“Pale Snake.” And if I had the sense the Mysterious One gave a mosquito, I’d turn on my heel and walk away!
“You haven’t answered my question. Can you take us—”
“And in that pack,” he mused, “is the Mask of Many Colored Crow.”
A faint smile played at the corners of her full mouth. “I wouldn’t get any ideas, Pale Snake. You look like a healthy man, and one satisfied with life. Wifh the exception of my daughter and myself, the only people who have seen this Mask in the last four moons are all dead.” “What do you want from me?” he asked coldly. And what does Tall Man have to do with this? Pale Snake kept glancing at the hills, half expecting the dwarf to come charging down the slope. And then what would you do? Break his neck on the spot?
Or just twist his arms ”
“Transportation. For myself, my daughter, and the Mask. We need to go to the Roaring Water.”
Pale Snake examined the little girl. His soul prickled at the Power he saw in those big brown eyes. “Who sent you to me?”
“Tall Man … just before Robin killed him last night.”
Pale Snake peered into her eyes, seeking to read her soul.
“Are you sure that Tall Man is dead? Not just some ruse?”
Dead? Really? Seriously?
“War Leader Robin boiled his intestines last night,” she told him levelly. “I doubt that even the Magician could make a sleight of that.”
“No, I doubt that he could … although I’d have to wonder how Tall Man would have allowed himself to get caught,”
“You’re not an ordinary Trader, Pale Snake.”
“What makes you think that?”
“I can mention Tall Man’s name and you don’t glance about in sudden fear that we might summon his angry ghost here.”
She studied him, her eyes narrowed. “No, you’re not ordinary in any sense.”
He could feel Stone Wrist’s growing interest. He hadn’t much more time. You’re a fool, Pale Snake. You ought to just say no, get in your boat and travel as fast as a frightened mallard for home.
Instead, he placed a hand on Star Shell’s shoulder, turned toward the canoe and said, “I’ll tell you what, Yellow Snail, I’ll take you and Little Salamander here as far as the Acorn holdings. From there, you can catch the trail to the Butternut clan grounds. Fair enough?”
“You’ve made a deal.” Star Shell gestured at the canoe.
“Come on, Little Salamander. We can’t keep the man waiting all day.”
Silver Water clambered into the boat, stepping over the packs and folding her blankets to sit on. Star Shell waded out into the water, found a second oar where it had been stowed, and took a seat in the bow.
Pale Snake pulled at his ear and made a face for Stone Wrist’s benefit. “I don’t know. She’s only got a burden basket in that pack of hers, but she claims that a relative at Acorn will throw in a good copper plate.”
“Uh-huh.” Stone Wrist shook his head uneasily. “Take my advice, dunk her in the water four or five times if you’re planning on letting her crawl into your blankets at night. Otherwise, you’ll be picking fleas and ticks out of your scrotum for a month.”
“I don’t think I’ll be doing that. The River Spirit might sink me in return for the defilement.”
“I’d make her walk,” Stone Wrist declared as Pale Snake pushed his canoe off.
“See you in two summers!” the Trader called back.
“And say hello to my sister!”
“I will!” Pale Snake began paddling, turning into the current and away from the shore.
Star Shell said angrily, “I heard what he said. If you think I’m getting anywhere close to your blankets—”
“I have no intention of any such activity.” Especially if you’ve been mixed up with Tall Man. “But at the same time, I don’t suppose that you’d like Stone Wrist speculating on the nature of my interest in transporting you. One of the secrets to Trading is understanding where your opponents’ weaknesses lie.
Fortunately, Stone Wrist is so delightfully full of weaknesses that I’ve yet to find a strength.”
“You’re a slick talker, Pale Snake.” She was slashing the water with her paddle, more than a little of it wetting the Trader’s clothing and packs.
“Easy,” Pale Snake said. “You want to set the paddle in the water and pull it straight back. It’s one smooth motion.”
“That’s what I’m doing.”
“Crow feathers! You’re using it like it was a digging stick, or a war club … I’m not sure which.”