Blood Red Road

As fer Ike, if Jack says he’s okay, that should be good enough fer me.

Ike waves a hand in front of my face. Saba, he says, I said d’you want my help?

Yes, I says. I believe I do.

He takes a big mouthful of stew an starts to chew. While he chews, you can see him thinkin. Jack an me watch him fer what seems like a long time. Final y he swal ows. Wipes the ends of his moustache. Then, We’l head out in the mornin, he says. Let’s drink on it.

Somethin tickles my nose. I swat at it without openin my eyes. There’s a giggle.

Go ’way, I mut er. There’s a poundin inside my head. My mouth’s dry as a dust bowl. I groan.

Another giggle. Then somethin wet drips onto my forehead. I open one eye. Emmi’s head hangs above me, upside down. She’s holdin a drippin cloth over my head. I shove it away. Movin makes my head even worse. I groan agin.

Rise an shine! she says.

Leave me be, I croak.

Time to git up! she says.

I cain’t move, I says. There’s somebody poundin on my brain with a hammer.

That’s what you git from a heavy wet, she says.

Whadda you know anyways, I mut er.

I know that you drank too much of Ike’s hooch, she says. Jack says to give you this. It’l help yer head.

I drag myself up to lean on my elbows, moanin the whole time. Emmi pushes a tumbler into my hand. I snif at it.

What is it?

Jest drink it, she says. Down in one.

Where’ve I heard that before? I says. But I do like she says an throw it down my neck in one. I gag. Ohmigawd that’s disgustin! What is it?

Boar’s blood an a raw pigeon egg, she says. Jack says it’s good fer a hangover.

Jack says, I mut er. I look around. There ain’t nobody in the tavern but me an Em. Where is everybody?

Loadin the horses, she says. An Ike sent al the no-good lowlife bastards packin jest after dawn.

Hey! I says. Watch yer language!

But that’s what Ike cal ed ’em.

But that’s what Ike cal ed ’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 bot om of a weasel nest, legs like soggy string an a head ful 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 shu e 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 yel , What the hel ’d you do that fer?

Sorry, says Epona. Guess I should of warned you.

Anybody else did this to me, I’d come to cuf s with ’em, but Epona’s a good-hearted soul. I know she only means to help.

It’s al right, I says. Thanks. I … I feel a lot bet er.

An, to my surprise, I do.

I dunk myself a couple more times, then rinse o my shoulders an arms. Jest as I’m nishin, 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 real y.

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 wal 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 ggered Ike ’ud board up the tavern to keep it safe til him an Tommo come back, but he says he ain’t got no intention of ever comin back.

Al he does is shut the bat ered 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’l 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 oor 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 nd 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 … Mol y Prat ? 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 set led down. An I got a notion I might turn out to be a good family man. Don’t say nuthin to Jack though. He’l make my life hel .

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 cal s. What is it you always say?

Move fast, travel light an never tel ’em yer real name, Jack says.

That’s the boy! Ike winks at me.

I got a funny feelin inside me. A ut er in my bel y. Jack gone. Not bein able to see him no more. I hadn’t real y thought about it before now. What might happen after we find Lugh.

Ike! cal s Jack. Saba! Move it! We ain’t got time to stand around yappin.

I bin so busy listenin to Ike that I ain’t noticed that Jack an Emmi an Ash an Epona’s already on horseback, ready to go. Tommo’s on the sturdy lit le donkey, holdin the reins of Ike’s big piebald mustang.

Nero caws impatiently from his perch on Jack’s shoulder. Traitor bird.

We’re comin, I says.

Ike looks up at the head on the faded tavern sign. Gives it a shove an starts it swingin.

So long, you one-eyed bastard, he says.

Then him an me mount up an we move out.

Seven days to midsummer.

I cain’t stop thinkin about Lugh. Worryin about how he is. Worryin that he might be hurt. I wonder if he thinks I ain’t comin. I wouldn’t blame him if he did. Lugh knows I keep my promises, knows I’d grow wings an y to the moon to git him back, but it’s bin so long he might think somethin’s happened to me. He might even think I’m dead. I’d hate it if he thought that.