Snakeskin boots were strapped around her lower legs, almost up to her knees. The hide bore a familiar triangular, beaded pattern of yellow sandstone and rusty red.
"Our snake looks good on you," Kalos said.
"You almost ruined a perfectly good skin."
"My wife. The rebel leader."
"My husband. The enemy captain."
"I find our circumstances strangely arousing. Don't you?"
In answer, Adalginza reached up to grasp the back of the captain's head and press his lips toward hers.
But a woman's voice from the darkness interrupted their exchange.
"Enough of that. It looks like we are going to have to douse them both with cold water before we can get on with the meeting."
Lady Swiala stepped into the circle of lantern light, which caught the mischievous glow in her indigo eyes.
"Grandmother!" Adalginza exclaimed with delight.
She started to rush forward, then stopped herself — not sure of what Lady Swiala now thought of her rebellious blood kin. They had not seen each other since that day when Adalginza had released the prisoners.
In answer, Swiala held out both arms. And Adalginza melted into the hug.
"You are quite the celebrity now on the Prime Continent, dear."
Swiala examined her granddaughter approvingly.
"You captured the fancy of the royal courts when you were there with me. Now, you have cast aside your heritage as a lady of the Fifth and First Houses to be declared leader of the entire savage nation. Such scandal! The publications are now filled with sketches of your likeness."
"No!" Adalginza was truly horrified.
"Yes!" Swiala sounded, in contrast, thoroughly delighted "Part savage. Part lady of the Crescent Houses. You spared the prisoners at Faradera Island, which won you much praise. And you have those darling indigo eyes. The Prophecy has been published in its entirety. And now strangely attired musical groups are singing it in those hideous, dark little tea houses."
"No!" Again, Adalginza was horrified.
"Yes!" Again, Swiala sounded delighted. "Not all Crescent House citizens on the Prime Continent are your fans, of course. But all are certainly fascinated by your antics. And your words."
Polyper then spoke up from one of the shadows outside the lantern light.
"They listen only because you have the blood of the Crescent Houses. Their ingrained attitude toward the savages remains unchanged. This is why we must do something drastic. And this is why we are gathered tonight."
The others gathered there then also stepped into the light. Sagawea, who was much thinner now that she had given birth. Adalginza also recognized Ginrel, who she first met at the Dome of Archives on the Prime Continent.
Adalginza exchanged hugs with each of them, pausing to inquire about the health of the infant girl so recently born to Sagawea and Polyper.
"We are all family now," Sagawea said. "All of us here live in the same household in Sola Re."
Adalginza gave Kalos a puzzled look.
"It is part of the plan," he said. "We are laying the groundwork to establish a founding clan of the House of the Tenth Crescent Moon."
"Can you do that?" Adalginza asked.
She could not help a twinge of resentment that the citizens of the Crescent Houses were now boldly claiming the last of the ten crescent moons as their symbol.
"The question is can we do it," Kalos said. "This new House will include all the savages and all the tribes of the frontier. We ourselves will relinquish loyalty to our own Crescent Houses, and swear allegiance to the new one."
Adalginza watched them cautiously.
"I told you before. My people will not give up their ways to adopt yours."
"Exactly," Polyper said. "There will be no forcing. Those from the Prime Continent who wish to live in the frontier and retain allegiance to their own Houses may do so. Those who wish to belong to the House of the Tenth Crescent Moon may do so. And any among the savages who wish to acknowledge or accept the new House may do so."
"My people wish only to continue with the lives they now have without interference," Adalginza said cautiously, wondering what plot was afoot here. "They have no need of your Houses."
Ginrel then spoke up.
"It matters not what the savages do. It is important only that the people of the other Crescent Houses see the savages as aligned with the Tenth House."
"Truly, I do not understand," Adalginza said.
This time, it was Kalos who answered.
"Under our rules of moral conduct, no Crescent House may raise a sword in warfare against another. If this were to happen, all the other Houses would be allied against the offender. Do you understand now? Establishing a Tenth House means the end of warfare."
"I understand only that you speak of your rules and your ways," Adalginza answered crisply. "And I say my people will not give up the frontier. Nor will they be aligned with any Crescent House."
"My wife, this is where you must be reasonable."
Kalos was now speaking as negotiator, not husband, as he gestured toward a collection of rocks.
"Let us sit and speak more of this."
They all took their places among the scattered rocks. Kalos then reached up and placed the lantern in an alcove high above his head, so that all present were encircled in the light.
"The frontier is vast," he said. "It can be shared. And it should be shared. The savages certainly have the right to lay claim to the traditional homelands of their respective villages. But they will be given these rights only if they are members of a Crescent House."
