Morf was also surprised to see Cano and Dola still alive, but he wasn't foolish enough to say anything. He stayed quiet and didn't move. He would do nothing to attract Lomasi's attention.
On the river it was Na'pe who saw Lomasi first, and instinctively she steered the dugout away and toward the other shore. She said, "Gennos, look it's Lomasi."
Gennos didn't break his rhythm and kept the dugout moving in the direction she had set. He stared hard and silently at Lomasi as they floated past, the distance between them was not great, but it was enough to keep them relatively safe. The hate in Gennos's eyes was matched by Lomasi's frustration.
Lomasi moved as far forward as he could, the log moved slightly and he had to shift his balance to keep from sliding into the river. The log was slippery and the bark was flaking off in large pieces. He was a menacing figure as he stood silently watching Na'pe and Gennos float by. The only sounds to be heard were those of the dugouts floating away to freedom.
Dola had been watching the other dugout and followed it as they steered for the other bank. He felt a stab of fear as he saw Lomasi standing on the log. "Cano look, he has come. What do we do?" he quietly exclaimed.
Cano saw him standing under the canopy of low branches. His mind started racing, as he thought of what they should do. He wasn't afraid of Lomasi, but he was aware that he was dangerous. He noticed that he wasn't in position to use his spear thrower. Cano scanned the shore until he located Morf; he can't cast his spears either. If they pulled the dugouts over to the shore they could put an end to the threat of Lomasi once and for all. But, and it was a big but, some of us may be hurt or killed. They can't reach us out here in the river and we have both dugouts. They can't follow us on the river unless they have a raft or dugout. They would have to build one, and that would take time they don't have. He will surely follow us, but if we keep moving he won't be able to catch us. The farther we travel, the better it is for us. We will be getting closer to Na'pe's clan and farther away from Lomasi's clan. He made the decision then; they would continue their escape on the river. "Keep going ahead, he can't harm us here," Cano said. As they came abreast, Cano stared at Lomasi and then he smiled at him.
Lomasi answered by pounding his chest with his right hand once, and pointing at Cano. Then he raised both his hands to shoulder level and made a breaking motion with his hands.
Cano understood that he was being given a challenge. He stood up in the dugout and looked at Lomasi. He shook his head "NO", and then slapping his own chest, and making the breaking motion, he pointed at Lomasi.
Lomasi's even-tempered manner evaporated. He gave a bellow that would have put a cave bear to shame. He stood on the log with both hands clenched into fists and his head thrown back and let the sound reverberate off the trees. Hate dripped off his body and ran into the river. As the sound died he looked at Cano loathingly and motioned with one hand for him to come ashore.
Before Cano could answer, Lomasi caught a flash of movement from the front of the dugout where Dola sat. His eyes clouded with rage, but he saw a spear thrower rise and then seem to cast a spear at him. He was quick for a man his size and he attempted to dodge the incoming spear. As he spun to avoid being hit he lost his balance and tried to regain it by extending his arms and rotating them, it was futile. He slipped and fell from the log. He landed on his back and the splash was rather spectacular. The water wasn't deep and he was able to quickly rise to the surface and stand. The spear hadn't hit him. He turned toward the dugout and was greeted by laughter. He didn't understand. He looked around and saw a smile on Morf's face just before he turned away to hide it. He scanned the area around him, for the spear that had been thrown. He couldn't see it, and then he realized what had happened. They hadn't cast a spear. The little one, Dola had pretended to throw it. As understanding grew he looked downstream at the dugouts and saw Cano still standing in the dugout. He was making rotating movements with his arms as if he was losing his balance. He was laughing loudly as the dugouts floated out of sight.
The dugouts soon outdistanced their pursers, the laughing had been good for them and the feeling of freedom was welcome. They joked about Dola's spear that wasn't there, and they laughed more than was necessary about Lomasi's fall into the river. They all knew that the chase wasn't over, but now they had some control over what they did. They would be ready if Lomasi was able to get close again.
The current was strong and they made good time. The dugouts were large and clumsy, but it wasn't difficult to guide them when moving with the current. They had food to eat, thanks to Na'pe. She had the presence of mind to bring the deer that she had been cleaning before their escape. The river water was murky from the rain, but it did quench their thirst. They kept moving all that day and through the night.
Moving on the river at night was a strange sensation. It was like another world. Although the moon was bright there were still many strange things in the darkness, strange smells from the river and noises made by unseen creatures. The river still smelled like the river, but it seemed that there were strange smells that came and went as they drifted along. Something big bumped into Cano's dugout, causing a loud splash. Before they could see what it was, it moved away with a movement that rocked the dugout. The only things left behind were a pungent musky smell and the taste of fear in their mouths. It was amazing how that one bump kept Cano and Dola awake for the rest of the night. It was much later that night, when they were calm enough to take turns resting while the other person steered the dugout. The morning was a long time in coming.
