Coyote Blue Chapter 32~33

CHAPTER 32A Doctorate in DeceptionAccording to chink, at the conviction the white work force came, there were seven-spot blessed pointer softwares. Each had been made by four medicine men who had the same vision at the same time. Once the bundles were made, the medicine men vowed never to gather again, afraid t assume if their combined power were stolen by one, he would become invincible and abuse the power. These bundles contained the most powerful of warrior medicine, able to protect the toter from an enemys weapon, give him the ability to travel swiftly, and escape to the Underworld in an emergency, to return later, unharmed. Of the original seven bundles, dickens had been destroyed by fire, two by flood, two were locked a style in museums in Washington, and the last to leave the reticuloendothelial systemervation was in the hands of a private collector in Billings, who had bought it from a family who had been converted to Christianity and plan the bundle might jeopardi ze their salvation.At first surface-to-air missile suspected gaols report. His choice fin comp permitelyy to believe it was based more on heart than logic. Whether the story of the bundles was true or not didnt matter as much as the hope it inspired. Action based on hope just felt cleanse than the paralysis of certainty.When surface-to-air missile came through the door of the Hunts Alone house, Cindy hardly recognized him. When she had first met him he stopmed weak, wasted, and without reason to live. Now he was moving and talking with purpose. surface-to-air missile said, Cindy, Im sorry rough forwards. I dont motive to impose.Youre family, she said, and that was only the explanation needed.Thanks, Sam said. We went to invite jerkwater. Hes doing fine.Did they say when he can come folk?Were bringing him home tonight, if amours go the way they should. Can I use the ear instal?Cindy waved toward the kitchen table, where the phone sat amid a stack of cereal boxes and bowl s. Sam checked on Grubb, order him sleeping, and went to the phone.The first invite went out to the Museum of the West in Cody, Wyoming. Yes, they knew a serious collector of Indian artifacts in Billings they had bought several pieces from him over the years. His name was Arnstead Houston.The next call was to his despatchice in Santa Barbara. Gabriella, I need you to propose the key I gave you and go to my house. In my clo launch theres a corduroy jacket with suede cubitus patches. Load it in my garment bag with the khaki pants, a flannel shirt, and that goofy Indiana Jones hat that Aaron gave me for Christmas. Put in my blue pinstripe suit shirt, shoes, and draw and quarter to match. Then grab my briefcase and fall it all on the next plane to Billings, Montana. Buy a seat for it if you hurt to. Put it on the corporate card. And flux the name Arnstead Houston through all our companies client files go to the insurance policy Institute if you hasten to. Its a Billings address.He waited while Gabriella locate the name through the computing machine and came back with the name of Houstons home-owners insurance carrier. Give me the agents number. Sam scribbled it down. Call me back at this number as soon as you confirm the arrival time of my rack in Billings. He gave her the Hunts Alone number.He dialed the number of Houstons insurance agent in Billings and spoke in an Oklahoma accent. Yes, Im interested in insuring rough valuable Indian artifacts. Arnie Houston recommended you. Sam waited. I didnt figure you handled that sort of thing. Do you remember who you referred Arnie to? Boulder Casualty? You got a number for them? Thanks, pardner.Sam hung up the phone and it rang immediately. Hello. Five today? Thats the earliest? Thanks, Gabriella. Oh, I forgot call and reserve a car at the Billings airport. Something with four-wheel drive. A sports jacket or a bronco or something. White if they have it. Ill pick it up at five. Yes, the corporate car d. Fuck Aaron. Tell him Im on a hunting trip. And Gabby, you are incredible, you really are. I know Ive never t gaga you that before. Because it was time I did. Take palm.He disconnected and dialed another number, waited, then spoke with an English accent. Yes, Boulder Casualty. This is Samuel Smythe-White with Sothebys, London. So sorry to aggravator you, plainly weve a bit of a problem that you may be able to help us with. It seems weve recently acquired some Red Indian items a bit unusual for us and were at a loss as for someone to authenticate them. The owner, who must remain anonymous Im afraid, has