the mesa, except in the prescribed ways. And a pit house would take more time to dig than I can spare from my work, besides being cramped and stuffy.” He tightened his arms about her, staring away across the canyon.
He found his gaze lingering on the deep arch that opened into the side of the cliff beyond the gulf of space. A cave. He had explored it when he was small. It was deep and cool, with a spring seeping from the stone in its deepest part. There were others like it along all the cliffs on both sides of the canyon.
He had a sudden recollection of the words of the Anensi trader. Those tales of cliffs that the people of the south built for themselves and within which they lived.
A house built into the cliff cavern would be cool in summer and warm in winter, shielded from the blasting winds that swept the high places. It would be safe, also, from enemies, who would have to negotiate the almost impossible climb down to it.
“The cliff,” he breathed. “We could build a house inside the cliff. That would break no rule.”
Ihyannah pulled free to stare into his face. “In the cliff? How?”
“Look over there, at that small cave. There are others below us, here, large ones and small. Most of them have little springs seeping from the stone, too. We could build a house there, and it would not be on the mesa. The ritual would not have to be performed for an entire House. We could live there until our part of the pueblo is finished.”
For the first time in weeks, he looked animated. There was a coppery glow beneath his dark skin. His eyes were bright, instead of harried.
Ihyannah turned to lie on her belly and stare down the cliff side. “There is a cave just below us. I used to play there when I was small. It does have a spring—yet it is a long way down. It is not easy to get there, though I thought little of it when I was a child.”
Uhtatse sank back into her arms, his cheek again against her hair. “It would be a very difficult thing. Dangerous, too. We would have to do it all ourselves, for there is no one else who can spare the time or take the risks.” He frowned. “And I must watch the mesa. How can that be managed?”
She laughed, shaking in his arms. “We will go on a long scout. Down past the Middle Way to the very bottom of the mesa. We will move across those distant lands below, and you can sense everything that moves. If it takes days, then we will take those days. When we return, you will know that there is no trace of the Kiyate anywhere within range of us.
“Then we will begin to build my house. If we work for half the day and you range the mesa for the other half of every day, then all will be done. Nothing will be neglected.”
Uhtatse felt his spirits rise. For the first time since he had held his position, he felt some ease of mind. The dark mouth of the cave smiled at him. A magpie above his head shrilled an inquiring note, and he looked up to smile at the bird.
Something was trying to speak to him. Something inside struggled to make itself heard. If he was patient, he would know, eventually, what it was.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
