Return of the Maca (Chronicles of the Maca Book 4)

by Mari Collier

  “His name is now Daniel, and he's in better physical shape than y'all. Your bones are going to hurt tonight with the cold. In my land we call it rheumatism or arthritis.”

  Di gave up arguing and let him help her. Daniel snuggled next to her and the blanket floated over them.

  Lorenz lay down beside them and closed his eyes. He had to rest. Tomorrow he needed to get them out of here and the woman smell of her rose up to fill his senses. Damn, he thought, as he felt the erection start and the body heat rose from his midsection. He knew he'd been too long without a woman. Suddenly her hand slipped down inside his Levi's and grasped, slowly working up and down. His hand clamped over her hand.

  “I canna be a lassie to ye, but I can ease your pain.”

  “Not here,” he whispered. “Daniel is next to y'all.”

  “Why does that matter?” Di was perplexed. What sort of customs did this wild-eyed man have?

  “He's a child.” There was desperation in Lorenz's whisper. Then he shuddered as he felt his organ explode with release. His body lost its rigidity and he slumped back against her and wrapped his arm around her.

  “Woman, y'all will drive me mad.” His voice was gravely. He breathed in the smell of her and it was good. “Just wait until we're safe.”

  Di felt her body trembling, yearning for what she'd been denied for seven years. And what did he mean by just wait? Was he going to force her? Right now she ached and ached from her bones and her want of a man. Sleep would be in fits and starts and her eyes closed.

  Chapter 42: The Hearing

  Breakfast was some kind of cornmeal porridge that needed a good dose of salt. Lorenz decided that was one condiment they didn't waste on people locked away. The place was reeking from the dank quarters and the overflowing thunder mug.

  Four men came for them at what Lorenz judged to be about seven or so in the morning. People were watching from doorways and then following them as they walked toward a larger, center log building. This one had window spaces with shutters that could be closed or opened. Wooden steps led up to the door. Lorenz noted the wooden latch. These people were surviving, but comforts must be slim, and none of the people here were heavy muscled like the Thalians of House or their Tris. These people were leaner, tanner, with the long, smooth muscles of farmers.

  They were ushered into a large, square room set with benches on the left and right creating a center aisle leading towards a table. The five men and one woman seated on one side of the table were staring at them as they entered. A square frame with brown fabric was spread out behind them and a large, tanned cowhide hung over the top. It was, Lorenz decided, their attempt to signify this was not an ordinary room. The middle man had on a dark blue, well-worn House shirt. The garment stretched across his chest and forearms that still bulged like a House member. His long, black, grey streaked hair was slicked back and tied with a string. The others were all clothed in shirts and trousers of brown homespun or Tri blue. All of them kept their faces impassive, but they were staring at Lorenz's grey eyes and strange clothes.

  Three feet from the table, the group stopped. The middle man took his gnarled fist and whacked the table.

  “Ye, who claim to be the Kenning Woman, step forward.” Labin, the Selectman kept his face hard.

  Di moved forward a pace and stood as straight as possible.

  “Do ye still have your visions?”

  “Nay as often for I decline.”

  “But Bi's village still values ye. Why did they let ye go?”

  “I and my laddie had left the village. I warned them that it would be attacked and nay there took it seriously.”

  The seven looked at each other.

  “Why was that?”

  “Bi had told them lies about the condition of Don and Donnick. He told even more lies about the Laird. I did nay ken he lied till my laddie was with me, but the people there believed Bi. They felt my kenning was false.”

  “Ye believed a wee one over a grown man?”

  “The village was attacked. The Laird took us out of there.”

  The man looked at Lorenz. “Why did ye nay call for a carrier to pick ye up?”

  “It seems the Sisterhood attacked Donnick while I was gone. My fither, your Maca, is in the Maca's Tower and they can't get to him. I must get back there. I would prefer to take these two with me, but if you all could house them safely, Don will pay well.”

  They stared at him, not believing the audacity of his words.

  “Ye just said the Maca was trapped. What can ye do?”

