Rebel Heart (18 page)

Maev’s shoutin, Lugh! Tommo! Emmi! Yer gonna hafta hold ’em off while we do this! Take cover! Move!

The three of ’em’s bin sat there in shock. But now they shift. Fast. They leap from their horses an rush to duck behind the rocks that edge the canyon.

The cord’s ready. I nock the arrow. I shoot. It flies over an sticks into the ground, right at Maev’s feet. She grabs it. Starts tyin the end of the handrope to the end of the cord. On my side, Tracker’s barkin his head off. Nero’s flyin back an forth, squawkin an callin.

Hurry up! cries Emmi.

By now, Lugh’s figgered out Maev’s plan too. It ain’t gonna work, he says. The rope’s too heavy. It won’t make it to Saba.

Maev keeps workin as she says, Thanks fer that, Lugh, very helpful. You got a better idea? I thought not. Right, I’m ready here. You ready, Saba?

Ready! I call.

She loads the arrow onto her bow. The cord tied to the arrow. The handrope tied to the cord. Then she shoots. She aims high in the air. It arcs into the clear blue sky.

It so nearly makes it.

But Lugh’s right. The rope’s too heavy. We all watch as the arrow – a whistle shy of makin land on my side – falls outta the sky. I fling myself onto my stummick an lean over the edge. It’s snagged on a bush that’s growin outta the canyon wall, ten foot below me.

I look at them. They look at me. Maev goes to tug at the handrope.

No, wait! I says. Wait! Nero! I whistle fer him, pointin down at the bush. He sweeps down an lands on it. Looks at the arrow, then up at me with his clever black eyes. That’s right, git the cord! I says. Bring me the cord, Nero.

He starts workin the arrow free with his beak.

The ground rumbles. Riders approach. The drumbeats grow ever louder.

They’re here! yells Tommo.

Weapons! yells Maev.

They all load their bows. I scramble to my feet an do the same.

Look out fer the blowdarts! I yell.

Saba! I’m afeared! cries Emmi.

If you are, you ain’t no sister of mine! I shout. Come at me agin!

I ain’t afeared of nuthin! she yells.

That’s more like it!

The headhunters ride into view. A dozen men. But not on horseback.

On bird back.

They’re ridin birds.

Not flyin birds. Runnin birds. Huge. Eight foot tall. With black feathers an short white tails. Long, powerful legs. Big two-clawed feet. Small heads on top of long, stretched necks.

Like their temple firekeeper, these hunters is painted white over their entire body. Black slashes over their eyes an mouths. The rag strips that cover ’em whip in the wind of their ride. On their heads they wear helmets made from human skulls. A long black horsetail hangs down their backs. Some of ’em clutch spears, others ready their blowguns. Hatchets hang from their waists.

The drummer’s at the back, two skinboxes slung eether side of his bird. He urges the hunters on, beatin fast with his heels. When they spot us, they start to make this fearsome noise. A high-pitched, endless yip. Uhluhluhluhla! Uhluhluhluhla!

Aim fer the birds! cries Maev. Go fer the necks!

The hunters race towards us.

Hold! yells Maev.

They’re closer. That crazy war shriekin stands my hair on end.

Hold! she cries.

Closer.

Hold!

Then, Fire! yells Maev.

One, two, three, four. I zing off the shots. Fast. Strong. My bow sings wild an sweet. I’m thirty foot back this side of the Gap, but my bow puts me right there. I bring down a bird. Two riders. They cry out as they tumble to death. A squawk, a flutter, an Nero lands at my feet. He drops the arrow with the nettlecord attached. I haul the string up an grab the rope the second it comes into view.

I got it, Maev! I yell.

I run to the nearest bridge pillar. I loop the rope around, make a slipknot an haul on it till it starts to pull taut. Till it stretches tight over the canyon gap. There’s a little downslope on it. I tie the rope off.

We got us a rope slide.

Ready! I shout.

While I bin fixin the slide, Maev’s bin gettin Em ready. Wrappin her belt around both her wrists, loopin it over the rope slide an bucklin it tight. Now she takes her by the waist, they yell, one, two, three!, an they’re runnin to the canyon’s edge an Maev gives her a shove.

Over the canyon flies Em, screamin all the way. I catch her at this side an set her free.

