People of the Thunder(119)

“Do you have to call us that?” Heron Wing asked.

“What?”

“Chikosi. It means ‘aunty’s people.’ It’s humiliating.” Trader glanced at Old White, shared a shrug, and turned his attention to Smoke Shield as he cast again. His brother was having a good day. “I could take him.”

“Forget it,” Old White reminded.

Trader spread his hands. “The only place the Chikosi aren’t called Chikosi is here. By us.”

“Whatever happens,” Morning Dew insisted, “we’re going to have to come up with something special to give both sides a reason to cease fighting.”

“So, how long do we have?” Old White asked.

“Until they call the next Council meeting,” Trader said. He looked back at Heron Wing. “I heard that warriors are coming up from the south.”

She nodded. “The first ones began arriving today.”

Trader shook his head as Blood Skull’s cast went wide. “The thing is, if Smoke Shield marches all of his warriors out of Split Sky City before we figure a way out of this, there will be no way to call them back.” He glanced at Old White. “We have to be at that Council meeting.”

He nodded. “I wish I knew where Two Petals went. I always imagined that she’d be here. With us. You know, explaining the future.”

Trader waited until Smoke Shield cast. “Heron Wing? When the Council is called, can you do that? Get us in?”

Heron Wing pursed her lips. “Maybe. It will mean telling both Night Star and Blood Skull everything, but yes.”

“We will have some packs,” Old White said. “Things that must not be opened until we are inside, and then only when the time is right.”

“You don’t ask for much, do you?”

“We ask for everything,” Trader said. “And if we don’t get it, we’re never going to be able to stop that man out there from unleashing a mess we can’t put a stop to.”

Smoke Shield charged forward, bowled his stone, and cast his lance. It caught the sunlight, glittering in the air. Then it arced to earth.

“Yes!” They heard Smoke Shield’s cry, and the man made a twisting jerk with his arm.

“Gods, he hasn’t changed. Used to drive me to a rage every time he did that.” Trader shook his head.

Morning Dew slapped the finished dough. “Another thing to consider: Let’s say you do get into the Council. You make your claims, prove your case. How do you expect Smoke Shield to take that? What’s to keep him from walking over and braining the both of you?”

Trader took a deep breath. “Now there’s a question. We’re going to look pretty silly if we end up with him chasing us around the eternal fire, leaping over the chiefs, scrambling this way and that, knocking over the Eagle Pipe and the black drink cup.”

“Three!” Smoke Shield cried in glee. “I win by three!”

“Just don’t forget the Chahta,” Morning Dew reminded. “We may be running out of time.”



Smoke Shield charged up the stairs, recklessly taking them two at a time, each leap shooting him upward. The wooden steps of the Sun Stairs shivered under his impact.

Three points! Just as she said.

Gasping for breath, he trotted into the palace yard, patted the guardian posts, and cut across the great room. Entering the hallway, he pulled the door hanging aside and stared at the woman. She lay curled on his bed, her long black hair laid out in a swirl over the blankets. “Three points,” she said, sensing his presence.

“I would like to know how you knew that.”

“It was what I saw.” She turned her head, fixing her odd, depthless eyes on his. “This is terribly difficult, you know. Speaking like this.”

“How would you normally speak?”

“Backward.”

“Well, you’re not very good at Trade Tongue.”

She lowered an eyelid skeptically. “Neither are you. Talk about an accent.”

He entered the room, pulling back the blanket to expose her naked body. “Not dressed?”

“I can wait until we’re finished.”

He traced his fingers along the curve of her back, over the round moons of her buttocks, and down the slim thighs tucked against her calves. Her breasts were hidden by her arms.

“And you think I have time to linger with you?”

“I know you do.”

“I keep forgetting, you have seen the future.”

“Bide your time. The first warriors have arrived. Some from Red Reed Town will be late. They began to play around and capsized their canoe.”

“You know this, do you?”

“As will you, when it is finally reported.”