As he left the cavehe was appalled at what he had done. What was wrong with him? The batwas considered unclean by the Karakao and all contact with the animalwas forbidden. Tahano had not only eaten these vile bloodsuckers, buthe had eaten them live.
He wanted toregurgitate his foul meal. He wanted to cleanse himself of the filth.But his body would not let go of the nourishment.
Tahano rememberedhis nightmare. Something had happened to him. He could feel changestaking place in his body with every passing moment.
"Palao, what hashappened to me?" Tahano cried into the forest. "Even if I findyou, are you lost to me? Am I no longer worthy?" He tore at hisflesh, but did not feel the wounds. He ran through the forest but didnot feel the thorns at his feet.
"I cannot returnto my people, for I am not like them any longer. Indeed I am cursed.While I still have regard for those things I hold dear, let me gointo the mountain and live in solitude. I will feed upon thecreatures that roam in the wild. I will be like an animal, for I fearthat I will never again be a man."
Chapter 5
The distinctionsaccorded Palao and Morai were like none they had experienced in theirlives. Among the Kanakao, descending from chiefs carried with it moreobligations than privileges. Leaders were expected to defer to thewell-being of the group over their own. It was believed that Sanacommunicated wisdom to the leaders, wisdom that was revealed indreams and by burning of the bark. But in order for the visions tooccur, the leaders had to lead exemplary lives. They had to be worthyof Sana's visitation. Thus only a leader who earned the respect ofthe people through admirable living was accorded respect andobedience.
However, among thebarbarians--for this is what Palao had taken to calling herhosts--the privileges granted to leaders included what Palaoconsidered to be decadent distinctions: a fine homestead, a bevy ofservants and the choicest of foods. The appropriation of the people'sresources for the benefit of the leaders was strange and offensive toPalao.
Weeks passed in thebarbarians' company and Palao learned some of the old language. Shebecame acquainted with women in the homestead and noted that all wereold. Each child born to the last generation of leaders had been maleand thus the homestead was in crisis, for the custom had arisen amongthe barbarians to unite only with their own cast. This practice ofexclusively mating within the cast had at times resulted in brothermating with sister. Among the Kanakao, such incest was taboo.
But in the barbarianhomestead there were not even sisters, or female first cousins withwhom to mate. There were only men and old women.
Kanghauataui hadthree sons, each of whom was peculiar in his own way. The youngestdisplayed a tendency to walk about with his lips slightly apart andto drag his feet along the earth. The second was tall, slender andalmost handsome, but he had the habit of catching people when theywere unawares and tossing them to the ground, as though they weretokens in a private game. He rarely harmed any one with this maneuverbut his behavior had an unsettling effect whenever he was present.
The third son, theoldest, had an extreme sense of his birthright. He insisted onsitting first at meals, unless his father was present. He would notlet any head be above his own, even if that meant companions had tostoop in his presence. Everything he ate was tasted first by aservant, to assure its wholesomeness and flavor. This job of foodtaster was dreaded by the servants, because guessing wrong about thefirst son's gustatory preferences could result in a severe beating.
It was this eldestson, called Neman, who began to show an interest in Palao. Palao andMorai gradually became aware that the courtesy displayed to them wasnot entirely generous. Kanghauataui had an agenda. Because Palao wasthe only available female of breeding age who was of royal blood, shewas to be mated with Neman. Although no one had described this planopenly, it became obvious by many hints and by the frequency withwhich Palao was thrown together with Kanghauataui's eldest son.
"Never will Iconsent," Palao declared to her mother. "I have a betrothed andno man can break that oath. In any event, to continue the bloodlineof these misfits, who abuse their people and their own heritage,would be a crime. This royal line will cease to propagate becausethey have degraded themselves and Sana has intervened to ensure thatthere will be no more of them."
Morai wept. She knewthe words spoken by Palao were true. She also knew that Sana waspunishing her for the transgression of stealing Palao from Tahano.But she loved her daughter and believed that if Palao persisted inher rebellion, the barbarians would be furious and destroy her.
