“He’s just a boy.”
“Oh, he’s all of that.” Half Moon agreed. “He’s too much your son, that’s what. All that energy, and I’m the one who has to turn him into a human being, not a wild weasel.”
“Weasels are great hunters. You’ll never have to worry about him being hungry.”
“Weasels are savage fighters, and bloodthirsty to boot!”
“I’ll talk to him,” Nine Killer said in reassuring tones. “But, keep in mind. He doesn’t have to listen to me. I’m only his father.”
“I know, but I think he will.” Half Moon reached out and clapped Nine Killer on the shoulder. “I think your wife would appreciate it if you weren’t too late tonight. I think she’ll cook up something special for you.”
“Thanks. I’ll be there.”
Nine Killer watched Half Moon walk away, headed toward his sister’s long house He had been neglecting White Star, but then, the needs of family and clan came first. His wife knew that; she’d always understood the things he had to do. He was one of the lucky ones. Ever since their first night together, they’d grown to love each other.
A man could do worse.
And—when Nine Killer considered the union of Red Knot and Copper Thunder—so could a woman. How had she felt, being promised on a moment’s notice to a man like Copper Thunder? He started rethinking the entire problem of Red Knot.
As he worked through each of the little clues he and The Panther had uncovered, the voice in his soul whispered:
He’s got it into his head that he’s going to run off and join the Great Tayac’s warriors… to be tattooed like that—that forked eye design—when he’s Blackened. As if the Sun Shell Clan designs weren ‘t good enough!
Was there a key in this that would help unlock the riddle of Red Knot’s death? Or, was this just another blind trail in the woods that would lead him back to the beginning?
Panther was sipping rose hip tea when Nine Killer ducked through the doorway, a perplexed look on his face. The short War Chief strode across the matting, shrugged off his feathered cloak, and untied his war club. Dropping them into a pile, he seated himself to Panther’s right.
“You look preoccupied,” Panther noted as the War Chief reached out and warmed his hands at the crackling blaze. “You’re still not mulling over if I’m really a witch, or perhaps poisoning the Weroansqua’s broth so I can step into her moccasins when she keels over dead, are you?”
“Hmm? No. At least, not at the moment.”
“Well, perhaps you will in the next moment.”
“What’s that?”
“Worry about if I’m poisoning the Weroansqua so that I can take over and step into—”
“Yes, yes, I heard that.” Nine Killer’s expression cleared, and he lifted an eyebrow. “What are we talking about?”
Panther sipped his tea, and started over. “What has you so perplexed? I thought perhaps you were still ruminating on what you overheard this afternoon. About what a black-hearted and evil serpent I used to be.”
Nine Killer shook his head, the frown deepening again. “No, well, yes, I suppose it’s related.” He reached out for an empty gourd and dipped up some of the tea that steamed beside the fire in a ceramic pot. “I just came from talking to my son. His name is Rabbit.”
“Good name for a son.” Panther rolled his gourd, watching the weak tea lap at the edges.
“He’s perhaps a year shy of his Huskanaw, but he’s been listening to Copper Thunder. It seems as if the Great Tayac has been spending a lot of his time here visiting with the boys.”
“Indeed?” Panther squinted into his tea. “I never knew him to be interested in youth.”
“Apparently he is.” Nine Killer sipped at the hot liquid, made a face, and sucked air to cool his scalded lips and tongue. “And what he’s telling them is that when they become men, they are more than welcome to go off and join him and his warriors. After all, he tells them, each of the clans have members in the upper river villages. Further, he offers them wealth, advantage, and promotion. Lands for the taking. To hear Rabbit tell it, Copper Thunder has already given away half of the Ma manatowick’s territory.” “I see.” Panther pulled thoughtfully at the loose skin on his chin. “I’ll bet Grass Mat forgot to tell this to Water Snake.”
Nine Killer set his tea aside to poke at the fire with a smoking stick. “He’s got most of the boys ready to cut their hair into his roach. Not the traditional people’s cut, with the right side shaved and the left pinned up. According to what Copper Thunder told Rabbit, the Serpent Chiefs cut their hair that way so that it can’t come undone in war.”