because you're a sneaky coward who is terrified of pain, and you will never, never stand against me again because you will remember how you feel right now, at this moment."
Vas heard all this and knew that Elemak was right, he would never stand against him, because he could never bear to feel the fear and pain he had just gone through, was still going through.
But I will hate you, Elemak. And someday. Someday. When you're old and feeble and helpless, I will put things back in balance. I'll kill Sevet and Obring and you won't be able to stop me. You won't even know that I did it. And then one day I'll come to you and say, I did it in spite of you. And you'll rage at me and I'll only laugh, because you'll be helpless then and in your helplessness I will make you feel what you made me feel, the pain of it, the fear, the panic as you can't breathe even enough to scream out your agony - oh, you'll feel it. And as you lie there dying, I'll tell you the rest of my vengeance - that I will kill all your children, too, and your wife, and everything and everyone you love, and you can't stop me. Then you'll die, and only then will I be satisfied, knowing that your death was the most terrible death that can be imagined.
But there's no hurry, Elemak. I will dream of this every night. I will never forget. You will forget. Until the day that I make you remember, however many years it is before that day comes.
When Vas was able to walk, Elemak dragged him to his feet and shoved him up the trail leading to the camp.
At dawn, everyone was back in place, and no one but the participants knew of the scene that had played itself out in the moonlight, halfway down the mountain.
The sun was scarcely up when Nafai strode across the meadow toward the camp. Luet was awake - though barely so - nursing Chveya as Zdorab passed around biscuits smeared with sugary preserves for breakfast. She looked up and there he was, coming toward them, the first sunlight catching in his hair. She thought of how he had looked in her strange dream, sparking and sparkling with the light of his invisible metal armor. What did that mean? she wondered. And then she thought, What does it matter what it meant?
"Why are you back!" cried Issib, who was holding Dazya on his lap on his chair while Hushidh was off peeing or whatever.
In answer, Nafai held up the bow in one hand, five arrows in the other.
She leapt to her feet and ran to him, still holding the baby - though Chveya soon lost her grip on Luet's breast and began to protest at all this bouncing when she was trying to eat. The baby was fussing rather loudly, but Luet paid no attention to her as she kissed her husband, clung to him with her free hand.
"You have the bow," she said.
"What is a bow?" he asked. "The Oversoul taught me how to make it - it took no skill of mine. But what you accomplished ..."
"You know, then?"
Chapter 16
"The Oversoul showed me in a dream - I woke when it ended and came back at once."
"So you know that we're saying nothing about it."
"Yes," he said. "Except to each other. Except for me to tell you that you are a magnificent woman, the strongest, bravest person that I know."
She loved to hear those words from him, even though she knew they weren't true - that she had not been brave at all, but terrified that Vas would kill her right along with the others. That she had been so relieved when Elemak came that she almost wept. Soon enough she'd tell him all of that. But for now she loved to hear his words of love and honor, and to feel his arm around her as they walked together back to camp.
"I see you have the bow, but no meat," said Issib, when they got nearer.
"So you've given up?" asked Mebbekew, hopefully.
"I have until sundown," said Nafai.
"Then why are you here?" asked Elemak.
Everyone had come out of the tents now, and were gathered, watching.
"I came because having the bow is nothing - the Oversoul could have taught any of us how to do that. What I need now is for Father to tell me where to