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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..324efb9 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #60655 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60655) diff --git a/old/60655-h.zip b/old/60655-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index dbdf7c4..0000000 --- a/old/60655-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60655-h/60655-h.htm b/old/60655-h/60655-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index babad53..0000000 --- a/old/60655-h/60655-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,918 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=us-ascii" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Star of Rebirth, by Bernard Wall. - </title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.right {text-align: right;} - -.caption {font-weight: bold;} - -/* Images */ -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -div.titlepage { - text-align: center; - page-break-before: always; - page-break-after: always; -} - -div.titlepage p { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; - font-weight: bold; - line-height: 1.5; - margin-top: 3em; -} - -.ph1 { text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; } -.ph1 { font-size: large; margin: .83em auto; } - - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Star of Rebirth, by Bernard Wall - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Star of Rebirth - -Author: Bernard Wall - -Release Date: November 9, 2019 [EBook #60655] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAR OF REBIRTH *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/cover.jpg" width="344" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>STAR OF REBIRTH</h1> - -<h2>BY BERNARD WALL</h2> - -<p class="ph1"><i>Atanta knew the red star was<br /> -the home of his people after<br /> -death.... And for months now<br /> -it had been growing brighter.</i></p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Worlds of If Science Fiction, February 1959.<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Everyone should have known. They should have known as surely as though -it were written in the curved palm of the wind. They should have known -when they looked up at the empty sky; they should have known when they -looked down at the hungry children. Yet somehow they did not know that -their last migratory hunt was almost over.</p> - -<p>The straggling band had woven its slow trail among the mountains for -forty days of vanishing hopes and shrinking stomachs. Ahead of the main -party, the scouts had crawled until their knees and palms were raw; but -still there was no track of game, and the only scent was that of the -pungent air that rose from the ragged peaks of ice.</p> - -<p>At last they halted, only a few footsteps from The Cave of the Fallen -Sun, the farthest western reach of their frozen domain. In the rear -of the column the women threatened the children into silence and the -scouts went first to the mouth of the cave to look for signs of an -animal having entered. Presently the scouts stood up with their massive -shoulders drooping, turned to the rest and made a hopeless gesture.</p> - -<p>Atanta, who stood alone and motionless between the scouts and the -rest of his band, knew that all were waiting for him to use his -magic to make a great leopard appear in the empty cave. "A <i>very</i> -great leopard," he thought sarcastically. Enough to feed them all -for a hundred days. A leopard so huge it would whine pitifully while -they killed it. A leopard so gigantic that it would not leave its -footprints in the snow. Indeed, Atanta was sure, the leopard his people -wanted would be much too large to fit into the cave. Well, perhaps -there would be a bird.</p> - -<p>He held himself very tall and straight so that his dejection might not -show to either his people or his gods. But after forty days of the -trackless hunt, Atanta felt with certainty that the gods were deaf or -dead ... or at least very far away.</p> - -<p>The sun was hot and the gods were gone, and he would not keep his -people waiting with false hopes. He closed his eyes and took up the -crude bone cross that hung from his waist, and he cursed the gods with -silent venom. And when his chastisement of the delinquent gods was -done, he dropped the cross to dangle at his waist again.</p> - -<p>Two hunters moved stealthily forward, their spears disappearing before -them into the cave. It was somehow pathetic, Atanta felt, the way they -moved so courageously into the empty darkness.</p> - -<p>How many caves had there been, Atanta wondered, since they left the -mouth of the river? Fully a dozen, always empty, except for the -scattered bones of bears and men. Perhaps he should have kept his -people at the river. No, he told himself. He had done the only thing -he could do. The season had been bad and their meager catch of fish -carefully stored. But the already heavy ice thickened with the approach -of winter and made fishing almost impossible. When their supplies were -almost gone, he had done as so many had done before him. He had led his -people on the futile hunt, hoping for the miracle of a dozen sleeping -bears or a great white leopard. Such miracles had happened in the past. -Once he had gone with his father on such a winter hunt.</p> - -<p>But miracles without footprints were quite another matter. That was the -way his people lived: just existing when the catch was good, starving -when it was not.