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Venus, v. 1, issue 1, June 1944
Page 18
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-18- listening for it again. Then he shrugged and laughed. "There will be something, There always is! That is so that men may not grow soft, and forget what it is to come home to a woman. Smile, Hedi. Our sons will king it in that place But Hedi did not smile. She saw Atla quarter the wind like an eager hound, and there was a chill foy mist before her eyes. It was noon before the galley slid to rest in a forest-circled harbor, and the boats put out to score the first human marks on virgin land. Atla sucked in the air, heavy with warm, green earth scents, shouting and laughing with the men in the other boats. Only Hedi was silent, holding a great silken banner with a flaming sun worked in gold threads on the blue. The waves showed shallow water, Atla leaped impatiently overboard, Caught Hedi in his arms and splashed ahead of the boats, wetting his scarlet kilt and his curicass of shells and golden links, his black mane flocked with foam. He set Hedi gently on dry sand and stood back. "Now," he said and dropped to one knee. Men came splashing from the boats as Hedi raised the banner, and Atla's voice rang out clear and solemn to them. "In the name of RAMU, Lord of the Empire of the Sun. I claim this land for the Children of the Sun!" A deep-voiced shout went up from the men. That meant that soon their women would come, and there would be new cities built in the wilderness. Then they broke, boisterously to make camp against the night, and the weeks of exploration to come. Atla rose slowly, turned toward the righ, brooding forest that hid the flat interior --all lands were flat in those ages before the mountains were born -- and filled his great chest with the fecund air. A strange fascination came to him with the breeze, as that he could not take his eyes away. So intense was he that he started when Hedi spoke beside him. "You are drawn to the forest, Atla." Unaccountably, her calm statement irritated him. "What would you have?" he demanded curtly, "Are you so used to finding now continents that you don't bother to look at them?" "It's more that that." Hedi's eyes were wide, unseeing, staring past him at the cryptic trees, "The forest calls, and you will answer. Someone waits there. I see fires and strange shadows on the grass, and..." She brought her hands tightly to her breast."And danger...danger!" Atla shivered and swore. "You northerners give a man the terrors. I tell you, Hedi, it's only that... would you have me turn my back upon my kingdom?" he finished in lame defiance. Hedi's eyes met his, and he dropped his head and growled. His brain felt as though he had set all night drinking wine, and the sun was setting the fumes afire. Hedi was right, and yet.... "You are a priest as well as a prince," Hedi was saying "After the fashion of your tribe. You are not priestly, but your faith is strong. Stronger even than that is your love for me. These are your sword and shield. But the One in the forest has mighty weapons, and the Veil is drawn before the ending." She reached up and kissed his lips, in a way Alta had never known before, a way that was even strange; than her words. "With this kiss, I give my soul to you, Atla, for as long as you need it. It will strengthen yours." Atla saw her face, pale and set, like a thing of snow. Then, hardly knowing that he did so, but turned and strode toward the
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-18- listening for it again. Then he shrugged and laughed. "There will be something, There always is! That is so that men may not grow soft, and forget what it is to come home to a woman. Smile, Hedi. Our sons will king it in that place But Hedi did not smile. She saw Atla quarter the wind like an eager hound, and there was a chill foy mist before her eyes. It was noon before the galley slid to rest in a forest-circled harbor, and the boats put out to score the first human marks on virgin land. Atla sucked in the air, heavy with warm, green earth scents, shouting and laughing with the men in the other boats. Only Hedi was silent, holding a great silken banner with a flaming sun worked in gold threads on the blue. The waves showed shallow water, Atla leaped impatiently overboard, Caught Hedi in his arms and splashed ahead of the boats, wetting his scarlet kilt and his curicass of shells and golden links, his black mane flocked with foam. He set Hedi gently on dry sand and stood back. "Now," he said and dropped to one knee. Men came splashing from the boats as Hedi raised the banner, and Atla's voice rang out clear and solemn to them. "In the name of RAMU, Lord of the Empire of the Sun. I claim this land for the Children of the Sun!" A deep-voiced shout went up from the men. That meant that soon their women would come, and there would be new cities built in the wilderness. Then they broke, boisterously to make camp against the night, and the weeks of exploration to come. Atla rose slowly, turned toward the righ, brooding forest that hid the flat interior --all lands were flat in those ages before the mountains were born -- and filled his great chest with the fecund air. A strange fascination came to him with the breeze, as that he could not take his eyes away. So intense was he that he started when Hedi spoke beside him. "You are drawn to the forest, Atla." Unaccountably, her calm statement irritated him. "What would you have?" he demanded curtly, "Are you so used to finding now continents that you don't bother to look at them?" "It's more that that." Hedi's eyes were wide, unseeing, staring past him at the cryptic trees, "The forest calls, and you will answer. Someone waits there. I see fires and strange shadows on the grass, and..." She brought her hands tightly to her breast."And danger...danger!" Atla shivered and swore. "You northerners give a man the terrors. I tell you, Hedi, it's only that... would you have me turn my back upon my kingdom?" he finished in lame defiance. Hedi's eyes met his, and he dropped his head and growled. His brain felt as though he had set all night drinking wine, and the sun was setting the fumes afire. Hedi was right, and yet.... "You are a priest as well as a prince," Hedi was saying "After the fashion of your tribe. You are not priestly, but your faith is strong. Stronger even than that is your love for me. These are your sword and shield. But the One in the forest has mighty weapons, and the Veil is drawn before the ending." She reached up and kissed his lips, in a way Alta had never known before, a way that was even strange; than her words. "With this kiss, I give my soul to you, Atla, for as long as you need it. It will strengthen yours." Atla saw her face, pale and set, like a thing of snow. Then, hardly knowing that he did so, but turned and strode toward the
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