by Mark Harritt
“Oh, God bless you, Mickey.”
“What is it?” Mike asked.
“A bottle of Aleve.”
Mike turned to Mickey, “We still have supplies?”
Mickey nodded, “Dwindling, but a few. Major surgery would be a big problem.”
Mike turned back to Everett, “You ready to go?”
Everett was in the process of swallowing two of the pills. He washed them down with water from his canteen
Everett nodded, “Just as ready as I can be.”
Mike started for the door. Everett fell in behind him. Mike motioned for Jendi to walk in front of them, “After you, Jendi.”
Everett threw the bottle of pills back to Mickey, who caught it despite wrestling with two kids.
Mike stepped out into the day, blinking against the light. The sun was bright, but the air was cool. Mike could see his breath. It was mid-morning. After the night’s festivities, their hosts had been kind enough leave the team alone until they were sure Mike and the guys were awake.
As visitors, they were relegated to the lowest level of rooms in the cliff face. The elderly lived on this level as well, since it was harder for them to climb all the time. Some of them smiled at Mike and Everett. They smiled back as they walked.
A group of old men were talking, seated in a circle around a fire, warming their bones in the chill of the morning air. One of them was standing, with his hands behind his back. He yelled at Jendi, and the group started laughing.
“What did he say?” Mike asked.
“He was wondering if Everett could show him that dance again,” Jendi answered.
“Oh God, I’m never going to live that down, am I?”
Mike shook his head, “No, probably not. Still, you can always blame it on the alcohol.”
“Well, that’s not happening again.”
“Learn your lesson?” Mike asked.
Everett nodded, “You know it. That stuff was too smooth. It just snuck up on me. The taste didn’t even begin to let me know what the effect was going to be.”
Mike clapped him on the shoulder, “Don’t worry Ev. I think we can weather it pretty well if that’s the worst thing you do. Besides, these people got a kick out of it. Hopefully you broke the ice for us.”
It was true. Things hadn’t gone as well in yesterday’s negotiations as Mike had hoped. Joacar was going to make sure that his tribe got the better end of the deal. Mike didn’t care so much, but he didn’t want Joacar to think he was a pushover. That was yesterday.
Now, he hoped things would go better today. If yesterday was an indication, then Matki, Owlt Joacar, and four others, three men and one ancient woman, would be waiting for them.
Mike followed Jendi to the stone house that they’d used yesterday. Gravel crunched under foot as they walked. The house sat apart from the cliff. This round house was like the one they’d used the other day, occupied by Matki’s people but not built by them. It was a round house, a circle of stone about six feet high. Matki’s people had added a wooden pole roof to it to keep the weather out. Strangely, even the houses in the cliff were there when Matki’s tribe moved into the area.
Mike saw Matki and waved at him. The others on the council stood behind him, waiting for Mike and Everett. Matki acted as the translator between Mike and the council so that there were no misunderstandings. When the council started talking between themselves, some of the exchanges became heated. It was very hard for Mike to follow, so it was better that Matki translated. Matki ensured that Mike and Everett understood the nuances of what was being discussed.
“Matki, how are you doing today?” Mike asked.
“I am doing well. It is good to spend time with my family,” Matki reached out to ruffle his son’s hair. Jendi tried to dodge, but he didn’t make it. Matki put his arm over his son’s shoulder, pulling him in close. He made sure that Jendi’s hair was a mess. Unlike his father, Jendi’s hair wasn’t braided. When his father let him go, he ran his hands through his hair, trying to put it back in place. Matki grinned, watching him.
“How was your sleep?” Matki asked in return.
Mike glanced at Everett, “Well, some of us slept better than others. Some of us woke up feeling very good. Others didn’t.”
Matki smiled, and looked at Everett, “And how was your night, Everett.”
Everett’s red eyes answered that question very well for Matki, “I slept soundly, after I fell asleep.”
Matki nodded, his expression solemn, “Yes, we heard something last night that sounded like a great beast, calling out in great pain.”
Everett nodded, “Yeah that was me. I woke up a little hungry this morning. I had a problem keeping last night’s meal down.”
Matki grinned, “Yes, Larif makes his arakar very strong. The other tribes value it greatly.”
Everett stared at Matki, not feeling the love, “Would have been good to know that yesterday.”
Matki’s grin grew wider, “Yes, but not near as much fun.”
“So, how do you think the negotiations will go today?” Mike asked.
Matki’s grin disappeared, his face becoming neutral. He glanced over at Joacar and the council. Joacar’s face revealed nothing.
Matki turned back to Mike, “Mike, you must understand. I am caught between my tribe and my friends. I have to look out for the wellbeing of my family.”
Mike looked over at the head man, who looked away, “I understand Matki. I’ve put you in a bad position. I’m sorry my friend.”
Matki looked over at the council, then back at Mike. “Mike, it is not that they don’t want to trade. They want the metal knives that you brought with you. They know that you seek a new home. They are worried that you will move here.”
Mike was confused, “Why would they be worried? Is it about the food, the resources? We can stay further downstream so you don’t have to worry about sharing water.”