suggested that you insure this sort of thing and might know of an appraiser. Yes, Ill wait.Sam held the phone aside and lit a cigarette. No, no, location is not a problem. Sothebys will fly him to London. Sam scribbled something. Jolly erect. Yes, thank you.He disconnected and dialed Arnstead Houstons number. Hello, Mr. Houston. This is Bill Lanier. Im the new head of Ethn ic Studies at the University of Washington. Yes. The reason Im calling is that I just got a call from Boulder Casualty. It seems that there is an item in your collection that has been severely undervalued and theyd like us to take a look at it to make sure the schedule of coverage is in line. Of course, the new appraisal would increase the price if you should ever want to sell it. Sam paused and listened.He continued, A Crow medicine bundle. Yes. This ones a cylinder, a hollowed-out cedar tree log. Thats right. Well, sir, well need to take a look at it in person. We happen to have a tribal expert visiting the campus right now. We could be in Billings by five thirty tonight. No, Im afraid he has to fly to a dig in Arizona tomorrow. It will have to be tonight. Yes, I have your address. Thank you, sir.Sam hung up, sat back, and permit out a yen sigh. The self-colored process had taken less than five minutes. When he turned just about both Cindy and brush wolf were staring at him. Cindys mouth was hanging overt.What was that? Coyote get hold ofed.You, Sam said, are now working, indirectly, as an artifacts expert for the Boulder Casualty Insurance Company and I am now a professor of anthropology at the University of Washington,Ive been looking for a job, Cindy said, shaking her head. They always make me fill out an application.Coyote looked at Cindy. He has shifty eye, dont you infer?-=*=- Arnie Houston sat in his den looking at the arrow bundle on the coffee table before him a hollowed-out log full of junk. But there was nothing quite so exciting as turning junk into money, and he was so phrenetic now he could have peed his Wranglers. God bless archaeology. God bless museums. God bless historic preservation. God bless AmericaWhere else could a piece of oil-field trash with a fourth-grade education be living in a twenty- mode house with a new Corvette in the garage, wearing thousand-dollar sea-turtle-skin boots and two pounds of silver and turquoise jewel ry? And all of it from buying and selling Indian junk. God bless every eggheaded, gopher-hearted anthropologist that ever wrote a paper or dug a hole. comminateArnie got up and went over to his bar, where he poured himself a snifter of Patron tequila thirty bucks a bottle, but the finest cactus juice ever burned hair off your tongue. And it calms you down. Cant let them think youre in it for the money, the dumb shits most of em could say howdy in thirty-seven dead languages, tell you the time a day a priest-doctor shit two hundred years ago plus the ritual that went with it, but couldnt tell a nickel from a knothole when it came to money.They always went to the tribal council or a medicine universe when they wanted to buy something that was their big mistake. You got to do your research. Find out what familys got something and then find the one in the family who drinks the most. When hes feeling his firewater, you be there with the cash. Presto, you got yourself a priceles s Indian artifact for dirt cheap. Arnie had just picked up a whole basket of heirloom beadwork over at the Yakima res a hundred bucks. The Yakima were just getting into crack cocaine and Arnie was in on the ground floor with investment capital. The beads had been in the families for hundreds of years and hed already had an offer of ten thousand for them from the Museum of the West upon authentication, of course.Anthropologists, heres to em Arnie thought. He toasted the fish in the aquarium by the bar and tossed back the Patron, then took a guess by looking out the front window. A white Blazer pulled into the circular driveway and two men got out, both of them tall one, an Indian in a suit, and the other in a corduroy jacket and khakis the anthropologist. The Indian must be the expert he talked about on the phone. City Indian making a living off of being Indian, sacking on about exploitation and such. Worthless troublemakers wouldnt shoot one if I needed to shed my gun.Ar nie stashed the snifter under the bar and went to the front door. He brushed back the sides of his hair with his fingers careful not to disturb the five strands combed over the pass on and opened the door.Mr. Houston, Im Dr. Lanier from the