The Way of the Brother Gods (5 page)

"I never found out what went wrong exactly, but my own folks told me enough about the fishing villages that I could guess."

Malja said, "She was a whore?"

"I think so."

"Those fishing villages are an ugly life. With so few people left since the Devastation, the waters are filled with food, and the women come thinking they'll get security. But fishing is hard work and you have to love the water, too. Not as many men are interested. Most of these villages I've seen had three, maybe four, women for every man. No man needs to settle down to one woman. Lots of whores there, and most do it for food."

"The point is," Fawbry said, ducking beneath a low hanging vine, "that you shouldn't guess at what Harskill is like from the little you find in that journal."

Waving off his words, Malja said, "Don't compare me to some pampered kid you once knew."

"My Kryssta, you're an idiot," Fawbry said, not making an attempt to hide his frustration. "Or maybe I'm the idiot for thinking you might have grown a bit, changed at all since I first met you. You are so selfish that you actually convince yourself that you do these things for others. You don't really care about me or Tommy."

"Don't you dare say —"

"Look at that boy!" Fawbry's face turned red as he jabbed a finger in Tommy's direction. "Something terribly wrong has happened to him and you just want to contentedly follow him? I understand fully that you hope to find Cole and Harskill and a portal to your home. And that's what I'm saying. That is all you hope for. If Tommy or I get killed in the process, so be it."

Malja backhanded Fawbry, knocking him to the ground. Her skin boiled with rage, and she had to stop her hands from grabbing Viper. "I have changed. I'm not that single-minded thing you met years ago. But even back then, I always loved Tommy and I've always worried about what might happen from his use of magic. You are the idiot, if you can't tell that much about me."

Brushing off his multi-colored robe, Fawbry said, "It's just that Tommy's in trouble. You can see that. And yet here you are reading that journal and dreaming about Harskill. I know those things are important, but we shouldn't be doing this. We should turn around, take Tommy back north for help. Maybe find Tumus. She helped him once before and she knows all about Barris Mont, and since Barris Mont is inside Tommy, she could tell us what to expect, what to do. That plan at least has some logic behind it. You're just leading us toward a wish."

Malja reined in her anger and in a tight but quiet voice, she said, "My guess is that we've gone more than half the way to wherever it is we're going. There can't be that much further south before we hit ocean. So, if we turn back for help, it'll probably take longer to go that way than to just push on. I don't know what's happening to Tommy, but don't think that I don't care just because you can't see it. I think the faster we get to Cole, the faster we get to helping Tommy. Besides, if we chose to go back, who's going to turn him around?"

Fawbry looked ahead at Tommy hovering patiently for them. The boy didn't turn around while he waited, but his shoulders were high with tension. It physically hurt him to wait.

"Come on," Malja said. "Get on your horse and let's go."

With his only hand, Fawbry patted his horse and whispered a calming word. Malja moved in to hold the horse steady so Fawbry could remount. "You'd think this would get easier," he said, "but I swear, every time I mount up, it gets worse."

* * * *

That night they camped under a low overhang — roots and rocks formed their ceiling. Malja spent her time attending Viper — cleaning, sharpening, oiling. She had neglected the blade for too long.

Fawbry stood in front of Tommy and tried to reach the boy. He told jokes and stories and even danced a little. Nothing evoked a response. At one point, Malja glanced over to see Fawbry's arms tangled up.

"You okay?" she asked, worried that Tommy had conjured Fawbry into a knot out of annoyance.

Fawbry untangled his arms and walked over. "I'm fine. Just playing a simple game to show him that our minds are strange and sometimes unreliable. I'm hoping he might be able to come back to us if he realizes he has more control than he's using."

"How's a game going to show that?"

Cracking his knuckles, Fawbry said, "Give it a try. See what happens."

Malja set Viper down and stretched her arms. "What do I do?"

"Put your arms straight out in front of you and place the backs of your hands together. Now, cross your arms so that you can clasp your hands together. Good. Now, bring your clasped hands to your chest and roll them towards you so that you are staring at the tops of your fingers."

