It was just a turn in the path to sight of the tavern. Henry halted.
"You seem to forget I'm proscribed," he reminded her.
"I don't care! I like you--always have." Her voice became tragic, "Why
did you go into that awful learning house?"
"I got tired of wondering--wondering what kept the food in the bins
fresh, how it got from the hoppers in the fields to the bins. What made
the light and heat. Where the water came from."
"But the Old Ones did it all by magic!"
"What kind of magic?" His face had a slightly mocking expression. "If
that was so why are things beginning to break down? Magic should go on
forever."
* * * * *
From the direction of the tavern came sounds of shouting. He smiled at
her. "You'd better go on before they think I've turned you into a bat."
"Henry--" she began, but she had lingered too long. The whole group
rounded the turn, trotting, their faces twisted in superstitious fury.
They raised their arms when they sighted the two. Each hand had a stone
in it.
"She's one of them too!" screamed fat, malicious Hecla, seeing a chance
to vent her envy. "They're planning something! Throw! Throw!"
Her voice was a hysterical shriek. Henry saw the stones in the air.
Grasping the girl's wrist he drew her into the brush beside the path.
He stopped his flight under an ancient tree and let go her wrist.
"See," he said, "even to speak to me is dangerous."
She tossed her head and brushed the hair from her brow, her eyes
scornful. "I don't care. I'm sick of them."
"You can go back. Give them some fancy tale about my hexing you, but
say that you crossed two sticks or something and got away."
She looked him squarely in the face, her own composed and determined.
"I'd rather stay with you."
He dropped to a jutting rock and scraped at the dead leaves with the
heel of his sandal.
"It's not nice," he began, "the life I live. Hiding in the woods by
day, sneaking into deserted houses or taverns at night for food and
warmth. I've been doing it all summer now, and that's bad enough. In a
month the Masters of these upper levels will be closing their houses
and the taverns, moving to town for the winter. Everything on the lower
levels will be taken up. They expect me to be starved into surrender."
Theta dropped to her knees beside him.
"I'd rather be with you. I've wanted to be with you ever since I first
saw you. But you never seemed to notice me."
"I noticed you." He placed a hand over hers. "But you were so young
looking, so sweet. I was waiting for you to grow up a little more.
Then, when I found an open Mastership, I was going to ask you to share
it with me."
Theta felt a tingling happiness. Her face flushed, her eyes brightened.
"Henry!" she cried. "I've always wanted you! That's why I never...."
He put an arm about her and pulled her close. They sat that way for
minutes.
"I'll give you a Mastership!" he cried out. "I'll give you the whole
valley!" He pushed her shoulders around until she was facing him. "What
is your first wish, Mistress of the Valley?"
"Something to eat," she said promptly.
Henry made a rueful face. "My dear, that is something you will have to
become used to: being hungry. But fortunately I know of a ruined and
deserted house where the bins are still operating."
The forest they were in filled a steep-sided ravine. He followed it
for some distance, then started abruptly up the left-hand slope to a
low-crowned crest planted with apple trees. A hundred yards away was
the house.
One corner of it was crushed by a fallen tree. The low sun made shafts
of light through the trees as Henry approached it cautiously, Theta
behind him. He entered through the broken wall into what was once a
bedroom, then through a door into the remainder of the house.
It was a typical living room they entered, with the regular ration of
furnishings. The visiphone and visiscreen were set into the inner wall;
a calendar clock was over the front door, its dial marked with symbols
for planting, pruning, cutting and picking. The hand was approaching
the latter symbol, Henry went through into the kitchen, leaving her to
watch through the window. He returned with a basket of mixed fruit.
She reached for an avocado, plucking her knife from its sheath with the
other hand.
"Hey! Wait a minute!" Henry cried. "You are a sinner now, remember?" He
pushed the basket towards her. "Fill your pouch first, eat later."
They ate, keeping an eye on the path towards the house until dark. No
one moved at night except on extreme emergency, and then only with
lanterns and noise. Without lights on other than the normal glow of the
walls they retired to one of the undamaged bedrooms.
"See?" she said, with a rippling, contented laugh. "I waited for you."