The Standing Dead - Stone Dance of the Chameleon 02 (80 page)

Carnelian
watched
the
look
of
disbelief
turn
on
many faces
to
hope.
Shocked,
he
contemplated
the
joy
of
keeping
Poppy
from
the
Masters.

'But
what
about
their
women?'
asked
Galewing.

Osidian
shrugged
and
then
looked
the
Elder
in
the
eye.

'Either
we
let
them
die
or
else
you
might
welcome
them into
the
Ochre
...
as
servants.'

The
old
men
considered
this.
'As
servants
.
.
.'
they muttered,
uncertainly.

They
fished
the
Ochre
dead
from
the
carnage
on
the ridge.
They
salvaged
saddle-chairs
to
replace
the
ones they
had
burned
and
improvised
drag-cradles
to
carry
the casualties.

'We
must
do
something
about
all
these
bodies,'
said Galewing
in
Vulgate,
watching
his
people
move
among the
corpses
despoiling
them
of
salt.

'Look
around
you,'
Osidian
said,
sweeping
his
arm round.
Sitting
in
his
saddle-chair,
he
towered
over
the Elder.
'How
shall
we
give
them
to
the
sky?
See
how numerous
they
are.
It's
impossible
to
take
them
with
us. Would
you
leave
a
contingent
of
our
strength
here
to
keep away
the
scavengers?
Consider
that
the
Ochre
are
wholly unprotected.'

Galewing
looked
up
sad,
fearful.
Then
we've
not
only destroyed
their
tribe
but
we
also
damned
the
souls
of
all their
men
to
live
as
raveners.'

Krow
looked
ill.
Ravan
was
gazing
uneasily
over
the battlefield,
but
then
burned
doubt
away
with
anger.
'It's what
they
deserve.
Rather
them
than
us.'

Binding
up
Carnelian's
wounds,
Fern
made
no
attempt

to
hide
his
contempt
for
his
brother.
Unabashed,
Ravan

strode
to
his
aquar
and
when
he
was
mounted,
said,
'Let
's
go
and
save
their
women
and
children.'

* * *

Riding
over
a
ridge,
they
saw
an
encampment
spread
on the
plain.

'So
many,'
someone
exclaimed.

'Even
without
their
men
they
would
still
outnumber
the Tribe,'
said
Fern.

'How
can
we
hope
to
feed
them
all?'
said
Galewing.

'If
you
set
them
to
work
in
the
ditches
you
will
be
free to
hunt
more,'
said
Osidian.
'In
time
you
can
use
their labour
to
extend
the
Koppie.'

As
they
rode
closer,
Carnelian
saw
the
Bluedancing had
formed
their
drag-cradles
into
a
barricade
behind which
they
stood
waiting.
Osidian
brought
the
warband
to a
halt
when
the
women's
faces
could
clearly
be
seen
peering
out
from
under
their
head-blankets.

A
shrill
voice
cried
out
a
challenge.

'What?'
Carnelian
asked
Fern.

'I'm
not
sure,'
his
friend
replied.
'Something
about their
men.
By
the
tone
of
her
voice,
a
warning.'

They
don't
know
what's
happened.'

Fern
looked
morose.
'I
think
it
more
likely
they're clinging
to
the
hope
we've
got
here
by
somehow
eluding their
men.'

'I
wouldn't
like
to
be
the
one
who
has
to
tell
them,' said
Krow.
His
statement
was
greeted
by
a
murmur
of agreement.

The
Elders
talked
quickly
among
themselves.
Kyte called
over
to
Crowrane,
who
sat
hunched
in
his
saddle-chair,
but
the
old
man
showed
no
sign
of
having
heard.
He had
been
like
that
since
the
battle
and
the
death
of
his son.

Galewing
forced
a
decision.
'We'll
go
down
and
talk
to them.'

Osidian
interrupted
Ravan
as
he
began
to
translate.
'I understood.'

They
watched
the
Elders
and
the
men
who
had
lost children
to
the
Bluedancing
ride
down
towards
the barricade.
What
if
the
women
became
violent?
Carnelian did
not
doubt
Osidian
would
be
prepared
to
attack
them.

The
Elders
were
dismounting.
They
addressed
the women
over
the
meshed
drag-cradles.
Kyte
made
a speech.
His
head
dropped
before
he
was
finished.
A
wave of
consternation
moved
round
the
circle
of
the
defenders. They
began
detaching
themselves
from
their
defensive ring
and
running
to
where
Kyte
was
speaking.
His
posture betrayed
his
shame,
as
he
turned
to
point
up
the
slope. Wailing
wafted
on
the
wind.
The
Elders
fell
into
a
long discussion
with
them.

'Father
above,
what
can
they
be
finding
to
talk
about?' said
Ravan.

Osidian
made
him
fall
silent
with
a
look.
'Everything depends
on
how
much
they
love
their
children.'

Carnelian's
heart
was
down
there
with
the
Bluedancing women.
He
watched
the
Elders
remount
and
ride
back.

They'll
agree
to
come
with
us
for
the
sake
of
their children,'
Galewing
cried
out
while
he
was
still
some distance
away.
'But
they
demand
that
they
be
allowed
to collect
the
bodies
of
their
men
for
proper
burial.'