The Great Bazaar And Other Stories Part 5

"Brianne..." Leesha began.

"Are you deaf?" Evin asked. "She said..."

"No," Brianne cut him off. "You. Leave."

"This is my house...!" Evin sputtered, storming towards them, but Leesha put a hand in the pocket of her ap.r.o.n, and he noted the move, pulling up short.

"GET OUT!" Brianne screamed, throwing the knife at him. Evin ducked the missile and scowled, but he eyed Leesha's hand in her pocket, and headed for the door. Callen began to cry.

"And take those d.a.m.n dogs with ya!" Brianne cried. "I'm tired of cleaning their s.h.i.+t off the floor!" Evin clicked his tongue, and both animals followed him out of the cabin.

Brianne seemed to deflate as he left. She knelt in front of Callen, but grimaced in pain as she did. She lifted a corner of her ap.r.o.n to dry his tears.

"There, there, baby," she said. "It's all right. Run along and play with yur logs." She hugged him, and the boy ran over to the far corner of the room, where a pile of tiny sticks had been laid to form a crude miniature cabin.

Brianne stood, wincing again. Her face was ashen. "I suppose it makes ya feel good to see me like this," she told Leesha, "fat and miserable, while ya walk through town singing to the birds on yur shoulder and turning every man's head as ya go."

Leesha killed an angry retort before it reached her lips. "No one's suffering makes me feel good," she said. "Take a seat and let me have a look at you."

Brianne didn't argue, pain flas.h.i.+ng across her face again as she sat. Leesha looked in her eyes and mouth, feeling her forehead for a fever and checking the pulse in her wrist.

"Let me know if anything I touch hurts," she said, and Brianne nodded. Leesha began to probe with sensitive fingers, watching Brianne's eyes the whole time. She already had her suspicions as to the cause of Brianne's pain.

"Aaah!" Brianne cried as Leesha pressed at her ribs.

"Take off your blouse," Leesha said.

"Is that really necessary?" Brianne asked.

"You were never shy about being naked back when we were friends," Leesha said.

"I was pretty then," Brianne shot back.

"Off with it," Leesha ordered. "Mairy, help me."

Brianne did not resist as the two pulled the blouse over her head. Mairy gasped at the yellowed bruises that covered Brianne's arms and back, and the black one, about as big as a palm-sized stone, on her ribs.

"It's just as I thought," Leesha said. "Two of your ribs are broken. You're lucky you didn't pop your lung."

"Can ya fix them?" Brianne asked.

Leesha shook her head. "There's not much to do for ribs but let them heal. I'll bind them so they heal straight and don't grind when you move, but you'll have to limit yourself for some time. Best altogether if you stay abed."

"Some time?" Brianne asked.

"Weeks," Leesha said, and she caught Brianne's look. "No arguing," she snapped. "We'll send someone to help you with Callen and around the house. You're lucky it's not worse."

"Creator!" Mairy said. "What happened, Bri?"

"I was standing on the woodpile, holding the paint can while Evin touched up the wards on the roof," Brianne said. "I slipped, and half the pile came down on me."

"Night!" Mairy exclaimed. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I thought I was fine," Brianne said.

"Look, I've got things here, Mair," Leesha said. "Why don't you get on home before the little ones get themselves into trouble?"

Mairy glanced at Brianne, who nodded her a.s.sent, and left.

"Demons.h.i.+t," Leesha said when they were alone. "That son of a coreling beat you, and don't you think me stupid enough to believe any other tampweed tale you pull from your a.r.s.e."

Brianne looked at her in shock. "Living with Bruna taught ya to curse," she said with a pained laugh. "Proper li'l Leesha I knew wun't have known what them words meant."

"Don't try to change the subject, either," Leesha said.

Brianne looked at her in fear. "What're ya gonna do?"

"Bind these ribs, to start," Leesha said. She took a roll of white cloth from her basket, and began wrapping it around Brianne's midsection, just below her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

"Ahhh! Night, that stings!" Brianne gasped.

"Not half so much as the breaking itself, I'll wager," Leesha said. "Brianne, you have to tell someone. This can't go on."

"It was just the once," Brianne said.

Leesha snorted. "I don't believe that anymore than the woodpile tale," she said. "A man who'll hit a pregnant woman isn't new to the deed. Does Darsy know?"

Brianne shook her head. "No one knows. I never needed a Gatherer before."

"We have to put a stop to this before you need a Tender and a gravedigger," Leesha said.

"What would ya have me do?" Brianne demanded. "Tell my da? He and my brothers would kill Evin for this. They'd kill him for real, and be put out of the village at night for it. Callen would lose every man in his life over it, and where would I be?"

"Then tell Smitt," Leesha said. "Let the council handle it."

Brianne shook her head. "Da would still find out," she said, "and that would be that."

"So what?" Leesha demanded. "You let this go on until he does permanent harm to you or your unborn? Or Callen?"

"It won't happen again, Leesh," Brianne said, squeezing her hand, "he promised. Ya have to swear not to tell."

"Brianne..." Leesha began.

"Swear!" Brianne demanded, cutting her off. "Remember yur oath!"

Leesha's eyes narrowed, but she was trapped, and she knew it. Images flashed in her mind of Elona's belt, and how the pain had always seemed less than the shame of telling. "I swear," she said at last, grinding her teeth as she did.

She finished binding Brianne's ribs, and selected a handful of roots, holding them out. "Chew these for the pain," she said. "Only one a day, and no more, or the little one," she stroked Brianne's belly, "will make you regret it."

"Will the baby be all right?" Brianne asked, near tears.

"This time," Leesha said. "But if this happens again, who knows?"