  Lorenz grinned, the right side pulling higher than the left. “I won't know till I get there, will I? But I can assure everyone that I will get him out of there.”

  “Preposterous!” Labin turned to the others and they held a whispered conversation. Finally he looked up.

  “It seems the Kenning Woman's vision of a restored Don tis false. Ye are nay the Kenning Woman. All of ye may leave, but we keep the zarks. Ye will die if ye return.”

  For a few seconds Di stood with her eyes half closed, her body shaking. Finally, she looked up, raised her right hand, and pointed her right index finger at the Selectman.

  “Hear me, people of LouElla. I am still the Kenning Woman of Thalia, but I will diminish. The new Kenning Woman tis behind that screen and she needs my blessing. She has told ye the same thing. She will become the Kenning Woman without my blessing, but she will nay ken her mission.” Her body relaxed and she leaned on her crutch.

  The people seated at the table took turns swallowing and all focused their eyes on Di. Finally, the woman spoke, her lined face and lips taunt.

  “Were ye given the blessing by an elder Kenning Woman?”

  “Aye, one such ancient came to me. All of Thalia thought her dead, but she was in hiding. The lassie must ken her mission.”

  A child stepped from behind the screen. Her dark hair was clubbed back and her dark eyes were clear, her lips pink and soft. Her clothing was a loose blouse top and trousers of leather. She lifted her arms to the Kenning Woman.

  “Ye must come to me, Wee One, as I canna pick ye up.”

  The girl almost skipped to Di, her face shining, her brown eyes opened wide. Di bent down, and the child laid her head on each shoulder. Di did the same, but on the second time she whispered something into the child's ear.

  “Kenning Woman, how will I find that?”

  “I canna say.” Di straightened, a soft smile on her face. “Ye will have to follow your visions.”

  The child's look became almost adoring. “Thank ye, Kenning Woman.” She bowed and turned to walk past Lorenz when the Selectman banged his fist and shouted at her.

  “Dinna go that way.”

  The child did not turn, but continued towards the spectators. Lorenz heard the rustling behind him as if someone were walking toward the child. He did not see the child stop.

  Her small body trembled and she closed her eyes as she swayed back and forth. The sounds behind Lorenz stopped, and all looked at the child. Within a minute, her eyes snapped open and she whirled, her right index finger pointed straight at the Selectman.

  “Ye canna stop the Laird. He must return to the Maca, or we will burn when the Kreppies come again.”

  Her eyes closed and she shouted. “Mither!”

  Someone shoved past the guards and picked up the child, soothing her. The Council sat stunned.

  One cleared his throat and looked at the Kenning Woman. “Did ye do that to frighten the wee one or us?”

  “Ye are wrong. I canna give her a vision. It was her own.” Di's voice was clear and strong. “The visions can be frightening, but she tis right. In mine, I saw the Laird with the Maca, and he carried a Justine sprayer, nay that other world weapon that ye took from him.”

  Once more the Council spoke in low whispers. Finally, the Selectman looked up. “We find it best that the Kenning Woman and her laddie walk back to Bi's village. The stranger may leave. If ye do nay make it back to Donnick, it will nay be our doing.”

&
nbsp; “I don't leave here without those two being safe.” Lorenz took a step forward and the guards moved closer. “The Kenning Woman cannot walk that far. If you all permit us to use the zarks to get over the mountains or down to the coast and find us a boat, the zarks are yours. No demands for payment when the Maca is in control again. Otherwise, if I make it out, I'll be back and payment will be harsh.”

  “We nay use credits. Ye dream, man.”

  “I wasn't talking about credits.” His voice was hard.

  The Selectman looked into the grey eyes and swallowed. This was a Warrior like the Thalians of almost one hundred and forty years ago. He had seen them then and marveled, thankful that his technical work kept him at the power ops center and not on the ships heading for Justine.

  “Why do ye care,” asked the man next to the Selectman. “They are Abs.”

  A look of puzzlement filled Lorenz's eyes. “Haven't the years of living and working like Abs taught you that there isn't any such separation in the beings of a land? You all are Thalians. What's the matter with your perceptions? Do you all really want to be known as those that killed the Kenning Woman?”

