When we got back to the house, we went around to the rear and spread the wet clothes over tightly stretched pieces of netting, then weighted the corners of the clothes down with rocks. I thought we’d be going back into the house then, but only Rapan went in. The rest of us followed Gilor around the house to the main road, and from there into the town.
There were just as many people about as had been the last time, and we made our way slowly through the crowds. There were many women there, some alone, some with men, but the majority of them had small children either in their arms or by one hand, and some had both. I found myself curious about the older children, but seeing one of the men with a boy about seven and a girl about eight reminded me of another of their customs. The women looked after the children until they were about five, then the men took over their training, boy and girl alike. The women bore children for their men, but the children belonged solely to the men. If a woman was sold after having a man’s child, the child did not go with her.
“See you there,” Gilor said softly to me, nodding toward a woman who wore two usual bands and also a leather headband. The woman was well advanced in pregnancy but moved her swollen body easily “That wenda swore to us all that never would she bear a man’s child; she now carries his third, just as reluctantly as the first two. The l’lenda to whom she belongs cares more for the getting of his children than for her humor. Should he find a more willing and attractive woman, he will sell her, yet until he does, she acts as she is bidden. The choice ever belongs to l’lendaa.”
“There are some choices even beyond l’lendaa,” I answered with a good deal of satisfaction. “Why does she wear the band about her hair?”
“The headband is to show that she is with child,” Gilor explained. “There are l’lendaa who would buy a woman with child sooner than one who is not. It is proof that the woman is not barren.”
“Your ways are exceedingly strange to me.” I admitted. “On our journey here, your denday and I were joined by one of the l’lendaa and his wenda. The l’lenda asked the denday to honor him by using his wenda. I was told that the l’lenda hoped to see his woman with child by the denday, but he was given no more than the single opportunity. Should she indeed find herself with child, how are they to know if the child is truly that of the denday, or merely of the l’lenda himself?”
“Tammad rarely needs further opportunity” Gilor laughed. “Yet it matters not. The child shall be considered as belonging to the l’lenda, and shall be watched carefully for signs of greatness. Should the signs become apparent, the child may claim kinship to the denday and thereby further himself. The I’lenda shall have the honor of raising the child, and thereby gain greater stature. In such a thing, there is satisfaction for all.”
“Strange,” I repeated, shaking my head. “There is much to think upon here. Where do we go now, Gilor?”
“We go to replenish the stores of the denday,” she answered. “Other l’lendaa may hunt and trap for the dinga to buy that which they wish to have, or they may sell the use of their swords to the city in return for the dinga. Tammad is too burdened with the problems of all, and therefore must have his needs supplied without dingo. The merchants give willingly, glad that he is there to aid them. We go first for the vegetables our own gardens do not produce.”
We made our way into a building that had shelves and boxes filled with vegetables of all sorts. Gilor picked and chose what she wanted then led the way out again. I’d never seen a building filled with food like that, and it was an odd sight. My own house’s chef had the food delivered to it already cooked and placed in stasis. The chef had only to remove the stasis field and deliver the dish. I’d once, as a child, seen raw food, but in nothing like the quantity that that building had held.
We made the rounds of all the food buildings, pausing now and then at the stalls that held cloth and jewelry. There was finer cloth than that which our imad and caldin were made of, and the women stared at it lovingly. I had the feeling that the cloth was ours for the asking, but Gilor didn’t ask. She just sighed a little, then went on to the next building.
We got back to the barbarian’s house loaded down with packages, but I was wearier than carrying them around accounted for. I’d had to spend a good deal of energy defending myself from the people of the town, and I wasn’t used to it. Men and women alike seemed to know who I was, and the feelings of desire and envy and curiosity had almost been staggering. I’d noticed that very very few of the women were even four-banded, let alone five, and that seemed to add something to the emotional overtones. I felt pale with my efforts, and the relative peace of the house was very welcome.
Meat and vegetables were put up quickly to cook, and Gilor set me to putting clean goblets on trays. I did it automatically, encouraging my inner self to relax and regather strength, and by the time the food was ready I’d almost come back to normal. Rapan came in, saying that Tammad and Kennan were ready to eat, and that she and I were to join them. Two platters were given to each of us, one of the girls coming along to carry the goblets. The men were alone in the meeting room and were naturally served first, then Rapan and I were able to sit and eat.
Kennan and the barbarian were in a good mood, joking with each other as they ate. They each listed all sorts of deficiencies in their respective wendaa, but with big grins and broad winks. Rapan blushed and looked down at her food, but I stared at the men and weighed my plate in my hand. The barbarian got the message and laughingly changed the subject.
When all the food was eaten, the two men drank briefly from their goblets, then stood up, inspecting Rapan and me lazily. Rapan got quickly to her feet too, but I stood more slowly wondering what the men were up to. Kennan felt a strong sense of expectation, and the barbarian was controlling himself firmly.
“Kennan and I have spoken,” the barbarian announced with his usual calm. “I have been asked to honor my guest, and have agreed to do so. In return, I have gifted to my guest the use of my own wenda, whom he shall use as his until the return of his. Rapan, you are to come with me.”
Rapan was delirious in her excitement, but the announcement affected me differently. He always seemed to be taking one woman or another with him, palming me off on the man who was wenda-less. I said, “The denday may take all of the city to his furs, but I grow weary of l’lendaa without end. Find another to console Kennan. I have no interest in him.”
I started to turn away but Kennan grabbed my arm in his oversized hand. “The denday has spoken, Terril.” He grinned.
“You are mine until Rapan is returned to me. Come you now and show the proper respect.”
“Respect for whom?” I snorted. “There are none about worthy of respect!”
I waited until the flash of anger loosened his grip the least little bit, then pulled away and ran out of the room. I could feel him right behind me, but I wasn’t running aimlessly I went straight out the back door, across the twenty feet, and into the corral.
My seetar was on her way to me even before I’d shut the corral gate. She knew that something was upsetting me, and she was concerned and angry. I met her a short distance away from the gate, leaning against her huge side as she nuzzled my shoulder comfortingly. I’d sleep with the seetarr if I had to, but I would not go with Kennan. Just because that barbarian periodically tired of me didn’t mean that I wanted to go searching for new talent, too. And Gilor had been so certain about his satisfaction. A lot she knew.
The corral gate opened again almost immediately showing Kennan standing there. He was as big as all l’lendaa and his annoyance was completely in proportion to his size, but I had an ally of my own and my ally made Kennan look small. He started toward me without hesitation, but a snort and deep rumble from my seetar made him falter, then stop altogether.