CHAPTER 18:  UNCERTAINTIES

	After the honeymoon, Jalkort had to return to the mundane reality 
of evening hunting and morning scavenging, but every moment he spent 
with Fabana was made to count.  She would hunt with a group of females 
headed by Amarakh, and most of the males would trot off with Ber.  But 
Jalkort would leave with Gur'mekh and a few chosen males who hung 
together almost as a clan within a clan.
	When Fabana would return, and Jalkort saw her from across the 
field, he would run to her and forgoing words simply press his body 
against hers and nuzzle her.  Her heart would almost rise to her mouth 
and she would paw him, knowing with some pride that new life was 
stirring inside her--life born from love.
	Jalkort often spoke of Gur'mekh, his wonderful psychic gifts, and 
his big plans for the future.  Fabana wanted to meet Gur'mekh, but it 
was more easily said than done.
	Then one day when Jalkort came back from the hunt, he came 
trotting back with a lean, muscular male with a very intense pair of 
eyes that seemed to look right through people's faces and spy on the 
heart.
	"Here he is, Fay!  You wanted to meet Gur'mekh!"
	Jalkort's pride was too clearly evident.  Fabana nosed Gur'mekh's 
cheek.  "Jal speaks of you highly."
	"He speaks highly of you too, Fabana."
	There was something odd about Gur'mekh that disturbed Fabana.  She 
could not quite tell what it was.  Maybe his supposed gifts troubled 
her, but she was not sure.  It would do no good to come out and ask him 
about his activities, so she tried hard to push her doubts to the back 
of her mind.  She was wise enough to know Gur'mekh would pick up any 
strong suspicions whether she voiced them or not.
	"Your husband is indispensable to me," Gur'mekh said.  "I believe 
that our sun is rising, not setting.  That there are great things ahead 
for our race, and that those who have looked down upon us for centuries 
will come to respect us as children of Roh'kash."
	"Is something going to happen?"
	"Something revolutionary?  No.  Something evolutionary, at least 
for now.  I believe that we have wasted the blood of our seers on petty 
concerns.  I think that the psychic gift is a trust given us by Roh'kash 
for the betterment of our people.  I believe that I must work to make 
the clan and someday the race better off than I found it.  That's what I 
will teach my children, and if the gift does run in families, we need to 
encourage our seers not to forgo marriage, but to do as my parents did, 
spreading the gift of Roh'kash until it becomes one with the race, and 
the race is one with it.  A family united in blood and in spirit.  
Wouldn't that be beautiful, Fabana?"
	"Perhaps.  And yet...."
	"And yet?"  He looked her in the eyes with his intense stare.  She 
glanced down.
	"And yet, there is some comfort in privacy.  I mean, don't you 
think things you'd like to keep to yourself?  Like maybe being attracted 
to someone else's mate?"
	Gur'mekh was visibly upset, but quickly covered it.  "Of course 
she doesn't know," he thought to himself.  "Why, Fabana," he said aloud, 
"If we all knew how we felt about each other, I think we'd choose the 
right partners in life.  I mean, when I was growing up, my mom and dad 
would look at me, and I would feel drunk with love.  I wish everyone 
could feel that way, even once in their life."
	"I feel that way when I'm with Jalkort."
	Jalkort kissed her, and the issue was soon smoothed over.  Still 
from then on she distrusted Gur'mekh, and tried to encourage her husband 
to hunt with Ber instead.


CHAPTER 19:  DEMRATH'S FAMILY

	"Among the first of the Hyannicha were the brothers Mal'keth and 
Gol'shekh.  Mal'keth was quiet and thoughtful, while Gol'shekh was loud 
and selfish.  Yet though they were so different, the two brothers were 
seldom apart.
	"Mal'keth fell in love with Baellea.  But Gol'shekh was consumed 
to the bones with jealousy.  And one evening he asked his brother, 
"Share Baellea with me, and whatever I kill you shall eat of first." 
	"But Mal'keth laughed and said, "Whatever you kill, you may eat 
alone.  Whomever I marry, I shall love alone."
	"And Gol'shekh became exceedingly angry and he seized his brother 
by the throat and slew him because he laughed.
	"Before Gol'shekh could hide his brother's body, Baellea saw her 
lover dead.  She rolled upon the ground, crying out to Roh'kash for a 
reckoning.  Gol'shekh was afraid and he killed Baellea.
	"The next morning as Roh'kash was walking through the meadow, she 
saw Gol'shekh and asked him, `Where is your brother Mal'keth?'
	"'He is with Baellea,' Gol'shekh replied.
	"'Indeed he is,' Roh'kash said.  `Their spirits have cried out to 
me for justice.  And so tears shall you drink all the days of your life.  
In grief and darkness shall your spirit languish until the sun is 
quenched and mountains are laid low.  Henceforth your name is not 
Gol'shekh (Bright star) but Melmokh (Dark path).'"

