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frowned. Then he seemed to keep himself from smiling. "My son, that light was
seen by many. Today the elders of a dozen villages of most of the Tribe have
come to the Temple Village. Everyone has seen something different in the sky
flash, and I am now going to pray in a cave, because of it."
The priest remounted, but when he had looked at Duncan again, he waited to
say: "Still, I was not one of those chosen to see the sky-gods' sign; and you
were. It may be a sign for you as well as for others, so do not be
disappointed if it is not only for you. Be faithful in your duties, and the
sign will come." He turned the donkey away.
Feeling small, Duncan walked slowly back to his flock. How could he have
thought that a light seen over half the world was meant for one shepherd? Now
his sign was gone, but his wolf remained.
In the afternoon, another figure came into sight, walking straight across the
valley toward the flock from the direction of Colleen's village. Duncan
tightened the belt on his woolen tunic, and combed grass from his hair with
his fingers. He felt his chin, and wished his beard would really begin to
grow.
He was sure the visitor was Colleen when she was still half a mile away. He
kept his movements calm and made himself appear to first notice her when she
came in sight on a hilltop within hailing distance. The wind moved her brown
hair and her garments.
"Hello, Colleen."
"Hello, Duncan the Herdsman. My father sent me to ask about his sheep."
He ran an anxious eye over the flock, picking out individuals. Praise be to
gods of land and sky. "Your father's sheep are well."
She walked closer to him. "Here are some cakes. The other sheep are not well?"
Ah, she was beautiful. But no mere herdsman would ever have her.
"Last night the wolf killed again." Duncan gestured with empty hands. "I
watch, I light fires. I have a spear and a club, and I rush at him when he
comes, and I drive him away. But sooner or later he comes on the wrong side
of the flock, or a sheep strays."
"Another man should come from the village," she said. "Even a boy would help.
With a big clever wolf, any herdsman may need help."
He nodded, faintly pleased at her implying he was a man. But his troubles
were too big to be soothed away. "Did you see the sky flash, last night?" he
asked, remembering with bitterness his joy when he had thought the sign was
his.
"No, but all the village is talking about it. I will tell them about the
wolf, but probably no man will come to help you for a day or two. They are
all dancing and talking, thinking of nothing but the sky flash." She raised
puzzled eyes beyond Duncan. "Look."
It was the priest, rushing past half a mile from them on his way down-Valley
from the caves, doing his best to make his donkey gallop toward the Temple
Village.
"He may have met your wolf," Colleen suggested.
"He doesn' t look behind him. Maybe in the caves he received an important
sign from the earth-gods."
They talked a while longer, sitting on the grass, while he ate the cakes she
had brought him.
"I must go!" She sprang up. The sun was lowering and neither of them had
realized it.
"Yes, hurry! At night the wolf may be anywhere on the plain."
Watching her hurry away, Duncan felt the wolf in his own blood. Perhaps she
knew it, for she looked back at him strangely from the hilltop. Then she was
gone.
On a hillside, gathering dried brush for the night's watchfires, Duncan
paused for a moment, looking at the sunset.
"Sky-gods, help me," he prayed."And earth-gods, the dark wolf should be under
your dominion. If you will not grant me a sign, at least help me deal with
the wolf." He bent routinely and laid his ear to a rock. Every day he asked
some god for a sign, but never-
He heard a voice. He crouched there, listening to the rock, unable to
believe. Surely it was a waterfall he heard, or running cattle somewhere
near. But no, it was a real voice, booming and shouting in some buried
distance. He could not make out the words, but it was a real god-voice from
under the earth.
He straightened up, tears in his eyes, even the sheep for a moment forgotten.
This wonderful sign was not for half the world, it was for him! And he had
doubted that it would ever come.
To hear what it said was all-important. He bent again and listened. The
muffled voice went on unceasingly, but he could not understand it. He ran a
few steps up the hill, and put his ear against another exposed earth-bone of
rock. Yes, the voice was plainer here; sometimes he could distinguish a word.
"Give," said the voice. Mumble, mumble. "Defend," he thought it said. Even
the words he recognized were spoken in strange accents.
He realized that darkness was falling, and stood up, in fearful indecision.
The sheep were still his responsibility, and he had to light watchfires, he
had to, for the sheep would be slaughtered without them. And at the same time
he had to listen to this voice.
A form moved toward him through the twilight, and he grabbed up his club-then
he realized it was Colleen.
She looked frightened. She whispered: "The sun went down, and I feared the
dark. It was a shorter way back to you than on to the village."
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