Return to Eden

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

The murderous act had happened very quickly — had undoubtedly been planned to happen in just that way. All very obvious by hindsight, Ambalasei realized. Fafnepto had stood erectly before them, pride obvious in her hunting skill, her strength and her weapon. Not realizing that there were hunters in the cities that outdid any forest dweller in rapaciousness. Vaintè led, and this fat idiot Akotolp followed her instructions. She would have to be the one who had brought the hèsotsan, provided the material for this deadly ruse — had the effrontery to even use Ambalasei’s own scientific records to conceal the presence of the weapon! Ambalasei turned to Akotolp, anger and detestation in every line of her body.

“Fat former student, now corpulent creature of deadly conspiracy. Return my scientific records at once for you are unfit to possess them.”

Akotolp wavered before the storm of fury, the hèsotsan forgotten in her hands, trying to speak but unable to. Vaintè came to her rescue.

“Great Ambalasei, you are too angry with loyal Akotolp. A long time ago she pledged to serve me, has done so faithfully ever since. She of course means no harm to you, her teacher. She and I both respect you and acknowledge your great wisdom. I am thankful also for your research into this new continent that permitted me to come here and complete the mission I had undertaken.”

“You were commissioned to kill Fafnepto?!” Ambalasei said, her crest flaring with color.

“The death of Fafnepto was unfortunate but necessary. We both serve Saagakel and are here at her bidding. Unfortunately Fafnepto did not agree with me on matters of priority. Since a Yilanè of her type cannot be reasoned with she, unfortunately, had to suffer disproportionately for her opinions. Akotolp, let me have your hèsotsan before someone is killed by mistake. Do not shake so, you have done no wrong. You have done only your duty and have served me, your eistaa, for which I am grateful. And you will of course return Ambalasei’s records to her?”

“If that is your wish, Vaintè.”

“Not my wishes, but the desire of this great scientist whose orders we will obey.”

Ambalasei signed disbelief as Akotolp brought the container to her side, then hurried away. “Do you obey all my wishes, Vaintè? What if I wish to remain here in this new city ?”

Vaintè shaped her arms with regret. “Unfortunately, that is not possible. I was sent by Saagakel, Eistaa of Yebèisk, to return you to that city. That will be done. All of your records that Akotolp brought with us from Alpèasak are now in the uruketo and there they will remain. You will join them.” She turned to Gunugul who descended from the fin and was standing as rigid as the others, numbed by the speed and shock of events. “There should be meat and water enough for a return to Yebèisk. Is there?”

“Yes, sufficient if many sleep during the journey.”

“Excellent. You will return there at once with Ambalasei.”

“What of this other uruketo? It was taken by Ambalasei, it must go back…”

“It has been recovered, unharmed, as you can see for yourself. Reassure great Saagakel that it will be returned one day to her city. But I will have use of it for a period of time. This use is all the reward I ask for my labors, for finding the uruketo, for finding and returning the one she sought.”

“For killing Fafnepto,” Ambalasei said with cold anger. “Enge spoke correctly — you are a poisonous and deadly creature, Vaintè. I have work, possessions, my assistant Setessei in the stolen uruketo, now doubly stolen. What of them?”

“I offer all assistance. They return with you to Yebèisk of course. Transfer them now. And leave.”

“And you will remain. What labors of magnified negativity do you plan to do here?”

“What I plan is no concern of yours, old one. Leave — and enjoy the attentions of the Eistaa.”

Ambalasei signed disdain. “If you think the Eistaa will punish me, abandon that hope. She will present no problems to me. When I turn over the records of my discoveries to Saagakel she will forget all thoughts of revenge. Her city will be the center of the new learning and will welcome scientists from all Entoban*. Like any other eistaa she will take all of the credit. As for myself, one city is like any other city. It will suffice. Setessei, supervise moving of my possessions. I now go and rest.” She walked a few tired steps, then turned to Enge and signed departure immediate/final. “I am sorry to see these creatures of evil in your city, Enge.”

“Do not concern yourself. The Principles of Ugunenapsa will survive.”

“Good. I am particularly fond of the ninth.”

She turned, climbed the uruketo’s fin and vanished from sight.

Elem started to speak but Vaintè pointed the hèsotsan at her and signed silence on pain of death.

It was a long silence that continued as Ambalasei’s containers were taken from one uruketo and loaded into the other. Akotolp, her fear vanished with Ambalasei’s departure, took up Fafnepto’s hèsotsan again and settled back on her tail. Serving her eistaa. The commander, Gunugul, was the last to board when the uruketo was ready to leave. She turned and spoke coldly to Vaintè.

“The Eistaa shall hear exactly what happened here. How Fafnepto died. Everything.”

“Speak of it,” Vaintè said, her contempt withering and dismissive. “I did as I promised her, then did what I had to do for myself. Now — depart.”

She was silent again until the gap of water had opened up between the uruketo and the dock. Only then did she turn to Enge.

“That is done with. Now we look to the future. I greatly admire this fine, fresh, new city that you have here. You must tell me of it.”

“I tell you nothing, will not speak with you, reject you now as I have rejected you before. None here will acknowledge your existence.”

“Do you realize how very difficult you are being? Can you not understand that it is now I who will issue orders? Your years of leadership are finished at last. It was power that we have both always wanted, isn’t it? You must admit that to yourself — now that your days of power are ended. You led these confused creatures and many died because of your leadership. But, like me, you are very strong, Enge. In the end your leadership carried them all across the ocean and grew this city for them here. But these days are over. I rule now. And there is absolutely nothing that you can do about it. It is now I who will speak and be obeyed.” She raised and pointed the hèsotsan. “If I am not obeyed then this shall speak for me. Do you believe that?”

