Part 37 (2/2)
Likewise, he had a radio-Zoe's radio, taken from their belongings-and he asked Lily how such a device could enable two people to speak over great distances.
Lily did her best to answer his questions, and the more she talked with him, the more she found Ono to be not only curious but sweet and kind.
”Can you tell me about your tribe?” she asked.
He sighed. ”Neetha have long history. Power in tribe rests on, how you say, balance between royal family and priests of Holy Stone.
”My father chief because family strong for many years. Strong chief respected by Neetha.
But I think my father brute. My brothers brutes, too. Large of body but small of mind. But here, strong get all they desire-healthy women, first food, so strong continue to rule.
They beat the weak and take from them: animals, fruit, daughters.
”But warrior priestsalso have power because they guard maze. Inside their fortress, from very young age, them study and learn spells and also fighting arts so when come of age, emerge as killers.”
Lily eyed the dark templefortress nearby. With its high battlements, tusks, and folding drawbridges, it looked fearsome.
She asked, ”Is their fortress the only way to get to the maze and the sacred island?”
Ono nodded. ”Yes. Over centuries, ruling clan and priest cla.s.s find it...beneficial...to honor each other's power. Royal family orders people to honor priesthood, while priests approve royal marriages and support ruling clan by punis.h.i.+ng any person who attacks royal.”
”What's the punishment for attacking a royal?” Lily asked.
”One is sentenced to the maze,” Ono said, looking out at the ma.s.sive circular structure across the lake. ”Animals lurk in it. Sometimes accused is hunted in there by priests sometimes by dogs other times, condemned man is left to roam maze until starve or take own life in despair. No man ever escape maze.”
Ono looked off sadly into the distance.
”Sweet Lily. I am not strong. I small, but have keen mind. But keen mind mean nothing here. Disputes settled on Fighting Stone.” He nodded at a large square stone platform that sat between Lily's slab and the triangular island on the lake. ”I could not hope to defeat my brothers in fight, so I reduced to shadow life. Life in my tribe is not happy life, Lily, even when you chief's seventh son.”
Ono bowed his head, and Lily looked kindly at him.
But then abruptly something clinked somewhere and Ono stood.
”Dawn comes. Village awakes. I must go. Thank you for talk, sweet Lily. I sorry for you, for day ahead of you.”
Lily sat upright.
”The day ahead of me? What do you mean?”
But Ono had already dashed away, disappearing into the shadows.
”What about the day ahead of me?” she said again.
MORNING CAME.
Shafts of suns.h.i.+ne lanced down through the tree canopy above the Neetha gorges as a large crowd gathered around the two prisoner platforms.
The enormous warrior who had previously a.s.sessed Lily and Zoe now stood before the a.s.sembled crowd. Beside him stood the fat Neetha chief, looking proud and approving of what was to come.
The big warrior addressed the crowd in a loud booming voice that Lily translated quietly: ”Subjects of the High Chief Rano, our great and n.o.ble king, champion of the maze, conqueror of white men and owner of a white woman, listen to my words! As the firstborn son of our glorious chief, I, Warano, seeking to follow in my ill.u.s.trious father's footsteps, claim this white woman!”
Lily's eyes boggled.What?
This ugly Neetha man was claiming Zoe.
”Unless another among you dares challenge me for her, I will, now and at this moment, take her to my bed and consider her my wife!”
The crowd remained silent.
No one, it seemed, dared to challenge this mountain of a man.
Lily spotted Ono in the back of the crowd, saw him bow his head sadly. She also spied Diane Ca.s.sidy, and saw her turn away in horror, covering her mouth.
Then Lily turned to Zoe-only to see that Zoe's face was as white as a sheet.
Lily frowned, confused.
She spun again and this time saw that all the Neetha women in the crowd were pointing ather, looking her up and down and nodding approvingly.
And then it hit her.
This man wasn't claiming Zoe.
He was claiming her.
Lily's blood froze.
The crowd was still silent. The chief's eldest son eyed her l.u.s.tfully, his mouth opening slightly to reveal foul yellow teeth.
His wife? But I'm only twelve!her mind screamed.
”I will fight you for her,” a voice said evenly, in English, invading Lily's thoughts.
She turned.
To see Solomon standing up on his platform, tall, thin, and gangly, yet firm and n.o.ble in his stance.
”I will resist your claim,” he said.
The chief's first son-Warano-turned slowly to face Solomon. Clearly, he had not expected any challengers. He a.s.sessed Solomon from head to toe before snorting derisively and shouting something loudly.
Ca.s.sidy translated. ”Warano says, 'So be it. To the Fighting Stone!'”
PLANKS were laid out and Warano and Solomon strode across them, out onto the Fighting Stone-the wide square platform at the edge of the central lake.
This platform was lower than the prisoner slabs, barely a foot above the surface of the water. Several large crocodiles lay at its edges, ever watchful.
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