Masha remained the very image of cool composure, allowing her tone to be icy, and biting, as she made a cold laugh.
YOU THINK MASHA KILL? HEHEHE. NO, NOT MASHA KILL. YOU SAY YOU LOOK FOR OTHER? WE SEE OTHERS IN STRANGE CLOTHES LIKE YOU. TREEMEN TAKE. TREEMEN ALL WORK TOGETHER. WHAT ONE KNOW, ALL KNOW. YOU TRAVEL WITH TREEMAN-- TREEMEN KNOW COMING. IF NOT KNOW, YOU DUMB-- LUCKY WE CATCH FIRST. BEYOND LAKE? TREEMAN PLACE. NOT SAFE FOR EVEN TALL-ONE. BE GLAD WE CATCH-- STOP FROM GOING--MAYBE LIVE, IF NOT STUPID WITH SMART TONGUE. OTHERS NOT PATIENT LIKE MASHA. CHIEF BUSY-- MUCH WORK. LITTLE TIME. NOT PATIENT LIKE MASHA.
She craned her head and pursed her lips thoughtfully, then smiled serenely.
THAT REASON CHIEF PUT IN CHARGE HERE-- DUMB LONG-EAR.
BE SMART LONG-EAR-- NOT USE SMART TONGUE WITH CHIEF. BAD THING HAPPEN IF DO. --MAYBE LOSE TONGUE-- NOT MASHA FAULT IF STILL DUMB DESPITE WARNING. NOW, SINCE CLEARLY NOT KNOW, MASHA FIND OUT FOR LONG-EAR AND GREEN-SKIN-- BECAUSE MASHA SO NICE. FIND OUT WHAT TREEMAN KNOW. MAYBE SAVE FRIENDS, BUT MASHA NOT HOPEFUL. MANY DAYS SINCE SEE. BE NICE.
----WAIT PATIENT-- LIKE MASHA.
She smiled serenely again, then with a graceful sweep of her willowy twig-thin legs, the bogling effortlessly rounded her back to Linea, and glided toward Jack, who was still slobbering heavily, deep in sleep. With a graceful movement of her arm, she back-handed him across the face repeatedly.
TIME WAKE UP, STUPID TREEMAN. NAPTIME OVER.
At first Jack did not respond to the slapping, but she was persistent, conducting her work with a careful and metered hand, until he roused with a start and a forceful exhalation of snot and slobber.
*SNOORT*-- WHUH? Who wha? What the hell? Why imma tied tuh a damned tree?! DAYUM-- I CAINT SEE STRAIGHT!
He was met with another graceful, metered slap.
YOU NO ASK QUESTION, TREEMAN--
YOU ANSWER.
VERY SIMPLE. WHY YOU TRAVEL WITH GREENSKIN AND LONGEAR?
Jack blinked at the diminutive creature in confusion. He had no idea who, let alone WHAT she was-- or why she would be interested in such a thing.
They's wanted me ta help find some missin friends a theirs--
MASHA NOT STUPID TREEMAN. MASHA KNOW YOU KNOW. WHY YOU GO? YOU WANT TAKE THEM TOO? NEW TRICK? BE CLEVER?
I dunno what the hell yer talkin 'bout. What imma s'posed ta know?
Masha eyed him very intently-- the nares of her nostrils flaring subtly, before cocking her head.
YOU STRANGE TREEMAN. WHY NOT CHANGE?
He had no idea what she was talking about. looking down, he noticed he was in his town pants, now thoroughly soiled in mud, like his furry leather top. It was like he had been thrown into the mud, pressed into it, then rolled around a few times.
Kinda hard ta change clothes tied up ta a tree, when ya's unconscious, dun ya think?
he asked sarcastically.
That graceful backhand returned with smarting vengeance. Despite her size, she had a firm command of discipline.
MASHA VERY PATIENT.
she said slowly, coldly, but perfectly level
BUT NOT HAVE PATIENCE FOR TWO SMART MOUTHS. YOU KNOW WHAT MASHA MEAN.
