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.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmltime passed and took him out of her hands.She was a diver and gifted enoughto know she was going to be Dalliss with all the freedom that meant, herenergies were tunneled that way, she didn't have to fight to breathe.He did.He had a dozen talents but none of them seized hold of him like diving didher, he drifted and used his energy on mischiefs, things that were giggles atfirst, puncturing pomposities to the general applause of the middlers inschool or early apprenticeship.He was punished; pomposities don't appreciateneedles, clever or not, or those who use them, and generally have the power toenforce their disapproval.Except for Elmas Ofka and a few others, themiddlers who laughed at his antics and urged him on left him dangling when hewas caught.The past year she'd seen him turn bitter and his fancies take onmalicious overtones.She worried about him, she couldn't reach him anymore, hewouldn't listen to her.No more worries now.Tears stung her eyes.No.I won'tcry.Not here.Not now.She stopped walking, closed her eyes and foughtherself calm again, then moved into the cell with Fazil Birah and knelt besidethe plank.The collapsed eye was still shut, sealed with blood and mucus, but the othereye was open and filled with pain and triumph."Herk.He." "I know.We'llhang the bastard for this." His mouth stretched in a shaky gaping grin."Fazi,what'd he want? Why'd he grab you?""Rozh.'earlz.W-w'ere____""He wanted to know where the beds are?" "Y-yeh.Din' know.w-we cu'un'ttell him." "He didn't know he should've taken women?" "Nu no.W-we din'tt-tell him.Tan tang'z curse him.W-wu'n't tell him nothin." He wasbreathing hard, growing visibly weaker.When he tried to speak again, ElmasOfka shushed him."I've got it," she said."Tangus cursed him, wouldn't tell him spit.None ofyou told him anything.Look,Fazi.The isya is going to give you something so we can get you out of here."He stirred, agitated.A broken hand clawed at her arm."No," he managed."Lea'me.'nzide.buzted." He closed his eye, his mouth moved; he saidsomething, she couldn't hear it, had to bend down until her ear brushed hislips."Kill me."She pushed away from him, pressed her fingers to her eyes.After a moment shesighed, nodded."Yes." She undipped her darter."Thou my brother, thou mylover, may thy return be in happier times." She shot him, sighed again and gotto her feet.Hessah Indiz was trembling, her eyes glazed.Elmas Ofka wrappedher arms about her isya, held her tight until she stopped shaking, then shestepped back."Let's get out of here."After a quick look at Elmas Ofka, Karrel Goza busied himself with thecontrols, holding the miniship level in spite of the erratic winds bouncingoff the cliff.As soon as all the isyas were climbing the ladders, he beganventing air, taking the ship gradually higher until they were inside and thehatches were closed, then he sent the ship angling steeply upward, where hecaught a tail wind and went whipping back toward gul Inci.The sky was clearing rapidly, starsprays newly brilliant in the rainwashed airtouched the seaswells below with subtle grays; Elmas Ofka watched the wrinkledwater pass beneath them until she saw the shore approaching.She glanced atKarrel Goza.He was cat-quiet again, knitting steadily at a sleeve; he had agift for silence; she hadn't appreciated it before, but it worked to ease thepain in her."They were dead.All but one and he was dying.""Ah.""You were right.Herk didn't know.""And he still doesn't, mmh?""The boy said they didn't tell him.I don't know.""You going to warn the Families?""Not me.How can I? Someone will, I'll see to that.""Going after Herk?"She sat rubbing her hands back and forth along the chairarms, her eyes fixedPage 67 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlon his face."Yes," she said finally."You in?""Yes."She nodded."It's time to do something.""He'll be expecting it.""Herky Jerky? Never, who'd dare.""What'd you do with the guards? Dead? Thought so.Then he's got a pile of deadmen inside his Palace and a htter of footprints in his veggies, might beenough to shake some sense into him.""Doesn't matter.We'll just have to be cleverer.""You know what worries me most?""I've a suspicion.The Sech?""Yeh.We all better keep our heads down while he's nosing around.Your brotherbeing in it, he'll be after the Indiz.And the families of the other boys.Um.Sorry I didn't think about this before, your footprints, they'll be too smallfor men, the Grouch, he'll probably bounce the Dallisses around.All thedivers."She smiled."We've been doing this a while, Karrel Goza.Things being the waythey are, it doesn't matter that much about me, the Sech will have more than asuspicion who ran the raid; still, no use presenting him with proof so he canmake trouble for the others.We took care of that little problem before wecalled you back.""Sorry about that.""We appreciate the thought.""Dance Ground coming up, a couple minutes."She looked at the clock."We made better time than I thought""Tailwind."She smiled at him, it felt good to smile again, the tight thing in her chestwas beginning to open up: "Good pilot is more like it.""Could be." He grinned back at her."You can give us a little extra time?""Sure.""Put Windskimmer to bed for us.""Windskimmer?""Her name.""Nice.""Sssaa, you!""Nah, I mean it.Things I was flying had names like Fud 40 and Kek 10, youcan't do much with Fud." He reached for the panel."Wait.We usually don't land where we took off.There's an old wharf out eastof Inci, no one uses it any more.Let the isyas down there.""Gotcha.I'd better make a wide sweep round, don't want to wake thenightwatch.""Yes." She swung the chair around.In the dim gray light she saw her isyassitting with their knees drawn up, arms crossed on them, looking verydifferent now.They'd changed from their blacks and were back in blouses andskirts and sandals, there was nothing on them to show where they'd been orwhat they'd been doing."Tomorrow evening," she said."Those of you who cancome to Yuryur Beach.Unless there's trouble, I'll meet you.We need to sayAwedas for our boys.Say them in your soul if you can't be with us.As I mighthave to do.If I can't be with you, I will be thinking of you all, myblessings, my sisters.Forget Herk until the Awedas are said, then, mysisters, my loves, think how we can pay him without destroying our Families.My blood is cold, my sisters, my blood is ice.He will not live to boast whathe has done.There is no hurry to it, there is no urgency in it, there iscertainty beyond all question.Herk will pay.It may take years, but Herk willpay."Three months std.after the meeting on Telffer.Helvetia
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