  Unease filled their eyes. “There tis nay to take ye to Donnick if Bi refuses.”

  “I saw other villages when I flew over. Some of them had small boats. Surely someone here can convince them to sail us around the mountains to the Zark Station. There's four prime zarks in the bargain, plus when my fither and elder mither come here he'll be offering you all the same square deal he's offered the other land growers.”

  Disbelief was in their eyes and on their faces. LouElla was dead and what Maca offered anything to a Tri?

  “LouElla tis dead. Do ye think us fools?

  “My elder mither lives and she tis in Donnick.”

  Labin rose. “Why would we believe LouElla lives?”

  “The Justines couldn't kill her and neither could the primitive conditions in my land. She doesn't think like other people, beings, when it comes to any kind of fight.”

  Labin looked at Di. “Did Bi tell ye any of this?”

  “Aye, he said LouElla had returned and was trying to restore Flight. Bi was nay too clear about the last part.”

  “Why have we nay heard this?”

  “Because Bi has nay told ye.” Di silently cursed Bi into Darkness.

  “She has held me and she tis magnificent.” Daniel's head was up and his face determined.

  “Ye are a laddie, and an Ab; hold your tongue,” commanded Labin.

  “I am a Warrior.” Daniel roared back.

  “Daniel, hush now.” Lorenz wished he was close enough to throttle him.

  “Ye named an Ab?” Labin was looking at Lorenz as though he were mad. “And ye expect us to believe a Maca would allow this?”

  Lorenz smiled. The transformation startling to the six seated in front of him. The man changed from a Warrior to someone trustworthy.

  “My fither spent many years in my land. He saw the wisdom of our philosophy that all men are created equal. My people possessed the right to pursue our own destiny. We built the most prosperous country in my world. Names are just that: names. But Daniel as my son, my laddie, has the right to bear my brither's name.”

  Labin glared at him, but went back to the subject of LouElla. “If LouElla lives, why tis she nay in the Maca's Tower?”

  “I can't tell you why or where Grandmère, Elder Mither, is. I'm not there, and if I call on the com, which you all have, the Sisters will know my location and they'll be here. I suggest no one use it unless far away from here.”

  “Why do ye call LouElla by another name?”

  “In my land, Grandmother or Grandma is our word for Elder Mither. My late counselor thought her much too magnificent for plain Grandma and christened her Grandmère.”

  Once again the Select Council conferred.

  “We do nay believe your words. LouElla died years ago and no Maca allows others to produce credits. A Maca grants credits.”

  “My fither witnessed the benefits of letting the credits from the grain or beasties sold by those working the land be retained by those beings. In my land, people, beings, in your terms, get to keep the credits that their hard work earns. The Maca was no different from anyone else there. He saw how much more productive beings are when it's their own agra-lands they are working or their own businesses. Since he's the administration part of Don, he would receive a certain percent and require a certain amount of record keeping. Beings that continue to work for Don would receive a wage credit like everyone does now; however, what you all earn will depend on the work and the weather. You all would have your own place with the right to pass it down to your children. They won't be able to sell it to others. If they don't want to raise crops the land goes back to the Maca at a fair price and the Maca chooses the next lease holder.”

  He could hear the murmurs behind him.

  “Why would a Maca be willing to give up his land?”

  “It's not giving it up. It's called rewarding the citizens of the land and acknowledging their inalienable rights. He's already granted that type of charter or rights to different Thalians willing to take him up on the offer. There are Tris in town he allowed to continue selling their produce or handcrafted products. He was about to open the schools and start up the plants again when the Sisters struck.

  “Right now the Sisterhood has him pinned down, but they don't have him. They can't get to him, but I can.”

  “Ye can do what the rest of Thalia canna?” Labin was dubious.

  Lorenz's lopsided grin appeared. “I can.”

  The seven conferred again. This time Lorenz heard the woman state, “We canna do harm to the Kenning Woman. All here and the land Abs would turn against us.”

