The shelters of stone - Jean M. Auel [4]
I must thank another dear friend, in memoriam, Richard Ausman, who helped me to write these books by designing comfortable places where I could live and work. “OZ” had a special genius for creating beautiful and efficient homes, but more than that, he had been a good friend to both Ray and me for years. He thought they had caught the cancer in time, and married Paula hoping for many more years with her and her children, but it was not to be. I feel great sadness that he is no longer with us.
There are many others I probably should thank for insights and assistance, but this is too long already, so I will end with the one who counts the most. I am grateful to Ray, for his love, support and encouragement, for helping to provide the time and space for me to work in spite of my strange hours, and for being there.
LIVING SITES
The Ninth Cave The Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii
Little Valley The Fourteenth Cave of the Zelandonii
River Place The Eleventh Cave of the Zelandonii
Two Rivers Rock The Third Cave of the Zelandonii
Horsehead Rock The Seventh Cave of the Zelandonii
Elder Hearth The Second Cave of the Zelandonii
Three Rocks The Twenty-ninth Cave of the Zelandonii
Summer Camp West Holding of Three Rocks, The Twenty-ninth Cave
South Face North Holding of Three Rocks, The Twenty-ninth Cave
Reflection Rock South Holding of Three Rocks, The Twenty-ninth Cave
Old Valley The Fifth Cave of the Zelandonii
Hilltop The Nineteenth Cave of the Zelandonii
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Other Books by This Author
Novels by Jean M. Auel
Acknowledgments
Maps
Living Sites
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
The Mother’s Song
List of Characters
Excerpt from The Land of Painted Caves
Earth’s Children Series Sampler
An Interview with Jean M. Auel
About the Author
1
People were gathering on the limestone ledge, looking down at them warily. No one made a gesture of welcome, and some held spears in positions of readiness if not actual threat. The young woman could almost feel their edgy fear. She watched from the bottom of the path as more people crowded together on the ledge, staring down, many more than she thought there would be. She had seen that reluctance to greet them from other people they had met on their Journey. It’s not just them, she told herself, it’s always that way in the beginning, but she felt uneasy.
The tall man jumped down from the back of the young stallion. He was neither reluctant nor uneasy, but he hesitated for a moment, holding the stallion’s halter rope. He turned around and noticed that she was hanging back. “Ayla, will you hold Racer’s rope? He seems nervous,” he said, then looked up at the ledge. “I guess they do too.”
She nodded, lifted her leg over, slid down from the mare’s back, and took the rope. In addition to the tension of seeing strange people, the young brown horse was still