Blood Red Road

the horses, she says. An Ike sent all the no-good lowlife bastards packin jest after dawn.
    Hey! I says. Watch yer language!
    But that’s what Ike called ’em.
    I don’t care. You ain’t Ike. Now gimme a hand up.
    With Emmi’s help, I git slowly to my feet. I ain’t never felt so vile in my entire life. Mouth like the bottom of a weasel nest, legs like soggy string an a head full of rocks. At least the poundin in my head’s startin to ease some. Maybe Jack’s foul brew’s doin the trick.
    As we shuffle over to the door, I can see it’s a bright sunny mornin. We step outside an the light stabs at my eyes. I lift a hand to shield ’em. I squint to see what everybody’s up to.
    Good mornin, I croak.
    Ike whistles. Ash laughs.
    Uh oh, says Epona. Poor you.
    She stops loadin her horse.
    Come with me, she says. She takes my arm an leads me over to the water barrel. Sorry about this, she says.
    Then, without another word, she shoves my head unner the water. I rear up, gaspin, an she shoves me unner agin.
    The shock of the cold water’s like a slap in the face. When I come up the second time, I yell, What the hell’d you do that fer?
    Sorry, says Epona. Guess I should of warned you.
    Anybody else did this to me, I’d come to cuffs with ’em, but Epona’s a good-hearted soul. I know she only means to help.
    It’s all right, I says. Thanks. I … I feel a lot better.
    An, to my surprise, I do.
    I dunk myself a couple more times, then rinse off my shoulders an arms. Jest as I’m finishin, Tommo sidles up. He hands me a rough cloth an keeps his eyes on the ground while I dry myself with it.
    When I’m done, I touch his arm. He looks at me. He’s got the most beautiful eyes I ever seen—deep brown, almost black, with long dark eyelashes. Eyes like a deer. Too beautiful fer a boy really.
    I smile at him. Thanks, I says. His thin face flushes pink. He ducks his head an scurries away.
    Jack’s voice comes from behind me, makes me jump. He ain’t got a chance when you smile at him like that.
    I turn around. He’s closer’n I thought. My stupid heart skips a beat. He leans aginst the wall with his hands in his pockets. His eyes ain’t moonshine silver today. They’re darker, more like stone.
    Very funny, I says. I busy myself foldin the cloth.
    Tommo’s a lonely boy with a soft heart, he says. Find somebody else to practice yer smiles on.
    I dunno what yer talkin about, I says.
    Then let me make it clear, he says. Pick on someone yer own size, Saba.
    What? I says. Like you, I s’pose?
    We stare at each other fer a long moment. An then I’m lookin at his lips an I cain’t seem to look away an I cain’t seem to think about nuthin but how they felt aginst mine. Then he says, No. Not like me. I don’t want yer smiles eether.
    It’s like he’s slapped me in the face. I cain’t think of a thing to say.
    He goes to load Ajax.
    I stand there, starin at nuthin.
    Like always when Jack’s near, the heartstone floods my body with heat. But this time, I shiver too. From the coldness in his eyes.

    I figgered Ike ’ud board up the tavern to keep it safe till him an Tommo come back, but he says he ain’t got no intention of ever comin back. All he does is shut the battered old door to keep the weather out.
    So that’s it? I says. Yer leavin it, jest like that?
    Oh it won’t stay empty fer long, he says. Somebody’ll come along an take it over. That’s what happened to me. On the road, lookin fer a place to sleep one night an came on this place. By the look of it, bin empty fer years. Next mornin, I had the notion to sweep the floor an before I knew it, I was runnin a tavern. No, I bin here long enough. Me an Jack talked about it last night. After we find yer brother, him an me’s gonna hit the road agin. Take Tommo with us.
    He nudges me in the ribs. To be honest, he says, I got a lady waitin fer me. The most glorious creature that ever drew breath.
    Not … Molly Pratt? I says.
    He presses his hands together an raises his eyes to the sky.
    Lips like ripe berries an curves to make a man weep with joy. I want her to meet Tommo. It’s time I settled down. An I got a notion I might turn out to be a good family man. Don’t say nuthin to Jack though. He’ll make my life hell.
    But … what about him? I says.
    Jack? A family man? Ike hoots. That’s a good one!
    No, I didn’t mean that, I—
    Hey Jack! Ike calls. What is it you always say?
    Move fast, travel light an never tell ’em yer real name,