He don’t say no more. When we’re deep into the trees, he gives the signal – the pigeon call. Answer comes back. We move forwards an we’re at Bram’s rootbound arms dump. An here they all are. Tommo an Maev. Ash an Creed an Slim an Molly.
Tracker comes runnin. He shoves me with his big head, almost knockin me over. As I rub his ears an fuss him, I take it all in. Everybody looks completely different. Tommo an Creed wear Tonton gear. Maev, Ash an Molly all ragged an filthy, like they bin livin rough. Nobody comes to speak to me. A quick glance when I first show, but that’s it. They keep on loadin the Cosmic’s secret compartment with ammo an weapons. She don’t look nuthin like she used to. She’s bin pretty much rebuilt. Changed to a open cart with new boards, all chalkwashed.
An there’s Molly’s mare Prue an my Hermes. He greets me with a toss of his head an a whuffle. I kiss his soft nose. Stroke his face. At least the beasts seem glad to see me. All but Moses, of course. The Grand Champeen of the Pillawalla Camel Race sits off to one side, chewin his cud an givin me the evil eye.
That’s it, says Slim. Lugh! All done!
Lugh climbs outta the arms store, my bow in his hand. He’s dressed like a Tonton too. He don’t look nuthin like my brother, like my Lugh. His birthmoon tattoo’s now covered up with some kinda face paint. His eyes take in my dress, the new boots. He comes right over, grabs my arm an takes me into the trees, away from everybody.
Where you bin, Saba? he says. What’re you wearin?
It’s Cassie’s, I lie.
I was lookin fer you half the night, he says. First Emmi, then you. What was you thinkin, runnin off like that? Don’t you ever use yer head? He pulls me to him. Hugs me tight.
Is this yer way of pickin me up offa the ground? I says.
Why couldn’t you listen to me about Jack? he says. All I ever wanted to do was pertect you, stop you gittin hurt.
Where was you? I says. When they took Emmi? I needed you. I wanted you, Lugh.
I’m sorry. He puts me away from him. I was – I couldn’t of done nuthin anyways, he says.
You was with Maev, I says.
So? He’s a bit flushed on the cheeks, a bit shifty.
So . . . you love her, I says.
No, I don’t.
I seen the way you look at her, I says. Did she take away the shadows fer a time? There in the cornfields, in the moonlight?
Fer a time, he says.
Maybe that’s all there is, I says. The most we can hope fer.
I said about maybe comin west with us once we git Emmi back, he says, but . . . she said no. She’s stayin here.
How did you ask her? I says. Did you say, come with me Maev, be with me, we’re meant for each other, made fer each other, yer a fever in my blood.
I go still. His words, DeMalo’s words, it’s like they’re runnin in my head all the time, over an over, behind the words I speak, the thoughts I think. He’s right, he’s right, he’s a fever in my blood, in my head, in my bones – no, no, that’s what Jack said.
Saba? says Lugh.
Yeah, I says. So . . . did you say that to her?
No, he says. Of course not. Here. He hands me my bow, an we go back to th’ others.
Bram’s changed into Tonton gear, too, like the rest of the boys. He’s cleared a patch of forest floor an hunkers down, stick in hand. He scratches a map in the dirt as he speaks.
Okay, he says. Full attention. Everybody. No matter how well you think you know the plan. They’ll of took Emmi to Resurrection, to question her. It’s Tonton headquarters, the middle of the spider’s web. I know the outside pretty good. I done a fair few scouts from the lake, but I ain’t never bin inside.
What? I says.
You heard, he says. Let me tell you what I do know. Resurrection stands, like a great slab, in between the lake on this side an a big field of boulders an rubble on the approach side. The Field of the Fallen Mountain. There’s only one gate, in an out. We go in through the gate, an out by the lake, droppin down by rope into boats. Okay so far?
We all nod our heads. He goes on, Resurrection’s a strange buildin. Huge. Long an narrow, maybe half a mile long, half a mile high.
Half a mile? I says. What the hell was it?
Bram shrugs. I dunno, maybe somethin to do with the lake. Hard to tell. From the approach side, it looks jest like a big slab of concrete. We got five floors, runnin right along the top. Bottom floor – let’s call it one – that’s their kitchen an stores. At this end, there’s a kinda landin stage that juts out over the lake. Floor two, we got sleepin quarters. We avoid that. Floor three, I dunno what goes on there. Floor four, I dunno, floor five, I dunno. I only know what I could see from the lake. Lights goin on an off, people comin to windows. Speakin of which – windows, that is – they run all along the buildin on both sides, every floor but kitchen level, that’s only got a couple. We’ll try to drop ropes from a window on the third floor.
Why don’t we leave by the landin stage? I says.
Kitchen level’s always busy, he says. All night, every night, there’s people comin an goin.
Where will Emmi be? I says.
We dunno, says Lugh. She could be anywhere in there.
We all look at each other. This is hopeless, I says.
Don’t you dare say that, says Lugh. It’s yer fault she’s in there.
That’s enough, says Bram. By the way – Bram looks at me – Ash, Creed an Maev’s asked to throw in with us, an I said yes. Glad to have ’em on board. This is their first official op.
Right, I says. I look at the three of ’em, but they keep their eyes on the map.
So, Bram says, this is how we git there. Tommo, me, Lugh, an Creed’s the Tonton. We’re bringin four women to be interrogated. That’s Molly, Maev, Ash an Saba. The story is we caught you doin sabotage in Sector Ten – I bin makin a little trouble there lately, so that story should hold water. You women ride in the cart, me an Lugh drive, Tommo an Creed on horseback behind. We go through three guardposts on the road, here, here an here, where we’ll hafta give the password.
What is it? I says.
Different every time, he says. They got a bunch, they use ’em in random rotation. You can tell which one from the colour of the flag on the gate. I spent many a hour spyin on guardposts when I should of bin workin. Slim’s bin a great help with that too, gittin round the place as he does.
Slim shrugs, but looks pleased.
When we git to here, says Bram, we split up. Molly, Tommo an Saba take Hermes an Prue an head to the far end of the the lake – it’s called Glasswater Tarn. They’ll tell you what to do, Saba. In the meantime, Lugh an me an Creed, in the cart, drive into the gatehouse, perched on top. Right through the main gate with our suspects fer interrogation, Ash an Maev.
I only half-listen as Bram goes through the rest of the plan. I’m outta the main action. I won’t be part of Emmi’s rescue. They don’t want me. They don’t trust me. I ruined everythin fer everybody becuz of my blind belief in Jack. Deceitful betrayer. If I ever set eyes on him agin, I’ll kill him.
I gotta be there! It bursts outta me.
They all look. No, says Bram. Yer a liability.
They could well be usin Emmi fer bait to draw you in, says Slim. You cain’t go nowhere near the place.
But I—
What’s the most important thing? he says. That we git the little gal back, right? You think on that, big sister, an leave yer pride here. Moses an me’ll roast it fer supper. Ha ha!