he was the only one of them all that spoke of her people and his own and the Gaal all as men.
“Why is it that you don’t speak mindspeech to the Gaal? Tell them to—to go. As you told me on the beach to run to the Stack. As your herdsman told the hann…”
“Men aren’t hann,” he said; and it occurred to her that he was the only one of them all that spoke of her people and his own and the Gaal all as men.
“The old one—Pasfal—she listened to the Gaal, when the big army was starting on south.”
“Yes. People with the gift and the training can listen in, even at a distance, without the other mind’s knowing it. That’s a bit like what any person does in a crowd of people, he feels their fear or joy; there’s more to mindhearing than that, but it’s without words. But the mindspeech, and receiving mindspeech, is different. An untrained man, if you bespeak him, will shut his mind to it before he knows he’s heard anything. Especially if what he hears isn’t what he himself wants or believes. Non-Communicants have perfect defenses, usually. In fact to learn paraverbal communication is mainly to learn how to break down one’s own defenses.” “
But the animals hear?”
“To some extent. That’s done without words again. Some people have that knack for projecting to animals. It’s useful in herding and hunting, all right. Did you never hear that farborns were lucky hunters?”
“Yes, it’s why they’re called witches. But am I like a hann, then? I heard you.”
“Yes. And you bespoke me—once, in my house. It happens sometimes between two people: there are no barriers, no defenses.” He drained his cup and looked up broodingly at the pattern of sun and jeweled circling worlds on the long wall across the room. “When that happens,” he said, “it’s necessary that they love each other. Necessary … I can’t send my fear or hate against the Gaal. They wouldn’t hear. But if I turned it on you, I could kill you. And you me, Rolery.…”
