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.It coughed as the smoke of herbs andpowders suffocated it but only Marie's poor body burned, became sodden, andcoughed wracking coughs.Agathe had been right to stop her, for Marie mighthave died.The demon was unharmed.There were no burnt crusts or weeping sores where Marie had been burned, andthe dampness of her shift was only sweat, and the magical waters of Ma'ssource, carried all the way from the beech grove in a green glass bottle.Herbreath was soft and easy, as if no harsh smoke had entered her lungs.The damage was not physical, and left no trace but Marie had suffered, andwithin her the fiend still gloated, unharmed and undiscouraged.Pierrettewanted to save Marie on her own, but she had failed.There was no choice but to continue to the shrine and to place her inChristian hands again.Pierrette's concern went beyond her sister's welfare.A Christian exorcismwould not stay the BlackTime's coming.World-spanning faiths destroyed the variety, the sparklingunpredictability, of the world.A victory of pagan magic over Christian would have set back that final,unvarying, predictable doom.She would have been happy if it had been delayed by a year, a week, even aminute.But now, the opportunity was lost.She had failed, and the Black Timeawaited.* * *Pierrette awakened after sunrise, to the hooves of horses, the creak ofharness, and the sounds of unfamiliar voices."The Gitanes have come," saidYan, shaking her shoulder.The camp was encircled by four-wheeled wagons.Their spoked wheels were redand vermilion sunbursts, yellow daisies and blue tare flowers.Folk rushedabout clearing hearths.Breakfast fires were fanned into bright, smokelessblazes.The clatter of iron pots, staccato laughter, and the rattle of anunknown tongue drove off the last vestiges of sleepiness."The Gypsy queen wishes to speak with you," said Yan Oors."With me? Why? Why are they here?"file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Douglas,%20L%20Warren%20-%.acred%20Pool%20(.html.jpg%20v3.0)/0671319566__27.htm (12 of 21)2-1-2007 14:08:02- Chapter 27"They're on their way to the shrine where their ancestor lies buried.They dothis every May.All the bands come, if they can, or send a few if all cannot.And the matriarch would hardly deal with me a man."Pierrette shook off the last vestiges of exhausted, disconsolate sleep.Sheobserved wagons loaded with crates, bundles, and rolls of bright cloth.Onewas stacked with dried reeds and hung with finished baskets.Since the queen of the Gitanes expected a woman, should she take the time tounpack a dress? She laughed quietly and uttered old words, creating a smallglamour that made her feel quite feminine, and brushed her hair, bunching itat one side and tying it in a casual but un-boyish way.Guihen sat cross-legged at the nomads' fire; evidently, sprites were exemptfrom male or female roles.Sister Agathe sat at the queen's left.Guihen motioned Pierrette to sit.Thematriarch was fat, and glittered with gold ear-spools with tiny bells, chains,Page 201ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlbracelets around her wrists, and rings on each plump finger.Pierrette feltplain."I am Marah." The Latinesque patois was not her native speech.Her dark skinwas naturally the color of old leaves."I'm called Pierrette," the girl replied, suddenly aware that her name,"little stone" or "pebble," sounded trivial though she was unsure why thatshould matter."It's good to be humble," the Gitane queen observed, "but I felt the rumble ofgreat stones beneath my feet, and I knew to come here.""I felt nothing." Pierrette thought of the landslide that had devastatedAnselm's wall, and the roar heard even in town.But there were no rocky cliffshere."Does the horse feel pain when he kicks the smith who is shoeing him?" Marahsaid, with the ghost of a smile."I felt your magics from afar.It was no`pebble' rolling about.""Then.you know magics also?" Pierrette was eager to learn anything, fromanyone.Only knowledge routed the fear that she was inadequate to her tasks.She was like a boy gathering sling stones to protect his sheep against wolves:the small stones could only sting, but the more he had, the more secure hefelt."Yours is strong magic.Ours is a fortune told, a flock hexed or unhexed, apot or two healed.""Fortunes? The future, you mean?" Could this Gypsy look forward on the brokenwheel?file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Douglas,%20L%20Warren%20-%.acred%20Pool%20(.html.jpg%20v3.0)/0671319566__27.htm (13 of 21)2-1-2007 14:08:02- Chapter 27"One man's or one woman's future, Mistress," she replied."I doubt that such atrick would impress you.""Knowledge impresses me.Magics and `tricks' stem from one source.I'velearned much from folk less wise than you [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]