People of the Longhouse(23)
“Last moon’s battle was not with Yellowtail Village,” Sindak pointed out. “White Dog Village—”
“It won’t matter to the families that lost loved ones. For them a Standing Stone warrior is a Standing Stone warrior.”
Akio was right. Sindak kept turning around and noticed that Koracoo, too, was carefully observing the crowd. Her shoulder muscles had gone tight under her red cape.
Akio said, “I wonder where she stowed CorpseEye?”
“Her legendary war club? I had forgotten all about it.”
“It must be somewhere close. She wouldn’t leave Yellowtail Village without it. It’s supposed to have great Spirit Power.” His fat florid face reddened with excitement. “And it’s worth a fortune.”
“You’re a greedy boy, Akio.” Actually, it was a good idea. If they could find it and deliver it to Nesi, he would reward them handsomely. “Tomorrow morning, if they are still captives, I’ll help you hunt.”
Akio smiled. “I’ll be ready. Maybe we should ask Towa to help, too?”
“I don’t think so. He doesn’t believe in Spirit Power.”
“He believes in wealth, doesn’t he?” Akio gave him a sideways look. When Sindak didn’t respond immediately, Akio added, “And not believing in Spirit Power is dangerous. Someday a Spirit is going to sneak up on him and suck his souls out through his ears.”
Sindak shrugged. “It will be interesting to see if he notices.”
As they approached the prisoners’ house, one old woman shouted, “Standing Stone filth,” and threw a rock at Koracoo. It struck her in the shoulder. Koracoo swung around to glare at the woman just as another rock whistled past, thumped off the house, and bounced across the ground.
“Hurry,” Towa said. “Let’s get them inside.”
The prisoners’ house stretched forty hands long and twenty wide. The walls were not of bark construction, but sturdy oak planks reinforced with cross-poles.
Ober pulled back the heavy door—hung on leather hinges—and said, “Quickly, before we have to put down a riot.”
Koracoo and Gonda disappeared into the darkness. Ober closed the door and dropped the plank across it to lock it.
A boy picked up another rock and grunted as he hurled it as hard as he could. It cracked against the house. “You killed my brother!” he cried, and broke into tears. “My only brother! I hope you die!”
Ober shouted, “Get out of here! All of you. Go home. You can call insults tomorrow!”
No one paid attention to him.
Several knots of people formed. They stood around grumbling, shouting insults, and casting hateful glances at the prisoners’ house. Stones continued to thump the walls.
Towa turned to Sindak. “I think you and I should take first watch.”
Sindak nodded, and they took up guard positions on either side of the door.
Ober scanned the remaining people, then walked over to Towa and softly asked, “Can you do this, Towa? You’re still injured. What if trouble breaks out?”
Towa smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll be all right. I’ll shout for help and hold them off until you get here.”
Ober stared hard into his eyes, silently judging Towa’s strength and ability. “Very well. Akio and I will sleep with the Wolf Clan tonight.” He aimed his war club at Tila’s longhouse. It was a massive structure, the largest in the village, and as night deepened, it loomed like a huge dark monster. “We’ll be no more than twenty paces away if you need us.”
“Thank you, my friend.”
Ober and Akio walked away. Several members of the crowd cursed them for protecting the prisoners, knowing all the while the men had been ordered to do so.
“Filthy Standing Stone beasts!” an old woman screamed and hurled a pot at the prisoners’ house. It shattered against the planks, and sherds cartwheeled across the ground. “I’ll kill you myself before you leave here!”
“I’ll help her!” A muscular warrior named Tadu shouted, and hurled another stone. It whacked against the house and clattered down among the broken potsherds.
Sindak, about to comment on the situation, turned to Towa … and saw something. A momentary flash of light, like the flare of a hidden lightning bolt. It frosted the wooden roof of the prisoners’ house. He blinked.
“What are you looking at?” Towa asked.
“There’s a storm coming. I just saw lightning.”
“What lightning? There isn’t a cloud in the sky.”
“How would you know? You have the vision of a mole. It was right there.” He pointed.
Beyond the palisade wall, a gigantic maple stood, its scarlet leaves like drops of blood against the bruised evening sky. In that moment, Sindak would have sworn the great tree had eyes. Eyes fixed right on him.