UH--- No-- No uh don't.
he corrected with a confused chuckle.
Masha shook her fists in frustration for a second, as her nostrils flared a second time, and a funny shade of green flushed in her face. It took her several seconds to respond, still cool, and level.
WHY YOU NOT ALL COVERED IN BARK, STUPID TREEMAN. MASHA SPELL OUT, SINCE SO DUMB-- ALL OTHER TREEMEN--ALL BARK AND ROOTS NOW. FAST- DEADLY. YOU? ALL SKIN, HAIR, AND WRINKLES. --- STINK OF RUMMAGE-GUT AND UNWASHED.
Jack overlooked the obvious insults, and was instead instantly fixated on the implication of the ACTUAL meaning of the question. He had been plagued with doubts ever since seeing those wood-encased bastards in that old grove of trees, almost a week ago now. He had been silently terrified of the prospect of ending up like that somehow, and whatever or whoever this creature was, it clearly had some knowledge he did not, and had all but confirmed the silent terror he had been harboring and suppressing.
What Ya' goin' on 'bout girly-- What ya know about 'at?! I's seen 'at shit earlier this week-- Couple fellas as was all *@%'ed up from whatever sick twisted shit is goin on in this here wood, Attacked us, and we had to kill er sorry, bloodthirsty asses-- So far, othern' 'em, ain't seen no udder cases-- All a critters' got some twisted viney plant bastard wormin' 'emselves all up in there noggins an' spines-- Makin' em crazy as fleas on a hot skillet-- You sais I's gunna en' up like at, I wants some answers! Em bastards wern' intrasted in talkin-- You know som'in, you be out wid' it!
Masha blinked at the response confusedly, then raised her hand to strike, held it a second, then put it down again. before pacing back and forth muttering to herself.
...HOW NOT KNOW? IS TREEMAN-- BUT FIND TREEMAN, AND TREEMEN ATTACK TREEMAN? OLD TREEMAN KILL OTHER TREEMEN? NOT MAKE SENSE. WHY DO? NOT UNDERSTAND. NOT LIE, BUT NOT UNDERSTAND.. NOT UNDERSTAND... CRAZY...
What ya mumblin' bout girl?
About that time, the bogling sent off to deliver the message to the village chief returned, and walked up beside Masha to inform her of her success.
I TELL CHIEF, MASHA. HE SAY HE COME AFTER MEETING WITH MANDUK. PROBABLY KALYA AGAIN, BUT NOT ASK.
Masha sighed, and rolled her head back in exhasperation, before straightening up as if an idea had hit her.
AIYA-- DO FAVOR-- GET LOOSH. HE OLD; HE KNOW MORE ABOUT TREEMAN THAN ALL OTHER. REMEMBER FROM LONG BEFORE CHANGE. THIS TREEMAN... VERY STRANGE. MASHA RESPONSIBLE IF TROUBLE-- GO-- BRING LOOSH.
The newcomer looked exasperated, then once more strode off across the mud.
--------
Iaya was getting a bit fed up with all the running. It wasnt like it was a quick and easy task to run back and forth halfway from the village to the lake, then back again, over and over, while hunting down people that were notoriously hard to locate. The chief because he was always going from one spot to another, because of the chaos from the hunting trip, and Loosh, because the old hermit liked to be away from the crowds, and would always find the most secluded and solitary spot. Loosh had lived alone long before the world ended the year before, and had only migrated to the village after his hut was found out by the treemen, and literally ripped apart by group of them that sought to catch him. He was a spry old bastard for his advanced age though, and wiry. He had slipped down a hollow in the tree his hut had been built in, and snuck away, literally underground, through a decaying root that had made a tunnel far away from said tree, while the treemen smashed their way in up top. The way she had heard the story, they were furious when they failed to catch him.