When dawn finally came they had put a considerable distance between themselves and Lomasi, but they were dead tired. Even though they had been able to take short naps, their bodies were crying out for rest. Their bodies were stiff from sitting for so long, they were looking for a place to rest when they encountered a series of rapids. After dodging jagged rocks and being covered by cold spray it was apparent that they would have to stop and rest.
Cano and Dola were now in the lead dugout, along with Whiteface who was asleep in a basket. After the rapids, the river had gotten wider and the current had slowed. It was then that Cano saw an island in the center of the river. He called back to his brother, "Island ahead." He started poling toward it. Dola silently followed his lead
Soon both dugouts were moving toward the island, side by side. Gennos surveyed the island as they neared it. "Are you thinking of stopping? I hope so because I don't know if I will ever be able to stand again. My legs think they are part of the dugout.”
Cano smiled "Well I wanted to stop earlier, but Dola said he wasn't tired and said he could go on for a few more days.
Dola was slow to rise to the bait; he just sat there staring at the bottom of the dugout. He was exhausted. Finally he said, "I'm too tired to answer. Na'pe, will you please tell Gennos to tell Cano to fall in the river?"
"I'm not sure about that, but I would like to stop. I can build a fire and cook what is left of the deer, and then we can get some sleep on solid ground." She paused and then said, "We could all use the rest."
Cano nodded to her and then said to his brother, "Do you think that we have come far enough away from Lomasi to stop and rest?"
"I'm so tired I don't care, all I want is food and sleep." he hesitated for only a moment before continuing, "Even if he is on the river with a raft, we have come far enough to stop and rest." He looked over at Na'pe, "Tonight we sleep free. It is as I had promised. Lomasi will never again have us as prisoners."
Dola interrupted, "Cano, look!" They were passing the end of the island and there was a pebble beach with driftwood scattered along the shallow shore. It would be a good campsite and it would be easy to gather driftwood for a fire.
As one they guided the dugouts toward the shore. When they were close and the water was shallow enough, Dola jumped into the water, stumbled and then regained his footing. He than began pulling on a vine which was tied to the front of the dugout. Soon he had the dugout almost beached.
Cano
was eager to get to the shore. He stood on shaky legs and stepped out of the dugout, and collapsed in the water. He had been sitting so long that he had little feeling in his legs. Everyone started laughing, and soon even Whiteface joined in by starting to bark.
Gennos watched as Cano sputtered himself dry. "Brother, I have a question."
Cano knew that he was about to be the butt of a joke, but he was tired and happy to see the others with smiles on their faces. It had been a long time since they had anything to laugh about. He decided to go along with it. "What is it?"
"Did you fall because you are tired, or did Dola get you with one of the spears that aren't there?" This brought on a new batch of laughing. Gennos was beaming as he looked from Na'pe to Dola.
Cano staggered through the water and over to Gennos's dugout. As he approached he cast a look toward Na'pe and then over at his brother. “I don't feel right about telling you this in front of Na'pe. But, it’s important and she will need to know sooner or later."
Gennos heard the serious tone in his brother's voice. He glanced around quickly, looking for any danger or treats that Cano may have seen. He could see nothing.
"Danger is near brother, can you see it?" Cano said in a low voice, as he looked back upriver.
Gennos twisted around to see what it was that Cano meant. He still couldn't see any danger. He turned back and looked at Cano who had his head down and was speaking softly. Gennos couldn't hear what he said.
Cano had moved closer to the dugout and said something again. Gennos still couldn't hear what it was and he leaned closer to him so that he could hear.
Cano glanced back at Na'pe who was sitting silently; he started to say something and then grabbed his brother by the arm and jerked him into the river. His brother came up sputtering and shook the hair from his eyes.
"What I wanted to say was, you are all wet!" Cano said.
Gennos lunged at Cano and soon they were in a good water fight. Whiteface barked and Dola stayed out of the way so that he wouldn't get pulled into the water.
Na'pe stood up in the dugout and stretched, and then she stepped over the side and into the water. She waded over to where the brothers were trying to drown each other. "Stop!" she shouted. She looked toward the shore behind Dola.
At the sound of her voice the brothers stopped fighting and looked at her. The serious look on her face caused the smiles to fade from their faces.
"There is something that you both must know," she said.
The brothers scanned the island where she had been looking; neither of them could see any danger. They both turned toward her and stood still.
She moved close to them, "I wanted to tell you," and then she said something very softly that they couldn't hear.
Both brothers said "What?" at the same time.
She moved closer and said, "I love water fights," and pushed them both backwards. They went down with a splash, but came back up quickly. She shrieked and splashed water on them. They tried to grab her, but she was quick and was able to stay out of reach. It was at this time that Dola came splashing into the melee.
Whiteface stood in the dugout and watched his pack in the water. Strange, very strange.
