Thirty-six

The day had been sunny, hot, the first real hint of summer. It had come so quickly that, with its fire, the interior of Blue Heron’s palace felt like an oven. To escape, Blue Heron had retreated outside to the southwest corner of her palace, her back to the wall, a bowl of coals by her side, her stone pipe in her hand.

This was how Seven Skull Shield found her: sitting braced, puffing a cloud of blue smoke, eyes on the Four Winds Plaza where a group of young nobles were locked in a game of chunkey. Like so much of Cahokia, they were preparing for the lunar maximum moonrise that lay just days away.

“Keeper, so here you are.”

She glanced up at him. Shot a distasteful look at Farts. “Didn’t think I’d see you. Not given the number of people looking for you. And what on earth are you dressed as? You’ve got mud all over you.”

“Crawfish trapper,” he told her, flopping down next to her and giving Farts the “down” signal. “No one would suspect a crawfish trapper of being Seven Skull Shield.”

“That’s dirty work. Wading around in the mud to set out and pick up crawfish traps. Didn’t figure you for the kind who’d stoop to that kind of labor.”

“I’m not. I stole the catch from a dirt farmer over south of the lake outside Serpent Woman Town.” At her irritated glare, he admitted, “All right, I ‘Traded’ for it. But I have standards. I stole the blanket I Traded for the crawfish from a Deer Clan chief over at that mound group east of Serpent Woman Town.”

“So, there’s really crawfish?”

“There’s really crawfish. A whole basketful. I left my ‘catch’ inside with Smooth Pebble. She’ll cook them up for us to share.”

“Share? As in you think you’re eating supper here?”

“Speaking of which, you going to strangle that pipe? I think you should hand it to me, rest your fingers a spell before they cramp up and ache.”

She glared at him, only to have it fade into a weary smile as she handed her precious pipe over. “No other human being on earth would have the nerve or guts to ask me to share my smoke.”

He puffed, enjoying the wonderful rush of fine tobacco. Not the mix of leaf, stems, berries, and other additives his less-exalted associates could afford down at the canoe landing. This was the real thing, straight, unadulterated. Traded up from the distant south along the Tenasee.

“You still got that woman hid out over at Night Shadow Star’s?”

“I do.”

“See her much?”

“Every couple of days or so.”

“How’s that go over with Green Stick and the rest?”

“They howled at first. Willow Blossom, she was bored in the beginning. But she was raised by good people. Wasn’t long before she was cooking, helping to keep the matting clean. She’s been going down to the plaza to Trade for food. Believe me, she really enjoys that. Thinks it’s a challenge to Trade a trinket for all she can get. Winter Leaf goes with her. Says she’s pure cutthroat when it comes to making the Trade. So, yes, she’s fitting in.”

“Half of Cahokia’s looking for her, and you let her wander around the plaza? The most public place in the city?”

“Best place to hide her. Right out in plain sight. Besides, she paints her face like a lady, wears fancy stuff from out of those baskets Fire Cat won in the chunkey game with the Natchez. If I didn’t know better, I’d never know it was Willow Blossom. She’s taken to it like she was born a high chief’s daughter.”

“You sound like you’re smitten.”

“I’m with her every chance I get.”

Blue Heron took her pipe back, puffed, held it, and exhaled streams of smoke through her nose. “What about Wooden Doll?”

“What about her?”

“There is a woman after my own heart. She knows exactly what she wants … and will do anything to get it.”

“Well, she doesn’t want me.”

“And you think this new one does?”

“Willow Blossom. That’s her name.”

“Don’t sound so thorny, thief. Willow Blossom. Came from over by the Moon Mound. Panther Clan girl. Oldest of five children. Her father sold her to that rope maker, Robin Feather. Essentially Traded her for a coil of rope. Did you know that she’d been married a couple of times before that?”

“What? No!”

“First time was to a Bear Clan boy just after her first woman’s moon. She went with him and his family down to the Mother Water. They were supposed to help hack the Rising Moon site out of the forest. Apparently, wilderness living wasn’t her preferred brew of tea. It was a bad breakup. Almost led to violence. Next, her people married her to a Raccoon Clan fellow from up on the bluff. She left him and went home to her people with a pack full of shell, tool stone, and other valuables. Never heard from the Raccoon Clan fellow again. Not more than a moon after being home, she’s married off to Robin Feather. And, less than three moons later, she’s living happily in Night Shadow Star’s palace Trading for goodies with my niece’s wealth.”

“What are you saying?”

“Be careful.”

Seven Skull Shield took her pipe, sucked the last of the smoke from the bowl, and handed it back. Counting to ten, he finally exhaled as she knocked the dottle out, repacked the bowl, and used a coal to bring it to life.

“She’s not what you think, Keeper.”

“What is she?”

“She’s kind, and a bit fragile. The way she looks at me, I can see her souls, sort of swimming there in her eyes. She has wonderful eyes. Large, deep. And the way her face lights up when I walk into the room? It’s not that she needs me, but…”

“Uh-huh. And you can’t wait to snuggle up against that nice soft body? And when you’re locked together, it’s more than just coupling? She’s giving you all of herself because she’s finally discovered what being a woman in love’s all about?”

“Well, I guess you could … I mean, how did you know?”

She sighed, shook her head. “Nothing I say would matter, would it?”

“You don’t know her.”

“Actually, I do, but we’ll let that pass for the moment. Where’s the Koroa copper?”

“How should I know?”

She gave him a crafty sidelong look. “Tell me you didn’t leave it with Wooden Doll.”

“No, I…”

“Well, that’s one bit of good news. I like Wooden Doll. Wouldn’t want her snapped up in the mess that’s going to come when someone finally stumbles over it.”

“What makes you think I’ve got it?”

“Thief, I was Keeper for three tens of years. I didn’t survive for as long as I did by being a fool.”

“That makes two of us.”

“Maybe. Or you’re just lucky. Although given your feelings for Willow Blossom, I could wonder. But here’s the thing”—she gestured with the pipe—“for whatever reason, Morning Star has taken an unusual interest in that copper. Consider it hot poison.”

“Why bring this all up now?”

“Because I keep track of all the pieces. That copper will come to light. And if you’re holding it when it does, I’m Powerless to help you.”

“Trust me, I’ll be all right.”

She shook her head, took another puff from her pipe before handing it over. “Spotted Wrist and Rising Flame want you dead. Robin Feather has half of Cahokia looking for you. Sliding Ice knows a man was with me the night we caught him sticking his shaft in his sister, which means he’ll suspect you. Morning Star will have whoever stole that Koroa copper cut apart in the square, and all you can think about is making that calculating bit of fluff gasp and coo as you bounce her up and down on that oversized rod of yours.”

“Hey, we saved Columella, didn’t we?”

“That’s the thing about victories, they always come at a price.”

“What price? Columella’s still sitting on the high chair over there.”

Blue Heron narrowed a knowing eye, pointing at him with her pipe stem. “North Star and Horned Serpent Town were blackmailed into helping. River Mounds resents it because they were in a position of weakness that Three Fingers is going to exploit the moment the time is right. It’s going to fester. Especially with the moon ceremonies looming. The lunar maximum only happens every eighteen years, it’s big. And the traditional feasts are going to be small affairs, barely enough to fill bellies. The dirt farmers are going to be blaming the Earth Clans for the empty larders, and the Earth Clans are going to be blaming the Houses. That leaves a bitter taste to go along with all of those empty bellies. And you think there won’t be a price?”

Seven Skull Shield winced. “So, who’s going to pay it?”

“That, thief, is the question. And you’d better hope it’s not you and me.”