Raging Star (36 page)

Peg’s little cart stands nearby. The one I rode here in with Manuel. I hesitate a moment, but Slim an Tommo’s already seized me by the elbows. They hoist me into the back of it. Then the crowd’s surrounded me an before I can pause to think, I’m launchin headlong into speech.

There won’t be no fightin, I says. There ain’t no need to. At least, not the kinda fight you think. The smartest an quickest way to win New Eden is not to fight at all.

I turn as I speak, so’s everyone can hear me.

DeMalo makes out that he’s powerful, I says. Unbeatable. I’m here to tell you that he ain’t. He’s weak an grows weaker by the day. He don’t know it. He cain’t see it. An it’s happenin right unner his nose.

I look out on the sea of faces. They’re silent. Listenin. The hotwind whips at our clothes an hair. I feel the red hot risin high in me. But not to fight. To convince them.

The people of New Eden are slaves, I says. Each an every
one, make no mistake. They may not wear iron collars an iron chains, though many in New Eden bear that injustice. But they all wear the slave bonds of fear. So long as we live in fear of this tyrant, we’ll always be his slave. Right now, at this moment, the people of New Eden are castin off the slave chains of fear. Yes. Yer children, yer friends an yer neighbours. DeMalo don’t know it. DeMalo cain’t see it. An it’s happenin right unner his nose.

I raise my voice. I lower it. I speak slowly, then fast. My hands reach out to them. All eyes stay upon me.

How’re they doin it? I says. They’re comin back together is how. Quietly, quickly, an stronger, much stronger, than ever they were before. They’re mendin what he broke apart. What did he break? Family. Friendship. True community. Why did he break it? Becuz he fears it. Becuz it’s stronger than anythin he could ever make. It’s stronger than he could ever hope to be.

Here in New Eden, they’re joinin hands once more. In peace an hope an strength. Mother an child, father an child, sister an brother, slave an slave, neighbour an neighbour. Joinin their hands in true community. Becuz hands joined together break iron chains. But they need more hands. They need yer hands.

Everybody here today. Every man, woman an child. All of you. An me. Our destinies have brought us together. In this place, at this time, to end this tyrant’s rule. To end the rule
of all tyrants over us. We cast off our fear. We cast off our chains. We move forward in hope with joined hands. Tonight we go east. To freedom. An the future!

The crowd erupts. A thunderous great roar shakes the air. Then they’re cheerin an whistlin an clappin an reachin up to grab my hands.

I stand there. I’m dazed by the heat an the noise. The red hot’s suddenly gone an I’m altogether done in. I only jest finished speakin. But I cain’t fer the life of me remember what I said. Tommo an Manuel help me down from the cart.

I ain’t never heard speechin like that before, says Manuel.

Roustabout stuff, says Slim. A bit short on detail but—

Gather our crew, we’ll do that now, I says.

We take ourselfs off to a quiet place among the rocks. I stay on my feet. I think best on my feet.

I tell ’em what I’ve planned. That Manuel, Creed, Ash an Slim will work together. They’ll go with sixty of these folk, the strongest men an women, into the heart of New Eden. They should be slipped back onto farms where it’s certain they’ll be safe an welcome. One or two of ’em fer each farm,
no more. The idea is to plant ’em around New Eden as wide as possible. They should work, help with chores, become part of daily life. Well away from any Tonton or nosy pokes. We’re bringin back together what DeMalo’s put asunder.

They perch on odd-shaped rocks or sprawl on the burnt yellow moss that covers the ground. They’re all watchin me. Listenin. There ain’t no sign of dissent.

I’ll leave the details to you, I says. But you’ll need to work fast.

How fast? says Creed.

We need ’em in place by the blood moon, I says.

Tall order, says Manuel. Not impossible.

Ash takes a last draw from a redclover ciggy stub. Whadda we do when they’re all set up? she says.

Make sure it stays quiet an trouble free, I says. I’ll git word to you as soon as I can.

Wait fer the big gawdamn rumble, right? says Slim.

Yeah, I says. That’s the one.

He sat there with the rest of them. No one looking at him would be able to tell how alarmed he was. He’d been so sure this idea would go nowhere. But it was gathering speed. Growing, spreading, out of
control. If he didn’t move fast, his plans would be in ruins
.

