The Standing Dead - Stone Dance of the Chameleon 02 (72 page)

Harth
smiled
slyly.
'Does
the
Master
counsel
us
to make
war
upon
the
Bluedancing?'

Osidian
narrowed
his
green
eyes
as
Crowrane
told
him what
his
wife
had
said.

'And
who
would
we
put
in
command
of
this
expedition?'
Harth
continued
as
if
she
were
reeling
in
a fish.
She
raised
her
eyebrows
waiting
for
an
answer. Osidian
seemed
not
to
hear
her.

The
Master
himself,
no
doubt?'
she
said
and
smiled.

Osidian
spoke
and
Crowrane,
scowling,
refused
to translate.
Harth
began
to
look
uncertain.

Ravan
turned
to
face
the
people.
The
Master
says
that perhaps
under
his
command
we
might
find
the
manhood we
lack.'

The
Tribe
erupted
in
outrage.
The
men,
who
had
been feeling
the
humiliation,
cried
out
that
they
had
no
need
of the
Master
to
find
courage.
They
boasted
of
their
bravery in
the
hunt.

Carnelian
saw
Harth's
horror
as
she
realized
she
had lost
control.
The
mothers
who
had
lost
children
and husbands;
the
men
who
had
lost
wives,
fixed
up
the
anger of
the
Tribe
until
there
was
a
universal
baying
for
war. Harth,
Akaisha
and
other
women
Elders
tried
to
calm them
with
commands,
then
appeals,
but
the
crowd's
mood overwhelmed
their
opposition.
Shouting
against
the tumult,
Galewing,
Crowrane
and
other
Elder
men
gave their
leave
for
war.
Watching
in
horror,
Carnelian
froze when
he
saw
the
smile
Osidian
was
making
no
attempt
to conceal.

As
the
Tribe
scattered
to
their
preparations,
Carnelian approached
Osidian. 'Why
did
you
smile?'

The
eyes
Osidian
turned
on
him
were
those
of
a stranger.
'Matters
have
come
to
pass
according
to
my will.'

Carnelian
went
cold.
He
considered
asking
Osidian how
he
had
brought
this
disaster
down
on
them,
but
knew he
would
get
no
answer.
'Why?'

'It
is
the
God's
will.'

The
cool,
indifferent
Quya
made
Carnelian
boil.
He would
tell
Akaisha
and
she
would
put
a
stop
to
Osidian's madness.
He
looked
around
him
and
saw
the
hollow-eyed determination
on
every
face.
Even
if
Akaisha
believed him,
would
she
be
able
to
tell
the
mothers
to
forget
their lost
children?

He
felt
empty
as
he
regarded
Osidian.
'You
will
at
least fight
with
them?'

'I
will
lead
them
to
victory.'

'Lead
them?
Did
Ravan
not
tell
you
that
they
rejected you?'

Osidian
smiled
again.
They
will
follow
me.'

Carnelian
felt
tired,
not
understanding
what
he
meant, not
wanting
to
understand.

'And
you,
my
Lord,'
Osidian
said.
'Who
will
you
fight with?'

Carnelian
clasped
his
head
in
exasperation.
'How many
sides
are
there?'

'Either
you
will
choose
to
stand
with
me
or
else
number yourself
among
the
savages.
Which
will
it
be?'

Carnelian
considered
whether
he
might
refuse
to
fight at
all.
But
could
he
watch
Fern
and
the
others
march
out and
remain
behind?
The
waiting
would
be
unbearable. He
searched
Osidian's
eyes
for
any
glimmer
of
the
boy
he had
loved,
but
all
he
saw
was
a
Master.

He
shook
his
head.
'Not
with
you.'

Osidian
turned
away.

Carnelian
stood
there
for
some
moments,
considering all
the
arguments
he
might
make,
the
appeals,
but he
knew
the
Master
would
never
listen
and,
desolate,
he went
off
to
find
Fern.

Carnelian
wandered
sick
at
heart
through
the
encampment.
Fresh
edges
were
being
struck
onto
the
flint blades
of
their
spears
and
javelins.
Aquar
were
having their
saddle-chairs
adjusted.
Unnecessary
equipment
was being
removed.
Men
were
taking
turns
hornblacking
each other's
faces.

Carnelian's
heart
sank
when
he
saw
Fern
approach with
Sil
and
Poppy.
The
girl
looked
like
she
wanted
to
run to
him,
but
Sil
was
holding
her
hand.
Fern
offered Carnelian
a
freshly
honed
spear.

'Will
you
fight
with
us?'

'Do
you
really
want
this?'
Carnelian
said.

Looking
unhappy,
Fern
shrugged.
'It's
happening.
To try
to
match
the
Bluedancing's
numbers
everyone's
going: from
the
eldest
to
the
youngest.
We
need
every
warrior
we can
get.
Will
you
fight
with
us?'

'Warriors?'
Carnelian
snorted
and
when
he
saw
Fern's dismay,
he
reached
out
to
take
the
spear.
'Of
course
I'll fight
with
you.'
j

Poppy
ran
into
him.
'You
mustn't
go,
Carnie.
You mustn't.'

He
crouched,
holding
her
away
from
him
so
he
could look
into
her
eyes.
'You
wouldn't
want
Fern
to
go
by
himself,
would
you?'