		  		     --FROM THE HYANNICHA URU'GUTH

	Demrath once thought the happiest day in his life was the day he 
married Lenti.  But he changed his mind when the pups were born.  Small 
expressions of the miracle of creation, he looked at them lost in wonder 
and love.
	Tela was a small Lenti, her pushed-in nose and large eyes were 
typical of a pup, but he could tell that she would grow to be like her 
Muti with the fire of Roh'kash shining in her eyes.  Krull and En'geer 
naturally held Demrath's attention, for he knew in the months to come he 
would spoil his twin sons the way his father spoiled him.  "Mighty 
warriors, you make the earth tremble in your wake!"  He laughed softly, 
nuzzling them, then kissing his daughter.  "Look at them, Lenti!  Our 
family!"
	Demrath showed off the pups whenever he could.  Many of his 
friends were veteran parents, having raised several litters.  But the 
pups of the next Roh'mach generated a great deal of interest.  There 
were those out there who could see Tela as the future leader of her 
people.
	Of course, the depth of Demrath's happiness only rubbed salt into 
Gur'mekh's wounds.  "Lenti, I would have given in to your every whim!" 
he said passionately, but only to the back wall of his cave.  "I would 
have made you a goddess and worshipped you night and day!  Now you have 
his pups when you could have had mine--seers, visionaries, destined for 
greatness!"
	After Gur'mekh had his say, he decided he must pay his respects to 
the pups or lose all of the progress he'd made with Lenti.  After all, 
if he was going to be their father someday, they must get to know him.  
Though it rankled him that they were Demrath's pups, he remembered that 
they were also Lenti's children, and he would love them if only for 
that.
	Gur'mekh trotted down to Demrath's den, grumbling about all the 
nice things he'd have to say to him.  But when he arrived, he was 
softspoken and polite.
	"Hello, Demrath!  You old married buck, let's have a look at the 
kids!"
	Lenti said, "See, darling?  I told you."
	Gur'mekh gave him a firm pat on the shoulder, then headed straight 
for the pups.  "Oh look!  Two little Demraths and a Lenti!"  He fairly 
bubbled over with excitement.  "I've never seen newborns before.  Aren't 
they tiny!  Look at those perfect little toes!"
	"They'll grow," Lenti said.  "She's Tela, and these two boys are 
En'geer and Krull."
	Gur'mekh carefully pawed Tela and she looked up.  "Can you see me, 
hon?"  He concentrated, touching her with his paw.  "Yes, you can.  Not 
clearly, but you can."
	"You can tell?" Demrath asked.
	"Oh yes.  I'm a seer."  He smiled pleasantly.  "Tell me, do you 
already have a ma'khim for them?"
	"Well--uh--no."
	"I guess you wouldn't consider me."
	Lenti looked at Demrath and nodded slightly.
	"Uh--sure.  It would be an honor."
	Gur'mekh frowned slightly.  "I know about my bad reputation.  But 
I'll be good.  Better than good.  This evening, I'll hunt up a gazelle 
for old Amarakh to repay the one she thinks I stole.  I'll even patch 
things up with your okhim.  By the way, how is Ber these days?"
	"Fine."  Demrath looked uncomfortable.  He scratched behind an 
ear.  "Don't be offended, but isn't this kind of sudden?  I mean, what 
happened to you?"
	"It's kind of personal."
	"I didn't mean to pry."
	"No, I didn't think you did."  He drew up close and in a low voice 
said, "Actually, there's a certain bak'ret involved.  You know, a chance 
I may be settling down with a wife and pups of my own.  And I don't want 
them to suffer from being associated with me."
	"That's very honest of you.  And very noble."
	"When did this happen?" Lenti asked, pressing Gur'mekh for details 
he was clearly unwilling to volunteer.
	"Last night.  But I have to prove myself worthy of her.  I must 
let nothing stand in my way of my one chance for happiness."
	Demrath smiled.  "Gur'mekh, we'll have to hunt together sometime."
	"I'd really like that.  I hear you're quite good."
	Gur'mekh walked off, pleased as punch.  He kept repeating the 
names of the pups to himself so he wouldn't forget.  "Yes, my children, 
I will give you things that Demrath could never provide for you.  Some 
day a great empire will be yours and many will bow before you who now 
sneer at us."


