Blood Red Road

Besides you an us, nobody’s ever bin there essept the rag man an Procter John. Pa told us so.
    Your father lied, says Mercy.

    Pa lied? I says.
    Maybe that ain’t fair, she says. Maybe lied’s the wrong word. Maybe he just … didn’t remember.
    All right, I says. So?
    You know I was there when your ma birthed you an Lugh.
    Uh huh, I says.
    Well … I wasn’t th’only one.
    Somebody else was there? Who?
    A man, she says. A stranger. He stopped at Silverlake, two days before you was born. Didn’t say much. Didn’t say where he was from or where he was headed. An he sure didn’t have nuthin. He was half-starved, with barely even a shirt on his back. Said his name was Trask, but who knows if that was true? Willem was wary of him, but he seemed harmless enough so they fed him an even gave him some of Willem’s old clothes.
    An he was there when we was born, I says.
    Not you, she says. He’d left by then. You was born two hours after Lugh, remember. It was odd. There was Lugh, yellin an kickin to let us know he’d arrived in the world, an right away, Trask got all excited. He kept sayin a boy born at midwinter’s a rare thing, a wonderful thing. An he went on repeatin it. Like it was important somehow. Then, when I looked for him a little while later, he was gone. Didn’t even say goodbye. Funny, but I’d forgot about him till now.
    Why didn’t Pa tell us? I says.
    Maybe he forgot, she says, like me. It didn’t seem terribly important. We thought he was just some crazy travelin man.
    So d’you think Trask’s one of the men who took Lugh? I says. One of the Tonton?
    Oh no, he’d be too old. The Tonton are men in their prime. Trask must of had at least forty year on him an that was eighteen year ago.
    He must of told somebody else about Lugh, I says.
    It seems that way, she says. What about your neighbor?
    Procter John? I frown. I got somethin dancin at the edges of my mind, somethin I cain’t quite git hold of. Then, Now I remember! I says. He said somethin strange … he said to the men, I should know how old he is, I bin keepin a eye on him all this time like you told me to.
    Mercy lets out a long breath. A spy, she says. The Tonton had him watchin over Lugh. Probly kept him in line with chaal an threats.
    So Trask must of told the Tonton, I says. But I don’t unnerstand why it had to be Lugh they took. Why they waited till he was eighteen.
    I don’t understand it myself, she says. But if you find that out, you may well find your brother.

    Dawn’s breakin as I step outside the cabin.
    I wish you’d let me give you more, says Mercy. A bit of jerky an dried yam ain’t gonna last you longer’n a few days.
    Yer stores ain’t ezzackly overflowin, I says. An, thanks to us, you got two mouths to feed now.
    I’ll take care of the child just fine, she says.
    An I’ll take care of myself, I says. I got plenty of water. As fer the rest—I pat my bow—I got this.
    If you’re sure, she says.
    Don’t worry.
    Mercy puts her arm around Emmi. What say we walk Saba across the meadow? See her on her way?
    Emmi shrugs. Picks at her peg doll’s dress. If you like, she says.
    I know I ain’t Em’s favorite person, leavin her here with Mercy, but at least she don’t seem so hostile today. Any road, she’ll git used to it soon enough. An she’ll be safe here with Mercy an Tracker. Might even have a bit of fun fer once, ridin the pony an splashin around in the creek. A child oughta have a bit of fun.
    They walk me across the bridge. Nero flies on ahead, chased by Tracker. The long meadow grass swishes aginst our legs.
    I stop. I turn back. Take a last look at this peaceful green valley with its clear water an sweet air. My chest’s gone all tight. Tears spring to my eyes. I cain’t do it. I won’t be able to find him. I cain’t do it alone.
    Saba? Mercy touches me gently on the arm.
    I suck in a couple of deep breaths. I curse my own weakness. Swipe at my eyes. Lugh’s countin on me. Only me.
    They’re gonna need you, Saba. Lugh an Emmi. An there’ll be others too. Many others. Don’t give in to fear. Be strong, like I know you are .
    I ain’t no quitter, Pa .
    What is it, Saba? Emmi says.
    I turn around. Nuthin, I says.
    I got somethin to give you, says Mercy. Hold out your hand.
    I do. She puts somethin in it an closes my fingers round it.
    What is it? says Emmi.
    I open my hand. A rosy pink stone nestles there. Smooth, shaped like a bird’s egg, about the length of my thumb. It feels