Rebel Heart (26 page)

She gasps a tearful little laugh. Yer such a liar, she says. Such a kind, dear liar. She wraps the scarf around her head agin an starts to tie it. After they left, she says, I . . . I jest wanted to be alone. She looks at me. I told Jack to go after you, she says. To follow his heart. I made him swear.

What did he say? I whisper.

He promised he would, she says.

I ain’t seen him, I says.

Seems I was the last to see him, says Maev.

You? says Molly.

He gave her the heartstone to give to Saba, says Emmi.

An he jest happened to be ridin with the Tonton at the time, says Lugh.

What? says Molly. No. Jack would never ride with the Tonton. Never. I know him.

Maybe you don’t know him very well, says Lugh.

I know that I don’t like yer tone, she says. Jack is my friend. A very old, dear friend. I won’t hold with you sayin things about him that ain’t true.

Lugh looks away.

He was with ’em, Molly, says Maev. I seen him with my own eyes. Dressed like ’em an all.

They must of captured him, she says.

That’s what I say, I says.

He was free, says Maev, not fettered.

Molly frowns. Takes a long drink from her tin an pours herself another. She catches Tommo starin at her. He ain’t took his eyes offa her all this time.

What’s yer problem? she says.

You shouldn’t drink so much, he says.

What’s it to you what I do?

Ike wouldn’t like it, he says.

Whadda you know, anyways?

I’m Tommo, he says. Ike took me in. He talked about you. Told me about you. He said him an you an me . . . we’d be a family.

There ain’t no gawdamn family, she says. Ike’s dead.

He called me son, says Tommo.

Is that so? she says. Well, don’t look to me to call you son.

Hard words. Hurtful words. Tears start to Tommo’s eyes. They spill down his cheeks. He dashes ’em away an sets his jaw not to cry.

That was mean, I says.

Go to hell, says Molly. She’s drained her tin. She pours another.

You got no call talkin to Tommo like that, says Em.

Hush, Emmi, says Lugh.

I won’t hush, says Em. You ain’t th’only one who loved Ike. You ain’t th’only one who misses him. An it ain’t Tommo’s fault Ike got killed. He tried to save Ike. He loved him jest the same as you.

Molly’s starin into her mug. Not the same as me, she says. Not the gawdamn same as me! Her voice rises to a yell. She flings her mug wildly. We only jest duck in time.

Molly stops herself. She’s breathin high an fast. Fightin herself. Tryin not to fall apart. She gives us a tight little smile. I’m sorry, she says to Tommo. I had no right to speak to you like that.

He nods, not meetin her eyes.

Now what? says Maev.

Molly looks at Slim, nursin his shoulder, his face drawn with pain. We’ll go to Bram an Cassie’s, she says. Hide the weapons. We’ll git Slim fixed up proper an work out what to do next.

I ain’t goin nowhere, I says. Jack told me to meet him here an that’s what I’m gonna do.

That’s only what you think, says Lugh. You don’t know fer sure. What’re you gonna do, sit here all night? Wait fer him to turn up with the Tonton so he can hand you over?

Jack wouldn’t do that, says Molly.

Whether he would or not ain’t to the purpose, says Slim. Not at this precise moment, anyways. The point is, it ain’t safe to be here. Not fer Molly, not fer Saba, not fer none of us. We got four dead Stewards on our tab, not to mention one blowed-up causeway. If any of them Tonton lived to tell the tale, they’ll be lookin fer the Cosmic. Bram an Cassie run a safe house. That’s where we all need to be.

The Tonton only know about you, I says. You an the Cosmic. Not us.

Hey, says Maev, we wouldn’t be here without Slim. He took a hit fer us. Don’t that mean nuthin to you?

Okay, then, the rest of yuz go, I says. I’ll wait here fer Jack.

Yer faith in yer friend does you credit, says Slim. But I’ll tell you this. If he’s got hisself mixed up with the Tonton, he ain’t master of his own fate. You’ll serve him better by makin sure the same don’t happen to you.

You ain’t listenin, I says. He’s in trouble, he needs my help, that’s why he sent fer me. As I say it, I shoot a hard look at Lugh, darin him to bad-mouth Jack agin.

Even more reason to go to Bram’s, says Slim. He’ll know what’s best to do. He knows these parts. He knows the Tonton.

They all look at me, wait fer my answer. My gut tells me to dig in my heels. If it was only me I had to think of, I’d dig in, no question. But my heart an head tell me I got Maev an Tommo an Emmi an Lugh to consider. They’re in danger jest by bein here. Because of me. I look at Slim, wounded on my account. At Molly. Ike’s Molly.

