Read Timegods' World for Free Online

steamer’s drain valve, then began coiling the hose. My hands were getting numb again, from the chill and the water I had spilled on them. Even inside the locker I could see the steam from my breath.
    “How are we going to have hot cider?” I asked. “There’s no power and no sunlight.”
    “There’s a small etheline burner in the kitchen. Mother insisted on it, and it does come in handy.” Allyson was wiping her hands on the towel by the pump handle.
    Straight black hair, but twisted up at her neck, dark blue eyes, and a warm smile—Allyson was nice-looking, and I enjoyed being around her, but more as if she were an older sister. She was just so much taller, and older, in so many ways, than I was.
    “Do you really know what’s going on at your house?”
    “No. It could be like two years ago, when that oil merchant was caught cheating on his revenue payments and threatened to have us all boiled in flynyx oil. We had some soldiers then.”
    Allyson touched my shoulder. I jumped.
    “Sorry. You looked upset.”
    “I am. My mother left for Inequital this morning, and she was worried. Very worried, and she’s never worried.”
    “What does she do? Nobody knows, for all the years you Olons have lived here. That house was, what, your grandfather’s?”
    “Right. It was Grandfather’s, but I never met him.”
    Allyson motioned toward the locker door. She was wearing some kind of scent, like flowers, and it smelled good on her. “The cider should be ready, and you could use some. What about your mother, though?”
    That was another thing I liked about Allyson. She didn’t play the verbal games so many girls did. Not with me, at least. She just said what she had in mind.
    “I really don’t know. She travels a lot, and she’s published some monographs. She doesn’t talk about it.” Even in the courtyard between the locker and the main house it was cold. I stopped and let Allyson handle the door latch. It was her door, and she was wearing gloves. I’d left mine at home.
    The courtyard was cold, but because the Davniadses had left more of the woods around their place, the wind was less. Except for the drive, you would scarcely have known a house was there.
    “You don’t know what your own mother does?”
    “I’ve asked. She’s never answered, and when she doesn’t want to answer, she doesn’t. Period. Besides, you know that.”
    Allyson shook her head, as she made sure the latch was secure. “I know, but I was hoping …”
    We walked quickly up the dozen steps to the rear door that led to the kitchen. The warmth of the house felt good, but I wondered how long the stored energy would last. That was the problem with solar heat, especially when it was cloudy for days on end. Thank Verlyt that Bremarlyn had lots of sun.
    “Allyson? Sammis? The cider is set up in the side room, and there’s a fire in the grate. I’m resting up here, but I’ll be down later.”
    So we hung up our cloaks in the back closet, and I followed Allyson up to the side room, where I found the explanation for at least some of the warmth. The Davniadses had a small wood-burning stove grate instead of a solar storage drum or a fireplace. A small table was set with two cups and two plates. In the center was a serving platter with cheeses,
three or four crumb rolls, and several slices of chyst, in addition to the wedge set by one cup.
    “Wood-burning?”
    “Father insisted on some room that could be heated during storms if we lost the electric power link. There’s one upstairs as well. Mother is probably having her cider there.”
    I took the chair by the chyst cider, and Allyson sat down across from me. For the first time in hours, my ears felt comfortable. I unbuttoned the collar of my tunic, sipping the warm cider slowly and realizing just how cold it had been outside.
    “That’s snow.” Her voice was softer. Her hands cradled the cup as she looked out through the double glass of the two wide windows.
    Outside, the snow drove