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rumbling in his belly. Not with what you re apt to teach my restive folk.
Would you like to be a scholar, child? I wonder. I could send you east to
study in Silili. Study what? Magic? Have you got a talent there? There s
something in you that
calls to me. Yes, you have a talent in you waiting to unfold, oh child, if you
deny it, how terrible for you.
I ll make you see it. Why weren t you born a boy? It would be so much easier
if you were born a boy.
The black capsules grew sweaty in her hand; she changed hands and wiped the
sweaty one surreptitiously on her overtunic. Over half done. Tivo capsules for
every Owlyn child. Kori didn t feel like a child any more; she wanted this to
be over with so she could get back to Owlyn and get her life in some sort of
order again. Maybe because she was so tired, she wasn t much wor-ried this
time, not for herself anyway; so many impor-tant things had happened to her
the past two months, she felt bone deep sure the Lot would pass over her, one
more thing would be just too much. She watched the girls file past her going
to take their places on the bench and wondered which of them would get the
blue lot and be kept here in the Yron, then wondered which one would get
the gold, would it be a boy or a girl this time? If I had a choice, she
thought, I d take the gold, how terribly exciting to go so far away. Havi
Kudush. A wonderful magical name, it stirred desires in her she didn t want to
deal with and had to keep pushing away. She gazed down at the enigmatic black
eggs. The cap-sules each had a ball of lead inside them, most were simply
gray, one was painted blue; the girl who got that one stayed at the Yron to
study as a teacher or if her tastes and talents ran that way, to serve as one
of the temple whores. Kori s mouth twitched.
She fought her face straight and swallowed the smile. Polatea would scold her
for saying whore, but that s what they were, those that called themselves
Fields of Amortis, plowed and replowed those fields if the gossip she heard
was true. Gahh, that was almost as bad as that girl in the tavern. One of the
balls in the boys bowl was painted red, the boy that got that one went to the
army to learn a soldier s trade or into the Yron schools to study how to
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Serve. But the gold yolk, oh the gilt one, the child who got the gilt one went
to Havi. Kudush and did won-derful things, she was sure of it. Have a golden
yolk, she thought at the black things in her hands, if you can t have the
good old safe and steady leaden gray, have a golden yolk. She
glanced quickly around, lowered her eyes again. I couldn t stand it if I had
to stay here.
Sarana Piyolss, the baby of the line walked past her. The drawing s over for
this year, Kori thought. Now we find out who got the colors. Two doors opened
beside the High Seat, two small processions filed down the nar-row steps
slanting from both sides of the high dais, first a Servant dressed in white
linen, white leather sandals, short white gloves, then a boy and a
girl, also dressed in white, carrying a wide shallow basket between them.
Deep silence in the court, a sense of almost intoler-able waiting. One servant
stopped before
Sparran, the other before Dessi. Their movements slow and mea-sured, as close
to synchronized as a good marching team, they took the capsules from
Sparran, from Dessi, opened them.
Together both the Servants intoned NO and let capsules and lead balls fall
into the basket. They moved to the next in line, repeated their movements,
repeated the NO, then the Servant on the girls side stood before Kori. His
face impassive, he took the damp capsules before her, broke one. A plain lead
ball rolled on the palm of the white glove; he broke the second capsule. A
blue ball, nestled next to the gray.
Kori stared at it, unable to believe what she saw. She lifted her eyes. HE was
looking at her.
You, she thought, you did it to me on purpose. She opened her mouth, then
clamped it shut. What could she prove? Nothing. She d just bring trouble on
her kin if she protested. She glared up at the huge dark man on the High Seat.
I ll get out of this somehow, she thought fiercely, I will, you can t beat me
so easy as that.
You aren t stupid are you, little ferret. Yes, it was me did that to you. I
doubt you ll ever thank me for it, but you should. I hated old Grigoros when
he sold me to the House, but he did me a favor. He smiled as Kori dropped her
eyes to clenched hands when the Servant shouted BLUE; when he pushed it at
her, she took the blue ball with angry reluctance, then sat staring at
the floor, refusing to look at
Maksim or anyone else until the RED and GOLD were announced. He saw her
shoulders tremble; she turned her head, glared up at him again, but this time
there was a triumph in her face and eyes that he didn t understand. What have
I missed? There s more to you than I thought, warrior girl. What is it? I will
know, child, in the end I will know. He got heavily to his feet and stood
watching as the Servants led the
chosen children (two boys and the girl) up the stairs to stand beside him. He
could feel the heat of her anger, the intensity of the effort she was making
to keep silent.
He lifted his hands. It is done. His voice rolled out and filled the court.
Honor the chosen and their lives of service, honor yourselves for the grace
of your compliance. For three days the city is yours, rejoice and be
content.
He watched them file out. The youngest boy kept turning to look up at the
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