Page 61 of Tiger's Trek
“Maybe you’re right. But what about Yuri? You know what he’s capable of.”
“I’m not scared of Yuri,” Nik said, though, if he told the absolute truth, he was terrified of the ghost. Yuri was pure evil. Much like his own father. Only there was no destroyinghim. How could one kill a person who was already dead? But Nik had stood up to evil before, and he could do it again. At least, he thought he could.
“What do you propose we do?” the big man said, then sheathed his sword. “We’re not killing you, at least, not yet, so put your hands down and turn around.”
Obeying, Nik stood and rubbed the back of his neck. “I think we should bury them. But I also believe there’s something Mama—I mean, your prababushka’s ghost—wants us to find or wants us to see. She gave me a box, but I need a key to open it.”
“You stay here,” the big man warned.
The two men headed down the tunnel to talk over their plans. Nik found it interesting that though he knew they were talking about when or if they were going to kill him, he had no fear of death whatsoever. In fact, the idea that his impending demise might be looming felt somewhat freeing in a way. He supposed that it should bother him, but it didn’t.What does that make me?he wondered.
“Okay,” the large man finally announced, “you can come up with us. Show me the box, and I’ll see if I can find a key. But understand: If there’s anyone what’s going to deal with Yuri, it’s you, my friend. Also, we want the money now. It’s our insurance policy, just in case he kills you.”
“Or frightens you to death,” Andrey added. “It’s been known to happen.”
“Very well.” Nik picked up his broken lamp and made his way up the stairs, with the two men marching up right behind him. Trailing his hand against the house as he walked, he felt the warmth of Mama protecting him. “If you two will stay outside here,” Nik said, “I’ll head in and get the box as well as the money.”
“Fine,” the first man answered, backing away from the windows and the light they cast, hiding instead in the shadow of the large tree in the front yard, the very same tree where Mama had taken her own life. If they knew the scene that had played out there, it would have been one of the last places where they’d feel safe.
He heard the second one say, “How do we know he won’t just lock himself in there?”
“If he does, I have a key, bolvan.”
“Right.” Then there was a pause. “But just so’s you know, I’m not goin’ in after him.”
“Don’t matter. He’s got to come out sometime.”
Nik just shook his head and went inside the house, their words trailing off as he left them behind. When he entered the nursery, he found a mug of water and some powdered pain medicine to soothe the growing lump on his head.
“Spasibo, Mama,” he said, mixing the powder into the water and gulping it down. Then he turned and uncovered the little box and the bag of winnings from their hiding place in the corner of the room and began heading out the door, when he noticed that in place of the mug of water, there was a shiny gun.
He stopped. “No, Mama. I understand you want to protect me. But this man is your potomstvo, your offspring. I don’t want to hurt him. Perhaps he can help.”
The rocking chair began squeaking, and Nik smiled at it and nodded, then left the room, heading outside. He found the men there, pacing.
“What took you so long? This place makes me polzet. What’s the word?” he asked his friend. “Oh, popeyed.”
“That’s not right. It gives you the fish in the belly, not fisheyes.”
“Yes, that’s it.”
“Calm down, you two,” said Nik. “Here. This is the box Mama gave me. Do you recognize it?”
The men studied it for a moment and then shook their heads. “Sorry. No.”
“Hold on. Didn’t your dyedushka tell you when he crawled out of the well he dropped something?”
“He did what?” asked Nik.
Ignoring Nik, the large man answered, “Yeah. That’s right. I forgot. What was it my mama told me... It was something about a tin and a game.”
“A dangerous game?” Nik asked.
Both men stared at him. “You know it?”
“I think so. Mama sang me a song my first night here.” Nik hummed for a minute and then sang.
On the morrow, I’ll give you
