He obeys, but his mouth twists as he works. I hear murmurs drifting across the water, low and indistinct. I do not need sharp hearing to know what they are about.
The krai. Why here and now? It’s been hours, and the men are getting over the relief of having survived. They’re starting to wonder if my explanation is the right one. And of course, I can’tbe sure. Perhaps it was because of Callie, perhaps the Deep tests us. Or perhaps It wants to tell me that she comes from the Plood, and that she should be put back.
Well, I won’t do that. I must stick with my explanation and live as if I were certain. And of course, there are other possible reasons for the krai attack.
My gaze wanders over to the special platform, standing by itself as far away from the village as we could build it. There’s no movement, as if there’s nobody there. And in a sense, there isn’t.
Callie has joined the boys who are cutting poles to build a hut from. Many tribesmen send glances over to her, then quickly to me. Some stare at her without shame.
I slap the shoulder of one of them. “If you’re done, Krop’ex, I’m sure the young ones would love some help preparing the evening meal. I think it will be a good one tonight. The chief has said we will enjoy the best frit, the one Probet’ax made years ago.” It’s not true, but I’ll talk to the chief later. “For we have much to celebrate!”
The man tears his gaze away from Callie. “Indeed we do. Thanks to you, Crat'ax.”
“Thanks to all of us,” I correct.
He nods piously and gazes out at the horizon. “The Deep is merciful.”
I can’t stand it anymore. I walk over to Callie, placing my loincloth so that my state is less obvious. “There is still time before the evening meal. You and I will go to the jungle to find iron for more spears.”
“You will go?” she asks, tilting her head.
“Oh, you want to be asked?” I grin, strangely delighted that she’s giving some resistance. “You’re right. Courtesy should be observed. Let me start anew. Callie, I am going to the shore to find iron. I want you to come along. Do you want to?” Of course, if she says no, I won’t go, either. I don’t want to leave her on her own, and being alone with her is the main reason I’m going now.
“Yes,” she says and brushes down her front. “I will come along.”
We get in my boat, and I paddle us away from the platforms, towards the mouth of the stream that gives us fresh water. “We’ll be back before the meal,” I assure her. “There’s time to find iron. I know where it is.”
Callie strokes her long hair out of her face in a movement that makes my chest ache. Her scent is sweet and soft, just like her. Her hips are even wider when she sits on the wooden plank in front of me. I can’t help the stiffness in my loincloth. It seems to be permanent now. I keep the bow straight into the small waves, to make sure there’s no splashing. Soon we’re in the stream, and I have to paddle harder to make way against the flow of the clear water.
The jungle pushes close on each side, the air dense and smelly.
“So much trees,” Callie murmurs. “Like walls.”
“The ocean has no walls,” I say. “Here, everything watches you.”
She nods. “The jungle watch everything.”
I glance at her. “You are afraid?”
“I am,” she says easily. “But afraid is not stop.”
That makes me laugh. A short sound, surprised out of me. “You speak well now,” I tell her.
She shrugs. “The boys told some words me.”
I steer around a boulder. “Smart boys. I think they like you.”
“I like the boys too,” she says softly. “We in jungle now. Should be quiet.”
She has a point. There are so many things in the jungle that want to kill you, and voices will attract them.
We paddle in silence for a while. The water grows shallow and dark beneath overhanging branches. I steer by memory, by bends I know even when they look the same as all the others.
After a time she says, “Why you get iron?”
“For tools,” I answer. “For knives. I want to make more spears like mine. The tribesmen don’t think there’s enough iron for it, but I know where we can get a lot of it. Nobody else from our tribe went as deep into the jungle as me. They don’t like the iron. If we find enough, I’ll make a knife for you.”
She hesitates. “For… me?”
