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had to become convinced of that for it to work. If your mind had not clung to that
conviction, you might have become as you are now. And then he would certainly have
destroyed you.
Thunder rumbled somewhere far away. Vulture looked up, and then spread his
massive wings.  There is one more lesson for you this night, ghost eater, he said.  It
waits for you in the town below. Learn it& and nothing will ever be the same again. Not
for you, and not for any other like you.
He launched himself into the wind, vanishing instantly into the black sky. Owl
followed him, silent as the clouds. Rabbit winked slyly at the ghost eater, then dashed
away into the scrub. Little Deer lingered for a moment, considering him with dark eyes.
Then he turned, white hide fading gradually as he made his way through the trees.
The ghost eater stood still, his mind in turmoil. The animals had given him this
knowledge for a reason& but he was still unsure what he was supposed to do with it. It
came to him suddenly that all his moons of isolation had been for nothing. He wasn t
dangerous to those around him. There was no reason to fear growing close to
someone. How many ghost eaters had existed alone and in pain, how many had gone
mad for lack of anyone to share their lives with? And all because one foolish man had
killed his wife and thought that he d proved himself a menace to everyone around him.
Fragments of conversations drifted through his thoughts, teasing him.
 Think on all that the old one told you, then think on the things he repeated the
most often.
 That s the one part that doesn t work anymore.
 You aren t a man. You re a ghost eater.
 I m not so stupid as that, Sihun. I can t be as a man with her.  But you re still
able to find her attractive.  Oh yes.
He closed his eyes, tried to relax, to let go of the thought patterns the old one
had taught him. He took an unneeded breath, pictured Gwendith as she had looked the
other night in the sweathouse. Her face had been tilted back when she held the war
club, her lips slightly parted. Sweat had soaked through her white shirt, revealing the
faint brown moons of her nipples. Desire awakened, and he let it flow through him, felt
his body stiffen in response.
He flung his head back and let out a whoop that echoed off the mountains. Giddy
excitement ran through him, and for a moment he felt as though he could dash back
and take every available woman in the town.  Gwendith, he whispered aloud, and
laughed. He would surprise her with a kiss, would surprise her even more when he held
her against him.
He started back down the mountain at a quick pace, trying to stop grinning. A
love song came to mind, and he sang it gleefully to the stars. As he drew closer to town,
the light of pine knot torches twinkled in the night, beckoning him. For a moment he
started to smile at the sight, then frowned instead. This was not a dance night there
was no reason for anyone to be about at this hour, unless things were still stirred up
from his earlier confrontation with Tihune.
A woman s voice came to him on the breeze, the words indistinguishable but the
sound of alarm terribly clear. Someone else wailed, a cry of grief that turned his heart to
ice. All his high spirits gone in an instant, he ran the rest of the way to town.
Chaos reigned. People clung to one another, or rushed about, or tore their hair
with grief. A group of men hurried up from the direction of the river, carrying two
burdens with them. As the ghost eater drew closer, he saw Une-ti s blood-masked face,
its skin gone pale in death. Behind him came Sihun, equally pallid.
 No, he whispered, agonized denial. He ran to them, sliding in between grieving
relatives as the men lay their burdens in the grass. The back of Une-ti s head was
missing, and one of his eyes had been reduced to a bloody hole. A similar hole showed
in Sihun s chest. Bright blood poured out of the wound, and Sihun s breathing was
frightfully labored.
Hilaka knelt down by Sihun and shook her ancient head. Her face was drawn,
haggard with the grief of an elder who sees her children and grandchildren die before
her.  The wound is fatal. There is nothing I can do.
 What happened here? the ghost eater demanded frantically. Several people
sidled away from him, as if they had only just now become aware of his presence.
Jilhe emerged from the crowd and faced him across Sihun s body.  We don t
know yet. A na came running, screaming that they were being attacked by the river. We
went down to the waterside and found Une-ti and Sihun like this.
A na pushed forward, her face streaked with tears. No Tongue supported her,
even though her hand clung to his tightly enough that it must have been causing him
pain.  We were by the river, she sobbed.  I thought Gwendith might need to get away,
to talk to another woman.
 Gwendith was with you? the ghost eater asked, going cold.
 Yes. And then the boys came and talked to Sihun. Gwendith left she went to
the river to compose herself a little. And then the men came. They were Enemies, and
they all dressed exactly alike. I couldn t understand what they said, but they sounded
angry. They pointed guns at us. Sihun tried to protect us he distracted them for a
moment, and I ran as fast as I could.
 What happened to Gwendith? Johann asked, pale with worry.
 I don t know. I don t know what happened to her or to Tskiya. I didn t even know
that Une-ti was dead. She broke down then, hands over her face. No Tongue put his
arms around her, drawing her in to cry on his shoulder.
Sihun turned his head slightly, lips moving, though no sound came out. The
ghost eater dropped down by him, putting a hand on his shoulder.  Rest, Sihun, he
whispered, tears blinding him.  You need to rest.
Only it didn t matter what Sihun did at this point. The inexorable flow of blood
would kill him before the moon rose much higher in the sky.
If only I could heal him the way I can heal myself, the ghost eater thought
desperately.
Something stilled in him, a moment of clarity in which everything came more
sharply into focus. The bhargha could manipulate his body, but it could also affect
anything else that lived or ever had lived. He had destroyed dead wood and rope
before, only half-understanding what he was doing. But now, able see and feel what the
bhargha did a little better& could he use it to help Sihun?
He bent over Sihun, pressing his hand to the wound. Jilhe let out a cry of disgust
and struck him away.  Let him die an honorable death, monster!
The ghost eater stared up at the one who had been his kinsman and felt
something die inside.  I am not going to eat his ghost, uncle. Jilhe flinched at the word, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]