In retrospect, the slashing in the river may have seemed foolish, but they had needed to purge themselves of the feelings of being prisoners, and the lack of self worth that traveled with it. The despair that they had lived with was being replaced with hope and a feeling of well being. They knew that Lomasi would continue to follow them and that unless they were lucky they would meet again. Additionally, there were untold dangers in the river and in the forests to come. They still had a long way to travel before they would be safe with Na'pe's people. Nevertheless, they were free. They had food and they could stop to rest when they wanted. They were now able to cast off the invisible shroud that they had all been wearing. The waters of the river had not been able to wash away all pain and worry, but they were able to bathe them in hope and provide a cloak of companionship.
Marks in the sand
Later, when they were sitting around a warm fire and they had eaten their fill, they discussed what had happened since they had parted. Cano and Dola each told of their escapes and their meeting at the river. Cano told of the cave, and the snakes, and finally about the bones he had found. He showed everyone the strange black rock and then demonstrated its sharpness. Then he went to the dugout and retrieved the short spears he had found at the cave. They had the same kind of black points as the cutting stone. The spears were quite strange, not just because of their small size, but for other reasons. Some of them had pieces of feather on the opposite end of the points, and there was a notch in the end of the shaft.
Gennos was very curious about the body and the spears. He asked Cano, "Had the bones been there a long time?"
"I think so, there was no smell. Also, I think he had been there a long time because of the marks on the wall."
"What marks on the wall?" asked Gennos.
"I don't know how to say this. I found strange marks on the wall, and I think they are important; the dead man must have made them. They looked like this." Cano tried to make the marks on the ground, but there were too many rocks and things growing to show what he had seen. He looked around until he saw a place that was sandy and had few pebbles. He motioned Gennos over and then smoothed the sand with his hand. It took him a while to make the marks as he remembered them. The small group stood silently by while he worked. "I think they looked like this," he said after he had finished. “I don't remember what they all looked like, but some of them were like this." he said. "Look at this mark," he pointed to one of the marks, "I think it shows the man who died."
Gennos squatted down and looked at the marks on the ground. He studied them for a few moments before looking up. "Why do you say that?"
"The man's leg was broken." He pointed again to the marks he had made and then pointed to a line at the bottom of one of the marks. This mark is different," he pointed at another mark, "than this one. The dead man's broken leg is on the same side as this mark. I think these marks tell us that the dead man's leg was broken." He paused and looked into Gennos eyes, "I think the marks tell us a story. The marks tell us what happened."
Gennos became excited, "I think you are right, the marks must mean a man with a broken leg." He paused for a moment, thinking. “Cano, remember when we were back in our old clan? Koonai was making marks on the ground for the women to step over and said they were like the banks of a river?"
Cano nodded as Gennos continued. "This is the same kind of thing, but it means more." He was excited and could see that his brother was too.
Na'pe and Dola were looking at the marks in the sand with the brothers. Na'pe made the statement, "Then the other marks must mean something". She leaned closer to Gennos and put one of her hands on his shoulder, she pointed with her other hand to the group of twisted lines, "What do you think those mean?"
Gennos couldn't talk. Her touch and closeness wiped any coherent thought from his brain. He turned and looked into her eyes, his mind went blank. He forgot everything and could say nothing.
Na'pe saw the look on his face and inherently knew it for what it was. The female of the species seems to operate from a different set of rules when it comes to interacting with males. They are subtle and effective when the situation requires it. She had seen signs that Gennos was more than casually interested in her, and this display was sealing his fate. She knew she had him if she wanted. She also knew that now was not the time to push. Later she would lead him to the next level of interaction. She gently removed her hand from his shoulder and leaned away from him. Before she could say anything Cano interrupted.
"I think they are supposed to be snakes. They are below the man." He paused and then said "I think he was trying to tell us a story about himself." He looked around at his companions.
Gennos slowly seemed to remove himself from a cloud. A look of awareness returned to his eyes, he became aware of where he was and what they
were discussing. "Snakes, that could be it. A man with a broken leg; above many snakes. Yes, that could be right. He must have been a great man to have known how to do this."
Dola looked doubtful. "He couldn't have been too great if he died in a hole with a broken leg."
Gennos seemed to be his old self again. He said, "We all die someplace and sometime." After a few moments of thought he continued, "I doubt that any of us would pick the time and place where we will die. We will want to live as long as we can. But we all die someday. We don't know who this man was or what he was doing, but we know he left part of a story to tell what happened. When we each die what will we leave behind? Will anyone ever know who we are or what we did?"
Dola had listened quietly, and he said, "I don't know. I still have a lot to learn, but I wonder; does it matter? He lived and died. We live and die. Who cares?"
Gennos answered quietly, "You have answered your own question. You care. You came back to help Na'pe and me. You care for the little wolf." He hesitated and gathered his thoughts. “Some people like Lomasi care only for themselves."
The Thinking Rocks Page 25