How far to this . . . Bram’s place? I says.

Not far, says Molly. Three hours due north.

All right, I says, but I gotta leave him a message. Tell him where to find me.

I know jest the thing, says Molly. C’mon.

With her in charge, we gather up bits of the Lost Cause. Startin with the tavern sign at one end, we arrange it all alongside the northbound road in a line. But not so’s you’d notice. Unless you was lookin, that is.

We need somethin to finish it off, she says. She looks at me. I don’t s’pose—?

Jest as she says it, Nero comes flappin over. He moves slow an low. Jack’s hat dangles from his beak, held by the hatband. He lands. Drops it in ezzackly the right spot. He squawks with delight at his own cleverness.

If that don’t beat all, says Molly.

I crouch. I anchor the hat with a couple of rocks. I touch it lightly.

See you soon, Jack, I says.

Before we leave, Molly goes to fetch her horse, Prue. Also a packed sack of necessaries she’s kept hid aginst the day the Tonton would come to run her off. Then she does somethin else.

She goes to a certain spot, a little ways from the tavern an stables. Like any other lonely spot on this blasted plain, but fer a pile of rocks. A small cairn. She kneels beside it a long moment, her head bowed.

We look to Slim fer a reason why. He shakes his head an shrugs. When she rides up to join us, you can tell from her eyes that she’s had a bit of a boo. We make like we don’t notice.

So, as we git ready to move out, there’s me an Molly on horseback. Lugh’s drivin the Cosmic, with Tommo beside him. After their bad start, Moses took aginst Maev an won’t budge one inch if she’s anywhere in sight. Her an Em an Tracker’s gonna travel in back with Slim. They’ll do their best to keep him easy, but ridin on top of guns ain’t a good ride fer nobody, let alone a wounded man. But he slams back a half-campbell of some thin green liquid – it’ll blunt the pain, he says – an climbs in without complaint. We take one last look at the tavern at the crossroads. The fire’s settled down to a low, steady burn of what’s left.

Well, that’s that, says Molly. No more Lost Cause. Me, my father, my grampa, his pa. I’m the last in a long line of deluded fools that stuck with this place. Misplaced optimism, that’s what runs in my family. Always lookin fer a break in the clouds. Even in the storm belt.

As we turn our faces north an ride out, we pass Jack’s hat. All my hopes set on one battered old hat. Misplaced optimism. I guess it runs in my family too.

We hear signs of life long before we see ’em.

The faint strains of a junkband racket through the night. Down the road an over the trees. Foot-stompin music. The sound of voices whoopin. People havin fun.

Sounds like a party, says Molly. That’s strange. The Tonton don’t allow fun an it’s after curfew. I wonder what’s goin on.

Her an me move up next to Lugh an Tommo. Go slow, she tells Lugh. Hang back, stay outta sight till we find out what’s what. Slim! She bangs on the side of the Cosmic. Somethin’s goin on at Bram an Cassie’s.

It ain’t long before the farm comes into view.

Whoa, Moses, Lugh says softly.

We stop. We’re at a bend in the road. Cedar woods on both sides. Tracker leaps outta the back an Em an Maev follow. They give Slim a careful hand down, but still he grimaces with pain. He’s pale an drawn. The journey’s bin hard on him.

Jest ahead lies the farm. Sprawlin fields in every direction with a big, square, hard dirt farmyard standin next to the road. A decent-sized house of tyre an mud with a Wrecker junk roof stands one side. A lantern shines in the glass window. The party’s goin on in the barn at the top end of the yard. The big doors stand open. Light an music an noise spill out into the night. A couple dozen carts with their horses parked up in a friendly muddle any which way.

We could take one of them an be gone in no time, says Lugh.

Ferget it, I says.

The mournful call of a pigeon comes from the woods to our right. Slim holds up a hand to hush us. The pigeon ha-roos agin. Slim makes answer.

Without a sound, a man slips outta the trees. A mountain of a man. Emmi gasps an ducks behind Maev.

A mask hides the top half of his face. It’s a rough, savage thing of corn husks an bark. Not what you wanna see creepin out from the woods at night. Tracker growls.

The man holds his clenched fist to his chest. Long life to the Pathfinder, he says.

May he rot in hell, says Slim. Evenin, Bram. What’s with the mask? Sounds like a party at yer place. Didn’t think that kinda thing was allowed.

