If they’re gonna at ack, they’l hafta to leave their horses an come at us on foot. An we’l be in the bet er position.
It’s a strange place, this plain where we’l take our stand. Dry an dead lookin an everywhere you look, red. Like the heart of a re. Red rocks, red earth.
Red as the dust storm at Silverlake on the day the Tonton rode in.
A lit le ways to the west of the hil , a long, craggy ridge towers above the plain.
To the east, a clutch of spindly rock ngers rises up, reachin fer the sky. There’s lots of ’em, al crowded in together. Tal an thin an pointed. They look wicked. Sharp. Like teeth. Red teeth.
The back of my neck prickles.
What the hel ’s that? I says.
They’re cal ed the Hoodoos, says Jack.
Ash shudders. They gimme the creeps, she says.
We make our way to the foot of Pine Top Hil as quickly as we can.
What about the horses? says Lugh.
What about the horses? says Lugh.
We might need ’em, says Jack.
He don’t say it, but we al know he means if it goes wrong an we got a make a run fer it.
I want Hermes with me, I says. They’l be safe hidden in them trees.
I swing myself down. I lead Hermes up the hil , criss crossin the loose shale. His feet slide an slip, but I talk to him in a quiet voice an he don’t make a fuss. He trusts me. Jest like I trust him. Th’others fol ow on behind, an we pick our way, slow an careful, to the top.
Jack’s right. We’l be able to see Pinch comin at us over the plain from a long ways of .
I give Hermes’ rump a pat an Ash an Ike lead the horses o to set le ’em in the trees behind us. Meantime, me, Jack, Lugh an Tommo divide our ammo. There’s a good sized pile of arrows fer each of us, but stil my heart sinks at the sight of ’em.
Tommo looks at Jack. His brown eyes dark, worried. Not enough, he says.
We got plenty, kid, says Jack. Don’t you worry.
I ain’t got a weapon, says Lugh.
Tommo lifts his bow over his head. Hands it to him. She’s a good ’un, he says. Ike made her fer me.
I couldn’t, says Lugh. What’l you use?
Slingshot, says Tommo, holdin it up.
If yer sure, says Lugh. Thanks, Tommo.
Ike an Ash join us.
Jack hands Tommo the long-looker. You wanna be on lookout? he says.
How’s about that, son? says Ike. Lookout’s the most important job there is.
Tommo beams. Real y?
Real y. Now, you go pick the tree with the best view over the plain. Climb right to the top an keep watch. The moment you see anybody comin, cal out. Good an loud. Got it?
Got it, says Tommo. He’s turnin to go when Ike grabs his arm.
If there’s any fightin, Tommo, you stick close to me. Don’t go of on yer own. You unnerstand, son?
Don’t worry, Ike, Tommo smiles. I got yer back. Clutchin the looker to his chest, he runs of to choose his lookout spot.
He’s got my back, Ike mut ers. A fight ain’t no place fer a boy who cain’t hear. I wish I’d never brought him.
He’l be fine, says Jack. Don’t worry. You told him to stick with you an he wil .
So what’s the plan? says Ash.
Jack looks at me. Gives me his lopsided grin. I smile back.
Jack’s silver moonlight eyes. The stil ness at the heart of him. Like calm water.
We’re gonna hafta wing this one, I says.
Ash rol s her eyes. How did I know you was gonna say that?
What now? says Lugh.
Now, says Jack, we wait.
We hunker down behind the big rocks at the top of the hil with the stand of pine behind us. The plain sweeps out in front of us, wide an bare.
Me an Lugh sit with our backs aginst one big rock. Close together. Our shoulders touchin.
Oh, I says, I nearly fergot. I reach into my pocket. Pul out his necklace. The lit le ring of shiny green glass threaded onto a scrap of leather.
I hand it to him. Found this lyin by the road, I says.
I was wonderin where that got to.
Lucky fer you I was passin that way, I says.
Yeah, he says. I’m lucky al right.
We’re quiet fer a bit, then he nudges me with his elbow. So, he says, what about this Jack?
What about him? I says.
Looks to me like there’s somethin goin on between yuz, he says.
I feel the heat crawl up my neck, into my cheeks. There ain’t nuthin goin on, I says.
Look at you, he says. Yer such a bad liar. So. You like him. Where’d you meet him? His voice sounds al tight. He’s jabbin at the ground with the end of his bow.
In Hopetown, I says. I wouldn’t of found you in time if it warn’t fer him.
He looks at me sidewise. Do I need to thrash him?
Don’t be so stupid. No. You don’t hafta thrash him.
Good, he says. Cuz I’m a dangerous man now. A hard man.
Hard man, I says. As if.
We shove each other with our shoulders. Sit quiet fer a bit. Then he says, You know what I hated most? Besides bein away from you?
What?
Thinkin about Pa. Thinkin how I was with him that last day. Rememberin al them awful things I said to him. That he died believin that’s what I thought of him.
He knew you didn’t mean it, I says. It’s my fault he’s dead, says Lugh. I feel … It’s like I kil ed him.
How can you say that? I says. The Tonton kil ed him, not you. You loved Pa an he loved you.
He says naught. Jest stares at the ground.
You didn’t kil him, I says. Don’t ever say that again.
The sun starts to rise.
We sit silent.
An we wait.
They’re comin! Tommo yel s down from his lookout point high in the tree.
How many? cal s Ike.
Tommo holds up three fingers.
What the hel ? says Ash.
Tommo’s climbed down the tree fast as a lizard. He throws hisself down beside Jack.
Jack jams the long-looker to his eyes. Lowers it slowly. It’s Pinch, he says. He’s got Emmi with him al right. But there’s only two Tonton with him. What’s his game? He tosses the looker to me. Sure enough, there’s only three horsemen headed our way across the plain. They ride close together. DeMalo an another Tonton. One on each side of Pinch.
I train the looker on Pinch. He’s ridin a big white stal ion. An he’s stil dressed like he was last night. Long golden robe with shiny stones an bits of mirror an shimmer discs. But it hangs down in burnt an tat ered shreds. He holds his right leg stuck out to the side. There’s metal bars an straps around it, almost like a cage. He’s got his face an head wrapped in a gold sheema.
An ridin on Pinch’s horse with him, tucked aginst his chest like he’s got every right to have her there, is Emmi. She looks so smal , so skinny, so pale. But her chin’s held high. She won’t show him she’s afeared. My heart lurches.
Lugh snatches the looker to see fer hisself. Emmi, he says. She looks al right. It don’t look like he’s hurt her.
If he did, I’l rip his head of , says Ike.
Looks like this is the showdown, says Ash.
Everybody ready? says Jack.
We fit arrows to our crossbow strings. Keep out a sight behind the rocks an wait. An wait. My heart’s beatin like crazy. My mouth’s dry.
They’re here. says Tommo.
We raise our heads over the rocks. We take aim.
They’ve stopped a lit le ways from the bot om. Within shoutin distance.