest, but they moved quickly around the room, opened the bathroom door, called to her companions; after a moment they reappeared with Bak struggling between them.

  "Be quiet, you," said the leader, roughly, jerking him along with one arm. "It's the Punishment House for you this time, Bak, and probably a flogging as well! When they learn you've intruded into the quarters of the Scholar from University—"

  Dal stepped toward them; made a menacing gesture. He said, "Let go of him! He is my guest, and came to talk to me! Take your hands off him, I said!"

  Cendri watched, paralyzed in horror, as the woman thrust out her truncheon and gave Dal a vicious blow in the stomach. He yelled and fell, doubled up, to the ground. The woman said angrily, "Restrain your Companion, Scholar Dame, or we will be forced to hurt it!" Unprovoked, she gave the writhing Dal a savage kick, jerked hard on Bak's arm.

  Cendri said, struggling for composure, "I don't understand. This man—" she indicated the cowering Bak, "has done nothing; it came and asked, politely, to speak with my—my Companion. I do not understand why a guest of the Unity should be hauled away as a captive."

  The woman guard raised her face, her jaw set and contemptuous. "You are not now in the maleworlds, Scholar Dame, and males cannot intrude with impunity into the houses of women. You—" she said to Bak, whose defiance had collapsed, so that he stood shivering between his captors. "Who owns you?"

  He stood defiantly silent.

  "Speak, you!" shouted the woman guard, striking him across th
e face. Obstinately he remained silent; she came and jerked at his collar, forcing his head up. She studied the red brand across his forehead a moment, then said in angry disgust, "The Pro-Matriarch Mahala! See, Scholar Dame, it's a plot to discredit you; we've seen you here and we know you'd never have invited this here—"she made a sneering gesture, "but there are women all over Ariadne who might believe it! And then there would be no chance for you to do your work here without scandal! Take it away," she ordered. "We'll hold the creature till Mother Vaniya has time to deal with it as it deserves!"

  Cendri moved to Dal, knelt beside him,

  "Dal—did they hurt you?" she begged. One of the women, who held Bak's limp arm, guffawed; the leader of the women guards turned, with a savage gesture. "Hold your noise!" she commanded, "The Scholar Dame's from off-world, you have no right to make donkey noises about everything you don't understand; just tend to your prisoner there, girl!"

  She ushered the women and their prisoner out of the room. Cendri was shaking all over.

  Dal swore as he picked himself up. His hands cradled his bruised stomach.

  "I never thought I'd want to hit a woman, but Sharrioz! I'd like to cram that truncheon down her throat!"

  "Dal, what was that all about? They said he came from the Pro-Matriarch Mahala—a plot to discredit me?"

  "That's nonsense."

  "Dal, what was it, then? Do you know who he was?" she surveyed him in dread. "You know you must not get involved in their politics—"