Shadows in the Cave by Caleb Fox Read Free Book Online

diplomatic speech.
    When Chalu handed him the pipe, Shonan smoked ceremonially and repeated some of what the Amaso chief had said. “This is a great moment,” he said. “Let us no longer call each other Galayi and Amaso. We are one people, and we will be known as the Amaso village of the Galayi tribe.”
    It was well done, a good acknowledgement for both groups.
    Now Shonan raised his voice. “And I have something special to add.”
    Iona stood up beside Aku, who was still translating with his fingers.
    “Proudly Oghi the seer and I announce to all the first blood joining between our two peoples. At the Harvest Ceremony in three moons my son Aku”—here Aku pointed to himself with both index fingers—“will be married to Oghi’s daughter, Iona.”
    Aku held Iona’s hand high in triumph.

 

    6
     
    Chalu said, “Let me show you a good place to build your houses.”
    Oghi signed the words, and Aku told them to his father.
    The crowd was filtering out of the arbor, back to their huts or their temporary camp. Chalu asked Iona to stay behind while he led Shonan, Oghi, and Aku up a little hill to the north. He pivoted back, gestured to his people’s circle of huts, and said, “You see there’s no room in between.”
    There wasn’t. The Amaso circle was tight, with the traditional opening to the east, and in this case to the sun rising from the sea. He turned to the north and spread his arms. “But this is a good spot.”
    Shonan was on guard.
    The place Chalu had picked out for the Galayi circle was fine, a wide space of dirt mostly free of trees and brush. It was bigger than the Amaso circle. The only disadvantage was being further from the river, making a long walk to get water.
    Aku was surprised when his father said, “No. No, no, no.”
    Chalu looked like his face had been slapped. “It’s a beautiful place,” he said. Oghi watched the war chief curiously.
    “I want our peoples to live right together,” Shonan said. “We should mingle constantly. I want your people to have a chance to learn the Galayi language fast. We shouldn’t betwo villages side by side. This is where we make a choice to be one people.”
    “But there’s no room,” said Chalu.
    “We will make room.” Shonan turned back to the Amaso circle. “I think we should build another circle just outside yours. The ground is not quite as even, but we’ll make do. And in a couple of years it will all solve itself.”
    Chalu looked at Shonan, puzzled. “We’ll teach you to build bigger houses out of posts and limbs.”
    Chalu said, “War Chief, we use these little huts because the weather is mild, and they’re warm enough.”
    Oghi hesitated before he spoke. “Besides, sometimes a big storm comes in from the ocean and blows our homes to little pieces. If we build bigger ones, it will just be more work to rebuild them.”
    “We’re going to have big families and lots of people,” Shonan said. “We’ll need bigger houses. If there are storms, we’ll just build them stouter.”
    Aku thought of dragging posts from the stands of timber several miles back. He also thought of his father’s will.
    Apparently, Chalu felt that will, too. “All right,” he said, “War Chief.”
    Aku thought, My father will be principal chief soon.
    A hard time started for Shonan’s group. He drove them to get their brush huts built in a couple of days. The huts were easy. What was hard was learning when the river was sweet and when it was salt, according to the tide. When people forgot to get water at the right time, they went thirsty.
    But the days were sweet for Aku and Iona.

    Iona looked at Aku’s sleeping face. He was worn out from loving her.
    She put a hand on his cheek. She teased a wisp of his black hair with her little finger. She loved Aku. It was simple, it was powerful, but mostly it was enormous, bigger in every dimension than she’d ever imagined such a feeling could be.
    Late this afternoon when they slipped to this sandy pocket