Nomvula

44. Monster

The surest way to get mauled by a lion is to roar back, the Inner Plainers said. The surest way to survive is the same. Call the lion, and let the brave and the unfortunate sort themselves out.

To her surprise, and perhaps to his, Ndoda backed away. He had enough grace to walk out with his back straight and his temper bayed, but he still nearly tore the door off its hinges with how forcefully he shut it. Asanda made a point of not exhaling too hard.

Khaya was still staring at the door. "Would you be surprised if I told you that he's mellowed?"

"Don't goad him, Khaya."

"Ndoda would never lay a hand on either of us."

No, but he's broken a man's leg for lesser insults. "Go make sure he doesn't do anything brash."

"Again."

Asanda stared at him. 

"You know, you and Ndoda were never fun to begin with, but now you're both actively ruining my mood." He was much gentler in opening the door. "You want me to bring you breakfast? Khulu made shortrib this morning."

Asanda rubbed the cold spot in her temple. "I'll be fine. What time is Dumani's trial?"

"After lunch. Ma probably wants the elders fed before she presents her case, just to remind them who grows their food and who's currently threatening it."

He's picking up on her tricks too quickly. "Ndoda. Brash. Go."

Finally alone -- or as alone as she could be with the Diviner and Lifa sleeping sedated on the other side of the room -- Asanda cleared her desk. She stored what raw ingredients could be stored, burned what couldn't in a fumeless burner for later disposal, and scrubbed her chopping board clean with drinking spirits. As she knelt by the basin in the corner, she examined the Wayfarer clay she had smeared her hands with and frowned. 

"You have an idea." Anket's tone was almost accusatory.

"I heard you working on something last night."

"Ah, yes. I don't mean to sound rude in saying it but your mother's cage."

"And?"

"It's an atrocious idea."

Asanda got to scrubbing her hands. "It's necessary."

"I didn't say inhumane -- we agree on that part. But a cage is impractical. What if the spirit overtook your mother and she didn't have the control to drag herself to a pool of milkwater? No, we'd need something portable."

"Portable means small and light." Asanda pulled a wooden pin from the window sill above the basin, scraped the clay out of her nails, and tossed the pin into the burner. "Small and light means weaker, even with premium material at our disposal."

Anket's smile was far too self-satisfactory. "Come with me."

Asanda followed her tutor up to the rooftop garden. The midmorning sun had burned the dew off most of her plants, except those she kept in permenant shade. The usual fist-sized birds poked their heads through the wire mesh, hoping to get at the berries she used for distilling botanical spirits. One half-empty bottle stood proudly in the middle of the work table and next to it...

Anket hooked his fingers through the two interlocking gold rings on the table. "When the Sunspear overtakes your mother, she seems to come across some considerable strength."

"Lore dictates that the Sunspear gains the strength of half a man with each generation." Although at this point they were past lore or theory. "Ma's possessed by the twenty-third incarnation."