The valley of horses_ a novel - Jean M. Auel [38]
Jondalar saw the grin lighting up Thonolan’s face, and squirmed.
“Haduma want,” Tamen pointed to Jondalar’s eyes, “blue eyes. Honor Mother. Zelandonii … spirit make child, blue eyes.”
“You did it again, Big Brother!” Thonolan blurted, grinning with malicious delight, “With those big blue eyes of yours. She’s in love!” He was shaking, trying to hold his laughter in, afraid it might offend, but unable to stop. “Oh, Mother! I can hardly wait to get back home and tell them. Jondalar, the man every woman wants! Do you still want to go back? For this, I’d give up the end of the river.” He couldn’t talk anymore. He was doubled over, pounding the ground, holding his sides and trying not to laugh out loud.
Jondalar swallowed several times. “Ah … I … um … does Haduma think the Great Mother … ah … could still … bless her with a child?”
Tamen looked at Jondalar, perplexed, and at Thonolan’s contortions. Then a big grin cracked his face. He spoke to the old woman, and the whole camp erupted into raucous laughter, the old woman’s cackle heard above all. Thonolan, with a heave of relief, let out a great whoop of glee as tears squeezed out of his eyes.
Jondalar did not see anything funny.
The old man was shaking his head, trying to talk. “No, no, Zelandonii man.” He beckoned to someone. “Noria, Noria …”
A young woman stepped forward and smiled shyly at Jondalar. She was hardly more than a girl, but showed the fresh sparkle of new womanhood. The laughter finally subsided.
“Haduma big magic,” Tamen said. “Haduma bless. Noria five … generations.” He held up five fingers. “Noria make child, make … six generations.” He held up another finger.
“Haduma want Zelandonii man … honor Mother …”
Tamen smiled as he remembered the words, “First Rites.”
The worry lines on Jondalar’s forehead smoothed out, and the beginnings of a smile turned up the corners of his mouth.
“Haduma bless. Make spirit go Noria. Noria make … baby, Zelandonii eyes.”
Jondalar exploded with laughter, as much with relief as pleasure. He looked at his brother. Thonolan was not laughing anymore. “Do you still want to go home and tell everyone about the old hag I bedded?” he asked. He turned to Tamen. “Please tell Haduma it will be my pleasure to honor the Mother and share Noria’s First Rites.”
He smiled warmly at the young woman. She smiled back, tentatively at first, but, bathed in the unconscious charisma of his vivid blue eyes, her smile grew.
Tamen spoke to Haduma. She nodded, then motioned for Jondalar and Thonolan to stand, and looked the tall blond man over carefully again. The warmth of his smile still lingered, and when Haduma looked into his eyes, she chuckled softly and went into the large circular tent. The people were still laughing and talking about the misunderstanding as the crowd broke up.
The two brothers stayed to talk to Tamen; even his limited ability to communicate was better than none at all.
“When did you visit the Zelandonii?” Thonolan asked. “Do you remember what Cave it was?”
“Long time,” he said. “Tamen young man, like Zelandonii man.”
“Tamen, this is my brother, Thonolan, and my name is Jondalar, Jondalar of the Zelandonii.”
“You … welcome, Thonolan, Jondalar.” The old man smiled. “I, Tamen, three generation Hadumai. No talk Zelandonii long time. Forget. No talk good. You talk, Tamen … ?”
“Remember?” Jondalar suggested. The man nodded. “Third generation? I thought you were Haduma’s son,” Jondalar added.
“No.” He shook his head. “Want make Zelandonii man know Haduma, mother.”
“My name is Jondalar, Tamen.”
“Jondalar,” he corrected. “Tamen not Haduma son. Haduma make daughter.” He held up one finger with a questioning look.
“One daughter?” Jondalar said. Tamen shook his head.
“First daughter?”
“Yes, Haduma make first daughter. Daughter make first son.” He pointed to himself. “Tamen. Tamen … mate?” Jondalar nodded. “Tamen mate to mother, Noria mother.”
“I think I understand. You are the first son of Haduma’s first daughter, and your mate is Noria’s grandmother.”
“Grandmother,