Page 100 - Folio Only

He did not survive the night. His sobs gave way to heavy breathing as
she put him to bed. His breathing became lighter and lighter and then
eventually ceased. But his eyes, at the end, were clear, white, and filled with
love and gratitude toward his daughter. Gemma felt that she had saved him
rather than lost him. She wept. But there was among her tears a joy as well,
for she had set him free.

Her life without her father was difficult. He had sold all their belongings,
and she then was forced to work as a laundress for a local priory, to scrabble
out a life of great poverty and loneliness.

The crucible of N’ariq sat in a cupboard on a high shelf, out of reach,
unopened. She promised herself every day that tomorrow she would take it
down and smash it, or pour its contents out into the dirt. But tomorrow
turned into the next day and into the next. She often told herself she wasn't
sure why she kept the crucible, but the truth be told, she did know. She was
curious. Her father had spoken of wisdom and knowledge which the N’ariq
revealed to the drinker. Secret knowledge. Forbidden knowledge denied to
every woman in the land. Gemma knew that she was keeping hold of that
crucible because one day she just might take a sip of it. Just one sip...she
would then instantly smash the crucible before being tempted to keep it for a
second sip. No, thought Gemma, I saw what the N’ariq did to my father. I
heard some of the “wisdom” it taught him. Gibberish! I won't take the first sip.
I'll destroy it tomorrow. No, she said, I'll destroy it tonight! I'll destroy it...now.

She slid a chair to the cupboard, stood on it and pulled down the
crucible with the long long neck. Just drop it from here, Gemma said to herself.
Just drop it and it will shatter.

She stood on the chair, still, for several minutes. She knew why she was
hesitating.

More moments went by,

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