Death on the Trek (9 page)

Let us hope that is true
. Hama nodded at them for a job well done, even though the news was not good.
How far away is this water
?

Jeek and Teek looked at each other and conferred in private before Teek answered.
Maybe one more day of walking. Maybe two.

As they trudged onward, more weary than ever, toward a destination that might be a big problem, Jeek could tell there was much unhappiness about other matters. Some were muttering against Panan, others against Hapa. Those two were rivals now for the favorable thinking of the tribe members. Hama called a halt for the day as Sister Sun was disappearing before them. Brother Moon was bright and had been showing his face for many hand lengths of Sister Sun through Mother Sky. Now he winked down at them, along with the many eyes of Dakadaga, shedding light so they could see well.

They were not yet at the bank of the river. It would be one more sun before they reached it. There was much fear about what they would do when they got there.

After they gathered in the usual circle, Panan once again was asked to give the Saga. He chose to give a short well-known one about Beaver.

I will tell of the Saga of the Giant Beaver of ancient times. In the times that are the most dim in the memories of Storytellers, there lived a Giant Beaver, an Enormous Beaver, more great than the ones who live now.

Jeek sat near Mootak Big Heart. Mootak poked Jeek with his elbow as the Saga started. He sent Jeek a private message.
This is not the right Saga for this time. A Saga of river crossings would be better. Or maybe one of meeting obstacles as a tribe and working together to figure out our problems.

Jeek could see that Mootak might be right. But what good would those thoughts do?

Mootak Big Heart, we must be careful not to divide the tribe any more than it already is. We must not speak against the leaders.

But I should be a leader. Not Panan One Eye. He is too old. With his one eye, he cannot see what should be done. I would do the job much better. I know all the Sagas. When Panan One Eye calls me to learn them, I do not go.

Had Mootak made fun of the one eye of Panan? That was not good. Jeek closed his mind to Mootak and listened to the continuing Saga of the Giant Beaver and of Creation.

He was given a task by Dakadaga, the Spirit of Mother Sky. Her child, Brother Earth, was covered with swirling waters and there was no dry land. Dakadaga and Beaver dove to the bottom of the waters and brought up piles of mud. They shaped the mud into hills and valleys.

Jeek began to think that Mootak might be wrong. This Saga was about creating rivers. It was suitable for this time when a river was on the mind of everyone.

Then Dakadaga built mountains and caves while Beaver made paths for the water so it could run in rivers and streams. Beaver sent water over the mountains to make waterfalls, and dug deep holes to make lakes.

Panan stopped the Saga there and did not go on to tell of Beaver invading villages and devouring people. That was a good part to omit. The Hamapa did not need to be reminded of things that would eat them at this time. The ending, Jeek remembered, was that Dakadaga commanded that beavers only eat fish.

I told you
, Mootak thought-spoke to Jeek.
There are no beavers in that river. It flows freely and has no dams.

Jeek told Mootak that he did not want to hear any more. It took him a long time to fall asleep that night.

Chapter 13

Everyone knew that they would reach the riverbank at the end of the next day of trekking. To Jeek, it seemed that they walked more and more slowly as Sister Sun sank before them. No one wanted to reach the wide water.

At last, they were standing on the banks of the river. It was not far below them since the banks were short and not steep. Sharp rocks stuck out of the water here and there, creating ripples and pleasant musical tones.

Hama summoned Bahg Swiftfeet to her side. She had a private conversation with him. He nodded. Bahg gave a long look to his mate, Fee Long Thrower, who held their baby boy. Then he walked down the small slope and put one foot into the quickly flowing stream. Jeek hoped that Bahg would not be swept away by a deceptive strong flow beneath the surface.

It is not too cold
, Bahg sent back for everyone.

He took another step, and another, until the water reached just under his arms. He was not yet halfway across.

Come back
, Hama summoned.
It is too deep to wade across. We will have to cross it some other way.

Discouraged, they sat and ate the hard, tough, dried Hooden meat. Soon, Hama told them to go to sleep without a Saga. Jeek wondered if that was the idea of Hama or of Panan. There was much grumbling about not having a Saga. Jeek thought it was a mistake not to have it. The Hamapa needed encouragement. They needed their spirits lifted. Going to sleep with no Saga, no singing, no dancing, was not the way to do this. But he was not an Elder and would try not to think against them.