This course they were on was dangerous. Way beyond reckless. It bore all the marks of Jack’s hand. She was so in his sway, she was doing his work for him while he hid in the shadows
.

It was time to make his move. To finish this. To finish Jack
.

Where you headed, Saba? says Molly. She puts her arm through mine an walks alongside. Lugh an Tommo’s with her. I shake her off.

We need to start right away fer Edenhome, I says. Me an these boys an … whatshisname, that guy. We gotta find a way in there. It’s the last thing I gotta set up. His little girl might be there, she’s Emmi’s age. Webb Reno, that’s his name, he’s gonna help us. I gotta speak to him.

We’ll let him know, she says. Right now, you need to rest. Yer tired, my darlin.

An in that moment the concern in her lovely face so instantly, so painfully reminds me of my mother that the rush of lost memory makes me dizzy. They dive to steady me.

Leave be, I says. I shrug ’em off.

Molly says to Lugh, You do know she ain’t bin sleepin.

We stopped fer curfew. I could swear she slept, he says.

Saba, says Molly. Did you sleep last night?

Yes, I lie.

She’s lyin, says Tommo.

A woman starts to rise from a pit in the ground. Right in front of us, at our feet. She’s got long fair hair. Her name sounds in my heartbeat. Ma, I says. I take a step towards her.

You know yer ferbid to go down there, she says. That’s twice now, Davy, you got a swat comin. You better not of touched nuthin. She’s climbed out an set a lit lamp on the ground. She hoists out a wriggly little boy by his armpits. She notices us. Her face creases in dismay. So sorry, she says. He won’t do it agin. She snatches the lamp an rushes him off, scoldin him fiercely as they go.

I step, step to the edge of the pit. I look down, down to its blackness. It yawns

rough an narrow an deep. I know what lies within. The body in rusted armour. Laid out in the pit full length. The head wrapped around with a blood red shawl
.

The wind flurries the shawl ties about me. I bend towards the dark. Tip my heavy head to the hush of cool earth.

There’s blood in there. Look, I says.

It rises in a tide from the red heart of the earth. If I step in, it’ll take me. It’ll drown me.

There ain’t no blood, that’s a gun store, says Lugh.

Him an Tommo take my arms. They move me away.

I got somethin to help. Come with me, says Molly.

Not long, she kept saying. A few hours. No more
.

It ain’t ezzack, y’know, said Molly. I’ll do my best. From a tiny stone bottle she tipped the merest, barest blink of a teardrop. This is pure silence, she whispered
.

No dreams, said Saba
.

Not a one, I promise
.

Molly weakened it three times in water. Saba drained the cup, then lay down. Short minutes later she was out. She slept like a child, curled on her side, bathed in a soft pool of lantern light. The dark fans of her lashes lay heavy on her cheeks. The little carved-out rock den hushed around them, dry and cool
.

That was fast, he said
.

An I hardly gave her nuthin. She ain’t bin sleepin or eatin, it’s hit her hard, said Molly. I figger it’ll take her through the night. She knelt beside her, arranging the blanket around her shoulders. She smoothed away the tiny frown between her eyes. It’s a heavy burden she bears, Molly said. There’s few could do what she’s doin. I couldn’t. Nor could you, I warrant
.

Nero had flown into the den with them. He hovered about Saba, making anxious crow noises. Molly picked him up. I know, she said. You jest wanna help. But you gotta leave her now, she’s sleepin
.

C’mere, Nero. He took him from her. He stayed quiet in his arms as he smoothed his feathers
.

After his fright at Painted Rock, they’d had to work hard to win back Nero’s trust. The men, that is. Softly softly had finally won him around. An offensive of titbits, coaxing and gentle words. They’d all been at it, so he didn’t stand out from the rest. It seemed Nero didn’t know who’d snatched him. Only that it was a man. He was still ashamed, but relieved
.

You must be hungry. Molly smiled at him. Follow the cookin smells an somebody’ll feed you, she said. I’ll stay here with Saba
.

This was it. His heart quickened. I won’t be long, he said
.

A woman gave him some damper and corn porridge. He found a quiet corner, away from curious eyes. While Nero ate his fill, he took four things from the pouch on his belt. A length of string, a thin peg of charcoal, the cherrybark scroll she’d dropped in the woods and a small roll of oilskin
.