Suddenly aware of the growing silence he dragged his gaze from the girl and spoke to the leader. ‘Good morning. Are you here on business?’
‘If I am what is it to you, boy?’ answered the man. His eyes were pale blue, his beard close trimmed and black, with touches of silver. Kaelin could see he was angry, though he could think of no reason why. His own greeting had been courteous.
‘My aunt Maev owns this farm,’ said Kaelin, ‘and I speak for her.’
‘She should have known better than to leave a boy in charge,’ said the man. ‘I’ll conduct my business with Senlic.’
Now Kaelin felt his blood grow hot. ‘You will not,’ he said. ‘And if you call me boy again you can leave my property and seek business elsewhere.’
‘Is that so? How then does whelp sound to you?’
The highlander was taller than Kaelin by around six inches, and much heavier. Despite this Kaelin dropped his shoulder and sent a straight left that crashed against the man’s jaw. It was a good punch and knocked the surprised highlander back a pace. Kaelin followed in with a right to the belly and a left cross that almost spun the man from his feet.
Something struck him hard across the back of the head. Kaelin stumbled and fell to his knees. Dizziness swamped him, but he fought it and struggled up. He saw the second highlander, a young man with a thick red beard, had struck him with a pistol butt. Kaelin could feel blood flowing down his neck and his head was pounding.
With a great effort he pushed himself to his feet. He stood and swayed. Finbarr and Senlic were standing by quietly. The leader was rubbing his jaw. No-one spoke. Kaelin backed away, turned on his heel and walked to the house. He was unsteady, but the power of anger surging through his veins gave him strength. In his own room he pulled the walnut box from beneath his bed, opened it and lifted clear the two pistols. Swiftly he loaded them. Then he walked back into the sunshine.
The men were still there, only now Finbarr’s brothers Jabe and Killon had joined them. The tall man Kaelin had struck was the first to see him. He said something and the men spread out. The highlander who had hit Kaelin with the pistol butt saw the guns in Kaelin’s hand and dragged his own weapon clear, cocking it and bringing it to bear. Before he could shoot Kaelin’s pistol roared. He had aimed for the chest, but the shot struck the highlander on the side of the head. The man dropped his pistol and slumped to his knees, before toppling to the ground. Senlic Carpenter ran to him, rolling him to his back. ‘It did not penetrate,’ he told the other highlander. ‘It’s creased his scalp. He’ll be all right.’
Kaelin heard the words, but didn’t care. The remaining silver pistol came up, pointing directly at the face of the leader. He walked forward until the barrel was inches from the man’s face. ‘Feel free to use the word whelp again, you scum-sucking goat turd. It will be the last word you utter. Come on! Say it!’
‘You want me to kill him, Father?’ said the young woman. Kaelin tlicked a glance to his right and saw the girl had drawn her pistol. It was cocked and pointed at his belly.
‘Yes, shoot,’ said Kaelin. ‘Do it now! It will not prevent me exploding what passes for his brains all over the yard.’
‘Nice pistols,’ said the man, his voice calm, his eyes angry. ‘They look like Emburleys.’ He turned to the girl. ‘Put it down, lass, there’ll be no more shooting today.’ The man on the ground groaned and tried to sit up, but fell back.
‘Carry him inside,’ the tall man told Senlic and the others. They moved instantly to obey him.
‘Stand fast!’ ordered Kaelin. The men froze. ‘If he cannot walk,’ he told the leader, ‘you can carry him to his home, wherever that may be.’
The highlander stood for a moment, holding Kaelin’s gaze. He said nothing, and moved to the fallen man. Leaning down he hoisted him to his feet. Before he could fall again the highlander ducked down and hefted him to his shoulder. Then he walked away. The girl stood for a moment. ‘You were lucky today,’ she told Kaelin. ‘But when Bael recovers from your cowardly attack he will seek you out.’