War of the Eagles (22 page)

“I'm pretty sure it was.”

Tadashi shivered. “Do you think he would have turned us in?”

“I don't know. Maybe not, but he would have chased us away for sure. Come on, let's keep going. And re–member, stay quiet.”

I moved out of the underbrush and onto the trail the patrol had been following. It was the most direct line to the camp, and as long as we moved quickly, we could break off before the buildings and ahead of the next patrol circling this way. I picked up the pace and was pleased with how quietly Tadi was staying with me. We closed the distance to the camp quickly.

Up ahead was the outline of the first building. I moved to the side and we took up shelter against the wall of the structure. I pulled off my knapsack and rifle from my back and rested against the wall. Undoing the drawstrings, I removed my canteen. I offered it to Tadashi first. He took a long drink and passed it back. Tipping it to my own mouth, I was surprised by how good the water tasted and how dry my mouth had been. Fear could do that. I resealed the container and put it back into the pack. I slung the rifle over my shoulder and handed the pack to Tadashi.

Rather than going around the building, we crawled between the posts that supported it. Directly under–neath the building, the ground was soft and unfrozen. My hands sunk into the muddy soil. We exited the other side of the building and came up right beneath the boardwalk.

The full view of the camp stretched out before us. The various buildings surrounded the parade ground. Each was silent and sleeping. There were no signs of light, but that wasn't surprising as each was fitted with special air-raid screens. Even if the inside was ablaze, no light would escape into the night. In the center of the parade grounds sat the darkened silhouette of Ed–dy's house.

“What now?” Tadashi whispered in my ear.

I kept my voice low. “We have to wait.”

“For what?” he asked anxiously.

“For the guards. There are a few of them watching the inside of the camp. We have to know where they are before we do anything.”

“Sounds smart. I didn't ask before, but how are we going to free Eddy?”

“Look in the pack,” I said.

Tadashi pushed aside the canteen and reached in for the other objects.

“What's this?” he asked, removing a leather pouch.

“Be careful,” I said, taking it from him. I unrolled it and removed a large carving knife. A tiny shard of light hit the blade and it gleamed. “It's the sharpest knife my Naani has. She uses it to skin rabbits, so I'm sure it'll go through the line.”

“Do you really think Eddy will let you get close?”

“I'd think he will. I figure he'll be asleep and I'll cut it before he wakes up.”

“Do eagles sleep?” Tadashi asked.

“Sure they do. Everything sleeps.”

“Not everything. The fish my grandmother keeps don't even have eyelids.”

“Well, eagles do,” I argued. “You know that … they must sleep.” I was trying to convince myself as much as Tadashi.

“I guess you're right,” Tadashi muttered. “I just don't know if it's the same way we sleep. You're going to have to get real close. You can't have him dragging a long piece of line around. It would be too dangerous for him.”

“I know. I'm going to cut it right by his leg. The little bit of line left will rot off eventually. The piece of leather around his leg will do the same.”

“What if he wakes up?”

“I brought along some protection.” I reached over to the pack and removed a pair of heavy work gloves and pulled them on my hands. “These will help a little.”

“A little is right. I think what you need is a suit of armor.”

“Oh, one more thing,” I said. “Here.” I pulled my rifle from my shoulder and handed it to my friend.

“You take this.”

“Why don't we just leave it here?”

“We can't. We might need it.”

“What do you mean?” he asked hesitantly.

“It's like the vet said. We won't be able to tell if he can fly until he's free. If he can't fly, we can't just let him go into the woods and we won't be able to catch him. There's no choice.”

“But you won't have time to drop the gloves and grab the rifle and get him in your sight and …”

“It won't be me shooting, Tadi.”

“Me!” he gasped.

“SSSSHHHHH!”

“Me,” he repeated in a whisper. “Why not you? You're a much better shot.”

“Not while I'm wearing gloves. I can't cut Eddy free and hold the rifle. And I think I'm the one who should cut the rope. I move quieter than you and Eddy knows me better.”

