Two Swords too big

“What d' ya mean I take up too much room?”

The raven’s mutters grew in volume. He pecked hard at the massive hand next to his feet.

“Two Swords too big.”

The Guardian sneered at the bird and nursed his sore finger.

Stupid old crow, anyway. He let his feet dangle over the trio sitting a good sixty feet below.

“Huh. Why don’t you go find a hungry cat and sacrifice yourself, baldy?” On his back Heart muttered at them to shut it, and like now.

“Oh yeah?” the Guardian bellowed. “First it’s this stupid flying rat, and now my own sword tells me where to head in. And what do you wanna make of it-” He yelled in pain and dodged off the branch, skidding to a halt a tractor-trailer length away from the snag. Feet hanging over thin air, Two Swords rubbed the finger nail mark in his right ear lobe. Gee-wizz!, but Ma nearly pierced his ear that time. The old raven croaked with laughter.

“Ha-ha. Ma got ya.”

Leda shivered and looked up. Her hand edged over her head in a protective gesture. That dammed raven. Friggin chiste, where was it?

The raven snickered, dancing from one black foot to another. Cackling a loud, “Weee,” he then yelped, “Ouch,” as a dainty bare foot poked him under the tail feathers.

He shot off his perch and winged to another dead branch.

Leda cursed and dived under Carl’s thick arms.

“Come here.”

Torn between fear and outright terror, Two Swords stared at the diminutive Eagle-Woman.

“I didn’t do nothin, Ma. I swear!” He held up a spade-sized hand and frantic haste looked for a place to spit. The Guardian hiccuped loudly. Two Swords shook his head at her, trying to think up some excuse.

“I’m guilty, but I didn’t do it,” he blurted and groaned. His hand smacked into his forehead in self-disgust. “Stupid, stupid. No. I don’t mean- I mean I didn’t mean -”

Slowly, imperceptibly, he was drifting closer to the dead top of the pine, still trying to think of a reason for her showing up. His knees touched the stubby limb and he blanched a brilliant white. The smile he flashed would have out-done anything Benny could try.

He was spun, shoved down hard enough his seat bounced on the branch.

Glaring at the three of them, Two Swords, the Raven-protector, and Heart, she bared her teeth in fury, from one to the other.

“This,” she said scathingly, “is no time for childish antics. Time grows late. You had all better get it together, or else. Got it?”

All three stared at her with a healthy dose of respect. She scowled. Two heads rattled an affirmative, Heart trilled.

Opening her arms, she somehow managed to hug all three before sliding away. “I love you.” She wiped at her tears with the back of her hand. “Be good, now, or else.” She faded away.

Benny scowled up at the raven. Weird old over-grown crow. It was carrying on like it was about to lay an effing egg.

“Don’t have a bird,” he muttered sourly. Then he grinned.

Carl’s bellow of outrage gave Benny a start and made him cringe.

“You dirty rotten stinkin carp crotch.”

Carl lunged, but she was ready. Leda sprang away with a sly grin.

Her look of cool superiority faded as Carl twisted and stared in the direction of Benny’s house. She could just see a patch of white through the trees.

Leda smiled in chilling triumph. Maybe Snake had done his job.

The raven shot off the branch. Shrieking at the top of her lungs, Leda dived to the ground. It cast a wistful look at her hair and rocketed towards the house.

Closing her eyes, Leda gave a small gust of laughter. It was over. She had won.

Her gaze fused with Benny’s. Now she would call Ryan. Carl would crawl back in his bottle, and they could finish with him.

Carl frowned at the sly expression on her face. Carl debated whether or not to slam her. He grunted. Leda enjoyed that kind of thing, it made her feel like a martyr.

He pulled up the sack and prepared to make a quick run to Anna’s.

Leda smirked.

You’re next, Benny.

Something was going on. You didn’t have to be a spirit-walker like Anna to know it. A sick feeling twisted deep in the pit of Carl’s stomach.

