Blood Red Road

patterns, an a grove of fruit trees.
    Lots of people movin about. Tonton mainly, in their long black robes and body armor, but some slaves dressed in their white tunics.
    See the stables? says Ike. Off to the right?
    I focus the long-looker on the low stableyard next to the house. Got ’em, I says.
    An the irrigation system? he says.
    Runnin all across the fields, raised above the bushes on long legs, there’s what looks like troughs with silvery streams of water runnin through ’em. They’re all joined up together.
    That’s what you call them troughs? I says.
    Right, says Jack. Keeps the bushes watered with a steady drip. Chaal bushes like it damp but you gotta be careful. Too much water kills ’em off real quick.
    You don’t say, I says.
    I do say, he says. Now that plan you wanted? Gather round everybody. Me an Ike got a couple of ideas.

    The afternoon drags on. Then it’s early evenin. The rainbow shine of the Palace slowly dims as the sun’s power fades. But it’ll be light fer hours still. The longest day of the year. The longest day of my life.
    There still ain’t no sign of Nero. No Maev. No Free Hawks.
    I never bin so twitchy. We all take turns watchin what’s goin on down below. But when it ain’t my turn, I cain’t settle. If I flop onto the ground, I jump right up agin. I drive everybody mad by askin ’em how long they think we bin there. I comb all the tangles outta Hermes’ mane with my fingers an check his teeth till he gits fed up an gives me a sharp nip. I twang my bowstring till Ash barks at me to stop or she’ll strangle me with it.
    Nero should of bin back long before now, I says to Emmi.
    You said that a million times already, she says.
    Somethin’s happened to him. I know it. It ain’t like him.
    You said that a million times too, she says. He’s fine. He’s on his way.
    What if somethin happened to Maev? I says. She said there was trouble on the western road. What if … I mean, she could of got herself killed? Happens all the time.
    Maev ain’t dead, says Emmi. She’ll come, like she said she would. The Hawks’ll be here, Saba.
    You don’t know that. What if they don’t come? I don’t think they’re gonna come. We’re gonna hafta do this all on our own. Let’s jest do it now. C’mon, let’s go. Let’s move! What’re we waitin fer?
    Gimme strength! says Ash, as Ike groans, Tommo sighs an Jack lays back with his eyes closed an hums a little tune.
    Epona’s on looker duty. Saba, she says, we all agreed that we hafta wait till dark. Ain’t nuthin can happen till then.
    Epona. Always calm, always patient. Nuthin like I first thought she was.
    Right, I says, yeah … wait till dark. I know, I know but … ohmigawd, Epona, I’m gonna go mad with all this waitin around. I just wanna see him. Make sure he’s all right.
    I know you do, she says. Be patient, Saba. Wait till dark.

    Darkness is gatherin. Purple an black streak the sky. Clouds drift over the midsummer moon. The moon we bin chasin fer so long.
    A cloudy night, says Jack. That’s good.
    Then.
    A high pitched noise wails across the valley, cuttin through the air. The workers lift their heads an start to move outta the fields. They all head towards what look like some long bunkhouses in the distance. Now I can see they’re chained together at the ankle, six of ’em all together.
    Quittin time fer the Children of Light, says Ike.
    Can you believe he calls ’em that? says Jack. His Children of Light. Fond memories, eh Ike?
    No, he says.
    The slaves clear outta the fields an head fer bunkhouses off to the left. A group of Tonton head fer a big open space in the middle of the fields.
    Jack’s on long-looker watch. Well well, he says. At last. This is startin to look innerestin.

    Jack an me crouch on the edge of the ridge. We pass the looker back an forth. We got a clear view of the whole valley, but all the action’s goin on between the Palace an the open space in the middle of the chaal fields.
    Big horse-drawn wagons is rollin between there an the Palace.
    First the Tonton build a big platform in the open space. Then they put together a higher platform at the back of it, with a long set of stairs goin up to it. They bring a massive chair from the Palace an use a pulley an ropes to winch it up to the higher platform. The chair’s golden. With fancy carvin an studded all over with shiny stones.
    Jack says, Anybody sittin on that chair would have a fine view of proceedins below.
    D’you think