"It won't, I swear," Brianne said.

"I don't think it's up to you," Leesha said.

EVIN WAS IN the yard when Leesha left. His eyes stroked her body, but he was wary, too. On impulse, Leesha went to him, putting an extra snap to the natural sway of her round hips. the yard when Leesha left. His eyes stroked her body, but he was wary, too. On impulse, Leesha went to him, putting an extra snap to the natural sway of her round hips.

"She's going to be fine," Leesha said. "That fall from the woodpile broke a couple of ribs, but they'll heal if she gets enough rest."

"The... woodpile," Evin began slowly, quickly gaining confidence as he caught on, "right. Awful spill. I told her to fetch a Gatherer, but ya know Brianne."

Leesha flashed him a bright smile. "I do at that," she said.

Evin returned the smile. "Yur looking good these days, Leesh," he breathed.

Leesha looked around. Seeing they were alone, she moved closer, standing on tiptoe so her hps practically touched his ear. "Come around the side of the house," she whispered. "I want to show you something."

Evin's grin split his face, and he grabbed her hand, practically dragging her along.

When they were alone, he was on her in an instant, kissing her hard and pawing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He didn't notice the needle in Leesha's hand until she stuck it in his neck.

"What the...!" Evin exclaimed, pulling away and slapping at the puncture. Already, he was starting to sway.

"The poison works fast," Leesha told him, straightening her blouse.

"Pois..?" Evin started to ask, but then his feet went from under him, and he collapsed to the dirt, spasming erratically on his stomach.

"You feel that?" Leesha asked, kneeling beside him as his seizure began in earnest. "The horrid cramps and pain? Your limbs just twitching despite your commands for them to move?"

"Don't worry, don't worry," she said, patting his back. "The poison will leave your muscles soon." She bent close, caressing his hair, and whispered, "It moves next into your gut."

Evin let out a low moan into the dirt.

"I promised Brianne I'd keep quiet about this," she said. "Herb Gatherers have an oath to hold secrets, and I'll not break that. But that doesn't mean I can't act on my own."

She gripped his hair tightly, forcing his head to turn towards her. "Look at me," she commanded. He tried weakly to pull away, but she held tight, pus.h.i.+ng up his chin with her free hand to make him meet her eyes.

"You think hard," she said, "when you're screaming in the outhouse tomorrow. Think about how the next time I have to treat Brianne or one of the children because of you, you'll think of today as nothing. I'll make your bones scream, and your pathetic little dangle shrivel up like a raisin. I'll leave you hobbling on a cane before you see your thirtieth summer."

Evin looked at her, his eyes wide with terror. A lather of spit foamed out of his mouth, and a tear ran down his cheek.

She let go and stood. His head fell back to the dirt, flopping oddly.

"You think hard," she said again. Turning, she found herself face to face with Brianne.

She froze as Brianne looked down at her husband convulsing on the ground, and then back to Leesha. Their eyes met for what seemed like forever. Finally, Brianne nodded once. Leesha nodded in return, and Brianne turned and went back into the cabin.

"BRIANNE IS AT least seven weeks pregnant," Leesha said. "She told Evin a week ago, and some time not long after, he beat her. The child is fine, but I treated two broken ribs and a number of bruises." least seven weeks pregnant," Leesha said. "She told Evin a week ago, and some time not long after, he beat her. The child is fine, but I treated two broken ribs and a number of bruises."

Bruna nodded as if Leesha had said nothing more than it looked like rain. "She begged you not to tell, I a.s.sume," she said.

"How did you know?" Leesha asked. Bruna raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't bother to reply.

"What did you do about it?" the crone asked.

"I stuck him with a needle dipped in slipsnake venom and told him I'd do worse the next time," Leesha said.

Bruna cackled and slapped her knee. "Couldn't have done better myself!" she howled. "Boy won't touch her again, and I wager he'll squirt his breeches the next time he sees you!"

"That was the idea," Leesha said, reddening.

"My children will be in good hands with you one day," Bruna said.

"No day soon, I hope," Leesha replied.

"Not for a while yet, at least," Bruna agreed, with a hint of sadness.

Krasian Dictionary ABBAN: Wealthy khaffit khaffit merchant, crippled during his warrior training. merchant, crippled during his warrior training.

ALAGAI: Corelings, demons.

ALAGAI'SHARAK: Holy War against demonkind. Holy War against demonkind.

AMIT: Crippled dal'Sharum dal'Sharum with a peg leg who is Abban's princ.i.p.al rival in the Bazaar. with a peg leg who is Abban's princ.i.p.al rival in the Bazaar.

ANOCH SUN: Lost city that was once the seat of power for Kaji. Believed claimed by the sands. People and artifacts called Sunian.

ASU: Son, or "son of." Used as a prefix in formal names.

BAHA KAD'EVERAM: Krasian hamlet renowned for its pottery, destroyed by demons in 306AR. Name translates as "Bowl of Everam." People known as Bahavans.

BAZAAR, GREAT: Merchant district of Krasia. It is run and frequented almost entirely by women and khaffit, khaffit, because such business is considered beneath the warrior and clerical castes. because such business is considered beneath the warrior and clerical castes.

CAMELp.i.s.s: Something or someone low and unworthy, vulgar.

CHABIN: Father of Abban. Khaffit. Khaffit.

CHAMBER OF ETERNAL SORROW: Torture chamber in the underground tunnels beneath Sharik Hora used for heretics and traitors.

CHIN: Outsider/infidel. Insulting connotation, implying that the person is a coward. Outsider/infidel. Insulting connotation, implying that the person is a coward.