Matki shook his head, “No Mike, it is not that. They are afraid of you.”
Matki pointed at Mike’s pistol, “I’ve told them too much about you. I told them about how many of the dragons you’ve killed. I also told them about the ‘robots’ and the grey men. They are afraid that you bring trouble with you. They like the idea of you as visitors to trade with, but they don’t want you close to our tribe.”
Matki looked up at his friend, “I’ve brought giants into my town. Giants who are almost gods themselves. They look at you, and knowing about the monsters you’ve killed, they wonder what it would take for you to decide that you will take what we have. Why would you move somewhere else if you have everything here.”
Mike was stunned, but he could understand Matki’s point. Matki’s tribe, while smart and intuitive, were basically Neolithic hunter/gatherers. They didn’t know that Mike’s ‘tribe’ could significantly improve their lives. They only knew that Mike could slay them from a distance with their thunder sticks. They knew what Mike was capable of, but they didn’t know his character, or the character of his people. Looking at it from their viewpoint, Mike could understand why they would be worried. He could tell them anything, but why should they believe him? Actions always speak louder than words. What a person does shows who he is.
Mike knew that he would never hurt one of Matki’s tribe on purpose. He was biased though. He’d always thought of himself as one of the good guys. The point was, these people, Joacar and the rest of the elders only had Matki’s word. They had no common history to confirm what he told them.
Mike nodded, “I understand. I guess we will need to build a history before your people begin to understand us, and understand that we mean them no harm.”
Matki smiled, “Yes, exactly. We will have to ‘get to know each other’ before we can get to third base.”
Mike laughed out loud when he heard Matki say this. It drew stares from the others on the council.
“Who told you that, Matki?” Mike asked.
“I was talking to Jennifer, and I asked her why you and she weren’t living t
ogether.”
“Did she tell you what ‘third base’ means?”
Matki shook his head, “No, she just told me that it meant something about relations between men and women.”
Mike told him. Matki started laughing, “Well, maybe that is not an accurate idea about what our tribes will do together.”
Mike smiled, “You never know, Matki. We have some men that will be looking for wives.”
Joacar turned and entered the round house, with the council behind him. Matki stepped back and motioned for Mike and Everett to go inside. Mike walked in first, and moved around to the left. The inside of the round house had a low stone bench that circled the wall. A fire pit sat in the center with a small fire to cut the chill of the air. He saw that he was going to be sitting next to Doein, the old lady. She smiled through the gaps in her teeth at him. She looked ancient. Larif was sitting on the other side of Doein, grinning, a skin of arakar next to him.
Everett moved around to the right, and sat next to a dour old man named Gegit. The man had a sturdy build, and Mike could tell that he had been a strong man in his youth. The last one was Walleg. He was a thin, quiet man. He spent his time during the talks watching and listening. Mike had a good idea that this was the strategist of the group. He noticed that the others would look over at Walleg when Mike, Everett, or Matki were talking. The man to persuade, was Owlt Joacar, though. He was the man who would make the decisions.
Mike smiled and bowed to the group as he made his way to sit down. None of the elders stood, they just acknowledged him with nods of their heads. Smiles broke out as Everett walked in to take his seat, though Joacar maintained a serious look on his face. Everett bowed to the council, and received nods back. When Everett sat down, Larif picked up the container next to him and passed it across the fire pit to Gegit, who handed it to Everett. Everett looked at it with trepidation as he took it from Gegit. He opened the stopper at the mouth of the skin and smelled it. He shivered as he realized it was arakar.
They laughed. Joacar tried to keep a straight face, refusing laugh out loud. Even dour Gegit smiled at the expression on Everett’s face. Doein cackled. She stood up and tried to imitate Everett’s twerking from the night before. Mike could only thank God that she didn’t do a good imitation. Still, he didn’t think he’d get that image out of his mind anytime soon. She sat down, laughing, and slapped him on the shoulder.
Matki sat down next to Everett. He looked at the container. He asked, innocently, “Are you sure you don’t want some, Everett?”
Everett shook his head, “No, no, I don’t think so. Not now, and probably not for a good long time. That stuff sneaks up on you and bites you when you aren’t looking.”
Matki translated that for the council. They laughed. Doein pecked at Mike’s arm with two fingers like they were fangs. Mike nodded to her. She laughed some more. Mike could almost swear he saw a faint smile on Joacar’s face.
Matki started talking. He made gestures with his hands that indicated round objects. Mike could tell that he was telling a story. Mike didn’t know what Matki was saying, but it must have been very interesting, because the others were leaning in to listen to him. It took a little while, but when Matki finished, the council started laughing again.
“What did you tell them, Matki?” Mike asked.
“I was telling them about when I met you and the others. At first, I thought you were demons. Then I thought you were gods.”
“What changed your mind?”
“Well, you had just given me chocolate. Jennifer was walking through the demon queen’s cave, and all of the men in the cave watched her walk by. When I saw everybody’s reaction to her, I knew that you were really men.”
Mike smiled at that memory. Jennifer looked just as good walking away as she did walking towards him. He nodded to Matki, “Yes, I remember that.”
