"Dorelei, they weren't alone. Drusl was there. He'll tell you the truth of it."

Cru warned seriously. "Padrec, stay out. Take no part of this."

"Nae, need not stay out." Drust flared in defiance.

"Were but measuring out the oil, and a was paid tor.

Taixaii tried to take wife's gold circlet."

And to touch her in other places with more intimate purpose, as Drust spat out the facts. Padrec knew enough of them to believe it. The Taixaii man flustered her. She was never able to manage men easily. Drust tried to-be tactful, cautioned the youth politely and then in outright

130 warning- When the man just laughed and thrust his hand through Guenloie's fringed skirt, she pushed him away.

Before Drust could intervene, the man struck her hard, knocking her down.

"Dost change naught." Neniane still trembled from the fear she felt in the village. "Did never think but of men, men, any man, like bitch in heat."

"Lie!" Guenloie screamed. "Lie! Lie! Lie.'"

"Neniane lies'" Drust choked.

Dorelei held up her hand. "Gern will speak. Look what thy ways have brought to fhain." She showed her arm. Something turned over in Padrec's stomach. Impos- sible but there: Naiton had barely touched the flat of the blade to her arm, but the reddening, blistered outline of it was like a severe burn. He wouldn't have believed it.

"See the evil of that blood thee prates of," Dorelei said with sick contempt. "And take a's own word for thee.

Whore. Go from fhain, Guenloie. Husbands too, if a will yet have thee."

"Dorelei, please." Guenloie slid from her pony to kneel before her cousin. "Send me away when have done what thee speaks, but not so. Did fight the Taixali."

"Was so." Drust spoke respectfully but would not drop his eyes before Dorelei's challenge. Suddenly she lashed out with her foot and kicked Guenloie hard.

"Go. pig."

Guenloie cried out more in desperation than pain.

Padrec dismounted and grasped her to him. "Dorelei, for God's love, think what you do. This is not even good sense."

"Did say stay out," Cru warned him again.

"I will not." Padrec pressed the weeping Guenloie to him, glaring up at him. "Not in this."

"Not in this." Drust moved to shield his wife on the other side.

"Will say as much." Malgon got down from his pony to join them. "Let Cruaddan stay out."

Cru started to dismount, but Drust, never coolheaded, snaked his knife from the sheath and leveled it at him.

"Cru and all else: do wish to try against Drust as Taixali did? Artcois? Bredei?"

131.

Artcois looked down at his hands. "Thy wife brings ruin to fham."

"Never to thee, fhain brother."

"Brings Blackbar evil. See where a marked Gern-y- fhain."

"And took at her under Padrec's arm," Dorelei seethed.

"Will nestle to any man."

It was loo much for Padrec. "Oh, stop it, Dorelei.

Were thee hurt as she is? Slop it!"

None of them, not even Cru, expected it from Doretei.

In a Hash her leg was over the pony's head. She dropped to the ground and flew at Guenloie, flailing at the gin as Padrec tried to fend her off.

"Out, whore. Tallfolk pig. Out!"

"I said-get away!" Padrec shoved Dorelei harder than he intended. The small gir! lost her balance and fell, not hurt, but livid at the profanation. No man might interfere with punishment of a woman, not even a husband. Cru moved toward Padrec, but Drust's knife was stil! out, and now Malgon's as well.

"No, Cru." Dorelei rose. Fighting to control a rage she couldn't name herself. "Thee dares so, Padrec? Have said.

Guenloie goes with a's husbands. And thee an thy heart be with them, and there done."

Cru nodded. "Done."

"Done," said Neniane- "Husbands?"

Bredei spoke at last, not equal to dissension, hating it all. "Nae. be wrong. Do believe Guenloie."

Cru's anger was audible. "Do we have gem-law, or only the squall of bairn? Thee's heard Gern-y-fhain. Done!"

"Oh, yes," Padrec said. "The word of Dorelei, who is rich in years and wisdom. She raises her hand and cuts a family from fhain as Mabh cut Britain from Gaul, without .TOunting the cost. Has the gem-daughter of a gern so many she can waste three with no loss and winter coming?

. Believe in my Christ or not, Dorelei, He yet had more , mercy dying on the cross than you in your childish ignorance."

When she turned on him, he felt the cold will that - froze the Faixali boy with his silly arrow. She might cheer- , fully cut his heart out now, but her voice was steady. "

"Then four wilt go, Padrec-taltfolk- And thy weeping

132 lesu who will bring no more good to fhain than Blackbar.

Aye, go! Do give thee this night in crannog, but go at morning. Have said."

Her fury translated to energy. Dorelei vaulted her pony, yanked its head around, and galloped away to the east without looking back. Then Cru, Neniane, and her husbands followed at a slower pace. Malgon watched them go.

"Thee speaks well, Padrec. Thee has the truth of it."

"For alt the good it did. Here, take thy wife. Where will thee go?"

Malgon shrugged. "Where indeed? Come, wife."

"Padrec be cast out, too." Drust reminded them. "And where will a go who's more man than lallfolk and almost Prydn a's self? Come with us, Padrec. Who will give us the David-songs now?"

Truly, no one. This failure hurt the most. The Venicone only broke his legs.

He didn't know why he chose the ring of stones for his prayers, but that it was the nearest thing to a chapel in three days' ride, and God was everywhere when it came to that. Under the moon that lit the swift-running clouds, Padrec knelt and earnestly tried to pray- He truly needed a confessor himself. The love once wholly dedicated to God was now divided and blurred, seething with human hurt. More than all this, he'd failed, first with the Venicones and now here where the need for God cried out.

No. Better not to pray when his heart wasn't in it but raging at Dorelei. He rose and wandered about the moon- lit circle, his sleeping blanket wrapped about him against the wind.