Fall; or, Dodge in Hell - Neal Stephenson Page 0,284

their purpose.

One day they arrived at the logging site to be greeted by the sound of axes biting into tree trunks. No other boat was to be seen, but fresh footprints were on the riverbank and some cut trees had been dragged down and marked with a glyph that was not known to Adam. Feller recognized it though, and reacted with disgust that soon flourished into wrath. He bent down and picked up one of the iron rods and handed it to Bluff, saying, “You know what to do,” and then went on to distribute more rods to the others. He ran out of them before he got to Adam, but instead fetched him a spare axe handle, saying, “Watch and learn, for there is no hope for you in this fallen world unless you have it in you to fight those who would take from you.” And he vaulted out of the boat onto the bank, where the rest of the crew were waiting, hefting their iron rods and swinging them through the air.

“I would stay here at the boat,” Adam demurred, out of not so much fear as lack of interest in whatever it was Feller had in mind.

Feller appraised him and he could sense the others likewise giving him hard looks. “And what good will that do you if those murderers strike us, your friends, down with their axes? Then they will come for you, Adam. Will you fight them alone? Then you may forgo all hope of ever again looking upon the face of Eve.”

Adam saw that a concern for his own safety, if not loyalty to his crew, dictated that he go into the woods with the others, and so that is what he did.

The ones Feller had called murderers were easily found, as they were not far away, and making no effort to be furtive.

Adam, not as eager as the others, arrived last, and found Feller already rebuking a woodcutter who, from the looks of things, was the leader of the other group; he was taller and broader than the rest, and the head of his axe contained much iron. This was Thunk. Adam had heard much of him but never seen him until now. Feller and Thunk had faced off in a space that was logged clear, into which felled trees had been dragged so that their limbs could be lopped. Feller had poised his iron rod on his shoulder, and Thunk had done likewise with his axe, which was double-edged. They were maintaining a certain distance from each other while maneuvering slowly about, and since each was gazing fixedly at the other’s face, they planted their feet with care as they stepped, ever mindful of the stumps, logs, and boughs scattered underfoot. Feller was flanked by Bluff and Edger and the rest of his crew, but Thunk stood alone, as his people seemed generally of a mind to shrink back and seek refuge in the trees. To judge from the sounds made by these souls as they thrashed through the dried leaves, some of them were simply running away as fast as they could. Less obviously, though, others seemed to be moving around to form a circle about the crew of Feller. Adam, arriving late, nearly tripped over one such, surprising a tall woman as she sidestepped along the edge of the clearing, her attention focused toward the center. She nearly sprang into the air when she realized that Adam was right behind her. Then, recovering her poise, she slipped back, eyes seeking and finding the axe handle first. Only when she was safely out of its range did she give Adam the curious head-to-toe examination that he had grown accustomed to. Adam returned it in kind. She was the tallest woman he had seen, with long muscles showing on her limbs. Slung over her shoulder was a pouch that seemed to contain something heavy. Dangling loosely from one hand was a double length of cord with a scrap of netting woven into its middle.

Adam for his part was beginning to see wisdom, or at least cunning, in Feller’s suggestion that they ought to stay close together, and so it was with a certain sense of relief that he strode full into the clearing to close ranks with the other members of his crew. Feller noted this in the corner of his eye, and Thunk risked turning his head to give Adam a look.

“So it is true what was rumored,” said Thunk,