Red Prophet Part 22

"Yesterday there was a path."

"Then some other way," said Taleswapper. "Your own way onto the Mound."

"Another way would not take me to the same place."

"Come now, Ta-k.u.msaw, the Mound is big, but not so big you can't find someone up there in an hour of looking."

Ta-k.u.msaw gazed disdainfully at Taleswapper.

Abashed, Taleswapper spoke less confidently. "So you have to take the same path to reach the same place?"

"How do I know?" asked Ta-k.u.msaw. "I never heard of one going up the Mound, and another following by the same path."

"Don't you ever go here in twos or threes?"

"This is the place where the land speaks to all creatures who live here. The speech of the land is gra.s.s and trees; the adornment is beasts and birds."

Taleswapper noted that when he wished to, Ta-k.u.msaw could speak the English language like any White man. No: like a well-educated White man. Adornment. Where in the Hio country could he learn a word like that? "So we can't get in?"

Ta-k.u.msaw's face showed no expression.

"Well, I say we go up anyway. We know the road he took let's take it, whether we can see it or not."

Ta-k.u.msaw said nothing.

"Are you just going to stand here, then, and let him die up there?"

In answer, Ta-k.u.msaw took a single step that brought him face to face no, breast to breast with Taleswapper. Ta-k.u.msaw gripped his hand, threw his other arm around Taleswapper, held him close. Their legs were tangled; Taleswapper for a moment imagined how they must look, if there had been anyone to see them whether someone would know which leg belonged to which man, they were so close together. He felt the Red man's heart beating, its rhythm more commanding within Taleswapper's body than the unsensed beat of his own hot pulse. "We are not two men," whispered Ta-k.u.msaw. "Not Red and White men here, with blood between us. We are one man with two souls, a Red soul and a White soul, one man."

"All right," said Taleswapper. "Let it be as you say."

Still holding Taleswapper tightly, Ta-k.u.msaw turned within the embrace; their heads pressed against each other, their ears so close-joined Taleswapper could hear nothing but Ta-k.u.msaw's pulse like the pounding of ocean waves inside his ear. But now, their bodies so tightly joined that they seemed to have a single heartbeat, Taleswapper could see a clear path leading up the face of the Mound.

"Do you" began Ta-k.u.msaw.

"I see it," said Taleswapper.

"Stay this close to me," said Ta-k.u.msaw. "Now we are like Alvin a Red soul and a White soul in a single body.

It was awkward, even ridiculous, to attempt to climb the Mound this way. Yet when their movement up the path jostled them apart, even the tiniest fraction, the path seemed to grow more difficult, hidden behind an errant growth of some vine, some bush, some dangling limb. So Taleswapper clung to Ta-k.u.msaw as tightly as the Red man clung to him, and together they made their difficult way up the hill.

At the top Taleswapper was astonished to see that instead of a single Mound, they were at the crest of a ring of eight separate Mounds, with an octagonal valley between them. More important, Ta-Kurnsaw was also surprised. He seemed uncertain; his grip on Taleswapper was not as tight; he was no longer in control.

"Where does a White man go in this place?" asked Ta-k.u.msaw.

"Down, of course," said Taleswapper. "When a White man sees a valley, he goes down into it, to find what's there."

"Is this how it always is for you?" asked Ta-k.u.msaw. "Not knowing where you are, where anything is?"

Only then did Taleswapper realize that Ta-k.u.msaw lacked his land-sense here. He was as blind as a White man in this place.

"Let's go down," said Taleswapper. "And look we don't have to cling so tightly now. It's a gra.s.sy hill, and we don't need a path."

They crossed a stream and found him in a meadow, with a mist low on the ground around them. Alvin was not injured, but he lay trembling as if fevered, though his brow was cool and his breathing was shallow and quick. As Ta-k.u.msaw had said: dying.

Taleswapper touched him, caressed him, then shook him, trying to wake the boy. Alvin showed no sign that he was aware of them. Ta-k.u.msaw was no help. He sat beside the boy, holding his hand, whining so softly that Taleswapper doubted he knew he was making a sound.

But Taleswapper was not one to give in to despair, if in fact that was what Ta-k.u.msaw was feeling. He looked around. Nearby was a tree, looking like spring, its leaves so yellow-green that in the light of dawn they might have been made of thin-hammered gold. Hanging from the tree was a light-colored fruit. No, a white fruit. And suddenly, as soon as he saw it, Taleswapper smelled it, pungent and sweet, so that he could almost taste it.

