Old White made a face. “It might get too noisy in here to sleep.”
“I swear!” the Albaamo man cried. “I had to leave. They were looking for the people who had sent Crabapple to warn White Arrow Town.”
Clay Bell thrust her jaw forward. “And you expect us to believe that you would do this thing? Warn the Chahta?”
The old Albaamo straightened, glaring back at her. “We don’t like the Chikosi any more than you do. We just want them to leave.”
“You do understand that we cannot believe any of this,” White Bear said softly. “An Albaamaha plot to betray a Chikosi war party? You work for them. In return they protect you from other enemies. It is an old arrangement.”
“One many of us would change,” the Albaamo protested.
Trader stepped over to Great Cougar. “What is the story behind this?”
The war chief gave him a sidelong glance. “One of our minkos down south, Biloxi Mankiller, and his war chief, a man named Screaming Falcon, decided to raid a Chikosi town last fall. They were successful, but before anyone could anticipate retaliation, the Chikosi attacked. It was masterfully done. They sneaked in at the end of a wedding, somehow remained undetected, and penetrated the palisade. They killed many, burned the town, and took the leaders captive.”
“And you, of course, will raid them as soon as you can collect your forces?”
Great Cougar turned inquisitive eyes on him. “Why would you wish to know this?”
“Trade is difficult when it is done in the middle of a war. To be forewarned is to be prepared.” Trader raised his hands. “The Chikosi will be prepared. Surely they have scouts out.”
“A great many.” The war chief tapped his club against his palm. “Our scouts watch their scouts watching our scouts, although we hear there is some sort of commotion over there. Warriors are boiling through the woods. I just received a report this morning while you were Trading. We have sent an alert to the towns farther inland. At first sign of a group of Chikosi headed in our direction, we shall lay our trap for them.”
Trader frowned. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“What doesn’t?”
Trader indicated the captives. “They have scouts throughout the forest, you said.”
Great Cougar grinned wide enough to show broken molars in the back. “You can’t throw a rock along the ridgeline without hitting a Chikosi scout.”
“Then why would they send out an old man and a young woman to spy on you? Unless things have changed in the years since I traveled among the Chikosi, they wouldn’t entrust as important a task as scouting to any of the Albaamaha. It’s just not in their nature.”
White Bear had been listening, his fingers rubbing the line of his jaw. “I had wondered that myself.”
Trader added, “The Chikosi used to have good relations with the Chahta.”
“How long has it been since you were among them?” Clay Bell asked, her sharp brown eyes on Trader.
“Ten summers or more.” He made a vague gesture.
“Flying Hawk can’t be trusted,” Great Cougar muttered. “He has settled down some over the years, but he is still a volatile and shifty man. This latest trouble started last summer when their war chief, Smoke Shield, paid us a visit. He walked among us like one of the lords of Cahokia come to life. I did hear that there was trouble when he was in White Arrow Town. That might have been the excuse Biloxi used to raid Alligator Town.”
“Biloxi was too young to be high minko down there.” White Bear gave the captives an irritated glare. “The fool never consulted any of the upriver towns. He just made his raid, and now look what has happened!”
“This Smoke Shield is war chief?” Trader mused.
“For the moment. Unfortunately he will be high minko soon,” Clay Bell said with disgust. “And you think we have trouble now? It will be nothing compared to what’s coming when he is confirmed. Their Council must have maggots in their heads to even consider it.”
Trader was watching Two Petals and the Albaamo woman exchanging glances. Gods, it was as if Power swirled in the air every time their gazes locked. He could almost feel his scalp prickling.
“You will go there?” Great Cougar asked. “To Trade among the Chikosi?”
“That was the original plan,” Old White declared.
“Perhaps we should conduct our interrogation of the Albaamaha where your ears, which clearly have no maggots, cannot hear.”
Trader shifted his attention from the Contrary to the conversation. “War Chief, you have our word. We are bound by the Power of Trade. Anything you wish us to keep secret, anything that you ask us to be bound to, we will keep to ourselves. To betray that information would be to betray the Power we live by.”