The Last Sin Eater (18 page)

Agitated, we both began speaking at once. “Satan! How do we fight against him?”

“Why dinna ye tell us before?”

The man held his hands up to quiet us. “They that trust in the Lord shall be like these mountains which cannot be removed,” he said calmly. “As they are round about us, so the Lord surrounds you. He will go out before you and stand as your rear guard.”

“I can’t fight my father!” Fagan said.

“I’m but a child!” I looked fearfully out into the darkness.

“The Lord is God.”

I wished at that moment I had not come back after the first night, when relief and happiness had spilled over me. All the goodness and mercy were forgotten. The exhilaration I had felt evaporated. The Lord had drawn me out of a black pit, and now it seemed the devil himself was coming up after me. I was sore afraid. And angry.

Jumping to my feet, I stood with my fists clenched. “Why did ye come here at all? Why did ye make me think everything was turned to rights?”

“Be warned, Cadi Forbes,” he said in a tone that made me feel God himself was speaking to me. “Satan wants to sift you. Do not think that because you have given your life to Jesus and been saved that the battle is over. The Lord himself went out into the wilderness, remember? And so it has begun. Satan will prey upon your doubts and fears and try to drive you away from the Lord your God, for it is your heart he wants and your mind he will attack. Remember that he is the father of lies and a murderer.”

Shivering, I looked out into the darkness. “I will hide.”

“He will seek you out wherever you are.”

“I wish I’d never come here! It’s gonna be worse than it was before. I wish I’d never listened to ye!”

“Be quiet, Cadi!” Fagan said, disgusted. “You’re such a coward.”

“You don’t have to be scared,” I said, turning on him. “You’ve got the Kai to fight your battles.”

The man of God looked between us with sorrowful eyes. He stood slowly, looking out across the river. “They come.”

Turning, I saw three flickering spots of fire on the riverbank opposite us. Men were crossing over.

“It’s my father!” Fagan said. “Ye’ve got to run, sir! Ye’ve got to hide!”

Unmoved by Fagan’s plea, the man stood with grave dignity, waiting.

“Don’t ye hear me?” Fagan said, grasping his arm and pulling at him. “You’ve got to
go.
I’m telling you.
He’ll kill you!”

“Do not fear the one who can kill my body, but the one who can destroy the soul.”

“Fa . . . gan!!”
came a deep voice filled with wrath. “I warned ye, dinna I?”

Terror filled me and I fled into the darkness, hiding among some shrubs where Brogan Kai and his sons could not see me. Fagan stood his ground, putting himself in front of the man of God.

“He’s done nothing wrong, Pa! Leave him be!”

“Ye dare stand against me?” Brogan Kai strode up the bank and grabbed his son by the throat. “Who ye gonna believe? A stranger from across the mountains or your own pa?” He squeezed tighter so that Fagan clawed at his hands for release. “Ye gonna listen to someone who rants and raves like a madman about summat he says happened eighteen hundred years ago and not listen to me?” Brogan’s face was wild with rage as he shook Fagan.

“Let the boy go,” the man of God said quietly.

“Ahhhhh . . .”
Brogan cast his son aside. “Sniveling little rat!
Betrayer!”
He spat on Fagan who lay choking and crying on the ground.

“The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as he, Brogan Kai.” Brogan’s head turned, his eyes narrowing coldly. “The king dom of heaven, ye say?” He gave a mocking laugh. “Well, mon, I’m gonna send ye to Hades this verra night!” The first blow knocked the man back, but not off his feet. “I warned ye to leave my mountains or I’d kill ye! I should’ve done ye in the first day. Instead, I showed ye
kindness.
I showed ye
hospitality.
And ye’ve turned my own kin against me.”

“God made you upright, Brogan Kai,” the man said straightening, blood trickling from his mouth, “but you sought out many devices!”

“These are
my
people!”

“The ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he watches all his paths.
Repent and be saved. . . .”

Brogan Kai came at him in black fury.

“Nooo . . . !” Fagan cried out, stumbling to his feet and trying to stop his father. “Pa, don’t!” Cleet held him back.

Cowering behind the bushes in the darkness, I covered my face, hearing the poor man’s grunts and groans of pain as our clan leader hammered him with his fists. When the man fell to the ground, Brogan used his boots. The sounds coming from Brogan Kai were like some wild animal.

Finally, no sounds came but the rasping of breath from the Kai. “I warned ye what I’d do, dinna I? Ye had it coming.” He gave the unconscious man one last, vicious kick and turned away to look at Fagan. “So much for the power of
his
God.” His face shone black with triumph.

“I hate what ye are!” Tears streamed down Fagan’s face. “And I hate that I’m your son!”

Emotion flickered across the Kai’s face. Pain? Desolation? What had I seen? He strode to Fagan, whose arms were clamped tightly by his two brothers. “Ye dare say that to me? Yer own flesh and blood?”

