The Standing Dead - Stone Dance of the Chameleon 02 (86 page)

The
Master
says
that
he
must
be
given
authority
over the
Bluedancing
women.
Additionally,
for
a
period
of
up to
two
moons,
he
must
be
allowed
to
lead
the
men
of
the Tribe
as
he
did
in
the
battle
against
the
Bluedancing.'

'But
not
into
battle,'
Akaisha
said
quickly,
fear
stiffening
her
face.

Osidian
promised
they
would
merely
hunt.

'And
how
shall
we
be
fed
during
these
two
moons?' asked
Whin,
clearly
outraged.

The
Master
will
make
sure
the
Koppie
is
kept
supplied with
meat,'
said
Ravan,
failing
to
conceal
his
triumph.

Galewing
rose
and
surveyed
the
Assembly.
'I
for
one say
we
should
let
him
try.'

Many
grumbled
but
none
opposed
him.
Galewing offered
to
go
with
the
Master
to
keep
an
eye
on
everything he
did.
With
a
heavy
heart,
Carnelian
witnessed
the Elders
bowing
their
heads
as
a
sign
they
were
giving Osidian
their
mandate.

As
they
walked
under
the
cedars,
Ravan
grinned
as
if
he had
helped
the
Master
win
a
famous
victory.
Sick
with foreboding,
Carnelian
saw
Osidian
was
walking
blind,
his inner
sight
occupied
with
some
vision.

‘I
will
not
go
with
you,'
Carnelian
said.

Osidian
took
a
while
coming
back
from
wherever
he was.
That
is
fortuitous,
since
I
had
intended
to
leave
you behind.'

Carnelian
had
not
expected
that
and
felt
cheated.

'I
need
you
here,'
said
Osidian.

'Why?'

'I
shall
show
you.'

Unhappy,
Carnelian
followed
Osidian
round
the
Crag, down
the
Blooding
rootstair
and
out
into
the
ferngardens. They
reached
the
Bloodwood
Tree,
which
seemed
strange without
its
ochre-faced
women,
and
walked
on
into
the fernmeadow
beyond.
Osidian
fixed
Carnelian
with
his green
eyes.

'All
I
ask
of
you
is
that
you
should
supervise
the
work of
the
Bluedancing
here.'

'It
depends
what
kind
of
work
you
want
them
to
do.'

'Digging,
my
Lord.
Nothing
more
offensive
to
your sensibilities
than
that.'

'Show
me
where
you
want
them
to
dig.'

Osidian
traced
a
wide
circuit
through
the
air.
The ditch
all
around
this
meadow
must
be
cleared
and
cut
to its
full
original
depth.
Its
walls
must
be
beaten
hard
and strong.
All
the
earth
you
dig
out
should
be
piled
up
in
a rampart
on
the
outer
edge.'

Carnelian
surveyed
the
meadow.
He
saw
that,
apart from
the
earthbridge
they
had
used
to
cross
to
it,
the Horngate
was
the
only
other
entrance.
He
looked
at Osidian.

'You
wish
for
me
to
make
a
bottl
e
into
which
you
are going
to
drive
a
herd?'

Osidian
smiled.
'It
was
the
way
my
forefathers provisioned
their
hosts
when
they
campaigned
down
on this
plain
more
than
seven
hundred
years
ago.'

Carnelian
gave
a
nod,
appreciating
how
it
might
work. He
walked
over
to
the
ditch
with
Osidian
and
Ravan following
him.
Standing
on
the
edge,
he
peered
down. Where
tree
roots
did
not
buttress
the
walls,
they
had crumbled.
Mud
and
weeds
clogged
the
ditch
along
its whole
length.

This
is
no
trivial
labour.'

'You
shall
have
the
use
of
all
the
Bluedancing.
I
will send
messengers
back
to
bring
me
news
of
your
progress. If
it
be
not
fast
enough
we
shall
see
if
we
cannot
bend
the Ochre
to
the
task.'

Carnelian
looked
at
him.
'And
where
will
you
be?'

Osidian
looked
away
to
where
the
plain
could
be
seen shimmering
green.
'Out
there,'
he
said
with
a
jutting
of his
chin,
'training
the
hunters.'

'If
he
chooses
to
help
me,
I'd
like
to
use
Fern
as
my assistant,'
Carnelian
said.

'Oh
no,
Carnelian,'
said
Osidian
with
a
shake
of
his head
and
a
feral
grin.
That
one
will
come
with
me.'

Fear
gripped
Carnelian.
'Do
you
intend
to
hurt
him?'

Osidian
shrugged.
'Hunting
involves
an
element
of
risk.'

'Do
you
forget
that
you
owe
him
your
life?'

Osidian
controlled
anger.
'He
will
risk
the
hazards
with the
rest.'

'I
will
not
aid
you
unless
you
promise
to
keep
him
safe.'

Osidian
chuckled.
'Do
you
imagine
you
are
that essential
to
this
project?'

'I
shall
reveal
to
the
Elders
the
true
goal
of
your schemes.'

Osidian
smiled.
'A
crude
manipulation
but
one
Chosen in
mood.
Do
you
believe
those
decrepit
savages
even
have the
imagination
to
see
my
plans
are
possible?
They
will laugh
at
you,
my
Lord.'