Page 139 of Planet Zero
“Yes.” Qalae raised sad eyes to the sky. “Now is not the time to sow more division in the tribe. Maybe there was never a time, but I let myself hope…” She looked at the pouch in her hand. “I will have children, Addie. Like you. They will play together.”
She started crying. Amber tears slid down her porcelain-white cheeks and dropped onto the front of her dress.
“I told you!” A screech blasted out from the bushes, and Addie and Qalae jumped up, going for the knives at their waists.
Startled, they wildly looked around and found themselves confronted by Chief Net’ok, the High Counselor Chemmusaayl, Klarm, and Illied.
Illied pointed at the pouch of herbs Qalae was still holding. “See? It’smedicine!”
Net’ok snatched the pouch from the queen’s lax hold. Untying it, he poured the powdery contents into his palm and sniffed them.
His eyes narrowed. “Explain.” The word was like a lash of a whip.
Qalae visibly pulled herself together, the amber tears drying in the wind.
“It is women's business,” she said dismissively. “Are you going to make an issue of it in front of your High Counselor and these two?” She raised an imperious eyebrow at her mate.
“I can explain, Chief!” Illied was on hand. “I knew for a long time something was amiss, and I tried and tried to catch her. This Addie is a medicine woman, and your mate consorts with her!” Illied sounded jubilant, and her eyes, her entire face shone with maniacal pleasure. “Addie put a spell on her, made her as mindless and barren as a babe. These herbs of hers are poison to our women.”
Chief Net’ok looked like he didn’t want to believe Illied, but his own eyes proved her right. His face hardened and he let the powder slide through his fingers and dusted off his hands.
“I’ve seen enough of your treason.” There was resignation in his words, and the look he gave Qalae was anguished. A male betrayed by his love.
Chemmusaayl gestured with his stick, almost catching Addie in the eye. “Klarm!”
“I’m right here.”
“Take this unnatural woman back to the settlement.”
Addie lashed out as Klarm roughly grabbed her, but as expected, her defense was no defense at all, and he easily slung her over his shoulder. Her crossbody sack fell down, spilling the dry clay and more herbs, and Illied hissed as she bent down to pick it up. “See? She’s making more poison! She can make all our women infertile and our men weak! Who knows what she’s been putting in our food?”
The men stared at her with horror, only now realizing that Addie was often responsible for meal preparations.
Chemmusaayl snapped his fingers. “Back to the village!”
Net’ok reached for Qalae, but she leaped out of his reach. “Don’t touch me, warrior! I will walk under my own power.”
He glared at her hotly, jaw clenched tight in anger but didn’t attempt to grab her again.
It was a short walk back, but by the time they reached the settlement, Addie was nauseous from hanging upside down, bouncing on Klarm’s shoulder.
He set her down in the middle of the village, with Qalae joining her shortly.
Women noticed their unusual arrival and came closer to watch. When enough of the spectators had gathered ‘round, and the curiosity level reached a boiling high, Illied propped her hands on her hips.
“This strange woman Addie is a medicine woman!” Illied announced.
Addie heard gasps. In this place, “medicine woman” was akin to a witch. Addie sent a quick thanks to the skies that Planet Zero didn’t have fire.
While the High Counselor conferred with the chief nearby, Illied went on to crow how she was the one who discovered the travesty of Addie feeding poisonous herbs to their queen.
At her words, Chele blanched and faded to the back of the crowd. But Melmie stepped forward. Twin spots of bright red color rode her cheekbones.
“Why were you following them?” Her young voice rang with anger and shame, uncertain at first but stronger as she spoke to her mother. “What business is it of yours? Why do you always meddle, ferret out people’s secrets? Leave them alone and go on with your life, like all normal people!”
Taken aback, Illied gaped at her daughter in disbelief. “Melmie?” It was like Illied no longer recognized this confident and very angry young woman who was stealing her thunder.
“You spoil everything. You ruin people’s lives for some perceived gain.What’s wrong with you?”