University of Washington. This is Running Elk, the gentleman I mentioned on the phone. The Indian nodded.Come on in, Arnie said, waving them into the tiled foyer. I took it out of the safe and put it on the table for you. He didnt really have a safe, but it sounded good.He led them into the den and stood by the coffee table. Here she is.The Indian moved to the fish tank and peered in. The professor walked around the table looking at the log, as if he were afraid to pick it up. Have you opened it?Arnie had to think. What was the best answer? These fellows want playing detective, finding their own clues. No, sir. The fella I got it from told me what was inside, though. Four arrows, an eagle skull, and some, er Damn, how do you describe it? It was just brown powdery shit. And some sacred powder.And who did you get it from?Fellow on the res. Old family, but he didnt want me to say. Hes afraid of the Traditionals getting revenge on him.Im going to have to open it to project the value.Quite so, the Indian said, shut away looking in the fish tank. The anthropologist s thermal him a nasty look. What was up with these two? An Indian who talks like a Brit if that didnt just beat the ugly off an ape.Its okay with me, Arnie said. Looks like them ends just come off like bottle caps. Thats exactly how they had come off when he opened it.Jolly good, old chap, the Indian said. The fish say that its been opened before.Thank you, Running Elk, said the professor. He seemed kinda ticked.He set his briefcase on the table next to the bundle, snapped open the lid, and removed some white cotton gloves. We dont want to disturb the integrity of the contents, he said, slipping on the gloves. Id opt to do this in the lab, but I assure you Ill be careful.You can excrescence the damn thing up for all I care, Arnie thought, as long as the price is right. But what was the deal with the Indian and the fish tank?The professor removed the end of the wooden cylinder and placed it on the table. He removed one of the four arrows and studied its length. When he looked at the point his face lit up. My God, Running Elk, do you see what I see?What? What? Arnie said. Was this good or bad?The Indian looked up from the fish tank. Oh, capital Hes promised them one of those plastic bubbling scuba divers if he sells it.What? Arnie said.The professor scowled at the Indian and held the arrow up for Arnie to see. Mr. Houston, you see this arrow point?Uh-huh.This is a small-game point, and the flaking is not the pattern you find on Crow points from the buffalo days.So?So, I think this bundle is from the time before the Crows split from the Hidatsa. If thats the case, this bundle may be priceless.Arnie saw a swimming pool appearing in his b ackyard, with a whole shitpot of girls in bikinis sitting around it, rubbing oil on his back. How can you be sure?Ill have to take it back to the university to have it carbon-dated. The professor put the arrow back into the bundle. From his briefcase he pulled out a sheaf of forms. I hope youll understand, Mr. Houston, the university cant bond something like this for its full value, but I could write a guarantee of perhaps two hundred thousand until the return. The professor waited, his pen poised over the form.Arnie pretended to think about it. In fact, he was persuasion about the new swimming pool. Now it was indoors and had a big hot tub full of dollies. I guess that will be all right, he said. The professor began writing on the form. We should have it back to you within the week. Ill see to it personally that its handled carefully. If youll just sign here. He pushed the form over to Arnie. in that location it was, $200,000.00 in big black numbers. It was all he needed to see. Ar nie signed and pushed the paper back to the professor.The professor closed his briefcase and got up. Well, Id like to get this back to the lab by tonight and start the work on it. Ill call you as soon as we know for sure. He picked up the bundle and headed for the door.You take care now. Thanks, Arnie said, holding the door for them.No, thank you, Mr. Houston.Cheerio, the Indian said as they climbed into the Blazer. Oh yes, your mates said theyd like a Flipper video and a bit of brine shrimp to eat.Arnie watched the Blazer pulling away. Boy, the old professor was sure giving Running Elk hell for something. Eggheads. He wondered for a minute why the Blazer had mud on the license plates when it was so clean everywhere else. Hell with it, it was time to celebrate. A buddy had given him the number of a little bird who for two hundred dollars would come over in her cheerleader outfit. Hed been saving it for a special occasion and it looked like it was time to dig out that ol number and see if she really could suck the furniture out of a room through the keyhole.