“Good,” Meru said. “And you, Khay?”
“I’ll be ready,” Khay said.
“You can count on me, Father,” Menna volunteered enthusiastically.
“You’ve never disappointed me yet, either of you. Now, tell me – does it still go well with you boys and their girls?” Meru asked.
“Ahaneith’s been telling me almost since the day we met that she can’t wait to be joined,” Menna said.
“Takhat wants babies so badly she can taste it,” Khay averred.
Aya blushed at their crudeness.
“And the rest?” Meru asked.
“Hemetre visits Iuput’s fire nearly every evening,” Khay answered. “Qen’s two remaining sisters of an age are pursued by three of Hannu’s boys. Nothing seems settled yet.”
“I’ll name their partners, then.”
“You still plan to join with Aya even though she carries Kakhent’s child?” Khay interjected.
“More reason than ever. That child links me to Kakhent’s line. And since Hannu is Aya’s daughter, she links me to him. Aya’s the perfect tool to help me keep the patriarchy. I’m under no illusions, boys – I’m going to have to keep her under tight control,” Meru admitted. “She’s the one most likely to rile her people up after I replace Hannu, goad them into challenging me. She’s willful and headstrong – can’t keep her mouth shut. Keeps claiming she’s under the protection of her falcon god. Believe me, I’ll beat the independence out of her if I have to.”
Just try! Aya thought fiercely.
“Menna, to give Aya incentive to be compliant, you’ll need to impose your will on Ahaneith on the night of the joinings. Do you understand what I mean?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Do you have the stomach for it, Son, or should I give Ahaneith to Khay instead?”
“I’ll do whatever I have to, Father,” Menna insisted without hesitation.
Barbarians! Aya thought. Every one of them! How am I going to save Ahaneith from Menna?
“See to it that Ahaneith tells Aya how you’ve treated her the next morning,” Meru continued. “After that, I’ll promise Aya that no more harm will come to Ahaneith as long as Aya doesn’t resist me. She’ll stay in line.”
“If that doesn’t work you can threaten to give Aya to Qen,” Khay suggested.
“That’d keep any woman in line,” Menna chortled.
“Who’d believe that to be a real threat?” Meru asked dismissively.
Qen did not react to any of their insults.
A moment later, their plotting concluded, the four rose and left, making their way through the tall grass, three in the direction of their camp, Qen towards the herd. Aya waited under cover – stunned, confused, angry, her mind whirring – until they were long gone. She wrapped her fingers around the falcon at her neck, raised her eyes to the sky, thanked the god that he’d sent her to overhear these barbarians plotting to destroy her band, her way of life, her father, her family. But now that she knew there was a plot, what was she to do about it?
She fought to clear her head, to think. She could not afford to panic. Meru was counting on Hannu being caught off guard to ensure his plan worked – well, thanks to her, Hannu would know exactly what was coming hours ahead of time. He’d be able to deal with Qen and save the herd, protect the grain from Menna and Khay. He’d be able to spring Meru’s trap before Meru could set it. Assuming, of course, that Hannu acted like a true patriarch, instead of the greedy yet timid man he actually was. Aya knew that what was about to happen would make or break her father. She whispered a prayer to the falcon god that Hannu would be up to the challenge. If not… Aya dared not contemplate the consequences.
There was no time to lose. Aya turned, faced her camp, began as best she could in her pregnant state to run.
***
Fifteen minutes later Aya burst into Hannu’s hut. He was stretched out on his pallet but hadn’t yet lowered the reed mat that covered the entrance at night, and so its interior was dimly lit by the campfire that still blazed just outside.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Hannu cried angrily, startled, sitting up. “I didn’t give you permission to enter!”
“Quiet!” Aya hissed. She fought to catch her breath, looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was outside listening. “I just overheard Meru and Qen and Menna and Khay in the marsh. Meru’s going to try to take over leadership of our band from you during the festival tomorrow. If you don’t give in, he’s going to kill our animals and burn our grain!”
