Azaria

by J. H. Hayes

  “No.” Daneel replied.

  Azaria woke beside Daneel the next morning brimming with anticipation. She was sure this would be the sun the slab would be placed and couldn't wait to see it done. Daneel was right. The support work was hard and it was slightly humiliating catering to the men, especially since they didn't seem to much appreciate the girls' efforts. And the slaps on her backside were beyond annoying. She couldn't believe the Ta'araki let it go on, deciding to talk to her father about it. She knew she was receiving only a fraction of the slaps the other girls did. Most men behaved better around her, as she was the well-known Bird-Runner, favored of the Ta'ar, not to mention daughter of a respected and intimidatingly large Ta'araki.

  Overall however, she felt the abuse was well worth the trouble. The Great Temple fascinated her more than she'd ever imagined it could and she felt more connected to it now that she was contributing to its construction, albeit in a small, indirect manner.

  Daneel couldn't have disagreed more. Azaria practically had to drag her out of the furs. "Come on Daneel!!" Azaria pleaded. "Get up! I want to eat before everyone else gets there." She hoped appealing to Daneel's stomach might yield some success, but her smart friend saw through her plan.

  "Uuuhhh! Whyyyy? Since when do you care so much about breakfast? I promise you that stupid, oversized rock isn't going anywhere. The men will refuse to work if we're not there to slave over them."

  "Come on Daneeeelll! Pleeeease! Just get up."

  "All right, all right, already. I'll get up. Can you comb my hair while I get ready?"

  "Absolutely!" Azaria found her comb and started running it through Daneel's soft curls.

  "Oowwww! What are you doing, girl? Trying to scalp me?"

  "Ohh! Sorry... Just in a hurry I guess."

  As Daneel suspected, Azaria hardly touched her food and was dragging her and Aiyana out to the Temple before they had the opportunity to enjoy their meal properly. Daneel even caught Aiyana rolling her eyes slightly in response to Azaria's frenzied anticipation. But she secretly didn't mind indulging her best friend. She knew how excited she was.

  "Told you that thing would still be there," Daneel said as the quarry came into view.

  Azaria was more than happy to admit her friend had been correct, "Thank the Ta'ar. They're just placing it on the sled now. Let's go get a closer look."

  "Aww, Azaria. If we get too close, they're gonna start ordering us around."

  "Why don't you go back and find Yumineh? We'll go watch," Azaria suggested, volunteering for Aiyana too.

  "You won't mind?" Daneel asked.

  "Of course not! Go ahead."

  Daneel headed to the meal area and found Yumineh still eating. "Good morning! How are you?" she asked her new close friend.

  "Great! You were up early this morning. I saw you leaving with Azaria. I thought I'd have to catch up with you," Yumineh said.

  "I know! She's completely obsessed with this slab placing thing. I don't get it at all."

  "I know. She's so weird. Hey," Yumineh said, leaning over to whisper. "Do you want to have some fun?"

  "Always! What did you have in mind?" Daneel quickly replied.

  "Let's play a little trick on Azaria," Yumineh said.

  "Oooohhh! I love it. What do you have planned?"

  "I have this little concoction I mixed up. I don't know if it will work, but if it does, it'll be hilarious."

  "Really? What is it? What are you going to do with it?" Daneel asked.

  "It's nothing harmful. Just a little joke. It'll make Azaria’s moonblood come early.”

  "Uhhh, that sounds a little harsh," Daneel said.

  “Oh, don’t worry. It probably won’t even work. I'm going to go mix it in some tea and bring it to Azaria. Come over later, okay?"

  "Okay, go ahead," Daneel agreed, afraid to upset her new friend.

  As Azaria approached the quarry she had a better view of the apparatus the movers would use to slide the pillar across the dry, brush-spotted plain. It was a simple, yet elegant design consisting of long, thick wooden planks connected to a shorter perpendicular plank by heavy ropes made of twisted strands of vine. The frontal bottom corners of each plank were ground to a smooth curve to reduce friction. To pull the loaded sled, the movers used more rope looped around the short frontal plank. When she arrived, the men were positioning the sled underneath the slab, which was held above the ground by strategically placed limestone cubes.