The council meeting started. Walleg spoke. That was unusual. He hadn’t spoken at all yesterday. He would make a point, then one of the others would speak, then he would answer. Occasionally, he would ask a question of Matki.
Mike caught Everett’s eye. Everett shrugged. Mike leaned back against the wall. The back and forth continued for a while. Finally, Walleg finished speaking. Evidently Walleg had said his piece, and he was done. The others waited for a moment, and then they started talking back and forth. Joacar would make a point, but most of the talking was between Gegit and Doein.
Mike looked over at Matki, but he raised his hand, indicating that Mike should be patient. The rest of the morning went like that. They would talk, they would ask questions. Any questions Matki couldn’t answer, he would ask Mike or Everett. Mike and Everett listened, even though they couldn’t understand what was being said. Occasionally, the group would stop talking so that Matki could relay everything that had been said to Mike and Everett.
The alcohol was passed around, though the council took small swigs compared to the ones that Everett took last night. Mike took a taste when it came around to him. Everett was right, it didn’t taste as strong as Ouzo. It had more of a honey taste like Drambuie, with licorice overtones. Mike could understand how Everett had been waylaid by the drink. It was smooth and sweet going down.
The skin made its way to Everett. He looked at the skin, dread on his face. He steeled himself and took a big swig. His body shuddered as he tasted the arakar again.
Mike’s eyebrow raised. Everett looked at him. “Hair of the dog that bit me,” he explained.
Joacar looked over at Matki for a translation. Matki translated. The council burst out laughing. Joacar had to bite his lip to keep a serious look on his face. He raised his hand, and the laughter slowly died. Joacar had made his decision. He started talking. When he was finished, he stood up to leave. The rest of the council followed him out.
Mike turned to Matki, “What just happened.”
Matki turned, surprise written on his features, “That is unusual. I expected this to last much longer.” He looked at Everett, “I think Joacar was trying hard to keep from laughing.”
“What was the decision?” Mike asked.
“Well, some good things. Joacar wants to trade for your iron, knives and arrowheads. In return, you will get your salt. He is also interested in an exchange of information between our people. I’ve told him what your people are capable of, and that they would be willing to teach us.”
Mike nodded, “Sounds good so far. I’m assuming though, that if there are good things, then there are probably bad things as well.”
Matki confirmed this, “Yes, you are correct. He claims our valley down to where it meets the dragon valley. He does not want you to move your tribe here.”
Mike was upset by this, but he didn’t allow it to show. “Where can we move to, then?”
“Joacar said that anywhere south of this valley, the other tribes would be unwilling to let you settle as well.”
“Probably doesn’t want us to trade with the other tribes,” Mike thought. “What about north?” Mike asked.
“He says that north is best. There are no tribes there that he knows of.”
It wasn’t the best solution that Mike could think of. Still there had been the two valleys they’d crossed before they hit the necropolis. They weren’t going to chance the valley of the necropolis again, not with the grey men there. Instead, they would have to find a way north from here.
“Matki, do you know a way north?”
Matki shook his head, “I don’t know, but,” Matki’s grin returned, “Joacar has said that you can ask our hunters and scouts if they know a place north of here to settle.”
Mike sat back, “So, your tribe will help us find a place?”
Matki nodded, “We will help you find a place.”
That was very good news. Mike turned to Everett, “What do you think about this?”
“I’m finding it hard to think about anything right now, but it sounds good to me,” Everett replied.
Matki stood up, “Well, it is time for food. Balia is making b
reakfast for us.”
Mike smiled, remembering the breakfast he ate yesterday, “Great, I’m pretty hungry.”
Everett groaned.
Mike turned to him, “You aren’t hungry?”
“Yes, and no,” Everett replied.
Matki started walking, “Balia will be very upset with you if you don’t come to breakfast, Everett.”
Mike stood and walked over to Everett, “Sounds like you don’t have a choice to me.”
Everett nodded and stood up, “Yeah, I’m coming.”
They followed Matki out of the round house.
----------------------------------------------------
Mike was sitting on a rock, drinking water, eating pemmican. Matki looked over at him. Mike held the pouch out so that Matki could grab a handful. Matki looked at the pouch, then reached in and grabbed some. He funneled it into his mouth.
After breakfast, Matki and Mike settled down outside the team’s quarters, staking out a place on a group of stones so they could talk to the hunters of the village. Everett, still hung over, had gone back to their quarters to sleep. Several hunters and visitors had come by, but none of them had any news about the area north.
“I’m going to have to get some more pemmican before we leave here,” Mike said.
Matki grinned, “Offer one of your knives, and you will have more pemmican than you can carry. The women want knives too”
Mike looked at him, “Remind me about that later, okay.”
“Why?”
“I have a gift for your wife.”
Matki looked at his friend, “What is it?”
“I have a set of knives and forks for her.”
A smile spread slowly across Matki’s face, “You are making my family very rich.”
Mike waved off the statement, “We would’ve been dead a long time ago if it wasn’t for you. You and your family deserve it.”
“Still, with this present to my wife, I think I will be a happy man for a good long time.”