then her fate would be horrible. And the lives of her daughters and her mother
would become even worse. Far worse. But if she continued as she had, she would
be dooming them anyway. She might die of a fever or be killed, and then they
would have no supporter and defender.
Anyway as Smhee pointed out, though he didn’t need to, the mage was after her.
Her only defence was a quick offence. She had no other choice except to wait
like a dumb sheep and be slaughtered. Except that, in this situation, the sheep
would be tortured before being killed.
Smhee knew what he was saying when he had said that she was desperate.
8
When the wolfs tail, the false dawn, came, she rose stiffly and went through to
her room and looked out the window. Not surprisingly, the corpses of the Raggah
were gone.
Shortly thereafter, Kheem awoke, bright-eyed, and asked for food. Masha covered
her with kisses, and, weeping joyfully, prepared breakfast. Smhee left. He would
be back before noon. But he gave her five shaboozh and some lesser coin. Masha
wakened her mother, gave her the money, and told her that she would be gone for
a few days. Wallu wanted to question her, but Masha told her sternly that she
would be better off if she knew no more than she did now.
‘If Eevroen wants to know where I am, tell him that I have been called to
help deliver a rich farmer’s baby. If he asks for the man’s name, tell him
it is Shkeedur sha-Mizl. He lives far out and only comes into town twice a year
except on special business. It doesn’t matter that it’s a lie. By the time I get