</p> - -<p>Presently the two hunters stepped out of the darkness with the blunt -ends of their spears dragging behind them, and their countenances told -the others that the cave was indeed empty.</p> - -<p>Children began to cry. Women picked up their packs and slung them -across their shoulders. The men mumbled inaudible words that turned -into whisps of smoke in the icy air. At Atanta's signal, everyone -entered the ice-floored cave, thankful at least to be out of the -blinding brightness of the sun and snow, and into the soothing dark -where they could rest.</p> - -<p>Atanta stood while his people stretched their furry bodies out over -the frozen ground. He looked down at his woman who lay before him, -watching him with her black eyes large and warm. It made his stomach -clutch itself into an angry knot, to see her young face so drawn with -exhaustion and hunger. There were lines in her face he had never seen -before; the fur of her head and body had lost its sheen and was now -brittle and dry. She patted the ice and motioned him to lie down beside -her; but he turned his eyes away from her, because he knew that he must -tell the others before he could rest.</p> - -<p>"Listen to me," he said, and his voice rang through the ice-sheeted -cave. The tired eyes of the men and women opened and everyone sat up.</p> - -<p>How should he tell them? They were waiting now. Should he simply say -it swiftly and have done with it? Tell them that they had followed an -impotent god until now they were to die? Surely he should prepare them -somehow. Prepare them for the importance of what he was to say.</p> - -<p>"Listen, for I tell you of the end of the empty caves."</p> - -<p>He stood silent for a moment watching hope filter into their faces, -hope that made their dull eyes shine in the semi-darkness.</p> - -<p>"Do not let joy curl your lips until you have listened, for it would be -a false joy."</p> - -<p>The lines of tiredness and worry returned to the faces about him. -Atanta did not look down at his woman's face, for she knew him very -well and she would know what he had to do.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"We are told of a time long ago, when the cave of man was filled with -food as the night is filled with stars, and the caves and the men -covered the five corners of the world. But these were not the caves -that we know now. They were magic caves, and these were magic men. The -men of that long-ago world created the very mountains into which they -dug their caves. The mountains they created raised their peaks through -the highest clouds, and every mountain held countless caves ... caves -stuffed with bear and fish and captive winter winds. These were magic -times when every man was a priest. Every man could make fire blossom -from nowhere and every man could fly through the air like a bird.</p> - -<p>"All this was long ago when the world was young, and the world was -hot, and our people could live in the heat. But Nuomo the God of Night -became jealous of these magic men, for he had seen them fly into the -night itself in search of the stars. And so Nuomo wrapped his black -wings around the world and shook it for ten tens of days. The world -cracked and burst with flame that sprouted up into the darkened sky. -The people ran in terror and their mountain-caves were sucked down into -the earth or burned into ash by the flame. At the end of the ten tens -of days, Nuomo thought that all were dead and so he rolled a sheet of -ice across the earth to cool it.</p> - -<p>"Only one man was able to escape the wrath of that ancient god. He was -an old man with only little magic and he felt himself on the edge of -death. He look from his body a rib which he fashioned into a son. But -he made the son in such a way that he could live upon the ice itself, -as we do now.</p> - -<p>"The son knew that the old man was about to die, and so he said: -'Father, use your magic to make a woman to keep me from being lonely.'</p> - -<p>"'Woman!' the old man cried. 'I should think you would want me to teach -you the use of magic.'</p> - -<p>"'Yes, father,' the son answered, 'if you can.'</p> - -<p>"'No,' the old man told him. 'I am so near to death there is no time. A -woman will have to do.'</p> - -<p>"And so the old man drew from his chest another rib which he fashioned -into a woman. This being done, he turned to his son and said: 'My son, -the time has come for me to die. Do not mourn for me, for when each -evening comes you will see my home—the red star which travels quickly -in the night. For many ten tens of years, I have been preparing it to -become a suitable place to be born again. When your time comes, you too -will be welcome there.'</p> - -<p>"Thus saying, the old man placed his hands upon the shoulders of his -son. Then he wrapped his cloak about him and rose up into the heavens -to the star of rebirth.</p> - -<p>"Only when the old man had gone to the star of rebirth, did the son -turn to his woman. Only then did he see that she had not been made in -his image, for she was hairless and delicate and not made to live upon -the ice. She was a Hotland woman. But the son, whose name was Dectar, -took his woman whose name was Sontia, shielded her from the icy winds -and comforted her as best he could. Some of their children had hair -and loved the cold; some were weak and hairless and did not. In those -days the hunting was good and the strong sheltered the weak, fed them, -carried them on the long hunts. But Sontia was a jealous woman. Jealous -of her strong husband and their offspring of his kind. She prayed -to Ram, God of the Sun, and begged him to melt the ice. And so the -ice began to melt, leaving the Hotlands a paradise for weak selfish -creatures. Sontia deserted Dectar, taking with her those of their -children who were hairless and weak like herself.