King Blood(18)

As their grandfather stared at them sternly, watchful for any error in deportment, the girls kept their eyes demurely downcast, their lips firmed to erase any semblance of giggling. Satisfied with his inspection, Tepaha rolled open the doors to the dining room and curtly beckoned to his grandson, I.K.

I.K. came in, hands jammed into the pockets of his mail-order suit, his bright yellow shoes tapping the floor in a kind of jaunty swagger. His brightly greased hair was parted in the middle, in the dudish fashion of the day. Despite the ominous air of the bar room, he was smiling. For he could not really believe that anything truly bad would happen to him.

He was Tepaha's youngest grandchild, and Old Ike's favorite. Both had pampered him, laughing at his fop's dress and mannerisms, only scolding him mildly for laziness and general no-accountness. So why, then, should they suddenly turn severe?

'Hi'ya, Gran'pa, Uncle Ike,' he said. 'How's your hammer hangin'?'

'Silence,' Tepaha said. 'You are in great disgrace.'

'Me? Aw, now, Gran'pa – '

Tepaha suddenly slapped him. As I.K. let out a pained howl, Tepaha slapped him again. The youth clenched his teeth, his eyes tear-filled. Tepaha drew the gleaming knife from his boot-top and handed it to him.

'You will hand this to your Uncle Ike. He will use my knife and his hand. So we both punish you for stealing from him.'

'N-no!' I.K. gasped. 'I – w-what is he gonna -?'

'He will cut off one of your fingers.'

'Cut off my -? _Oh, no!_ P-please, Gran'pa. Please, d-don't – '

Tepaha stared at him stonily. Implacably, he repeated his order. One finger would be cut off now. Two, if he delayed. Three if he delayed longer.

'Aw, now, looky,' Arlie protested. 'This ain't really fair.'

'Silence,' said Tepaha.

'But it ain't fair, Grandfather Tepaha. You an' Paw taught I.K. all the orneriness he knows. You laughed about his stealing. It ain't his fault – '

'Silence! He stole from his own family, your father. A great crime, and a shame to me.'

'But, dang it -!'

Tepaha swung his hand swiftly, slapping Arlie full in the face. Now, he declared, Arlie had best remain silent or he would be slapped again. Boz laughed at his brother's discomfiture.

'Boy, are you gutless! Catch me lettin' him slap me around!'

Arlie ignored the jibe. Tepaha grabbed his grandson by the arm, and hauled him before Old Ike. Trembling, I.K. held out his left hand, and Ike neatly sliced off his third finger and handed it back to him.

I.K. clutched it dully, holding the bleeding stump against his chest. Vacant-eyed, numb with shock, he listened as Tepaha pronounced the remainder of his sentence. He was to leave King's Junction at once. If he ever returned, he would be killed.

'Now, go,' Tepaha said, pointing. And I.K. went. And the old Apache rolled the dining room doors shut behind him.

Tepaha turned around again. His eyes found Ike's, and Ike slowly nodded; jerked his head at Boz.

'Stretch yourself out there on the floor,' he said. 'Your Gran'father Tepaha is gonna kick you.'

'Huh?' Boz grunted. 'What the hell you talkin' about?'

'I said to lay yourself down! Now, do it or I'll lay you!'

'B-but – but – ' Boz's eyes darted nervously from his father to Tepaha. 'What the shit is this? Why is Tepaha a-wantin' to kick me?'

Ike said that the kicking was his own idea, just as cutting off I.K.'s finger had been Tepaha's. 'You kicked Joshie, his kinswoman. Now, he will kick you.'

'But, God dammit -!' Boz whirled on his wife. 'You've been lyin' about me, ain't you? Now, by Christ, you take it back or I'll – '

'She didn't say nothin',' Arlie said idly. 'Got too much pride to admit that her own husband would kick her.'

'And I didn't, by God! Anyone that says I did is a fucking liar!'

'I said it,' Arlie grinned, 'an' I wasn't lying. So you better hump your ass for that kickin'!'

Boz dived for him, his hand darting toward his boot-top. At virtually the same instant, he found the point of Arlie's knife pricking at his throat.

'Now, you lay down, boy,' Arlie said softly. 'Get yourself down on them planks, or you're gonna be minus an Adam's apple.'

Boz lay down, cursing, vowing to get his brother if it took him a hundred years. Arlie laughed that it would take him that long to get a hard-on.

'Enough!' Old Ike growled; and to Tepaha, 'Whenever you are ready, old friend.'

Tepaha stepped forward. He kicked Boz twice, the second kick causing the young man to break wind noisily.

Arlie roared with laughter, as Boz sat up. 'Always figured you was full of shit. Reckon there ain't no doubt about it, now!'

His face white with pain and fury, Boz came slowly to his feet. Casually, Arlie turned his back on him, as though to address his wife.

It was a trap, of course. But Boz saw it as opportunity. He sprang, knife drawn. But Arlie was suddenly no longer where he had been, and, as suddenly, Boz was no longer period.