Sky Knife by Marella Sands

his nose was small. But his eyes—they were deep-set, hooded. Like an eagle’s. This man was no spider; he was a bird of prey.
    The merchant sat back down and beckoned the crowd to come inspect his wares. For a moment, his eyes met Sky Knife’s. Sky Knife shivered in his skin, trapped in the other man’s gaze. Time slowed, and only the piercing brown eyes of the tall man seemed important. Then the merchant looked away and Sky Knife could breathe again.
    â€œI don’t like him,” said Bone Splinter. “The merchants from Teotihuacan often know magic, and all of them are trained in combat. See how he moves?”
    Sky Knife nodded. He could see what Bone Splinter meant. Red Spider moved with the silky grace of a warrior, displaying a confidence in his abilities most people didn’t have.
    Sky Knife had heard of the warrior-merchants of Teotihuacan, but he had never before seen one. It was said that their merchants were only the first line of invasion, that armies followed in their wake. The merchants were not exactly welcome in the lowland bazaars, but no one dared kill them, lest they arouse the ire of the Teotihuacano king.
    Sky Knife strode forward and knelt by the merchant’s wares. He fingered a necklace made of obsidian beads the same sparkling dark green as the ceiba tree’s leaves.
    â€œIt is beautiful, is it not?” asked Red Spider. Sky Knife started as he realized that the exotic accent of Red Spider was the same that colored Storm Cloud’s speech. Except Storm Cloud’s accent, even after fifteen years in Tikal, was thicker.
    â€œYes,” said Sky Knife. He hesitated, unsure how to ask the questions he wanted to ask. He looked up into the eyes of the merchant. Red Spider’s gaze was level and open.
    â€œBut you are not here to buy,” said Red Spider. He waved a fly away. His fingers were long and slender, more like a musician’s than a warrior’s.
    â€œNo,” said Sky Knife.
    Red Spider turned to his assistant and barked out a few words in a foreign tongue. The assistant nodded. Red Spider flicked a long braid across his shoulders. The shells clinked against each other.
    Red Spider stood. “Come,” he said. He wandered away from his wares. “Tell me why you have such a long face on such a lucky day.”
    Sky Knife walked beside Red Spider, framing his questions. “Why are you here?” he asked at last. “I’ve never seen a merchant from Teotihuacan here before.”
    â€œI’m here to trade my wares,” said Red Spider. “Not to cause trouble, as your question seems to imply.”
    â€œYou speak our language well,” said Sky Knife.
    â€œThank you,” said Red Spider. “I’ve worked at it for many years. One should know the language of the people if one wishes to trade with them.”
    Red Spider’s path led them to the base of the Great Pyramid. Sky Knife stepped up on the red step in order to be able to look Red Spider in the face.
    â€œHave you been to Uaxactun lately?” asked Sky Knife.
    Red Spider shrugged. “I spent the rainy season there. Since the rains left, I have been in several cities.” Red Spider smiled. “I saw you at the sacrifice last night,” he said. “You didn’t have him with you then.”
    Sky Knife’s gaze caught Bone Splinter standing several yards away. The warrior watched Red Spider intently.
    â€œNo, I didn’t,” said Sky Knife. “Tell me, have you been able to trade many of your wares today?”
    Red Spider paused and glanced toward Bone Splinter. His eyes narrowed. “Is this a threat? Are you asking me to leave?”
    â€œNo,” said Sky Knife quickly. He cursed the sudden squeak in his voice. “It’s only a question.”
    Red Spider looked back at Sky Knife and smiled slowly. It was a warm smile, yet it froze Sky Knife’s blood. “The answer is no, I haven’t. And