</p> - -<p>"When the ice began to melt, we sons of Dectar were forced to hunt -farther northward year by year. The game became not so plentiful as it -had been. Our people learned to fish and hunt as we do now—to fish in -the summer, to hunt when the ice becomes thick.</p> - -<p>"But the jealous sons of Sontia who swarm in the Hotlands were not -content to see us perish year by year. Even to this day, if we should -wander down to the edge of their domain to beg for a few scraps of -food, they would answer our plea with death. And even in death they -would allow us no dignity, but would strip us of our hides and wear -them in mockery.</p> - -<p>"I tell you of this now, because when a man comes on a long hunt which -ends in an empty cave, it is well to remember and be proud of the -successful hunts of other years."</p> - -<p>Atanta took the white bone cross carefully from about his waist.</p> - -<p>"It was I who first saw this god go across the sky." He held up the -cross for all to see. "It went slowly like a bird from horizon to -horizon and I knew that it was not a bird for it did not flap its -wings, but kept them still and outstretched. I believed it to be the -god who would fill our hunting trails with game, but now I know that -this god is impotent. At worst it is a foolish god, lying somewhere on -the white floating ice of heaven, wallowing in idleness while my people -starve."</p> - -<p>He dropped the cross to the smooth ice floor, knelt and smashed the -cross into pieces with one swift blow of his hammerstone.</p> - -<p>When he looked up the people were silent and unmoving. Perhaps he had -been a fool. Perhaps he had told them nothing they didn't know. Perhaps -they had already given up and knew that they would die here in the cave -and that he could produce no magic to help them.</p> - -<p>"Will you take another god?" one of the scouts asked.</p> - -<p>"I see no other god to take."</p> - -<p>"Then do you think we can be delivered without a god?"</p> - -<p>Wasn't it evident? Surely they must know. Should he tell them there was -no deliverance, with or without a god?</p> - -<p>"I don't know," he lied. "I don't know."</p> - -<p>Ark's woman drew a strip of leather from the mouth of a sleeping child -and put it in her own mouth. "Then you'll have to deliver us yourself," -she said and lay down to go to sleep.</p> - -<p>A sudden rage burned in Atanta's brain. The muscles in his square jaw -trembled as he glared at the sprawling furry figures, who would lie -there and die while they waited like children for him to provide for -the future.</p> - -<p>Abruptly he turned and left the cave, and walked out under the yellow -sun that made the ice-covered mountains shimmer. He felt that he must -get away from them. He did not want to die with fools.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The sun blazed hot upon the hair of his head and back as he traveled -rapidly downward and away from his people in the cave. He traveled too -quickly to think of anything else but where his next footstep should -be, and within an hour he was at the edge of a great ice field that -stretched itself out before him like the footprint of a giant. There -could be no more swift traveling now. Cautiously, he started out over -the empty plain, prodding the ice before him with his spear.</p> - -<p>It was not that they were children. He knew that he had been wrong to -judge them so. There was nothing they could do. They had walked their -lives away on the long hunt that ended now without a sign or scent of -prey.</p> - -<p>And he, Atanta, had led them. They were strong and loyal people, too, -for if he ordered them up and back along the trail that they had come, -each man would go without a word and hope that there was some magic -Atanta had yet to use.</p> - -<p>But the animals were gone and the gods were gone, and there was but -one thing left. He would go down below this range where the Hotlanders -were known to be. Probably he would simply die in the sun. If not, the -Hotlanders would kill him on the spot, as they were usually so quick -to do. The Hotlanders had good magic. Not as good as his ancestors', -Atanta was sure. But still, they could kill a man from a great -distance, simply by pointing a magic charm and making a certain noise.</p> - -<p>Perhaps the Hotlanders wouldn't see him and perhaps he would not -die in the sun. Perhaps he would find some game by the edge of the -Hotlands. Perhaps....</p> - -<p>The sun had tucked itself behind a white western peak when Atanta at -last came to the end of the ice field. Tired now, he crouched for a -moment like a bird with his bottom sitting squarely upon his heels. -Presently his tiredness became true exhaustion, so he dug himself a -little space in a shadowed snow bank and then covered himself with a -mound of snow.</p> - -<p>While Atanta slept, a great lost bird came on the last feeble rays of -light, flapping its black wings because there was no wind to glide upon -and there was no footing but the frozen ground. When above Atanta, the -bird caught a slight scent in the air, held its wings stiff and tilted -itself to glide in slow circles that became smaller and smaller and -ever lower until at last the bird's tired feet sank deep into the snow -beside the mound where Atanta lay. The bird folded its wings about -itself and pecked at the mound, its beak digging cautious holes in the -snow. Atanta stirred slightly at this intrusion, and the bird drew its -beak away and flapped its wings against the windless air and flew away.