“But I couldn't take a shot anyway. It would wake up everybody on the base and send the sentries right to us and we'll be caught for sure.”

“We'll have a few seconds. Enough time to run straight back here and dive under the walk. I figure everybody will be looking at where Eddy used to be and we can get out the way we came.”

“Yeah, but what if …”

We both heard the sounds of boots moving along the boardwalk. I took a deep breath, like maybe I wouldn't have to breathe again until after the feet passed by. We both pulled back away from the outside edge of the walkway. The steps echoed off the wood. Then came the sound of boots against gravel. The guard was now moving along one of the paths by the parade ground. The scuffing sound was quickly replaced again by the sound of feet against wood. I felt the steps reverberating through the support beam against my side. The guard was now on the section of the walk above our heads. In the total silence of the night, the steps boomed out a steady beat, closer and closer and closer. I looked up and caught a glimpse of the sky in the slits between the boards. A shadow fell and the view was blotted out by the guard moving directly over us. Then the sky returned as he passed. Breathlessly we waited until the steps receded and he was somewhere by the outer buildings.

“Do we wait for another guard to pass?” Tadashi asked.

“No. They're spaced out so they make their rounds separately. Nobody will pass this way for a while.”

“Are you sure?”

“No,” I answered. “Come on. Slow and quiet. I don't want to wake up anybody … especially Eddy.”

I stood up and started across the parade ground. There was no cover and I felt exposed, visible to any eye that hap–pened to turn in our direction. I had to fight the desire to walk quickly, even break into a run. In the darkness a slow-moving figure could blend into the background and be mistaken for shifting lights and shadows.

Coming up behind Eddy's little house, I looked around for the eagle. But Eddy was nowhere. He must be inside, sleeping, I decided. I turned back and mo–tioned for Tadashi to go wide. I hoped he'd take up a position and get the rifle ready, just in case. I dropped to my hands and knees, clutching the knife in one hand, and crawled around the side of the little house. I peered inside. It looked like Eddy was in there, sleeping.

This was perfect. I'd take the line where it was at–tached to the house and gently pull it out as far as I could. Then I'd cut it off and there'd only be a foot or two—or three at worst—still attached to his leg. I reached out and took hold of the line, right where it was anchored. My eyes followed along the rope, and with a start, I realized it didn't lead into the house. I followed the rope with my eyes. At the end of the line was Eddy, as still as a statue on his perch. He was looking straight at me. He turned his head ever so slightly to one side and a glint of light shone out of his yellow eyes. Eddy jumped down off of his perch and cautiously hopped a few feet in my direction. It took all my will to stop myself from moving backwards. I had to stay still. Eddy moved closer, opened his wings slightly and his silhouette showed his powerful beak was slightly open. He was angry and getting ready to attack or defend himself.

“Don't do that, Eddy,” I croaked. “I'm here to … to … help you … to … tell you a story.” He cocked his head slightly. His beak remained open, but I could swear he'd lowered his wings, even if just slightly. “Yeah, a story,” I whispered. “A story about an eagle … umm … or really it was Stoneribs dressed like an eagle … Stoneribs …” I searched my mind trying to re–member things Naani mentioned about Stoneribs. “Well, old Stoneribs had got himself into some trouble. You know how he's always getting himself into trouble.”

There was no mistake; Eddy had tucked his wings back in tightly against his body and his beak was closed.

“Umm … Stoneribs had been … had been captured. Yeah, he was captured. He'd been tied down with a heavy rope … like you. And now he wants to get free. But the rope is a magical rope. A rope that can only be cut by a boy … like me.”

I kept my eyes locked on Eddy but reached down with my free hand and took hold of the line. I needed to pull as much of it as possible towards me.

“So the boy had to come at night, because only at night could the magic rope be cut. He had to come at night because … because the moon … I mean the stars, gave the knife the special powers to cut through the rope.”

I felt the line become taut. Glancing down I could see the loops of rope gathered at my side. There was still five or six feet of it stretched out between me and Eddy. Too much. If he trailed that much line behind him it could tangle in a tree or get in the way of him catching food. I had to get closer. In slow motion I reached my hand forward to crawl towards him.

