People of the Lightning(49)

Pondwader’s face slackened. “You mean she—”

“That is precisely what I mean. In her heart she will be loving Diver, not you.” At his stricken expression, she said, “That will change, Pondwader. But you must be willing to give her time to mourn. Having you close will be a comfort to her in her grief. Treat her well. She is an honorable woman, and though she would never admit it, at this point in time she is vulnerable. The pain may force her to lash out at you without warning or reason. You must understand and forgive. She will come to love you if you are a loyal husband, and gentle with her.”

“I will be, Grandmother. I want to be very much.”

Moonsnail’s old mouth trembled. She anxiously tapped the mats with her walking stick, poking here and there, stabbing a faded blue design, then a yellow one. Pondwader watched her curiously, as though he sensed her fears. He would be starting a new life, far away from Moonsnail, and she did not wish to let him go. For the past ten-and-five summers, she had been his protector, and now she would be turning that duty over to another woman. It worried her. She loved her grandson very much, and he was so delicate, always getting sunburned, and suffering headaches. Bright light hurt his eyes, and he could barely see more than two tens of hands away; after that, he said, the world became a many-colored blur. But Musselwhite would take good care of her grandson, Moonsnail had no doubt of that. It just … hurt. She sniffed and wiped her misty eyes on her arm.

“Are you all right, Grandmother?” Pondwader asked.

“No, I am not. I’m going to miss you. You have been a joy to me, Pondwader.”

With effort, Pondwader rose to his feet and walked across the shelter to sit beside Moonsnail on the pile of blankets. He kissed her gray hair. “I love you, Grandmother. But I must go. Musselwhite needs me. She does not know it yet. But she does.”

“What does she need you for?”

He smiled. “Everything.”

“Is that so?” Moonsnail said, and for a time just enjoyed the boy’s closeness. Then she pushed him away and noisily cleared her throat. “Let’s get you dressed. After that, you had better rest for as long as you are able. With all the feasting and dancing tonight, you will be exhausted by the time you take Musselwhite’s hand to go off to your marriage shelter in the forest. I do not want you to be too exhausted.”





Kelp fingered the beautiful top shell necklace around her neck. The golden gleam of the shells set off the brown of her clean tunic. She frowned at Pondwader. He stood before their grandmother in his long, blue robe, letting Moonsnail straighten his sleeves and tie the golden sash around his waist. He looked very handsome, though skinny. He was smiling.

Already Kelp missed him. Who would she share her secrets with now? He was her best friend. Tears burned her eyes.

“Well, I do not care!” Dark Rain said.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Polished Shells responded tersely.

Kelp didn’t turn. Her mother and aunt had been locked in combat since she arrived. They had always hated each other, for as long as Kelp could remember. She suspected that Aunt Polished Shells would have loved to know how to weight herself down with coral so she could lie on the bottoms of ponds and escape her sister. Perhaps, later, Kelp would tell her how.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” Polished Shells continued, “because you’ve never cared about Kelp or Pondwader. The only person you care about—”

“That is not true,” Dark Rain said in that cold voice. “Today I care very much about Pondwader. As soon as his pathetic penis is working inside Musselwhite, I am free. The bargain will be sealed, and my debts paid. I most certainly do care about that, sister of mine.”

“You have the souls of a slug,” Polished Shells replied angrily. “Get out of my shelter! I don’t care what Mother says. I have endured you for as long as I can!”

“Gladly.” Dark Rain glided by Kelp without a word, heading toward their grandmother’s shelter. She had dressed in her red tunic again, and left her hair loose to hang down her back in a glossy wealth. Her hips swayed as she walked.

Pondwader tensed when he saw her coming. In the blink of an eye, he lay down on his sleeping mat and rolled to his side to sleep—or pretend sleep. Either way, Kelp wished him luck.

Polished Shells came up beside Kelp and put an affectionate arm around her shoulders. “I’m sorry you had to hear that,” she apologized. “Your mother always makes me so mad that I—”

“I hate her,” Kelp said.

Polished Shells stood silently, watching Dark Rain flop down beside Moonsnail on the pile of multicolored blankets. Her low laugh carried on the breeze. Polished Shells shook her head. “I don’t know how Mother stands her—but I need to go see to the feast in the council shelter. Do you want to come?”