“Rabedy’s in about as much danger as you are,” he told his sister.

Less, really, he added to himself, because he was in no mood for her games today and if she kept it up, he’d see how a good whack across the back of the head might set her straight.

“Oh, no,” she said. “Off in the otherworld with some murdering greenbree. That’s safe as plucking flitter wings afore you bite off their little screeching heads. Safe as rooting for food in a garbage bin instead of stealing it off a table the way a good bogan would. Safe as—”

“We’re at a funeral,” Big Dan said, interrupting her. “Could you show some respect?”

“What? For a Redshanks?”

“He was one of my men.”

“Aye, and much good that did him.”

“Give it a rest,” Big Dan told her.

She had something to add to that as well, but the look in his eye made her keep it to herself.

Big Dan turned his attention back to where Gathen’s body lay on a pyre of scrap wood, newspapers, and whatever inflammable items could be found on such short notice. It wasn’t like the old days, when they could go into the forest and get what they needed. Here they had to scrounge through the city streets and back alleys to find any sort of fuel at all. The whole mess had been doused in gasoline to ensure a quick ignition and the smell of the gas drifted throughout the empty lot where they had gathered for the funeral.

Stourin Redshanks, Gathen’s grandfather, stood in front of the pyre, a flaming brand raised high in his hand. Though he cut a fine figure for an old bogan, Big Dan was more mesmerized by the sparks that came from the brand as Stourin waved it back and forth above his head. Any moment, Big Dan expected one of those sparks to land in the cloud of Stourin’s frizzled grey hair and set the whole hairy bush on fire.

“He was a good lad, Gathen was,” Stourin said, his voice ringing and clear. “He had many years left in him. But those stoogin’ canids didn’t see it that way. Oh, no. Cut him down and leave his kith and kin to grieve the loss while they go laughing on their way. And for what? What crime did Gathen commit ‘sides being a bogan?”

Many of those gathered had staves which they pounded on the ground in response. Those that didn’t, stamped their feet.

That brought Big Dan’s attention away from the sparks and Stourin’s hair.