Chapter 34

Once our talk was over, Mayta made the happy announcement that I wanted to be the next Zakat. After Mondaut put forward his own claim for the spot it didn't take long to gather a crowd. Of course my mates and Lanita fretted a little, and if I hadn't been so sure of the technique he'd use I might have done a little fretting myself.

Mondaut wasn't quite as tall as Denac, but he wasn't far off it. He was probably an inch shorter, but I figured he might be as much as twenty pounds heavier. The comforting thing was he seemed to be running a little to seed. At least it was apparent that he was carrying a little more padding than Denac, though you wouldn't call him fat by any means.

Once we were facing each other across the grassy plane, Mondaut showed me the first difference in style. He was waiting for me to charge just like I usually waited for others. It was going to be a damned long fight if he kept it up. He didn't though. When he saw I wasn't going to budge he started his charge.

Now that he was back to what I'd expected, I started toward him at full speed, slipping past right at the last and tripping him. He was faster than I'd expected because he was back on his feet before I'd stopped and turned around. He came at me again and as usual he had his arms wide this time.

I charged too, but instead of trying to sidestep, I lowered my shoulder and let him have it right in the chest. I didn't wrap him up and drive him into the ground though, but I didn't really need to, and I could tell he was stunned. I backed off and waited for his next move.

There wasn't a next move. I guess he'd figured out by now that he didn't stand a chance, and it wasn't like he had to make a good showing to join the Calak, he was already a member. I was counting on him to be a big asset for our combined group.

Mayta asked me if I wanted her to tell everyone that we'd be joining my former Calak, and I told her I'd appreciate it.

She must have told the women while they were cooking and naturally the women told their men. I didn't see anyone that looked disturbed about the news or even surprised. That was great with me. The food was also a welcome change. Some of it was familiar of course, but there was definitely a different flavor; not better necessarily, but different and equally as tasty. My mealtime buddy even commented on it.

"Daddy, this lunch taste different. It is good too though. I think I like it," Lanita said.

"I know I like it, and just think, the cooks are joining us."

"Yes, I'm glad of it, even though I feel sorry for the men that were hurt and killed, and for their mates too. Still, it will be better, especially now that we have found Slidaha. I always liked him and he was nice to me. There are also some children near my age, and I'll get to show them to Nosey," she said.

"Yes you will, and it looks like you'll get to show them sooner than you thought. Look behind you."

"Nosey, did you get lonesome for me?" she asked him, after she'd turned around and spotted his approach.

Nosey replied with a couple of good hee haws that got the attention of everyone. He walked on up to us and I think the little snort he gave was to show his displeasure about being left behind. All was right after some ear scratching though.

After lunch was over Lanita and Nosey struck out to visit and meet the children here. Nita came back to fetch me and we joined Darita and Natalia for a walk around visit to all the patients.

Slidaha was first on the list, and he was doing even better than I'd expected. The beginning double dose and the two subsequent doses of penicillin had done wonders for him. The two men that were in the worst shape seemed remarkably improved too. There had never been a chance for infection to get started on them, and though they were certainly weak and very sore, their wounds already appeared to be healing.

The only one with a setback was a man who had a long gash on his outer thigh. I knew it had been carefully stitched by Nita, but most of the stitches were torn out now, and Natalia told me he refused to rest, saying he was not hurt badly enough to lay around.

"Do you know who I am?" I asked him, after I looked at the secondary mess he'd made of his wound.

"Yes, you are my new Zakat," he said.

"Good, I'm glad you understand. The healing women will have to clean your wound once more and then sew it together again. You are injured and I will not waste medicine on you if you refuse to do as the healing women say.

"When they are finished this time, you will lie still on your pallet until they give permission for you to move around," I said, making sure he didn't think it was a suggestion.

"But my wound is not that bad," he said.

"And how do you know more about it than the healing women? If you continue to defy them, I will have your pallet put on a wooden frame and have you tied to it. Do not keep acting as if you were a naughty child," I said, and left before he made me slap him.

The whole little scene just reinforced my decision not to be a Zakat, or not for long anyway. It also made me wish for plaster of Paris. With just a little of it we could have put his whole leg in a cast, so there'd be no chance he could open the wound again. The itching inside the cast that would come later would also have been poetic justice for his recalcitrance.

It was a big surprise to me that the one dumbass was practically all I had to deal with. Well, he and Mayta too. She had distanced herself from her position of authority, and it was overloading my mates with questions from the other women. I found her for another short talk.

"Mayta, you were the Zakat's mate here and these are still your people. You will be the Zakat's mate again as soon as we join my other Calak. I'd appreciate it if you would just act as if everything here was basically the same, as far as you can. I will back up any decision that you make, have no fears about your authority," I told her, as soon as we were away from the others.

"Very well, I was unsure of my position."

"Well don't be. My mates and I don't want to manage a Calak. You already know how to do a wonderful job and we would appreciate it if you kept on doing it. I'm sure that all your members will appreciate it also," I said.

This bother could have been avoided by using my head a little bit in the first place. I had taken Mayta for granted and left her wondering what was going to happen. I should have spent a little time asking for her assistance in the first place, instead of assuming she would just keep doing what she'd been doing all along. Well, it was fixed now, I hoped. I left to find Nosey and Lanita.

Alas, they'd thrown me over for the company of other children. Nosey was standing around looking smug if you asked me. Lanita and the children were bringing him pulled up grass by the handful, except for the smallest girl, who was busily attending to the scratching of his ears. The Life of Riley popped into my head as I watched.

When I told Shaeta I was heading back for another talk with Caloe she said she'd let the others know. I saddled Red again and took off and it was a good thing I did.

The first thing I saw when I arrived was Denac, and he, Chalti, and Dastar were loading two travois with meat that we'd cured in the smokehouse and other stored food.

"What is happening Denac?"

"Caloe asked us to send two travois of food to your Calak," he said.

"I'd rather you didn't. Would you hold on for a few minutes until I talk to her?"

"Yes, we will wait," he told me.

I found Caloe and told her I appreciated the thought but wanted to decline.

"But why? If they don't need the food we can just bring it with us when we come back to get them," she said.

"I know, but food isn't the problem. Most of their men and women too are sitting around with nothing to do but think about the attack and what they've lost. I want to take all the men hunting and bring back something for the women to work on," I said.

"I should have thought of that myself. It is an excellent idea," she said.

"I would like to take two Clydesdale mares with me though, so I can start showing them what a help they are, if it is all right."

"Of course it is fine. You brought us all the Clydesdales, and all the other cashda too. Take all that you need, and if Denac and Dastar can help, take them too."