The clan of the cave bear_ a novel - Jean M. Auel [220]
“When he was through,” Oda continued, “another man was going to take me, but one of the other men saw my baby. He picked her up and gave her to me, but she was dead. She hit her head on a rock when she fell. Then the man who found her made many loud words, and they all left. When the hunters came back, we told them, and they took us back to the cave right away. My mate was good to me then; he grieved for my daughter, too. I was so glad when I found out my totem had been defeated again so soon after losing her. I didn’t even have the woman’s curse once; I thought my totem was sorry I lost my baby and decided to let me have another to make up for her. That’s why I thought I might have another girl, but I shouldn’t have wished for a girl.”
“I’m sorry,” Ayla said. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost Durc; I almost did once. I’ll talk to The Mog-ur about Ura; I’m sure he will talk to Brun, he’s fond of my son. I think Brun might agree, too. It would be easier than trying to find a woman of our clan to mate with a deformed man.”
“This woman would be grateful to the medicine woman, and I promise to train her well, Aayghha. She will be a good woman, not like her mother. Brun’s clan has the highest status; I think my mate will agree. If he knows there is a place for Ura with Brun’s clan, he might not be so angry with me. He’s always telling me my daughter will be nothing but a burden and never have any status. And when Ura gets older I can tell her she doesn’t have to worry about finding a mate. It can be difficult for a woman if no man wants her,” Oda said.
“I know,” the tall blonde woman replied. “I’ll talk to The Mog-ur as soon as I can.”
After Oda left, Ayla was pensive and preoccupied. Uba sensed her need for quiet and didn’t disturb her. Poor Oda, she was happy, had a good mate and a normal baby. Then those men had to come and spoil everything. Why didn’t they just make the signal? Couldn’t they see Oda had a baby? Those men of the Others, they’re as bad as Broud. Worse. At least Broud would have let her put her baby down first. Men and their needs! Clan men, men of the Others, they’re all alike.
As she mused, her mind kept going back to thoughts of the Others. Men of the Others, men who look like me, who are the Others? Iza said I was born to them, why don’t I remember anything about Others? I can’t even remember what they look like. Where do they live? I wonder, how does a man of the Others look? Ayla remembered the reflection of herself in the still pool near their cave and tried to imagine a man with her face. But when she thought of a man, the image of Broud came to her mind, and with a flash of insight, the confused jumble of ideas spinning around in her head fell into place.
Men of the Others! Of course! Oda said one of them relieved his needs with her and she didn’t have the curse even once after that. Then she gave birth to Ura, just like Durc was born after Broud relieved his needs with me. That man was of the Others and I was born to them, but Oda and Broud, they’re both Clan. Ura is not deformed any more than Durc is. He’s part me and part Clan, and so is Ura. Or rather, she’s part Oda and part that man who killed her baby. Then Broud did start Durc—with his organ, not the spirit of his totem.
But the other women with Oda didn’t have deformed babies. And as often as men and women do it, if a baby is started every time, there’d be nothing but babies. Maybe Creb is right, too. A woman’s totem has to be defeated; but