The Lost Tohunga Page 6

  Ronnie loomed over her. ‘Hine, you okay?’ he asked, blinking stupidly. She felt a hot sting on her torn cheek and tasted blood in her mouth. She tried to speak but couldn’t remember how. Sirens blared from the direction of the shopping precinct half a kilometre away. Ronnie looked up, and then flung himself in the way of a long-haired youth who had launched himself at Brutal. All three went down in a rolling, flailing flurry.

  She sat up, her vision swirling. Evan followed Mat and kicked again, but this time Mat rolled aside, and sprang to his feet, moving like an athlete. Evan’s fists flailed, but Mat ducked away. Beside them, the blond man cried out and fell to his knees, clutching his face. Brutal spun and surged toward Mat from the other side. Someone in the crowd yelled ‘Watch out, kid!’ and Mat glanced just in time as Brutal closed in, arms spread. He dropped low and kicked out. His sandshoes connected with Brutal’s groin, and the big man grunted and fell towards Mat like a toppled building. His big hand fastened on to Mat’s jeans, pinning him tight. Evan closed the distance and smashed another boot into the small of Mat’s back, connecting solidly. Mat’s body arched as if he had been shot.

  Hine tried to stand, but a middle-aged woman with a sunburnt face grabbed her. ‘Stay down, girl. They aren’t going to stop for you.’

  Evan kicked Mat again, and again, while Brutal got to his feet. He roared and lifted a huge boot, poised to stamp down on Mat’s midriff as the boy writhed beneath him. Suddenly a black-and-white dog erupted out of the crowd, and sank its teeth into Brutal’s leg. The big man howled and toppled. The dog, Godfrey, Hine realized, darted away and showed his teeth.

  The sirens blared louder now, and tyres screeched on the road. Ronnie stiff-armed the long-haired youth, clambered upright and grabbed Evan’s shoulder. ‘Cops!’ he yelled. Evan glanced back, then down at her. ‘Come on, let’s go!’ he yelled at her.

  She sat there, utterly numb. The face she had kissed, the man she had given herself to, the devil she had sold her soul to, demanded her obedience. Her body moved to obey, but the woman holding her didn’t let go. ‘Stay here, girl. Don’t go with that animal.’

  ‘Get up, Hine!’ Evan took two steps towards her and reached down.

  The woman holding her looked up defiantly. ‘You stay away from her,’ she snapped, like a school teacher. Hine was frightened Evan would deck her too, but then he looked towards the cop cars, and backed away. He pointed his finger at them both.

  ‘I won’t forget this,’ Evan told the woman, then looked down at Hine. ‘See you soon, Hine. See you at home.’ Then he turned and ran, Ronnie and Brutal pelting at his heels. A huge Alsatian swept past, and Godfrey seemed to yip advice to it. Light-blue uniforms filled the lawn around her.

  Evan and the others fled along the lakefront. Four cops were sprinting after them, and, as she watched, the Alsatian brought down Brutal in a flurry of limbs. Blue shirts dived onto him, and the police dog surged on again, past Ronnie who had turned to see what had happened and then thrown up his hands in a gesture of surrender. The Alsatian closed in on Evan. At the last moment, Evan stopped and turned. The dog stopped also, and circled behind him. He raised his hands in surrender also, too cunning to resist arrest.

  A policewoman fell to one knee beside Hine. ‘What happened here? Are you okay?’

  Hine took a deep breath, suddenly feeling that this moment was crucial. She felt her nerve cracking. If she lied or said nothing, Evan would probably get away with it again, and then he would beat her, and punish her, and life would go on. But at least it was a life she knew.

  ‘Those guys …’ Hine waved her hand towards where Evan was being cuffed, along with Brutal and Ronnie, ‘…they attacked him.’ She pointed to where Mat lay, a medic kneeling beside him. More medics were tending the blond foreign guy and his mate, who both looked pretty bad.

  ‘Why did they do that?’

  She hung her head. ‘For talking to me.’ She looked up at the policewoman, hating the pity she saw there. ‘Because Evan, the bearded guy, he’s my man.’ She looked at the ground. ‘It was my fault.’

  The sunburnt woman let her breath out and shook her head. She and the cop exchanged glances. ‘What’s your name?’ the cop asked.

  ‘Hine.’

  The woman looked Hine over, taking in her bleeding cheek. ‘Did Evan hit you, Hine?’

  She turned her cheek away, and didn’t answer.