  Her words must have convinced them as Labin raised his head and the others straightened. “We have decided the three of ye will be taken to the coast. We will try to convince someone to take ye, but make nay promise.”

  “Fair enough, because if I don't make it back and anything happens to my fither, Grandmère will take her revenge out on Thalia this time. She's already snapped the neck of Bobinet for betraying the Thalians fighting the Justines. If her laddie dies, I wouldn't want to be in her way.”

  Labin sat back and once again the seven spoke with lowered voices. Finally, he looked up.

  “Laird, ye said ye would be satisfied to get to the Zark's Station, aye?”

  “That would suit me fine. I can make it to Donnick from there.”

  “We have a cairt left from when we arrived here. We dinna use it as it would have drawn the attention of the Kreppie monitors. The land Abs ken we have it and some of the old stunners. They leave us alone except for some minor raids. We can fly low and take ye around the York Delta to the Zark Station. We will keep the zarks. Kenning this, do ye still want the Abs?”

  It was Lorenz's turn to be surprised. He'd been a fool. Of course, they had to get here somehow. “Agreed, and, yes, the Kenning Woman and the laddie come with me.”

  Chapter 43: The Houses and the Sisterhood

  Jolene seated herself on Ayran's Guardian Chair. For this meeting, she had stationed Jarvis, JayEll, and JoAnne in the viewing room. They were to listen and learn. The Laird had been correct: JayEll was clever. She kenned that Jarvis lacked the same analytic intelligence, but his brawn, intuition, and ego made up for the lack. He possessed the driving force of a Warrior that even she did nay possess. She dared nay let the Sisters win this war. They would destroy her laddie. Her renegade lassie could protect him, but she did nay trust Jaylene since she refused her own laddie. The woman was mad. Jolene fingered the blue icosahedron crystal in her pocket, and pressed the audio.

  “Ye may admit Ishmael now.”

  Impatience had hardened Ishmael's face when he entered Jolene's salon. Why would the Guardian keep him waiting? She had to ken why he was here.

  Jolene rose from the ruby carved chair piled with red cushions and opened her arms. Ishmael dutifully laid his head on each shoulder. Sh
e pulled him closer, and ran her hands over his back and buttocks before letting him go. Her red overskirt floated downward and her brown hair gleamed. Her smile was almost sweet.

  “Ye are young to take such a risk.

  Ishmael's smile was forced. “I've faced worse. Are your troops ready? If so, I'll sail immediately to Donnick. Brenda had seventy trained troopers ready when I landed at Bretta.”

  “I can spare but fifty troopers. If they attack here, we are ready. The Sisters are using about a quarter of their strength in Donnick. The remainder tis ready to be sent against any Maca or Guardian going to Don's aid. They are less likely to suspect an attack from someone sailing one of Ishner's ships. Can ye make Donnick in twenty-four hours?”

  “It will be forty-eight hours as I intend to fool the Sisters by nay sailing directly for Donnick.”

  “I suggest ye put in at the Zark Station. The Sisterhood will think ye deliver the fish the Sisters refuse.”

  Jolene's voice became grimmer. “I believe both the Laird and the Maca have eluded them. They claim they have information that the Laird was killed in an Ab fishing village, but they have shown nay screens of him or any transport he used to go there. They are guessing. If they had proof, they would show it like they have shown Lamar and Beatrice. They have nay mentioned Llewellyn. My scanner picked up a message from Don that claimed the Maca was in his Tower. The Laird is somewhere in the wilds of Don.” Jolene's eyes were as hard as the dark ore her workers extracted.

  Ishmael nodded and moved forward to lay his head on her shoulders, but stopped as she held up her hand.

  “I have one more thing for ye to deliver to Llewellyn.” She pulled the leather bag from her pocket and extracted the blue crystal. “This crystal tis for Llewellyn. Tell him that this tis nay as powerful as the red crystal the Justines ripped from Don's Tower, but tis effective in a one hundred mile radius. Nay of the Houses have the red. He will ken where it goes.”

  “If the man tis barricaded in his Tower, the Sisters have a guard around it. How can I deliver it to him?”