Time Rocks
Page 31
*
Blaith remained glued to my side throughout the ceremony at the totem. It was obvious he didn’t trust me and he was not going to let me out of his sight until I had put the moonlight back in to the silver torch. As I stood between him and Vart, watching the proceedings, I tried to work out how much time a new battery would give us before that too failed, and what would I do when it did?
I decided to impose certain conditions on the use of the battery so as to prolong its life and consequently ours. I told Blaith that I was the keeper of the light of Lued inside the torch. I said he could keep the torch, but would need to arrange with me first whenever he wanted to light it. I warned him that the light was from Lued’s terrible eye and he could only use it for short periods, on very special occasions, or she would be angry and take it away again.
Vart looked terrified as I explained all this. Blaith however, accepted it as though it were the most normal thing in the world.
‘Make golow-beru now.’ He handed me the torch, and I realised he wanted to light it in front of all the priests and the people as they walked back from the totem. It would give him enormous prestige. I turned my back on him and quickly replaced the batteries. I handed it to him. His hands were trembling, his eyes wide with excitement. He turned to face the crowd and raised the torch above his head and switched it on The light beam reached for the sky, glinting on the falling raindrops. He swept the beam across the crowd making them fall to their knees. Finally, he pointed it at the priests, and drew himself up arrogantly as they shielded their eyes from the brilliant beam.
‘Blaith atal. Atal, that’s enough,’ I whispered beside him. Stop Blaith, stop.
He looked at me and smiled proudly. I saw tears of joy in his eyes. He switched off the torch. ‘Blaith friend Jack,’ he said, beaming and nodding.
‘Don’t use it again until you ask me. Remember, Lued keegad galow. Lued will close eye and take away like she did before if you not ask me first.’ I hoped that would stop him shining it around like a wet loony bear and flattening the batteries. If it didn’t, I had now made it clear that he would only have himself to blame for offending the goddess. He seemed to believe me, but for how long could he resist the temptation to show off again, I wondered.