Hand of Fire (The Master of the Tane) (54 page)

              Carefully hefting the large cage that held his delicious treasure, Teek scrambled awkwardly up the long rope ladder reaching for the wood landing above. Placing the cage at his feet, he clapped his hands to announce his presence and then waited for his old friend to call him in. Moments passed but no answer came.

“Probably taking a nap or something,” Teek murmured clapping his hands again. “Twee,” he called, “it’s me, Teek. I’ve got a surprise for you.” The young Waseeni boy waited but again was disappointed when no answer came. Gently pulling aside the reed mat that hung in the doorway, he peeked inside. “Twee? Are you in here?” His eyes quickly scanned the old man’s cabin falling almost immediately on Twee’s body sprawled out motionless in the far corner. Rushing in
he almost tripped on the lobster cage as he hurried to the old man’s side. 

“Twee,” he said, shaking his shoulder, hoping he was just asleep. Tears started gathering around his eyelids when Twee didn’t answer. “Come on,” he said, still shaking the old man, “you can’t be dead.” Teek put his head against his chest letting the tears run freely down his face.
“Oh Twee. Please, you can’t be dead.”

             
“What?” a raspy voice suddenly croaked. “Who’s dead?”

             
“Twee!” Teek shouted in relief sitting back and quickly wiping away his tears.

             
“Twee?” the old man responded fuzzily, placing a hand on his cheek. “Twee’s dead?”

             
“No,” Teek laughed with joy. “You’re Twee.”

             
“I know that,” the old man said grumpily. “So what’s all of this about me being dead?”

             
“You were sleeping so soundly that I thought you were dead,” Teek answered helping his old friend to a sitting position. “Why were you sleeping like that?”

             
“Like what?” the aged Waseeni asked, struggling to inhale as if not getting enough air.

             
“Well, it looked like you had just collapsed...” Teek’s voice tailed off as he noticed the difficulty Twee was having getting a breath. “Are you all right, Father Twee?” he asked, a slight tremor in his voice.

             
“I...can’t...seem to...breathe,” he struggled.

             
Teek scrambled to his feet. “I’ll get the Healer. He’ll know what to do.”

             
“No!” Twee shouted flying into a coughing fit. “No Healer. I...don’t want...him poking at me...with...all those...potions...and sticks...of his.”

             
Teek was becoming desperate. “What should I do?” he asked, tears filling his eyes again. “You need help.”

             
“Come here,” Twee said weakly motioning to the young boy. “Sit.”

             
Teek hesitated, wondering for a moment if he shouldn’t disobey his friend and get the Healer. Twee coughed again and Teek quickly sat down.

             
“I think...I was dead...a...a moment ago. But...no matter. I will...be...soon.”

             
Teek could barely hold himself together enough to speak, the tears running freely down his cheek. “You can’t, Father Twee. You can’t,” he bawled wrapping his arms around the old man as if he could physically hold him to this world.

             
“Yes, I can boy!” he shouted sending himself into another burst of coughs. “Now,” he said a bit more calmly still gasping for air, “before...I go...I want you...to...to have something. Bring...me my...chest.”

             
Teek obeyed, hurrying to the opposite corner and retrieving a small, wooden chest.

             
“Open...it.”

             
Twee’s breathing was quickly deteriorating and Teek knew it wouldn’t be long before his best friend would be gone. His tears came in a gush now, making it almost impossible for him to see as he opened the chest and waited for his next instruction.

             
“Good. Now...in...a...weed wrapping...there is...a...small chain. Pull...it...out.”

             
Teek rustled through the small treasures Twee had gathered over the years trying to find the weed wrapping. Finally, at the bottom of the chest, he was able to spot the dried up reeds that had long turned yellow with time. As he pulled it out, the brittle wrapping broke apart in his hands and a shinny, gold necklace slipped out. Attached at the end was a gold medallion inlaid with a strange insignia made of silver that curved into different points in the middle and was accented with four different colored gems. Teek normally would have been amazed at such a treasure but was too overcome with grief to give it more than a quick glance.

“I don’t want this,” he said stubbornly as if to deny the gift would keep Twee alive. “I want you to live.”

              “Nonsense boy!” Twee growled. “You...take...that. I don’t...want it...burned...with the...rest...of...my things...when...I’m gone. The...king...in...Calandra...gave...it...to…me…and now...I’m giving...it to you.”  Twee crumbled into another fit of coughing and gasping, trying to catch his breath. Teek watched the old man helplessly, unsure of what to do to help his old friend. Twee finally settled down enough to reach up and grab his arm. “I...will...watch over...you...on your...adventure.”

             
Teek wiped the tears from his eyes, shocked at what the old man had just said. “What adventure? What are you talking about?”

             
Twee let out another cough before shouting to the boy. “Teek! Are...you still...there? I can’t see...you...through...this.…Where did…all…these people…come…from?”

             
Teek grabbed the old man, shaking him and looking into his seemingly unseeing eyes. “I’m right here Twee. Stay with me. Please!”

             
Twee’s face turned up into a large smile as he looked through the young Waseeni boy to something beyond. He took in a deep breath and mumbled something inaudible before going completely limp. Teek held the old man’s head in his lap and rocked back and forth sobbing quietly. “Oh, Twee,” he whispered. “You didn’t eat your lobster.”