</p> - -<p>When Atanta woke, the night wind had curled itself with a scream about -the mountains and brought with it a fresh snow. He dug himself from his -bed and smiled with his eyes closed at the night that sent the wind and -snow to caress his hair. When he opened his eyes, his face was tilted -upward to the sky, and he smiled at the lonely stars.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" width="182" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>The moon was full and heavy tonight, and it hung low in the western -sky. Atanta wished his woman could be here beside him, nestling close -to him in the soft snow, her delicate hands caressing the hair on his -cheek. He thought of her hands rubbed raw from the straps of the heavy -pack. Perhaps it was better that he had left without saying goodbye.</p> - -<p>He felt rested enough to go on, and was about to hoist himself to his -feet when the red star caught his attention. For months now it had been -growing brighter with every night that passed, as if heralding some -important event. This was the red star of rebirth, and he wished he -could believe that he and his people would someday go to live there; -but he no longer believed in anything.</p> - -<p>It was then that Atanta saw the god. It was a great and fearful god -that turned the black night yellow and screamed louder than the wind. -In an instant it fell out of the sky; then the yellow light was gone -and the voice of the god was gone, and the dark night returned and the -voice of the wind returned.</p> - -<p>Atanta fell to his knees and his trembling hand etched out the sign of -the cross in the snow. Surely this must be a sign. The god had come out -of the sky and fallen in the path before him—forbidding him to go into -the lowlands. He knew he must pray and ask forgiveness but for many -moments he was too frightened to pray, and when the fear subsided, he -was too proud. Why should he pray to a god who would let his people -starve? He raised his eyes, and saw the very head of the god peering up -above the next rise.</p> - -<p>He stood up with a semblance of dignity on his unsteady legs. When -the god did not move from behind the rise for many minutes, Atanta's -courage overbalanced his fear and he kicked the snow with his foot and -obliterated the sign of the cross. He waited for the god to strike him -dead, but nothing happened. The head of the god was motionless.</p> - -<p>Atanta set out with cautious steps. Presently he hid behind a little -ice dune where he could see the god in its awesome entirety. Now he -was close enough to hurl his spear at it if the god suddenly struck in -anger; and he gripped the spear in readiness. Suddenly he was filled -with a new awe, for he realized that this was not the god of the cross! -There were no stiff wings at its side. It was like a huge shining spear -with its dull end stuck in the snow and its point stretching up to the -sky. But how could this be a god?</p> - -<p>Perhaps he should not yet pray. Time had shown there were many false -gods.</p> - -<p>Presently a black mouth appeared magically in the side of the great -still thing. The mouth sucked in the icy air for a moment and then -extended a long jagged tongue down to the fresh snow.</p> - -<p>Atanta saw something move in the blackness of the gaping mouth and then -a figure stepped out onto the tongue and looked about at the falling -snow and the white jagged mountains in the darkness. It was the figure -of a man. At least it was in a man's shape, but it did not look like -a man of the mountains nor did it look like the man-creatures of the -Hotlands. It walked slowly and laboriously down the tongue, and it -seemed to be made of the same shiny stuff as the tongue and the flying -wingless god itself. For a moment, Atanta wondered which was the god. -The great huge thing with the mouth and the tongue, or the man-thing?</p> - -<p>The stranger stepped off the tongue into the snow where he knelt and -scooped up the snow in his arms, tossed it into the wind which hurled -it to the ground again. Then he stood and clutched his head. For a -moment Atanta thought he had taken his own head off, but then he could -tell that he had taken a covering off his head which he tossed into the -snow. Then it seemed that the man had been entirely covered, like the -men of the Hotlands who wore furs.</p> - -<p>Presently the man had taken off all his covering, and stretched his -furry arms up to feel the sweetness of the wind. Atanta leaped up, -shouting his surprise. For this was a true man.</p> - -<p>For a moment the man was startled and then his face filled with joy. -Showing his empty palms, he began to walk slowly toward Atanta.</p> - -<p>Atanta moved to meet him, the dark fur of his shoulders glistening -in the moonlight. He spoke, but the man did not understand. Then -he pointed up to the sky, then to the man, and tilted his head -questioningly.</p> - -<p>The man smiled and nodded his head. He pointed to the sky, but not -straight up. He pointed to a spot low in the west.</p> - -<p>He pointed to the star of rebirth.