And so it began. The first meeting of the Council of the House of the Tenth Crescent Moon.
It was established at the beginning of the session that each of the six present had an equal voice and an equal vote. Adalginza agreed this was acceptable for now.
But future meetings must include tribal chiefs, with each entitled to a vote if the choice was made to become allied with the Tenth House.
On this eve, there were arguments as heated discussions continued into the early hours of the next morning.
Sagawea asserted the need for establishment of public institutions of education, with mandatory attendance required among all the savage children. Education, she declared eloquently, was the key to understanding among the cultures of the Crescent Houses as well as the savages.
Adalginza finally yielded that point, but only if the savages from each of the villages and tribes had the say in how to devise a curriculum of learning.
Swiala expressed her desire to establish courtly society, preserving the traditions of royalty and good manners. She and Kalos clashed on that point, until finally the others insisted negotiations progress to more important matters.
And so it went.
How would the land be divided? Which tracts would be declared open for settlement?
Finally, and at the point of exhaustion for the delegates, something occurred to Adalginza that she wished she had thought of sooner — before they had invested so much wasted energy in talk.
"But how does anything we have spoken of here tonight matter?"
She directed the question at Kalos. At his puzzled look, she explained.
"Those of the Crescent Houses believe and are taught that the savages are from different origins. They do not share blood and are therefore inferior in the eyes of your clans. No matter what we do here, my people could never be accepted into a Crescent House under any circumstances."
A brief silence followed, as the other five exchanged guilty looks.
"We have already managed that problem," Kalos said, looking slyly over at Polyper and Ginrel.
"How?" Adalginza asked.
Ginrel then explained.
"We have documents found here, in this cave and tunnel, which prove that the savages are descended from those of the missing House of the Seventh Crescent Moon."
"Oh?" Adalginza eyed them suspiciously. "Lady Redolo spoke often of her findings, and she ne
ver mentioned any such documents."
"Yet, we have found them."
Polyper's lack of conviction was Adalginza's clue that something here was terribly wrong.
"And we do have the artifacts from near the cave of the Place of the Circles to confirm the existence of the people of the Seventh House in the long ago," Kalos pointed out.
For one brief moment and for the sake of her people, Adalginza wanted to continue the lie she and Benfaaro had created together.
It was a very convenient lie. But she was now sworn to tell the truth.
"The artifacts were falsely placed there." She gave Kalos an apologetic look. "I had forgotten them, or I would have told you sooner. They were taken from Medosa's abode and then planted there. To give you a reason to take me with you into the frontier, so that I might show you the way. And become — closer to you."
"Deceived again," Kalos said with a wry smile.
"Only in the past," Adalginza corrected him. "You know I will never take that path again. You may be assured of my loyalty to the truth."
Swiala looked thoughtfully around at the others.
"So the only real evidence we have is this tunnel, with the symbol of the Seventh Crescent."
"I thought you said there were documents," Adalginza said accusingly. "And that these were conclusive."
They all looked so guilty that it was easy for Adalginza to discern the scheme for herself.
"I see," she said. "The documents are false. You created them, and you plan to present them as a falsehood to the Prime Congress. In this way, they will accept the savages as clan members from a Seventh Crescent bloodline of the distant past."
"The blood bond is sacred," Sagawea said reasonably.
"The blood bond very well could be true," Ginrel added. "After all, the tunnel with the Seventh Crescent symbol is here and does exist. And who knows where Medosa originally found the artifacts? He never mentioned them in his writings."
"The artifacts were not from the Dome of Archives."
This time, it was Polyper who spoke quietly.
Adalginza regarded both of the gnostics with new eyes.
"You are sworn to uphold the truth."
"We are sworn to many things," Polyper answered. "Above all, we are sworn to preserve harmony, as well as life itself. This is a perfect way to do so."
Adalginza stood slowly and looked around. She placed her hand on one of the smooth walls, almost reverently.
"This cave and this tunnel are timeless, beyond our understanding. In our hearts, we know this sacred spot has nothing to do with the savages. Or even the Crescent Houses. I believe this symbol was placed here long before the tribes and the Crescent Houses even existed."
"This is the symbol of the House of the Seventh Crescent Moon," Kalos insisted.
"Exactly the same," Sagawea agreed. "See the crater? It is no other moon but the Seventh. That is good enough evidence for me."
"For me, also," Polyper agreed.
"And me," Ginrel and Swiala both said in unison.
"It will not be good enough for the Prime Congress," Adalginza said. "You know that."
