‘Is it big then?’
‘Jaim said they could be ten feet long, from the tips of their noses to the ends of their tails. And their teeth are as long as a man’s fingers.’
‘When I’m big I shall have pistols with lions on them. And I shall shoot all the bears.’
‘That would not be good,’ said Kaelin. ‘The bears have a right to live their lives, to mate and rear young. They are not all as evil as Hang-lip. Don’t hate the bears, Feargol. Hate is bad. Bane didn’t hate bears.’
‘Not even bears with bad faces?’
The question brought back the memory of last night’s curious conversation. ‘What did you mean when you said you told your daddy about the bear?’ he asked.
‘I told him it was coming. That I had seen its bad face.’
‘What did you see?’
‘I was playing with Basson and I saw this face. It was in the air. It had scales and red eyes. It spoke to me.’
‘Did Basson see it?’
‘No. He got angry and said I was making it up. The face frightened me and I told Daddy. He didn’t believe me.’
‘What did the face say to you?’
‘He told me I was evil and I was going to die. He said a bear would eat me up.’
‘And that is what you told your daddy?’
‘Yes.’
‘Have you seen the face again, Feargol?’
‘No.’
‘If you do then tell me.’
‘Mm. Is there anything to eat?’
‘You have a mind like a butterfly,’ Kaelin told him, laughing. Just then there came a faint noise. Feargol was about to speak, but Kaelin hushed him. Then it came again – but not from outside the cave. Kaelin turned his gaze to the mass of broken rock. Suddenly the wall trembled, and a muffled roar sounded.
Hang-lip had found a way up into the cliff!
Kaelin scrambled up, gathering the musket. The wall trembled again, and several boulders tumbled into the cave. Dust filled the air. More rocks fell, and Kaelin saw Hang-lip’s huge, scorched head. Raising the musket he fired. The shot hit the bear in the mouth, snapping one of its front teeth. Furiously the beast thrashed at the rocks. Kaelin dropped the musket and drew his second pistol, sending another shot into the bear’s throat. A huge boulder gave way and Hang-lip surged up and into the cave. Kaelin let the pistol fall and swept up the spear. With a battle cry he leapt at the huge beast, plunging the spear deep into its chest, driving it on, seeking the heart. A taloned paw smashed into his shoulder. The spear snapped in two and Kaelin was hurled over the rocks. His left arm numbed by the blow, he rolled to his knees, drawing his hunting knife from its sheath. Without thinking he surged up and charged the bear. Blood was pouring from its throat, and the broken spear was wedged deep. Ducking under the beast’s jaws Kaelin slammed his knife into its belly.
A shot thundered. The bear’s head jerked up, and then its body sagged and fell across the young Rigante. Kaelin lay very still. The bear’s head was on his chest, and he could hear its ragged breathing. Slowly the sound grew more rasping, until it was little more than a whisper. Then it ceased.
Kaelin eased himself from under the body. As he did so he saw that its right eye had been shot through. He turned. Little Feargol was sitting by the fire, Kaelin’s pistol smoking in his hands.
‘Did I kill it, Uncle Kaelin?’
‘You did,’ said the man. Feeling was coming back into his arm, and he flexed his fingers. He sank down next to Feargol, and retrieved his pistol. Then he put his hand on the child’s shoulder. ‘Did I not tell you I had a magic eye? You have killed Hang-lip and avenged your family. You are a hero, Feargol.’
‘I don’t want to be a hero any more, Uncle Kaelin,’ said the child, tears in his eyes.
Kaelin drew the boy into a hug. ‘I know. We shall go soon. I am very proud of you, little man. Your daddy would be too.’