The Standing Dead - Stone Dance of the Chameleon 02 (90 page)

When
he
told
Akaisha
he
thought
they
were
overreacting,
she
flared
to
anger.

'What!
You
don't
understand.
How
could
you?
If
anything
should
happen
to
my
tree,
the
grief
...'
She
shook her
head
and
resumed
her
look-out
for
the
Bluedancing.

Carnelian
felt
like
asking
her
if
she
imagined
her grief
could
turn
into
murderous
rage,
but
he
said nothing
more.
Guilt
at
the
way
the
Tribe
had
treated
the Bluedancing
was
the
true
root
of
her
fear.

Carnelian
paced
back
and
forth
beneath
the
mother
tree. When
Galewing
had
appeared
with
many
riders, Carnelian,
fearing
bloodshed,
had
spoken
out
in
defence of
the
Bluedancing.
He
had
declared
them
to
be
nothing more
dangerous
than
frightened,
dispossessed
women and
children.
His
words
clearly
had
force
for
the
Elder men
though,
unhappily,
he
sensed
this
was
because
he resembled
the
Master.
Outraged,
Harth
had
commanded him
to
be
silent,
saying
the
matter
was
for
the
Elders
to decide.
Akaisha
had
sent
him
to
their
hearth
to
wait
for her.

His
brooding
was
interrupted
by
a
voice
calling
from the
rootstair.
Seeing
it
was
Krow,
Carnelian
invited
him into
his
hearth.
Astride
the
men's
rootbench,
they
faced each
other.
As
Krow
nibbled
at
his
nails,
he
was
smearing
hornblack
from
his
lips
to
his
fingers.

Carnelian
asked
him
how
the
men
were,
mentioning names,
among
which
he
included
Fern
so
as
not
to
draw attention
to
his
concern
for
him.
Without
lifting
his
head, Krow
told
him
everyone
was
fine.

Carnelian
decided
against
asking
more
specifically. 'How
goes
the
great
hunt?'

Krow
looked
up
at
him.
'I
know
nothing
of
a
great hunt.'

'Is
his
earthwork
finished?'

Krow
nodded
grimly.
His
eyes
unfocused
as
he
saw
it in
his
mind's
eye.
'It
parts
the
herds
on
their
way
to
the lagoon.
Even
heaveners
walk
round
it.'

Carnelian
was
surprised.
Two
moons
and
that's
all you've
done?'

Krow
shook
his
head.
'He
makes
us
ride
against
the herds
in
lines,
in
arrowheads.
He
divides
us
into
groups and,
with
his
spear,
commands
us
to
strike
against earthers
in
waves.'

Carnelian
narrowed
his
eyes.
'Why?'

Krow
shrugged.
'Perhaps
this
great
hunt
you
spoke
of, Master.'

There
was
something
in
that
shrug
that
suggested
Krow was
hiding
something.
It
seemed
to
Carnelian
obvious Osidian
was
training
them
for
war.

'Why
did
the
Master
burn
the
Bluedancing's
mother trees?'

Krow
grew
troubled.
'He
told
us
that
as
long
as
their trees
lived,
the
Bluedancing
might
hope
for
freedom
and revenge.'

'It
was
cruel
and
impious.'

Krow
sunk
his
head
again
and
resumed
his
nibbling.

'You
of
all
people
should
know
how
it
feels.'

Krow's
head
jerked
up.
The
Manila
murdered
my hearth
and
tribe.'

'As
we
did
the
Bluedancing
men
and,
besides,
made their
mothers,
wives,
sisters
and
children
slaves.'

'We
showed
them
mercy.'

The
Master's
mercy
was
meant
to
force
the
need
for this
hunt
so
as
to
give
him
power
over
the
Tribe.'

Krow
looked
away
haunted.
'What
choice
do
I
have
but to
follow
him?'

'Akaisha
might
welcome
you
into
her
hearth.'

Krow
turned
back
fiercely.
To
remind
her
that
her
son is
possessed
by
the
Master?'

Carnelian
had
no
answer
to
that.

'I'm
sorry,
Carnie,
but
the
only
place
I
have
left
is
at
the Master's
side.'

Carnelian
could
not
deny
the
plea
in
the
youth's
eyes that
he
should
stop.
He
smiled
at
him.
'Why
have
you come
to
see
me,
Krow?'

The
Master
wants
to
know
how
much
progress
you've made
here.'

Carnelian
closed
his
eyes
and
tried
to
imagine
how much
of
the
ditch
was
still
to
be
cut;
how
much
they
had already
cut
and
how
long
it
had
taken.

He
opened
his
eyes,
feeling
sick
at
heart.
'In
the
end
it will
come
down
to
whether
the
Bluedancing
will
still
work.'

Krow
smiled
coldly.
They'll
work
all
right.'

'You're
returning
to
him
today?'

Krow
nodded.

Tell
him
that
in
eight
days
the
work
here
will
be complete.'

* * *

Krow
took
leave
of
him
with
a
kind
of
bow
and
then Carnelian
was
left
alone
to
brood
on
what
he
had
learned about
Osidian's
preparations.
Sil
and
Poppy
appeared and
Carnelian
helped
them
make
the
evening
meal.