Special occasion, says Bram. First corn harvest in Sector Nine. Land’s fruitful around here, thanks to the hard-workin folk the Tonton took it from. He takes off his mask an starts walkin towards us. Like the dress, Slim. Who you got with you? Is that Molly?

Hey, Bram, she says.

Bram’s got a thatch of dark hair, a thick neck an eyes like a sleepy raccoon. He might have twenny two year on him. He’s got the black quartered-circle brand in the centre of his forehead.

What’re you doin here? he says. What the hell happened to you two? He frowns as he sees Slim’s bandaged shoulder, as he takes in the soot smudges on Molly’s face, the scorches on her clothes. Ohmigawd, they burned you out at last, he says. He helps her down from her horse, gives her a hug. You okay?

Yeah, she says. The Tonton shot Slim. We need Cassie to look at his shoulder.

Ran into ’em on the causeway, says Slim. Then we blew it up.

Bram whistles. His glance flicks over the rest of us. Who’re all of these?

Friends, says Molly.

Friends we don’t want the Tonton knowin about, says Slim. He motions to me. As I slide down from Hermes, Nero flaps off to perch on a branch. I go over to ’em. I hesitate.

Yer okay, says Slim. Go on, sister.

I pull my sheema back from my hair an face, so’s Bram can see my birthmoon tattoo. His sleepy eyes snap open.

Bram, says Slim, meet Saba.

I don’t believe it! Bram holds out a meaty mitt an we shake. You do know there’s a price on yer head, he says.

Not now, says Slim. We gotta git the Cosmic outta sight. There was six Tonton on the causeway when we blew it up. If any of ’em got away, they’ll be lookin fer me.

You got the weapons? says Bram.

You got somewhere to stash ’em? says Slim.

You bet, says Bram. Here, on the left. I’ll guide you in.

Workin fast, we move Moses an the Cosmic off the road an into the woods. We cover our tracks as we go, like Bram tells us to. The way he takes us, there’s enough room fer the Cosmic to git through without scrapin bark or breakin off branches. Mind you, at one point, it’s such a tight squeeze that we only jest make it.

Lucky, says Slim.

No luck, says Bram with a smile. Good measurements.

He stops when we reach a small clearin, deep in the woods. Here we are, he says.

There ain’t nuthin to see. Bram falls to his knees, starts clearin away the thick layers of damp pine needle with his hands. He feels around. He levers up a wooden hatch, lays it to one side, an swings hisself into the hole. He moves nippy, his head disappearin bit by bit. Must be a ladder. We crowd around.

It’s a good sized unnerground room, down ten foot or so, there among the gnarled an twisted tree roots. Enough headroom fer Bram to stand upright. A stripped log serves fer a ladder, set at a sharp angle with crude steps hacked into it on one side. Lugh goes to climb down an Bram says, Mind the steps.

How come? says Lugh.

Number six ain’t there, says Bram with a grin. But I only tell my friends. Okay, let’s move. Quiet as you can.

We hurry to unload the Cosmic. Back an forth between the cart an Bram’s unnerground store, where him an Lugh stack everythin into neat piles.

Where’d you git all this? I ask Slim.

He pulls me aside. Tunnels, he whispers. A Wrecker military place – Nass Camp – loads of stuff, buried unnerground. When we first, uh... met, I’d jest bin there to stock up.

Where? I says.

You know where you hijacked me? he says. Due north up that road, five leagues, give or take. He taps the side of his nose with a finger, points it at me. Our secret.

Emmi’s gathered up a armload of Slim’s lethal little balls with pins. She sets off with careful steps.

No, Emmi, let me take ’em, says Tommo.

I can do it! She glares at him. She trips. One of the balls goes flyin into the air.

Catch it! yells Slim.

Maev dives. We hold our breath. She snags it one-handed. Jest before it hits the ground.

Hoo! Slim wipes his brow. Sometimes them pins can be a little loose.

Shame-faced, Em gives up her armload to Tommo.

Once the Cosmic’s empty of arms, we close the dump an move her deeper into the woods. Down a little ravine an behind a couple of giant deadfall cedars. She’s a sorry sight after her trials on the road.

Poor old Cosmic, says Slim, shakin his head.

We’ll mend her tomorrow, says Bram.

What now? says Molly. Our timin stinks, huh?

