The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms - By N. K. Jemisin Page 0,92
and again. Not tearing it apart. Pummelingpoundingbrutalizing it into shape. The mass screamed, struggling desperately, but the shining hands held no mercy. They plunged again and hauled out arms. They crushed formless black until it became legs. They thrust into the middle and dragged out a torso, hand up to the wrist in its abdomen, gripping to impose a spine. And last was torn forth a head, barely human and bald, unrecognizable. Its mouth was open and shrieking, its eyes mad with agony beyond any mortal endurance. But of course, this was not a mortal.
This is what you want, snarls the shining one, his voice savage, but these are not words and I do not hear them. It is knowledge; it is in my head. This abomination that she created. You would choose her over me? Then take her gifttake ittake it and never forget that youchosethis
The shining one is weeping, I notice, even as he commits this violation.
And somewhere inside me someone was screaming, but it was not me, although I was screaming, too. And neither of us could be heard over the screams of the new-made creature on the ground, whose suffering had only begun
* * *
The arm wrenched its way out of Nahadoth with a sound that reminded me of cooked meat. That same juicy, popping sound when one tears off a joint. Nahadoth, on his hands and knees, shuddered all over as the extra arm flailed blindly and then found purchase on the ground beside him. I could see now that it was pale, but not the moon-white I was used to. This was a far more mundane, human white. This was his daytime self, tearing through the godly veneer that covered it at night, in a grisly parody of birth.
He did not scream, I noticed. Beyond that initial abortive sound, Nahadoth remained silent even though another body ripped its way out of his. Somehow that made it worse, because his pain was so obvious. A scream would have eased my horror, if not his agony.
Beside him, Viraine watched for a moment, then closed his eyes, sighing.
This could take hours, said Scimina. It would go faster if this were true sunlight, of course, but only the Skyfather can command that. This is just a paltry imitation. She threw Viraine a contemptuous look. More than enough for my purposes, though, as you can see.
I kept my jaw clenched tight. Across the circle, through the shaft of light and the haze created by Nahadoths steaming godflesh, I could see Kurue. She looked at me once, bitter, and then away. Zhakkarn kept her eyes on Nahadoth. It was a warriors way to acknowledge suffering, and thus respect it; she would not look away. Neither would I. But gods, gods.
It was Sieh who caught and held my gaze as he walked forward into the pool of light. It did not harm him; it was not his weakness. He knelt beside Nahadoth and gathered the disintegrating head to his chest, wrapped his arms around the heaving shouldersall three of them. Through it all Sieh watched me, with a look that others probably interpreted as hatred. I knew otherwise.
Watch, those green eyes, so like mine yet so much older, said. See what we endure. And then set us free.
I will, I said back, with all my soul and Enefas, too. I will.
* * *
I did not know. No matter what else happened, Itempas loved Naha. I never thought that could turn to hate.
What in the infinite hells makes you think that was hate?
* * *
I glanced at Scimina and sighed.
Are you trying to nauseate me into answering? I asked. Add a new mess to the floor? Thats all this farce is going to do.
She leaned back from me, lifting an eyebrow. No compassion for your ally?
The Nightlord is not my ally, I snapped. As everyone in this den of nightmares has repeatedly warned me, he is a monster. But since hes no different from the rest of you who want me dead, I thought I might at least use his power to help my people.
Scimina looked skeptical. And what help did he provide? You made the effort in Menchey the next night.
None; dawn came too quickly. But I faltered here, remembering my grandmothers arms and the smell of the humid Darren air that night. I did miss her, and Darr itself, and all the peace I had once known there. Before Sky. Before my mothers death.