</p> - -<p>While Atanta watched in unbelieving awe, the man touched his own chest, -then stooped to lay his palms on the snow at his feet. Then he pointed -once more to the red star and made a rapid upward gesture. Then he -laid his closed hands beside his head and pretended to be asleep. His -fingers opened and closed, again and again. "Many sleeps," said Atanta, -understanding. "Tens of ten sleeps."</p> - -<p>Smiling, the man straightened and made a rapid downward gesture, ending -with his palms again on the snow. Then he stepped forward, placing one -hand on his chest, the other on Atanta's.</p> - -<p>The two furry men stood as tall and straight as their dignity could -make them, and their faces were bright with joy. Then Atanta took the -hammerstone out of the binding about his waist, and tossed it into the -snow.</p> - -<p>The man nodded. Stepping back, he lifted his hand in an arc across the -sky, and offered Atanta the stars.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Star of Rebirth, by Bernard Wall - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAR OF REBIRTH *** - -***** This file should be named 60655-h.htm or 60655-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/6/5/60655/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Star of Rebirth - -Author: Bernard Wall - -Release Date: November 9, 2019 [EBook #60655] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAR OF REBIRTH *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - STAR OF REBIRTH - - BY BERNARD WALL - - _Atanta knew the red star was - the home of his people after - death.... And for months now - it had been growing brighter._ - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Worlds of If Science Fiction, February 1959. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -Everyone should have known. They should have known as surely as though -it were written in the curved palm of the wind. They should have known -when they looked up at the empty sky; they should have known when they -looked down at the hungry children. Yet somehow they did not know that -their last migratory hunt was almost over. - -The straggling band had woven its slow trail among the mountains for -forty days of vanishing hopes and shrinking stomachs. Ahead of the main -party, the scouts had crawled until their knees and palms were raw; but -still there was no track of game, and the only scent was that of the -pungent air that rose from the ragged peaks of ice. - -At last they halted, only a few footsteps from The Cave of the Fallen -Sun, the farthest western reach of their frozen domain. In the rear -of the column the women threatened the children into silence and the -scouts went first to the mouth of the cave to look for signs of an -animal having entered. Presently the scouts stood up with their massive -shoulders drooping, turned to the rest and made a hopeless gesture. - -Atanta, who stood alone and motionless between the scouts and the -rest of his band, knew that all were waiting for him to use his -magic to make a great leopard appear in the empty cave. "A _very_ -great leopard," he thought sarcastically. Enough to feed them all -for a hundred days. A leopard so huge it would whine pitifully while -they killed it. A leopard so gigantic that it would not leave its -footprints in the snow. Indeed, Atanta was sure, the leopard his people -wanted would be much too large to fit into the cave. Well, perhaps -there would be a bird. - -He held himself very tall and straight so that his dejection might not -show to either his people or his gods. But after forty days of the -trackless hunt, Atanta felt with certainty that the gods were deaf or -dead ... or at least very far away. - -The sun was hot and the gods were gone, and he would not keep his -people waiting with false hopes. He closed his eyes and took up the -crude bone cross that hung from his waist, and he cursed the gods with -silent venom. And when his chastisement of the delinquent gods was -done, he dropped the cross to dangle at his waist again. - -Two hunters moved stealthily forward, their spears disappearing before -them into the cave. It was somehow pathetic, Atanta felt, the way they -moved so courageously into the empty darkness. - -How many caves had there been, Atanta wondered, since they left the -mouth of the river? Fully a dozen, always empty, except for the -scattered bones of bears and men. Perhaps he should have kept his -people at the river. No, he told himself. He had done the only thing -he could do. The season had been bad and their meager catch of fish -carefully stored. But the already heavy ice thickened with the approach -of winter and made fishing almost impossible. When their supplies were -almost gone, he had done as so many had done before him. He had led his -people on the futile hunt, hoping for the miracle of a dozen sleeping -bears or a great white leopard. Such miracles had happened in the past. -Once he had gone with his father on such a winter hunt. - -But miracles without footprints were quite another matter. That was the -way his people lived: just existing when the catch was good, starving -when it was not. - -Presently the two hunters stepped out of the darkness with the blunt -ends of their spears dragging behind them, and their countenances told -the others that the cave was indeed empty. - -Children began to cry. Women picked up their packs and slung them -across their shoulders. The men mumbled inaudible words that turned -into whisps of smoke in the icy air. At Atanta's signal, everyone -entered the ice-floored cave, thankful at least to be out of the -blinding brightness of the sun and snow, and into the soothing dark -where they could rest. - -Atanta stood while his