He was not terribly popular in the village anyway. Despite being a hermit, he had once been friendly with the treemen before they became murderous beasts hell-bent on killing everyone they could get their long, twisted fingers wrapped around. Due to the number of people that had lost family and friends that way, he was often whispered about, and shunned. Not that it really affected him much, other than causing him to mutter and hide in out of the way, and hard to get to places in the village to be alone a little more in earnest. After a long search, she found him sitting quietly, drawing smoke from an odd looking cylindrical shaft, beneath the shade of tree.
LOOSH, GLAD I FIND-- MASHA SAY COME GET.
MASHA SAY? he asked quizzically. WHY IAYA WANT LOOSH? LOOSH OLD-- BAD DAY TODAY-- LOOSH SMOKE-- RELAX.
EVERY DAY BAD DAY. Iaya joked wryly.
AND LOOSH SMOKE EVERY DAY. he replied wrlyly.
MASHA SAY CAUGHT TREEMAN STRANGE. SAY LOOSH KNOW ABOUT TREEMEN-- WANT LOOSH LOOK.
SO RUMOR TRUE? CATCH TREEMAN?
CATCH TREEMAN. TIED TO DEAD TREE.
GOOD CHOICE DEAD TREE. BUT STILL NOT SAFE-- AND... OTHER RUMOR?
ABOUT RUMMAGE-GUT? she asked, wrinkling her nose.
His eyes sparkled at her in curiosity.
SMELL TRUE. she said, with a disgusted face.
Loosh laughed heartily, then drew in a long, slow drag on his pipe, before letting it out again.
NOT FIRST TIME TREEMAN FIND STRANGELOVE. FORBIDDEN-- TREEMAN HAVE RULE. MAYBE CAST OUT?
YOU WANT KNOW? MASHA SAY COME- FIND OUT. MASHA WANT KNOW TOO-- LOOSH COME?
He took another drag, held it a second with a delighted look on his face, then blew it out before dumping out the bowl, and putting mud over the dumped coals.
LOOSH COME.
------
Jack struggled against his bonds in frustration. His interrogator had not stopped with her futile line of questioning--- He didn't know anything! More, she had pointed out a bear, tied up and clearly covered in old blood, laying unconscious and bound up just as tightly as he was further out on the mud flat. She had implied-- rather sourly, that it was the one he "liked"-- Even if it wasn't mama, treating a bear like that was just wrong-- He wanted loose to go see to it right away, and could not get free. His interrogator had implied that bad things might happen to that bear, if he did not start talking.
Start talking? He had been slapped several times for being unable to STOP talking! She just did not like what he had to say!
This kind of exchange had gone on for quite some time, and he was getting heated-- Using more profanity than civil words at this point.
Looking past his tormentor, he noted that two more of the small creatures were approaching the bound bear: A young, lithe one that walked over the mud like a bird on her gracefully thin legs-- and another a hunched old looking one with a long beard. They hailed the two sentries that were watching over the bear, made gestures at each other, then the sentries parted and allowed access. The old one bent down, looked, and .. sniffed..? at the bear, then clearly engaged the younger one in conversation. The younger one made a disgusted dry heave, and the older one laughed. He would have killed to know what they were talking about. As they departed, and started heading his way, the sentries silently glided back into position, holding thier vigil over the bound and immobile bear.
Off in the distance, a small crowd was growing at the edge of the distant village, apparently following discretely at a considerable distance behind the former two. Apparently the little adventuring party he belonged to were the talk of the town. He doubted it was flattering talk.
YOU PAY ATTENTION TO ME! came the sharp rebuke of his interrogator.
YOU SEE OLD-ONE APPROACH? HE KNOW TREEMEN BEFORE CHANGE-- HE FIND ANSWER TO WHY YOU NO CHANGE. NO HIDE TRUTH FROM HIM. HE OLD, SEE MUCH, KNOW MUCH.
"If I knew what ya was *$@(ing yabberin' 'bout, I woulda damn well told ya already, ya ignorant lil' shit! Yer's the one as needs ta explain 'emselves, afore I even know HOW ta answer ya!" he retorted angrily before muttering under his breath as the expected slap came down hard.
