Journey. It was true that some never returned, but that was part of the adventure. Then Thonolan asked Laduni a question that snapped him back to attention.
“What do you know about the flatheads around here? We ran into a pack a few days ago. I was sure we were going to end our Journey right there.” Suddenly Thonolan had everyone’s attention.
“What happened?” Laduni asked, tension in his voice. Thonolan related the incident they had had with the flatheads.
“Charoli!” Laduni spat.
“Who is Charoli?” Jondalar asked.
“A young man from Tomasi’s Cave, and the instigator of a gang of ruffians who have taken it into their heads to make sport of the flatheads. We never had any trouble with them. They stayed on their side of the river; we stayed on ours. If we did cross over, they kept out of the way, unless we stayed too long. Then all they did was make it obvious they were watching. That was enough. It makes you nervous to have a bunch of flatheads staring at you.”
“That’s for sure!” Thonolan said. “But what do you mean, make sport of the flatheads? I wouldn’t invite trouble from them.”
“It all started as high spirits. One would dare the other to run up and touch a flathead. They can be pretty fierce if you annoy them. Then the young men started ganging up on any flathead they found alone—circle around and tease him, try to get him to chase after them. Flatheads have a lot of wind, but they have short legs. A man can usually outrun one, but he’d better keep going. I’m not sure how it started, but next Charoli’s gang were beating up on them I suspect one of those flatheads they were teasing caught someone, and the rest jumped in to defend their friend. Anyway, they started making a practice of it, but even with several against one flathead, they didn’t get away without some good bruises.”
“I can believe that,” Thonolan said.
“What they did next was even worse,” Filonia added.
“Filonia! It’s disgusting! I won’t have you talking about it!” Laduni said, and his anger was real.
“What did they do?” Jondalar asked. “If we’re going to be traveling through flathead territory, we ought to know.”
“I suppose you’re right, Jondalar. I just don’t like talking about it in front of Filonia.”
“I’m a grown woman,” she asserted, but her tone lacked conviction.
He looked at her, considering, then seemed to come to a decision. “The males started coming out only in pairs or groups, and that was too much for Charoli’s gang. So they started trying to tease the females. But flathead females don’t fight. There’s no sport in picking on them, they just cower and run away. So his gang decided to use them for a different kind of sport. I don’t know who dared who first—probably Charoli goaded them on. It’s the kind of thing he’d do.”
“Goaded them to do what?” Jondalar asked.
“They started forcing flathead females …” Laduni could not finish. He jumped up, more than angry. He was enraged. “It’s an abomination! It dishonors the Mother, abuses Her Gift. Animals! Worse than animals! Worse than flatheads!”
“Do you mean they took their Pleasure with a flathead female? Forced? A flathead female?” Thonolan said.
“They bragged about it!” Filonia said. “I wouldn’t let a man near me who took his Pleasure with a flathead.”
“Filonia! You will not discuss such things! I will not have such filthy, disgusting language coming out of your mouth!” Laduni said. He was past rage; his eyes were hard as stone.
“Yes, Laduni,” she said, bowing her head in shame.
“I wonder how they feel about it,” Jondalar commented. “That might be why the young one went for me. I’d guess they’d be angry. I’ve heard some people say they could be human—and if they are …”
“I’ve heard that kind of talk!” Laduni said, still trying to calm himself. “Don’t believe it!”
“The leader of that pack we ran into was
“What do you know about the flatheads around here? We ran into a pack a few days ago. I was sure we were going to end our Journey right there.” Suddenly Thonolan had everyone’s attention.
“What happened?” Laduni asked, tension in his voice. Thonolan related the incident they had had with the flatheads.
“Charoli!” Laduni spat.
“Who is Charoli?” Jondalar asked.
“A young man from Tomasi’s Cave, and the instigator of a gang of ruffians who have taken it into their heads to make sport of the flatheads. We never had any trouble with them. They stayed on their side of the river; we stayed on ours. If we did cross over, they kept out of the way, unless we stayed too long. Then all they did was make it obvious they were watching. That was enough. It makes you nervous to have a bunch of flatheads staring at you.”
“That’s for sure!” Thonolan said. “But what do you mean, make sport of the flatheads? I wouldn’t invite trouble from them.”
“It all started as high spirits. One would dare the other to run up and touch a flathead. They can be pretty fierce if you annoy them. Then the young men started ganging up on any flathead they found alone—circle around and tease him, try to get him to chase after them. Flatheads have a lot of wind, but they have short legs. A man can usually outrun one, but he’d better keep going. I’m not sure how it started, but next Charoli’s gang were beating up on them I suspect one of those flatheads they were teasing caught someone, and the rest jumped in to defend their friend. Anyway, they started making a practice of it, but even with several against one flathead, they didn’t get away without some good bruises.”
“I can believe that,” Thonolan said.
“What they did next was even worse,” Filonia added.
“Filonia! It’s disgusting! I won’t have you talking about it!” Laduni said, and his anger was real.
“What did they do?” Jondalar asked. “If we’re going to be traveling through flathead territory, we ought to know.”
“I suppose you’re right, Jondalar. I just don’t like talking about it in front of Filonia.”
“I’m a grown woman,” she asserted, but her tone lacked conviction.
He looked at her, considering, then seemed to come to a decision. “The males started coming out only in pairs or groups, and that was too much for Charoli’s gang. So they started trying to tease the females. But flathead females don’t fight. There’s no sport in picking on them, they just cower and run away. So his gang decided to use them for a different kind of sport. I don’t know who dared who first—probably Charoli goaded them on. It’s the kind of thing he’d do.”
“Goaded them to do what?” Jondalar asked.
“They started forcing flathead females …” Laduni could not finish. He jumped up, more than angry. He was enraged. “It’s an abomination! It dishonors the Mother, abuses Her Gift. Animals! Worse than animals! Worse than flatheads!”
“Do you mean they took their Pleasure with a flathead female? Forced? A flathead female?” Thonolan said.
“They bragged about it!” Filonia said. “I wouldn’t let a man near me who took his Pleasure with a flathead.”
“Filonia! You will not discuss such things! I will not have such filthy, disgusting language coming out of your mouth!” Laduni said. He was past rage; his eyes were hard as stone.
“Yes, Laduni,” she said, bowing her head in shame.
“I wonder how they feel about it,” Jondalar commented. “That might be why the young one went for me. I’d guess they’d be angry. I’ve heard some people say they could be human—and if they are …”
“I’ve heard that kind of talk!” Laduni said, still trying to calm himself. “Don’t believe it!”
“The leader of that pack we ran into was
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