Free Terra Nova: An Anthology of Contemporary Spanish Science Fiction by Mariano Villarreal Page B

go around me and even less that you
can do it and not suffer the consequences. No one, absolutely no
one, can take justice into her own hands. No one. I dictated the
sentence and it was carried out. Kesha had no right to decide if it
was enough. And this goes for all of you. Be clear on
that.”
    Qjem paused. No woman
broke the silence. The ritual of sacrifice had turned very solemn.
For a long time, no man had dedicated such passion to an execution
speech. Without a doubt, Kesha would be remembered for more than
one cycle —not only for being the queen who had lasted for more
than three cycles (no fewer than nine) but because she had gravely
injured a man’s pride, and he seemed to be truly lamenting having
to apply justice.
    Charni felt a knot in her
throat growing and pressing on her chest. Maybe a Ksatrya woman
should not feel pride, but at that moment, without a doubt, she
felt special for being Kesha’s daughter, and she felt that her
mother was even prouder. She was the best of all the women
there.
    She recalled how her mother had made sure
everything was in order at home, as if it were just another day,
then said goodbye to her youngest daughter just the same as she
would have done in any other situation. Then, accompanied by
Charni, she had gone to where Chaid Khasat was being treated to
stop the bleeding between his legs and treat his wound. Once she
was sure no man was nearby, she asked the assistants to hold him
while she cut his throat so he would not shout, sunk the knife into
his stomach to weaken him, and finally, sliced open his belly so
his entrails would spill out and there would be no possible way to
save his life.
    Then, very calmly, she asked the other women
to beat her savagely so men would think no one had helped her and
Khasat had tried to defend himself. Then she ordered them to leave,
and after saying goodbye to Charni, she asked her to go to Qjem and
report her crime. No hint of doubt could be cast on her daughter.
No one would be punished except herself. As a queen, this was her
duty. Although she might be tortured or beaten, she would name no
one except herself.
    Kesha had to be
responsible for what had happened to Jano. She had tried to make a
man be sensible, but not forcefully enough, and Jano had paid for
it, as had others before the matter had been finished. In the end,
Kesha’s plan had failed and if she had not done something drastic,
in time more women would have been hurt. Unacceptable.
    Charni clenched her fists. The only thing
that had gone wrong was that she had not been fast enough. When she
had reached Qjem, Latha had already told him everything, of course
putting all the responsibility on Kesha.
    It was more than textured that Lain would
not let a bother like Chaid Khasat get away with it when she had
her coronation so close at hand, so she had to let Kesha execute
her plan to its end. But if in some way she could manage to break
the weak link of confidence that had developed between Charni and
the leader of the men in this world after the initiation ritual,
all the better.
    Still, what Latha’s mother
did not know was the elderly man’s desire to protect Charni now
that she was going to be left without a mother because of
him.
    And in some way, Charni was aware of it. She
had perceived this particular fondness, like that of a mother,
several alarms earlier when Qjem had asked her if he could touch
her belly and feel the life inside it. Perhaps neither of them had
maintained the same contact as they had for the ritual, but the tie
between them had not weakened at all, as she well knew. Oh, yes.
And she would make sure, starting that very day, that it would be
made even stronger.
    Charni heard a grunt. Probably Qjem had
grabbed her mother by the hair to bare her throat.
    “ Your last words, Kesha?”
the old man asked.
    Her mother began to weep.
    Ah … the language of tears. Every one of the
women present would be applauding that final act. The high point
was next.
    “ I’m