WHAT MASHA SAY ABOUT SMART MOUTHS?
...He ain't 'da only one who's old...
...Honessly-- Doin this ta an ol' man-- Kids ain't right ese days...
She smiled serenely again.
YOU WANT SENTRIES TAKE SKIN FROM RUMMAGE-GUT? MAKE GOOD RUG FOR MASHA HUT... TREEMAN CHOOSE.
"DON' YA DO IT! YOU Wanna skin som'ody, Skin me instead-- LEAVE AT BER' OUTA 'DIS!"
Before this "Masha" could reply, the two others that had been walking that way glided and shuffled onto the scene, respectively.
LET LOOSH HANDLE, MASHA. said the old one, illicting a frustrated "HRMPH" from the latter.
TAKE SWEET TIME. she muttered.
LOOSH THOUGHT MASHA PATIENT? he asked rhetorically with a smile.
She frowned irritably, before responding with her hands on her narrow hips.
MASHA PATIENT-- TREEMAN IRRITATING-- EITHER DUMB, OR STUPID.
"Neither one!" Jack retorted with a bleeding lipped grin. "Ya just keep asking questions I ain't got answers fer!"
--AND GOT SMART MOUTH. she finished.
This old one-- "Loosh"-- laughed with a crustly crackle.
MAKE GOOD CHANGE FROM TREEMEN I MEET. he said with a beaming grin.
BEFORE OR AFTER HUT DESTROYED? asked the lithe creature who had come up with him.
BOTH! he said with a hearty laugh, before focusing his attention on Jack.
RUMMAGE-GOT THERE-- said the old one, pointing to the bear. YOU "LIKE"?
"My eyesight ain't the best ya know-- The eyepatch ain't fer show-- Cain't tell from 'ere-- If'n 'ats Mama, and yas gone and done er up like at, I'mma murder all 'ya when I gets loose!"
The old one tilted his head wryly and smirked.
GOOD YOU TIED UP THEN. he said matter of factly. I TAKE FOR 'YES'-- YOU KNOW, STRANGELOVE FORBIDDEN, TREEMAN?
"SAYS WHO!?" jack demanded angrily. "AND AIN'T NONE O' YER BUSINESS!"
Loosh's nostrils flared before he ran his thin fingers through his crazed white beard. He turned to face Masha.
NOT FROM TREEMAN PLACE. he said confidently. NEVER SMELL BEFORE. PUNGENT-- THIS ONE. LOOSH REMEMBER IF MEET. UNASHAMED OF STRANGELOVE. DEFIANT. SEE WHY MASHA SEND FOR LOOSH.
He turned back to Jack.
YOU CAST OUT? he asked smoothly.
"Cast out from where, exactly?" Jack asked irritably. "From my childhood home? No-- I left ON PURPOSE. From the sylvan glade? YES--" he said, turning a baleful eye to Masha. "FER HAVIN A SMART MOUTH!"
She crossed her arms indignantly.
SIL-VAN? WHAT TREEMAN MEAN? asked the old one.
"Ya know-- ELVES! LONG pointy ears-- Big hats, bows, and overly ornate houses? Practically worship trees?" he responded rudely. "Got no tolerance fer people making ACCURATE OBSERVATIONS 'bout treeroots, at's fer sure!"
The old one's nose flared again, before he emitted a chuckle.
MUST BE FUN STORY-- WITH SMELL LIKE THAT-- NOT CAST OUT FOR STRANGELOVE? AND FROM LONG-EAR PLACE? STRANGE---
"'at were a LOOOOOONG Time ago-- Is was a youngun en-- When ya gets as old as I is, livin all by yerself, ya takes what ya gets-- Naw stop bein nosy!"
Loosh laughed heartily once more, practically keeling over.
OLD? LOOSH KNOW ABOUT OLD-- YOU FUNNY TREEMAN. LOOSH UNDERSTAND. SO, NOT FROM TREEMAN PLACE?