  Azaria and Aiyana had been standing around for a while when one of the men asked them to fetch water. Aiyana volunteered, knowing how interested her partner was with the process. Azaria was feeling guilty for letting Aiyana go down by herself when she heard a voice call out from behind.

  "Hi, Azaria!"

  She turned around to see Yumineh approaching her, holding her cup and a larger bowl. "Good morning, Yumineh. How are you?"

  "I'm good. Finally something interesting is going to happen, huh?"

  "I know, finally," Azaria agreed, happy to discover Yumineh shared her excitement.

  "Oh, I have some extra tea. Do you want some?"

  Azaria looked around for her bone cup and spotted it on the rock she'd earlier set it. "Sure!" she answered, picking it up and holding it out.

  Yumineh filled Azaria’s fist just as two of the movers spotted them. "Hey! You girls! Bring the fans!"

  "So it starts..." Yumineh said.

  "I guess so. Thanks for the tea, Yumineh!" Azaria said as she sipped her cup.

  As she fetched the fans, Azaria thought of the kind gesture Yumineh had made. It surprised her. She'd begun to suspect Yumineh was holding a grudge against her. In the past few suns, she'd noticed her whispering quietly to some of the other girls while staring at her, often breaking out in laughter. But now she doubted her earlier suspicion, thinking it just her active imagination.

  Reassured, Azaria turned her attention back to the men moving the slab. With the sled fully beneath the pillar, more long pieces of wood were wedged underneath. The men would use leverage to lift the slab up just enough to allow others to pull the cubes out. This was one of many critical moments in the process. The slab had to be ever so gently let down. To allow it to fall even the shortest distance could result in a devastating crack and moons of wasted effort. The maneuver required perfect precision and practiced coordination.

  Azaria was fixated with the techniques the men used to move the giant stone. To her it appeared each step was carefully thought out, expertly planned and executed, although in reality it was more the result of decades of trial and error and the rare burst of brilliant inspiration.

  Once the slab was safely resting on the wooden sled, the slow, arduous task of hauling the pillar to the Temple could begin. Hordes of men stood in front of the slab, holding the many attached ropes. They wore thick leather pads on their shoulders so the rough vine-rope would not bite and tear their skin to shreds. As many men as would practically fit pushed on the stone from the back and sides. As they hauled, they used a heave-heave-ho process, in which the supervisor would count out rhythmically and the movers would pull or push on each third beat. Azaria was mesmerized watching the men drag the massive stone. There was a graceful harmony in the way they moved, their legs and torsos moving together synchronously. To her, more than anything else, it was a carefully executed dance, although the men would certainly argue as to the degree of pleasure they derived from the excruciating labor.

  It took all morning to haul the sled across the expanse. Azaria and her pack splashed the men with cool river water to keep them from overheating and brought more fresh water to drink during breaks. She felt a bit more sympathy for Daneel's whining as the sun passed overhead, as she alone made dozens of river-trips to fetch fresh water. It did seem the movers were rather careless with their use of it.

  At first she tried to calculate how long it would take the slab to complete the traverse by watching how far the sun passed in the sky and approximating the distance they'd made in each interval. But as the su
n rose and the heat intensified, the pace slowed, throwing her estimates off completely. Still, she felt they could complete the journey and place the pillar before the sun set, if they worked hard - which meant fetching more water, more fanning and more pats on her backside.

  When they finally reached the beginning of the first ramp the lemon yellow sun was already past its apex, the highest point it would reach during its journey across the early summer sky. Azaria was gratified when she figured out the purpose of the second ramp. The movers positioned themselves on top of it and began the process anew, now walking down the second ramp and in doing so causing the slab to slowly ascend the first.

  When the pillar was finally pulled over the crest of the first ramp and rested securely at the top, the workers were allowed another break. The girls of course received no such luxury and were expected to do what they could to keep the movers comfortable even as they rested.

  During one of the rare moments when no one was ordering them about, Aiyana sat down next to Azaria. "Seems like they're never going to get this thing placed," she said.