Carl’s head snapped up, his face a careful neutral, staring, waiting in a frozen agony.

The old wreck sputtered past, fumes billowing through the trees, the unmuffled roar deafening the trio.

Carl grinned in relief and it was all Leda could do to keep from attacking him. She swung around on Benny, growling and panting.

Benny stiffened at the hate in her eyes. It was an animal hate, inhuman, from the creatures she shared her body with. It emanated from the woman like black fire.

Without leaving the saddle, Carl was on her. He jerked her back into his arms and Benny was surprised at how gentle Carl was when she gouged the gaunt face with her nails. Carl’s time with Mom must be changing the man. It almost made Benny feel glum.

Carl gave her a light shake. His jaw thrust out, he pushed his bleeding face at hers.

“Bitch,” he rasp in a voice so low Benny couldn’t catch it. “One thing I don’t give a flying fuck about is what happens to me. But baby, you lay one stinkin finger on my kid or his mom, and I’ll snap your friggin neck like a dry twig.”

“You got it, Leda?” he said, harsh, from between clenched jaws. “The only reason I’m here is because I know you’re up to no good, and I’ll kill you before I let you hurt my family.

“Just you remember, Leda-” He leered, hungry to take her life. Carl snapped his fingers in her face.

He grabbed Leda by the face, the brawny fingers gouging deep into flesh and bone.

“All my what? You mean all the kids we could have had, but you had to feed them to those spooks on the ‘Stone. Or did you figure I was too stoned and greedy to care?” He bent down and spat on her breasts.

“Tell me, Leda, are those the kids you’re talking about? Are they, you bitch?”

His eyes reddened. The hold tightened in a slow, easy vise until she began to struggle against the pain, shrieking in agonized curses. His fingers felt the softness of her flesh, relished the shifting of her bones as they began to develop fine lines and imperceptible cracks.

She was dying. Weakened, Leda pounded on his arms, his face and groin. Carl was so berserk with hate he could feel nothing but a starved ache to destroy Leda for all the years she had abused his love. Destroy her and all she stood for. Tears ran down Carl’s face. Their bitter taste filled him, told him he was right to do this.

For years Leda teased and gouged at Carl’s manhood. Pushing, egging him up to a certain point, then stopping before he lost his temper. Today it was all coming to a head and she was dying.

Benny scrambled back to Carl, hammering on Carl’s arms. Leda faded onto her knees.

Even driven to the brink of insanity, dimly Carl could hear Benny. The voice forced his hate-filled soul to remember another woman, one who offered love and a right to be a man without strings attached to his manhood.

He shuddered and dropped Leda to the damp earth. Carl sank back into the saddle. He stared at her, then dismounted.

In an easy rice-paddy squat, Carl sat on his heels near Leda’s heaving and puking body. In a distant voice he said, “You doing?” Carl paused to stare into the past for a moment. “Want an ambulance or something?”

Gasping with pain, cursing the bruises she would have, Leda opened her mouth to rake Carl to hell. His eyes narrowed.

“I ask if you were OK.” Arms resting lightly on his knees, Carl hunched over Leda.

“Well? Come on, you rip. Or you’ll be late for your appointment.” He spat on the ground and wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand.

Unable to do more than whisper, Leda clenched her jaws and nodded. Paybacks, Carl, are like you say, a real mutherfucker.

She saw Benny studying her, and bared her teeth in a cold promise that his life was worthless.

Benny flashed Leda a brilliant smile and pretended to pick something from his teeth.

She glared at Benny, then remembered his ancestors had been Mengwe, outlaws, before they changed to Wy:O:Ming. And the ani:Mengwe had been super-religious cannibals.

Feeling even less sure of herself, Leda squatted heavily behind Carl on the Red Sun.

