Blood River Down
Page 29
"Pretty harsh," he said. "I would think they'd be very happy indeed when they find out what you've done."
Her head pressed against his arm. "I didn't do it, you know. You did."
"Whatever I could, but too many people got hurt."
A moment passed. "So what are you going to do, hero?"
"I don't know yet. It's hard."
"Do me a favor, then?"
He nodded.
"Talk to Tag in the morning? He wants to follow Wamchu and bring his head back for his wall."
"I'll talk."
"You'd better, or I'll cut off your arms." Then she kissed him lightly on the cheek, hugged him, and walked off.
"Lord," he said as he sank to the ground. "Give me strength."
He slept with his arms folded over his knees, his cheek in the cradle of one elbow. It was a fitful sleep with too many dreams and too many nightmares, and when he opened his eyes again light was filling the eastern sky.
Then Tuesday waddled up to him, nudged his arm around her neck, and sighed. "This is a weird place, Giddy. I think I want to go home."
"So do I, sis."
They were silent for several minutes, watching Red graze and looking longingly at the distant clouds that marked the climb back to his home pasture.
"On the other hand," he said miserably, "what is there to go back to?"
"The house, decent food, decent clothes, and old movies on TV," she answered without hesitation.
"For me, maybe," he said, "but what about you?"
"Whale can fix me up."
"He's already tried three times, as I understand it."
"He's a dear, sweet old man who has... well, who has—"
"A problem."
She agreed.
"So do we, sis, so do we."
But no matter how often they added the pros and the cons, the pluses and the minuses, they were unable to decide what to do next. Tuesday suggested it was only because they were used to excitement, and the humdrum was somehow no longer appealing.
"It is safe, though," he reminded her.
"Sure. So was sitting on the bench all those years." And she yawned.
At midday they wandered back to the camp, surprised when they saw that the others had already been to Rayn for supplies and fresh clothes, were packed and were only waiting to bid them farewell.
Glorian kissed him, her cheeks damp with tears. "You saved us, you know. We don't owe you a thing."
Whale shook his hand and walked off to Rayn, his shadows somehow larger than the former fat man who cast it.
Ivy just stared at him, searching his eyes and sighing. Then she kissed him and hugged him and punched him gently on the arm.
Red wandered up, Tag nervously on his back.
"You watch the ladies," Gideon said sternly to them both.
"Don't worry," Tag assured him. "I have a great way to slice a desh, and pacchs don't scare me a bit." He reached down for Gideon's hand, then looked quickly back toward his sister.
Red's eyes were dark.
"You don't want to stay, not really," Gideon said, wrapping his arms around the lorra's neck and burying his face in the soft hair. "You miss home. I know it."
Red purred and bobbed his head.
"Besides, I'll be around. And if I... if I go, I won't do it without coming up to see you."
Red purred and butted him gently, then swung free of his grip and started toward the road. Glorian walked beside him, her hand on Tag's leg. Ivy trailed, hesitated, turned suddenly, and ran back.
"The Bridge," she said.
He waited.
"You won't get it if you don't need it."
"Ivy—"
"Shut up," she said, and ran back to the others.
He watched until the sun began to burn his eyes. Then he returned to the dead campfire and sat beside his sister. "Did you hear her?" he asked.
"Sure I did," the duck said.
"So are we in need?"
"Well, I certainly am," Tuesday said, flapping her wings to remind him of her condition. Then she stared at him and smiled as only a duck and sister could. "But you're not, are you? You don't need home at all, anymore."
"That's a little harsh, sis."
"What harsh? Like the lady said, look around you. Do you see a Bridge waiting to whisk you home?"
He did; there wasn't.
"You don't need it, Giddy," she said. "Something's changed, and you don't."
"I'm beginning to believe that," he admitted.
"Well, if that's the case, you'll have to promise me something."
"What's that?"
"That you'll find some way to turn me back. I had flat feet before, but this is ridiculous."
Gideon laughed and hugged her.
She was always right before, and she was definitely right now. If he were home, what would he be doing besides the crossword puzzles, listening for the telephone that probably wouldn't ring, and nursing his bottle of scotch? At least here he could feel as if he were doing more than taking up space and marking time; at least here he could make some difference, not only to others, but, more important, to himself.
A little pompous, don't you think? he thought with a wry smile.
A little, he said silently; but what the hell, right?
"A deal," he said at last.
"Great," she said. "God, it's hell when I have to wait for you to make up your mind to do what I knew you were going to do all along. And while you're at it, you might as well figure out how the hell I'm going to get a man looking like this. Do you have any idea, Gideon Sunday, what having feathers can do to a passionate woman's love life?"
He didn't, but he nodded anyway, not caring because now it was just like home.
No, he thought then. Not like home. Is home.
And he spent the rest of the day grinning, and most of the night dreaming about Ivy and her buttons.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE