The Dog Master by W. Bruce Cameron Page B

Kindred, she recognized the great injustice that had been done to Palloc. Calli and Bellu tittered at him with great disrespect, but Renne had never treated him with anything but affection.
    Wordlessly, Palloc pulled his meat from the fire. The end of the stick was smoking, the fat spitting. He proffered it in Renne’s direction: a man offering a woman food. A clear element of courtship.
    Renne drew in her breath. Something—perhaps the thin tendril of smoke curling up from the stick—made her eyes bleary and wet. Blowing on the food, she snatched a morsel from the spear and tossed it from hand to hand to cool it before tearing off a tiny bit with her teeth.
    Palloc watched her eat. He felt an inexplicable heaviness in his loins, then, something about Renne’s wet lips stirring him. When he moved to bring the stick to his mouth, Renne reached out a hand to stop him. Instead, she leaned forward, passing him the rest of the chunk of reindeer she had ripped off for herself.
    Palloc ate from her hand, the fat deliciously mingling with the charred flesh on his tongue. The two of them had their eyes fastened on each other, and it was if neither dared to speak.
    â€œWhat is this?” Albi demanded. She came into the circle of light from the fire like a charging bear. “What are you doing here?” she demanded of Renne.
    Renne sprang to her feet. She swallowed. “I was only…”
    â€œThis is my home fire and I did not invite you here,” Albi snapped. “Do not come here again.”
    Far from jumping to Renne’s defense, Palloc lay on the ground helplessly, as if pinned beneath a boulder. He said nothing. Renne gave him a desperate look. “I am sorry,” Renne apologized.
    â€œGo!” Albi shrieked.
    Nodding, Renne backed away three steps, then turned and fled. Albi spun on her son. “You,” she hissed.
    â€œWe were only—” That was all Palloc managed to say before his mother’s foot kicked sharply into his ribs.
    â€œYou idiot! Urs is hunt master? How does this happen?”
    Palloc’s lips moved. He massaged the point where his mother’s toes had bruised his side. “Well,” he finally managed to say.
    â€œI told you after Hardy’s injury to act as if the decision had already been made, to help organize the hunt, to direct the men, to lead. Instead you walked around like a pompous fool, telling Urs what, that you were ‘pleased with him’ and that ‘someday he could be spear master’? Do you realize what you have done?”
    â€œIt was Bellu, the marriage,” Palloc replied, letting his resentment creep into his words. Council matters . The things his mother was supposed to take care of.
    â€œOf course, do you think I do not know that?”
    â€œWell, but can you not fix it?” Palloc reasoned. “Tell them Bellu can only marry me. Then her brothers will shift their allegiance, and I will be hunt master.”
    â€œâ€˜Her brothers will shift their allegiance,’” Albi repeated in a mocking voice. “Do you think I can defy the new hunt master now? The deal is done.”
    â€œBut I was supposed to be hunt master,” Palloc whined. It was still difficult to believe the prize was being denied him.
    Albi looked as if she wanted to kick him again. “You are stupid,” she pronounced.
    Palloc moodily took a bite of food from the end of his now cool stick. Albi snatched it away from him. Staring at him defiantly, she gnawed at the meat. “All right,” she finally pronounced through a mouth full of food. “I have an idea.”
    â€œYou do?” Palloc replied hopefully.
    â€œI think I know how to undo the mess you have made,” Albi said, stripping the last of the reindeer from the cook stick.
    *   *   *
    Silex was aware that other creeds had become less nomadic in recent times. The River Fish Clan inhabited caves to the north and