             
As night covered the Teague swamplands in a blanket of darkness and screeching insects, torches dotted the area around the foot of old Twee’s home as the whole Waseeni community gathered to pay their last respects to their oldest member. The women had spent most of the day wrapping his body tightly in Tohmus reeds, which were believed to preserve the body for its last, long journey to the great land beyond the horizons. He was then placed in his canoe surrounded by all of his meager possessions and then more reeds were wrapped around the canoe to seal it like a cocoon.

             
Teek watched with red, puffy eyes as the ceremonial rites were done over Twee’s remains. One of the Elders then stepped forward and prepared to call out the names of those men chosen to act in the duty of ‘Sentinels for the Dead.’ It was their responsibility to guide the canoe to the ocean’s edge and, after pushing it into the surf, keep an all night vigil as the body started its long journey out into the ocean towards the unknown beyond. Six men were quickly called forth and the canoe was immediately launched into the swamp. The men surrounded it with their own canoes and guided it with their push poles.

             
Teek watched in silence as Twee’s mummified body silently passed through the murky waters before him. He could feel his mother’s comforting arm around his shoulder and was glad she was there to lend support. Since he was still not of age, he was not able to participate in any of the rites or ceremonies that were performed with his friend’s passing and it was hard to merely stand by and watch. He gripped Twee’s medallion tightly in his hand, not daring to wear it, and was forced to bid his final good-byes as he watched the boats pass out of view. Sitting down heavily into the canoe, he stared out at nothing unwilling to be comforted as tears streamed down his face. His mother watched him for a moment wanting so much to help him but knew that he must work through this himself. Taking up the pole, she started them for home.

             
The following morning, when the Sentinels had returned, all gathered again at the tree home of the High Elder where lots would be cast to see who would make the appeasing journey. Normally, one of the deceased’s relatives would make the appeasing trek and search for the artifact that would satisfy the ancestors but because Twee had outlived all of his relatives there was no one left to make the trip. Someone would have to be chosen to complete the journey.

             
A woven basket was brought forth and wooden tiles inscribed with the names of all who were of age were cast in. Teek stood in his canoe in the back and watched as the High Elder shook the basket and prepared to remove the name. He had not wanted to come today, preferring to be by himself for a while. He still couldn’t believe his friend was gone. Rani had insisted though, telling him it would be disrespectful to Twee if he didn’t.

He watched with unseeing eyes as he contemplated the significance of what Twee had told him before his death. He would have an adventure of his own. What had Father Twee meant by that? The thought did not even excite him anymore. After all, who would he come home to and tell of all the things that had happened while he was away. Without Twee here to talk to, it would not be the same.

              He noticed a strange commotion ripple through the crowd and the young lady in front of him turned and pointed at him. “He’s right here,” she said. “Teek is here.”

             
Teek looked around as all eyes turned to rest upon him. In the distance he heard his mother yelling, “It’s not right! He is not of age!”

He looked up towards the High Elder and noticed he had a wooden chip held up in his hand. “Teek,” the man yelled, “come forward.”

              Suddenly apprehensive, he maneuvered his canoe through the crowd. Why did they want him? He gasped.
The medallion
! They must have found out that it was missing. He felt a chill run through his body. What would they do to him? He tried not to look at the shocked expressions playing across everyone’s faces as he slowly pushed past.
They all know
, he thought in a panic.
But how could they all know
? His canoe suddenly bumped into the base of the High Elder’s tree almost knocking him into the water. Looking up, his face was stricken white with terror.

“Yes, High Elder,” he squeak out barely above a whisper.

              The High Elder stared down at him for long moments, as if searching his soul, causing Teek to squirm under his penetrating gaze. Maybe he was waiting for him to confess. Maybe if he confessed they would go easier on him. He opened his mouth trying to get his voice to work, ready to tell all. Suddenly, the High Elder’s voice boomed like a thunderclap and Teek’s mouth shut with a snap. “Your name has been chosen.”

             
Rani came crashing forward knocking into Teek’s canoe and almost sending him and her flying headlong into the swamp. “This cannot be!” she insisted.

             
“Silence woman!” the High Elder snapped.

             
“But, he is not of age!”

             
“Silence!” The High Elder commanded while glaring down at her

She wanted to argue further but the look on his face made her bite her tongue to keep from saying more.

              “Now,” he said, returning his gaze to a confused Teek. “As I said, you have been chosen.”

             
“I don’t understand,” Teek said honestly. “Chosen for what?” The crowd burst into laughter but was silenced by the High Elder’s uplifted hand.

“The lot has fallen on you.”

              Teek’s face suddenly registered understanding. “But how?” he breathed.

             
The High Elder snorted, “That is what I would like to know young man. We all know that you were a great friend to Twee and that you loved him dearly.” The High Elder leaned forward, his eyes narrowing into slits. “Could it be that you slipped your name into the lots when no one was watching?”

             
Teek couldn’t believe what he was hearing. To be called as the chosen to make the journey was shock enough but to be accused of placing his name in the lottery was almost more than he could bear. “No,” he said emphatically. “I would never!”

             
The High Elder stared at him for a moment longer before calling to the man who brought up the lots. “You wrote the names. Did you, by chance, place this boy’s name into the bunch?”

             
The man shook his head. “No, High Elder.”

             
The High Elder’s brow furled. “By law, the person on whom the lot falls must perform the duty. Never has this occurred.”

             
Twee’s voice suddenly came to Teek’s mind.
I will watch over you on your adventure
. Teek looked up in surprise. That was what the old man had said to him just before he died, that he would go on an adventure. Could it be?