  The cop touched her shoulder. ‘I’m Police Constable Robyn Partridge. We need you to come down to the station and make a statement. And then I’d like you to come with me to the refuge. Just for the night, so you can think things over. Okay?’

  Godfrey was looking at her with big soulful eyes, and he trotted up and licked her bloody cheek. It stung, and she shoved him away, but her cheek felt better immediately, as if he had wiped it with anaesthetic. She reached out and cuddled him. ‘I’ll be okay,’ she told them. ‘I don’t need no refuge.’

  Godfrey whined mournfully at her.

  Taupo Police Station was on Story Place, behind the Rose Gardens. The police loaded Evan, Brutal and Ronnie in a van, but they took Hine in a cop car. She wished Godfrey was there, but they wouldn’t let him come in the car. He had wagged his tail and darted away, as if on a mission.

  They took her through reception and down a corridor, past the holding cells, to an interview room. The closest cell was empty except for a dishevelled tramp, whose eyes followed her as she walked past. Although he looked like a broken old man, there was something malevolent about him. His reek reached her through the open doorway, and he smacked his lips as he watched her walk past. Shadows clung to him, as though light refused to come too close.

  ‘Revolting man,’ muttered PC Robyn as she led Hine into a bare room. ‘We picked him up last night, urinating in a drinking fountain at one in the morning. Some people you feel sorry for, but there’s something about him …’ Her voice trailed off, and she glanced at Hine as though embarrassed to have said so much.

  PC Robyn went for tea, while Hine tried not to think how badly Mat and those two tourists might have been hurt. Sometime during those few minutes, she lost her remaining courage. When PC Robyn came back, she said as little as she could, before asking to see Evan. PC Robyn made an exasperated noise, and ignored her request. ‘Do you know this Matiu Douglas? We took him to A&E — he has broken ribs.’

  ‘No, I’ve never met him before. We’d only said a few words, see. I’m sorry he got hurt,’ she added truthfully.

  ‘What about the two Germans? One has a broken nose and both have concussion. Do you know them?’

  ‘No, they just wanted to help, I guess. Pretty dumb, huh?’

  ‘It’s not dumb to help a person in need, Hine,’ PC Robyn told her in flat tones. ‘Evan and his associates will be bailed, you know. They’ll be out in twenty-four hours.’

  A vague hope he might be locked away for a while vanished. Which means I’ve got to make it up with him. ‘Let me see Evan!’ she pleaded. ‘He’s my boyfriend. Ain’t it my right?’

  PC Robyn rolled her eyes. ‘Very well,’ she said grimly, standing up. She hit a buzzer, and a big Maori cop came in. ‘This is PC Tamati Richards. He’ll take you through. Your boyfriend is in the middle holding cell.’

  Hine nodded and got up. They took her back down the corridor to the holding cells, a room full of cages just like in a movie. The room fell silent, and she felt that horrible tramp watching her. Then Evan leapt to the front of the cell.

  ‘Hey, baby! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean nothing! Are you okay?’ He looked sincere, repentant.

  She nodded numbly, unsure now what it was she wanted to say.

  ‘I still love you, baby,’ he said in that voice he always used to melt her heart. ‘I’ll be out tomorrow and we’ll make it all okay.’

  Suddenly a bizarre noise froze her. The tramp had got up and stalked to the front of his cell. A wave of putrid air washed the room as he began to ululate like an American Indian; slapping his mouth and whooping, his eyes locked on her. �
��It’s you!’ he shouted, his tones incredulous. ‘It’s you!’

  Everyone stared, and then Evan lunged through the bars from his cell, grasped the tramp’s jacket, and wrenched him face first into the bars. ‘Don’t look at her, you stinking ape!’ Evan bawled, his face centimetres from the tramp’s. The officers in the room converged, but the tramp’s face just split into a huge grin.

  ‘She’s your woman?’ he asked, his eyes bulging. ‘Excellent!’

  Suddenly the room went black, then dazzlingly white, and black again, as though a massive strobe light was flashing on and off. Faces and expressions changed with each flash, but Hine’s gaze was fixed on the tramp and Evan. She saw the tramp exhale, and a cloud of shadows seemed to well like a serpent from his lips, and pour into Evan’s open mouth. Evan’s face went wide in sudden panic, and he tried to tear himself away, but the darkness kept flowing into him, and then he was reeling away. She screamed and suddenly everything stopped and reverted to normal, the room reverberating to her cry.

  The tramp turned and looked at her, his expression vacant and lost. He fell against the bars, tried to grip, then toppled backwards. She screamed again as the officers leapt towards his cell. ‘It’s just a power fluctuation,’ PC Tamati told her, although his face looked haunted.