Everyone began laying out a place to sleep in the open, beside the noisy flowing water, since no trees lined the banks. Jeek had not slept well the night before, and he could not sleep now either. He crept off and strolled away from the tribe. He found a deer path through the nearby woods and followed it for a short length. He was thinking of turning around to go back when he was surprised to find Gunda ahead of him.

He stopped and thought-spoke softly,
Gunda, what are you doing out here?

And Jeek, you? Why are you out here?

I could not sleep. There are so many troubles.

Gunda nodded in agreement. Her birth-mother was the Hama and her seed giver the Hapa, so Jeek did not expect her to say anything against them, about how they were causing some of the troubles.

But she surprised him.
If only Hapa would quit talking about how awful Panan One Eye is, and about how we should not let Tikihoo travel with us.
She stared at him with those deep, leaf-colored eyes. The light of Brother Moon caused them to glint like water.
Or maybe Hama should make a Pronouncement. Or maybe there should be a meeting about this matter.

I agree. Something should be done. There is nothing you or I can do. The Elders must guide us and lead us.

Gunda agreed with that also.
Come, comfort me
. She opened her arms and Jeek stepped closer. They embraced for a long time. Water flowed from the eyes of Gunda.

They touched their lips together. Jeek thought that he might melt into Brother Earth. In all the blackness of the moment, this was a spot of brilliant light for him.

They walked slowly back to the encampment, holding hands.

At first sun, Jeek was reluctant to get up. Gunda, curled up nearby, slept on while the others stood and packed up their things, as they had done every day on the trek. However, there was nowhere to go this day.

Some of the female spear throwers ventured into the trees to see if they could catch fresh meat. Two of the males went with them, in case they found something large and speared it. The males would be needed to carry it back if such a wonderful thing happened.

The other Hamapa sat, got up and walked around, and sat again, aimlessly.

Jeek tried very hard to think of what they could do. He could clearly see the other side of the water. It was not far. But there was no way to build anything to cross the river. It was much too wide for that. If they could see the other shore, Jeek thought, they should be able to reach it. But how? If only they could find a beaver dam and walk across it.

Jeek was startled out of his thoughts by an unusual noise. He looked up to see two males grappling with each other, grunting and making sounds like animals. Hapa wrestled with Panan! Now Hama must do something!

Hapa threw his fist into the face of Panan, then Panan grabbed the arm of Hapa and bit down. They both yowled louder and each kicked at the other.

Hama ran to them and put her hands on their arms, but Jeek did not think she was very quick to do it.

Thoughts flew through the tribe.

This is terrible.

Hamapa do not do this.

Now Hama will call for a meeting.

Hapa is so wrong to talk against Panan One Eye.

Panan One Eye should step down and let Mootak Big Heart take his role.

Do not speak against Panan One Eye. He is our Elder.

Hapa is our Elder. We should listen to him.

For every opinion, there was a Hamapa throwing out an opposing one.

After Hama separated the two males, though, she did not call for a meeting. She did not even scold them. She turned her back to everyone and shuffled away from the river, scuffing and dragging her feet. She stood by herself for a long time. The rest of the tribe turned away to give her some privacy. Here, on this trek, they had no wipitis where they could go to be alone.

When Jeek saw her shoulders shaking, he knew she was weeping, even though she did not let her thoughts escape. A Hama must always be good at keeping private thoughts.

At dark time, again, there was no gathering. No Saga, no song. Jeek felt he was not the only one who lay awake, troubled.

At first sun, Enga Dancing Flower sent a message out to everyone.
We need help. We must get guidance from Dakadaga. Help me ask for blessing and a passageway around or across this water.

She drew a carved figure from her pouch. Jeek recognized it, as did everyone else. Stitcher had carved it. The wood, smooth and polished, looked like Enga had rubbed it much. She set it on the ground and began to dance in a circle around it.

Ung Strong Arm and Fee Long Thrower joined Enga. Lakala Rippling Water began a soft tune. The song became stronger, pleading for help from Dakadaga, The Most High Spirit. More joined in the dancing. Then Lakala sang praise to Wawala, Spirit of the Waters. Sannum Straight Hair had no drum to beat, but he pounded his feet on the earth to create a rhythm.

