Auntie? he said drowsily, as I was turning for the door. Dye think Ill ever see my Mam again?
I stopped, having no idea how to answer that. In fact, there was no need; he had dropped back into sleep with the suddenness that concussion patients often showed, and was breathing deeply before I could find any words.
6
AMBUSH
IAN WOKE ABRUPTLY, hand closing round his tomahawk. Or what should have been his tomahawk, but was instead a handful of breeches. For an instant, he had no notion at all where he was, and sat up straight, trying to make out shapes in the dark.
Pain shot through his head like heat lightning, making him gasp soundlessly and clutch it. Somewhere in the dark below him, Rollo gave a small, startled wuff?
Christ. The piercing smells of his aunts surgery stabbed the back of his nose, alcohol and burned wick and dried medicine leaves and the foul brews she called penny-syllin. He closed his eyes, put his forehead on his drawn-up knees, and breathed slowly through his mouth.
What had he been dreaming? Some dream of danger, something violentbut no clear image came to him, only the feel of being stalked, something following him through the wood.
He had to piss, badly. Fumbling for the edge of the table he lay on, he eased himself slowly upright, squinting against the flashes of pain in his head.
Mrs. Bug had left him a pot, he remembered her saying so, but the candle had gone out and hed no mind to crawl round the floor looking for it. Faint light showed him where the door was; she had left it ajar, and a glow spread down the hall from the kitchen hearth. With that as bearing, he made his way to the window, got it open, fumbled free the shutter fastening, and stood in the flood of air from the cool spring night, eyes closed in relief as his bladder eased.
That was better, though with the relief came new awareness of the queasiness of his stomach and the throbbing in his head. He sat down, putting his arms on his knees and his head on his arms, waiting for everything to ease.
There were voices in the kitchen; he could hear them clearly, now that he paid attention.
It was Uncle Jamie and yon MacDonald, and old Arch Bug, as well, with Auntie Claire now and again putting in a word, her English voice sharp by contrast with the gruff mutter of Scots and Gaelic.
Would ye care, perhaps, to be an Indian agent? MacDonald was saying.
What was that? he wonderedthen it came to him. Aye, of course; the Crown employed men to go out to the tribes, offer them gifts, tobacco, and knives and the like. Tell them silliness about German Geordie, as though the King was like to come and sit down by the council fires at the next Rabbit Moon and speak like a man.
He smiled grimly to think of it. The notion was plain enough; cozen the Indians to fight for the English, when fighting was needed. But why should they think it needed now? The French had yielded, retreated to their northern foothold in Canada.
Oh. He remembered belatedly what Brianna had told him about the new fighting to come. Hed not known whether to believe herperhaps she was right, though, in which case he didnt want to think about it. Or about anything.
Rollo padded over to him, sat and leaned heavily against him. He leaned back, resting his head in the thick fur.
An Indian agent had come once, while he lived in Snaketown. A fat wee fellow, shifty-eyed and with a tremble in his voice. He thought the manChrist, what was his name? The Mohawk had called him Bad Sweat, and that fit; he stank as though with a mortal illnesshe thought the man was not accustomed to the Kahnyenkehaka; hed not much of their speech, and plainly expected them to take his scalp at any moment, something they had thought hilariousand one or two would likely have tried it, for a joke, save that Tewaktenyonh said to treat him with respect. Ian had been pressed to interpret for him, a job hed done, though without much pleasure in it. He would much sooner think himself Mohawk than acknowledge any kinship with Bad Sweat.
Uncle Jamie, though hed make a better job of it, by far. Would he do it? Ian listened to the voices with a vague sense of interest, but it was clear that Uncle Jamie would not be pressed for a decision. MacDonald might as soon get a grip on a frog in a spring, he thought, hearing his uncle elude commitment.
He sighed, put his arm around Rollo, and eased more of his weight onto the dog. He felt awful. He would have supposed he was dying, save that Auntie Claire had said hed feel poorly for several days. He was sure she would have stayed if he were dying, not gone and left him with only Rollo for company.
The shutters were still open, and cold air poured
over him, chilly and soft at once, the way spring nights were. He felt Rollo raise his nose, sniffing, and utter a low, eager whine. Possum, maybe, or a raccoon.
Go on, then, he said, straightening up and giving the dog a small push. Im fine.
The dog sniffed him suspiciously, and tried to lick the back of his head, where the stitches were, but left off when Ian yelped and covered them with his hands.