The clan of the cave bear_ a novel - Jean M. Auel [277]
“I am the leader, Goov! You are the mog-ur. I order you to curse her. Curse her with death!”
Goov turned abruptly, picked up a burning, pitchy pine branch from the fire that had been started while Ayla was in the cave, walked up the slope, and disappeared into the dark triangular mouth. He picked his way carefully around fallen rubble, watching the occasional fall of rocks and gravel, knowing an aftershock could bring tons down on his head, and wishing it would before he did the thing he had been ordered to do. He went into the place of the spirits and lined up the sacred bones of the cave bear in parallel rows, making formal gestures with each one. The last bone was put into the base and out the left eye socket of a cave bear skull. Then he said aloud the words known only to mog-urs, the terrible names of the evil spirits. The recognition that gave them power.
Ayla was still standing in front of the cave as he walked past her with unseeing eyes.
“I am the mog-ur. You are the leader. You have ordered Ayla cursed with death. It is done,” Goov motioned, then turned his back on the leader of the clan.
No one could believe it at first. It was too fast. That wasn’t the way it should be done. Brun would have discussed it, reasoned it out, prepared the clan for it. But he wouldn’t have cursed her in the first place. What had she done? She was insolent to the leader and it was wrong, but was it cause for death? She had just been defending Creb. And what had Broud done to her? Taken her child from her and turned the old magician out of his hearth to get even with her. Now, no one had a hearth. Why did Broud do it? Why did he curse her? The spirits had always favored her, she brought good luck, until Broud said he wanted to curse her, until he told the mog-ur to curse her. Broud brought the bad luck on them. Now what would happen to them? Broud had made the protective spirits angry and then unleashed the evil ones. And the old magician was dead, The Mog-ur couldn’t help them now.
Ayla was so lost in her grief, she wasn’t aware of the rapid currents swirling around her. She saw Broud order her cursed, arid saw Goov tell him it was done, but her grief-filled mind didn’t comprehend. Slowly, the meaning impinged on her consciousness. When it penetrated, with all its ramifications, the impact was devastating.
Cursed? Death cursed? Why? What did I do that was so bad? How did it happen so fast? The clan was as slow to comprehend as she. They hadn’t fully recovered from the earthquake. Ayla watched them with a curious detachment as, one after the other, eyes became glazed and unseeing. There goes Crug. Who’s going to be next. Uka. Now Droog, but not Aga yet. There she goes, she must have seen me look at her.
Ayla wasn’t moved into action until Uba’s eyes went blank and she began to keen for the mother of the boy she held in her arms. Durc! My baby, my son! I’m cursed, I’ll never see him again. What will happen to him? There’s only Uba left. She’ll take care of him, but what can she do against Broud? Broud hates him because he’s my son. Ayla looked wildly around, and saw Brun. Brun! Brun can protect Durc. No one else but Brun can protect him.
Ayla ran to the stoic, strong, sensitive man who, until the day before, had led the clan. She dropped to the ground at his feet and bowed her head. It took a moment before she realized he would never tap her shoulder. When she looked up, he was looking over her head at the fire behind her. If he wanted, his eyes could see her. He can see me, Ayla thought. I know he can. Creb remembered everything I said to him, so did Iza.
“Brun, I know you think I’m dead, a spirit. Don’t look away! I beg you, don’t look away! It happened too fast!