CHAPTER 19A:  HYANNICHA URU'GUTH

	For the next two weeks, Gur'mekh kept his word to Demrath, 
behaving as well as a priest at high moon.  He did kill an antelope for 
Amarakh, and a couple of hares for good measure.  He even said something 
nice to Ber, who almost fell back on his haunches with surprise.
	He brought a rabbit to seal the relationship as ma'khim to the 
pups, and spent hours playing with them.
	Even his father Gur'bruk noticed the change in him and 
congratulated him on making it through the "rough spots."  That meant 
more to Gur'mekh than he dared admit.  Despite their love for each 
other, their relationship had been strained for months.
	"I hear that you're interested in a bak'ret.  I don't know who, 
and I'm not going to pry, but son I'm proud of you for putting your 
priorities in order.  Roh'kash really knows what's best, and when you 
follow her will, you can't help but be happy."  He took Gur'mekh aside 
where Kambra couldn't hear them.  "Frankly, son, for a while I was 
really worried about you, and so was your mother.  She was having 
nightmares about you getting yourself exiled or killed.  But the last 
week or so, she's slept like a pup.  I love you, son.  I've always loved 
you, but lately I've really felt--well--so proud that I could just 
burst.  Whatever you did, or however things turn out between you and 
your bak'ret, I hope you're going to remember to reach for the stars."
	Gur'mekh nuzzled his father and stroked him with a paw.  "I love 
you, Maleh.  I'm happier than I've ever been before, and things are 
going to all right from now on."
	Gur'mekh gazed in his father's eyes and felt the love there.  He 
determined not to steal food from the Roh'mach or pull pranks on Ber.  
But the one thing he DID plan to do would stand out above all the rest.
	He was much less patient than Shimbekh was with Kambra.  He 
wondered what he could do to gain the upper hand with Demrath.  Enough 
time had passed to change his reputation, and he'd already secured 
custody of the pups if anything happened to Demrath.  And more 
importantly, Lenti did not shrink away from him the way she used to do.
	Now there was a darker side to hyannic lore and magic.  There were 
potions that opened the subject to powers and places beyond the 
experience of the ordinary mortal.
	A real seer would have been taught the hidden knowledge of the 
Hyannicha Uru'guth, the shamanic lore of their people.  Gur'mekh was not 
the type to commit to that sort of lifestyle.  He wanted the abilities, 
but not the responsibilities that went with it.  It was a volatile 
mixture.
	He remembered his experience with Demrath on his wedding night, 
and felt the solution to his problem lay in such a link.  For no one 
would willingly tell him the secret words under pain of death.  
Therefore he went to his mother as she slept and lay close by to her.  
He rolled on his back and murmered, "Lend me your thoughts, mother.  
Lend me your feelings, Mother.  Lend me your eyes and ears, Mother.  Let 
us be one."
	He concentrated and at long last fell into a trance.  Soon he 
found himself in her dream.  
	It was a playful one--she was sparring with her sister Shimbekh.  
For a moment, he felt a little bad about what he planned to do, but he 
promised himself he would make it up to her.  Besides, it was for the 
good of the race.
	"Hi, Muti!"
	"Gur'mekh!"
	Shimbekh took the opportunity to push Kambra to the ground.  
"Thanks, Gur'mekh!"
	"Cheater!" Kambra cried, trying to push off Shimbekh's powerful 
body.  "This is not over!"
	"I'd be careful if I were you," Gur'mekh said.  "I hear there are 
wild dogs out here."
	"Wild dogs?"  Shimbekh let Kambra up.  Kambra dusted herself off, 
the conflict momentarily forgotten.
	"They were coming from that direction.  Oh, look!"
	Gur'mekh concentrated with all his might.  As he said, a pack of 
wild dogs came over the rise.  One stood right in front of Shimbekh and 
said, "You are surrounded.  Give no resistance and we'll be quick and 
merciful."
	The dogs quickly overwhelmed Shimbekh and began to tear away at 
her while she struggled and shrieked.  Gur'mekh ran into the fray, 
managing to kill one of the dogs, but suffering bite after bite.  "Muti, 
help me!  Use the curse!"
	That was when the words came out.  Words that shall not be written 