people stretched their furry bodies out over -the frozen ground. He looked down at his woman who lay before him, -watching him with her black eyes large and warm. It made his stomach -clutch itself into an angry knot, to see her young face so drawn with -exhaustion and hunger. There were lines in her face he had never seen -before; the fur of her head and body had lost its sheen and was now -brittle and dry. She patted the ice and motioned him to lie down beside -her; but he turned his eyes away from her, because he knew that he must -tell the others before he could rest. - -"Listen to me," he said, and his voice rang through the ice-sheeted -cave. The tired eyes of the men and women opened and everyone sat up. - -How should he tell them? They were waiting now. Should he simply say -it swiftly and have done with it? Tell them that they had followed an -impotent god until now they were to die? Surely he should prepare them -somehow. Prepare them for the importance of what he was to say. - -"Listen, for I tell you of the end of the empty caves." - -He stood silent for a moment watching hope filter into their faces, -hope that made their dull eyes shine in the semi-darkness. - -"Do not let joy curl your lips until you have listened, for it would be -a false joy." - -The lines of tiredness and worry returned to the faces about him. -Atanta did not look down at his woman's face, for she knew him very -well and she would know what he had to do. - - * * * * * - -"We are told of a time long ago, when the cave of man was filled with -food as the night is filled with stars, and the caves and the men -covered the five corners of the world. But these were not the caves -that we know now. They were magic caves, and these were magic men. The -men of that long-ago world created the very mountains into which they -dug their caves. The mountains they created raised their peaks through -the highest clouds, and every mountain held countless caves ... caves -stuffed with bear and fish and captive winter winds. These were magic -times when every man was a priest. Every man could make fire blossom -from nowhere and every man could fly through the air like a bird. - -"All this was long ago when the world was young, and the world was -hot, and our people could live in the heat. But Nuomo the God of Night -became jealous of these magic men, for he had seen them fly into the -night itself in search of the stars. And so Nuomo wrapped his black -wings around the world and shook it for ten tens of days. The world -cracked and burst with flame that sprouted up into the darkened sky. -The people ran in terror and their mountain-caves were sucked down into -the earth or burned into ash by the flame. At the end of the ten tens -of days, Nuomo thought that all were dead and so he rolled a sheet of -ice across the earth to cool it. - -"Only one man was able to escape the wrath of that ancient god. He was -an old man with only little magic and he felt himself on the edge of -death. He look from his body a rib which he fashioned into a son. But -he made the son in such a way that he could live upon the ice itself, -as we do now. - -"The son knew that the old man was about to die, and so he said: -'Father, use your magic to make a woman to keep me from being lonely.' - -"'Woman!' the old man cried. 'I should think you would want me to teach -you the use of magic.' - -"'Yes, father,' the son answered, 'if you can.' - -"'No,' the old man told him. 'I am so near to death there is no time. A -woman will have to do.' - -"And so the old man drew from his chest another rib which he fashioned -into a woman. This being done, he turned to his son and said: 'My son, -the time has come for me to die. Do not mourn for me, for when each -evening comes you will see my home--the red star which travels quickly -in the night. For many ten tens of years, I have been preparing it to -become a suitable place to be born again. When your time comes, you too -will be welcome there.' - -"Thus saying, the old man placed his hands upon the shoulders of his -son. Then he wrapped his cloak about him and rose up into the heavens -to the star of rebirth. - -"Only when the old man had gone to the star of rebirth, did the son -turn to his woman. Only then did he see that she had not been made in -his image, for she was hairless and delicate and not made to live upon -the ice. She was a Hotland woman. But the son, whose name was Dectar, -took his woman whose name was Sontia, shielded her from the icy winds -and comforted her as best he could. Some of their children had hair -and loved the cold; some were weak and hairless and did not. In those -days the hunting was good and the strong sheltered the weak, fed them, -carried them on the long hunts. But Sontia was a jealous woman. Jealous -of her strong husband and their offspring of his kind. She prayed -to Ram, God of the Sun, and begged him to melt the ice. And so the -ice began to melt, leaving the Hotlands a paradise for weak selfish -creatures. Sontia deserted Dectar, taking with her those of their -children who were hairless and weak like herself. - -"When the ice began to melt, we sons of Dectar were forced to hunt -farther northward year by year. The game became not so plentiful as it -had been. Our people learned to fish and hunt as we do now--to fish in -the summer, to hunt when the ice becomes thick. - -"But the jealous sons of Sontia who swarm in the Hotlands were not -content to see us perish year by year. Even to this day, if we should -wander down to the edge of their