Blood Red Road

Whatever he says, don’t trust him. We’ll be coverin you.
    Saba! Lugh says. Come back here!
    I make my way down the hill, my feet slidin on the scree. I stop when I’m ten paces or so from Pinch an Emmi.
    All right, Em? I says.
    Yes, she whispers.
    That’s my girl.
    How touching, says Pinch. Throw your weapons down.
    I pull my quiver over my head an lay it down beside my crossbow.
    Is that it?
    I nod.
    Check her, he says to his men.
    They dismount.
    DeMalo walks towards me. That closed face. Those shadowed eyes that flick over my face, jest once, as he starts to pat me down. The feel of his hands on me. Quick. Light. Cool. I hold my breath. He finds the knife in my boot sheath. He takes it, along with my bow an quiver.
    She’s clean, he says to Pinch.
    Take the child, he says. If Angel here tries anything, break her neck.
    While the other Tonton covers me, DeMalo lifts Emmi down. Pinch slides from his horse. He lands badly, on his caged leg, an curses.
    DeMalo hands Emmi back to him.
    Pinch holds her in front of him, the bolt shooter to her head once agin. He takes a few steps towards me, swingin his leg. He’s wet through with sweat. Must be in a lotta pain.
    I can smell him from here. That sour, sweet, rotten smell.
    So, Pinch says. At last. The Angel of Death. The King has a personal score to settle with you.
    What? I says. That I took my brother before you could burn him to death?
    Your brother, he says. Of course. That tattoo on your cheekbone. The King should have killed you then and saved himself a lot of trouble. No, it’s not that.
    Then what? I says.
    He pulls his sheema away from his face. It’s a mess. Burned. Raw pulpy skin, angry an red. His gold face paint’s all flaked an melted into the flesh.
    He stares at me, breathin high an fast. His black eyes hard. Full of hatred an … an somethin else. Madness.
    Look what you’ve done, he says.
    I says naught.
    Look what you’ve done! He yells it.
    It was a accident, I says. I didn’t mean to.
    The King’s leg. Look what you did to his leg.
    You was chasin us, I says, an the landboat turned over. I didn’t make it turn over. It was a accident.
    They were not! Accidents! He screams it at the top of his voice. All the veins in his neck pop out an spit flies outta his mouth.
    I take a step back. Emmi stares at me with huge eyes. Her face is white.
    The King requires your life in payment, says Pinch. It’s simple. You give yourself to him and they all go free. Your precious brother, your innocent little sister and your friends.
    I don’t say nuthin.
    No one is holding you, he says. You’re free to walk away. But the moment you do, his finger will slip and … pop! No more little sister.
    I stare at him. Frozen.
    DeMalo’s watchin me, his face blank.
    Think, Saba, think!
    Ah, says Pinch, so many questions going through your mind. Does he have more men? Waiting out of sight? Your friends probably told you not to trust him. You’re thinking, how do I know if he’ll keep his word?
    He pauses. Then, You don’t, he says. That’s what makes this so delicious.
    Let her go, you bastard, I says.
    His face twists. He backhands Emmi across the face an she falls to the ground. Right away, he hauls her back up by one arm. There’s a ugly red mark spreadin over her cheek.
    Your fault, he says.
    The red hot rushes through me. I’ll do whatever you want, I says, but you gotta let her go first.
    A show of good faith? He shakes his head. No.
    I feel sweat tricklin down my back. I look at Emmi. I look back at Lugh, Ike, Tommo, Ash. Watchin me. Waitin. An Jack.
    Ah Jack.
    None of ’em move.
    The blood pounds in my ears. My heart’s in my throat. My belly twists.
    I turn back to Pinch.
    You win, I says.

    I hold my hands up slowly.
    He waves a hand. DeMalo stays where he is an the Tonton guard runs over. He jerks my hands behind me an ties ’em tight.
    Now let my sister go, I says.
    Pinch don’t move. He jest stands there, starin at me fer a long long moment. Then his lips stretch in his ruined face. He’s smilin.
    For every winner, he says, there must be a loser.
    He raises a hand. DeMalo lifts a twisted piece of metal to his lips an blows. A loud noise splits th’air. A flock of birds rises up in a flurry
    I look around wildly, my heart racin.
    Tonton step outta the woods at the top of the hill. Right behind Lugh an the rest. Twelve of ’em, with crossbows an bolt guns aimed an at the ready. They must of circled out to come at the hill from the