Toto leaned toward her. “There’s only one way to save Kanbal. The king and his Spears must be convinced to give up their plan before the hyohlu enter the chamber.”
“Surely you’re not planning to make Kassa do that? That’s crazy! How can you possibly expect him to convince the king or anyone else?”
“Let me finish, will you?” Toto snapped irritably. “Believe me, I know full well how risky this is. But I can’t think of any other way. If more of those who were at the last ceremony still lived, I wouldn’t even consider it. Anyone who has been below would listen to us. They’d understand the consequences of trying to attack the Mountain King.” His eyes glittered brightly. “But they’re all dead. Even those who weren’t killed by Jiguro have died over the last thirty-five years. Only two remain: Laloog of the Yonsa clan and Lonsa of the Muto clan. Of course, the best thing would be for them talk to the king and his men in person, but they’re so old, they’re too weak to walk. And even by horse, it’s a ten-day journey from Yonsa and Muto territory to the chamber.”
Toto struck the ground twice. “We know a road underground by which you can reach the place in just four days. But while it’s easy for little people like us, there are places where it’s too narrow for the men of Kanbal to pass.”
Balsa grimaced. She was beginning to see why the Elder had picked Kassa.
“As you’ve guessed, Kassa’s small. And you too are much smaller than many men. The two of you could travel this road and reach the ceremony in time. Laloog of the Yonsa clan is highly respected by all the clans because he went to the last ceremony. If Kassa takes a message from him, some men will listen —”
“Are you out of your mind?!” Balsa burst out. “Neither the king nor Yuguro will give up this plan now that they’ve set it in motion! Kassa will be caught and killed! He’s only fifteen. How can you think of risking his life —”
“That’s why I’m asking you to protect him. Fortunately the chamber where the ceremony takes place is very dark. If they refuse to change their minds, you can take Kassa and flee.”
Balsa glared at him, but he did not avert his gaze. “No matter how great the risk, it’s the only way to save Kanbal. Won’t you help us?” Once again, he brought his face up close to hers. “Balsa, Spear Wielder, trained by the Dancer Jiguro, when you returned to Kanbal, the hyohlu came up from the Mountain Deep to dance with you. Never has such a thing happened before. And you were rescued by the Titi Lan and so brought to us.” He smiled broadly. “Surely this can’t have been coincidence. Jiguro, though chosen, betrayed the Mountain King and brought great misfortune on his native land. He slew our young spearmen and gave his gold ring to Yuguro. Even if he did it out of love for his brother and for the sake of the chieftain’s line, how can his soul ever find peace in death?”
Balsa gritted her teeth as the words Jiguro had uttered on his deathbed rang once again in her mind. I’ll sink beneath the Yusa mountains, the mother range, and atone for my sins myself.
“Don’t you see, Balsa? It must be fate that brought you here, so that you, who were trained by Jiguro, should risk your life for Kanbal.”
Balsa looked at him sharply. “Don’t be a fool!” Clenching her teeth, she almost snarled the words at him. “All this country ever gave me were days full of hell. Jiguro brought you misfortune? And who do you think made him do that? I will never believe that Jiguro was wrong. He made the only choice he could. If I were given the same choice, I would do the same thing. How dare you dismiss our lives, all those days of suffering, as ‘fate’!”
Toto recoiled as if he had been struck in the face.
Balsa breathed deeply and struggled to get her feelings under control. Finally she said in a low voice, “If, just if, I should gamble my life on anything, it will not be for Kanbal. It will be for Jiguro, who suffered a living hell until the day he died for the sake of this country.”
Toto remained silent for some time staring at Balsa. Then he spoke. “All right. For Jiguro then. But will you do it?”
Balsa shook her head. “No.”
“Balsa!”
“Enough! Jiguro has already been forced to live through this hell by ‘fate,’ as you would have it. One person is enough. I will not let Kassa repeat the same mistake!”
Her voice split the air like a crack of thunder. When the echo finally faded, a thin voice rang out from above.
“I’ll go.”
Balsa turned around in surprise. A shadow on the east wall stood up. Helped by another figure, he picked his way awkwardly to the grassy floor.
“Kassa …”
Togal flickered in his eyes. Balsa turned back to Toto. “You let him listen to all that?”
The Elder’s face grew stern. “Balsa. You’re forgetting something very important. This isn’t your problem; it’s Kassa’s. And the success or failure of this venture is much more important to Kassa than it is to you. It’s Kassa and his people, not you, who will starve if they get no luisha.”
Balsa looked once again at Kassa. His face was desperately determined. Since Nahna had led him here, he had sat on the rock shelf, sandwiched between the Herder People, who kept him warm, and listened to what was being said below. When he heard about his uncle Yuguro’s scheme, he remembered the words Kahm had said to him the other evening. To gain control over the kingdom beneath the mountains and take all the luisha they wanted: This was the dream of every Kanbalese. But as he listened to Toto’s tale, he had begun to shiver with apprehension. A premonition that Kahm and the others were about to make a terrible mistake — a mistake that could never be made right — grew stronger. Kahm must have felt this too. Why else would he have left Kassa with words that sounded like a last will and testament?
He did not want Kahm to die. And as for famine …
He shuddered. He found it hard to grasp the weight of the responsibility being thrust upon his shoulders. He looked up at Balsa, feeling like he was dreaming. “I’ll go. Even if I have to go alone.”
Looking at his face, Balsa felt fear rise from deep in her chest. As a bodyguard, she had been entrusted with the lives of many others, but never had she been afraid like this, not even when she had protected Prince Chagum, the Guardian of the Spirit. Chagum had had no other choice. And so she had believed that she too had no choice but to risk her life along with him and find a way through.
But this boy was choosing to gamble his life on her of his own accord….
“It’s just me against the best spearmen in Kanbal,” Balsa muttered. “The odds are so great…. I may not be able to save your life. Do you realize what will happen to you then?”
Kassa nodded.
“Do you still want to go?”
“Yes,” he whispered. “I don’t want to watch my people die.”