domain to beg for a few scraps of -food, they would answer our plea with death. And even in death they -would allow us no dignity, but would strip us of our hides and wear -them in mockery. - -"I tell you of this now, because when a man comes on a long hunt which -ends in an empty cave, it is well to remember and be proud of the -successful hunts of other years." - -Atanta took the white bone cross carefully from about his waist. - -"It was I who first saw this god go across the sky." He held up the -cross for all to see. "It went slowly like a bird from horizon to -horizon and I knew that it was not a bird for it did not flap its -wings, but kept them still and outstretched. I believed it to be the -god who would fill our hunting trails with game, but now I know that -this god is impotent. At worst it is a foolish god, lying somewhere on -the white floating ice of heaven, wallowing in idleness while my people -starve." - -He dropped the cross to the smooth ice floor, knelt and smashed the -cross into pieces with one swift blow of his hammerstone. - -When he looked up the people were silent and unmoving. Perhaps he had -been a fool. Perhaps he had told them nothing they didn't know. Perhaps -they had already given up and knew that they would die here in the cave -and that he could produce no magic to help them. - -"Will you take another god?" one of the scouts asked. - -"I see no other god to take." - -"Then do you think we can be delivered without a god?" - -Wasn't it evident? Surely they must know. Should he tell them there was -no deliverance, with or without a god? - -"I don't know," he lied. "I don't know." - -Ark's woman drew a strip of leather from the mouth of a sleeping child -and put it in her own mouth. "Then you'll have to deliver us yourself," -she said and lay down to go to sleep. - -A sudden rage burned in Atanta's brain. The muscles in his square jaw -trembled as he glared at the sprawling furry figures, who would lie -there and die while they waited like children for him to provide for -the future. - -Abruptly he turned and left the cave, and walked out under the yellow -sun that made the ice-covered mountains shimmer. He felt that he must -get away from them. He did not want to die with fools. - - * * * * * - -The sun blazed hot upon the hair of his head and back as he traveled -rapidly downward and away from his people in the cave. He traveled too -quickly to think of anything else but where his next footstep should -be, and within an hour he was at the edge of a great ice field that -stretched itself out before him like the footprint of a giant. There -could be no more swift traveling now. Cautiously, he started out over -the empty plain, prodding the ice before him with his spear. - -It was not that they were children. He knew that he had been wrong to -judge them so. There was nothing they could do. They had walked their -lives away on the long hunt that ended now without a sign or scent of -prey. - -And he, Atanta, had led them. They were strong and loyal people, too, -for if he ordered them up and back along the trail that they had come, -each man would go without a word and hope that there was some magic -Atanta had yet to use. - -But the animals were gone and the gods were gone, and there was but -one thing left. He would go down below this range where the Hotlanders -were known to be. Probably he would simply die in the sun. If not, the -Hotlanders would kill him on the spot, as they were usually so quick -to do. The Hotlanders had good magic. Not as good as his ancestors', -Atanta was sure. But still, they could kill a man from a great -distance, simply by pointing a magic charm and making a certain noise. - -Perhaps the Hotlanders wouldn't see him and perhaps he would not -die in the sun. Perhaps he would find some game by the edge of the -Hotlands. Perhaps.... - -The sun had tucked itself behind a white western peak when Atanta at -last came to the end of the ice field. Tired now, he crouched for a -moment like a bird with his bottom sitting squarely upon his heels. -Presently his tiredness became true exhaustion, so he dug himself a -little space in a shadowed snow bank and then covered himself with a -mound of snow. - -While Atanta slept, a great lost bird came on the last feeble rays of -light, flapping its black wings because there was no wind to glide upon -and there was no footing but the frozen ground. When above Atanta, the -bird caught a slight scent in the air, held its wings stiff and tilted -itself to glide in slow circles that became smaller and smaller and -ever lower until at last the bird's tired feet sank deep into the snow -beside the mound where Atanta lay. The bird folded its wings about -itself and pecked at the mound, its beak digging cautious holes in the -snow. Atanta stirred slightly at this intrusion, and the bird drew its -beak away and flapped its wings against the windless air and flew away. - -When Atanta woke, the night wind had curled itself with a scream about -the mountains and brought with it a fresh snow. He dug himself from his -bed and smiled with his eyes closed at the night that sent the wind and -snow to caress his hair. When he opened his eyes, his face was tilted -upward to the sky, and he smiled at the lonely stars. - -The moon was full and heavy tonight, and it hung low in the western -sky. Atanta wished his woman could be here beside him, nestling close -to him in the soft snow, her delicate hands caressing the hair on his -cheek. He thought of her hands rubbed raw from the straps of the