She said: I curse you,
uncle. You betrayed us. The _druj_ that you spread while you lived continues in
death. You gave my father a false blade. You sent a messenger to warn our
target that we were coming. You tried to falsify my blade, but didn’t act on it
because you thought I was weak. You denied my birthright to become a Healer.
You were a hateful and vile man who was self-centred. You… You…
Her voice faltered and
tears ran down her cheeks under her face wrap. She pressed the cloth against
her face with the crook of her arm. She continued with the curse: You killed my
father who is now a lost _mainyu_. You tried to reach between my legs when I
was asleep. You attacked me from behind and hurt me. I take no joy in killing
you. I mourn your loss like any other person we have helped meet their
_fravashi_. I also celebrate your reunion so that you may perform some good in
the afterlife battle against Ahriman.
She wiped her face
again and sniffled.
Her father said: I did
not know what he did to you.
She said: I know.
She withdrew the blade
from the back of her uncle’s neck with some difficulty. She cleaned the blade
on his _patu_. She tried three times, unsuccessfully, to turn him on his back.
She decided he would have to lay where he died, face down. She stood weakly and
stumbled outside the hut. The cold air hit her clothes, damp with exertion. She
shivered violently. She suddenly stood still as stone when she spotted a female
figure standing away from the entrance.
The woman raised a
small candle and 9001 realised it was her uncle’s wife. Her eyes were pleading
for something, perhaps mercy.
9001 said as
reverently as possible: Forgive me mother. Your husband attacked me. He
betrayed my father. You gave us hospitality and we have overstayed our welcome.
Your husband is going to meet his _fravashi_ and join the fight against
Ahriman.
Her aunt-in-law fell
to her knees and ululated wildly. She dropped the candle carelessly and it went
out.
9001 was torn between
comforting the woman and running in terror. She stayed rooted in the spot for
several seconds until her father said: Run.
She ran silently in
the opposite direction she had come to the compound, completing a full circle
to get back to her camel. She did not encounter anyone but could still hear her
aunt screaming as the sounds carried downwind.
She walked her camel
all through the night, avoiding the main road. This made progress very slow and
difficult, but it seemed safer. By dawn, she could make out the mountain range
and the valley she needed to head towards. She joined a trail that was
well-worn and continued nearly the whole day until she found a safe-looking
yurt off the trail. She approached and tied up her camel behind the structure
to be hidden. She entered and bowed to the couple inside. As was the custom, a
tray of fruits and nuts was set out for any guests.
She sat down at the tray
on some cushions. She bowed her head, making sure the _lungee_ covered most of
her face. She coughed as deeply as she could and made a cutting motion near her
mouth and neck: she could not speak. The young woman of the yurt nodded and
motioned to a bundle on her back. The infant was asleep so it was better not to
speak anyway. 9001 was relieved and nodded, but kept her eyes and head lowered.
She uncovered her mouth only long enough to snack on the treats for guests.
Even though it was
still light for a few more hours, she fell asleep on the cushions. She woke up
well into the night. She went outside, found the hole that served for reliving
bodily functions, and used it. She pulled her father’s _patu_ close and untied
the camel, then continued on until late in the afternoon the next day. The
terrain had grown hillier and the mountains rose quickly on both sides of the
valley plain she was leaving.
She stopped at another
yurt when she felt she couldn’t walk another step. She took the same precaution
of tying her camel behind the yurt so that it would not be visible from the
road. She entered the yurt and recognised the same family she and her father
had stayed with on the way into the city. She almost turned on her heal to run
away, but her host stopped her.
He said: You! Boy!
Come in, we welcome visitors! May Ahura, creator of all, help all of us.
Then he said: You look
familiar, but you are the girl I saw earlier! The Healers!
He bowed deeply and
made his children and wife also bow deeply.
He said: You are my
welcome guests, of course. Your father is still outside with the camels. Let me
help him. Sit. Sit. Why are you dressed like a boy? I’ll go see your father,
praise Ahura!
He scurried outside
and 9001 uncovered her face. She spoke to the man’s wife. She cried: I’m sorry
mother. I am alone. My father was killed in the city. I am trying to go home to
a safe location.
The father of the
house came back in, confounded. He said: But, your father is not out there, and
you only have one camel. You are traveling alone… and you are crying, child?
9001 explained the
events and drank two whole cups of butter tea telling the story. She left out
any references to the arts and Perfect Sight, but most of the story was true
and accurate.
The man exclaimed
loudly when she was finished: By Ahura! Oh, please forgive me for taking his
name. This story is nearly impossible to conceive. The Healers have always been
a service to the people. If we did not have experts to take care of our dead
and dying, we would be sick and unable to escape _druj_. You helped my father
and mother! We celebrated your arrival and helped you on your way. If I had
known you were on a mission…
But no matter! The
treachery is too much!