“KEZI, WE HAVE NO holy text.”
Without turning, I know his eyes are pleading. How can a god be pleading with me? How can I know a god so well?
“We’re not everywhere and everything. My knowledge is different from yours, but no greater. I’m a clumsy dancer. I don’t know how to make rugs. If the ground were smoother, I would kneel to you.”
I shake my head so hard, it hurts.
“I should kneel. It takes more courage to be a mortal than it takes to be a god.”
“Olus”—I use all my own courage to ask this—“god of the winds, have you ever killed any mortals?”
“No! And none have been sacrificed to me. We don’t allow it.”
“Olus, god of the winds, have you punished any mortals?”
“Elon.”
I hear the satisfaction in his voice. My fear lessens—a little.
“But Elon suffered no more than a scraped knee and a bump on his head. Oh! Once I punished a merchant by stealing his spices.”
Not a terrible punishment. “Why, Olus, god of the winds?”
“First his camel kicked me, and then he kicked me. Elon kicked me, too. Remember? People seem to like to kick me.”
I can’t help smiling.
“I wish you would kick me instead of being afraid of me.”
I turn around.
He turns too and presents his rump. “Kick me.”
“Oh, Olus.” I’m laughing, and I forget to call him god of the winds. “I can’t kick you.” He’s become Olus the masma again to me, even though I know he’s a god. “I don’t want to kick you.”
He faces me. When I meet his gaze, at first I see worry in his eyes. Then his whole face smiles, as if I were the god and I had stopped being angry at him. He holds out his right hand. I hesitate. Should I?
I take his hand and raise it above my head. Dip, step, dip, step. Low kick. I come in close for a kiss. He smells of the waterfall.
He kisses me again. And again.
We pull apart a little but remain so close, our breaths mingle.
“Love, do you still believe in Admat?”
“How can I tell?”
He brushes ash from the neckline of my tunic. “Must you be sacrificed?”
Must I? “If I’m not, Admat—if he exists—will punish me and Pado and Mati and my children and grandchildren.” He may even be able to punish Olus.
“Worse than death?” He adds quickly, “I know there are worse punishments.”
And many ways to die more painful than by a priest’s knife. “My family still believes.” I walk to the edge of the volcano. My twenty-seventh day is ending. I can barely see the lava steam below.
If I’m sacrificed after I become immortal, will I endanger Pado or Mati? Becoming a goddess has nothing to do with them. Pado will have fulfilled his oath. “I can live only if I’m immortal.”
Olus sounds sad. “Don’t you want to be immortal?”
“To save my life, yes. To live forever . . . I can’t imagine how that would be.”
“Neither can I.”
I turn my back on the volcano. “But you know how it is for the other gods.”
“A few have put themselves to endless sleep, but not the rest.” He comes and tugs me gently away from the edge. “You might step off without realizing. My winds can’t go into the volcano.”
He’s such a loving person . . . masma . . . god!
“Olus, I’d rather live a human life—worship a god, have a husband and children and grandchildren, knot many rugs, and die.”
“I might, too. Er . . . I don’t mean have a husband or knot a rug.”
We laugh.
I say, “I’m not a heroine, so—”
“You are! I’m not a champion.”
“You are, or neither of us is. What must we do?”
“The god of wisdom will know. I’ll go to Enshi Rock and ask him.”
I have to stay here alone!
“Don’t worry. We’ll descend to the lower slopes. You can wait for me there.”
“Olus . . .” I’m frightened again. How did he know I didn’t want to be here by myself? “Can you read minds or hear my thoughts?”
“No.” He drops his arm and steps away from me. “You did this.” He hitches up his shoulders. “You did it with Elon too. Come.” He holds out his arms to carry me.
“Might I ride a wind on my own?”
Oh! I’m in the air! I’m sliding—very fast. My legs are higher than my head. I wave my arms, trying to right myself. Next to me Olus is laughing! His wind raises my back and head. I’m still sliding but sitting up. Amazing!
We zoom down the mountain, a few feet from the ground. The tree line is rushing at us. We’ll crash!
My wind lifts me, and his does the same. We’re inches above the trees. I reach down. My wind slows while I run my hand through leaves. Then the wind gains speed again.
A few minutes later we are received by the soft Akkan grass on a stream bank.
“This is better. Can you stay here?”
I nod. Olus gives me the rest of the cheese.
A breeze brushes across my arms. “I smell roses! And cheese.”
“My stalwart wind loves roses. If there’s danger, it will carry you to safety.”
“Hurry back.”
“I’ll return as soon as I see Ursag. If I have to undergo a trial, I’ll tell you.” He kisses me. Then one of his winds takes him. He rises, facing me, peering down until his head disappears into a cloud. It swallows the rest of him, but I continue to look up, hoping the cloud will float away. After a few minutes it does. I see a black speck, then only blue.