[50024 Years Ago/ Later that Evening/ The Lake]
The tribe encircled the huge bonfire for the feast. The children were clustered near the south end of the ring, while the chieftain and his wife were at the north end nearest the Lake. Those in between were arranged according to their status in the tribe.
As heroes being honored, Heba and Mike found themselves seated on the north side, with Mike next to the chieftain and Heba next to Tagi. They were close to one another but neither leaned forward or back to see the other.
Heba could tell that Mike was still angry with her for some unknown reason, but sorting it out with him during a celebration couldn't be done.
"Congratulations, Heba." This was Dora. She touched the red stone necklace. This had been done many times by the women of the tribe and Heba nodded as she'd done many times and said, "Thank you."
"Pult is quite a catch." Dora smiled and moved on to talk to one of the other matrons.
Heba's eyes went wide as she looked at the necklace, then at Pult, who was back on his elbows. He noticed her and smiled a smug smile.
"Are you kidding me?" Heba said.
"What's that, dear?" Tagi said.
Heba lifted the necklace. "This means I'm engaged to Pult?"
"Yes, what did you think it meant?"
Heba looked again at Pult. He'd tricked her. She'd either have to marry him or face the shame of ending the engagement. And even if she did so, it had already done great damage to her relationship with Mike. For Pult it was a victory no matter how it played out.
Bastard, Heba thought.
Tagi smiled and patted Heba's back. "Pult has seen fit to make you his wife when he had so many to choose from. It is yet another gift of the gods. Isn't that right, Tim?"
"What's this?" the chieftain said, looking very happy with life.
"Pult and Heba. It's something of a miracle, isn't it?"
"How so?"
"That Pult would so quickly decide to marry Heba."
"I don't know," Tim said, smiling at Heba. "She's quite a catch herself. And she's a seer now. Think of what their children will be like."
Heba put her hand over her mouth. She thought for a moment she would vomit.
"Pult," the chieftain said, looking past Heba and missing her reaction to his words, "you have given Heba the red necklace, but what else will you do for your engagement?"
Pult thought about this for a moment, then stood. "Tomorrow at dawn I will go and hunt a lion." All were hushed by this astounding idea. "Yes," Pult said, "I will go and any who wish to join me may do so. And tomorrow night we will dine on lion meat, and I will present the lion's head to my bride-to-be."
Heba looked on as the people slapped their thighs in applause, then she turned to see Mike's reaction, but he wasn't there.
She huffed in frustration, then rose up and went to Pult who stood with his hands on his hips, smiling. And with the entire tribe looking on, she yanked the red necklace away, snapping its thin leather band, then threw it into the fire.
All were silent. Pult looked at Heba with disdain.
"I will never marry you, Pult," she said. "Never." She went straight out from the bonfire and into the night.
The silence continued for a long while, then Tagi spoke, "She is touched, Pult. That is the way of seers. You have tried to honor her, but she is half in this world and half in the world of the gods and, thus, is crazy. There is no shame in her rejecting you, and I believe you have just dodged a spear in this."
There was some laughter as the people were nodding to one another.
"Yes," Pult said, "I understand better now. Heba is not one to be married, and the gods have shown me my mistake." Pult then looked around the tribe. "But though she dishonors me, I will still honor our tribe by bringing back a lion."
The tribe cheered and Pult smiled to their adoration.