Blood Red Road

Big horse-drawn wagons is rol in 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 pul ey an ropes to winch it up to the higher platform. The chair’s golden.

With fancy carvin an studded al over with shiny stones.

Jack says, Anybody sit in on that chair would have a fine view of proceedins below.

D’you think they’re gonna go ahead with the ceremony anyways? I says. Even though Pinch is dead?

It looks that way, he says.

The Tonton wheel in two sets of stairs, one on each side of the big platform. Then they disappear back to the Palace an it al goes quiet fer a bit.

Ike, Ash an Epona’s gone of with Emmi an Tommo, takin Hermes with ’em. They’re git in the first bit of our plan unnerway.

Me an Jack got nuthin to do but wait. An wait some more.

It’s that strange time on the longest day of the year when it’s late enough to be dark but there’s stil some last streaks of light. Dark clouds scud across the sky. The wind’s on the rise.

I look up at the moon. Must be a hour or so to midnight, I says.

Almost midsummer’s eve, says Jack.

I shiver. Then I say what’s bin growin on me al day. They ain’t gonna come, I says. Are they?

I don’t think we should count on ’em, he says.

It’s okay, I says. We can do this.

Another wagon’s rol in down the path from the stables to the platform. The Tonton leap down. They start unloadin it an carryin stu onto the platform. Heavy bags of sand. Armloads of wood.

They don’t look to be carryin no weapons, I says. That’s strange. An I thought you said there was dog patrols.

They obviously ain’t expectin trouble tonight, says Jack. But there’l be some of ’em armed. At the very least, the King’s bodyguards.

There’s a rustle. It’s Ike an Epona. They’re back. They crouch down beside us. Ike’s grin flashes white in the gloom.

There’s a rustle. It’s Ike an Epona. They’re back. They crouch down beside us. Ike’s grin flashes white in the gloom.

Emmi an Tommo on their way to the meetin place? I says.

Yeah, says Ike. They got of fine. They’l wait fer us at the tire dump an hour’s ride north of here.

Was Emmi okay on Hermes? She stil ain’t so good on a horse. Did you—

She’s fine, Saba, says Ike. Don’t worry.

Yer sure they know what they got a do? I says.

I made Emmi repeat it three times, says Epona. They wait fer us at the dump. They stay out a sight. If we ain’t there by dawn, they take a big loop to the east an make their way to Darktrees. They know to give Hermes his head.

An Ash? says Jack. She’s at the stables?

Nearby, says Epona. Wel out a sight. They won’t have no idea she’s there. She’l have the horses ready an waitin fer us. Can I take a look what’s goin on down there?

I hand her the long-looker. She trains it on the platform.

What’s that they’re put in in the middle? Ike says, squintin.

They’re spreadin out a circle of sand in the middle of the big platform, she says. Looks like they’re makin a sandpit. An they’re set in up a post in the middle of the circle.

What, you mean like a fence post? says Jack.

Kinda, she says. But bigger. Tal er. I wonder what that’s fer.

Let me see, he says. She hands him the looker. He stares fer a long moment, then lowers it. He looks at me direct when he says, The post’s about the right size to tie a man to. An a sandpit’s useful if you wanna make sure a fire don’t spread.

The bot om fal s out a my stummick. My breath starts to come fast. No, I says. No … they wouldn’t do … Jack, you don’t think they’d … burn him. They ain’t gonna burn him, are they?

No, he says, they ain’t. We won’t let ’em. They won’t hurt Lugh, I promise you. He takes my hands in his, holds ’em tight. Now … listen to me, listen. Are you listenin?

Yeah, I says, yeah.

Yer gonna stay calm, he says. An yer gonna trust me. Yer gonna trust al of us. Me an Ike an Ash an Epona. Tommo an Emmi too. We al know what the plan is. This don’t change nuthin. We al know what we got a do. We’l go over it now, okay?

Okay, I says.

Okay, he says. Emmi an Tommo’s on their way to the meetin point right now. They’re out a harm’s way. Once it’s al clear over at the stables, Ash is gonna git six horses ready to go. You an Ike’s gonna snatch Lugh. Then we al meet up at the stables an take o . Epona, you say agin what yer job is.

While Saba an Ike’s git in Lugh, Epona says, you an me is gonna be … creatin a diversion.

That’s right, says Jack.

Hey, Ike says. Looks like this party’s real y startin to kick of .

There’s bin the sound of drumbeats driftin up while we bin talkin. The noise grows louder an louder, with more an more drums joinin in.

They’re bein played by Tonton in their black robes. Bone flutes start to shril . There’s fires lit in big buckets scat ered al over the open space.

Slaves in white tunics, unchained now, spil out a the bunkhouses an stream across to the open space. Men, women an even a few children.

In front of the platform, they start to dance wildly, swayin an spinnin an leapin high over the re-buckets. The growin throb of the drumbeats fil s the night.

The Tonton drummers start to chant an the slaves join in. No words. Sounds from deep in their throats. The Tonton sway an twirl. The slaves leap an spin.

There’s movement around the Palace. Torches light the path from the house down to the fields.

Epona’s stil got the looker. She holds it to her eyes. Somethin’s happenin, she says. Then she sucks in a breath. Ohmigawd, she whispers.

Ohmigawd. I don’t believe it.

What? I says. What is it?

She shakes her head as she hands me the looker. Her eyes is wide.

Like she’s jest seen a ghost.

I train the looker on the Palace.

Vicar Pinch stands on the steps.

My heart slams to a stop. Then it starts racin. It cain’t be, I says. He’s dead!

What? says Jack. You don’t mean Pinch? The King’s alive?

Yeah, I says. But I seen him. He was dead. I swear he was dead.

The devil ain’t so easy to kil , says Ike.

Pinch is dressed al in gold. Short pu y britches, stockins an high heeled shoes. Over top of it al , he wears a splendrous golden robe trimmed with white fur. The robe sweeps down to the oor an trails behind him. It’s crusted with sparklin stones, bits of lookin glass an shimmer discs. He’s got white hair today. Long curls reach down past his shoulders. Tower high above his forehead.

His face is painted gold too. Some kinda paint with sparkles in it. He poses with his walkin stick at the top of the steps. The torchlight plays on him. He shines in the darkness, like the sun come down to earth. The Sun King.

Suddenly I notice that he’s favorin his left leg.

I crouch down, peer unner the landboat.

Vicar Pinch lies on the ground. His right leg splays out at a strange angle.

He’s hurt his leg, I says. Must of happened when the landboat flipped over on him.

Four boy slaves lift the ends of his robe. Then two of the biggest Tonton come an lift him careful y. They carry him down the steps an hand him into a sparklin golden car chariot that’s waitin there. The boys arrange his robes. Then six Tonton pick the chariot up by the handles an start down the torchlit path towards the chaal fields.