“I believe it. Of no one else, possibly. But of you I believe it.”

“Good. Then I shall tell you of this city, so obviously new and freshly grown. For now that I look closely it is obvious what happened here. You came to this place and that wise scientist, Ambalasei, grew a city for you where none had been before. Since there is no eistaa here you must foolishly think of it as your city, as the city of the Daughters of Death. That is no longer the case. I am the eistaa now. And if this city ever had another name I do not want to hear it. Since I am Vaintè, the joy-hunter, I wish a muru of permanence to my city, a tesi to seize and catch that joy. This city is now named Muruvaintesi, the place where joy is hunted and caught forever. Is that not a very appropriate name?”

“It is so inappropriate that I instantly reject it — as will we all. Leave us.”

“No! It is mine — and you will not resist me. Or perhaps you should. It would be easy enough for you to do that. This is your last chance, Enge. Fight back and regain control! Kill me Enge — and the city is yours again. But of course if you do that you have lost everything you profess to believe in! See, Enge, how well I know you. How I place you in an inescapable position. You either lose — or you lose.”

Enge felt her temper flare, felt her thumbs open wide, felt the overwhelming desire to reach out and kill this despoiler who would destroy everything that she believed in, that she had devoted her life to.

Knew that if she gave in to these overwhelming desires she would destroy it herself.

The anger was still there, but she locked it deep within herself, let her arms drop to her side, turned away.

“You decide wisely,” Vaintè said, arched with victory. “Now speak to your Daughters and tell them to keep this city functioning well while you are away. They have no choice, do they? They will work as they have always worked, but it shall be my city they work for, not theirs. Remind them that if they refuse and resist that they will die. I shall then bring fargi here to take their places. Go tell them this, then return here. We leave today for Gendasi* for I have one last task to perform before I remake this city. I very much want you to be there when I find and kill ustuzou Kerrick. You do want to be there, don’t you?”

The anger and hatred had burned deep, showed now only in Enge’s eyes. She let her gaze rest on Vaintè for a long moment, then turned and walked slowly away. Vaintè signed attention to the crewmembers of the uruketo.

“Who commands here?” she asked.

“I do,” Elem said. “But I serve Ugunenapsa and not you. The uruketo remains here. You may now kill me.”

“You do not escape that easily, commander. It is not you who will die — but your foolish companions. Every time you refuse my order I will kill one of them. Is that understood?

Elem signed confusion and disbelief, impossibility of action.

“Possible enough,” Vaintè said. “Akotolp, shoot one of these despicable creatures to show the survivors the strength of my resolution.”

“No!” Elem shouted, stepping forward and standing before Akotolp’s raised weapon. “The uruketo will leave as commanded, no more shall die.” She looked at Fafnepto’s corpse just beside her. “One is enough.”

Enge walked stiffly into the city, the shock of Vaintè’s arrival still not assimilated. This day she had gone from highest hopes to greatest despair. She met two Daughters on the path and they recoiled at the pain in her movements. She stopped and ordered her thoughts.

“Tell everyone, go to the ambesed now. Events of disastrous nature.”

The word spread quickly and she walked slowly, deep in thought. They were gathering even before she arrived and when she spoke to them the silence was absolute. There were murmurs of pain when she told them what had happened, cries of despair when she described what more there was to come.

“I would like to tell you to have hope. At this moment I cannot.”

“We shall leave the city,” Satsat said. “I remember this Vaintè — how could I ever forget her? As Ugunenapsa is the embodiment of life, she is that of death. We must leave the city. We die in either case.”

Enge signed understanding. “You speak from fear. As terrible as she is, Vaintè is only a single Yilanè. We have not come this far to die at the slightest setback. This is our city. She will try to make it hers but we will resist with silence and work. When we speak it shall not be to her but to any fargi she may bring here. If they understand Ugunenapsa’s words they will then become as we are — and we will have won. I ask you only to have faith in what we have done, and what we still have left to do. Stay here. Work hard. You may have to work even harder when we return. But we have no choice. If we truly follow Ugunenapsa’s teachings we can do nothing else.”

Satsat and Omal and Efen knew what lay in store for them. They knew Vaintè when she had been Eistaa of Alpèasak, before the city had been destroyed. They knew what she was capable of. They came and touched Enge’s thumbs as efensele and the others watched in silence. What they had all shared, how far they had come since first they had joined together to follow Ugunenapsa’s will, steadied Enge and even gave her the strength to go ahead.

“I thank you for your aid. I thank you for the new thing I heard of this day called compassion. It is a term that wise Ambalasei used to describe something new that Ugunenapsa brought to the Yilanè. I will remember that and I will remember you when we leave here. Although there appears to be no hope — yet I still have hope. We may yet succeed.”

With this she left them and went through the city to the river’s shore. All of the others were within the uruketo save Vaintè who stood, waiting for her.

Enge had nothing to say, was scarcely aware of her. She climbed the fin and spoke to Elem who waited there.

“You may leave when you are ready. Do as you are ordered to do, for these are creatures of great violence and death.”

“It shall be as you say, Enge.” Vaintè’s shadow fell over them and Elem ignored it very much as Enge did. “Where we walk today is not important, as long as tomorrow and tomorrow’s tomorrow we follow Ugunenapsa’s path.”