where he was shocked to see a girl sitting there, her eyes wide and shining like a cat’s eyes. In her arms she cradled a bundle. She rocked it gently back and forth. At first Joe wanted to warn Mary not to get too close, but then he realized she was probably drawn to the bundle swaying in the girl’s arms. No doubt it was a baby.
Nahum finally found the plates and cups he was searching for and shouted, “Aha!” When he turned, he said, “Oh, yes. That’s my girl. I named her Eileen, and that’s her baby she’s holding, and I named her Hannah, which was my mother’s name. What do you think? Nice little family I got . She’s mute, by the way. Had her tongue cut out. Shwack!”
Nahum stuck his tongue out and chopped his hand down in front of his mouth.
Joe stared at the mute girl.
“You want to see it?” Nahum said.
“What?”
“You want to see it , her cut-off tongue?”
Before Joe could really answer, Nahum walked over to the mute girl.
“Grab that lantern,” he said.
Joe took down the lantern and handed it to Nahum. Then Nahum promptly seized the girl’s hair, snapped her head backwards, and swung the lantern in front of her upturned face. Joe couldn’t believe how roughly he was handling her. It was as if she was his livestock or something. Her big cat eyes were set into broad cheeks that tapered sharply to a tiny chin. Her skin was ruddy brown.
Nahum pried his fingers into her mouth and pulled it open.
“Take a look.”
Joe peered into her gaping mouth. The glistening purple stub quivered in the back of her mouth.
“They cut it to the nub.”
The mute girl pulled his hand away, and Nahum struck her with the back of his hand.
Joe was stunned. “What did you do that for?”
“It’s the only thing they understand.”
“But she’s a girl.”
“So?”
“You aren’t supposed to hit a girl.”
Nahum laughed.
“What idiotic dirt-eater religion are you?”
Joe didn’t like the way he said that. “I’m a Viridian.”
Nahum laughed even more.
“What’s so funny?” Joe said.
“I can’t believe people are still practicing that nonsense.”
“It’s not nonsense.”
“Gibberish, then.”
“’People will taunt you, but never be daunted.’”
“That’s catchy.”
“That’s the Prophet Roy.”
“Suicide Roy, you mean. Let me ask you this. Has anything the Prophet Roy said come true? Has the mighty Goddess saved you yet? When is the Goddess coming to rescue all of her dunder-headed worshipers?” He roared with laughter. “Tell me, I must know. Tell me. Tell me!”
“Stop laughing at me!” Joe shouted.
“The Goddess is coming! The Goddess is coming! The New Paradise has arrived! We’re all saved!”
“Stop!” Joe shouted again.
He lunged recklessly at Nahum, who swiftly caught Joe by the throat and brandished a knife from beneath his ragged clothes. He stuck it in Joe’s mouth. The cold blade pressed against his trembling tongue. He tasted the bitter metal and waited for the knife to jam through his throat. The lantern swung from the elbow of Nahum’s outstretched arm.
“You got a lot to learn, kid,” he said. “Everything is poppycock, and poppycock is everything.”
He pulled the flat of the knife across Joe’s tongue and out of his mouth.
“You’re quite a fratchy one. You need to get a handle on that or it’s going to get you killed.”
Nahum let go of Joe’s neck, and Joe rubbed it to ease the sting. He stretched his mouth and wiggled his tongue to make sure it was okay.
“You were making fun of me,” Joe said.
“That’s exactly what I’m talking about,” Nahum said. “You got to learn when to keep your mouth shut if you know what’s good for you.”
“I was sticking up for what’s right.”
“Oh, idealism is dandy. But you’re going into a different world now. Life is cheap. Take my Eileen, for example. I bought her off some tribesmen in the south forest. They’d murdered her family and had a sack full of their
Nahum finally found the plates and cups he was searching for and shouted, “Aha!” When he turned, he said, “Oh, yes. That’s my girl. I named her Eileen, and that’s her baby she’s holding, and I named her Hannah, which was my mother’s name. What do you think? Nice little family I got . She’s mute, by the way. Had her tongue cut out. Shwack!”
Nahum stuck his tongue out and chopped his hand down in front of his mouth.
Joe stared at the mute girl.
“You want to see it?” Nahum said.
“What?”
“You want to see it , her cut-off tongue?”
Before Joe could really answer, Nahum walked over to the mute girl.
“Grab that lantern,” he said.
Joe took down the lantern and handed it to Nahum. Then Nahum promptly seized the girl’s hair, snapped her head backwards, and swung the lantern in front of her upturned face. Joe couldn’t believe how roughly he was handling her. It was as if she was his livestock or something. Her big cat eyes were set into broad cheeks that tapered sharply to a tiny chin. Her skin was ruddy brown.
Nahum pried his fingers into her mouth and pulled it open.
“Take a look.”
Joe peered into her gaping mouth. The glistening purple stub quivered in the back of her mouth.
“They cut it to the nub.”
The mute girl pulled his hand away, and Nahum struck her with the back of his hand.
Joe was stunned. “What did you do that for?”
“It’s the only thing they understand.”
“But she’s a girl.”
“So?”
“You aren’t supposed to hit a girl.”
Nahum laughed.
“What idiotic dirt-eater religion are you?”
Joe didn’t like the way he said that. “I’m a Viridian.”
Nahum laughed even more.
“What’s so funny?” Joe said.
“I can’t believe people are still practicing that nonsense.”
“It’s not nonsense.”
“Gibberish, then.”
“’People will taunt you, but never be daunted.’”
“That’s catchy.”
“That’s the Prophet Roy.”
“Suicide Roy, you mean. Let me ask you this. Has anything the Prophet Roy said come true? Has the mighty Goddess saved you yet? When is the Goddess coming to rescue all of her dunder-headed worshipers?” He roared with laughter. “Tell me, I must know. Tell me. Tell me!”
“Stop laughing at me!” Joe shouted.
“The Goddess is coming! The Goddess is coming! The New Paradise has arrived! We’re all saved!”
“Stop!” Joe shouted again.
He lunged recklessly at Nahum, who swiftly caught Joe by the throat and brandished a knife from beneath his ragged clothes. He stuck it in Joe’s mouth. The cold blade pressed against his trembling tongue. He tasted the bitter metal and waited for the knife to jam through his throat. The lantern swung from the elbow of Nahum’s outstretched arm.
“You got a lot to learn, kid,” he said. “Everything is poppycock, and poppycock is everything.”
He pulled the flat of the knife across Joe’s tongue and out of his mouth.
“You’re quite a fratchy one. You need to get a handle on that or it’s going to get you killed.”
Nahum let go of Joe’s neck, and Joe rubbed it to ease the sting. He stretched his mouth and wiggled his tongue to make sure it was okay.
“You were making fun of me,” Joe said.
“That’s exactly what I’m talking about,” Nahum said. “You got to learn when to keep your mouth shut if you know what’s good for you.”
“I was sticking up for what’s right.”
“Oh, idealism is dandy. But you’re going into a different world now. Life is cheap. Take my Eileen, for example. I bought her off some tribesmen in the south forest. They’d murdered her family and had a sack full of their
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