Read The Call of Earth: 2 (Homecoming) for Free Online

else,” said Kokor. “Everything else. But you couldn’t even leave me
him.”
    Sevet gurgled. Her eyes stared at Kokor in agony and terror.
    “You won’t die,” said Kokor. “I’m not a murderer. I’m not a
betrayer.”
    But then it occurred to her that Sevet just
might
die. With so much blood in her throat, she might drown in it. And then Kokor would be held responsible for this. “Nobody can blame me,” said Kokor. “Father died tonight, and I came home and found you with my husband, and then you taunted me—no one will blame me. I’m only eighteen, I’m only a
girl.
And it was an accident anyway. I meant to claw out your eyes but I missed, that’s all.”
    Sevet gagged. She vomited on the floor. It smelled awful. This was making such a mess—everything would be stained, and the smell would never, never go. And they
would
blame Kokor for it, if Sevet died. That would be Sevet’s revenge, that the stain of this would never go away. Sevet’s way of getting even, to die and have Kokor called a murderer forever.
    Well, I’ll show you, thought Kokor. I won’t let you die. In fact, I’ll
save your life.
    So it was that when Obring returned with the doctor they found Kokor kneeling over Sevet, breathing into her mouth. Obring pulled her aside to let the doctor get to Sevet. And as Bustiya pushed the tube down into Sevet’s throat, as Sevet’s face became a silent rictus of agony, Obring smelled the blood and vomit and saw how Kokor’s face and gown were stained with both. Hewhispered to her as he held her there, “You do love her. You couldn’t let her die.”
    She clung to him then, weeping.
    “I can’t sleep,” Luet said miserably. “How can I dream if I can’t sleep?”
    “Never mind,” Rasa said. “I know what we have to do. I don’t need the Oversoul to tell us. Smelost has to leave Basilica, because Hushidh is right, I can’t protect him now.”
    “I won’t leave,” said Smelost. “I’ve decided. This is my city, and I’ll face the consequences of what I’ve done.”
    “Do you love Basilica?” said Rasa. “Then don’t give Gaballufix’s people somebody they can pin all the blame on. Don’t give them a chance to put you on trial and use it as an excuse to take command of the guards so that his masked soldiers are the
only
authority in the city.”
    Smelost glared at her a moment, then nodded. “I see,” he said. “For the sake of Basilica, then I’ll go.”
    “Where?” asked Hushidh. “Where can you send him?”
    “To the Gorayni, of course,” said Rasa. “I’ll give you provisions and money enough to make it north to the Gorayni. And a letter, explaining how you saved the man who—the man who killed Gaballufix. They’ll know what that means—they must have spies who told them that Gab was trying to get Basilica to make an alliance with Potokgavan. Maybe Roptat was in contact with them.”
    “Never!” cried Smelost. “Roptat was no traitor!”
    “No, of course he wasn’t,” said Rasa soothingly. “The point is that Gab was their enemy, and that makesyou their friend. It’s the least they can do, to take you in.”
    “How long will I have to stay away?” asked Smelost. “There’s a woman that I love here. I have a son.”
    “Not long,” said Rasa. “With Gab gone, the tumult will soon die down. He was the cause of it, and now we’ll have peace again. May the Oversoul forgive me for saying so, but if Nafai killed him then maybe he did a good thing, for Basilica at least.”
    There was a loud knocking at the door.
    “Already!” said Rasa.
    “They can’t know I’m here,” said Smelost.
    “Shuya, take him to the kitchen and provision him. I’ll stall them at the door as long as I can. Luet, help your sister.”
    But it wasn’t Palwashantu soldiers at the door, or city guards, or any kind of authority at all. Instead it was Vas, Sevet’s husband.
    “I’m sorry to disturb you at this hour.”
    “Me and my whole house,” said Rasa. “I