At the dangerous, low timber of Carl’s voice, Benny’s eyes widened. He blushed at Carl and winced. The last time Carl had caught him doing that Carl had taken him aside and explained what bad manners were, then gave him some memorable bruises, promising to yank all of Benny’s teeth is he ever did it again.

The huge and bluff man gave an explosive snort of mirth at the look on Benny’s face. “I just figured you and me could go to Bob White’s dojo for a couple of hours. How about it?”

He was as close to pleading as he ever got. The trip from the Valley would take several hours if the roads were bad, and he was half afraid he would kill Leda if he were alone with her that long.

Leaning her head against the broad back, Leda smirked at Benny. Butt-boy, she mouthed.

She had a small brown bottle stashed in her purse that was guaranteed to get the polock to do any dammed thing she wanted. Even take himself into the hell of old man Ryan’s d’Sade Room.

The last thing she needed was for Benny to come along and make Carl feel all protective and fatherly. She gave Benny a cold, antagonistic stare.

“Maybe the kid got better things to do with his time. Like going to his own dojo.”

The woman trembled. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes and then snarled in frustration.

A bicycle flashed past. Benny yelled and Todd doughnutted in the soft gravel. He came by, waved and bounced down the path.

“Hey, bro. Hey Carl, how’s doin’?” Todd scowled at Leda, then said to Benny, “I thought you were going with us to the Kanonasioni tonight, bro-mine.”

Scratching an arm pit, Leda giggled. “Carl wanted to go, but he couldn’t.” She winked at Todd and blew him a kiss, then looked to see if Carl saw. What horrified Leda was he actually looked like he wanted to go to that church. With a bunch of dirty breeds?

Old man Grey would quit the grave first – again - before she ever went to one.

“Hey, Uncle Carl, the roof won’t cave in. I gotta go to your house, Benny. Et:lo:ki Anna wants to have a Sing for Mrs. Brynn, and she forgot some stuff.”

“Sure.” Benny frowned at Todd’s silent laugh. Annoyed, he said, “I promised-”

With a sad grin, Todd said, “Like always, bro? Guess I’ll see you both for milking tomorrow. Do:hi:yi, dn:V:tli.”

With a narrow stare after Benny’s cousin, Carl spat out his gum and shoved in a fresh stick. Fire seemed to scorch his mouth.

Up above them, Two Swords took out a stick of gum and he blinked at the red flames that gouted from of his mouth.

“Mmp,” he grunted, “Not bad, Carl dude.” The raven came back and gave him a dry, unappreciative glare.

“He’s a wimp,” Carl told him bluntly. He turned and glared at the smug, hopeful look on Leda’s broad face.

Carl’s eyes darkened and hooded. Somebody nutted and gutted the Arab, Bellsario, a few weeks after the Project got him off the hook. Only a Wy:O:Ming executioner killed that way. And that, only for rape. His fists tightened, the knuckles whitening, bone straining over the scarred and callused skin.

Eyes cool and challenging, his head went back. Bellsario deserved to die. He stared at Benny and wondered.

“Still going to the dojo up in Hazleton, kid?” That ought to get Carl’s goat. Goad him enough and maybe she could kill two birds with one stone, get Benny’s body for the Mahiwak-Bu:u - or the Snake, which ever wanted him most - and Carl would go to death row for a short ride to hell on the Sparky Express.

Harsh laughter muttered from Leda. One way or the other, she would come out the winner. She always did.

Cocking her head to one side, Leda giggled. “Pity Carl. He’s still hurting from the last time you two sparred.” Blood-lust filled her eyes.

Leda grew furious. Cool and cock-sure of himself, the little bastard. Both of ‘em are. And Carl? If she didn’t know better, she would figure they were lovers, having a little spat before jumping in bed.

The thought, Like father, Like son, sprang into her mind, and her face drooped into a sulk.

He took a deep, slow breath, and wished desperately Anna were here. He was on the verge of murder. Insanity ate at his mind, nibbled like rats on the fringes of his soul.