A Whisper of Wings (51 page)

“Zhukora, it’s happened! Two casualties. One dead, one injured. Killed by plainsmen.” The girl knelt and cracked her wings out in obiesence. “Everything went as planned. We made a deep raid into the plains territory. I set two grass fires to drive out game. We caught kangaroos in their thousands! Hundreds of them plunged down the cliffs! Enough food for half the nation.”

The girl excitedly wiped sweat back from her eyes.

“I sent parties back on foot to carry all the meat. The rest of us followed down the river. The territory is rich beyond our wildest dreams! Fields of grass all filled with seeds. Wattle trees that have never been harvested in all their lives! Ducks, emu, possums, yams… We found whole herds of meat animals. Some of the game was - well -
woolly
. Four legs and white thick fur. They didn’t even run. We speared them in their hundreds.”

Zhukora passed her friend a cup of tea.

“Daimïru my love, I know it was exciting, but you really must tell me…”

“Yes, yes! But that’s when it happened, you see! There were plainsmen guarding the herds. We chased the woolly creatures over a hill, then all of a sudden it happened! Plainsmen tried to drive us off. They threw rocks with terrific force! It was just as we have hoped. The plainsman have slain one of us!”

Zhukora paced excitedly up and down.

“What happened to the plainsmen?”

“Oh we slew them. I took one. I killed her with a spear!” The girl’s eyes were filled with sickly light. “A spear is so-so sensual! It glides, it soars, then it plunges home. You should have seen her eyes as she died!”

“Yes my love, I’m sure you were artistic.” Zhukora softly stroked Daimïru’s hair. “So you slew them? And hid the bodies? Good! The fires will have covered up your trail.”

“Word has spread. The people are gathering out there in their hundreds! They want revenge!”

Zhukora hastily stripped away clothes, then reached for her gleaming armour and began to buckle straps.

“Then our moral course is clear. We must avenge our fallen comrade. We have a debt of blood to pay.” The girl hastily changed her loin cloth. “Quickly! Go and summon the people to a clearing. I must tell them of the crime the plainsmen have committed. We shall have our war at last, my love! They will scream for plainsman blood!”

Daimïru laughed and scampered for the door. She soared through the darkness, shrieking out in glorious victory. The time had come; finally it would be war!

***

Brother Fish sat in the sand beside Shadarii’s feet. Overhead, the nighttime sky shone darkest blue. Women waded through the shallows dragging prawn nets while fishermen speared their suppers from canoes. Food toasted over an open fire while sea-folk sang their strange soft songs.

Overhead Mrrimïmei laughed and tossed a ball as the pilgrims played a jiteng game. Totoru snatched the ball, only to plunge straight into the surf. Fishermen laughed as Totoru erupted from the drink, staggering out onto the beach to dry.

The people of the sea were contentedly at peace. A simple people and a complex one; there were so many new stories to hear and tell. Shadarii passed the night listening to their priests, smiling as fisher folk crept near to hear the Silent Lady’s words.

Silent Lady neither ate nor drank, nor did she ever tire. Kïtashii served as Shadarii’s voice, turning the dancers hand motions into words for the crowds.

Brother Fish wound his arm about Sister Mouse and kissed her flowing hair. He looked up at Shadarii and spoke quietly into the hush.

“Revered one, we have had a crime occur inside our village. A very serious crime. Lady Zareemah says that a new age comes, and that the old rules no longer hold. We therefore ask if you will sit in judgement.”

“Two days ago, a man called Pöshïkaa stole the boat of another fisherman, Lalalii. He took it at night while Lalalii was asleep.

“We have a rule against stealing boats. Pöshïkaa must now fish for Lalalii for the next full moon. This is the old law, but Zareemah-Zha has told us that the old rules are no more. Revered one, what judgment do you pass?”

Mrrimïmei whirred overhead; somewhere in the distance fisher women sang. Shadarii dusted off her hands and carefully framed shapes in the dark, the words translated by little Kïtashii who sat in the sand at her side.

“Rules are used as an excuse to make judgement easy; therefore they can serve to create injustice. Why did your neighbour need the boat? Why did he feel he had to take it without asking?”

“Pöshïkaa’s family is poor, and his boat no longer floats. He has a new child, and there was no time to build a new canoe.”

Shadarii slowly nodded. Kïtashii watched her teacher’s hands with absolute concentration.

“Shadarii-Zha says that Pöshïkaa was wrong to take the boat. He should have asked. The village must also face some blame. Why was Pöshïkaa not invited to share a canoe? Shadarii judges both sides to be guilty.

“Pöshïtaa must apologise for his fault. When the times are better, he should hold a feast to thank Lalalii for lending him the boat.

“The community should all come together and build a spare boat for your village. If anyone comes into hardship, the boat can see them through. We pilgrims would be honoured to help you as a thanks for your hospitality.”

The idea had merit. The fisher folk sat back in amazement to discuss this radical new idea.