"I DON't KNOW WHAT YA IS TALKIN' 'BOUT, FOR THE GODS DAMNED 500th TIME!"
LOOSH TAKES FOR "NO". he said with a smile. LIVE BY SELF? YOU *WANDER* IN?
"YEAH-- I *WANDERED* in-- Only been 'ere for a damned week! Whole place is off the rails! Meaningless death everywhere! Whole place... SEETHS.. in pain! Animals 'ave all got ese damned... ROOTS. in their noggins, makin em crazy as fleas in a hot skillet-- Got people been all transformed into killing things with limbs and bark where their damned faces should be, and nothing's growing like it's s'pposed to-- THAT LITTLE IGNORANT SHIT THERE seems to know something, but WONT &#$*ING TELL ME! WHAT'S GOING ON, AND WHY DID YA TIE ME UP FER!?"
Loosh turned his head to Masha once more.
WHAT STORY TREEMAN GIVE MASHA? he asked flatly.
LONG-EAR AND GREEN SKIN SAY "TRAVELERS"-- LOOK FOR MISSING FRIENDS. TREEMAN SAY LONG-EAR ASK TREEMAN HELP FIND, ASK NICE, SO HE DO. SAY SHE RUDE AFTER, BUT HE STILL HELP. GREENSKIN COME LATER. LONG-EAR AND GREENSKIN FRIENDS-- FRIENDS OF MISSING ONES. TREEMAN SAY HE AND LONG-EAR-FRIENDS KILL OTHER TREEMEN, MANY DAYS AGO-- ATTACK IN FOREST. DESTROY WITH FIRE.
Loosh stroked his beard.
LOOSH NEED A SMOKE.
He turned his head back to Jack.
LOOSH TRY EXPLAIN-- LAST SPRING, TREEMEN SUDDENLY ALL GATHER. ABANDON PROJECTS. ABANDON ANIMAL FRIENDS. ABRUPT, SUDDEN CALL. DAYS LATER-- ALL CHANGED. LOOK LIKE TREE WITH ARMS, NO LEAVES. START TAKING BOGLING FROM HOMES. KILL ALL WHO FIGHT. GO ON FOR WHOLE YEAR, EVEN WINTER.
He fumbled in the front of his shirt for his pipe and pouch, thumbed a pinch into the bowl and lit it up, drew in a big drag, then blew it to the side.
LOOSH OLD EVEN THEN-- LIVE ALONE. MOSTLY SAFE-- HIDE FROM TREEMEN. THEY ONLY FIND RECENTLY. LOOSH NARROW ESCAPE. DESTROY LOOSH HOME, TRY GET LOOSH.
He took another long drag.
LOOSH COME TO VILLAGE. NOPLACE ELSE GO. LIKE OTHERS.
"I'm sorry ta hear that." said Jack sullenly. "But I ain't responsible-- If anythun, I wants to put it right, not make thangs worse. Sounds like everyone as lives in 'dese woods is suffrin-- Animals all gots terrible headaches and pains, from the .... THANGS... Growin' in em-- Mama...." Jacks' eye became all watery and sad ".. She had one o dem DAMN @#*%ing thangs in 'er too-- HORRIBLE pain-- I couldn't do nothin' fer 'er-- Had to get that ol' goat Lucy cut the damn thing out. She seems better now, but's taken a real shine ta me--"
Loosh listened and puffed on his pipe between bouts of rubbing his beard pensively.
"...If I'm a gonna end up like em bastards we put down earlier, I wants to go with muh head intact-- Ifn' ya knows sommat, stop being cruel, and tell an ol' man whatcha know-- I Don' wanna end up like 'at!"
SMELLS LIKE TRUTH. mused Loosh.
IAYA SURPRISED LOOSH SMELL ANYTHING THROUGH SMOKE!
All three of the interrogators laughed at that joke.
Approaching unobserved, the chief makes his appearance.
WHAT LEARN, MASHA?