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.Then, singing,she turned back, weary but excited, on the road to her home.By about noon she would be safe inLeluak's embrace, and the feasting and merry-making would begin.Still a mile off, however, she started to sense that something was amiss.Smoke drifted to her on thebreeze, but it lacked the rich scent of baking which she had expected.A little closer, and she wonderedwhy there was no shrill music audible, for no one had ever been able to prevent Fiddler Jarge fromstriking up directly his instrument was tuned, whether or no the bride had come back from the hills.Worst of all, at the Meeting Rock that marked the last bend in the road, the huge granite slab by whichthe groom traditionally took the hand of his bride to lead her into Wantwich, there was no sign of Leluak.She broke into a run, terrified, and rounded the rock.Instantly she saw the furthest outlying house, that ofthe Remban family, which she remembered seeing built when she was a toddler, and almost fainted withthe shock.Its fine clean walls were smeared with a grime of smoke, its gate was broken, and theRembans' finest plough-ox lay bellowing in a pool of blood.And there beyond: the Harring house afire-source of the smoke she'd smelled! Her own home with theshutters ripped off their hinges, the front door battered down with an axe from the kindling-pile! Leluak's,unmarked, but the door ajar, and no one within when she shouted through!Wildly she raced onward to the village green, and there was Jarge's fiddle broken on the ground.Thebeer-barrels set out for the wedding had been drained.Near them was a patch of scorched grass shecould not account for, and all the water of the pond was fouled with the blood of the ducks which dailyhad quacked there.Crouched in her chair, from which for longer than Viola could recall she had watched and grinned at theweddings she had witnessed: the only remaining villager of Wantwich, Granny Anderland, who was infact a great-great-grandmother, toothless and senile."Granny!" shrieked Viola."What happened?"But all that Granny Anderland could do-all that she had ever been able to do since Viola was a baby-was to expose her gums in a silly grin and rock back and forth on her chair.Helpless, Viola screamed Leluak's name till she was hoarse, but after that she collapsed from wearinessand horror, and that was how the traveler found her when he chanced that way.IVHe barely checked his pace as he entered Wantwich, along another road than that which Viola hadfollowed on her return from the five peaks.But his expression grew sterner with every step he took, untilwhen finally he could survey the full measure of the calamity from the canter of the green his brow wasdark as a thundercloud.His footsteps were too soft upon the sward for the weeping girl to hear them through her sobs, and it wasplain that the old woman near her either had been so shocked as to have lost her reason, or was far toosenile to understand the world.Accordingly he addressed the girl first. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlAt the sound of his voice she cringed away, her face wet with tears displaying a mask of terror.But therewas little in the appearance of this small man leaning on a staff to suggest that he could be connected withthe rape of Wantwich.And, for all that he looked angry beyond description, it did not seem that thatanger was directed at her."Who are you, child?" the traveler inquired."My-my name is Viola, sir," the girl forced out."And what has happened here today?""I don't know, I don't know!" Wringing her hands, Viola rose."Why should anyone want to do this tous? Monsters of some kind must have done it-devils!""Well, there are few such creatures left hereabouts," the traveler murmured."More likely it will have beenmen, if one can dignify them with that name.Were you away from the village?""I was to be married today!" Viola choked."I see.Therefore you were walking the five peaks and planting seeds.""You-you're acquainted with our customs, sir?" Viola was regaining control of herself, able to mop awayher blinding tears and look more clearly at the newcomer."Yet I don't remember that I saw you herebefore.""This is not the first time I've been to Wantwich," the traveler said, refraining from any reference to thenumber or date of his earlier visits."But, to pursue the important matter: did this old lady witness whatoccurred?""If she did, she won't be able to describe it," Viola said dully."She has been as you see her for manyyears.She likes to be talked to, nods and sometimes giggles, but beyond that." She gave a hopelessshrug."I see.In that case we must resort to other means to determine what went on.Girl, are you capable ofbeing brave?"She stared at him doubtfully."Sir," she said at length, "if you can do anything to help get back my man,and right the wrong that's been done to these good people, I'll be as brave as you require of me." Herfingers curled over to drive her nails cruelly into her palms."Oh, that something could be done! I've nonotion what-but something must be possible!""As you wish, so be it," said the traveler, and took her hand.He led her across the green, past the patchof grass scorched black-at which she cast a puzzled glance-and to the very rim of the sweetwater pond."Stand firm," he commanded."Do not be afraid of what you see.""I-I don't understand!""Better for you that you should not," the traveler muttered, and thrust his staff into the water.Hedissolved one of the forces bonding the light of which it was composed, and a shaft of brilliance lanced Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmldownward to the bottom."Horimos!" he cried."Horimos!"The girl's eyes grew round with wonder, and then her mouth also, with dismay.For the water heaved andbubbled sluggishly as pitch, and from the plopping explosions a thick voice seemed to take form, utteringwords."Le-e-eave me-e a-a-lo-o-one.""Horimos!" rapped the traveler."Stir yourself-- you've slumbered eons in that soft bed of mud! Shall Iremove you to Kanish-Kulya, make you share the pit of that volcano with Fegrim?"A noise between a grumble and a scream."Yes, he'd be a restless companion for you, wouldn't he?" the traveler rasped."Up! Up! I desire speechwith you!"Beside him Viola had fallen to her knees, all color vanished from her cheeks.Too petrified even to blink,she saw the water in which she had so often bathed rise into tumult-yet absurdly slowly, as though timehad been extended to double length.More bubbles burst, and she could watch their surface part; wavesand ripples crossed the pond so slowly, one would have thought to push them into new directions withoutwetting one's palm.And ultimately."You may prefer to close your eyes now," the traveler said didactically, and added, "Horimos! Speak!And be quick-the sooner you tell me what I want to know, the sooner you may sink back into your ooze.What's become of all the people from this village?""Been taken away," Horimos mumbled.It was not exactly a mouth he used to shape the words-but then,like all elementals, his physical form was somewhat arbitrary."How and by whom?" The traveler rapped the bank impatiently with his staff."Army marched in this morning," Horimos sighed."Went around the village, drove everybody to thegreen-most of them were there already anyhow.Set up a forge there where the grass is blackened,welded fetters for everyone on a chain.Killed some ducks and hens for their dinner, drank the beer in thebarrels, herded the villagers away.Good riddance, say I-never had a moment's peace since you put mehere, what with fiddling and dancing and swimming and skating and all the rest of it!""Whose was the army? What colors did they fly?""Should I know who bears a flag of silver, red and gold?"The traveler clamped his fingers tighter on his staff
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