  "I know! I'm afraid they're going to stop and wait until the morning," Azaria responded.

  "Azaria, did you cut yourself?" Aiyana asked suddenly.

  "What? Where?"

  "On your leg? Right there!" Aiyana pointed to Azaria's inner thigh.

  "Oh, Holy Ta'ar, Aiyana! You're right, I'm bleeding."

  "What happened?" she asked, and then her face fell flush. "You don't have your moonblood do you?"

  "What? No, I can't be! I'm only half way through my cycle!" Azaria's voice pitched in growing realization.

  "Are you sure?"

  "Oh no, Aiyana! I think you're right. It must be. But I don't understand at all." She wiped the blood away with her hand.

  "Azaria, you know you can't be here during your moonflow. The evil spirits will corrupt the Temple."

  Tears welled in her eyes, knowing her partner was right. "But I can't leave now. I’ll miss the placing."

  "I know, Azaria. But if the Ta'araki find out, they're going to send you away. And they'll probably castigate you for remaining near the Temple. You have to clean yourself. Now!"

  "Okay, I'll be back soon." Azaria got up and turned around. She was aghast to see Izyl, staring at the blood on her hand.

  "Azaria, you're hurt. What happened?" the beautiful Fox Camp Ta'araki asked.

  "Oh, it's nothing, Ta'araki. Just a scrape."

  "Show me, we have to clean it. You don't want it to get infected. How did this happen?"

  Azaria tried to think quickly, but lacked Daneel’s quick wit. "I think I have my moonblood, Ta'araki," she said, her head hung, accepting her fate with moist eyes.

  "Oh no, girl. That's a shame. But we have to get you away from here before Fahim sees."

  "But it's too soon, Ta'araki," Azaria sobbed, unable to control her emotions.

  Izyl put her arm over Azaria's shoulder as she led her away. "I know how much you wanted to watch the placing, Azaria. But Fahim would never allow it. We can't help when we're irregular. There's nothing to be done about it. Don't blame yourself."

  Daneel sat next to Yumineh watching uncomprehendingly as her best friend was taken away. Why were they making her leave? And then, seeing the blood on Azaria’s hand, it occurred to her. Was it because Yumineh gave her that mix? "Yumineh!" she whispered. "Are they making her leave because of that tea you gave her?"

  "What? Why would they make her leave?" Yumineh sounded upset. "It was just a joke. I didn't know they'd make her leave."

  Daneel's head spun, trying to think through what had just occurred. Why would they make Azaria leave just because her moonflow started? Although she had little interest in the Temple, she was smarter than she often came off and able to work it out. The moonblood is the body expelling the evil spirits. Of course the Ta'araki wouldn't want those spirits lingering around the Great Temple. She buried her head in her hands, aghast at her realization. "Oh, Yumineh," she whispered. "They don't want her near the Temple when the evil spirits are fleeing. Did you know they’d make her leave if her moonblood came? She wanted to see the placing so much." Daneel was almost in tears herself, devastated with her small part in the joke that prevented Azaria from staying.

  "I didn't know, Daneel. I swear. Why would they care? It happens to every girl. They can't control that."

  "Yeah, but, don't you remember when we first arrived and they grouped us in packs? Remember how they moved some girls from one pack to another. They must’ve been making sure the girls who had their moonflow wouldn't be anywhere near the Temple. Ohh! I feel awful! She's going to hate me when she finds out."

  "Daneel, you can't tell her! She'll be so angry!" Yumineh objected.

  "I know," Daneel said. "But Azaria's going to figure out that it was that drink you gave her. She's not stupid!"

  "How is she going to find out? I just gave her some tea. That's all, as far as she knows."

  "Well, I can't lie to her. If she asks, I’ll have to tell her," Daneel cried.

  "What? Why would she ask? If she finds out, she'll be mad at me, not you."

  Daneel could see her point and felt sorry for her, hearing the emotion in her voice. "You’re right. I think she's going to be angry. I’ll take the blame. I’ll tell her I did it."

