Emmi’s standin next to me. The Pinches ain’t lookin. I lift my chained hands an she slips unnerneath. She wraps her arms around my waist an gives me a fierce hug. The Pinches keep her workin so hard, she’s even scrawnier’n usual.
This is it, I says. Hopetown.
What’s gonna happen now? she whispers.
I dunno, I says. We’l find out soon enough, I reckon. Whatever happens, keep yer eyes peeled fer Lugh.
Jest then, a familiar caw caw caw rings out. I look up. A big black bird circles, high above. I’d know that wingspan anywhere.
Nero! I says. He swoops down, buzzes jest over our heads, then soars on up agin. My heart soars with him. Tears spring to my eyes. He must of bin fol owin us the whole time, I says.
I knew he wouldn’t leave us! says Em. I knew it!
You bet er move, I says. Quick, before she sees you.
I lift my hands an jest as she slips out agin, Miz Pinch turns around. She frowns. What’s goin on? You know the rules!
She grabs Emmi. Raises her arm to backhand her. Jest then Pinch cal s out, Miz Pinch! The chariot’s here, my love!
She stops. Looks over her shoulder.
A scabby camel steps up beside the Swan. He’s pul in a rusted out car behind him, hitched on with a harness. By the filthy look on his face, he ain’t too pleased with how things’ve worked out fer him. He rol s his eyes an snaps his long yel ow teeth at the legs of the lit le boy perched on his hump.
Miz Pinch turns back. I’l tend to you later, she hisses to Em. Right now, I got bigger business.
C’mon, missus, I ain’t got al day, says the camel boy. Where to?
Miz Pinch yanks at my chains. I stumble forwards.
Take us to the Cage Master, she says.
I peer out a the windows as we bump slowly through Hopetown on at tires. It’s so crowded with people we cain’t hardly move. They press aginst the chariot, starin in at us. The camel boy leans down an cracks his whip at ’em, tryin to clear the way.
I look fer golden hair tied back in a long braid. Fer eyes blue as a summer sky.
Are you here, Lugh?
A man’s back. Broad shoulders, gold hair—short, but they could of cut his hair by now—the right height. My heart skips a beat. Every muscle in my body goes tense.
Turn around, turn around, oh please turn around, let me see you.
He does. It ain’t Lugh.
At that moment, a man leans through the window. He grabs my arm an starts to try an pul me out, chains an al .
I don’t stop to think. I twist, I scrabble, I brace myself on the chariot, give myself a foothold.
Stop! Rooster Pinch beats at the man’s head with his tat ered umburel a. Unhand her!
Saba! Emmi cries.
The red hot oods me. I bite down on his lthy hand. He yel s out but hangs on. I bite harder. Deeper. I bite til I taste his blood. He shrieks an lets go. He fal s back. Gits swal owed by the crowd.
That’s it! shouts Pinch. Run, you vil ain! You coward! Ha! No one crosses Rooster Pinch!
Saba, says Emmi. Are y’okay?
I spit out a the window. Spit out the taste of him, the smel of him, the feel of him. I sit back in my seat. I wipe my mouth with my chained hands. I’m fine, I says.
I look over at Miz Pinch. She ain’t moved through the whole thing. She’s jest sat there, starin at me.
An there’s a lit le smile on her face.
The camel boy parks the chariot in front of a long low stone buildin on the edge of Hopetown. It’s a proper built place, not a Wrecker-junk shanty like the rest.
You bring the child an remember, keep yer mouth shut, says Miz Pinch to Rooster as we git out. I’l deal with the Cage Master.
She grabs my hand chains an hauls me along behind her. Pinch brings Emmi by the hand. Two big mean-lookin men step in front of the door as we come up to it. My heart skips a beat. They’re dressed in long black tunics with leather body armor over top. Jest like the men who took Lugh. They must be Tonton, like Mercy told me about.
Cage Master ain’t in, says one.
Cage Master ain’t in, says one.
He’l be in fer me, says Miz Pinch. Tel him Miz Pinch is here. Say I got somethin special fer him.
They look at us with hard eyes. They got merciless faces.
Didn’t you hear me? the Tonton says. I said, he ain’t in.
You’l tel him I’m here if you know what’s good fer you, says Miz Pinch.
One of ’em jerks his head an th’other one opens the door an disappears inside. He’s back soon.
You can go in, he says. But you bet er be quick.
We al go in.
The Cage Master sits behind a big stone table in a white room. In the wal behind the table, there’s a big wooden door. A dul roar, the muf led sound of many voices, comes from behind it.
There’s partly et food spread out al over the table in a big mess— atbread an plat ers of roast meat an boiled pigeon eggs an jugs of grog.
The Cage Master hardly even looks up when we come in, he’s so busy stu n it al into his mouth. He’s got a fat, round, pink face with three chins an a few long hanks of hair plastered flat to his skul . There’s a red napkin tied around his neck.
Puf ed up, greedy toad. I ain’t afeared of you.
He picks up a roasted sparrow an crams the whole thing in his mouth. Wel , what is it? he says. I’m a busy man, Miz Pinch. I ain’t in the mood fer no time wasters.
Miz Pinch goes stil . Like a rat lesnake about to strike. Them Tonton guards of yers is al chaaled up, Cage Master, she says. You bet er hope that my—that … certain people don’t find out that yer let in standards slip.
His face goes pale. He pul s the napkin from his neck an wipes his greasy mouth an fat greasy ngers on it. But … my guards’re clean, he says, I swear they are!
It don’t look that way to me, says Miz Pinch. Ain’t that right, Rooster?
Yes my dear, he says. Whatever you say, my dove.
I look at Miz Pinch, then the Cage Master. They’re starin at each other. The Tonton warn’t chewin on no chaal leaf. She don’t like the way he talked to her an she’l set le the score by makin trouble fer him.
Wel , what’re you waitin fer? says Miz Pinch. You bet er see to it.
Yes, he says. Yes. He hesitates, stil chewin. Then, he heaves hisself to his feet an waddles around the table.
DeMalo! he bel ows. DeMalo!
The door behind the table opens a crack. The noise outside spil s in, a deafenin roar, as a man slips through. The sound fades as he closes the door behind him.
He’s a Tonton. Tal , like they al seem to be, an robed head to foot in black. But this one wears metal body armor over his robes where the rest wear leather. A shiny breastplate an armbands from his wrists to his elbows. Long dark hair tied back. A watchful face. A strong face, with broad cheekbones. You don’t cal men beautiful, I know that. But al the same, that’s what he is.
He says nuthin. Waits.
The Cage Master, so cocky jest a moment ago, shrinks. He looks o to the side of DeMalo when he says, Uh … this … uh Miz Pinch seems to think there’s a problem with the guards on the door. Of course I uh … assured her that we run a tight ship here but uh … I’d be ah … most … ah …
DeMalo don’t show that he’s even listenin. He moves towards the main door, silent as a cat. As he goes past us, he pauses. Right in front of me.He raises his head. His eyes meet mine. They’re deep set. Dark, almost black. Ful of shadows.