Following the instructions, Malja ended up with her own arms tangled together. "I still don't see how this is going to show me —"

"Shh. Pay attention." Careful not to touch her, Fawbry pointed to one of Malja's fingers. "That finger there. Move it."

Malja shrugged and tried to move her finger. It didn't move. She stared at it a moment, but her brain couldn't quite figure out how to reach it. When she finally managed to get some motion, she not only moved the wrong finger but the wrong hand as well.

"You see," Fawbry said. "It's not so hard to confuse a brain. Maybe that's all that's going on with Tommy. Maybe his brain's gotten all confused from the magic, and he just needs to untangle. That's what I'm hoping, anyway."

Malja played this finger game a bit longer. "If it works, great. You've got until we find Cole Watts. Then she better be able to help him."

"Thanks," Fawbry said and went back to Tommy, tangling up his arms once again.

* * * *

The next day, as they traveled through the swamp, Fawbry rode next to Tommy, continuing to play mental games in his effort to bring the boy's mind back. Malja said little while she led Tommy's mare along.

She tried to keep track of their route despite the numerous twists the dead swamp took. When her stomach grumbled, she checked her saddlebag and counted another two days of food — mostly hard rolls and a few potatoes.

"Let's take a rest," she said. "Have something to eat."

Fawbry hopped off his horse and walked toward her, reaching out for the reins to Tommy's horse. A long-wailing siren pierced the air. Fawbry's horse spooked and galloped off. Fawbry still held the rein and was snagged along with it. Reaching down fast and gracefully, Malja grabbed Fawbry's robe and yanked him free. He stood on the ground, pale and breathing heavy.

"Thanks," he said. "That could've been bad."

"What is that noise?"

Fawbry's horse galloped back their way — whinnying its confusion and fear. With its head low, the horse barreled right by. As the siren continued its long tones, the ground swelled, causing the panicked horse to rear on its hind legs.

"M-Malja," Fawbry said, staring at the horse as the ground opened up. The horse fell in, cried out in agony, and the sound of crushed bones and chewing followed. "Get me out of here."

Malja released Viper from its special sheath. The swollen earth settled back, but Malja remained vigilant, her eyes searching for any sign of another attack. In mid-wail, the siren cut out, its final call echoing into the distance.

Shaking, Fawbry said, "What happened? What was that?"

Just behind them, dirt spewed into the air along with half-digested horse bones. They came up with forceful puffs of air, spraying grit in all directions. Malja bent down to pick up Fawbry, but the smell of horse flesh terrified Horse. She bolted forward, her mind completely taken over by instinct, and ignored Malja's attempts to control her.

They dashed by the hovering Tommy and slammed hard into a barrier neither could see. Horse took it the worst, crumpling to the ground, dazed. The abrupt hit sent Malja over Horse's head and into the invisible wall, knocking the air from her lungs. She rolled to the ground, popped back to her feet, and held Viper in a sturdy fighting stance.

Two long tentacles broke through the dirt, each one like a dead root flailing around for nourishment. Malja wasted no time in cutting them. When she struck, a deep moan vibrated through the ground.

Fawbry rushed over to Tommy's unused horse, trying to calm it enough to mount. Malja glanced at her own mare. Horse had stood up but still looked wild-eyed. And just beyond Horse, Malja saw the long roots of a tree hanging over a mini-butte.

"Fawbry," she said. "Climb!"

As Malja made for the root system and Fawbry hurried to follow, the ground underneath Tommy's horse swelled. Malja hated to see it happen, but in seconds the earth opened up and pulled down the horse. Climbing up the roots, Malja peeked over her shoulder and saw row upon row of teeth, rolling up to the surface like waves.

"Help me," Fawbry said from below. With only one hand, he couldn't climb the roots well.

Malja jumped down and placed her shoulder underneath Fawbry. As she reclimbed the roots, Fawbry reached up to anything he could hold on to, helping lighten her load a little. She groaned under the weight but managed to get off the ground and into the roots.