You could say, says Bram. Most everybody in Sector Nine’s at our place tonight, every one devoted to the Pathfinder. But that wound of Slim’s needs seein to an Cassie’s the one to do it. I’m gonna sneak you into the house, all of yuz. I got a idea. But you gotta do ezzackly as I say, an Moses’ll hafta stay here. We ain’t got no camels in this sector.

He’s gotta come with, says Slim. He’ll bellow somethin fearful. Don’t you got a stable to put him in?

Sure, says Bram, but—

He’s pals with this here horse, says Slim. Hermes. He’ll keep quiet if they’re in there together.

Good grief, says Bram. A camel in the stable. All right, it won’t be fer long, but you tell Cassie. She won’t kill a wounded man.

Leadin Moses an Hermes, we follow him back through the woods, towards the road. Suddenly, the soft coo of a pigeon. We freeze. It comes agin. Bram answers.

Who’s that? I says.

You ain’t my only new friends, he says. It’s bin quite busy around here.

Quick movement from both sides as two people slip outta the trees. They stand in front of us. Masked, like Bram was. Bodies tense. Firesticks at the ready. They lift their masks.

He’s wiry. Wild-haired. Barefoot. Tattooed. She’s built to fight. Her waist-long hair hangs in dozens of plaits. Hard face. Wary eyes.

Creed. Ash.

Last seen at Darktrees. Presumed dead.

Here in front of us. Very much alive.

My breath catches in my throat.

Ash! cries Emmi.

She runs. She leaps. She clings to Ash like a burr an covers her face in rapturous kisses. Tough Ash softens, like she always does with Em.

She says, Still daft as a brush, I see.

She gives her backside a swat an dumps her on the ground. Creed ruffs Em’s hair an winks as he shines his white-toothed smile on her.

Then I’m the one who rushes at ’em. As tears prick my eyes, I grab Ash in a tight hug.

Hello, my lovely, she says.

We thought you was dead, I whisper.

I’m way too stubborn to die, she says. What the hell’re you doin here?

Jack sent fer me, I says.

Jack! Her face darkens. If I ever see that sonofabitch agin, I’ll kill him, she says. He’s turned, Saba. Gone over to the Tonton.

I says, No, Ash, it ain’t like that.

We cain’t say no more. Tommo’s pilin in with the hugs an handshakes an Lugh as well.

Creed seizes my hand an holds it to his heart. I knew you couldn’t keep away from me, he says. Suddenly, he catches sight of Molly. He goes still. Drops my hand like a hot coal. Good gawd, he says, who’re you?

Bram says, Ash, Creed, this is Molly I bin tellin you about.

Creed walks right up to her, right in close, a look of wonder on his face. I’m gonna marry you, he says.

Molly curls her lip in scorn. As if I’d marry a grubby dirtboy like you, she says.

He wipes a fire smudge from her cheek with his thumb. Tenderly.

You will, he says. Molly swats his hand off, like she would a fly. He jest smiles, an saunters away. She frowns after him, flushed with annoyance.

Creed, says Ash. She nods at Maev.

Maev ain’t moved since Ash an Creed appeared, the dead risen to life. She stands stiff with shock. Her face gleams sickly white in the dimness of the woods. She looks worse’n Slim. Maev, who rode away from Darktrees as the Hawks an Raiders were being slaughtered by the Tonton, who left Ash an Creed to their fate.

Without a word, they go towards her. They pass her on eether side an head deeper into the woods. She stands there a moment. Then she turns an follows ’em.

They got plenty to talk about, I says. Bram, I need yer help. A friend of mine’s in trouble.

Come to the house an meet Cassie, he says. We’ll talk there.

Cassie turns out to be my age. A sturdy, pink-cheeked girl with a ready smile an careful eyes. She don’t even blink when we all slip into her farmhouse as Bram keeps watch by the door. Jest a quick glance at my tattoo an Lugh’s.

She sets out soap, clean rags an basins of hot water fer us to have a wash – Lugh an Tommo in one room an us girls and Nero in her an Bram’s bedroom.

The little girl’s gonna hafta stay outta sight, she says, an you, you cain’t wear them clothes. You’ll stick out. Yer taller’n me, but help yerself to what you can find in the chest.

She leaves us to it an goes to tend to Slim’s wound. Me, Molly an Em waste no time in strippin to our skivvies. Em’s eyes jest about pop outta her head at the sight of Molly’s womanly curves packed tight into her fancy red petticoat. Nero flaps his wings an shrieks.

Nero, quit it! Sorry, I says. He don’t know he’s a crow.

Molly laughs.