But before Tahn-té the Po-Ahtun-ho she crouched, and sobs shook her, and her hair covered her face as a veil.
“If it is of the clan, Yahn, it is to the governor you should speak:––” said Tahn-té––“from him it may come to me if he thinks best. There are rules we must not break. Because I carried you, when little, on my shoulder, is no reason to walk past the door of the governor and bring his duties to me.”
He spoke kindly, for his heart was kind towards the little fighter of boyhood’s days. Her alien blood was ever prompting her to reckless daring beyond the customs of Te-hua maidens. In a different way, he himself was an alien and it helped him to understand her. But this day he saw another Yahn––one he had not known could hide under the reckless exterior.
She tossed back her hair and faced him.
“How should I speak with Phen-tza the governor––he is the uncle of Ka-yemo! It is he who has helped do this thing––he would make me a slave or have me whipped! How should I speak with him? Ka-yemo knows that the governor his uncle, will––”
“Ka-yemo! What has Ka-yemo done? What trouble does he make?”
“Oh––no trouble!” her words were bitter words,––“Only the governor his uncle, has talked with the family of Tsa-fah and the marriage is made with his 60 daughter Koh-pé of the beads, and you––know, Tahn-té––you know!”
Tahn-té did know, he regarded her in silence.
“Speak!”––she pleaded. “You are more than governor––you are the Highest! Magic is yours to make and to unmake. Unmake this thing! With your magic send him back to me––to me!”
“Magic is not for that:––it is for Those Above!”