“It speaks to my daughter.”
Pale Snake looked at Silver Water, who peered at him with luminous eyes. He asked, “Does it tell you to do bad things?”
Silver Water’s lips tensed, and she shook her head, refusing to meet Star Shell’s eyes.
“Does it ask you to hurt anyone?”
Silver Water shook her head again.
“Tell me,” Pale Snake said gently, “what does the Mask ask you to do, Silver Water?”
“Nothing, but it … it shows me things. I mean, sometimes when I Dream, it shows me people and places that I don’t know.
I hear voices talking in strange words, but I understand what they’re saying.”
Star Shell nerved herself, forcing her voice to remain calm.
“Does it ever ask you to kill?”
Silver Water shook her head. She lay with her hands shoved down beneath her blankets and her back arched. She looked like a very unhappy little girl.
“Does the Mask ask you to do good things?” Pale Snake asked. ‘ ‘ help people? To keep them from being hurt? Maybe to warn them of trouble?”
Silver Water blinked and shook her head again.
Pale Snake smiled reassuringly. “Silver Water, do you ever want to hurt anyone? Or to help them, either one?”
She looked up at Star Shell, her eyes pleading.
“It’s all right, baby. Just tell the truth. I love you.”
Silver Water shook her head. “Pale Snake, I don’t know what I want anymore. Except … maybe … to go home.” Pale Snake smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair. “I can understand that.” He glanced up. “Star Shell, I want to see the Mask.”
Her soul recoiled, and she raised a hand as if to fend off some terrible monster. “No! It kills’.” She swallowed hard. “Don’t you understand? Everyone who has laid eyes on it is deadl”
“You’re not. And neither is Silver Water.” He watched her, totally calm, his voice completely reasonable.
“But the old woman, my husband, Stargazer, Tall Man … maybe even Greets the Sun, for all I know.”
“From what you yourself have told me, the Mask didn’t kill my father. Robin and his warriors did.” Pale Snake sighed. “I can feel the Mask, Star Shell. It’s calling to me. And there’s no wickedness in the summons—though it’s capable of that. I don’t feel goodness, either. Though it’s also capable of that. It’s waiting, and it knows something that I think we need to know.”
“I don’t care what you say. Tall Man is dead. And he was a far more Powerful sorcerer than you are.” She winced, regretting her words.
Pale Snake, however, simply said, “Everything that you say is true. But listen to me. Tall Man never wore the Mask, did he? Did you ever see him actually don it? Look through the eyes?” She shook her head. “No. He said … said he was afraid of it. Of its Power. Of what it would do.”
“I see.” Pale Snake then added, “Star Shell, he’s dead. But you must understand, being killed by the Mask is different than being killed because of the Mask. Now, which way did he die?
Did the Mask kill him outright?”
She shook her head.
“Do you trust me?” he asked, giving her that level stare.
“After having traveled with me, after everything I’ve told you, do you trust me? I think you do.”
She wet her lips, aware of Silver Water’s eerie gaze. “Yes.
Yes, I trust you.”
He seemed to deflate a little, exhaling wearily. “Thank you, Star Shell. I didn’t realize how important it was to hear that from you.”
“But I don’t want you to even look at the Mask.” She closed her eyes, imagining horrible scenes. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“Well, in that case, maybe you’d better just tie a cord around my neck—or bind my feet perhaps.” She smiled, rubbing her eyes before she could look at him again. “The Mask is trouble, Pale Snake.”
“I quite agree, but I have a suspicion about it that I’d like to investigate. To do so, I don’t have to wear the Mask or look through the eye holes. I simply need to ask it some questions. I cannot do that until I have your permission.”
Star Shell glanced down at Silver Water, who quickly looked away, clearly afraid … not of the Mask, but of her mother. In that instant, Star Shell began to grasp the extent of the rift that had grown between them. And all because of her own hatred of the Mask.
“Baby? You … I mean, do you think this is a good idea?”
Silver Water stared unhappily at the fire.
“Silver Water?” Pale Snake asked gently. “You know the Mask better than either your mama or I do. Do you think it would hurt me?”