Blood Red Road

lizard. He throws hisself down beside Jack.
    Jack jams the long-looker to his eyes. Lowers it slowly. It’s Pinch, he says. He’s got Emmi with him all right. But there’s only two Tonton with him. What’s his game? He tosses the looker to me. Sure enough, there’s only three horsemen headed our way across the plain. They ride close together. DeMalo an another Tonton. One on each side of Pinch.
    I train the looker on Pinch. He’s ridin a big white stallion. An he’s still dressed like he was last night. Long golden robe with shiny stones an bits of mirror an shimmer discs. But it hangs down in burnt an tattered shreds. He holds his right leg stuck out to the side. There’s metal bars an straps around it, almost like a cage. He’s got his face an head wrapped in a gold sheema.
    An ridin on Pinch’s horse with him, tucked aginst his chest like he’s got every right to have her there, is Emmi. She looks so small, so skinny, so pale. But her chin’s held high. She won’t show him she’s afeared. My heart lurches.
    Lugh snatches the looker to see fer hisself. Emmi, he says. She looks all right. It don’t look like he’s hurt her.
    If he did, I’ll rip his head off, says Ike.
    Looks like this is the showdown, says Ash.
    Everybody ready? says Jack.
    We fit arrows to our crossbow strings. Keep outta sight behind the rocks an wait. An wait. My heart’s beatin like crazy. My mouth’s dry.
    They’re here. says Tommo.
    We raise our heads over the rocks. We take aim.

    They’ve stopped a little ways from the bottom. Within shoutin distance.
    Pinch edges his white stallion forwards. The horse tosses his head an dances a little.
    Looks like he don’t trust his rider .
    Emmi! I shout. Are y’all right? Did they hurt you?
    No! Her voice sounds thin an shaky. I’m fine!
    A classic battle tactic, calls Pinch. Forcing your enemy to attack uphill. But there is no enemy here. Only your King.
    You ain’t no King of mine! yells Ike.
    Ike! Jack hisses. Not helpful.
    Well, he ain’t.
    You left something behind, calls Pinch. Something of value. The King has condescended to return her to you.
    Let her go! I yell.
    He slides a bolt shooter from his robes. He presses it to Emmi’s temple.
    He dislikes children, he says. So noisy. So dirty.
    Let her go! says Lugh, standin up. It’s me you want.
    I try to tug him down, but he pulls away.
    You have displeased your King severely, says Pinch. He chose you with great care but you’re too stupid to realize the great honor done to you. All his years of planning … gone to waste. His many kindnesses to you—a guest in his royal Palace—and you repay him with humiliation. The King is not accustomed to being humiliated.
    I’ll come back with you, says Lugh. Whatever you want. Jest let my sister go.
    You have wounded the King with your ingratitude, he says. But you are no longer of interest to him.
    Cold fingers of fear start to creep along my spine.
    Then take me, says Ike. I’m the one who showed ’em where to find you.
    The gallant giant, says Pinch. No. You won’t do either.
    Git to the point, says Lugh. What do you want?
    Not what, he says. Who.
    He points at me.
    The King wants her, he says. The Angel of Death.

    What fer? yells Ike.
    He wishes to speak with her, says Pinch. To have a friendly little chat.
    Right away, I lower my bow an take a step forwards.
    Lugh grabs my arm. What’re you doin? You cain’t go down there.
    He’s got Emmi, I says. Of course I’m gonna talk to him.
    He don’t wanna talk to you. Look at him. The man’s crazy.
    It’s too dangerous, Saba, says Ash.
    What does he want with you anyways? says Lugh.
    She killed his parents back at Hopetown, says Jack. She nearly killed him too.
    It was a accident, I says.
    Lugh swears. Why didn’t you say nuthin?
    I didn’t think it mattered, I says.
    I say we take him out, says Ike. There’s six of us an only three of them.
    Ike, he’s holdin a shooter to Emmi’s head, I says. The way I see it, we ain’t got no choice. I’m goin down.
    No, says Lugh. We’ll think of somethin else. You cain’t go. I ferbid it.
    She’s my sister, I says.
    Jack catches my hand. I look down at him. I know what he’s thinkin.
    If it’d bin Emmi they took, he says, Emmi an not Lugh  …  would you of gone after her?
    When he asked me that question, back at Darktrees, the answer was no. If he asked me agin, if he asked me now, I’d answer yes. Without stoppin to think. Yes.
    He squeezes my hand. Says,