Cleet and Douglas let go of Fagan and drew back out of the way as their father unleashed his fury on his youngest son.

Sure the Kai was going to kill him, I scrambled over the ground frantically, finding a smooth stone. I hurled it as hard as I could, and it struck Brogan Kai on the back of the head. Shocked at what I’d dared to do, I ducked back into my hiding place as the Kai released Fagan and stumbled. Shivering in terror, I watched as he touched the back of his head. His hand came away bloody.

“Who’s out there?”

I held my breath, cowering, praying God would hide me.

“Ye want us to go look, Pa?” Cleet said.

The Kai touched the back of his head again, wincing. As he peered out into the darkness, a look I’d never seen before came over his face. “Stay where ye are. He’s a dead aim with that slingshot of his.” His back was to the others so they didn’t see what I did:
Fear.
It was there just for an instant, but real and plain enough for me to see. And then his face hardened again and he swore. “This has got nothing to do with you! Ye hear me?”

“Who is it, Pa?”

“Never mind,” he said, his expression shuttered. “Let’s go.”

“What about that prophet? He ain’t dead yet, Pa.”

“He will be by morning,” Douglas said, straightening. “He’s bleeding from his mouth, Pa. I think ye done caved in his ribs.”

“Ye want I should carry Fagan, Pa?” Cleet said, eager to do his father’s bidding, whatever it was.

“Leave him where he lay. He’ll come home with his tail between his legs soon enough.”

“He’s bad hurt.”

“I said
leave him.”

“What’re ye gonna do about Cadi Forbes?” Cleet said and my heart stopped. “She was here.”

“Forget her for now. She’s probably still running. I’ll talk to her pa again soon as it’s daylight. If he don’t do summat about her right quick, I will.”

F I F T E E N

The torches had become mere flickers from across the river and among the trees on the mountainside before I crept out of the bushes and scrambled over to where Fagan lay. He groaned when I rolled him over. Crying, I lifted him against my knees. The sky had lightened enough that I could see his bruised and swollen face. One eye was almost shut, and there was a lump on his jaw the size of a goose egg. Tears streaked his dirty face.

“Is he dead?” he whispered through bleeding lips.

“I don’t know.” Swiping the tears from my eyes, I looked back over my shoulder at the man lying still a few feet away. “I think so, Fagan.”

“Go see.” Fagan gritted his teeth and struggled into a sitting position.

I crawled across the space to the man of God and leaned over him. He was breathing, just barely, and I could hear a horrible gurgling sound deep in his chest. His lungs were filling with his own blood. “I’m sorry, sir! I’m sorry they done this to ye.”

“Is he alive?” Fagan said, moaning as he tried to get up.

“He’s dying, Fagan.” I choked back a sob. “What can we do?”

The man’s eyes opened, and I drew back slightly, pressing my dusty fists to my mouth. He looked at me, and I remembered the terrible things I’d said to him and felt ashamed into my very bones. Doubt had been born. I was helpless and afraid. “Why dinna God stop him? Why did he let this happen to ye?”

His lips moved. His eyes beseeched. Leaning down over him again, I tried to hear what he wanted to say.

“Re . . . mem . . . ber . . .”
His breath came in a long sigh, and he said no more. His eyes were still open, seeming to look straight at me.

Shivering, I drew back and inched away from him. For some strange, inexplicable reason, I felt the man of God had passed the chore on to me.

“Cadi?” Fagan said.

I shut my eyes so that I wouldn’t have to look into the man’s. “Oh, God,” I whispered under my breath. “What am I gonna do?” I was shaking with fear.

Fagan’s groan made me turn. Bad hurt as he was, he was struggling to rise. “We got to get him some help.” He held his ribs, panting against the pain. “Gervase Odara—”

“It’s no use, Fagan. He’s dead.” I couldn’t run and tell Miz Elda. What could she do, old as she was? I couldn’t run to Papa because he’d do nothing, knowing he’d be going against the Kai if he did. And Mama? She’d lay another stone on my back for my disobedience.

Fagan was on his knees, hunching over in pain. He wept. “Oh, Jesus, I’m sorry. I tried to stop him. I did.”

“What am I gonna do?” I whispered. “Oh, God, what am I gonna do?” Who would dare to help us, knowing we’d gone against the Kai?

“Katrina Anice,” Lilybet said softly, and my head jerked up. She was standing a few feet from me, the faint sunlight lifting beyond the mountains at her back. “Take Fagan to Bletsung Macleod.”

I didn’t hesitate. Seeing dawn’s light on the horizon, I knew we had to get away from here as fast as we could. I hurried over and drew Fagan up again, helping him rise. Grinding his teeth in pain, he held his feet and leaned on me. “Pa’ll look for me at Miz Elda’s,” he rasped.