-=*=- As soon as they were out of sight of Arnies house, Sam took the Indiana Jones hat off and smacked Coyote with it. What were you thinking? You almost blew it.The fish said he tricked someone to get that bundle.And what did we just do? Thats different. It was a Crow bundle.You wanted to blow it, didnt you? Why didnt you just hump his couch or something? Why didnt you just tell him the truth?Well, Coyote said, if your trick worked it would make a good story.Ill take that as as compliment. Sam was no longer angry. They had the bundle now it was time to think about the next part of the plan. He believed what Pokey had told him about the power of the bundle, and all Pokey had ever asked of him was to be believed. He said, Coyote, will you help me get Pokey out of the clinic?Another trick? Coyote asked.Of sorts.Ill help, but I wont go to the Underworld with you.CHAPTER 33DoorsSome of the color had returned to Pokeys face and someone had taken the braids out of his hair and brushed it. He opened his look when Sam entered the room.You got it? Pokey said.Its in the car, Sam said. Coyote came in behind him.Pokey grinned. Old Man Coyote.Howdy, Coyote said. How many times you died now, old man?A bunch. Its plumb wearing me out, Pokey said. The medicine man got tired of singing the death song and went home. I think he got scared. Pokey pulled a cassette out from under his covers and held it up. I got it on tape for the next time.Sam said, Pokey, we have the arrow bundle. What do we do now?Ask him, Pokey said, pointing to Coyote.I aint going, Coyote said. He has to go alone.Samson needs a medicine man to sing the bundle song.Thats why were here, Sam said.You want me? I didnt think you believed I had medicine, Samson.Things change, Pokey. I need you.Well then, get me out of here. Pokey started to sit up.Sam pushed him back. I dont think you should be walking.Samson, I done told you, I had my death vision. I dont die in no hospital, I get shot. Now help me get up. He struggled to a sitting position and Sam helped him turn so his feet hung off the bed. Youre right, I dont think I can walk.Sam turned to Coyote. You promised to help.-=*=- The clinic was officially closed for the day, but the skeleton staff of two nurses was still on. Adeline Eats sat in the waiting room with her six children, who were all green with flu, insisting that she wasnt going anywhere until they got treatment, even if she had to wait all night.For the twentieth time, the nurse at the window was explaining that the doctor had gone home for the night, when she heard the hoof beats on the stairs. She dropped her clipboard and ran out of the office to see a black horse coming down the stairs, an old, half-naked man bouncing on its back. She ducked back into her office to avoid being trampled and looked up in time to see a man in a corduroy jacket running behind the horse out the front door.The nurse ra n out into the waiting room to the front door, which dangled in pieces on its hinges. She watched the horse stop beside a white Blazer and rear up. The old man, his gray hair streaming in the wind, let out a war whoop and fell into the arms of the man in corduroy. Then, as she watched, the horse started bubbling and changing until it was a man in black buckskins. The nurse stumbled back in shock. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped a foot off the ground. She came down holding her chest. Adeline Eats said, You got room for my kids now, or what?-=*=- Riding in the Blazer, Pokey said, Old Man Coyote, how do I send Samson to the Underworld?Just open the bundle and sing the song. He will go.Sam said, What happens then? What do I do?My medicine ends when you get there. You will see the one that weighs the souls. Dont be afraid of him. Just ask him if you can bring the girl back.Thats it?Dont worry about the monster. The Underworld is not what you think. Coyote rolled down th e car window. I have something that I want to do. Ill be there when you return. Coyote dove out the car window, changing instantly into a hawk and flying off into the night sky.Wait Sam said. What monster? He stopped the car.Pokey giggled like a child. A horse and a hawk in one night. Samson, do you know how gold we are?Sam leaned forward and put his head against the wheel. Lucky wasnt the world that came to mind, Pokey.