The Burning Ground

Chapter 14

Thann turned and looked back a last time at the House of Mercy.

Isaho was theirs now. Xe’s daughter was dead-the Isaho walking about didn’t recognize xe when she saw xe. The grief of that was heavy on xe’s shoulders as xe took up the pack of clothes the Anyas of Mercy had given her and walked away. Xe was more than a little frightened, but xe couldn’t bear to spend another night under that roof.

Mind on the instructions the Grand Mercy’s aide had given xe, xe’s free hand resting in the side slit of the hatchry robe, ready to hold the anyalit inside xe’s pouch, xe moved along the twisty lanes that led to Progress Way. The babbit was curled up and sleeping now, but xe was blessed or cursed with an abundance of energy and never slept for long. Xe didn’t know what waited for xe in the west quarter where the hohekils were, for xe had only the few coins the Mercys had given xe, no kin, nobody to protect xe, but with so many exiles and broken families over there, maybe xe could find a place to take xe where xe could raise the anyalit in some kind of peace.

As xe left the Way and began moving into narrow lanes again, xe heard shouts, sounds of running feet.

A small compact form came round a corner, slammed into xe, knocking xe against the wall of the house beside xe. Hastily, xe thrust xe’s hand farther, inside the robe,: pressed xe’s palm against the sphincter to keep the anyalit from wriggling out.

“Oy!” A small hot hand caught hold of xe’s, pulled xe away from the wall. “Run. Please.”

Shouts and curses from the alley, a mal’s voice, angry, vengeful and coming closer. Slap of boots on the pavement.

Still dazed by the collision, Thann let the femlit pull xe along until xe was back on Progress Way and in the shadow of the Yeson wall.

The femlit let go of xe’s hand, dropped to a squat and panted, eyes sweeping over the Pilgrim throng moving past them.

Thann stroked the bulge of the babbit, relaxed when xe started suckling. Xe bent, tapped the femlit’s head. When she looked up, xe signed, +Why?+

The femlit coughed, spat. “When I saw you were anya and by yourself, I couldn’t leave you there. 01’ Fishbreath, he wouldn’t even break stride, just scoop you up and sell you to his friend the flesh broker.”

+Why was he after you? Did he want to sell you?+

“Nah. Femlits don’t fetch enough to pay for the trouble of carting me there.” She ran bright shrewd eyes over Thann, seemed to make up her mind about something. “’Cause I just lifted his purse, that’s why.” She made a face, shrugged. “I’m not very good at it yet. How come you walking about by your lone self? Bad idea, anya.”

+Because I don’t have a place to be. I might ask the same of you, femlit.+

“Where’s your family? How’d you get to Linojin without them?”

Thann managed a smile at the deft way the child avoided her question. +You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.+

The femlit got to her feet, stood with her hands clasped