Blood Red Road

Then I see Ash gal opin towards me. On the black mustang we took from Pinch’s stable. He goes like the wind.

Quick! I yel . He’s git in away! Let me take Titan!

She jumps down right away. I swing myself on to his back.

Wait! she says, holdin the reins. We’re winnin, Saba. You got Lugh back. Emmi’s safe. Let him go.

No, I says.

What does it mat er?

It mat ers to me, I says. Let go, Ash.

Then I’l come with you, she says.

This is my fight, I says. Don’t tel the rest of ’em where I’ve gone. Promise me, Ash.

Al right, if that’s what you want.

She lets go the reins. Steps away.

I wheel Titan around.

Saba! Here! Ash tosses me her half-ful quiver an I catch it. Good luck!

I’l be back. Heeya! Heeya! I dig my heels into Titan.

An we tear across the plain towards the sharp red fingers of the Hoodoos.

Titan feels good unnerneath me. Strong an wild. He can feel the red hot burnin in me. It’s burnin in him too.

Nero flies above, a lit le bit ahead. He’l scout the way.

The Hoodoos rise in front of us. They look even stranger close up.

Deep channels etched down their high sheer sides. Sharp points. Crammed tight together. I start to see crevasses. A few thin trees cling to the mean red dirt.

I bin watchin Pinch. He disappeared through a gap in the rocks. I walk Titan through the gap. We’re on a narrow path worn into the earth that snakes its way around the rocks. Right away, I see the prints of Pinch’s horse.

It’s gloomy here. Like bein in a deep canyon.

An it’s silent. A heavy silence. Like the very rocks is holdin their breath.

But there’s alway somethin to listen to, even in silence. Up ahead, a nervous horse whinnies. Stamps his feet. There’s alway somethin to smel . There it is. The faintest whif . Sour, sweet, rot en. The smel of Pinch.

Then, a echo.

I halt Titan. Wait while it dies away. It’s the sound of rocks fal in. An a faint, scrapin sound as Pinch drags his injured leg behind him.

I slide of a Titan’s back. Wait here, I whisper.

There’s a couple of Hoodoos rounder an smoother’n the rest. I can see a way up between ’em. I start to climb.

The earth’s dry an loose unnerfoot. I move careful, tryin not to make any sound. Nero comes down to see what I’m doin. He hops an aps from rock to rock, always stayin ahead of me. I hold my finger to my lips so’s he knows not to squawk or caw.

I reach the top. Check that Pinch ain’t in sight. Pul myself up. I’m on top of a at Hoodoo. There’s drag marks in the dirt from his leg. He couldn’t of got far. He’l be in a lot a pain.

couldn’t of got far. He’l be in a lot a pain.

I slide my bow of a my back. Fit a arrow to the strings. Then I start to fol ow the drag marks. They stop at the edge of my flat Hoodoo.

I send Nero up into the air. Almost right away, he starts circlin. He’s found Pinch. Looks like he’s on the next Hoodoo to this one. It goes straight up, like a jagged chimley.

He must be on the far side of it.

There’s a lit le gap between the Hoodoos. Maybe two foot. Only a smal bit of at rock to land on, then a narrow ledge goes o to the left an disappears around the corner.

He could be right around that corner. He’s got his bolt shooter. But he’s injured. He’s weak. Maybe even dyin.

The devil ain’t so easy to kil .

I look at Nero, stil circlin above. He seems calm enough. I jump over the gap an land lightly. I’m on the Hoodoo with Pinch.

My breath’s tight in my throat. I flat en my back aginst the rock. Then I start to sidle along the ledge. To inch my way around the corner.

Be ready.

I move slowly. Feel ahead with with my right foot. I don’t make a sound. I only got a chance if I take him by surprise.

Be ready.

The ledge starts to widen out. Wider. Wider. I’m turnin the corner.

Now.

I move fast. My bow at the ready.

I take it in at a glance.

I’m on a wide ledge on the side of the Hoodoo. Pinch is sit in on a rock, restin his leg.

He looks up, startled. He reaches fer his bolt shooter.

I let fly with my arrow. It glances of a his hand.

He yel s out but keeps goin fer the shooter.

No time to reload my bow.

I dive at him. Knock him of a the rock.

Somehow he’s managed to git hold of his shooter. He tries to jam it unner my chin. We struggle an I knock it out a his hand.

He gits his fist unner my chin. Pushes up into the soft bit.

I cain’t breathe. He’s pressin on my windpipe. I grab his hand with both of mine. Try to pul it away. I kick an squirm.

But he’s stronger’n I ever imagined.

The rank stink of his breath, his sweat, fil s my nostrils.

No escape this time, he says.

I claw at his robes. Then I claw his burnt face.

He shrieks an rol s of a me.

I dive at my bow. I dropped my quiver when I jumped Pinch an my arrows is scat ered al over. I scrabble around on my hands an knees, reachin fer one.

But Pinch is on his feet. Holdin his bolt shooter with both hands. Aimin it right at me.

I scut le as far away from him as I can. Press myself aginst the rock.

Pinch comes towards me. His face bleedin where I clawed him. He’s a terrible mess. Blood an burnt flesh an flaky gold paint.

Somethin sharp’s cut in into my hand. I’m clutchin somethin in my hand. A lit le bit of mirror from Pinch’s robe. I must of ripped it of .

Suddenly the sun catches it. It throws out a sharp shard of light.

Pinch flings up his hand. Covers his eyes.

A chance. I got a chance.

I flash the mirror at him agin. Then I move. Quickly. Silently.

He aims the shooter where he thinks I am.

I move. Flash the mirror agin. Move.

He waves the shooter around. Stay stil ! he yel s.

I flash the mirror. Move.

He shoots.

I duck.

The shot goes wild. Ricochets of a the rock, sendin red dust flyin everywhere.

As the echo dies down, as the dust clears, I see Pinch.

He’s standin a few paces from the edge of the ledge. He looks surprised. There’s blood gushin out a his neck. The bolt’s ripped through it.

He touches his neck. Looks at his wet red fingers like he cain’t believe what he sees. Then he presses his hand to the wound.

But I’m the King, he says.

You ain’t no King, I says.

They said you were the Angel of Death, he says. He takes a step towards me, blood gushin out from between his ngers. I didn’t believe them.

Suddenly Nero dives at him, squawkin an flappin. Pinch’s arms fly up. He staggers. Steps back into thin air.

I rush to the edge.

He’s on his back. His arms an legs flung out. His eyes wide open.

Speared on the sharp point of the Hoodoo below.

Nero flut ers down to land on my shoulder.

By rights, I should feel somethin. Joy or relief or triumph or … somethin. But I don’t. I don’t feel nuthin.

The wind moans among the red teeth of the Hoodoos.

The sound of birds above me. I look up at the sky. The vultures is already startin to circle.

Let’s git out a here, I says.

As I ride up to the bat lefield on Titan, they’re clearin up.

I spot Lugh. He’s sit in on the ground a lit le ways o , lookin exhausted. When he sees me, he raises a hand. Jack an Ash is helpin out with