“I ain’t taking ye there.”

“Where then?”

I told him.

Fagan was too done in and too heavy for me to get up the steps. I left him half-conscious on the ground and hurried up to the door, pounding. “Miz Macleod! Miz Macleod! Come help. Please!” I pounded again, harder, louder. “Help us!”

“Cadi, what on earth are ye doing—
oh!”
She came out the door and down the steps, not the least concerned that her blonde hair was streaming down her back and over her shoulders. She hunkered down beside Fagan, touching him and looking him over. “Help me get him into the house, Cadi.” Slipping an arm around his waist, she nodded to me and we rose together.

The inside of Bletsung Macleod’s small cabin come as a surprise to me. I’d expected it to be dark, dank, and dusty and filled with spider webs—that seemed to go along more with what people said about her being mad and a witch and all. But it was swept clean, with no dust to be seen, and the windows were open to let in the cool morning breeze.

She had few furnishings: a table with two straight-backed chairs, a cabinet, and a large bed in the back corner. Beside it was a small table. A long work shelf was beneath one of the windows that looked out over the garden. Under it was a crockery bowl, two jugs, and several small storage barrels. Hanging on the wall to the right of the window and table were her cooking utensils. Several pots and pans hung on hooks near the fireplace, and a big iron pot was suspended over the smoldering coals of a banked fire. She had a spinning wheel and a loom.

All plain and simple . . . except it wasn’t. There were touches of beauty everywhere I looked. The chair backs were carved with doves in flight, the cabinet with grape leaves and grapes. Every piece of furniture had been polished to a sheen with beeswax. Dried vines had been carefully knotted into intricate and delicate patterns that draped across and along the sides of each window. A cracked pitcher filled with flowers sat on one sill. One shelf had a row of jars filled with pure amber honey. A bowl of apples sat upon the worktable, their sweet scent mingling with that of the herbs she’d hung from the rafters and the pie tin of dried rose petals.

Everywhere I looked were beeswax candles. Several of various sizes were placed on the mantel among pine bows, one graced each side of the worktable, three at varying heights were set upon the commode, and four in a candleholder suspended above the dining table.

Most wondrous of all was the porcelain teapot with painted flowers and graceful curves that sat in the center of her table on top of a colorful, delicately woven woolen scarf that draped over the sides. I’d never seen anything so pretty.

“Help me get him onto the bed.” She bore more of Fagan’s weight than I could. I lifted his feet while she gently shifted his body onto the rope bed. The mattress was thick and rustled with cornhusks. Even the old, worn quilts upon her bed had color and pattern to please the eye.

Fagan sighed deeply as Bletsung slipped her arm from beneath him.

“Is he dyin’?”

“No, dearie. Fetch some water, Cadi. Quick now.” She placed her hand on his forehead. “The bucket’s there by the door.” I ran to do her bidding.

She’d stoked the fire, added wood by the time I came back. Taking the bucket from me, she poured half the water into a pot hanging over the fire. “Near as I con tell there’s no bones broken except maybe a cracked rib or two.”

“Should I run and fetch Gervase Odara?”

“It’d do no good, Cadi. We’ve done as much as she could do. And no use telling his mama. There are precious few who’ll come near this cabin, and she ain’t one of them.” She looked at me solemnly. “Was it Brogan Kai?” When I nodded, she sighed softly. “Then we’re in this alone.”

I knew what she meant. Even my father was afraid of him. Why else would he bend so easily to the man’s will? One visit and a few words was all it took. Everyone did the Kai’s bidding.

Except for the man of God. And look what’d been done to him!

I started to cry—deep wrenching sobs. I jerked slightly in surprise when Bletsung Macleod put her arms around me. “Now, now, child,” she said tenderly, and I let her hold me close. She stroked my back, murmuring comforting words to me the way Mama once had when I was but a wee bairn. Before Elen . . . “Shhhhh, dearie, Fagan’ll be all right. Ye’ll see. Were ye two with the mon in the valley?”

“Aye, and he’s dead. The Kai killed him. Beat him to death.”

“I dinna think he’d go so far . . .” I felt Bletsung Macleod’s body give a shudder, and then she let out her breath slowly, relaxing. “So that’s the way it stands.”

Raising my head, I saw tears streaming down her cheeks. She gazed forlornly toward the window that opened out toward Dead Man’s Mountain. “It doesn’t do any good to hope for the moon, Cadi. Ye just have to make the best of what life gives ye.”

What hope had we now?

“Trust in the Lord, Katrina Anice, and the power of his strength,” Lilybet said from the doorway, the sun at her back.