It came to pass thatPalao's forebodings were realized. Neman approached her and withbarely concealed contempt revealed the fate that was prepared forher.
"I am grateful forthe honor that you wish to bestow upon me," she told him, "but Imust decline, for I have been betrothed to another before the sacredstone. As you know, none can break this oath and therefore I am boundto a life of chastity." Palao spoke softly, with her eyes down. Sheknew the inflated ego of her suitor and did not wish to incite him.
Her considerationswere wasted. Neman was incensed.
"You, female fromacross the sea, who has no father, no clan. You decline to mate withme? It is not you I seek; it is your womb, and I will have it whetheryou will or not." Neman emphasized his authority by throwing dustin Palao's face. He abruptly left the room without deigning to lookupon her again.
That night, as Palaodreamed her uneasy dreams, men came to her bed and seized her. Moraiwas wakened by the fracas and leapt to her daughter's defense.Without hesitation, one of the men drew a saber and severed Morai'shead from her body. He then joined his fellows and dragged Palao toNeman's side.
"Woman, you thinkto defy me. Hold her down," he instructed his men. The men threwPalao upon the ground and Neman took her, as though he was an animaland she his prey. He mated with her many times that night and whenthe sun had risen he rested from his labors and declaredcontemptuously, "You are now a vessel, a mere conveyance of mywill. What you carry in your womb will not be yours, but mine andwhen you are delivered of this child, I will mate with you again andbring more of my progeny onto the earth."
Palao was confinedunder guard. The barbarians imprisoned her body but not her mind. Sheplotted her revenge.
She pretended to beremorseful and wailed like a weak child. She cried that she missedthe attentions of Neman. She implored that he visit her. She used herwiles to induce him to unite with her in a formal ceremony.
And so it came topass. Neman wanted his child to be born with the blessings of aformal union , so he consented to unite with Palao. Although he kepthis bed separate from hers, he summoned her in the night and lay withher.
Meanwhile, Palaotook to hiking into the woods. No one knew what restless spirit droveher, but they guessed that she missed her mother and contemplated thebirth of her child. She was from a strange land and had strangecustoms, they decided. Never did they divine the true purpose of herwanderings--she was plotting her escape from Neman.
She had learned manyskills from her father and mother and one of them was to fashion asturdy raft that would withstand strong ocean waves. Each day Palaoworked on her raft and when she knew it was ready she made her move.
One night Nemancalled for her, as he often did. He loved to caress her belly andfantasize about the child within. When he had finished with her, heslept at her side, confident of Palao's affection for him.
Palao heard therhythmic breathing and saw the gentle rise and fall of Neman'schest. She withdrew a small item from her clothes, which were foldedat the foot of the bed. In her hand she held a knife, which she hadcarved from a whalebone. She put the knife to Neman's skin,regarded the face she detested and then drew the knife expertlyacross the vital part of his throat. Neman opened his eyes, as shewanted him to. Unable to speak he looked at her in horror.
"Know this, Neman,before you die," she said softly, " I carry seed that you willnever see. I go from this place and plant your seed in fertile groundwhere it will grow and have no knowledge of you." She watchedNeman's life blood flow from him and the light go from his eyes.Then she crept from his side and stole to the forest where the raftwas hidden. She stocked it with provisions she had been accumulatingfor months and she placed the raft upon the water.
"Sacred Sana, I amin your hands. I have followed truly your will and I place myself andmy child in your care. I do not ask life for myself. I have lostTahano and my parents are no longer on this earth. But I ask yourprotection for my child. Allow this child to grow and prosper. Permitthis child to bear many offspring so that the bloodline of my peoplewill continue." With that prayer, Palao lay upon the raft,peaceful. She had done all that one can do. She had avenged herfamily and had saved her child from the clutches of the barbarians.Now she was content to trust her destiny to Sana.