"That is why we have the documents," Polyper said reasonably.
"Which are false."
Sagawea reached out with her own hand, and absently ran it across the smoothness of the tunnel wall beside her.
"We never said they were false. It is you who accuse us without evidence."
"Let me see the documents."
"They are gone," Ginrel said innocently. "Already sent to the Prime Congress. They will be presented at the next regular session, where establishment of the House of the Tenth Crescent Moon will be debated."
Adalginza and Kalos regarded each other for many long moments, almost as if communicating silently. He smiled, almost sadly, and then nodded at her.
Adalginza turned to the others.
"I will consent to establishment of the House of the Tenth Crescent Moon. I will commit my people to its jurisdiction — as long as they retain their tribal homelands and are not called upon to give up their ways."
Then she boldly regarded each one of them in turn.
"But I will not condone a lie."
"Nor will I," Kalos said.
In the end, the newly formed Council of the House of the Tenth Crescent Moon put the matter to a vote.
Four were in favor of and two were against continued sanctioning of the documents.
"I will not uphold your evidence, if I am asked." Adalginza warned.
"You have never seen the documents sent to the Prime Continent. How could you speak, either for or against?" Polyper inquired.
"I have not seen them either," Kalos said quietly.
"But we know they are full of lies!" Adalginza protested.
"How do you know?"
This time, it was Lady Swiala who stood and took her granddaughter's hand.
"Have you heard any among us say for sure that we falsified the documents?"
"No, but..."
"Then it is settled," Swiala said smoothly. "You have your suspicions, but no proof. So let us go forward. I have much influence in the Prime Congress. Lady Sagawea has now joined our side as well. The measure will pass."
And so it was that the House of the Tenth Crescent Moon came into being.
***
It was the passing of almost a half season before Kalos and Adalginza, who had been too long apart, met on the eighth anniversary of their wedding vows.
They were back in the wilderness on the Mountain of Treasures, and the light of the crescent moons was reflected off their bare skin as they sat in the shallows of the clear lake.
Their arms were wrapped around each other.
"I will build our abode right there."
Kalos pointed to a huge, flat area scooped from a hill overlooking the lake.
"A fine place," Adalginza agreed.
"We will have many rooms, to hold those who join us. The construction must be done well, for this place will always be honored as the original abode of the founding clan of the House of the Tenth Crescent Moon."
"I am pleased."
"But not entirely so."
"I had always thought of us here together. Alone. Now there will be so many voices to shatter the stillness."
Kalos squeezed her close, and playfully nibbled at her ear.
"Think of them as family. Besides, I have a surprise for you."
"Oh?"
"Another abode is now ours as well. I purchased it from the new chief of the Tribe of the Circles for a price of so many sturmons that it would qualify him as a thief on the Prime Continent. It is the land and abode that once belonged to Lady Donzala."
Adalginza gave him a huge smile.
"The Place of the Circles? The place where I grew up? Ours?"
"Yes. We can go there to be alone. Whenever we can find the time."
Adalginza sighed heavily.
"Time is exactly what we do not have. You are the elected governor of the Tenth House. And I am the leader Of The Blood for the tribes. I am deluged with all manner of crises, from interpretation of tribal law to settlement of marital disputes."
Kalos sighed, too.
"My term is over at the end of four seasons. And you will turn over your power as leader Of The Blood to Calasta, after she comes of age. It is only a few more seasons for you."
"I hope all is well by that time."
"Dearest wife, haven't you learned by now?" Kalos asked teasingly. "All is never well. We just do the best we can."
Adalginza laughed gently and kissed him.
"I know you. You will not sit still, even after your responsibilities end."
"Nor will you."
"And what is it, then, that we will do with ourselves?"
Kalos gazed up at the sky at three crescent moons that were directly overhead. His face was suddenly grave.
"We must erase the lies that have been told about the House of the Seventh Crescent Moon. Otherwise, someone else might discover the f
raud. If that happens, the peace we have worked so hard to achieve will be undone."
Adalginza nodded thoughtfully. "You are right."
"The mystery has not been solved. And it is highly doubtful that the tribes here are direct descendants of the missing Seventh House. We will find, instead, the truth."
"And if we do not like the truth we find?" Adalginza asked softly.
"We will tell it anyway."
They gazed at each other with the fullness of love that only trust can bestow.
And when they reached out to each other, the moons discreetly faded away as clouds drifted across their bright crescent faces.
Darkness embraced this man and woman, giving them a gift of a moment in time that was theirs alone.
The End
Ten Crescent Moons (Moonquest) Page 33
