"Jane Yolen - The White Babe" - читать интересную книгу автора (Yolen Jane)

child was hers.

The History:
The women of the mountain warrior clans did not take fostering lightly. Once a child was
chosen by her foster mother, the woman had full charge of the childтАЩs care. A kitchenerтАЩs child
grew up amongst the great pots; took her first steps on the tiled kitchen floor; ate, napped, and
slept out her childhood sicknesses in a special childrenтАЩs nook in the kitchen.
So, too, a child chosen for rearing by one of the warrior/huntresses was carried about in a
special pack wherever her foster mother went. Lowentrout finds evidence of this in the famous
Baryard Tapestries (his essay тАЬPackchildren of the Western Holds,тАЭ Nature and History Vol. 39, is
especially interesting). There is a leathern pack unearthed from the famous gravemound at
Arrundale and preliminary examination leads to speculation that it may be one of the Amazonian
child-carriers. (For more about this dig, see Sigel and SalmonтАЩs video тАЬGraverobbing Among the
Dales.тАЭ) Such burdens did not hamper the women warriors either in battle or on the hunt,
according to Lowentrout, and textual evidence supports his claim. The three scrolls ascribed to
the Great Archive of GтАЩrun Longbow graphically depict the battles in which the mountain clans
took part. One in particular speaks of тАЬthe double heads of the amazonsтАЭ and, in another place,
тАЬthe precious burden carried by (them).тАЭ And most striking, тАЬShe fought, all the ways her breast
to the foe for as not to expose the one at her back.тАЭ Vargo argues that the word тАЬatтАЭ simply
refers to another fighter since fighting back-to-back was a familiar style in swords-battle. She
further states that if a pack-child had been meant, the word тАЬonтАЭ rather than тАЬatтАЭ would have
been used. However, Boyle, whose seminal work on Altalinguistics has just been published, points
out that in the old tongue on/at/upon and by are used interchangeably.

The Story:
тАЬYou will have to name her, you know,тАЭ Marjo said that night, lying on the far side of the bed. The
lantern hanging above them cast shadows on the wall and floor.
Selna looked at the child sleeping between them. She touched the soft cheek with a tentative finger.
тАЬIf I name her, she really is mine forever.тАЭ
тАЬForever is longer than either one of us shall last,тАЭ said Marjo, her finger stroking the childтАЩs other
cheek.
тАЬA child is a kind of immortality,тАЭ Selna murmured. тАЬA link forged. A bond. Even if she is not of my
blood.тАЭ
тАЬShe will be,тАЭ Marjo said. тАЬIf you claim her.тАЭ
тАЬHow can I notтАФnow?тАЭ Selna sat up and Marjo followed suit. тАЬShe looks to me first, whoever holds
her. She trusts me. When I brought her into the kitchen at dinner and everyone wanted to touch her, all
the while her tiny head swiveled around to see me.тАЭ
тАЬYou are being sentimental,тАЭ said Marjo with a laugh. тАЬNewborns cannot swivel their heads. They
cannot even see.тАЭ
тАЬShe can. Jenna can.тАЭ
тАЬSoтАФyou have already named her,тАЭ Marjo said. тАЬAnd without waiting for my approval.тАЭ
тАЬYou are my sister, not my keeper,тАЭ Selna answered testily. At the sharpness in her voice, the child
stirred between them. Selna smiled a lopsided apology. тАЬBesides,тАЭ she said, тАЬJenna is just her baby
name. I want to name her Jo-an-enna in full.тАЭ
тАЬJo for lover, an for white, enna for tree. That makes sense for she was found in a tree and her
hairтАФwhat there is of itтАФis white. I presume that Jo is because you love her, though I wonder at how
quickly such a thing came about. You usually do not love so quickly. It is usually your hatred that is
quickly aroused.тАЭ
тАЬDo not be an idiot. Jo is for you, Marjo,тАЭ Selna said, тАЬand well you know it.тАЭ She reached out to
touch her companion across the child.