“That’s preposterous!” Hannu spluttered. “Meru’s going to yield himself to me, so he can have you.”
“You’re deluding yourself,” Aya said pointedly. “You underestimated Meru. He’ll never submit to you. You never should have challenged him the way you did. Now you’re going to pay for it. We all are.”
“Watch yourself!” Hannu snarled. “I’m your patriarch and your father!”
“As far as patriarch – not for long. As far as father – not since you sold me to Kakhent.”
“Do you want another taste of my stick?” Hannu snapped.
“Do you want to know what Meru’s planning to do tomorrow?” Aya countered. “Or do you want to sit here in the dark making idle threats? Because, believe me, you’re never going to lay another hand on me ever again.”
There was a long pause. “Tell me everything,” Hannu finally said, his voice grim.
Aya sat, drew close to her father so no passerby could hear her, related everything she could remember about the plot and the conspirators. About half way through her tale Hannu began to tremble. At that moment Aya’s heart sank. Whatever backbone her father had recently developed was dissolving before her very eyes. The freedom she’d come to crave was slipping away.
“So, now that you know what Meru’s up to, how are you going to stop him?” Aya asked Hannu when she’d told everything.
“I don’t know,” Hannu shrugged.
“You need to figure something out, and fast!” Aya insisted, her temper flaring. “At the very least, you have to get our animals to safety before morning! You have to save our seed grain!”
“How?” Hannu asked helplessly.
It was clear to Aya that he’d lost both the will and the ability to act. He was useless, a patriarch in name only. Well, since he wouldn’t do anything, she would. “I’ll go get Iuput. I’ll go get Paser. The four of us can develop a plan.”
“Don’t you dare tell Paser!” Hannu ordered, grabbing her forearm, digging his fingernails into her flesh. “He’ll take this as an opportunity to seize the patriarchy from me this very night.”
Aya jerked her arm away. “Don’t you understand – you’ve already lost the patriarchy! And instead of seeking help wherever you can get it, you’re going to sit here in your hut and do nothing? You’re handing Meru control of our band.” Aya was incredulous. “You’re choosing Meru over Paser!”
“In that case, I’ll give you to Meru like I agreed before – with no conditions. You’re what he really wants. He’ll leave me in peace once he has you.”
“It’s much too late for that now,” Aya retorted. “Meru’s sights are set on a bigger prize than they were when he asked you to join me to him.”
Hannu leaned forward, shook his finger at her. “This is all your fault, Aya!”
“My fault?”
“If you hadn’t seduced Meru, led him on, made him desire you…”
“That’s ridiculous!” Aya spat. “I never wanted anything to do with Meru – not before Kakhent died and certainly not after. We’re in this mess because of your greed. You used me once to get the patriarchy of this band. You thought you could use me a second time to get the patriarchy of his. You overreached.”
“Well, then, you get us out of this situation, Aya. You claim to be the falcon god’s chosen one. Get him to save us.”
Aya had never been so disgusted in her life. Her father had laid both the blame and the solution at her feet instead of taking resp
onsibility for the mess he’d caused. “You don’t deserve to be a patriarch,” she said bitterly. She rose. “And you won’t be for long.” She turned, stalked from Hannu’s hut.
“Don’t you dare go to Paser!” Hannu called after her. “Don’t you give him what belongs to me!”
***
Aya headed for the east end of the ridge. Once there she perched atop one of the clay bins that held her band’s grain. She had to think. Her band’s situation was dire. Meru was threatening her people’s very existence. Her band didn’t have enough men and boys to defend these bins and the animals if Meru turned violent. After his admission in the marsh, she knew Meru would have no compunction about killing to get his way. Aya gazed over the moon–silvered lake, saw Qen’s boats drawn up side by side on the mud flats that had once been the lake’s bottom well south of the peninsula. To her right blazed the campfires of her people in a long line atop the crest of the ridge. The sounds of quiet conversations and occasional laughter drifted to her on the warm breeze, accompanied by the buzzing and humming of insects and the random calls of night birds. To her left, on the far side of the dark oval that consisted of marsh and basin and harvested grain fields, glimmered the faint fires of Meru’s band atop its distant ridge. By this time tomorrow, Aya thought, the peace that lay over this land would be completely shattered, the lives of the people who lived around Ta–she altered forever. And the dream the falcon god had given her – a prosperous land, many bands living in harmony, herself happy and content and surrounded by children – would in the end be just a chimera. How had everything gone so wrong?