Hama approached. She sat outside the circle of dancers and watched.

Everyone looked to Panan One Eye. He should play his flute, Jeek thought. But Panan sat beside Tikihoo, watching Vala Golden Hair dance with Bodd Blow Striker. The Hooden put her fingers on the face of Panan, touching the darkening mark that had been made by the fist of Hapa.

No one comforted Hapa. The Red had flowed from his arm after Panan bit it, but soon stopped. Now there was a welt. Zhoo of Still Waters had packed some pieces of grass onto it, covered that with the fat from the peccary, and dabbed a bit of her precious honey on the top. That had worn off during dark time. The wound did not look serious, Jeek thought. Sometimes, when an animal bit a Hamapa, the wound became bad and the Hamapa could even lose his life from it.

More and more of the tribe joined the dancing. Soon everyone but Panan and Tikihoo were whirling around the wooden figure. Vala Golden Hair shot looks of poison at Panan and Tikihoo. Her thoughts leaked a bit and Jeek picked up a wave of animosity. Panan turned his back on Vala.

It was strange to dance while Sister Sun shone. Jeek did not remember ever doing this before. He held the soft hand of Gunda as they whirled, helping the notes of the Singer to reach the Spirits so they would send them the help they were desperate for.

Chapter 14

Enga Dancing Flower, the best dancer in the Hamapa tribe, danced for her life—and also for the life of her tribe. They must find a way across the wide water. There was not enough game or even plants here to support them. She whirled faster and faster, rejoicing when the others joined in. She dipped and bowed, arching her back then flinging her fire red hair. Surely Dakadaga would notice them dancing at this odd time, at high sun.

In addition to Dakadaga, she danced to other Spirits that might help them, Wawala, the Spirit of the Waters; Puka, the Spirit of Strife; even Ka, the Spirit of Brother Earth. Those pleadings were sent so everyone could hear them, but she also sent out cloaked pleas to Aja Hama, even though she was not a true Spirit. She cloaked these thoughts in case the other Spirits might get jealous that Enga was beseeching Aja Hama, a mere Hamapa.

She kept dancing until she was out of breath and a pain stabbed her midsection. Enga stood to one side, out of the path of the other dancers for a moment. She closed her eyes and swayed to the sounds of the music. The notes of Lakala Rippling Water were pure and true. Sannum Straight Hair did his best to provide a beat. The only thing missing was the flute of Panan One Eye. Her breathing slowed and the pain lessened slightly. The odor of sweat came from the writhing bodies. The smell of her brothers and sisters was comforting.

Enga, rested now after her brief pause, rejoined the circle of dancers making their way around the Aja Hama figure, taking the place of the usual campfire. Could the Spirits see them without a fire lighting the dark time of Mother Sky?

Panan sat, impassive, being comforted by Tikihoo, the Hooden named by Enga. Had Enga angered the Spirits by usurping that task and bestowing a name? No, they should not be angry. She did not intend to bestow the name. The Hooden misunderstood. She named herself. Enga had not done that. She had not angered the Spirits, she was sure. Hama had agreed with that. Who knew what Spirits watched over the Hooden? If any were to be angry, it would be those, not the ones Enga knew.

If any Spirits were irritated with Enga, or with the Hamapa, then she just had to dance harder. Still, she addressed Aja Hama with her most private shades of thought.

They whirled and dipped in their ragged mammoth garments, many of them with filthy, dusty arms and legs and faces, their hair straggly and loose. None of them had dipped into any water for many, many suns. Would this dancing hold any appeal? Would it help them? They thought that they must do it, on the chance that they might catch the attention of a Spirit who could get them across the water.

Sister Sun beat down hotter and hotter. Some fell. Some had to stagger to the riverbank and drink water. Enga was determined not to stop. She lurched into Tog Flint Shaper and grabbed him around the waist to remain upright. She smiled up at her mate. Then noticed that Vala Golden Hair, who had been with Bodd Blow Striker, now had a hand on his arm. Vala smiled at Enga, but it was not a warm smile. A chill came over Enga, even in her overheated state, standing in the full sun. Enga, with her arms still around Tog, pulled and turned him away from Vala, and he returned the embrace of Enga. A wave of hot anger flowed from Vala as she drew her pretty face into an ugly sneer that Enga caught over the shoulder of Tog.