ICE BURIAL: The Oldest Human Murder Mystery (The Mother People Series Book 3) by Joan Dahr Lambert Read Free Book Online Page A

right, and she had known even then that she would never agree.
    And then the Great Spirit had come to her, as if it had known her thoughts and wished to punish her for them. An image of the terrifying creature, whose densely furred body was larger than that of any man and whose face and claws were those of a beast, came into her mind . She shuddered with fear - not so much from the memory as from the dreadful suspicion that had come to her that night. Just before a potion that had been forced down her throat had taken effect, the visage staring down at her had seemed to slip away. Behind it she thought she had glimpsed a face - the face of a man. And when she had awakened many hours later there was soreness inside her. Though she had not mated before, she was certain that what the Great Spirit had done to her was what any man did to make a child. Rofina had sworn it was not so, but Mara could find no other explanation for the infant she soon discovered was growing inside her.
    She had left as soon as her belly began to swell , determined not to let her baby be sacrificed as Rofina’s had. Even if her action meant that some disaster would befall the tribe, she was glad she had acted as she did . She wished now that she had managed to persuade Rofina to do the same. Perhaps then her sister would not be as she was today.
    Mara watched her mother bend down to retrieve the statue of the Goddess, which they kept hidden in a hole in the dirt floor. Runor looked so old, so sad and frail . Once, she had stood tall and proud , now she always looked afraid. It was Korg she feared , Mara knew ; what she did not know was why her mother ’s fear was so strong, strong enough to turn her into a shadow of her former self . All the people in the tribe were afraid of Korg, but her mother ’ s fear was stronger , and that was very strange. Runor had never been afraid of any man before.
    Korg had much to answer for, Mara thought bitterly, but until Runor was ready to tell her the cause of her fear she could not stop his persecution. All she could do was offer comfort, and perhaps hope.
    She went to her mother and hugged her. “ It will not always be like this, ” she said, surprised at the conviction in her voice. “ That I promise. One day, you will be wise one again. ”
    She turned away then, suddenly ashamed. “ Before, I did not understand, ” she said quietly. “ I did not believe. I thought... I thought... ”
    “ You thought I was just an old woman imagining the Goddess, ” Runor retorted, but there was humor in her voice.
    Mara smiled. The smile faded quickly as a form flitted past the door of the hut. Had someone been listening?
    Runor saw it too. “ We must not speak aloud of the Goddess, ” she said in a forceful but almost soundless whisper. “ We know already what is in each other ’ s minds. From now on, we will speak of Her only with our eyes and our hearts. For you are right. One day soon, change will come. I can feel it gathering around us. We will wait, and keep our silence. ”
    Mara nodded , believing her . S miling, s he formed her arms into a cradle and swung them back and forth. And when that time comes, she was saying, I will hold my child again.

 
    CHAPTER FOUR
    Mara ’s baby stretched out his plump arms. Mara-Sun, they had decided to call him, so they would not forget his origins. His mouth opened in a wide yawn, and Zena saw the first tooth pricking through his pink gums. That must be why he had been irritable lately. Normally, Mara-Sun was placid and happy.
    He began to whimper. Zena picked him up and carried him back to the clearing, where one of the nursing women could feed him. All of them adored Mara-Sun; his flashing grin was irresistible, as were his big blue eyes and the thatch of pale hair that stuck straight up all over his head. She wondered again what had happened to Mara . During the win t er she had been unable to look for her , but now that the snows were gone perhaps she could start