Black Swallow and the others descended to stand behind him as the squadron second marched up and gave Seven Skull Shield and his companions a suspicious squint.
“Greetings, War Claw,” Seven Skull Shield touched his chin. “Yes, yes. I know. But this riff-raff is with me. We’ve got something for the Keeper.”
War Claw glanced around, gestured for his men to scatter and search the premises. Seven Skull Shield was surprised to see four grim-faced warriors trot up the stairs and into the palace, war clubs in hand, shields forward, as if expecting an ambush. Perhaps Smooth Pebble was more dangerous with a stew kettle than he’d thought?
“Don’t know how you scored such a win, thief. Weaseling your way in here,” War Claw muttered. “You know, the Keeper trusts you. I’d be very unhappy if I discovered that trust was misplaced.”
Black Swallow, who never took threats well, was giving the squadron second a predatory look as the man walked off. Seven Skull Shield gave him a “be patient” gesture. He looked back in time to see a couple of warriors rush out of the palace, bending their heads to discuss something with War Claw.
Meanwhile, Blue Heron’s litter was brought up and lowered by her wet and shivering porters. Seven Skull Shield stepped forward and took her hand, helping her to her feet. The look she gave him sent a spear through his breast. Instead of her normal plotting, composure, the woman looked exhausted, frightened, and defeated.
“What happened?” he asked.
“They got my niece, Lace, last night.” She swallowed hard, fighting for control. “Right under our noses! Murdered most of her household … and what they did to her husband? An abomination of death and disrespect! I had it burned, all of it. Didn’t you see the fire?”
“We only arrived a hand of time ago, Keeper.” He glanced toward Lace’s palace, hidden as it was in the misty gray predawn. “She dead?”
“Worse. Missing.” She gestured futility as War Claw came hurrying down the stairs. “We’ve organized search parties. Warriors are scouring in all directions.”
“Keeper?” War Claw called, still shooting suspicious glances at Black Swallow and his muddy henchmen. “There’s a man just inside the door on your floor, tied and gagged.”
She glanced at Seven Skull Shield, her haggard eyes lacking the sharp inquisitiveness. “Is it him?”
“Sorry, Keeper,” Seven Skull Shield told her. “Just a Tula. But before you go see him, I need you to look at this canoe. Tell me what a wonderful thing it is, inspect it carefully. Then I need you to have Smooth Pebble bring down some very valuable Trade for Black Swallow and his men, here.”
For a moment she fixed her bloodshot and fragile eyes on his. “And why am I wasting my time looking at some pus-rotted canoe?”
“If you’re carrying a captured bound-and-gagged Tula from River Mounds to the Keeper’s palace, and you know that the scorpion is watching, can you think of a better way to transport him here in secret than hidden inside a canoe?”
“A Tula, you say?” She seemed numb.
“He’s in the house. I admit, he’s a little worse for wear. I think he can still talk. But he only speaks Caddo. I need good old War Claw, here, to slip off and let that Yellow Star war second know that we need him to carefully and unobtrusively make his way here on some pretext that won’t get him killed.”
“Do it,” she ordered War Claw. “And after I look at this canoe—”
“And ooh and ah over it.”
“And ooh and ah over it.” She hesitated, glancing at Black Swallow and his ruffians. “Why am I giving valuable Trade to Black Swallow and … Isn’t he the one who’s fingers I—”
“We’re referring to that as an unfortunate misunderstanding,” Seven Skull Shield told her pointedly. “One that we all wish to, um, make amends for.”
She narrowed a hard eye at him, worked her jaws, and hissed some curse under her breath. “He and his dark-shadow stranglers had better be worth it.”
Seven Skull Shield gave her a flat-lipped smile, then said, “Lady, had it been anybody but me”—he jerked a thumb at Black Swallow and the rest—“and without them, our scorpion would have covered his tracks completely, stymied you again, and denied us even this advantage.”
“But you got one?” she asked, finally realizing what it might mean.
“I got one. But I learned something in the process.”
“What?”
“I learned just how smart and cunning your scorpion beast is.”
“I think we’ve been underestimating him all along,” she agreed sadly. “Tell me? Do you think we can win?”