Sarum - Edward Rutherfurd [44]
“What is it you propose?” he asked.
“We must make sure that there is peace for many generations,” Magri said. “There is only one way,” he explained: “the peoples who live where the five rivers meet must become one people.”
Krona stared at him. “How?”
“You must become our leader. We place ourselves under your protection. Will you accept?”
This surprising proposal was followed by absolute silence.
“But our peoples have different ways,” Krona objected at last.
“We must learn the ways of your people,” Magri replied.
“Your gods . . .” Krona began.
“We make sacrifices to the moon goddess who protects hunters,” Magri said. “But we see that the sun god is greater. We have seen his power,” he acknowledged truthfully. “We worship both, but the sun is greatest of the gods.”
“And do your people agree to this thing?” Krona asked.
“Yes. If you will protect the hunting grounds, they will call you their chief and give you gifts,” he replied. For even the more rebellious of the young hunters respected Krona’s word and acknowledged the fairness of his rough justice.
Krona considered.
“It is agreed,” he said finally. “From today, I will be Krona, the protector of the hunting grounds.”
Magri rose and led the two girls forward. Krona now saw that they were just past puberty. Both had dark good looks, small, lithe figures and they stepped lightly over the ground.
“Two of your young men need women,” he said. “Take these.”
It was true that there were two young farmers without women at that moment. Krona looked at the two girls with admiration, and saw at once the wisdom of the old man’s gift.
“They will have to learn your ways,” Magri said. “But you will teach them.”
“We accept your gift,” Krona replied. And as the hunters rose to leave he knew that a new era had begun.
The new arrangements worked well. In the years that followed, it was to Krona’s hill that both the farmers and the hunters came for the settlement of disputes, and he dispensed his rough justice impartially. He and Magri also insisted that all the hunters should attend the sacrifices to the sun god and so, twice a year, ten families of hunters led by Magri and Taku would enter the valley and make their way up to the little temple at the top of the hill where Krona and the medicine man would solemnly greet them. Then with the whole community of farmers on one side of the clearing, and the hunters on the other, the medicine man – who was pleased with this new extension of his authority – would make the sacrifices to the greatest of all the gods. After this all-important ceremony, there would be a feast and then, in the enclosure, Krona would call a council of the older men from both communities at which matters of weight could be discussed.
It was at such a meeting, in the third year of Krona’s leadership, that an important decision was taken. For some time the flocks of sheep had grown at a healthy rate, providing excellent meat, and wool which the women spun and then wove into the cloth that the hunters had so much admired when they first came. But lately the quality of the wool had been poor and it was clear that a new strain was needed in the settlers’ flocks.
“We need sheep with the finest wool, no matter what size,” one of the farmers said. “Cross-bred with the big ones we have . . .” he made a sign to indicate the excellence of the result.
“But we can’t get them on the island,” another said. “We’ll have to make the crossing again,” he added reluctantly. Few of the settlers were anxious to brave the English Channel a second time in their fragile boats.
Krona, however, was firm.
“We’ll get more sheep and cattle,” he decided. “Improve the quality of all our livestock. We can get all we need from the farmers on the coast of the mainland. But we must go soon, while the summer weather lasts.”
“What can we trade?” the first farmer asked. “Our pottery and our basketwork?”
Krona considered briefly, then shook his head.
“No,” he said,