The Returned by Laurence B. Brown

Author:Laurence B. Brown [Brown, Laurence B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781466227477
Amazon: 1466227478
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2011-11-14T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter 37

“Maybe we can shoot our way out,” Mark suggested.

Once again, Arthur rolled his eyes and pantomimed a prayer. “Mark, how do you expect to shoot your way out of a village that is flanked by a river on one side, a lake on the other, and filled with hundreds of warriors?” He tossed his hands in the air and let them flop back limply into his lap.

“In my village, this means one thing,” Tonto said. “The elders are meeting to decide what to do with us. Everybody else is waiting in a big circle for their decision. When they decide, they’ll tell us.”

“What’s to decide?” Nathan shook his head. Since he had met these people, nothing seemed to make any sense. “We saved the chieftain’s daughter. How can there possibly be a bad angle to that?”

Arthur stroked his chin. “Tonto, do any tribes here still practice human sacrifice?”

Tonto thought for a moment, and then said, “You mean the girl?” When Arthur nodded, Tonto said, “That’s crazy. Everybody knows God doesn’t accept a sacrifice without flowers in her hair and covered in honey.”

Nathan glanced into Arthur’s shocked eyes, and then snapped his head in Tonto’s direction. “You’re kidding, right?”

The native flashed his big, yellow-toothed smile. “I’m a big joke.”

“Joker.”

“Yeah.” Tonto’s face turned serious. “Actually, sacrifice isn’t common. Usually, when there is a sacrifice, it’s a baby or a man. The victim is held on the ground. They cut out the heart and pass it around. I’ve never heard of a woman being sacrificed.”

“I think you’re reaching,” Nathan said to Arthur. “Remember, she was singing. That’s not something a person does when facing death.”

Arthur shrugged. “Maybe you were right. Maybe she was waiting for her lover.”

“Out there? And by herself?” Mark said. “He’s got to be one very special guy.”

“Maybe he’s not from her tribe,” Tonto said. When everybody turned their eyes in his direction he shrugged. “It happens.”

“Okay, okay,” Mark said, jumping to his feet. “Back up.” He pointed to Tonto. “You said they’d decide. Decide what? What’ll they do to us?”

Tonto lay down on his side on a reed mat, his head propped in one hand. “Well, let’s see. I’d say they’ll welcome us, kill us, or send us out of the village. What else is there?” He dropped his head onto the pillow of his arm and closed his eyes.

Tonto’s the most sensible one here, Nathan thought. What else can we do? He crawled into a hammock and stretched out to sleep. As he laid his head on his backpack, a huge roar exploded from the direction of the village arena, as if a stadium full of fans went wild over a winning goal.

“What was that?” cried Mark.

“A decision,” Tonto said, without opening his eyes. “They’re either going to welcome us or kill us. Nobody celebrates throwing people out of the village.”

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