A hush clapped down on us as if our very breathing were strangled. A
lane opened in front of me. I took one step in it, then stopped.
There was the woman. I had followed her through wounds and hardship.
Through the long nights I had watched the stars and planned for our
meeting. But when I would have gone to her my feet were manacled, for
this was not the woman of my dreams. This woman wore trailing silk,
and her hair was coifed. And she was walking away from me; no instinct
told her that I was near. She was walking away, and Starling walked
beside her. I did not remember that I was wounded and a sorry figure;
I did not remember that I was dressed in skins. I remembered that I
had married this woman by force, and that she had once wished of her
own accord to marry Starling. And now she walked with him; she wore a
gown he must have brought; she had forgiven him. A hot spark ran from
my heart to my brain. I turned and started toward the beach.
I heard a breath from the throats around me and a stretching of cramped
limbs. Cadillac's arm dropped round my shoulders, and I felt the
pressure of his fingers.
"Come to my quarters," he said. "You have mail waiting. And we will
find you something to wear.
Pages:
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319