  Evan had fallen between Ronnie and Brutal, who peered down at him in bewilderment. Then he sat up, and looked straight at her. She saw darkness gather behind his eyes, felt that serpent baring fangs at her, and found herself trying to push her way backwards through the wall. ‘Nooo! Nooo! It’s in him, it’s in him! Don’t let him out! Evan! Evan! Noooo!’

  The Evan-thing began to laugh, blowing her kisses from where he sat on the floor. In the next cell the tramp convulsed, gurgling. Constable Richards took her in his huge arms and dragged her towards the door. The tramp went rigid with a rattling noise in his throat. Then Evan slowly turned his head, raised his finger and pointed at her. Right at her, right at the spot between her eyes, and he smacked his lips, just like the tramp had earlier.

  She swallowed a sob as PC Richards pulled her away.

  When next she was aware, she was in a car outside Evan’s house. Her house. It was twilight. The dark was creeping through the city, street by street. PC Tamati Richards was driving; PC Robyn had her arms around her and was cuddling her like a mother. ‘Shhh, Hine, we’re here now. We’re going to go in and collect your things.’

  She let the cop hold her; she was frightened of being let go. ‘Did you see it?’ Hine whispered. ‘Did you see the snake? It went into his mouth!’

  She saw Tamati and Robyn glance at each other. ‘Easy, lass,’ said Tamati. ‘It’s a shock to see someone die, but you’re okay now.’

  ‘But the lights flashed … and the snake, the snake …’

  ‘There was no snake, Hine. There’s no snakes in New Zealand. It’s okay. We’ll get you in and out of here as soon as possible.’

  They had seen nothing. There hadn’t been anything. She was hallucinating. She was mad. And they seemed to be acting like she had said she would go to the refuge after all. I never said that … But the thought of being home when that Evan-thing returned appalled her. She nodded meekly.

  The front door opened and Ko came waddling out, concern all over her face. Robyn helped her out of the car, and Ko gripped her in a huge bear-hug, tears running down her face. ‘Lovey, lovey, oh lovey, are you okay?’ She touched the wound on her cheek. ‘What’s happened? Deano came running and said you was all arrested. Is Ronnie with you? Is Ronnie okay?’

  ‘Ronnie’s okay. But I’ve gotta go, Ko. Like you said: I’ve gotta go.’

  Ko’s face widened. ‘Tonight? Oh my …’

  ‘I gotta, Ko. Evan caught me talking to this guy, and beat him up.’

  ‘Oh, honey, you shoulda known better. Evan’s so jealous.’

  So it’s my fault? She felt a sudden anger at her friend, had to stop herself from shouting something she would regret. ‘He was no-one, Ko. Just a kid who said “hi”. Nothing was going on. But now Evan’s gonna do me for it.’

  Ko wrapped her arms around her, and that nearly started her crying again, but she must have used up all her tears for now. She felt hollow and chilled to the bone.

  PC Robyn laid a hand on Hine’s shoulder. ‘I’m sorry, but we need to keep moving.’

  Ko glared, but slowly let Hine go. They all went inside, and she stopped, wondering what to do. They had to lead her into her room. It was a pigsty, as usual. Unwashed clothing and tangled sheets strewn about. Unwanted memories of her and Evan together surfaced, but she pushed them away. Robyn followed her in, sniffed with distaste, and gave her a plastic rubbish bag. ‘Pile your things into here. I’ve got plenty of them. Do you have possessions in other rooms? What can I do to help?’

  It didn’t take long to empty the two drawers she used, and clear her side of the wardrobe. She took a tiny jewellery box and tucked it into a pocket, her toothbrush from the bathroom, the dregs of a perfume bottle. ‘That’s all.’ She hung her head. ‘I ain’t got much.’ She realized she still had Ko’s hoodie on. ‘Ko, this is yours …’

  Ko wouldn’t look at her. ‘You keep it, lovey. Is too small for me now. You keep it, eh.’ Brandi came out, looked at the cops, and shrank against her mother’s legs. ‘Brandi-babe, you give Aunty Hine a hug, there’s a girl. Aunty’s got to go away for a while.’

  Brandi shyly hugged Hine, who felt her tear ducts recharging. She squeezed the girl and prayed Brandi would never have to go through this herself.

  Tamati looked at his watch. ‘We’ve got to go, Robyn.’

  PC Robyn nodded, running fingers through her hair then replacing her hat. ‘Okay, Hine?’