Tingtraka came wandering up from the water side, straining beneath the weight of an titanic fish. Shadarii stared in amazement at the vast size of her catch while Tingtraka coughed and idly filed her nails.

Mrrimïmei whirred low overhead, looking fat as a pregnant bed bug but still keen to play the catching game. She snatched the ball from her husband’s arms and then blundered off above the waves. Tingtraka cleaned her dinner and glared up into the sky.

From overhead there came a sudden scream of pain. Mrrimïmei hung in the air, folded up in shrieking agony. Totoru had swooped up from beneath and crashed into her pelvis. The girl span and plunged towards the ground.

Mrrimïmei clutched her belly and gave a demented scream. Something had broken; a tiny Ka squealed in agony! The girl lashed out with her fist and caught Shadarii’s fur.

“It wasn’t me, it was him! It was him! I didn’t kill it!” The girl jerked and felt something slicing her inside. She kicked Kïtashii in the face and tried to struggle free. “It’s broken! Help me! Help me…”

Shadarii clapped her hands; Mrrimïmei instantly fell unconscious. The little Teacher staggered to her feet with Mrrimïmei dangling from her arms.

Totoru shook with shock, and Tingtraka rocked the huge hunter back and forth.

“Shhhh, it’s alright now. It was an accident. An accident, that’s all. Just sit with me a while. No need to move quite yet…”

Tingtraka met Shadarii’s eyes, but the Teacher helplessly shook her head. No power on earth could help; Mrrimïmei’s child had already gone.

Tingtraka slowly nodded and pulled Totoru close.

“It’s no one’s fault, Totoru. We all love you. Just hold me tight. She didn’t mean it. She didn’t mean a word.”

Hours later, Mrrimïmei lay shivering in bed. Kïtashii and Tingtraka were still tending to her body, sponging her and cleaning her with gentle, caring hands. Mrrimïmei slowly clenched her claws and rolled to face the door.

“There was no body for her to bring its soul back to. Don’t you understand? The egg was crushed! I helped her drag the fragments out of you.”

“Keep him away from me! All of you damned pilgrims keep away!” Mrrimïmei spat once more. “She has the power to raise the dead! She can make the desert bloom, bring water from the rocks, but still she won’t raise a hand to help her own. We aren’t important enough to bother with.”

Tingtraka stiffly stood; her eyes were filled with hurt.

“That’s not true. She helps everybody. Just look how she almost slew herself to save that little boy!”

“Ha! It won her adoration from these simpletons of villagers. Adoration and obedience. That was all she wanted! She feeds on love like a vampire sucks on life!”

Between Mrrimïmei’s legs a little figure slowly rose. Kïtashii glared at Mrrimïmei in pure hate.

“You make me sick. Shadarii saved you because she loves you, and now you betray her with your words.” Kïtashii drew back from her patient in distaste. “I’ve had enough of you! You’ve never understood. Never learned! Always Mrrimïmei first! Well we’ve done our duty. Your egg’s dead now, so to hell with you!”

“You’re right, of course; I will never know. My father saw to that when I was eight. But you can still have another child; be thankful for the Teacher’s gift.”

Mrrimïmei shrieked and tried to fight up out of bed.

“Teacher? Teacher! She’s betrayed Kotaru! She let her lover die and then turned her back upon his corpse! She has the power to avenge us, and yet she does nothing! The creature is as dangerous as Zhukora!”

Chapter Nineteen

Ksatra
. A heron. Yes, that could be drawn. Shadarii made four elegant swipes with her brush and added them to the master list. Kïtashii and Tingtraka smoothly copied down the shapes, Tingtraka adding an extra flourish that reduced the moves to three. They inspected one another’s handiwork with grins of excitement.

The great task was almost done; Shadarii’s picture words were spilling into place like pieces of a puzzle. The three women had worked in absolute isolation for days, and soon they would return to the village bearing the gift of writing. The world would finally have the means to keep its knowledge safe and sound.

The three pilgrims worked together in companionable silence. Kïtashii blew upon her page and held it up against the light. Shadarii had almost forgotten what a pretty little girl she was; bare breasted and wearing the wispy native skirt of shells, she seemed skinny, pure and silver - and utterly at ease.

Now if only they could make her face smile more often than it frowned…

A petulant voice hissed unhappily in Shadarii’s skull.

*Shadarii! Thou’rt wasting thy time. Scribbles and drawing, words and stories! There are real things we should be achieving.*

Shadarii ground fresh pigment and serenely dipped her brush.

~These are real things. This is very important. Now bide thy time and be patient.~

*Bah! Ideas are dangerous. Thou shalt cause trouble if thou insist on stirring lower social orders into thought.*

~Oooooh, lower orders!~
Shadarii smiled in amusement. She gave Kïtashii a wink and prodded merrily at Starshine.
~You must tell me all about your insights into social structure.~