Chapter 13

Mark was awakened at the break of dawn by a polite shake of his shoulder. " * Mark * " sang Kau'i, one of the women councilors. " * The * Paleo * warriors * are * here. * "

Mark and Kara quickly got up and dressed and followed Kau'i, with Mayoni tagging along behind. The air was almost warm; springtime was beginning at last. Mark noticed the entire village seemed up and was gathering near the main gate of the village. Mark and Kara climbed the ladder to join the other council members on the platform above the main gate. Unable to control her curiosity, Mayoni pushed the limits of proper behavior and quietly climbed up after them.

Mark and Kara gazed out beyond the village. About 200 yards away a large group of Paleo warriors stood. One in particular was huge, and richly clothed in furs. A Paleo woman with the council confirmed this was their leader.

Kara sighted with the binoculars. "I count 41. This is the entire remaining force. They have a lot of spears, I would guess seven or eight each."

Mark replied, "They seem to just be standing there, trying to shout something. Hard to make out from this distance."

Kikapua sang, " * The * Paleo * woman * says * they * are * challenging * us * to * a * death * fight, * in * the * open * field. * "

" * How * dumb * do * they * think * we * are? * " sang Kara. Kikapua just grunted.

The Hopewell waited on their walkway, calmly looking at the Paleo. The minutes passed by, and the Paleo seemed to become angry at the apparent refusal of the Hopewell for battle. One warrior suddenly started running towards them, preparing his spear for throwing. "Okay if I'm the one who takes him out?" asked Kara.

"Sure."

Kara fired once when her target was 70 yards away. The shot through the heart crumpled the warrior to the ground. Then a second warrior broke for them, and the process was repeated. And then a third... "What the hell to they think they're doing?" asked Kara as she shot her seventh warrior. There was a pile of bodies 70 yards from the gate. An eighth warrior started to run to them, but after 20 yards stopped and turned and seemed to be arguing with the main group. Their leader hurled a spear at him, hitting him in the shoulder. The man screamed, and then half the others in the group hurled spears also, killing the wounded man with multiple mortal hits. Then the whole group advanced to retrieve their spears.

"They're pretty deadly at 20 yards..." said Mark.

" * They're * a * bunch * of * idiots * " sang Kara softly, not even realizing she had replied in Hopewell. Kikapua grunted again in reply.

"Well, I guess they saved us a bullet at least. I make their distance to be 180 yards now. Want to target them?"

Kara watched silently as the Paleo continued with their taunts for battle. "Without a lot of preparation, it would be a low percentage shot. The round leaves the barrel at 1800 fps, about Mach 1.7, and then starts to slow down. It takes a third of a second to travel 180 yards. I could try to lead a target that far, but the way these guys are jerking around, I might get a clean miss... If they come a bit closer though, things will start to change."

But they didn't. A half hour passed, and things appeared to be winding down. Mark noticed a crowd of about sixty Paleo women gathered below them against the inside of the gate and looking through the cracks at their former masters. The women were talking in Paleo among themselves, and were carrying many of the extra spears from their old base camp.

Kara spoke. "I think they're packing up to leave. It'll be 33 potential terrorists on the loose, still a disaster. Do you think we should pursue them now?"

"In broad daylight on an open field? It'll be very dangerous. They could probably spear us with the right tactics. We could probably take most of them with us though... The real trick is to get them to charge us now..."

"I could try a long-range shot..."

"I don't see how that would get them to charge us. Probably just make them leave even sooner..." Mark looked around and his eyes caught his daughter standing nearby. " * Mayoni! * "

" * Yes * father? * Should * I * leave? * "

" * No, * it's * okay. * I * want * you * sing * and * laugh * at * the * Paleo * outside. * Mock * them! * Scorn * them! * Get * them * so * angry * that * they * charge * us! * " Kikapua looked on and nodded thoughtfully.

Mayoni smiled with delight. She waved to one of her new Paleo friends below to join her on the platform, and the two girls had an intense discussion for a moment with the help of a Hopewell interpreter. Mayoni then stood up on the lookout stump on the platform, her entire body visible to the Paleo across the field. Mayoni then began to sing in a tremendous voice that Mark never knew she had. "My God, she's incredible," Mark thought. "She could be an Annie on Broadway! Her voice is so beautiful, and it would fill an opera house!"

Kara was also amazed, but from a completely different perspective. Mayoni's Paleo friend was leading her in the song, and Kara saw the Paleo women below blushing at what was coming out of Mayoni's mouth. " * Innocent * daughter, * what * the * hell * are * you * singing? * "" Kikapua and the other warriors laughed at Kara's question as they watched their own interpreter also blush with her embarrassment.

The Paleo women couldn't help but rise to the challenge of Mayoni's song. Sur opened the gate door, and they all walked out carrying the spears and formed a skirmish line facing the warriors. And then, to the beat of the song, they began to dance.