Chapter Eight
“Follow me!” says Inni. She stamps her foot. “Now!”
Nut shakes his head.
She leans forward. “Do not be -uh- uh- uh - a child!”
Nut stares down into the valley. “Ketbel says we must not.” He looks at her sheepishly.
Inni levels her green eyes. “Ketbel is -uh- afraid,” she says. “There are -uh- fruits in the trees! And –uh- honey!” She grins coyly and shifts her hips. “And –uh- there is a -uh- a pool where we can -uh- can bathe.” She tugs at his arm a few times until he follows.
Hand-in-hand they make their way down the slope. At the base of the hills they come upon a sprawling meadow of giant sunflowers, blooming as far as they can see. Inni breaks into a run, disappearing into the meadow. Nut follows as fast as he can.
But he stops.
He pauses.
He hears something.
Inni is laughing in the distance. He hears her splashing in the water.
When Nut gets to the pool, Inni is naked and in up to her waist. Her breasts swell and drip as she breathes.
Then her eyes widen in terror. She shrinks back into the reeds.
Nut turns as several men rush upon him. They grab him and beat him savagely. He helplessly watches as they push Inni to the ground and pull her legs apart. She screams and howls and bites. The men jeer and beat her until she stops. Spent, she lays back, taking each of them, her eyes staring vacantly into the sky.
* * *
The next day the circle of tents has moved on, leaving behind only a few charred logs, some scattered bones, and a small pile of chipped rocks.
* * *
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