Blood Red Road (44 page)

We reach Pine Top Hill as the sun’s startin to break out in the east. It’s gonna be another hot one. You can almost hear the tired earth sighin as it faces the day.

There it is, says Ike.

A dusty plain of red earth stretches out in front of us. Straight ahead, a round hill rises up from the plain. There’s a little wood of scrubby pine trees on top an some big rocks that’ll give us good cover. An, jest like Jack said, a steep slope of loose rock an slippery shale.

If they’re gonna attack, they’ll hafta to leave their horses an come at us on foot. An we’ll be in the better position.

It’s a strange place, this plain where we’ll take our stand. Dry an dead lookin an everywhere you look, red. Like the heart of a fire. Red rocks, red earth.

Red as the dust storm at Silverlake on the day the Tonton rode in.

A little ways to the west of the hill, a long, craggy ridge towers above the plain.

To the east, a clutch of spindly rock fingers rises up, reachin fer the sky. There’s lots of ’em, all crowded in together. Tall an thin an pointed. They look wicked. Sharp. Like teeth. Red teeth.

The back of my neck prickles.

What the hell’s that? I says.

They’re called the Hoodoos, says Jack.

Ash shudders. They gimme the creeps, she says.

We make our way to the foot of Pine Top Hill as quickly as we can.

What about the horses? says Lugh.

We might need ’em, says Jack.

He don’t say it, but we all know he means if it goes wrong an we gotta make a run fer it.

I want Hermes with me, I says. They’ll be safe hidden in them trees.

I swing myself down. I lead Hermes up the hill, criss crossin the loose shale. His feet slide an slip, but I talk to him in a quiet voice an he don’t make a fuss. He trusts me. Jest like I trust him. Th’others follow on behind, an we pick our way, slow an careful, to the top.

Jack’s right. We’ll be able to see Pinch comin at us over the plain from a long ways off.

I give Hermes’ rump a pat an Ash an Ike lead the horses off to settle ’em in the trees behind us. Meantime, me, Jack, Lugh an Tommo divide our ammo. There’s a good sized pile of arrows fer each of us, but still my heart sinks at the sight of ’em.

Tommo looks at Jack. His brown eyes dark, worried. Not enough, he says.

We got plenty, kid, says Jack. Don’t you worry.

I ain’t got a weapon, says Lugh.

Tommo lifts his bow over his head. Hands it to him. She’s a good ’un, he says. Ike made her fer me.

I couldn’t, says Lugh. What’ll you use?

Slingshot, says Tommo, holdin it up.

If yer sure, says Lugh. Thanks, Tommo.

Ike an Ash join us.

Jack hands Tommo the long-looker. You wanna be on lookout? he says.

How’s about that, son? says Ike. Lookout’s the most important job there is.

Tommo beams. Really?

Really. Now, you go pick the tree with the best view over the plain. Climb right to the top an keep watch. The moment you see anybody comin, call out. Good an loud. Got it?

Got it, says Tommo. He’s turnin to go when Ike grabs his arm.

If there’s any fightin, Tommo, you stick close to me. Don’t go off on yer own. You unnerstand, son?

Don’t worry, Ike, Tommo smiles. I got yer back. Clutchin the looker to his chest, he runs off to choose his lookout spot.

He’s got my back, Ike mutters. A fight ain’t no place fer a boy who cain’t hear. I wish I’d never brought him.

He’ll be fine, says Jack. Don’t worry. You told him to stick with you an he will.

So what’s the plan? says Ash.

Jack looks at me. Gives me his lopsided grin. I smile back.

Jack’s silver moonlight eyes. The stillness at the heart of him. Like calm water.

We’re gonna hafta wing this one, I says.

Ash rolls her eyes. How did I know you was gonna say that?

What now? says Lugh.

Now, says Jack, we wait.

We hunker down behind the big rocks at the top of the hill with the stand of pine behind us. The plain sweeps out in front of us, wide an bare.

Me an Lugh sit with our backs aginst one big rock. Close together. Our shoulders touchin.

Oh, I says, I nearly fergot. I reach into my pocket. Pull out his necklace. The little ring of shiny green glass threaded onto a scrap of leather. I hand it to him. Found this lyin by the road, I says.

I was wonderin where that got to.

Lucky fer you I was passin that way, I says.

Yeah, he says. I’m lucky all right.

We’re quiet fer a bit, then he nudges me with his elbow. So, he says, what about this Jack?

What about him? I says.

Looks to me like there’s somethin goin on between yuz, he says.

I feel the heat crawl up my neck, into my cheeks. There ain’t nuthin goin on, I says.

Look at you, he says. Yer such a bad liar. So. You like him. Where’d you meet him? His voice sounds all tight. He’s jabbin at the ground with the end of his bow.

