Carnelian approached the girl and knelt in front of her. She looked right through him. He moved aside to let her see Fern again. 'He's a friend. He's your friend. The blood comes from there.' He pointed at the earther corpse stretching out from behind the tree, and she turned to look at it, then back at Fern.
Her eyes, so unnaturally large in her thin face, put a lump in Carnelian's throat. He smiled at her. 'What's your name?'
The second time he asked the question he was rewarded by her focusing on him. He indicated himself. 'You see, I'm just as filthy as he is. You're safe.' He would have hugged her if he had not been cohered in blood.
To everyone's surprise, the little girl said something. Carnelian did not understand and glanced urgently at Sil, who shrugged.
'I believe she's telling you her name. Poppy.'
Carnelian turned his attention back to the girl. 'Is that right? Is your name Poppy?'
The girl stared so deep into his eyes, Carnelian felt she was looking at his soul. When she surfaced, she gave him the tiniest of nods.
When they returned to their labours, Poppy sat beneath the Bloodwood Tree and did not once take her eyes off Carnelian. Any time he paused to glance back, he would find her there, gazing at him. At first he found it unsettling, but as the day wore on, he realized, with surprise, that if he had found her interest in him gone, he would have been disappointed.
He and Fern had, over the day, disassembled the remains of the earther, dragging the bones like logs. All that was left was the immense beaked head with its flaring crest and horns: clearly too heavy for them to move.
'What do we do with that?' asked Carnelian.
Fern frowned at him. 'We wait until they bring in the next one.' With that, he turned to walk towards the shade of the tree. Carnelian caught up and walked at his side. Glancing at Fern's gory, resolute face, Carnelian knew he would get nothing more out of him.
Sil came to the edge of the tree shade to meet them. 'Mother Akaisha says you might as well wash while we wait for the new earther to come in.'
Her husband acknowledged what she said with a gruff nod and walked on past her. Carnelian saw with what concern she watched him move away.
'Why's he so morose?' he asked her.
'He can't be brave all the time,' she snapped and looked at him as if had said something callous.
Carnelian was taken aback. He had sensed that Fern had reconciled himself to his punishment. Seeing the pain that lay behind her anger, Carnelian did not feel he could ask and, instead, went off to wash with Fern. Poppy eyed him as he walked sighing with pleasure at the cool relief from the sun. He smiled when he heard her creeping after him. When he turned, she froze.
'Could you please fetch us water to wash with, Poppy?'
When the girl nodded, he jogged to catch Fern. They walked together in silence.
'Poppy's bringing us water,' Carnelian said.
Fern turned, frowning. 'You mustn't get too attached to her. She has the kind of prettiness the Gatherer likes.'
When Poppy brought them water, Carnelian's gratitude made her look at her feet as she handed it to him. She stood and watched him and Fern washing each other. When they were clean, they went to sit with their backs against the tree, surveying the dazzling plain beyond the Outditch. Poppy followed them and sat herself near Carnelian. Remembering Fern's warning, he tried to take no pleasure in having her there.
Later, a dozen aquar appeared in the gate that was flanked by earther horns and that opened from the fern-meadow onto the plain. They approached, crushing the ferns in a wide arc. Ropes hitched to their crossbeams pulled taut radiuses from a common centre. The riders kept looking back over their shoulders. When they had come closer, Carnelian was able to see the boulder of flesh and hide with which they were ploughing up the meadow: another vast earther. Riders trotted up to the head of the butchered one and, slinging ropes over its horns, they made their aquar tow it away. The drag-cradles with their heaped rotting gore were hitched up and pulled away too. Soon the new earther was being tugged into position on the rusty earth under the Bloodwood Tree. The riders showed it off to the women, proudly. Among them he saw Krow and they exchanged smiles. Someone beside the youth scolded him. Startled, Krow looked round at two riders who Carnelian realized were Loskai and Crowrane. Father and son fixed Carnelian with a look of hatred that chilled him to the bone.
Poppy trailed after Carnelian as he returned with Fern, Akaisha, Whin and the others to their hearth. As he came within sight of the mother tree, anticipation of seeing Osidian filled him with dread. He put his hand on Fern's shoulder.
Tm going to see my brother.'
Fern nodded and Carnelian glanced round at Poppy, who had stopped a few steps down the rootstair and was gazing up at them.
'Could you please take her with you?'
Fern shook his head disapprovingly, but smiled. Carnelian crouched and beckoned Poppy. The girl came slowly up the steps. Even crouching, Carnelian had to look down at her.
'Will you go with Fern, Poppy?'
The girl looked up at the Plainsman and then back at Carnelian, then gave a solemn nod. Fern offered her his hand. She would only take it when Carnelian gave her a nod of approval. He let them go ahead of him. He could not help smiling each time she glanced round to make sure he was following. He parted company with them when they reached the rootearth of their hearth. He gazed off at his sleeping hollow, hesitated and, then, reluctantly, began walking towards it.
Even though he had anticipated finding Osidian weakened, what Carnelian saw shocked him. The body lying long and pale in the hollow did not give the impression of someone sleeping, but rather seemed a corpse lying in a sarcophagus.
Leaping into the hollow, Carnelian bent over it. He sought a pulse on the neck; the bony wrist. Unsure he could detect any life, Carnelian began shaking Osidian with ever increasing violence, until, coughing, he came alive. His green eyes swam. Carnelian felt himself being examined. Osidian's forehead creased.
'It's you,' he sighed.
Carnelian was shocked by how quickly he had deteriorated. 'You must eat,' he said. He leaned close and looked into the glass of Osidian's eyes. 'You must eat.'
Carnelian stumbled to his feet and almost broke into a run so that he might not hear Osidian forbidding him. People were gathering for the evening meal. He saw Akaisha with Whin and others of the women talking among the steam and smoke rising from the pots.
'Akaisha,' he said as he approached. 'Mother.'
The women all looked at him. He could see his fear reflecting in their eyes. Akaisha reached up to touch his face. 'What is it, Carnie? Why do you stare so?'
Carnelian calmed himself. 'Osidian, my… my brother, he is dying.'
Whin's face became leather. 'He's been keeping to your sleeping place, lying between the roots like one already dead.'
Carnelian searched Akaisha's eyes. He did not want to believe she wanted him to die, though he understood how it would rid her of a burden.
'He's not eaten since we arrived and was already weakened by the fever. You will let me take some food for him?'
Whin spoke: 'No one has stopped him coming to eat with us.'
Carnelian did not want to explain why Osidian had not. 'He's not like me.'
Akaisha nodded slowly, her eyes seeming to search deep into him. 'Even though you are brothers.'
Carnelian looked away ashamed of his lie and saw Whin, her lips pressing tight with disapproval. He looked down at the pots.
Take as much as you need,' Akaisha said.
Those not prepared to work should not expect the Tribe to feed them,' said Whin.
Carnelian grimaced.
Akaisha patted Carnelian's shoulder. 'Carnie has been working hard enough for the both of them. Go on,
