Blood Red Road

saved me back at Hopetown. That was one to you. Jest now, I saved you from goin over the waterfall so that’s one to me.
    You did not! I saved myself!
    You wanna quibble? I’m happy to leave you here.
    No! I says. No! Don’t do that!
    Well then, he says. I think we’re even.
    I don’t believe it, I says. Rule of three. That’s about the stupidest thing I ever—
    He yanks the slipknot tight. My back’s crushed aginst his chest.
    —heard of, I says.
    Stupid, eh? He whispers it in my ear so’s his breath tickles. I shiver.
    I hope you got somethin strong at th’other end of this rope, I says.
    Ajax, Ash an Epona, he says. All right?
    I nod. He gives the rope a sharp tug to let ’em know we’re ready.
    Then we slide down into the river.

    Ash an Epona give one last haul on the rope an Jack an me’s dragged outta the water onto the muddy riverbank.
    We lie there, gaspin fer breath.
    Saba! Emmi throws herself on top of me. Saba! I thought you was drowned! I thought I’d lost you!
    C’mon, Emmi, says Ash. Give Saba a chance to git her breath back.
    Thanks, Ash, I says.
    She peels Em away from me. Epona gives me a hand up an wraps me in a fierce hug.
    Thanks, I says.
    Ash an me ain’t much good at swimmin, she says. Yer lucky Jack was here.
    He grins his big jimswagger grin. Would you mind repeatin that, Epona? he says. I don’t think Saba realizes ezzackly how lucky she is.
    I’m startin to feel stupid that I threw my arms around him like I did. Like I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t need savin, I says. I was perfectly fine till you came along.
    He stares at me. His mouth drops open. The rain runs down his face into it.
    You, he says, are insane. Truly insane. Five minutes ago, you was stranded on a rock in the middle of a river at the top of a waterfall with no way—I repeat, no way—of gittin off. Any normal person would not consider that to be fine. An—correct me if I’m wrong—but when I got there, I distinckly heard you say you was never so glad to see anybody in yer life.
    Did not, I says.
    Uh … I think we’ll jest start on up to the tavern, says Ash. Her, Epona an Emmi disappear.
    Jack gives me a hard look. You make my brain hurt, he says.
    An yer the most puffed-up, big-headed swagger boots I ever met, I says. I got news fer you, Jack. You ain’t so great. You ain’t great at all. Not even the slightest bit! If it warn’t fer you an yer stupid plan to go see yer stupid friend in some stupid tavern, I wouldn’t of ended up in the river in the first place!
    Oh, I know what this is about, he says. This is about Ash agin.
    It is not! Anyways, I couldn’t give two hoots about you an Ash or you an anybody else!
    There ain’t nobody else! he yells. It’s all in yer tiny little mind! You know what you need?
    Yeah! I need you to shove off an leave me alone! I yell back.
    No! What you need is to lighten up! My gawd, if yer outta yer mind, I must be outta mine even more! An you know why? Fer even thinkin fer a moment that you an me could of—
    Could of what?
    Dammit, Saba, I thought we could have a good time together! You know … I’d help you find yer brother an you an me ’ud … you know.
    No! I don’t know, Jack! What the hell’re you talkin about?
    What I’m talkin about … is this!
    He hauls me to him, grabs my face an kisses me.
    I hold my hands away from me, stiff. At first, from shock. But now to keep ’em away from Jack. They’re itchin to touch him. All over. His arms, his face, his back, his chest. I cain’t let ’em.
    I give him a shove. He goes sprawlin backwards into the mud.
    What was that fer? he yells.
    Fer kissin me! I yell. An don’t you dare do it agin!
    Oh don’t you worry about that, he says, I’d rather throw myself over that waterfall!
    He picks hisself up.
    I’d rather sleep naked in a nest of scorpions! he says.
    He stomps off, leadin Ajax behind him.
    I follow with Hermes.
    My lips is tinglin.

    The faded sign creaks on its hinges. The painted head of a man glares down at us, a bloody hole where one of his eyes oughta be.
    Here we are, says Jack. Welcome to the One-Eyed Man.
    The dark stone tavern hunches, low an mean-lookin, into the side of the mountain. Rain sheets down its saggin roof an pours over the edge. A pale thread of smoke trickles outta the chimley.
    It don’t look too welcomin to me, says Ash.
    I don’t like it, says Emmi.
    Yer jest cold an tired, says Jack. Once you git a bowl of Ike’s rock squirrel stew inside you,