The barbarians. Aya cursed the day she’d encountered them. She cursed Qen, who’d told lie after lie in order to ruin her people. And she cursed Meru, who hadn’t lied at all, but had simply reached out to take what he desired, in the process ruining her life.
What to do now? Her father was right – she couldn’t go to Paser. He wasn’t any more fit to lead her band than Hannu, and defeating her father and consolidating his hold on power would be Paser’s priority, not defeating Meru. There was only one man Aya knew she could completely trust to help her get the band out of this hopeless situation – her younger brother, Iuput. She turned towards the north. He was out there, guarding the animals. There was no time to waste. She hurried down the ridge towards the savannah beyond.
***
Aya caught sight of Iuput’s fire flickering from half a mile away. Drawing near, she saw her brother wasn’t alone. An indistinct figure was seated beside him, bent close in earnest conversation. One of the herdsmen eating before resuming his watch over the animals, Aya assumed. There were always a handful of boys assisting Iuput at night. She was nearly to the fire when the second figure heard her approaching and turned in her direction. Firelight illuminated Qen’s face.
She’d assumed he’d be somewhere in the vicinity of the herds, for destroying them tomorrow was his assignment from Meru. That he’d be openly visiting with Iuput was almost unbelievable. Aya had expected Qen to be hiding nearby, avoiding discovery, waiting for the most opportune time to emerge and kill. But, she remembered, he’d gone about openly with Paser for weeks while plotting on Meru’s behalf. That seemed to be Qen’s style – to always be in plain sight, pretending to be a friend, portraying his presence as something it wasn’t. That made his betrayals even more despicable. Well, this time, at least, he wasn’t going to get away with his deception. He wasn’t going to carry out Meru’s orders either. Aya drew the flint knife that was always tucked into the girdle that circled her waist, stepped into the ring of firelight.
Iuput looked up. His smile of recognition died as Aya crouched and leveled her knife at Qen.
“Move away from that treacherous dog!” Aya cried, addressing Iuput, circling towards the barbarian.
“Aya!” Iuput exclaimed, half–rising.
Qen froze, eyes locked on Aya’s.
“You’re here to kill our animals!” Aya accused. “I’m going to kill you instead!” She lunged at Qen, slashed with her knife. He dove to the side, landed on his shoulder, rolled in the dirt, came to rest on his back. He hadn’t been quick enough. A line of bright red welled from his right bicep. Aya stepped closer.
Iuput seized Aya from behind, pinned her arms to her sides, lifted her off her feet. She kicked his shins with her heels, tried to escape. He tightened his hold. She still gripped the knife in her hand, waved it menacingly.
“Let me go, Brother!” Aya shouted, twisting and jerking. “You’d kill Qen too if you knew what he’s up to!”
“I do know, Aya!” Iuput gasped. He was barely able to control her. “Qen told me everything Meru’s planning to do tomorrow.”
Qen propped himself on his side with his uninjured arm, regarded her warily.
“His version. Not the real one,” Aya countered. She tried to wrench free again, almost slipped from Iuput’s grasp, but he was too strong. Aya was unbowed. She locked her eyes on Qen. “Make a move towards your staff and my knife will find your heart – assuming you have one. You know how accurately I can throw.”
“Not with your arms pinned,” Iuput wheezed.
“I’ll find a way!” Aya insisted.
Qen kicked his staff away with his good leg, so that it was beyond his reach. “Satisfied?”
“Aya, Qen’s on our side,” Iuput promised. He set her on her feet, maintained his hold on her.