Keep shootin, Em, I says. We both fire away while Maev sets Tommo on the slide with his belt. He comes hurtlin over the canyon so fast, he almost bowls me over.

Then there’s the three of us – me, Emmi an Tommo – shootin from this side, with Maev an Lugh on th’other. Between us, we brought down half of the headhunters an a couple of the birds.

Lugh! shouts Maev. C’mon!

He hesitates. He’ll hafta cross open ground to git to her.

Keep low! Move, gawdammit! she yells.

He makes a dash fer it, skippin an dodgin as spears an darts fly at him.

Stay down, yer too high! I yell.

There’s one headhunter who’s bin shoutin at everybody, tellin ’em what to do. Now he aims his blowgun at Lugh.

I see. I shoot him. A heartstrike. He tumbles dead from his bird. But he blew his dart. It hits Lugh in the arm. He keeps runnin. Probly didn’t even feel it. He slides across the canyon. Tommo helps him offa the rope.

You bin hit! Pull it out! I says to him.

He sees the dart fer the first time. Yanks it out.

Then it’s jest Maev left on th’other side. As we keep firin on the hunters, we’re all yellin at her, C’mon! What’re you waitin fer?

She’s yellin somethin back.

What’s she sayin? says Emmi.

She ain’t got no belt, I says.

Cain’t git across, says Tommo. She’s trapped!

Maev, I yell, look out!

A headhunter runs at her, hatchet held high. Uhluhluhluhla! Maev whirls around an bends over. He tumbles over her back into thin air. He plunges to the bottom of the canyon, screamin all the way.

He’s dropped his hatchet. Maev seizes it, takes hold of the rope with one hand an chops it free of the pillar. She runs at the edge. Swings herself across the Gap.

The hunters beat a retreat. They scoop up their dead, grab our horses an take off on their birds, back the way they come.

Then they’re gone. That’s it. Over.

Maev’s bashed into this side of the canyon. She’s hangin on the rope, startin to climb. Me an Tommo rush to help pull her up. She scrambles to her feet. Shakes her head at me. You don’t make things easy, do you? she says.

They got Lugh in the arm, I says. Blowdart.

He’s standin there, half outta his shirt, lookin at where it went in. There’s a raised red welt on his upper right arm. Don’t fuss me, he says.

Emmi, I says, where’s the medicine bag?

She keeps it around her waist. She’s already emptied it on the ground, sortin through little brown bottles an bags of herbs. I know what to use, she says. But we gotta git the poison out first.

I’ll do it, says Maev. You got sage water, Em?

While they clean Maev’s knife, me an Tommo sit Lugh down. We each take one of his hands. Grip hard, I tell him. He does.

Maev kneels beside him, knife at the ready. I’m sorry, she says. This is gonna hurt.

Jest do it, he tells her. As she cuts his flesh, as she slices a cross into his skin, he don’t make a sound. But he almost crushes my hand.

Maev puts her mouth to the wound. She sucks out the poison an spits it on the ground. Agin an agin, till she’s got it all out.

Done, she says an stands up. I’ll see if Emmi needs some help.

Maev, says Lugh.

Yeah?

Thank you, he says. Yer . . . yer amazin. Jest now an . . . before too. I ain’t never seen nuthin like it. You saved our lives. Their eyes meet. Briefly. But it’s enough to kick a pink flush into her cheeks. A little smile onto her lips. Her an Tommo go over to Em.

Then it’s jest me an Lugh. I’m still kneelin beside him, still holdin his hand. He looks straight ahead. His lips press together, his fingers twitch, his whole body quivers. He’s in shock. From the ride, from the fight, from his injury.

I’m sorry I left like that, I says. Without sayin nuthin, I mean. But I had to. You would of stopped me an Jack needs me. He sent fer me, Lugh, he’s in trouble. He did send a message, I worked it out. I gotta meet him at the Lost Cause by the next full moon.

He turns his head an looks at me. I flinch. Not shock. Rage, sharp an white, hardens him. He yanks up our joined hands. Holds ’em in front of our faces.

We used to breathe together, you an me. We used to think the same thoughts. Feel the same feelins. Walk in each other’s footsteps. The only reason we survived was becuz we had each other.

His voice lashes around me, tight an quick an low. With every word, his hand tightens on mine. Bit by bit, till the pain flashes red inside my head.