  Yumineh's voice cracked. "Really? Thanks Daneel, I owe you one." She reached over and hugged her, her smile hidden over Daneel's shoulder.

  ---

  Izyl escorted Azaria to her tent and waited while she found an absorbent rag and then accompanied her down to the river and again waited for her to clean herself. When Azaria was purified and ready, she helped her find the girls who'd been assigned to hunting duties. Izyl had heard they were having trouble, and having seen Azaria's success at the Hare Hunt figured she might be of some help.

  The girls Azaria was reassigned to were from Red Deer Camp - which was far north, farther north than Fox Camp. The two were working as a team hunting grouse, one flushing the plump steppe birds out of the high grass while the other launched spears at the fleeing avians with her thrower. They weren’t having much luck by themselves and were beginning to feel desperate, afraid of reporting back to Izyl with little to show for their efforts. They were able to flush the grouse out well enough, but they'd only taken one down, despite a whole morning of trying.

  Azaria’s arrival was welcome. With two girls flushing the birds out, they were better able to predict the avians' escape routes, giving the girl waiting with her spearthrower a more direct shot. Azaria quickly bagged three of the fat birds and the two girls each took down another. She was finally recovering from her earlier terrible disappointment, enjoying the success they were having, when the Swan Camp girls decided six was more than was expected of them. They put away their spearthrowers, desiring to sneak down to the river for some refreshing relaxation instead.

  Azaria, afraid of getting caught goofing off, but not feeling much like hunting by herself either, decided to just walk. She knew there was little chance she'd be seen so far from the Temple, but if somehow she was, she figured she could always claim she was still hunting. She didn't consciously choose a particular direction, but soon found herself on the far outskirts of the Temple, within viewing distance of the men placing the giant pillar. She stared for a moment, thinking she should probably leave, but was enthralled each time the slab slid down the smallest amount toward its final upright position. I shouldn't be watching this, she told herself. But if I climbed one of these cedars, I could get a better view. No one will see me. There are too many others around for anyone to catch my scent and the men are making too much noise for anyone to hear. I'll just stay for a moment, maybe a few.

  She watched as the movers removed the sand underneath the front end of the pillar and between the two dirt ramps. Although it was difficult to detect much movement, she could tell the pillar was definitely being lowered to an upright position. She thought it was kind of like trying to watch Luna move across the night sky. If you
stared at her, she would never move. But if you looked away for a while and then looked back, you could see that she did. After a while she realized the work was proceeding quite quickly. They might yet finish and then all that will be left to do is remove the ramps. But I don't mind if I miss that part.

  Despite her distant observing position, Azaria's excitement grew as the pillar slid further down. It was almost as good as the close-up view she should’ve had, as she didn't have to tend the men and could concentrate on the precision procedure. Watching the tedious process of removing the sand was dull, but she was determined to see the whole thing unfold.

  When the pillar finally reached a semi-vertical position the movers who had hauled it up the ramp began to pull again, except now the ropes were looped around the top end of the slab, the end sticking up between the ramps. It was a delicate maneuver, as they had to move it just enough to allow the diggers to add more dirt where space was created. Other workers also had to carefully direct the bottom end into the footing, but soon enough the slab was standing perfectly straight. From her distance, it was almost anti-climactic. The process was so expertly executed, it didn't even seem any trouble at all. Almost on its own, the slab just dropped perfectly into the footing and was suddenly standing upright.

  Although she'd witnessed every step in the moving and placing of the stone, Azaria was still amazed everything had worked so well. She was unable to find a single word that sufficiently described everything she'd witnessed over the past suns. For the average Natu, there were no words which could do justice to what they were achieving. But they did know it couldn't be done without the will of the Ta'ar and the consent of the Great Earth Mother and most simply left it at that.

  That evening, after the girls had eaten, cleaned and readied themselves for sleep, Azaria was ecstatic - although she kept the reason why to herself. Daneel however, fretted. She'd been dreading crawling into their shared furs, even though it was usually her favorite activity. Although her best friend appeared to be in a surprisingly good mood, given what had happened, she didn't know how to breach the subject worrying her. "Azaria..." she started.