“Is Bodecia your mother?”
“Of course she is. Do not worry, your friend is in no danger while she is present.”
Jerry mulled over the thought of calling Rudi his “friend.” After all, not more than a couple of hours ago, the man had tried his best to kill him, twice. But he did feel something for the proud old soldier and let the comment pass.
“Where do you people live?”
“Within twenty miles of here. Where do you live?”
“In the city of Castroville, Republic of California. Ever hear of it?
My dad grows garlic, lots of garlic.”
“I know of garlic, and have heard of your republic. It is far from here.”
“Yes,” he said. “In a great many ways.”
Bodecia squatted next to Rudi, whose litter now lay in a convenient swath of rock-free gravel.
“Why do you fight Russians?” Magda asked, her eyes following his gaze.
“We are allied to the Dena Republic and they are fighting for their lives.”
“Dena?” She turned and spoke in Russian to her father.
In a heartbeat Pelagian stood in front of Jerry. “The Dena are openly fighting the Russians? When did this happen?”
“Why did you think we were here? The first concentrated Dena attacks happened earlier this year. They simultaneously struck at all the major redoubts in what they claimed as their traditional territory.”
“How do you know so much about it?”
“Our government always explains why they want us to declare war. When we got the first stories about the heroic Athabascan Indians fighting the evil Czar, we all voted to kick Russian butt.”
“Why do you sound bitter?”
“Just being sarcastic. I voted against the war, but then I’ve had more education than the majority of the electorate.”
“Does that make you right and them wrong?”
“No.” The word sighed out of him. “Nothing that yin and yang. I wish it were. I wish life was all dark or light, but the sky is always changing.”
“So, what happened?”
“To what?”
“The ‘heroic’ Indians who attacked the bad Russians, Lieutenant.”
“Oh, sorry. Well, they pretty much won the day. They even took Chena Redoubt, which I gather was a very big thing, but the Russians bombed it flat after the Dena occupied it. They lost a lot of their cadre.”
“Cadre? I was in the merchant marine, not the bloody navy.”
“The ones running things. In charge.”
“Lieutenant, are you feeling well? Your mind seems to be wandering overmuch.”
Yamato focused. “Well, I’m almost to the point of starvation. Breakfast was at oh-four-hundred California time on Tuesday and it’s been a long day.” He squinted upward.
“For about a fortnight this time of year it really doesn’t get dark.
’Land of the Midnight Sun’ and all that.”
“I thought it was six months.”
“They didn’t tell you everything about Russian Amerika, did they? Here, chew on this.” Pelagian tossed him a strand of flesh.
Jerry sniffed it and his mouth watered. He chewed off a bite.
“That’s a strip of smoked salmon. We call it ‘squaw candy.’ I quite like it.”
Jerry nodded agreement and kept chewing. He wondered if Pelagian was going to tie him up again.
Sergeant Cermanivich gasped loudly. Jerry stopped chewing and watched Bodecia shift her stance and grab Rudi again.
“This one will also hurt, but you will feel better after.” She abruptly twisted his torso.
Rudi shrieked and went limp.
Bodecia’s hands continued to move over the sergeant’s torso and arms, pulling tugging, pushing, twisting before suddenly stopping and dropping her head to his chest.
“He is a strong man.” She straightened to her feet. “He will live, I think.” She stared at Jerry. “Now tell me about the Dena Republik.”
Jerry told them everything he could remember hearing about the Dena revolt that had touched off a continentwide war. He felt exhausted and wrung out.
“Oh, the French and the Spanish also sent their fleets out—”
“Who cares, the Dena Nation is mostly landlocked,” Bodecia said. “Do you remember any of the names of those killed at Chena, the cadre?”
“Only one name sticks in my mind. Slayer-of-Men, how could I forget that one?” Jerry’s near-chuckle died before it reached his lips.
Bodecia’s face froze and Magda emitted a small gasp. Pelagian stepped between them and Jerry.
“You just named one of my wife’s cousins. He was one of my best friends.”
“I’m sorry to bring you sad news. I wish I could remember more.”
Bodecia spoke to Pelagian in a different language, not Russian or French. He answered and both women turned and walked away toward the dense willow thickets bordering the rocky river shore. In moments they had vanished from sight.
“What is your plan, Lieutenant Yamato?”
“Plan, what plan?”
“How were you going to get out of here and back to California?”
“I was sort of making it up as I went along, didn’t really have a plan.”
“You are twenty miles from the nearest
“Is that thirty miles following the river or going cross country?” Jerry nodded at the huge colorful ridge.
“Both.”
“What do you think we should do?”
“We?”
“The sergeant and me.”
“I believe you have only one option, to come with us.”
“Aren’t we your prisoners?”
“I am not at war with either of you. The ropes were used to meet you both without use of firearms.”
“Makes sense. Where are you going, back to your, uh, fort?”
“No, we are going to the village of Delta, near St. Anthony Redoubt.”
“Why?”
“My wife has family there. She is angry with me for still being out here where no one can find us.”
“What are you doing out here?”
“I am visiting the length and breadth of my land, where I am honored as a leader, while returning from my trapping camp.”
“Are you a leader in Delta?”
Pelagian gave him a grim look. “I am not ignored.”
“I think you’re right. May the sergeant and I accompany you?”
“Of course you may. I think you both would die if we left you here.”
“I won’t argue that one, either. Are there telephones in Delta?”
“Yes, they all go through the Russian Amerika Company switchboard.”
“Oh. Well something will turn up, I’m sure.” Jerry surveyed Sergeant Cermanivich, who had yet to regain consciousness.
“He will not wake for some time. He has a lot of healing to do. We will need to carry him.”
“I’ll take the first turn.”
