“He forced me to take over shepherding the old leader’s herd after he died,” Gamil grumbled. “I told him I wanted to fight, but he wouldn’t listen.”
“The old tribe leader is dead?” Karim asked.
His mother nodded. “Passed away in his sleep soon after you’d gone. Babu leads the Anen now.”
“You’re joking.” Karim cursed under his breath.Of all the people in all the world, why did it have to be Babu?“I need to get back to the Hudjefa before something terrible happens,” he said.
“Something like what?” his mother asked.
Just then, angry shouts erupted from the other side of the hill.
Karim grumbled in exasperation. “Like that.”
The five of them took off running toward the sound.
Karim reached the top of the hill and saw Babu and Elyasin a heated argument, while a dozen armed Anen and Hudjefa warriors stared down their opposition. Hager was beside Babu, looking as lank and spidery as ever, glancing between the two men as if he were hoping they’d come to blows.
“And how do I know you’re not all a bunch of Shass waiting for us to let down our guard, so you can slit our throats in the night, hey?” Babu snarled. His savage demeanor hadn’t softened in his new position as tribe leader, though his beard was certainly longer. The brute towered over Elyas, his hands curled into fists at his sides.
Elyas’s reply was strained. “As I’ve already told you, we are the Hudjefa, not the Shass. We were led here by one of your own tribesmen, though I’m not sure where he’s gone to…” The old man scanned the landscape and found Karim atop the hill. He pointed. “Ah! There he is.”
Babu turned, and his face purpled with rage.“You!”he snarled.
Karim sucked his teeth.Well, shit.
Babu unsheathed his dagger. “Itoldyou what I’d do if you ever showed your face here again!” With a roar, the big man charged toward him, a hippopotamus on the rampage, enormous and much faster than one expected. All Karim’s old instincts kicked in, telling him to run away—but he didn’t.
Omma was right. Ihavechanged.
Karim loosed a guttural cry and ran down the slope toward Babu. He had no reason to be afraid of the Jackal’s dagger, nor his fists, nor his rage. He had no reason to be afraid of anything.
Babu lifted the dagger in his meaty hand, ready to finish the job he’d started that day in the valley. Karim didn’t give him the chance. Without slowing, he sprinted forward and rammed into the big man, toppling him onto the ground. Once Babu was down, Karim scrambled on top of him and began punching him in the head, over and over again.
How dare he eventhinkabout touching my sisters!
Karim kept punching. He wasn’t tired. He could do it all day.
If it weren’t for Babu, maybe we could have closed that tomb before Setnakht got out! He could have helped me! He could have listened!
The next punch landed with a wet crack.
He’s a pig and a liar and he deserves to—
“Karim!”
Panting, sweating, his blood thrumming in his veins, Karim heard his mother’s shout and paused, his bloody fist raised to strike again. She looked down from the hill with the rest of his family, her arms crossed over her chest, disapproval clear on her face.
Karim sagged. Babu stared up at him through a mask of blood, eyes wide and nostrils flaring.
He’s afraid of me now. I could kill him with my bare hands. It would be easy.The thought was both exhilarating and a little frightening. If Karim wasn’t careful, this newfound power of his could turn him into a monster.
Faiza screamed.
Again.
This time, though, she pointed at Babu’s dagger, which was buried in Karim’s shoulder. He hadn’t even felt it.
Sighing, Karim reached up and yanked it out—eliciting screams not only from Faiza but other onlookers as well. Somebody fainted.
