left to
hunt. Everyone was waiting for something to happen.
Their appearance was the catalyst.
Kallig called to them. “Cook food for your
woman, coward!”
“Quiet, old man!” Chase stood, spear in
hand.
Kallig had his spear ready. Something in his
stance told Elza that the man had known this challenge was coming.
He knew his time was at an end – either today or some day soon.
The two combatants approached each other,
crouched with spears held in one hand by the ear, and proceeded to
shout insults. Elza watched the encounter, analyzing their bravado,
trying to determine how much of the show was for their audience and
how much was for themselves.
When it seemed like no real conflict would
happen, Chase charged straight at the older man. Kallig threw his
spear and missed by a hair. Then Chase drove his spear home. Kallig
turned the fire-hardened tip aside with his ribs, then roared in
rage and punched Chase.
Chase reversed the motion of his spear and
slammed the butt into Kallig's face. Kallig shook off the strike
and tackled Chase. Only when the maneuver was complete did it
become obvious that Chase had gotten his spear tip in place so that
Kallig's lunge drove the point into his soft abdomen.
The younger man rolled free and punched the
air in exultation. Kallig clutched at the spear impaling him. “I am
the strongest man,” Chase roared. He reached down and pulled his
spear free. Kallig groaned. “I kill you, old man!”
And then Hess was there. “Stop!”
Chase turned to face the new threat, raising
his spear again. “I don't fear you, Hess! I am in charge now!”
Elza shook her head,
mouthing the word no at Hess. This was bad. So very, very bad. Worse than she ever
imagined.
Hess kicked Kallig's spear into the air and
caught it. Standing upright, spear held casually, Hess bared his
chest. “You throw first, Chase.” The larger man backed away two
quick steps and kicked at the vegetation in a fit. “This isn't
fair! You never challenged Kallig!”
I might as well get
involved. Nothing I do can make this situation any worse. Her voice projected in the expectant quiet.
“Hess, even you have to admit this is wrong. You can't stay with
this tribe. We need to leave today. Now .”
Hess looked down at the wounded Kallig.
“We'll wait until Kallig can travel.”
“He can't come with us,” she said.
“No,” Kallig growled. “I
don't need you to save me, coward. I don't fear death. I am a
man! This is how
a man dies, coward! Show him, Chase! Show the coward how men live
and die!”
Chase hefted his spear, then hesitated.
“Get out of his way,” Elza said. The moment
Hess stood aside, Chase moved in for the kill, driving his spear
into Kallig, pulling it free and stabbing in rapid succession,
leaving a bloody, gasping mess of a man.
Elza seized the arm of Hess. “We're leaving
now.” He didn't resist. While Kallig died a violent death, they
prepared two travel packs. “You know that was wrong,” she said to
him again and again.
Finally, Hess snapped. “I know!”
“You can't participate.”
“What's stopping me?” Hess hefted his spear.
“The Creator made sure we knew our duty, but He never bound us. I
can act however I wish until the day the sky opens. Then the
Creator can unmake me if I am unfit to observe. But until then,
what stops me? What stops me from destroying this tribe? What stops
me from forming one that works the way it should? What stops me,
Elza?”
She took the spear from his hands. “I stop
you, Hess.”
“How can you be sure that I'm wrong? Do you
think the Creator would do nothing if He were here?”
“She would never be here, Hess. The Creator
creates. We observe. When this world ends, the Creator will create
again and we will observe again.”
Hess lifted his pack and settled it on his
shoulders. “Maybe. Maybe not. The Creator might not want me in His
flawed creations.”
“We'll leave that decision to Her. Until
then, you're an Observer. Now
hunt. Everyone was waiting for something to happen.
Their appearance was the catalyst.
Kallig called to them. “Cook food for your
woman, coward!”
“Quiet, old man!” Chase stood, spear in
hand.
Kallig had his spear ready. Something in his
stance told Elza that the man had known this challenge was coming.
He knew his time was at an end – either today or some day soon.
The two combatants approached each other,
crouched with spears held in one hand by the ear, and proceeded to
shout insults. Elza watched the encounter, analyzing their bravado,
trying to determine how much of the show was for their audience and
how much was for themselves.
When it seemed like no real conflict would
happen, Chase charged straight at the older man. Kallig threw his
spear and missed by a hair. Then Chase drove his spear home. Kallig
turned the fire-hardened tip aside with his ribs, then roared in
rage and punched Chase.
Chase reversed the motion of his spear and
slammed the butt into Kallig's face. Kallig shook off the strike
and tackled Chase. Only when the maneuver was complete did it
become obvious that Chase had gotten his spear tip in place so that
Kallig's lunge drove the point into his soft abdomen.
The younger man rolled free and punched the
air in exultation. Kallig clutched at the spear impaling him. “I am
the strongest man,” Chase roared. He reached down and pulled his
spear free. Kallig groaned. “I kill you, old man!”
And then Hess was there. “Stop!”
Chase turned to face the new threat, raising
his spear again. “I don't fear you, Hess! I am in charge now!”
Elza shook her head,
mouthing the word no at Hess. This was bad. So very, very bad. Worse than she ever
imagined.
Hess kicked Kallig's spear into the air and
caught it. Standing upright, spear held casually, Hess bared his
chest. “You throw first, Chase.” The larger man backed away two
quick steps and kicked at the vegetation in a fit. “This isn't
fair! You never challenged Kallig!”
I might as well get
involved. Nothing I do can make this situation any worse. Her voice projected in the expectant quiet.
“Hess, even you have to admit this is wrong. You can't stay with
this tribe. We need to leave today. Now .”
Hess looked down at the wounded Kallig.
“We'll wait until Kallig can travel.”
“He can't come with us,” she said.
“No,” Kallig growled. “I
don't need you to save me, coward. I don't fear death. I am a
man! This is how
a man dies, coward! Show him, Chase! Show the coward how men live
and die!”
Chase hefted his spear, then hesitated.
“Get out of his way,” Elza said. The moment
Hess stood aside, Chase moved in for the kill, driving his spear
into Kallig, pulling it free and stabbing in rapid succession,
leaving a bloody, gasping mess of a man.
Elza seized the arm of Hess. “We're leaving
now.” He didn't resist. While Kallig died a violent death, they
prepared two travel packs. “You know that was wrong,” she said to
him again and again.
Finally, Hess snapped. “I know!”
“You can't participate.”
“What's stopping me?” Hess hefted his spear.
“The Creator made sure we knew our duty, but He never bound us. I
can act however I wish until the day the sky opens. Then the
Creator can unmake me if I am unfit to observe. But until then,
what stops me? What stops me from destroying this tribe? What stops
me from forming one that works the way it should? What stops me,
Elza?”
She took the spear from his hands. “I stop
you, Hess.”
“How can you be sure that I'm wrong? Do you
think the Creator would do nothing if He were here?”
“She would never be here, Hess. The Creator
creates. We observe. When this world ends, the Creator will create
again and we will observe again.”
Hess lifted his pack and settled it on his
shoulders. “Maybe. Maybe not. The Creator might not want me in His
flawed creations.”
“We'll leave that decision to Her. Until
then, you're an Observer. Now
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