Horse blew air through her nostrils and paced beneath them. Malja strained her muscles to hold position even as her heart beat against her ribs. She didn't want to see it happen, but the ground beneath Horse rose.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to Horse.

Whether or not Tommy reacted because he heard Malja, she never knew, but Tommy did react. He spun around, checked the tattoo on his left pectoral, and waved his right hand at the swelling ground. Four tentacles shot out, but they lacked purpose and strength. They shot out more like a gasp for air.

And they were stone.

In fact, Malja now saw that the ground beneath her, beneath Horse, also looked like stone. A light-gray mass of rock. Tommy had petrified the creature.

As simply as he had acted, he returned to his hovering position and waited. Malja and Fawbry eased to the ground, avoiding the hard surface of petrified creature as they attempted to regroup. Fawbry's face reddened as he stomped over to Tommy.

"Korstra's bed-mate! You couldn't have done that sooner? We were almost killed."

Malja hiccuped a laugh. "I've never heard 'Korstra's bed-mate' before."

"I just made it up and don't try to change my thinking. Tommy can be awfully selective about when he decides to use his magic to save me. For you, he does it without a thought. But me? I don't appreciate him holding back like that."

"He holds back because I've asked him to do so," Malja said, all trace of amusement leaving her. "Look what's happened to him because of magic."

"I know, I know. I just —"

"You were almost eaten by a ... whatever that thing was. It's okay. Just don't take it out on Tommy. He's a good boy."

Fawbry's face pinched in but before he could speak, a familiar rumbling came in. It was a sound they all knew well — an engine.

A grounder with a hardtop drove in and skidded to halt, its engine idling loud as dark smoke poured out its back. The door opened, and a tough-looking, helmeted figure emerged. The figure pressed a button on its belt and the invisible barrier flashed blue. The figure stepped through where the barrier had been, observed them for a moment, and pulled off the helmet.

The lovely, dark-skinned face of Cole Watts peered out. "Faw-Faw? Dear, is that you?"

Chapter 6

Cole Watts drove through the twisting passages of dried-out swamp with familiarity while Malja leaned back and watched the landscape soar by. Tommy floated above the seat behind Cole, and Fawbry kept him in place with a safety restraint.

"Don't worry about your horse," Cole said, her voice as smooth as her beautiful, dark skin. "I'll have my people bring her in. I'd have my assistant Garros do it but he's been avoiding me lately." She snatched a quick look in the back. "My, my, Faw-Faw, you sure do look handsome. I know we had a rough patch but I must tell you, you've been on my mind lately."

"Rough patch?" Fawbry said. "You burned off my hand."

"Bless your heart, you don't forget anything, do you? Now I know I was wrong, and I think I've shown y'all that I've changed when I helped you get rid of those nasty magicians, Jarik and Callib. What you don't know, though, is that part of that change was realizing all the good things I gave up along the way. And, Faw-Faw, my dear sweet man, you are one of those things."

Fawbry blushed. Malja knew Cole Watts had charm to spare, but she was amazed at the brazenness the woman displayed.

"We need help for Tommy," Malja said with a firm voice.

"I certainly think so. One look at him and it's terribly clear he's in trouble."

"Do you know what's wrong with him?"

Cole chuckled. "Sweetie, I've only just seen him. He's grown quite a bit in the last few years, that's all I know. When we get to my place, we'll have him checked out. Don't worry about it." She patted Malja's knee. "Now, tell me all about what you've been up to. I do miss your darling way of handling things with such brute force."

Malja swiped away Cole's hand. "We know about your town up north. Is that an example of you changing your ways?"

Though she still wore a pleasant mask, all the warmth left Cole's face. "See, dear, right there. Brute force. Guess you haven't changed much either. Well, truth is, I've tried. When you all left me at the mansion, I spent months just playing with all the old technology there. The kitchen had ways to keep food fresh and cold as well as a machine that cooked food without a fire. Quite impressive what life had been like before the Devastation."