Island Dolls

Chapter Seven

Part I

A pungent smell filled the dark house as something burned in the corner. In the center of the room, lying on a flax mat and surrounded by candles, lay the wounded warrior Boad.

Charles stepped forward, followed by Feioha and the chief. The rest of the man's family, apart from Baed, sat around the boy with solemn faces.

Charles asked for a candle and then came and sat down beside him. He trailed the candle over the boy's body, inspecting his wounds. The whole body looked badly beaten, as if it had been hit by some massive force all at once, and in addition to this long red stripes cut diagonally across his body from one end to the other. Charles eyes widened.

"A doll..."

"A doll?" one of the relatives, an older woman, asked.

"Like a voodoo doll?" the chief asked from behind.

"No, like my Nimbus." Charles said, shaking his head, "But why would one be out here? And who could be controlling it?"

"Nimbus?" Feioha asked, "You mean the monster you summon?"

"Yes, exactly." Charles said. "You seem to have picked a fight with someone that can control one of them."

"Then, do you mean they might come here with that monster?" the chief asked fearfully.

"But if it's anything like yours it would wipe us out." a younger man said.

"Yes." Charles agreed solemnly.

"But surely, you will help us?" Feioha asked urgently.

Charles sighed. He hadn't wanted to be brought into this war between tribes, but this discovery changed things. He couldn't allow a doll to just remain in the possession of a primitive people like this without knowing who they were. Who knew what they might do with it if they could harness its true power?

Boad suddenly coughed, the first sign of life since they had come into the room. Charles looked at him and then put his hand out. He moved it over the boy's chest with his eyes shut tight, as if he was trying to sense something. Then his hand stopped to hover above the boy's heart.

"Poison barbs," Charles said quietly, not opening his eyes, "That's what's killing him. If it's that the only thing, I might be able to..."

Charles strained his face as he kept his hand there. Sweat dripped down his head, and then a faint light could be seen shining from below his palm. It stayed for about five minutes, before Charles dropped his hand and drooped his body, panting from exhaustion.

"Did you heal him?" a woman asked.

Boad suddenly sat up and coughed. A white froth spilled out from his mouth and someone quickly brought a bowl for him. After coughing up the liquid, Boad collapsed to the ground again.

"He seems to have brought up the poison." Charles said, looking at him. "If you're lucky, he might just make it."

"Thank you!" the woman said, bowing her head, "You're our saviour."

"That's still to be seen." Charles said wearily. "But do keep him warm and make sure he rests well."

"Yes."

Charles turned to Feioha and the chief. Their faces looked at him expectantly in the dark.

"I need to talk to Baed," he said, "I need to know what happened there. Do you think you can make him talk?"

"I will," a man spoke from behind.

Charles turned to look at the one who spoke.

"I'm his father," the man explained. "Since you've helped his brother, he has no excuse. If he doesn't help you in whatever you need, he would bring dishonour to our family. You have my word."