heavy -pack. Perhaps it was better that he had left without saying goodbye. - -He felt rested enough to go on, and was about to hoist himself to his -feet when the red star caught his attention. For months now it had been -growing brighter with every night that passed, as if heralding some -important event. This was the red star of rebirth, and he wished he -could believe that he and his people would someday go to live there; -but he no longer believed in anything. - -It was then that Atanta saw the god. It was a great and fearful god -that turned the black night yellow and screamed louder than the wind. -In an instant it fell out of the sky; then the yellow light was gone -and the voice of the god was gone, and the dark night returned and the -voice of the wind returned. - -Atanta fell to his knees and his trembling hand etched out the sign of -the cross in the snow. Surely this must be a sign. The god had come out -of the sky and fallen in the path before him--forbidding him to go into -the lowlands. He knew he must pray and ask forgiveness but for many -moments he was too frightened to pray, and when the fear subsided, he -was too proud. Why should he pray to a god who would let his people -starve? He raised his eyes, and saw the very head of the god peering up -above the next rise. - -He stood up with a semblance of dignity on his unsteady legs. When -the god did not move from behind the rise for many minutes, Atanta's -courage overbalanced his fear and he kicked the snow with his foot and -obliterated the sign of the cross. He waited for the god to strike him -dead, but nothing happened. The head of the god was motionless. - -Atanta set out with cautious steps. Presently he hid behind a little -ice dune where he could see the god in its awesome entirety. Now he -was close enough to hurl his spear at it if the god suddenly struck in -anger; and he gripped the spear in readiness. Suddenly he was filled -with a new awe, for he realized that this was not the god of the cross! -There were no stiff wings at its side. It was like a huge shining spear -with its dull end stuck in the snow and its point stretching up to the -sky. But how could this be a god? - -Perhaps he should not yet pray. Time had shown there were many false -gods. - -Presently a black mouth appeared magically in the side of the great -still thing. The mouth sucked in the icy air for a moment and then -extended a long jagged tongue down to the fresh snow. - -Atanta saw something move in the blackness of the gaping mouth and then -a figure stepped out onto the tongue and looked about at the falling -snow and the white jagged mountains in the darkness. It was the figure -of a man. At least it was in a man's shape, but it did not look like -a man of the mountains nor did it look like the man-creatures of the -Hotlands. It walked slowly and laboriously down the tongue, and it -seemed to be made of the same shiny stuff as the tongue and the flying -wingless god itself. For a moment, Atanta wondered which was the god. -The great huge thing with the mouth and the tongue, or the man-thing? - -The stranger stepped off the tongue into the snow where he knelt and -scooped up the snow in his arms, tossed it into the wind which hurled -it to the ground again. Then he stood and clutched his head. For a -moment Atanta thought he had taken his own head off, but then he could -tell that he had taken a covering off his head which he tossed into the -snow. Then it seemed that the man had been entirely covered, like the -men of the Hotlands who wore furs. - -Presently the man had taken off all his covering, and stretched his -furry arms up to feel the sweetness of the wind. Atanta leaped up, -shouting his surprise. For this was a true man. - -For a moment the man was startled and then his face filled with joy. -Showing his empty palms, he began to walk slowly toward Atanta. - -Atanta moved to meet him, the dark fur of his shoulders glistening -in the moonlight. He spoke, but the man did not understand. Then -he pointed up to the sky, then to the man, and tilted his head -questioningly. - -The man smiled and nodded his head. He pointed to the sky, but not -straight up. He pointed to a spot low in the west. - -He pointed to the star of rebirth. - -While Atanta watched in unbelieving awe, the man touched his own chest, -then stooped to lay his palms on the snow at his feet. Then he pointed -once more to the red star and made a rapid upward gesture. Then he -laid his closed hands beside his head and pretended to be asleep. His -fingers opened and closed, again and again. "Many sleeps," said Atanta, -understanding. "Tens of ten sleeps." - -Smiling, the man straightened and made a rapid downward gesture, ending -with his palms again on the snow. Then he stepped forward, placing one -hand on his chest, the other on Atanta's. - -The two furry men stood as tall and straight as their dignity could -make them, and their faces were bright with joy. Then Atanta took the -hammerstone out of the binding about his waist, and tossed it into the -snow. - -The man nodded. Stepping back, he lifted his hand in an arc across the -sky, and offered Atanta the stars. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Star of Rebirth, by Bernard Wall - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAR OF REBIRTH *** - -***** This file should be named 60655.txt or 60655.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/6/5/60655/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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