122 Little Blossom took up her egg and began
to caress it. "My little beauty," she whined, "how much you've
grown! But there will only be one of you. There will never
be any more." She began to weep a little, as she did from time to
time.
123 Sweet Blossom threw down her book and
jumped up. "Damn it, woman," she cried, "will you stop feeling
sorry for yourself? You've had a year of tenderness and love, and
something to show for it. All I ever had was brutality and
pain! You're still warm inside. You can still know
joy. I'm like a cold stone. Damn it, woman, be happy for
what you've got and stop thinking of what could have been! I'd
sell my eternal Spirit to a demon for one year of having fire inside
me, and to bear one child. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, and
cherish what you have!"
124 Great Bear got to his feet. "Sweet
Blossom," he snapped, "you have always been welcome in my house, but
you have gone too far!"
125 "My dearest," interrupted Little Blossom, "will you do something for me?"
126 The great man turned to face her. "What is your wish?" he asked.
127 "Hug her," she instructed, "like you do me. Take her in your arms and hold her."
128 Great Bear walked over to Sweet Blossom
and did as his his mate had asked. The woman looked embarrassed
and pleased at the same time.
129 "Custom," said Little Blossom, "would not
permit me to do that, so I had to send a substitute. Every one
else has pampered me. You, alone, have had the courage to say
what had to be said. For that I love you, and I will do as you
ask."
130 Sweet Blossom shrugged. "I meant no harm,"
she apologized. "I'm sorry." Without another word she went
to her room.
131 The Voice nearly forgot the incident until
several days later he was running an errand for The Lady, when he saw
Sweet Blossom coming towards him down the street. She seemed
lost...bewildered, so he approached her. "What are you doing
here?" he asked.
132 "I don't know," she explained. "I
was walking. I heard somebody calling me. The next thing I
knew, I was here!"
133 A gate opened and a woman emerged. "Excuse me, madame," she inquired, "may I speak with you?"
134 "Of course!" answered Sweet Blossom. "How may I serve you?"
135 The woman looked embarrassed. "My
daughter," she explained, "is very ill. She has been acting very
strangely. She said someone was coming to see her that she must
speak with...a woman in the company of a Speaker; that I must bring her
in. Madame, she is dying. Her hours cannot be many.
Can you honor her?"
136 "Of course!" agree Sweet Blossom.
137 They followed the woman inside. The
Voice waited downstairs while the woman took Sweet Blossom to her
daughter's room. When the door was shut behind her, Sweet Blossom
looked at the young girl. Their smiles were more than
words. When the girl spoke, her voice was older than it should
have been. "Do you know what I am?" she asked.
138 Sweet Blossom came closer. "You're a girl," she remarked.
139 "I am like you," the other answered,
"inside we are like sisters. Our bodies are almost the
same. I can give you what you desire, not just for a year, but
for the rest of your life. But you must agree to my bargain. You
must do EXACTLY as I say, and you must swear to it. You must give
your word."
140 Sweet Blossom looked at the girl closely,
and all of a sudden she stepped back. "Oh, no!" she gasped, "It was
just an expression. I didn't mean it!"
141 "Yes, you did," the girl answered. "Before you say no, listen to what I have to say."
142 Downstairs The Voice was talking to the
woman. "What has been the matter with your daughter?" he asked.
143 "She had something growing inside her
head," the woman told him. "The Healers operated and took it out,
and a little while afterwards they thought she died. But then she
started breathing again.
144 They told me not to hope for much, maybe
just a few days. Then, she began this strange talk about her new friend
that had been hurt so bad, and that needed to be with her for a few
days, until a lady came to visit. It's strange how they get sometimes
when they're dying, isn't it?"
145 "Yes," agreed The Voice, staring up the
stairs at the door. Suddenly he was flying up the steps, two at a
time. He burst into the room and Sweet Blossom spun around.
"Sweet Blossom," he screamed, "get away from her!"
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