  Ko seized Hine and squeezed her tight, crying again. ‘I’ll be in touch, Ko,’ promised Hine. ‘I’ll see you again, I will.’ She wished she could tell Ko about the tramp-thing, but how could she explain it? She dropped her voice, and said only, ‘Evan is evil. You and Ronnie have got to leave, Ko. Please!’

  ‘When we can, honey.’ Her voice sounded hopeless. ‘You take care, lovey. You take good care.’ She looked at Robyn and Tamati. ‘I’m holdin’ you two personally responsible, you hear? Anything happens to her …’

  The two cops fidgeted awkwardly. Hine backed out the door, her hands trembling so much she had to stuff them in her pockets. She needed a smoke, badly.

  Robyn walked with her to the car while Tamati talked into his radio. She looked back at the house, at Ko and Brandi silhouetted in the front door, the light behind shrouding them in shadow. She waved hesitantly, and then allowed Robyn to help her in. Everything seemed fluid suddenly, as if the ground were an illusion cast over a huge dark lake, and she was about to be swept beneath the surface. Into the deep water.

  They took her to the Women’s Refuge, a big old house only a few blocks from Evan’s house. It didn’t seem far enough away. Robyn was speaking but all Hine could think about was that she had only tonight in which to find somewhere to hide before that Evan-thing came looking for her.

  When she stepped from the car, in front of the refuge, her heart fluttered. She shouldered her bag of things, while Robyn went ahead. The street was empty. Tamati was bent over his cop radio. She took a few steps, then looked around as a small woof sounded in the shadows of the building. Godfrey was there, his tail wagging. She went to the dog, unnoticed by Robyn who was knocking on the door. She knelt, stroking his fur.

  ‘Hello, lass,’ said a quiet voice, English-sounding, throaty and down to earth, melodious and resonant. ‘I’m Aethlyn Jones. Godfrey and I have come to take you home.’

  She looked up. Standing back from the dog was an old man with a rough whiskery face, a pipe hanging out of the corner of his mouth, shapeless clothing, and unkempt grey hair. He held out a hand. Godfrey rubbed against her leg, and then walked to Jones and licked his other hand. That decided her, somehow.

  She held out her hand. He took it in his callused but gentle grip, and they walked away down the side of the building,
and were gone.

  Robyn and Tamati searched for her all night. They tried every street, every known place that the girl could have gone to, to no avail. At dawn they issued a missing persons report before getting dressed down by the local police chief for letting the girl out of their sight. But Hine Horatai was gone.

  Asher Grieve

  Sunday

  Donna Kyle stared at the mirror, mourning all she had lost. Her once-perfect nose was crooked and scarred; a puckered reddish-pink ridge cut a jagged line across her face. Her skin felt like old paper. The moko on her chin had faded to grey and her lips were bloodless. She turned from the looking glass, unable to bear the beaten visage it held.

  She was in a war, and she was losing. She hadn’t realized how much she had depended upon Puarata’s gifts. He had given her a stream of little trinkets and potions that did this or boosted that. She had once thought it was her skill that had brought her to his side, elevated her above the others. She had imagined herself his most powerful acolyte, but now she knew better.

  I was just his favourite whore.

  When he died, his trinkets had also begun to fade. What did she have left now? The binding words to enslave a few fairy beings of limited power. A little influence among the tipua tribes. The mana of having been Puarata’s woman, such as it was. Little else. She now knew her talents were no better than the others’, no more than even that pig Sebastian Venn’s. Venn! Damn the man! He had taken everything. All that was hers by right, he now held. And damn all those vile men, clubbing together against her. He had bought the loyalty of everyone, turning her into an outcast.

  She had fought tooth and nail, but it had been hopeless. She was no general. She had no money. The bikers and mobsters she managed to woo were nothing against his mercenaries with their fat contracts. Even her supernatural allies failed her. She sent hau hau or tipua, but he countered with settler soldiers, armed with guns and well disciplined. Her forces had disintegrated. Those few apprentices of Puarata’s circle that had joined her were dead. Bryce had fled south after that debacle at Waikaremoana. Weak bastard! Only Kurangaituku still stood by her, and she was mad and utterly untrustworthy. The Ureweras were lost. Venn controlled the Lodge she had once thought of as home. He had legal title to all of Puarata’s property and the manpower to back it up. His pre-eminence among the northern warlocks was undoubted. Bryce still held the South, but he was refusing to aid her. Unless she swore service to him. Never!