held finality.
But Gilla rose, and while Vanda still stared and the Beysib woman was just
beginning to look around, launched herself across the room. When she stopped,
the beynit was barely a foot from her outstretched hand. The crimson head darted
upward like a flame and began to sway.
‘Mother, don’t mover Vanda’s shocked whisper hissed in the air.
Gilla remained still, now that she had reached her goal, looking for the first
time directly into Lady Kurrekai’s round eyes. ‘And a woman of Sanctuary?’ she
said hoarsely. ‘Why not? Lalo will die anyway and I will die too. Why not here?’
For an endless moment, Gilla held the other woman’s unblinking stare. Then Lady
Kurrekai shrugged, and with an almost careless movement interposed her fingers
between Gilla and the red blur that was striking at her hand.
Stomach churning, Gilla sagged back on her heels. For perhaps the space of a
minute the beynit hung with its fangs still embedded in the fleshy part of Lady
Kurrekai’s thumb. Then it began to wriggle, and the Beysib woman grasped it by
the middle, with a little shake detached it, and encouraged it to slide back
into the .shelter of her pannier once more.
‘In the name of Bey the Great Mother, the Holy One!’ Kurrekai spoke suddenly,
strongly, and then became very still, and though her eyes were open, they had
become as lightless as Lalo’s. Gilla watched, shivering with nightmares of what
would happen if a woman of the Beysib died here. Vanda had crept to her side and
was holding to her as she used to when she was a little girl.