stock-still, as though thunderstruck. Only his face moved. And that was the tic, the involuntary twitching of muscle, that Shioni knew proclaimed him the Mad Giant. Her hand stole down to her dagger. This was about to turn ugly.
“Wait,” said Princess Annakiya, stepping forward. “He should stand trial. By our law–”
“My son! He murdered my son!”
“Lock him up,” growled Dabir. “Before he kills anyone else!”
The Princess’ jaw worked. “Maybe temporarily. Talaku, will you–”
The giant sprang!
And Shioni, mirroring his action to the split second, sprang forward too, coming between him and the Princess of West Sheba. She swung her dagger hard, flat and low.
Talaku’s fist struck her jaw like the kick of a horse and she felt herself fall. She must have blacked out, because she did not feel herself hit the ground. Now she was eating dust off the courtyard stones, she thought inanely. Shouldn’t she be sweeping them with a broom?
Then Shioni saw the giant reach around Princess Annakiya to draw her dagger out of his forearm. He gave her an odd, sad smile. “Nobody moves or I kill the Princess, understand?”
Shioni fished a gob of dirt and blood out of her mouth with her fingers and flicked it on the ground. She rolled onto her knees and looked up. At that moment, she was the only person moving in the sun-drenched courtyard. The rest–the Elite warriors, the castle staff, and the elders of Ginab village–were all staring as though the giant’s words had robbed their limbs of the power of movement.
“You will not lock me up in any dungeon,” Talaku growled at Captain Dabir. “Now, you had better order the archers to stand down, or I will twist her little neck just a little too far.”
Captain Dabir’s jaw worked as though his tongue were a snake writhing inside his mouth. Finally, he spat, “Stand down! Nobody move!”
Talaku had his back to the wall and was shielding his body with the Princess. The huge paw gripping her neck was covered in blood from the wound Shioni had dealt him, but he did not appear to feel any pain. Annakiya, to her credit, was doing nothing to further aggravate the giant. She had cried out once–when Talaku swooped on her, and Shioni dived across with her dagger drawn. She grimaced, feeling her lip. So much for being the Princess’ bodyguard! He had swatted her away like a bothersome mosquito.
Talaku tossed the longer dagger back to her. “Sorry. But I have to do this.”
“Stand still! You are accused of murder!” shouted Dabir.
Talaku began to shuffle along the wall toward the entrance of the keep. “A couple of tracks do not make for murder,” he hissed. “I stole a goat.”
“Murderer!” cried one of the village elders. “His flight condemns him! My son, my precious son! His blood is on your hands.”
Dabir was turning every possible shade of puce. A small part of Shioni–a part of herself she didn’t admire at all–was enjoying his teeth-gnashing, impotent rage. In a castle full of warriors, Talaku had just played him for a fool.
Again, he addressed Shioni as though she were the only person in that entire courtyard who mattered to him. “I will leave the Princess upriver, unharmed. You, and only you, will fetch her. No warriors.”
Shioni nodded. “I will come.”
And with that, the giant vanished into the deep shadows beneath the gateway. His feet tapped sharply on the cobblestones, a rhythm Shioni knew meant he was already running. Perhaps the afternoon’s events had only accelerated what would have happened soon anyhow. Talaku had been planning to leave the castle for months.
Nobody would catch him now.
Chapter 15: Ganging up on Shioni
“T hem onions ain’t attacking you, girl!” Mama Nomuula’s hand closed over Shioni’s. “You cross with me?”
“No.”
“You lying to me?”
“Yes! Alright, yes!” Shioni, in a fine fit of rage, threw off Mama’s hands.
Mama said soothingly, “That were quite a scene you made this
“Wait,” said Princess Annakiya, stepping forward. “He should stand trial. By our law–”
“My son! He murdered my son!”
“Lock him up,” growled Dabir. “Before he kills anyone else!”
The Princess’ jaw worked. “Maybe temporarily. Talaku, will you–”
The giant sprang!
And Shioni, mirroring his action to the split second, sprang forward too, coming between him and the Princess of West Sheba. She swung her dagger hard, flat and low.
Talaku’s fist struck her jaw like the kick of a horse and she felt herself fall. She must have blacked out, because she did not feel herself hit the ground. Now she was eating dust off the courtyard stones, she thought inanely. Shouldn’t she be sweeping them with a broom?
Then Shioni saw the giant reach around Princess Annakiya to draw her dagger out of his forearm. He gave her an odd, sad smile. “Nobody moves or I kill the Princess, understand?”
Shioni fished a gob of dirt and blood out of her mouth with her fingers and flicked it on the ground. She rolled onto her knees and looked up. At that moment, she was the only person moving in the sun-drenched courtyard. The rest–the Elite warriors, the castle staff, and the elders of Ginab village–were all staring as though the giant’s words had robbed their limbs of the power of movement.
“You will not lock me up in any dungeon,” Talaku growled at Captain Dabir. “Now, you had better order the archers to stand down, or I will twist her little neck just a little too far.”
Captain Dabir’s jaw worked as though his tongue were a snake writhing inside his mouth. Finally, he spat, “Stand down! Nobody move!”
Talaku had his back to the wall and was shielding his body with the Princess. The huge paw gripping her neck was covered in blood from the wound Shioni had dealt him, but he did not appear to feel any pain. Annakiya, to her credit, was doing nothing to further aggravate the giant. She had cried out once–when Talaku swooped on her, and Shioni dived across with her dagger drawn. She grimaced, feeling her lip. So much for being the Princess’ bodyguard! He had swatted her away like a bothersome mosquito.
Talaku tossed the longer dagger back to her. “Sorry. But I have to do this.”
“Stand still! You are accused of murder!” shouted Dabir.
Talaku began to shuffle along the wall toward the entrance of the keep. “A couple of tracks do not make for murder,” he hissed. “I stole a goat.”
“Murderer!” cried one of the village elders. “His flight condemns him! My son, my precious son! His blood is on your hands.”
Dabir was turning every possible shade of puce. A small part of Shioni–a part of herself she didn’t admire at all–was enjoying his teeth-gnashing, impotent rage. In a castle full of warriors, Talaku had just played him for a fool.
Again, he addressed Shioni as though she were the only person in that entire courtyard who mattered to him. “I will leave the Princess upriver, unharmed. You, and only you, will fetch her. No warriors.”
Shioni nodded. “I will come.”
And with that, the giant vanished into the deep shadows beneath the gateway. His feet tapped sharply on the cobblestones, a rhythm Shioni knew meant he was already running. Perhaps the afternoon’s events had only accelerated what would have happened soon anyhow. Talaku had been planning to leave the castle for months.
Nobody would catch him now.
Chapter 15: Ganging up on Shioni
“T hem onions ain’t attacking you, girl!” Mama Nomuula’s hand closed over Shioni’s. “You cross with me?”
“No.”
“You lying to me?”
“Yes! Alright, yes!” Shioni, in a fine fit of rage, threw off Mama’s hands.
Mama said soothingly, “That were quite a scene you made this
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