“That’s what he wants you to believe,” she choked out. She could hardly breathe with Iuput’s arms crushing her ribs. “I was in the marsh tonight. I heard every word the barbarians said.”
“Good,” Qen said. “Then you know what we’re up against.”
“We?” Aya snapped, her nostrils flaring. “It’s not your band that Meru’s trying to take over.”
“He already did – take over my band,” Qen reminded her. “Meru killed my father. He killed Kakhent. You heard him admit it tonight. He’s enemy to us both.”
“So you keep saying. But what were you doing with him in the marsh, if its true?”
“Meru ordered me to meet him there tonight,” Qen said. “It’s the first time he’s spoken to me in months. I knew something was up. I wanted to know what.”
“Why involve you in his plan?”
“Desperation? Who else can get close enough to harm your animals except me? Iuput wouldn’t question my presence near the herd. But he’d think anyone else from my band approaching would be unusual, and he’d challenge them. Anyway, if you haven’t already figured it out, Meru will have one of his sons kill me as soon as I accomplish my mission. I’m of no use to him afterwards.”
“Liar!” Aya cried. “He promised you’d oversee planting and herding on his behalf after the bands are merged.”
“Why would he need me, when he’ll have you?” Qen queried. “You’re the farmer. No one else at the lake measures up to you.”
“That, at least, is true.” Aya went limp. Clearly, trying to escape Iuput’s hold was pointless. Besides, Meru lying to Qen to get him to go along with his plan was not only plausible, but likely.
“If I release you, will you promise to behave?” Iuput asked. His chest was heaving and he was sweating heavily.
Aya nodded.
“I want to hear you say it.”
“I won’t try to kill Qen,” she snapped.
Iuput let go of Aya. She tossed back her long hair. Sweat was pouring into her eyes. She took several deep breaths, wiped her brow with her forearm. Iuput held out his hand. Aya rolled her eyes and slapped the hilt of her knife into his palm.
Qen awkwardly crawled to his former seat, brushed the dirt off his chest and legs. Then he pressed his palm over the cut on his upper arm. Blood had by now streamed all the way down his bicep to his elbow and forearm.
Aya didn’t feel the least bit guilty about cutting him. Still, she was a healer. She sighed. She ripped a strip of linen off the bottom of her loincloth, ordered Iuput to wash the blood from Qen’s arm. She didn’t pour the water over her talisman; she
wasn’t going to waste her magic on a barbarian. Once Qen’s arm was clean, she wound the strip of linen over the cut and tied it. Then she stepped away. “So you were only pretending to go along with Meru?” she asked. “You expect me to believe you were simply acting?”
“Yes.”
“How do we know you’re not acting now, trying to get us to lower our guard?”
“You don’t,” Qen said. “I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you to believe me, Aya, after everything that’s happened since our bands met. All I can say is that I came straight here from the marsh to warn Iuput. Would I have done that if I was on Meru’s side?”
“I think you’d do whatever benefited you the most.”
“Aya, you need to trust Qen,” Iuput pleaded. “There’s no time to waste arguing amongst ourselves. It’s up to the three of us to stop Meru.”
“You’re right about that, at least.” Aya shook her head. “I told Father about Meru’s plan a little while ago. He’s cowering in his hut like a scared little boy. He’s too afraid to do anything.”
“I’m not surprised,” Iuput said. “Please, Aya? Work with us.”
Aya sighed deeply. She didn’t trust Qen, but she trusted Iuput. That was going to have to be enough for now.
“We’ve come up a plan to stop Meru,” Qen said.
“I’m waiting.”
“Tomorrow, when Meru demands that Hannu recognize him as patriarch, I’ll throw my support to Hannu,” Qen said. “My family leaving Meru’s band will make your father too strong for Meru to push around.”
Aya pondered for a long moment. “Ten added to my band, ten subtracted from Meru’s – it would shift the balance considerably.”
“Meru won’t expect it,” Iuput said. “He won’t have a contingency against it.”
Daughter of the Falcon God Page 28