'It was no imposition,' I said. 'I would cheerfully carry off a girl for you, but it is one thing to carry off a girl and quite another to carry off Poalu.'
'Poalu is a girl,' said Imnak.
'I am not at all sure of that,' I said.
'Do you think she may be a she-sleen?' asked Imnak, concerned. His metaphysics allowed this possibility. Sometimes men took the form of animals, and animals the form of men.
'Quite possibly,' I said gravely.
'That would explain much,' mused Imnak. 'No,' he said, seriously. 'That cannot be true. I have known Poalu for years. When we were children we would gather eggs together at the bird cliffs, and hold hands, and, together, fight the coming of sleep.' He looked at me, intently. 'Too,' he said, 'she is the daughter of Kadluk.'
'I guess you are right, I said. 'She is not really a she-sleen.'
'But she acts much like one,' said Imnak.
'Yes,' I said.
'Some girls are like that,' said Imnak.
'Have you ever known anyone like Poalu?' I asked.
'Not exactly,' he admitted.
'Where are you lazy men going?' asked Poalu.
'Home,' said Imnak.
We began to trudge back toward Imnak's tent. It was some two hundred yards away. Ininak led the snow sleen, drawing the sled on the tundra, and I walked beside him. Thimble, Thistle and Arlene walked beside the sled.
'Imnak is a lazy fellow!' called Poalu. 'Imnak cannot sing in the feasting house! Imnak cannot paddle a kayak! Imnak is a poor hunter!'
'I am getting angry,' said Imnak to me.
'Red hunters do not get angry,' I told him.
'Sometimes red hunters get angry,' said Imnak.
'I did not know that,' I said.
'Yes,' said Imnak.
'Imnak is a lazy fellow! Imnak is a terrible hunter! I am fortunate not to be Imnak's woman. Pity the poor woman who goes to Imnak's tent! I am pleased that I am not going to his tent! I would not go to his tent for anything!'
'I have had enough,' said Imnak suddenly.
'A man does have his pride,' I said.
'It is unfortunate that I am so shy,' said Imnak between gritted teeth.
'Yes,' I said, 'that is unfortunate.'
Suddenly Imnak threw back his head and howled at the sky. He made a wild animal noise and, wheeling about, in his fur boots, sped rapidly back toward the tent of Kadluk.
'Let us continue on,' I said to the girls. We continued on, toward Imnak's tent, not looking back. The snow sleen padded along behind us, drawing the sled over the trodden turf.
Behind us we heard cheering.
We did not look back until we came to the threshold of Ininak's tent.
A large crowd was approaching, yet in such a way as to give Imnak room. Leading the crowd, but seeming half in the midst of it, came Imnak. He was pulling a bent over, stumbling, screaming, fighting figure behind him, his hand in her hair. She wore feasting clothes.
At the opening to his tent he threw her over his shoulder. Her feet were then off the ground, and she was helpless. She could be carried wherever he chose, and placed wherever he chose to place her. He carried her inside the tent, and threw her to the furs at his feet.
She looked up at him in fury. She tried to get up, but he pushed her back down.
'You are wearing feasting clothes,' he said. 'Do you think you are going to a feast?'
She looked up at him.
'No,' he said, 'you are not going to a feast. You do not need to wear feasting clothes.'
'Imnak,' she said.
'Take them off, everything!' he said.
'Imnak,' she cried.
'Now!' he said.
Frightened, she stripped herself, and crouched on the fur in his tent. Nudity is not unusual among the red hunters. But even for them it is a treat to see a girl as pretty as Poalu stripped naked. I suspected that we would have numerous guests in the house of Imnak.
Imnak then bound her wrists together before her body and pulled her to her feet. 'Imnak!' she cried. He pulled her from the tent, stumbling, to the pole behind the tent, that from which tabuk meat was sometimes hung to dry. A few days ago Arlene had been tied to the pole. Imnak fastened Poalu's hands over her head and to the pole.
'Imnak!' she cried. 'What are you going to do?'
Imnak, who had returned to the tent after fastening her in place, returned to the pole. He carried a sleen whip.
'Imnak,' she cried, 'what are you going to do?'
'Only one can be first,' cried Imnak.
'Imnak!' she cried, struck.
The hunters and the women gathered about cheered Imnak on. He put the leather to her well.
Then she cried out, 'It is Imnak who is first in his tent!' She shuddered in the straps that bound her. Then she was struck again. 'Imnak is first!' she cried. 'Imnak! Imnak!'
He thrust the whip in his belt.
He went before her, where she could see him. 'You are first, Imnak,' she wept. 'I am your woman. Your woman wrn obey you. Your woman will do what you tell her.'
'No, Imnak!' she cried.
'Aiii,' cried a man in the crowd.
He tied bondage strings on her throat.
The men and women in the crowd roared their approval. They stomped on the turf. Some began to sing.
None, I think, had thought to see so rare and delicious a sight as bondage strings on the throat of the arrogant, fiery Poalu.
Her temper and sharp tongue, I think, had made many enemies among the red hunters and their women. There were few there I think who did not relish seeing her in bondage strings. She might now be beaten with impunity, and must obey free men and women.
'Now,' said Kadluk, her father, 'you will not come running home to the tent.'
He rubbed his nose affectionately on the side of her face, patted her on the head and turned away.
'Father!' she cried.
'Do I hear the wind?' he asked, his back to her.
'Father!' she cried.
'Yes,' he said, 'I hear the wind.' Then he left.
Indeed, she could not now go running home to the tent of her father. Imnak, if he wished, could slay her for such an act. She wore bondage strings.
The crowd began to dissipate, leaving Imnak and Poalu much alone.
'Why have you done this to me, Imnak?' asked Poalu.
'I wanted to own you,' he said.
'I did not know a man could want a woman so much that he would want to own her,' said Poalu.
'Yes,' said Imnak.
'I did not know you would be strong enough to own me,' she said.
'I am strong enough to own you,' he said.