He acted, not thinking what he would do, but doing it. He walked to the tree, plucked the fruit, carried it back to Alvin where he lay on the ground, a child so small. Taleswapper pa.s.sed it under Alvin's nose, so the odor of it might be like smelling salts, and revive him. Alvin's breathing suddenly became great deep gasps. His eyes opened, his lips parted, and from gritted teeth came a whine almost exactly like Ta-k.u.msaw's keening; almost exactly like a kicked dog.

"Take a bite," said Taleswapper.

Ta-k.u.msaw reached out, s.n.a.t.c.hed Alvin's lower jaw in one hand and upper jaw in the other, his fingers interlaced at Alvin's teeth, and with great effort prised Alvin's jaws apart. Taleswapper thrust the fruit between Alvin's teeth; Ta-k.u.msaw forced the jaws closed again. The fruit broke open, spilling clear fluid into Alvin's mouth and dribbling down his cheek into the gra.s.s. Slowly, with great effort, Alvin began to chew. Tears flowed from his eyes. He swallowed. Suddenly he reached out his hands, caught Taleswapper by the neck and Ta-k.u.msaw by the hair, and pulled himself up to a sitting position. Clinging to them both, drawing their faces so close to his that they all breathed each other's breath, Alvin wept until their faces all were wet, and because Ta-k.u.msaw and Taleswapper were also weeping, none could be sure whose tears cast a glaze across the skin of each man's face.

Alvin said little, but enough. He told them all that happened at Tippy-Canoe Creek that day, of blood in the river, a thousand survivors crossing on the water made smooth and hard; blood on White men's hands, and on one man's hands in particular.

"Not enough," said Ta-k.u.msaw.

Taleswapper offered no argument. It was not for a White man to tell Ta-k.u.msaw that the killers of his people had received a punishment exactly proportioned to their sin. Besides, Taleswapper wasn't sure he believed it himself.

Alvin told them how he had spent the evening and the night before, restoring Measure from the edge of death; and how he spent the morning, taking away the immeasurable agony as nine thousand innocent deaths shouted in the Prophet's mind nine thousand times that one black shout that years before had maddened him. Which was harder healing Measure or healing Lolla-Wossiky? "It was like you said," Alvin whispered to Taleswapper. "I just can't build that brick wall faster than it breaks down." Then, exhausted but at peace now, Alvin slept.

Taleswapper and Ta-k.u.msaw faced each other, Alvin curled between them, his breathing soft and slow.

"I know his wound now," Ta-k.u.msaw said. "His grief is for his own people, with their b.l.o.o.d.y hands."

"His grief was for the dead and the living too," said Taleswapper. "If I know Alvin, his deepest wound was thinking that he failed, that if he'd just tried harder, he might have got Measure there in time to stop it before the first shot was fired."

"White men grieve for White men," Ta-k.u.msaw said.

"Lie to yourself if you like," said Taleswapper, "but lies don't fool me."

"But Red men don't grieve at all," said Ta-k.u.msaw. "Red men will put White blood into the ground for the blood spilled today."

"I thought you served the land," said Taleswapper. "Don't you realize what happened today? Don't you remember where we are? You've seen a part of Eight-Face Mound you never knew existed, and why? Because the land let us into this place together, because"

Ta-k.u.msaw held up one hand. "To save this boy."

"Because Red and White can share this land if we'

Ta-k.u.msaw reached out his hand and touched his fingers to Taleswapper's lips.

"I'm not a farmer who wants to hear stories of faraway places," Ta-k.u.msaw said. "Go tell your tales to someone who wants to hear them."

Taleswapper slapped Ta-k.u.msaw's hand away. He had meant merely to push the Red man's arm, but instead he struck with too much force, throwing Ta-k.u.msaw off balance. Ta-k.u.msaw immediately leapt to his feet. Taleswapper did the same.

"Here is where it starts!" shouted Ta-k.u.msaw.

Between them at their feet, Alvin stirred.

"A Red man angered you, and you struck him, just like a White man, no patience"

"You told me to be silent, you said my tales were"

"Words, that's what I gave you, words and a soft touch, and you answered me with a blow." Ta-k.u.msaw smiled. It was a terrifying smile, like a tiger's teeth out of the darkness of the jungle, his eyes glowing, his skin bright as flame.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean"

"White man never means anything, just couldn't help himself, it was all a mistake. That's what you think, isn't it, White Liar! Alvin's people killed my people because of a mistake, because they thought two White boys were dead. For the sake of two White boys they lashed out, just like you did, and they killed nine thousand of my people, babies and mothers, old men and stripling boys, their cannon"

"I heard what Alvin said."

