Maia, sitting up on the grass and looking down at her ankle, saw, just above the heel, a glistening, liver-colored strip some three or four inches long and not quite as thick as a rat's tail. As it compressed and then extended itself with an oozing, undulant motion, she realized with horrified disgust that it was alive. And now that she could see it, she could also feel that it had pierced her skin and was sucking. Overcome with nausea, she was about to pluck at it when Luma caught her wrist.
"No, saiyett, no!"
"Let me go!" She struggled, retching and crying. She could now feel at least two more of the loathsome creatures on her legs and body. Why were the girls preventing her from pulling them off? It must be some horrible, crazy superstition: they were sacred; or else she, as a stranger, had to give them blood-something like that. She screamed, struggling in hysterical frenzy. Four girls were holding her down now, one to each arm and leg.
An older woman, swarthy, with discolored teeth, was bending over her, trying to speak. From sheer breathless-ness Maia became silent and listened.
The woman's look was direct and down-to-earth, but at least there was nothing contemptuous or unkind in it. She
did not think her a fool for not knowing. Blinking back her tears, Maia did her best to pull herself together.
"You mean I got to go back to the village 'fore they can be took off?"
The woman nodded. "It's not much, really, long's you let them alone. But if you'd stayed out in that deep water, you'd have had thirty or forty-they're like flies. Then you'd have been real bad."
"How was I to know she didn't know?" Luma was indignant. "Even the children know about akrebah!"
Maia, determined to do what she could to recover the respect of these girls-one or two of whom clearly thought her either a born fool or else a spoiled lady too fine to blow her own nose-walked back to the huts uncomplaining and trying her best not to hurry. Clearly, she was just beginning to scratch the surface of Suba, a country where one had to beware of water, the natural blessing and plaything of mankind. No doubt she had more to discover. The air, of course (which she was drawing into her lungs), was tainted: that was common knowledge. How about the earth? It was difficult to see how fire could be, but perhaps burns turned putrid here.
As the woman had said, the removal of the leeches turned out to be a matter of no great difficulty. At the first hut they came to, behind which a fire was burning in an iron basket, matters were explained to the woman and her husband (who was eating his supper). The man, with a few perfunctory words of sympathy, broke off his meal and disappeared, Maia stripped yet again and the goodwife, taking a glowing twig, went to work so quickly and deftly that she felt almost nothing. About to dress again, she became aware that her hostess, who had slipped indoors, had brought something in a clay bowl which she was now offering to her.
"What is it?" she asked rather shrinkingly.
They all laughed. "Where's she from, then?" asked the woman. But on being told "Bekla," she said "Well, if they're all as pretty as she is, p'raps Bekla may be good for something after all. You haven't got no akrebah then, in Bekla?" she asked Maia.
"Dunno as we have," replied Maia, smiling. "Maybe you could spare us a few, could you?"
They laughed again, more kindly this time. Maia felt bold to ask once more what was in the jar.
"It's what we put on bites and that," said Luma. "To clean the place, like."
The woman dipped two fingers into the sharp-scented unguent, but then seemed restrained by a kind of doubt about actually touching Maia's naked body.
"Shagreh?" she asked rather hesitantly.
Maia nodded. "Shagreh."
A minute later she was dressed, the husband had come back and she was thanking them both, again silently regretting that she had nothing to give. However, they did not seem to expect anything. Everyone appeared pleased and clearly felt that the business of helping the poor, ignorant stranger had been adroitly handled.
Returning to her hut in the dusk, she and Luma were met by the old woman who, having greeted Maia palm to forehead, told her that Anda-Nokomis and Lenkrit had already left for Melvda-Rain.
"He couldn't wait, but said to give you his blessing, saiyett, and U-Nasada will go with you tomorrow."
