for you.
you didn't hunt today.
what's that supposed to be?
that's not a bear. that's just some lines on a skin.
that's stupid.
and what's that? he picks up a skin with another of zed's drawings on it, this one of a big-breasted naked girl. zed quickly grabs it and holds it upside down.
it looks like maya.
stay away from my woman.
stay away.
enmebaragesi said he saw you in the garden with maya.
enmebaragesi doesn't lie. villagers gather around them, maya and eema among them. marlak puts his spear point to zed's throat. marlak the truth!
your father was a great hunter, but you're like-- a girl. the hunters laugh.
now i kill you. he's about to spear zed when suddenly the shaman screams and jumps between them. the villagers step back as the shaman howls an incantation and shakes his magic rattle at zed.
now you die. marlak throws his spear and misses as zed takes off running into the forest with the hunters right behind him and the whole village ablaze.
i see you.
yes, i do.
you're trying to trick me.
you think i'm going to turn around and look, but i'm not. i'm going to gut you like a pig. he is about to plunge his knife into zed when suddenly he is struck from behind by a heavy tree branch. he falls heavily, knocked senseless by oh who is standing over him with the makeshift club. zed sits up and smiles gratefully at oh.
get away from my woman!
i'll kill you! marlak starts muscling and squirming his way through the body pile trying to get to zed.
no. you're not just like me.
who's going to take her there? the chosen one? marlak kicks gravel and dirt in zed's face. zed just lies there and takes it, feeling like he's failed everyone. then he hears the beating of drums and trumpet fanfares coming from the temple square below.
all right. without a moment's hesitation, marlak grabs him and tosses him off the top of the ziggurat. he screams all the way down.
now what? zed looks around quickly, grabs the end of a long coiled rope attached to a big pulley, and hands marlak the other end.
all hail the chosen one! with that the crowd explodes into rousing cheers. in the midst of the crowd, abraham looks around and scowls.
we'll tell stories about you around the fire.