A cloth fell on the cage and left him in black. The cage fell to the ground and the man slammed against the bars. They kept him in the dark for the longest time—who knows how many nights? When they lifted the cloth from his cage, he was in another room, with an opening in the roof and red smoke rushing through the sky. The King sister was standing by another chair, not like her throne, but with a tall back.
“My birthing chair shows me my past. Do you know what I see? He was born feet first. I would take it as an omen, had I believed in omens. What did Sogolon say about you? It has been said you have a nose. Maybe she was not the one who told me. You want to find my son. I would like that too, but not for your reasons. My son is a victim too, even if he walked out into the Mweru on his own, why can you not see?”
He did not say to her, Because I have seen your boy. I have seen how he looks when he thinks no one watches him.
“My yeruwolo said I should trust you to find my boy. Maybe even save him from the bat. I think she is a fool, but then … I have no ending for what I was about to say.”
She nodded to the Tracker, and one of her water women came to him with a piece of cloth, green and white. Torn from what, who knew.
“It is said you have a nose,” she said.
She pointed at him and the water woman ran to the cage, threw the cloth, then ran away from it. He picked it up.
“Will this tell you where he goes?” she said.
He squeezed the cloth but did not smell it, held it away from his nose and caught the King sister, her eyes wide, waiting. He threw the cloth away. They covered the cage again. When he woke in the throne room, he knew sleep had taken him for days. That they must have put him under wicked vapors or sleeping magic. The room had more light than before but still it was dark. She sat on her throne, the same women behind her, guards at both walls, and an old woman, her face white, walking towards him. They had left his hands free, but put a copper collar that felt like tree bark around his neck. Two guards stood behind him, moving nearer as he tried to walk.
“I make you an offer again, Tracker. Find my boy. Do you not see that he needs to be saved? Do you not see that he is blameless?”
“Only days ago you said, I shall not let you near him,” he said.
“Yes, near. Seems the Tracker is the only man who knows how to get near my son.”
“That is no answer.”
“Maybe I appeal to the very heart that seeks revenge. An appeal is of the heart too.”
“No. You’ve run out of men. Now you ask the man sworn to kill him.”
“When did you swear? To whom? This must be one of those things that men say, like when he says this is the best, but this is my favorite. I have never believed in oaths or in men who swear by them. I want your word that should I release you, you will find my son and bring him back to me. Kill the monster if you must.”
“You have an infantry. Why not send them?”
“I have. Hence my asking you. I could have ordered you. I am your queen.”
“You are no Queen.”
“I am Queen here. And when the wind in these lands turns I will be the mother of a king.”
“A king you have lost twice.”
“So find him for me. How can I mend your sorrow? I cannot. But I have known loss.”
“Have you?”
“Of course.”
“Then it pleases my heart to know. Tell me now that I am not the only one to come home to find his son with half of his head missing. Or just the hand of another son. Or him most dear with a hole where his chest and belly used to be. Or maybe hanging from—”
“Are we to compare loves murdered and children butchered? This is where you will judge to see if you are better than me?”
“Your child was just hurt.”
“My other children were murdered by my brother.”
“Shall we compare so you can come out victorious?”