Reclamation

He raised both hands with the palms turned toward the woman. "I stand in the place of the Nameless Powers and the Servant Garismit and so do I greet you who were named when the Powers walked the world." The words of his native language felt strange, almost unwieldy, against his tongue. "I was named by them Teacher Hand kenu Lord Hand on the Seablade dena Enemy of the Aunorante Sangh. How did they name you, Notouch?"

For a moment she just stared at his unmarked hands. Then, the corner of her mouth twitched.

"So, it's true. You did climb the World's Wall." She used the "level-eye" permutations and, for a minute, Eric wasn't sure if she was insulting him or just talking to herself.

Despite himself, Eric was startled. "Who are 'they', Notouch?"

"Gossipers, Teacher. Heretics. It's been ten years since you vanished and there were all sorts of stories." She spoke directly to him now and still didn't change her speech patterns. Her mouth spread into a knowing grin. "Tell me, are the birth ranks really observed in this place? His people are all bare as children." She jerked her chin toward Basq. "Come to that, so are you."

"What is she saying?" Basq cut in.

"Nothing you'd be interested in yet, Ambassador." Eric lowered his hands. This was not behavior he'd ever seen from a Notouch. They bowed and groveled. They begged to be of use, any use at all. He understood that law and custom that made them behave that way, not natural inclination. Not really. But it had taken him a decade's absence to work that out, and this woman had apparently just been plucked out of the canyons.

"I will decide what interests me, Eric Born." A warning sounded clearly under the ice in Basq's voice.

"You can talk to them?" The Notouch sounded genuinely impressed. "Tell them to give me my namestones back."

"She's asking about her namestones," Eric told Basq.

Basq's forehead drew together around where his eyebrows should have been. "What about them?"

"She wants them back." Eric raised his own eyebrows and gave a small shrug. "I did tell you, Ambassador."

Basq made no reply and Eric turned his attention back to the woman.

"You haven't told me how to call you yet."

"Nameless Powers preserve me." She slid off the chair onto both knees and held her hands in front of her eyes to display her hand marks. "Teacher Hand kenu Lord Hand on the Seablade dena Enemy of the Aunorante Sangh, this despised one is Stone in the Wall dena Aria Born of the Black Wall. She craves your blessing and asks in what way she may serve?"

Without waiting for an answer, she picked herself up off the floor and folded her arms. The sardonic smile slid back into place.

Eric worked to smooth the grimace out of his own features. "She says that she is Stone in the Wall, born…originally…" He searched for a way to translate the primary name into something that would fit in Basq's world. "Star in the Night Sky. A bit grandiose for a Notouch, isn't it?" he added to the woman.

"This despised one begs her Teacher's pardon if that name is discordant." The casual shrug she gave him made a mockery of her subservient language. "It is what the Nameless Powers bestowed upon her."

Frustration and bewilderment vied for dominance inside Eric. Where did they find her?

Never mind, he told himself. I need any help I can get.

"Listen quick, Aria Born of the Black Wall, do you want to stay with these people?"

Her eyes shifted toward Basq. "Not really. But I'm not leaving this place until I've found my stones."

"You idiot Notouch." Eric fought to keep his tone conversational. "We're both pris—"

"Have you explained her status to her?" Basq's shell of patience was clearly beginning to wear thin. "I have an extensive list of questions."

Eric spread his hands. "She's very upset about those stones." He could do a great deal on his own, but another pair of eyes at the right time could make the difference between freedom and recapture. If getting her namestones back would put him on the right side of this superstitious woman, very well then. Besides, the more time he spent on this nonsense, the less time Basq would have to get what he wanted. "I can't swear she'll answer anything until she gets them back. I'll try to make things clearer to her."

Eric faced the Notouch again. "Do you want your namestones back?"

"If it so pleases her Teacher, this despised one does." For a split second, the sarcasm faded.

"All right. For some reason his people"—he swept his hand at Basq in a gesture that was much grander than the language he was using—"want you to answer some questions. No matter what I say after this, you keep your mouth shut until they bring your namestones back, understand?"

The Notouch plunked herself down on the chair. She looked up at him with her lips pressed dramatically together.

Eric spread his hands to Basq again. "She won't talk until she gets her namestones back."

Basq said nothing, but Eric could see anger forming in his normally impassive eyes.