In Hopetown, I says. I wouldn’t of found you in time if it warn’t fer him.

He looks at me sidewise. Do I need to thrash him?

Don’t be so stupid. No. You don’t hafta thrash him.

Good, he says. Cuz I’m a dangerous man now. A hard man.

Hard man, I says. As if.

We shove each other with our shoulders. Sit quiet fer a bit. Then he says, You know what I hated most? Besides bein away from you?

What?

Thinkin about Pa. Thinkin how I was with him that last day. Rememberin all them awful things I said to him. That he died believin that’s what I thought of him.

He knew you didn’t mean it, I says. It’s my fault he’s dead, says Lugh. I feel … It’s like I killed him.

How can you say that? I says. The Tonton killed him, not you. You loved Pa an he loved you.

He says naught. Jest stares at the ground.

You didn’t kill him, I says. Don’t ever say that again.

The sun starts to rise.

We sit silent.

An we wait.

They’re comin! Tommo yells down from his lookout point high in the tree.

How many? calls Ike.

Tommo holds up three fingers.

What the hell? says Ash.

Tommo’s climbed down the tree fast as a lizard. He throws hisself down beside Jack.

Jack jams the long-looker to his eyes. Lowers it slowly. It’s Pinch, he says. He’s got Emmi with him all right. But there’s only two Tonton with him. What’s his game? He tosses the looker to me. Sure enough, there’s only three horsemen headed our way across the plain. They ride close together. DeMalo an another Tonton. One on each side of Pinch.

I train the looker on Pinch. He’s ridin a big white stallion. An he’s still dressed like he was last night. Long golden robe with shiny stones an bits of mirror an shimmer discs. But it hangs down in burnt an tattered shreds. He holds his right leg stuck out to the side. There’s metal bars an straps around it, almost like a cage. He’s got his face an head wrapped in a gold sheema.

An ridin on Pinch’s horse with him, tucked aginst his chest like he’s got every right to have her there, is Emmi. She looks so small, so skinny, so pale. But her chin’s held high. She won’t show him she’s afeared. My heart lurches.

Lugh snatches the looker to see fer hisself. Emmi, he says.
She looks all right. It don’t look like he’s hurt her.

If he did, I’ll rip his head off, says Ike.

Looks like this is the showdown, says Ash.

Everybody ready? says Jack.

We fit arrows to our crossbow strings. Keep outta sight behind the rocks an wait. An wait. My heart’s beatin like crazy. My mouth’s dry.

They’re here. says Tommo.

We raise our heads over the rocks. We take aim.

They’ve stopped a little ways from the bottom. Within shoutin distance.

Pinch edges his white stallion forwards. The horse tosses his head an dances a little.

Looks like he don’t trust his rider
.

Emmi! I shout. Are y’all right? Did they hurt you?

No! Her voice sounds thin an shaky. I’m fine!

A classic battle tactic, calls Pinch. Forcing your enemy to attack uphill. But there is no enemy here. Only your King.

You ain’t no King of mine! yells Ike.

Ike! Jack hisses. Not helpful.

Well, he ain’t.

You left something behind, calls Pinch. Something of value. The King has condescended to return her to you.

Let her go! I yell.

He slides a bolt shooter from his robes. He presses it to Emmi’s temple.

He dislikes children, he says. So noisy. So dirty.

Let her go! says Lugh, standin up. It’s me you want.

I try to tug him down, but he pulls away.

You have displeased your King severely, says Pinch. He chose you with great care but you’re too stupid to realize the great honor done to you. All his years of planning … gone to waste. His many kindnesses to you—a guest in his royal Palace—and you repay him with humiliation. The King is not accustomed to being humiliated.

I’ll come back with you, says Lugh. Whatever you want. Jest let my sister go.

You have wounded the King with your ingratitude, he says. But you are no longer of interest to him.

Cold fingers of fear start to creep along my spine.

Then take me, says Ike. I’m the one who showed ’em where to find you.

The gallant giant, says Pinch. No. You won’t do either.

Git to the point, says Lugh. What do you want?

Not what, he says. Who.

He points at me.

The King wants her, he says. The Angel of Death.

What fer? yells Ike.

He wishes to speak with her, says Pinch. To have a friendly little chat.

Right away, I lower my bow an take a step forwards.

Lugh grabs my arm. What’re you doin? You cain’t go down there.

He’s got Emmi, I says. Of course I’m gonna talk to him.

He don’t wanna talk to you. Look at him. The man’s crazy.

It’s too dangerous, Saba, says Ash.

What does he want with you anyways? says Lugh.

She killed his parents back at Hopetown, says Jack. She nearly killed him too.

It was a accident, I says.

Lugh swears. Why didn’t you say nuthin?

I didn’t think it mattered, I says.