here or passed on in the lore to avoid the anger of the heavens.
	The spirit of Melmokh overshadowed them powerfully, and she 
commanded him that all the wild dogs be killed.  They shrieked as one by 
one they fell to the ground bleeding from the nose, mouth and ears.
	Gur'mekh knew that he had the key to unlock his great future.  Of 
course the one thing he did NOT do was explore how to control this 
force.  That would haunt him for the rest of his life.
	Gur'mekh stumbled over to Kambra and kissed her.  "I love you, 
Muti!  I will spend the rest of my life showing the world your 
greatness."  He felt a little noble despite his theft.  He withdrew from 
her dream, feeling quite proud of himself.  Jumping up with triumph, he 
ran to his sleeping mother.  But her expression of pain hurt him.  He 
could sense that she was bent over Shimbekh's dead body.  Quickly he 
nuzzled her.
	"Muti!  Wake up!  You were moaning in your sleep!"
	She opened her eyes.  "Oh gods, where is Shimbekh??"
	"She's fine, Muti.  You were just having a bad dream."
	With mixed guilt and love, Gur'mekh nuzzled her as she lay on the 
ground.  "I love you, Muti!  Someday I'm going to make you proud of me."
	"I'm already proud of you."  She smiled wonderfully and 
beautifully, and Gur'mekh's heart melted, lost in the depths of her 
unconditional love.
	Gur'mekh trotted off, floating on a cloud of good feelings, but 
repeating to himself the words of damnation lest he should forget them 
in the hour of need.
	Seers were trained to keep Makei at bay by the words of binding 
and loosing.  Of course, Gur'mekh had not been trained, and he did not 
know to ask for a binding spell.
	First, he caught a rabbit and choked off his wind.
	"Karfas of the Rising Sun, Melgath of the Setting Sun, hide me 
from the jealous eyes of night!  Accept my sacrifice!  A hare without 
blemish, no part of him consumed!"  Then he spoke the words of fell 
significance.
	The dead rabbit stirred, and Gur'mekh jumped.  In a deep voice, 
the hare said, "Who calls?"
	"Gur'mekh, son of Gur'bruk."
	"And why have you disturbed my long sleep?"
	"Because vengeance is more satisfying than sleep!"
	There was a long pause.  Then the rabbit said, "I am Melmokh, the 
great destroyer.  I do not settle petty squabbles.  Make it worth my 
while or you shall regret waking me."
	Gur'mekh, drunk with his power, said triumphantly, "Petty 
squabbles!  I desire the blood of my enemy, and I shall consecrate it to 
you!"
	"And who is your enemy?"
	"Demrath, son of Ber."
	"And you bid me do this of your own free will?"
	"I do."
	There was another quiet moment.  Then in the distance Demrath came 
rushing madly from his cave, yelping and whining.
	Close on his heels was Lenti.  "Demrath!  Oh gods!"  She began to 
run around him in tight little circles.  "Help!  Oh gods!  Somebody help 
us!"
	Demrath crumpled to the ground, blood oozing from his nose, ears, 
and mouth.
	"Demrath!  Don't die!  Oh gods!  Don't die, darling!"
	His trembling paw reached up and touched her cheek, then fell back 
limp.
	"No!!!  Demrath!!!"
	His pups came out and gathered around the body.  She began to 
shriek, and the pups howled pitifully over the body of their beloved 
okhim.
	Gur'mekh watched in horror.  "Did you have to torture him to 
death??  What did you do to him??"
	"What you asked by your own free will," the hare said.  "Taste the 
sweetness of triumph, Gur'mekh.  You're right--vengeance is more 
satisfying than sleep."
	"Yes, but THIS?"
	"Who is next?" the hare asked impatiently.
	"Just Demrath for now.  It would look suspicious if the Roh'mach 
died the same night."
	A deep voice came from the hare that made the fur on Gur'mekh's 
back stand on end.  "I kill packs of wild dogs, prides of lions, whole 
troops of baboons, and you called me to kill one napping hyena??"
	"There will be others, but there is need for stealth here."
	"Stealth?  No one may call me who worries about stealth.  You are 
weak, Gur'mekh son of Gur'bruk.  You called a mighty gale to shake a 
single leaf??"
	Gur'mekh began to tremble.  He lost his concentration and in doing 
so lost what little control he had over the situation.  
	"I said just Demrath for now.  There will be others.  Many 
others."
	"Oh, there WILL be others.  But I will pick the next one, 
understand?"

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