It warn’t all that long ago, he says. Remember?

Yes, I gasp.

You knew I’d follow you, becuz you’d of done the same, he says. If it warn’t fer Maev, we’d be dead by now. I’d be dead. An all becuz of Jack. All fer Jack. A man you hardly know. The man who helped kill yer friends.

I cry out with pain fer my hand. Stare into his eyes.

Tell me, Saba, he says. Does it hurt?

Yes, I whisper.

Yes, he says.

He lets go my hand. I cradle it to my chest. It throbs as the blood starts to flow. It’s gonna be bruised. Lugh goes over to have Emmi doctor his wound.

They all bin watchin us. Nobody meets my eyes.

Fine.

Let him hate me.

Let ’em all hate me. The most important thing is, I’m where I wanna be. Where I need to be. An that’s here. In Tonton territory. In New Eden. Headed fer the Lost Cause. Headed fer Jack.

There’s only one trail leadin away from the Gap. It goes into the trees.

I stick my knife in my boot, shoulder my bow an quiver an hang my waterskin on my belt. Then I whistle fer Nero an, with Tracker at my heels, I make fer the trail. When I git to th’others, I stop an says, I gotta make tracks. I gotta be at the Lost Cause by the full moon.

That’s two nights from now, says Maev. You got no idea how far it is or where it is. It ain’t possible.

I smile to myself. What would Jack say now? It ain’t impossible, I says. Nuthin’s impossible.

You fergot Hermes, says Emmi.

It’s my fault yer here, I says. That you lost yer gear an yer horses. I’m sorry about that. More sorry’n I can say. I’ll leave him an the rest of my stuff with you. You four can find another route outta here, back to the Snake. Head out west. Jack an me’ll find you.

You cain’t go on foot, says Maev.

I’ll steal a horse along the way, I says. See yuz.

We squeeze along the path, me an Tracker. I duck unner low-hangin branches. Growth crowds in from both sides. It don’t look like nobody passes this way much. Nero flits from branch to branch.

Wait up! Maev comes crashin after me. Mind if I tag along? she says.

You ain’t got no love fer Jack, I says.

He’s a gawdamn know-it-all, she says.

So’m I, I says. So’re you, fer that matter.

Ezzackly, she says, he reminds too much of myself.

What he said to you, Maev, that was the message, I says. You’ve lost an yer the cause of it. So full of pride. You should of seen us comin by the moon, had more’n three on watch. It means, meet me at the Lost Cause at the next full moon. The rule of three.

Huh, she says. Smart. Well, yer set on goin an here we are. I ain’t gonna let you go by yerself. There may well be more to this Jack thing than meets the eye. Anyways, she says – her tone oh-so-casual – I got me some vengeance to wreak with the Tonton.

An there it is, the real reason she wants to come with me.

I wish you’d speak to Lugh about Jack, I says. When I do, he don’t hear what I say.

You don’t git it, do you? she says. The way he sees it, while he was weak an helpless, Jack stole what belonged to him. You.

I stop. Turn to stare at her. Nobody stole me, I says. Lugh don’t own me.

Try tellin him that, she says. An while yer at it, tell yerself.

I’ll tell you to shut the hell up, I says. I go on, shovin my way along the overgrown path.

We better find some horses quick, she says. Two days ain’t long to git to a place when you don’t know where it is.

Saba! Emmi comes runnin after us. Lugh says you gotta come back, she cries. He says we gotta talk things over, make a plan.

He’s got a tongue in his head, he can tell me hisself, I says.

Oh, he ain’t speakin to you. She joins in behind Maev. Where’re we goin?

The path comes outta the trees. We’re standin on a little ridge. The land sprawls in front of us. What used to be a wooded plain with lakes, an mountains in the far distance. But the trees got some kinda blight – they’re jest dried red sticks, trunks, branches, needles an all. Sad memories of trees, that’s all they are now. The remains of Wrecker light towers here an there. We can see the trail cuttin pretty much straight across. One road only. Headed one way. East.

I dunno where yer goin, I says. But I’m goin that way.

Hey! Lugh shouts from the trees behind us. Hey! He barrels up to me, his face a black cloud. Tommo’s like a worried dog at his heels, leadin Hermes along.