"Don't you like my story? Don't you want to hear it? You are White, Taleswapper. You are like all White men, quick to ask forgiveness, slow to give it; always expecting patience, but flaring up like a spark when the wind rises you burn down a forest because you tripped on a root!" Ta-k.u.msaw turned and began to walk quickly back the way they came.

"How can you leave without me!" cried Taleswapper after him. "We have to leave here together!"

Ta-k.u.msaw stopped, turned around, tipped back his head, and laughed without mirth. "I don't need a path to get down, White Liar!" Then he was off again, running.

Alvin was awake, of course.

"I'm sorry, Alvin," said Taleswapper. "I didn't mean"

"No," said Alvin. "Let me guess what he did. He touched you like this." Alvin touched Taleswapper's lips, just as Ta-k.u.msaw had.

"Yes."

"That's what a Shaw-Nee mama does to shut up a little baby who's making too much noise. But I'll bet if one Red man did that to another he was provoking you."

"I shouldn't have hit him."

"Then he would've done something else till you did."

Taleswapper had nothing to answer to that. Seemed to him the boy was probably right. Certainly right. The one thing Ta-k.u.msaw could not bear today was being a White man's companion in peace.

Alvin slept again. Taleswapper explored, but found nothing strange. Just stillness and peace. He couldn't even tell now which tree it was the fruit came from. They all looked silvery green to him now, and no matter how far he walked in any direction, he ended up no farther from Alvin than a few minutes' walk. A strange place, not a place a man could map in his mind, not a place that a man could master. Here the land gives you what it wants to give, and no more.

It was near sunset when Alvin roused again, and Taleswapper helped him to his feet.

"I'm walking like a newborn colt," said Alvin. "I feel so weak."

"You only did half the labors of Hercules in the last twenty-four hours," said Taleswapper.

"Her what?"

"Hercules. A Greek."

"I got to find Ta-k.u.msaw," said Alvin. "I shouldn't have let him go, but I was so tired."

"You're White, too," said Taleswapper. "Think he'll want you with him?"

"Tenskwa-Tawa prophesied," said Alvin. "As long as I'm with him, Ta-k.u.msaw won't die."

Taleswapper supported Alvin as they walked to the one place that let them approach; they climbed the gentle gra.s.sy rise between Mounds and crested the hill. They stopped and looked down. Taleswapper saw no path just thorns, vines, bushes, brambles. "I can't get down through that. "

Alvin looked up at him, puzzled. "There's a path as plain as day."

"For you, maybe," said Taleswapper. "Not for me."

"You got in here," said Alvin.

"With Ta-k.u.msaw," said Taleswapper.

"He got out."

"I'm no Red man."

"I'll lead."

Alvin started out with a 4ew bold steps, as easy as if he was on a Sunday jaunt on the commons. But to Taleswapper it looked like the briars opened wide for him and closed up tight right after. "Alvin!" he called. "Stay with me!"

Alvin came and took him by the hand. "Follow tight behind," he said.

Taleswapper tried, but still the brambles snapped back and tore at his face, cut him sore. With Alvin going before, Taleswapper could make his way, but he felt like he was being flayed from behind. Even deerskin was no match for thorns like daggers, limbs that snapped back at him like a bo'sun's lash. He could feel blood running down his arms, his back, his legs. "I can't go any more, Alvin!" said Taleswapper.

"I see him," said Alvin.

"Who?"

"Ta-k.u.msaw. Wait here."

He let go of Taleswapper's hand; he was gone for a moment, and Taleswapper was alone with the brambles. He tried not to move, but even his breathing seemed to provoke more stings and stabs.

Alvin was back. He took Taleswapper by the hand. "Follow me tight. One more step."

Taleswapper steeled himself and took the step.

"Down," said Alvin.

Taleswapper obeyed Alvin's tugging and knelt, though he feared that he'd never be able to rise again through the briars that closed over his head.

Then Alvin led his hand until it touched another hand, and suddenly the brambles cleared a little, and Taleswapper could see Ta-k.u.msaw lying there, blood seeping from hundreds of wounds on his nearly naked body. "He got this far alone," said Alvin.

Ta-k.u.msaw opened his eyes, rage burning. "Leave me here," he whispered.

In answer, Taleswapper cradled Ta-k.u.msaw's head in his other arm. As more of their bodies touched, the briars seemed to sag and fall away; now Taleswapper could see a kind of path where he hadn't seen one before.

"No," said Ta-k.u.msaw.