The Land of Painted Caves - Jean M. Auel [254]
“Yes. I have never deliberately collected something that I knew was harmful, especially knowing that it is intended to be given to someone, to kill him,” Ayla said.
“But you know if he is allowed to live, he will only cause more harm.”
“Yes, I know, but it still doesn’t make me feel good about it.”
“And it shouldn’t,” her First said. “You are helping your people and taking the onus on yourself. It’s a sacrifice, but sometimes it’s what a Zelandoni must do.”
“I will make sure they go to the ones who should eat them,” Zelandoni First said. “It is the sacrifice I must make. These are my people and he has hurt them long enough.”
“What about his other men?” the First asked.
“One of them, Gahaynar, is asking what he can do to make reparations. He is saying how sorry he is,” Zelandoni First said. “I don’t know if he is just trying to talk his way out of the punishment he knows is coming, or if he means it. I think I will let the Mother decide. If he ends up not eating the root and lives, I will let him go. If Balderan doesn’t eat it and lives, I have already spoken with several people who have been personally harmed by him and are eager to see him pay. Most have lost family members or have been attacked themselves. If necessary, I will turn him over to them, but I would prefer it if this more subtle approach works.”
When Zelandonia First went to pick up the basket of hemlock she saw a slithering movement under the container. She quickly snatched the basket and moved it aside. Underneath was a snake, an extraordinary snake.
“Look at that!” the woman said.
Ayla and the First looked, then both took a small indrawn breath of surprise. It was a small snake, probably quite young, and the red stripes running the length of its body indicated it was a nonpoisonous type, but near the front of the body the stripes split into the shape of a Y. The snake had two heads! Both tongues slipped in and out of its mouths, sampling the air; then it started to move, but the movement was a bit erratic, as though it couldn’t quite decide which way to go.
“Quick, get something to catch it before it gets away,” the First said.
Ayla found a small watertight woven bowl. “Is this all right to use?” she asked Zelandonii First.
“Yes, that’s fine,” she said.
The snake started moving as Ayla approached, but she turned the basket upside down and clamped it over the snake. It pulled its own tail in as she held it down firmly so it couldn’t get out under the edge.
“Now what do we do?” Zelandoni First said.
“Do you have something flat that I can slip under that?” Ayla asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe the edge of a shovel that’s been ground flat. Would that work? Like this one?” She picked up the shovel that was used to clean ashes out of the hearth.
“Yes, that’s perfect,” Ayla said. She took the shovel and slid the flat part under the basket, then picked them both up and held them together while she flipped them over. “Is there a lid for this bowl? And some twine to tie it on?”
Zelandoni First found a small shallow bowl and gave it to Ayla, who set the bowl with the snake down, removed the shovel and pressed the shallow bowl on top, then tied them together.
The three women left together to have a morning meal. They planned that the meeting should start when the sun was highest in the sky, but people started gathering on the slope earlier to find seating and standing places with enough elevation so they could see and hear better. Everyone knew this was a serious meeting, but there was still a feeling of celebration and festivity in the air, mostly because of the sociability of being together, especially since it was unplanned. And because people were glad that the vicious troublemaker had been caught.
By the time the sun was high, the meeting area was filled to overflowing. Zelandoni First started the meeting and began by welcoming the First Among Those Who Serve The Great