The Elementals Read Online Free Page B

honesty.
    â€œDid she now? Ah. Well then.” Ladra seemed satisfied.
    He thinks Kesair will give herself to him, Fintan thought darkly.
    When Byth returned to the hut and was told of Fintan’s plan another problem arose. Byth was insulted at the suggestion that he take fewer women than the other men.
    â€œBut you’re always complaining about your age and your infirmities,” Ladra reminded him. “You even call yourself Grandfather!”
    â€œAnd so I am, which is just my point. Before my wife died I sired
seven children on the dear woman, all of whom grew up to have more children. They went out on their own long ago, but let me assure you I am patriarch of a large brood of extremely healthy …” A shadow crossed his face. “At least, they were healthy. Strong, intelligent. Exactly the sort of people we need. I can give the colony many more like them. Divide the women equally and I can take care of mine, never fear.”
    Later, Fintan said privately to Ladra, “How many women are going to want to go with an old man?”
    â€œThat will be Kesair’s problem, won’t it?”
    Kesair. As he lay wrapped in his blankets that night, listening to Byth snore like pebbles rattled in a bucket, and Ladra toss restlessly in his own bed, Fintan thought of Kesair and brooded on the choices she might make.
    The perpetually moist air of the land they had found lay lightly on his skin; permeated his lungs; surrounded and contained him. A damp, penetrating cold seeped into his bones.
    Fintan pulled his blankets more tightly around his shoulders. He was uneasy.
    He did not sleep well.

3
    When he emerged from the hut in the morning, the rain had passed and a radiant autumn sunshine was gilding Kesair’s face as she came toward him. She was returning from a dawn visit to the
seashore, a strange habit she had adopted. Beckoning her aside, Fintan told her of his discussion with the other men, and Ladra’s suggestion.
    â€œSo Ladra thought of that, did he?” She smiled, which irritated Fintan. “Good for him. Of course I’ll divide the women among you. They will see the necessity for it; I’ll talk to them and explain. Some of them may not like it, however. It’s a pity we don’t have a better choice of men.”
    Fintan bristled. “What do you mean by that?”
    â€œI mean, I assume I shall have to select one of the three of you for myself, and it’s not a particularly appealing thought.”
    There! she thought. See how you like that!
    Fintan bit back an angry response. The thought briefly crossed his mind that Kesair might prefer women, but he discarded the idea. There was something in the back of her eyes that told him otherwise, he was sure of it.
    Perhaps she just was not interested in sex. But he did not believe that either.
    When Kesair talked to the other women, she got mixed responses. Some were plainly horrified. “It sounds like dividing a herd of cows among three bulls,” Leel complained.
    â€œI don’t see what else there is to do,” Kesair said flatly. “There aren’t enough men to go around, and we have to think of the future. If this island has enough resources to allow us to survive, we must start planning for the next generation here.”
    â€œI refuse to be a breeding animal!”
    â€œThat’s your prerogative, no one’s going to force you. You’ll simply be left out.” Kesair folded her arms, waiting.
    Left out. Leel hesitated, considering the ramifications. Kesair had chosen the phrase deliberately, and it carried weight. In a more subdued tone, Leel said, “Can’t we at least choose our men?”
    â€œIf we tried, there would surely be quarrels and resentment. And the distribution would probably be uneven. No, I think it’s better we make an unemotional assignment and abide by it. We can do that, I know we can,” she added with a confidence she did not