Eddy puffed his chest slightly, a sign he was alarmed. “It's okay, Eddy,” I murmured. “So old Stoneribs, he sees this boy coming to him in the night and he sees the boy is carrying a knife … and Stoneribs knows the boy can have that knife for two reasons: to kill Stoneribs or to free him. And Stoneribs is tied up but he's still very powerful … like you Eddy … and he knows he can easily hurt the boy, but he decides he won't. He decides he has to trust the boy because he hopes the boy is there to free him. But he also knows that if he's wrong, if the boy has come to kill him, it's still better than living his life tied up, unable to soar through the sky.” I paused. Eddy's expression had changed. He didn't look fierce or angry, but thoughtful. “Isn't that right, Eddy? You need to live free.”

I inched my one hand — the one holding the knife — forward. Closer and closer until it was no more than two feet from Eddy's foot planted in the ground. I rotated my wrist and the knife tasted the line and I could feel the fibers being severed. I worked it back and forth, back and forth. And then the knife cut into the dirt beneath the rope. The tether was cut!

“You're free, Eddy. You're free.” Free to fly away or free to attack me. Slowly I withdrew my outstretched arm and started to inch away. I retreated, still on my knees, holding the knife out in front of me.

Eddy didn't move. “Come on, you're free, fly away!”

Almost as if he understood, Eddy opened his wings and leaped into the air, gliding and then landing on the peak of his little house. He wobbled back and forth and then folded up his wings and tucked his head down.

“Stupid bird,” I hissed. “You're not supposed to take a nap! Shoo!” I waved my arms.

He didn't move. I picked up a rock and tossed it at the eagle. It bounced off the roof of the house noisily and hit Eddy on the leg. He gave me an angry look for a split second, then tucked his head back down against a wing.

“Jed!” Tadashi whispered urgently.

His voice brought me back to the present and I real–ized with a start that we couldn't stand out there in the middle of the parade grounds any longer.

“Come on,” I whispered.

We hurried across the open ground until we took shelter back under the walkway. We both turned back toward Eddy.

“Why won't he fly?” Tadashi asked.

“Maybe he can't … or maybe … Tadi give me my rifle.”

He hesitated for an instant before handing it to me.

“You better get going. No sense in both of us being here. I'll meet you by the rock … if I can.”

“I'm not going anywhere,” Tadashi replied. “We started together and we end together.”

I knew exactly what he meant.

I dropped to my stomach. I checked the safety; it was already off. I drew a shell into the chamber. Out in the middle of the parade grounds Eddy's dark outline, hunched atop his house, was clearly visible. Like a frozen statue he hadn't moved. I sighted the gun squarely on Eddy and then slowly, ever so slowly, lowered my aim un–til it was on the very peak of the roof, just below his feet.

I needed the explosion to be so close it would startle Eddy and force him back to his instincts to take flight.

It was strange. I'd used this rifle so many times be–fore, but this was the first time I'd shot to save a life. If ever this gun had magic it was needed now.

Gently I squeezed the trigger.

The bullet exploded from the gun and smashed into the wooden house. Eddy opened his wings and soared up into the sky. I scrambled out and saw him fly, a short strand of rope trailing behind him. And then he disap–peared into the night sky.

“Goodbye, old man.”

“Jed, come on!” Tadashi grabbed me by the shoulder.

All around us lights were coming on, and the sounds of feet against the gravel and walkways were closing in. We dove back under the walk and dropped to our knees. I followed behind Tadashi as he crawled beneath the building. I hadn't thought to sling my rifle on my shoulder and it sank beneath my hand into the mud as I scurried after him. Coming out on the other side of the building, Tadashi hesitated, waiting for me to lead. I took him by the hand and led him towards the closest stand of bush and trees.

I knew that the perimeter patrols would all be com–ing straight back towards the camp. All we had to do was find a place to wait while the patrols passed us by on their mad rush back to the buildings. Then we'd be free to walk away with nothing between us and safety.