Page 96 of Circle of Days

Stam said: “We’re searching for a wicked farmer girl who murdered her brother and ran away. Have you seen anyone?”

They had invented the murder story in the hope of gaining sympathy. They did not know about Han, it seemed.

“We haven’t seen any strangers,” said Bez, who had evidently gone outside to deal with the visitors. “Perhaps she drowned in the rain.”

Stam did not see the joke. “We need to look around.”

“You can look, but you can’t enter our huts. People are sleeping.”

Stam did not like that, but he did not make an issue of it. He said to his men: “Stay outside, but take a good hard look into every hut.”

Gida said to Pia and Han: “Quickly, lie down at the back.” Pia picked up her coat. Han lay on the ground facing the wall. He was surrounded by woodlanders, men and women and children. She draped her coat over his head and shoulders, to hide his fair hairand his bulk. Then she lay beside him, front to front. She thought she was hidden by his body.

She heard footsteps splashing nearer, and held her breath. Then she heard Stam’s voice: “Phew, what a stink.” There was a long silence. Then the footsteps moved away.

She waited in suspense. Would Stam be satisfied with this superficial search? She heard his voice, too low for her to make out what he was saying, but in a tone that sounded wearily irritated. Then he spoke more loudly. “They’re not here. Let’s move on.”

She lay motionless, still scared.

A few moments later she heard footsteps approaching the doorway, and Bez said: “They’ve gone.”

Pia breathed easier.

She and Han sat up. “Thank you,” Pia said to Bez. “You saved us.”

Bez said: “I don’t like the boy with one ear. He has a mean face.”

Pia said: “He has a mean heart, too.”

“I’ve sent someone to follow them,” Bez said. “We’ll know if they decide to come back.”

“Thank you.”

Bez left the hut. Some time later he returned and said: “They’ve left the wood.”

Pia said to Han: “I’d like to get away from here as soon as possible.”

Han was not in so much of a hurry. “Let’s think about that,” he said reasonably. “We might be seen by a stray farmer. It might be safer to stay here until dusk.”

Pia was burning to get away, but she saw Han’s point. “And then get on the path to the hills?” she said.

“First we should go to Old Oak and get Zad to give us a cow.”

He was right about that too. She controlled her impatience. “Very well.”

Around midday the storm seemed to blow itself out. Pia and Han left the hut and stood outside. The rain-washed air was cool and refreshing. Han looked up and said: “See that? Blue sky. Do you know what that means?”

“No more rain?” she tried.

“It means we can travel at night. If I can see the North Star, I can find my way.”

Pia was impressed. Farmers did not travel much, and had no need of nighttime navigation, so she had never learned it.

She said: “I’d be glad to travel at night, at least for a while. We should be a long way from farmer country before we show ourselves in daylight.”

Han nodded agreement.

“In which case we should start tonight, after we’ve visited Zad.”