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.These apparently involved a variety of rituals and invocations, followed by a yarimaimalorepresentative of the year in question guiding the members of u-Liall to the chosen new member.Harjeedian was quiteready to speculate regarding who this would be, but Derian couldn't make himself care.He suspected that Harjeedian cared less than he seemed, but lectured on about past successions to keep fromexpressing what he and Derian were both worried about to the point of distraction.Rahniseeta was not doing well at all.She had not come around until a day after Questioner's death.When she hadlearned what had happened she had sunk into such a deep depression that even Healer the wolf was obviously worriedabout her.The mind could have a powerful influence on the body's ability to heal, but as long as Rahniseeta did not tryto heal, complications from her injury that she otherwise would have easily thrown off would continue to plague her."Rahniseeta blames herself," Harjeedian explained pedantically, "not just for what happened to Questioner, but foreverything.She says none of it the deaths of the northerners, the collapse of the tower, Sky and Questioner's deaths would have happened if she hadn't meddled."Derian nodded.He'd sat his share of vigils alongside Rahniseeta's sickbed, had heard what she murmured in theperiods between drugged sleep and dazed waking."And Rahniseeta doesn't see how events might have turned out worse if she hadn't gotten involved?" Derian asked,knowing the answer already."No one has been able to convince her so," Harjeedian said."Perhaps if the jaguar Truth was able and ifRahniseeta would believe a translator Truth might convince her, but Rahniseeta knows Truth is gone again intomadness, and blames herself for that as well.""How can she?" Derian said, mostly to himself, but Harjeedian chose to answer."Rahniseeta feels that if she had not been captured, the yarimaimalom would probably have subdued the northernerslong before they reached the towers.""And how would they would have managed this without anyone getting hurt?" Derian asked."That isn't the point," Harjeedian said."Rahniseeta has convinced herself this would be so and although Hope hasexplained that the yarimaimalom would likely have suffered grave injuries and many deaths in such a battle,Rahniseeta will not permit herself to be convinced."Derian shook his head, but deep down inside he understood."Have you had a chance to tell Rahniseeta she'll probably keep her arm?" he asked hopefully.Harjeedian nodded."But the news didn't do much to help her state of mind.All Rahniseeta said was that she'd havebeen glad to lose the arm if one of the others could have been saved.""Who's with her now?" Derian asked."Powerful Tenderness," Harjeedian replied."I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you wanted to take over.I'm going tocheck the tinctures I have brewing in the maimalodalum's stillroom.Rahni's getting some feeling back in her arm, andshe's going to be in a lot of pain."Derian nodded.He'd done his share of sitting with the wounded, and it had always seemed rather cruel that therewere times when pain must accompany healing."I'll let Rahniseeta know where you are," he said.After Powerful Tenderness had lumbered away, Derian sat watching Rahniseeta sleep.His hands movedautomatically, shelling a large basket of beans intended as part of the evening meal. Outside he could hear the buzzing of insects complaining about the heat.An occasional raven called, and in themiddle distance, Elwyn's odd, flat voice droned happily as he sang.He'd been assigned to carrying stones to build acottage for himself and Wiatt.Wiatt was also at work, but unlike Elwyn, he didn't sing.Otherwise, the area was quiet.One never would have guessed a thriving community lived here.Most of theyarimaimalom slept through the heat of the day.The maimalodalum seemed to have adapted to their wild cousins'habits.Only humans, dependent on the sun for light, paid tithe in sweat."I wanted to be something other than Harjeedian's sister," Rahniseeta said, speaking as if they were in the middle ofa conversation.Derian started and dropped an unshelled pod into the pot between his feet.Rahniseeta gave a thin smile as heducked to pull it out."I seem to bring disaster whenever I open my mouth," she said."Don't say that," Derian replied."It's just a bean pod."Rahniseeta's smile faded."Are all the rest just bean pods?""No, but I think you're taking too much on yourself.You didn't make Waln and the others sail here.You didn't takeup watch in a tower you knew was unstable.You didn't make all those choices.Might as well blame the storm that firstshipwrecked the Explorer as yourself.""But if I hadn't run up there," Rahniseeta said, her tone torn between anger and pleading, "Shelby and the restwouldn't have followed me.""They would have gone up there anyhow," Derian said, "once Firekeeper and the yarimaimalom let them know theywere trapped
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