Blood Red Road

of clean cloth an sage. It don’t smell of him.
    I git on with tearin it into strips.
    Once we’re done, there’s a good-size pile. I dig out the jug of rootmash whisky. Pa brewed it when times was better. We soak all the cloth strips in it. Then I set Em to stuffin ’em into the walls, into the cracks between the tires. I put the rest around Pa’s body.
    I start fillin my barksack with necessaries. Red gizmo knife, flint, medicine herbs, spare shirt.
    The same men that killed Pa took Lugh, I says. I’m goin after ’em. I dunno where they took him. It might be a long ways from here. It might take me a while to find him. But I will. I’m gonna bring him back.
    I put in a waterskin, nettlecord rope, an enough sourberry seed jerky an dried rootcakes to last us a few days. If we run out, I’ll jest hafta hunt.
    They got a head start an they’re on four legs, not two, I says. I’m gonna hafta travel fast.
    I collect Emmi’s waterskin, her tunic an her dogskin cloak. I don’t look at her when I says, I’m leavin you with Mercy by Crosscreek.
    No, says Emmi.
    I put her stuff in another barksack. Pa an Lugh told me to keep you safe, I says, an you’ll be safe there. Mercy an Ma was friends. She helped when me an Lugh was born. She came when you was born too.
    I know, says Em.
    What we both know but don’t say is that Mercy came too late. Emmi came early, Ma died an Mercy might as well of spared herself the trouble of a three day walk.
    Mercy’s a good woman, I says. Pa always said that if anythin was to ever happen to him, we should go to her. He told me an Lugh the way to Crosscreek. She might even have a kid fer you to play with.
    I don’t care, says Emmi. I’m comin with you.
    You cain’t, I says. I dunno where I’m goin or how long it’ll take me. Besides, yer too little. You’ll only hold me back.
    Emmi crosses her arms an sets her chin in that stubborn way she’s got. Lugh’s my brother too! she says. I got a right to look fer him, jest the same as you.
    Don’t give me no trouble, Emmi. I pick up the little peg doll Pa made her an throw it in the sack. It’s fer the best. Once I find Lugh, I promise we’ll come back an git you.
    No you won’t, she says. You hate me. You love Lugh an you hate me. I wish they’d took you instead!
    Well they didn’t, I says. Pa an Lugh left me in charge of you an I say yer goin to Mercy’s. Let that be a end to it.
    I shove Lugh’s slingshot into my belt. Tuck Pa’s knife into a sheath inside my boot. Sling my quiver an pistol crossbow on my back.
    Hazy red light trickles through the small window. It lands across Pa’s face.
    I kneel beside him, take his hand in mine. Emmi kneels across from me an takes his other hand. He’s still warm, she whispers.
    After a little bit she says, You need to say the words now.
    She’s right. You always say special words to send a dead person on their way.
    Pa said some fer Ma, before he lit her funeral pyre all them years ago, but I cain’t remember what they was. Guess I was too young to take proper notice. Now it’s his turn to have words said an I cain’t think of nuthin.
    Go on, says Emmi.
    Then, Sorry, Pa, I says.
    I didn’t mean to say that, but my mouth moved an those’re the words that come out. But I realize I am sorry. Truly.
    I’m sorry yer dead, I says. I’m sorry you had it so hard here, specially the last while. Mostly I’m sorry you lost Ma when you loved her so much. I know you ain’t had no joy since she went. Well … now you’ll be happy. You’ll be together agin. Two stars, side by side.
    I’m goin after Lugh, I says. I’m gonna git him back, Pa. I won’t rest till I find him. I promise.
    I look at Em. D’you wanna … kiss him g’bye? I says.
    She kisses him on the cheek, then I strike my flint an light the spills around his body.
    Willem by Silverlake, I says, I set yer spirit free to return to its home among the stars.
    The flames start to lick at the table.
    G’bye, Pa, Emmi whispers. I’m gonna miss you.
    We stand. I hand her the barksacks.
    Go on outside, I says.
    I light the spills set into the walls. I wait till the tires catch fire, till the flames start to run along the walls.
    G’bye, Pa, I says.
    I close the door behind me as I go.

    The rain stops. A hot southerly starts to blow. The afternoon sun blazes down.
    Nero hangs in the air above us, ridin the thermals in lazy spirals. Jest like Lugh said he would, he fled the storm an saved hisself. If only we could of