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I
murdered him
, Perkar thought grimly.
He had just managed, shakily, to stand, when he heard horses arriving. He
retrieved Harka, lying an armspan from where he fell.
Not enemies
, the sword soothed him. His hand was shaking.
Harka, of course, was right. The riders who came down into the wash were
Ngangata and Yuu han.
Perkar was not greatly surprised to find that Chuuzek had either lied or been
wrong. Three of the other
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THE BLACKGOD
Mang were dead, their throats torn open. One remained alive, however; the
young man, Moss. He wasn t even bleeding, though there was a nasty bruise just
beginning to purple on his forehead. He was spattered with a black fluid that
Perkar recognized.
That s godblood, he told Ngangata. Godblood is either black or gold, in my
experience.
Something attacked them, Yuu han muttered. He was staring suspiciously at
Chuuzek.
I killed him, Perkar admitted. He had a bow. I didn t know he was wounded
already.
Yuu han shrugged. He was brave, but his notions of honor were twisted. And at
least he got to stab you.
Perkar almost retorted, but then he took Yuu han s meaning. When he stabbed
Chuuzek, it had been murder, plain and straight. The Mang had been in no
condition to fight him. But he probably would have died anyway; he had
strapped himself to the tree so that he would die standing up, with some
slight chance to kill another enemy. Perkar unintentionally had given him that
last opportunity. Perhaps
Chuuzek had even died believing he had killed
Perkar. Perkar felt a brief smile play on his lips.
His humor was short-lived. He had proved nothing to himself. There had been no
battle, no real test of his courage. Indeed, he had killed an already dying
man and then been duped into being stabbed. If the knife had been witched as
the Slap paddle had been, he might be dead now despite it all.
Ngangata shot Yuu han an irritated glance but did not speak to the Mang s
comment. Instead, the half man followed the speckles of black blood across the
wash.
They wounded this
, too, whatever it was. Perhaps that explains why two of them survived.
Chuuzek must have wounded it before it could kill Moss. The others died in
their sleep, I think.
Perkar joined Ngangata and stared intently at the trail himself. What sort of
footprints?
They look Human.
Perkar nodded. That s no surprise. Gods take their mortal forms from the
blood and bone of mortal beings. Most are said to appear Human, more or less.
Should we follow?
It took Perkar a moment to register that Ngangata was actually asking him what
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to do. Maybe, he answered. It could be the Blackgod, couldn t it? Helping
us?
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THE BLACKGOD
It could, Ngangata replied, his voice empty of inflection.
Perkar followed the trail of dark fluid with his gaze, thinking.
He remembered the hideous strength of the Crow God, the casually summoned
lightning. He remembered Good Thief s doom, and how easily the fickle Blackgod
might have chosen Ngangata instead. Whatever it was the Blackgod or some
local spirit it has done us a favor, Perkar finally said, trying to keep his
voice even. It felt shaky, and he seemed to have trouble backing it with
breath. I
think we should leave here now, before whatever it is turns on us.
Good, Ngangata replied, heat creeping into his voice. I wanted to see if
you had even that much sense. If you had chosen otherwise, I would have
clubbed you unconscious, magic sword or no. What kind of stupid idea came into
your head and sent you down here alone? Playing the hero again? Haven t you
learned your lesson by now?
Perkar knew he couldn t explain to his friend, but he owed him something. He
raised his hands almost as if in defense and tried to think of something to
say.
No, Ngangata snapped. I don t want to hear it. You always think you re
right, think you know exactly
what you should do. Challenge me to a fistfight because I didn t know my
place. Attack the Huntress.
Leave me on the island with Brother Horse, because you knew it would be better
for me
You were dying
Perkar said, faltering beneath the rush of Ngangata s words.
Always you know what to do, and always you are wrong. Then you say I surely
was wrong that time, but now I know better, and next time I ll be right.
You stupid cowherd.
Perkar flushed with shame. He wanted to tell Ngangata that it wasn t at all
like that this time, that he hadn t thought he was right, he had just wanted
not to be terrified
. He had needed to do something. But he couldn t say that. What came out
instead was quavering, uncertain sounding.
I just& you ve all been fighting my fights for me while I lay on my back. I
wanted to do something myself. Not a lie, not as unspeakable as the truth. He
might have been able to tell Ngangata, but
Yuu han was there, judging him with that hard Mang judgment, and he simply
could not.
Ngangata just frowned and started for his horse, his ration of words
apparently spent for the day.
Wait, Perkar said. I wasn t wrong about leaving you on the island. I was
right about that. You would have died on the River. If you hadn t, you would
have died when the soldiers attacked me in Nhol. I
didn t want you dead.
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THE BLACKGOD
You don t want
, Ngangata snarled, spinning on his heel. You don t want this, you don t
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want that.
Maybe I don t want to see you killed doing some damn stupid thing like this,
did you ever, ever consider that? And maybe Hezhi and Brother Horse don t want
you killed, or they wouldn t have risked their lives in the otherworld to get
your stupid ass back.
He strode violently over to Perkar and, quick as a snake striking, slapped him
so hard that he rocked back on his heels and sat down, violently, his teeth
snapping with the impact.
Now get on your damn horse and ride back up the hill with us and start using
your head for more than a battering ram.
So saying, he leapt upon his stallion, gave heel to it, and in a flurry of
dust was gone, leaving Perkar, blinking, on the ground watching him depart.
Yuu han regarded him placidly, then offered him a hand up.
If it s any comfort, Yuu han confided, I don t much care if you live or
die. I say you should feel free to ride down on our enemies anytime the mood
strikes you.
Thanks, Perkar said, spitting blood onto the warming sand.
We should take Moss with us, Yuu han added. Could you help me tie him to
one of these horses?
Yes, of course. Perkar went to get one of the horses standing about.
You didn t warn me that he was going to hit me, Perkar complained to Harka.
No, I most certainly did not
, the sword replied.
They broke camp when Ngangata and Yuu han returned with Perkar and Moss. The
latter was unconscious, tied unceremoniously across the saddle of a horse
Hezhi had never seen before. When she saw this, she expected to behold Perkar
strutting about, full of his brave deed, and she was prepared to give him the
tongue-lashing he deserved. Instead, she saw him looking more ashamed and
uncertain than ever.
He wouldn t speak to her, other than to mumble a few apologies and to make [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