I turned at the sound of her voice. “What strength has God when the Kai could kill his man like that?” Moving out of Blet-sung Macleod’s arms, I beseeched Lilybet for answers. “He just stood there! He just took the blows! And God dinna do nothing to stop the Kai! Why dinna he strike him dead?
Why did he take our
hope away?”

“Every messenger God has sent to man, even his own Son, Jesus, has been rejected. But heed the word of the Lord, Katrina Anice.
Remember.
‘God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’”

“What of the man?”

“He’s but a breath away, my dear.”

Gooseflesh rose and I shuddered. “Are we going to get killed too? Is that what ye’re saying?”

“The truth has set you free, beloved. Now you must choose to walk in it.”

“Easy for ye to say, but what of the Kai? Is he going to let us walk anywhere at all now he knows we went against him?”

“Believe on him who saved you, Katrina Anice.”

“I want to believe. I do.”

“Then believe.”

“I try to believe.”

“Believe.
Set your mind and heart upon Christ and obey the word of the Lord. Stand firm, Katrina Anice. God himself is going to fight for you.”

Though I didn’t understand her full meaning then, I felt the despair lift like the clouds being burned away by sunlight. The Lord would fight for such as me? How could I believe such an amazing thing? Yet, I did. My soul drank in her words, and the cold fear melted away. New strength poured into my veins until I fair trembled with it. The Lord, the Lord
my
God, would fight for me.

“Remember,”
the man of God had said.

And I did. Every single word he had said. Turning, I was bursting with hope. “God will protect us.”

Bletsung Macleod stood against her worktable, a hand pressed to her heart, her face pale as birch bark. “And they say
I’m
mad.”

“I ain’t mad, ma’am. I swear I ain’t.”

She looked past me to where Lilybet had been standing. “Then who was ye speaking to like that?” Frowning, she looked at me again, waiting for me to explain.

What could I say to that? I worried my lip, not knowing what to tell her about Lilybet. It would not set her mind at peace if I told her Lilybet had appeared to me when I was planning to jump off the tree bridge, ending my life over the falls where my sister had lost hers. She’d think Lilybet was Elen come back from the dead just like everyone else did.

The cornhusks rustled as Fagan roused. “She ain’t crazy, Miz Macleod,” he said faintly. “She’s just a little odd. Likes to talk things over with herself.”

Bletsung Macleod considered his words and sighed. “Well, I reckon I’ve done a bit of that myself. Lie back and rest, boy. Ye’ll do yourself more harm moving around.”

“I can’t stay here. I’ll bring trouble on ye.”

“Ye’ll bring nothing on me that ain’t been at my door for years already.” She pressed his shoulders back. “No one’ll find ye here.”

“Pa’ll track me straight to ye, ma’am.”

“Brogan Kai will not bother ye as long as ye’re under my roof. Shhh, now. Just take my word for it. Ye’re safe with me.”

As I stood at the foot of the bed looking at Fagan’s swollen face, Bletsung reached out and lifted the parchment dangling from a string around my neck. “What’s this? A lucky spell or summat?”

“Oh!” I’d forgotten all about the parchment I was supposed to give to the man of God. Mayhap it was a good thing I’d forgotten, for had I handed it over, it might even now be in the Kai’s hands. “Miz Elda’s going to wonder what’s happened. If I don’t go back soon, she might worry herself to death.”

Miz Elda was not alone when I reached the edge of the woods near her cabin. Brogan Kai was standing on the porch leaning down over her and talking while his sons stood at the bottom of the steps. Miz Elda was rocking the chair back and forth, slow and easy, looking off toward the valley and not saying a word to him. He raised his voice once, and though I could not hear his words, his tone and demeanor spoke loud enough. He went down the steps and jerked his head, his sons following after him.

They took the path that led to my father’s house.

As soon as they were out of sight, I ran the distance to Miz Elda.

“What’re ye doing here, child?” she said, none too pleased to see me. “Brogan’s looking for ye. Ye can’t stay.”

“The Kai killed the man.”

“Brogan’s making no secret of what he done,” Miz Elda said. “Told me straight out about it and claims he did it for our own good. He said that man was trying to lead us astray. Where’s Fagan?”

“Bad hurt. Cracked rib and all bloodied. Bletsung Macleod’s taking care of him.”

“Stood with the mon, did he?”

“Yes, ma’am.” I unlooped the parchment from around my neck and held it out to her. “I’m sorry, Miz Elda.”

Her lips pressed together as she looked at it. “He didn’t want it?”

“I forgot is all.”

She gave a bleak laugh. “Might be a blessed thing ye did.” She looked off the way the Kai and his sons had gone. “Seems nary a thing goes the way we plan. Well, enow.” Frowning, she looked at the rolled parchment in my hand. I could see she was thinking hard again. “Keep it with ye, girl. Put it back around your neck and tuck it inside yer dress where nobody’ll see it. And when my time comes, give it to Fagan.”