-=*=- Pokey had called Harlan and the boys down from Hardin. While they prepared the sweat, Sam stood at the door of the airstream trailer trying to make himself open it. For the first time in years he was aware of his childhood fear of the dead and unrevenged ghosts and he hesitated. Since Pokey had given him hope of bringing Calliope back, he hadnt really thought of her as dead. He wanted to see her before he went to the Underworld, but he was afraid. Strange, he thought, after all these years of selling the fear of death, talking about it every day, now Im afrai d. Shes not dead, not really.He threw the door open and stepped into the trailer. Calliopes body was lying on the built-in cot by the door amid camping equipment and fishing rods. Coyote had covered her with a blanket, leaving her face exposed. She could have been sleeping.Sam sat on the cot by her and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. She was cold. He looked away.I wanted you to know He didnt know what to say. There was no face to put on to meet this face. If she would just open her eyes. He swallowed hard. I wanted you to know that I would do anything for you. That all this craziness was will be worth it if I can bring you back. Ive been hiding out for my whole life, and I dont want to live that way anymore. Anyway, I wanted you to know that Grubb will be okay. My family will take care of him. Ill be with you, one way or another.Sam leaned over and kissed her. Soon, he said. He got up and walked out of the trailer.Across the yard, the fire crackled and licked the sky, heating the rocks for the sweat. Pokey sat on a lawn chair, the arrow bundle in his lap, his eyes glistening orange in the firelight. Harlan was carrying rocks from the fire to the pit inside the sweat lodge. Sam stood by with Harry and Festus, watching. After the initial surprise that Sam was still alive, Harry and Festus simply fell into their normal roles of listening to their father argue with Pokey. Sam noticed that they had the lean, muscular frame of their father, the same square-set jaw. Harlan was a little sleazy now, and his hair had gone gray, but otherwise, to Sam, he seemed the same.The boys and me have to go to work in the morning, Harlan said. We cant stay late, Pokey. No drinking.I aint going to drink, Pokey said.Harlan dropped a hot rock into the pit and wiped sweat from his forehead. I cant believe that doctor let you come home. Just yesterday he was puttin your death on my hands for not moving you to the hospital in Billings.Hes a pissant, Pokey said. Hows i t coming?Harlan scraped another rock out of the fire and scooped it up with the pitchfork. This ought to do it. He unbuckled his pants and began to get undressed. The others followed his lead, hanging their clothes on Pokeys chair.Sam took the bundle from Pokey and put it in the sweat lodge, then helped the old man out of his hospital gown. Pokey crawled into the sweat lodge, where the others sat in a semicircle facing him.Before I drop the door, I got to open this here bundle. Its a real old one, so no one knows the right song. Im going to have to make it up as I go along. Okay?Pokey held up the bundle and sang a prayer song, thanking the spirits for the gift of the sweat. He laid out a square of buckskin for the objects in the medicine bundle. I dont know whats going to happen here, but Harlan, you and the boys got to pray that Samson has a safe journey. Hes going on a kind of vision quest, but he aint going to the life-time World. Pokey looked at Sam. Youve seen her since you go t here, right?Yes, Sam said.And shes still in the trailer?Yes.Who? Harry asked.Never mind, Pokey said. They hadnt told Harlan and the boys about Calliope or Coyote. Here we go. He threw a handful of sage onto the stones. When the smoke rose he held the bundle in it, then took off the cap. He began singing as he took for each one object from the bundle and set it on the buckskin. Sam closed his eyes and concentrated on going to the Underworld and what he had to do there.Heya, heya, heya, an arrow.Heya, heya, heya, another arrowHeya, heya, heya, another arrowHeya, heya, heya, the last arrow.Heya, heya, heya, an eagle skull.Heya, heya, heya, some brown stuff.Some brown stuff? Harlan said.Well, I dont know what it is, Pokey said. It looks like brown stuff to me.Whatever it is, its working, Festus said, pointing to Sam, who was shivering, even in the heat of the sweat lodge. His eyes were open but rolled back in his head, showing no pupils.Im dropping the door, Pokey said. Now pray for his return like you never prayed before.