People of the River(156)

Badgertail's eyes narrowed. "I can't either—since I'm not going to Cahokia."

He scrutinized the aged shaman to make sure he didn't have any weapons, then turned to the cattails again. Flute crept closer to the place where Badgertail had seen the brown flesh.

A woman jumped to her feet and made a mad dash through the stalks. Budworm ran her down with little effort, though she almost beat him to tatters with her fists before he could drag her back.

"Meadow Vole." Badgertail looked at her bloody leg. "What are you two doing here?"

Wanderer gestured aimlessly. "For the most part, we've spent the day watching your warriors flee like rats back toward Caholda."

Badgertail paled. "What are you talking about?"

"Petaga has devastated your forces, Badgertail. I'm surprised you didn't know. We saw Elkhom fly past only—"

"Elkhom?" Badgertail's hand tightened around his war club. If a seasoned warrior like Elkhom had headed home, Cahokia must be in grave danger. But could it be true? "Where's Petaga?"

Wanderer pointed to the bluff. "About there, I should think. At least that's what Crossed Beak said earlier. You'd better be getting back to Cahokia, Badgertail, or Petaga will arrive before you do."

Badgertail lifted his chin. Could things have gone so terribly wrong that his forces had been unable to hold Petaga for even a few days?

"Well, it's good to see that you're still ahve, Badgertail." Wanderer smiled genially as he strode by Badgertail to grab Vole's arm. "Vole and I have to be going now."

Wanderer briskly led Vole off in a westerly direction, engaging her in an animated conversation. Flute turned to gape at Badgertail.

He waved a hand irritably. "Yes, go stop them."

As Flute charged off, swinging his war club, Badgertail's eyes returned to the bluff. Could Petaga really be up there? So close to Cahokia?

He kept staring, and caught sight of thin wisps of dust rising from the bluff, shading the blue sky with a hint of gray.

His stomach cramped—as though his body knew something that his soul refused to believe.





Thirty-eight


Lichen trudged up from the mint-scented shore of Cahokia Creek and stopped at the edge of the sprawling settlement to look around. Dusk outlined the mounds with luminous borders of gray. A few children raced up and down the paths that led through the maze of houses.

Awe and fear struck Lichen at once. She had never seen this many houses before. Shaggy thatched roofs filled her vision. How could so many live in so small a space?

She walked on. People barely glanced at her as she passed—^but with so many living here, how could they know all the children? The thought made her feel hollow. What would it be like to live in a place where you didn't know everyone? If a little girl were hurt and calling for help, would someone she didn't know come to save her? The thought that they might not sent shivers through Lichen.

She passed an old woman who sat outside her house combing a basketful of dog hair to be woven into the beautiful blanket sitting half-finished on the loom beside her. The colors amazed Lichen. Reds and purples so brilliant they must have been stunning in the full light of day. Did the Sun Chief trade for such dyes? Or did his artisans create special blends that Lichen's people didn't know how to make? Lichen would have given almost anything to have a dress with that rich shade of purple in it.

The mouth-watering smell of com-and-fish soup filled the air, taunting Lichen's empty stomach. Dogs barked, the sounds soft and indistinct, as though coming from across the village.

Lichen gawked at the mounds as she walked. They rose up like small mountains, hemming her in, making it hard to breathe. Big houses stood on the tops of most of them, orange glows lighting the windows. Wanderer had told her once that the Sunborn insisted the mounds be built to reflect the shapes of the sky gods. The mounds reached up to the sky, and the sky gods reached down. As she gazed around, she thought she could distinguish the major stars that formed Hanged Woman's body, and a series of mounds curved southward to represent the noose around Hanged Woman's throat. Lichen followed the mounds and spied a large group of people gathered in front of a house.

When she was close enough, she could hear the sobs of a woman, and someone screaming, "Keep them away from me! They're not human. Oh, Checkerberry, what are they? Where's Primrose? Nettle? Nettle, where are you? Go find Primrose for me! I want my brother!"

The people outside had their arms crossed tightly across their breasts. They muttered nervously, and Lichen caught half-sentences:

"... don't know. She won't nurse them."

"I swear that wolf-faced one can see. I was talking to Nettle about taking them out and bashing their heads on the rocks, and I turned around and found those pink eyes boring into me."