“Lady, we ask your pardon for the harsh words addressed to you,” said this newcomer, his manner less confident than that of his predecessor. His covering was of a dark gray rather than the red of the first, yet his sword seemed to have had even less use than that of the other. “We seek no battle between our groups, merely the freeing of our leader, our High Seat. We trust that in your generosity no harm has come to him, and humbly ask your price for setting him free. Should your demands be within our power to supply, you shall have them.”
Much effort did it take to keep from sneering at this second male. Was this the manner in which to address an enemy, as a slave to a master? Were these males incapable of speaking to one as an equal, rather than with threats from master to slave, or pleadings from slave to master? Had I not stood in Mida’s cause, surely would I have walked from all of them, never to allow males within sight again.
“You ask our price for releasing the male you term High Seat,” said I, gazing evenly upon the second to have spoken. “Should our price be the enslavement of every third male within your city, would you meet it?”
“Every third— Unthinkable!” snapped the first male, immediately bristling. “We would not. . . .”
“Hold your tongue!” shouted the second male to the first, his face reddening. When he saw himself obeyed, he again turned to me. “Lady, such a demand must first be discussed among the Council of the city. I, myself, though at their head, cannot speak for them. Is this your sole demand?”
“I have not yet stated a demand,” said I, folding my arms beneath my life sign. “Out of curiosity, I merely advanced a supposition. For what reason would you consider one useless, portly male the equal of every third male of your city? The gross creature even appears useless for breeding.”
Signs of shock appeared upon the second male’s features, yet did one or two of those behind him cough into their hands, as though to hide their own lack of shock. He who had spoken first appeared unsure as to whether to laugh or fall to anger, yet the second was able to find words before the first.
“Young woman, have a care how you speak!” said he, great indignation upon him. “This is the High Seat we discuss, the Blessed One of the Serene Oneness! Contrary to the belief of those who scoff, the Serene Oneness does indeed hear words spoken against his chosen—and punishes them!”
“Ah, now do I see,” said I, nodding in thoughtfulness. “You believe the male chosen and protected by your god. Is this so?”
“Indeed,” nodded the male in turn, pleased that his point had been so easily grasped. The point, however, understood by me only by cause of a knowledge of the irrationality of males, was still somewhat unclear.
“Among Midanna, one’s actions are the sole judge of value,” I observed, uselessly, for these were males I spoke with. “However, I fail to see the connection between your assertion and your efforts. Were the male truly chosen and protected by your god, there would be no call for your presence now before me. Should a Midanna be taken by the enemy and her clan fail to free her with a major effort, surely would it be clear to them that Mida had turned her face from that warrior. You view such signs differently?”
“Most certainly,” nodded the second male, the sobriety upon him doing naught to firm up the overall weakness of his features. “We consider this disaster as a testing from the Serene Oneness, a seeking for the true depth of our devotion to the Blessed One. Should we fail, we are not worthy of him.”
“Again I find your words meaningless,” said I, my head ashake. “I had thought no more than a small set of your males would decide upon what price I set for the life of your High Seat, yet now does it seem that all males within the city shall have their say. In what manner will this be accomplished?”
“In no manner,” said the mate, a small upset appearing within his eyes. “You were initially correct; our Council alone will be responsible for what decision is made.”
“Then you speak foolishness!” I snapped, truly losing patience with the oaf. “Should all think themselves tested, all must respond; should only a small portion respond, the testing has failed. Even a child would have the wit to see this. Your response, as the response of all males, is totally lacking in reasoning thought. It has not even occurred to you that you place the burden of testing upon the wrong shoulders.”
“What do you say, wench?” demanded the first male, he who continued to clutch the cloth of blue. The second male, unresponsive to my words, stood beside him with a look of deep anxiety. “How might we have misinterpreted this time of testing? Are you not here, deep within our city? Have you not taken the High Seat captive?”
“Indeed.” I nodded, now looking down upon this other. “Among the Midanna, Mida will often test her warriors, yet never does the testing fall upon all the warriors of a single clan. No more than a hand of warriors will find themselves done so, more often a single warrior, most often a war leader. To lead others in the name of Mida is a great honor, an honor one must continually prove herself fit for. Is this god of yours less demanding than Mida? When was this Blessed One of yours last tested to prove his worthiness?”
A silence fell upon the males before me, no expression touching them save that their eyes were grim. Each looked briefly upon the others and then looked away, to withdraw within a shell of wordlessness that spoke more clearly than shouting.
“I see,” said I, moving my gaze about among them. “He has not been tested since the time he won the glory of his place. Surely, great skill was shown at that time, yet from his appearance, the time must have been many kalod—”
My words broke off at the stir of discomfort and seeming guilt suddenly appearing upon the faces of the males, the manner in which they flushed and looked down toward the ground their leather-shod feet stood upon. A sudden thought came to me, one too foolish to give credence to, and yet . . . . Were these not males?
“It cannot be that the male did naught to earn his place,” I said, the flatness of my tone a lash upon the backs of those before me, causing them to flinch as though struck. “You are males, I know, yet even males must demand a gesture from those who lead them. Did the portly one ask most politely for the place? Were his tears of desire heavier than those of other petitioners? In what pale, foolish manner were his merits judged?”
“You may not speak to us so!” blustered the second of the males, he of the weak features and unused sword. “We are not savages, to demand the spilling of blood from our High Seat! The previous High Seat, father to he who currently holds the place, took the weight of spilled blood upon his own soul to keep his son from the necessity! As a true son to his father, the place was his by right!”
“By right,” I echoed, still flatly, again resting my left hand upon my sword hilt. “In such unexpected ways are we shown the true wisdom of Mida. It is undoubtedly for this reason that war leaders are denied issue, to keep them from the folly of desiring their daughters, fit or unfit, to follow their steps to glory. Far better to have no issue at all than to foist off upon one’s clan a creature of no ability and no sense of personal accomplishment. It is clear that he who came before the gross male was undoubtedly smiled upon by your god, for his cause was supported and victory was vouchsafed him; in no manner might the same be said of his issue.”
“That is not so!” began the second male, heatedly and in great agitation, yet the first male, he of the blue cloth, turned upon the second in anger.
“You are a fool, Thierlan!” he snapped, much of a growl edging his voice. “Must the Serene Oneness himself appear before you, to prove your folly beyond all doubt? That you owe your position to the High Seat is known to all; should you now refuse to honor that position and act in the best interests of the city, you may share the fate of that fat, slavemaking hanger-on. Speak now, Thierlan: which will it be?”