Sky Knife by Marella Sands Read Free Book Online Page B

without giving Sky Knife a second glance and he relaxed slightly. Perhaps Bone Splinter was right. Perhaps Sky Knife should forget his station and go out as if he truly were a member of the royal family.
    Sky Knife gathered his courage and strode into the plaza. Merchants had set up their wares in a haphazard manner and the people of Tikal swirled by the merchants in a colorful, dazzling mass of humanity.
    Sky Knife stood in the plaza for a moment and watched the men and women bustle about. Several children ran through the throng, their small white-and-brown-spotted dogs barking at their heels. The children stopped when they saw him. Or perhaps they were staring at Bone Splinter.
    â€œGo on,” urged Bone Splinter. “Back to your mothers.”
    The children darted off, their dogs following them.
    Sky Knife took a deep breath and plunged into the crowd. It was a good bet that someone in the plaza knew about Tikal’s bad luck, knew about where it came from. Knew, perhaps, how to stop it.
    â€œCome, sir,” urged a large woman in a bright red dress. She sat under a small tent, which was merely a blanket hooked over a couple of sturdy sticks. “You are just a young maize plant today, but soon you will flower. I have rabbits here. Take a look.”
    Sky Knife blushed. He’d often been a target for the vendors who bartered love gifts—every man was before he had his first tattoo. Rabbits were most prized of all, for they had to be imported over a great distance. They were rare and beautiful; the perfect gift to use to woo the affections of a girl.
    Sky Knife reached down into the basket that sat beside the woman and stroked one of the rabbits. Its fur was the softest thing he’d ever touched. The rabbit, which was brown with a white streak down its nose, wiggled its nose vigorously.
    â€œHe likes you, see,” said the woman. “There must be a special girl in your life. This rabbit is for her, yes?”
    Sky Knife shook his head. “No,” he said. He didn’t bother to hide the disappointment in his voice. “There’s no girl.”
    The woman frowned. “A strong lad like you?” she asked. “You should be thinking of marriage, and children. It’s the beginning of a new katun. What luckier time could you choose?”
    Sky Knife stood quickly and walked away. “Come back later,” called the woman after him. “I’ll save this one for you, yes?”
    Sky Knife ignored her and walked around a salt vendor and a man selling charms to keep snakes away from houses and fields. Toward the center of the plaza, he saw a flash of white and green.
    â€œWhat’s that?” he asked Bone Splinter.
    A dull throbbing filled the air and a strong, deep voice sang in a language Sky Knife didn’t know. He walked forward slowly, toward the sound.
    A merchant in a white-and-green-striped skirt sat in sunlight that poured into the plaza. The merchant sat in the open without even a blanket over his head. His hair fell over his shoulders, down to his waist. A lock at each temple had been braided with leather thongs. Shells dripped off the ends of the braids. The merchant’s assistant beat a small wooden drum with a hide-covered stick while the merchant sang.
    Sky Knife stood, mesmerized, until the song was over. He had never heard a voice so smooth, so powerful.
    The crowd applauded when the merchant finished.
    â€œI am Red Spider,” announced the merchant in fluent, lightly accented Mayan. “I have fine drums here, and rattles. Perfect for any ceremony or occasion. I also have several fine pieces of jewelry, made by an ancient technique known only to a selected few who reside in Teotihuacan, the Great City of the North, the Jewel of the Civilized World!”
    The merchant stood and spread his hands wide, accepting the praise of the crowd. He was taller than any man Sky Knife had seen before, taller even than Bone Splinter. He was thin and