We took the down elevator to the side door of the Hotel; we stopped just inside of the door. “Clay, Clay, wake up, you’re doing it again.” I heard Faith calling me. “I’m Okay, they’re out there.” I said, as I got one gun out of my pocket and my .44 out of my holster. “You all just stay inside, I’ll take care of this; I know just where they are. No, Faith it’s Okay, I’ll take care of it, it’s my responsibility.” I said, “You just hold this door, it opens to the inside.”
Faith held it open for me, I did a roll and tuck, it was a good thing, because they must have had an Uzi or something, cause there sure were a lot bullet’s coming my way. I had a pistol in each hand. On my left about 30 feet away stood one of them and on my right at the same distance was the other one. They were still firing, I put one through the right eye of the guy on my left and one through the left eye of the guy on my right. They fell over like cord wood.
It was quite, abnormally so; till we heard the sound of a siren coming our way. I turned to Faith, “take the truck and take the girls to the hospital, will you. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Don’t worry, it’ll be alright.”
A city police cruiser pulled up, an officer jumped out. “What’s going on here?”
I indicated the two dead men, “They tried to kill me, they missed, I didn’t.”
“Alright, give me your guns.” He said. I looked down, I still had them in my hands. The officer had pulled his. “Drop the guns and get your hands up.” He yelled. He was getting excited. “Calm down man,” I said. “I’m an FBI agent, just take it easy.”
“I don’t care who you say you are, drop your guns or I’m going to shoot.” He yelled frantically. Shit, I tilted my right hand gun and shot his pistol out of his hand.
I walked over to him, he was holding his wrist, “You’re okay, the numbness will go away pretty soon,” I said as I showed him my badge and I.D.
“How long have you been on the force?” I asked him.
“Two months,” he said, looking at me with fear.
“And they let you on the street by yourself. You almost got yourself killed tonight. You lost your cool, that could cost you your life next time,” I said. Another cop car pulled up. I told them the story and left them to clean up the mess.
But how was I going to get to the Hospital? I tapped the cop that I had shot the gun out of his hand, on the shoulder. “I’m taking your cruiser, you can pick it up at the Hospital.” He nodded his head. I started to turn away, then turned back, “You had better not tell them that I stole your car.” “No, no, you can take it, it’ll be all right.” He said backing up.
When I got to the Hospital, Faith was waiting for me. “They are both in there, getting examined now. We can wait over here, do you want a cup of coffee?”
About twenty minute’s later a Doctor came out. “We took both rape kits, we found enough fluid to get good DNA out of them. We took samples to test for STD’s also. They are getting dressed now. So you can take them home.” He had no more than left, than guess who showed up, that’s right, Harry Silver.
“Well it didn’t take you long to get here.” I said.
“The second I heard, I knew it was you. Nobody else can shoot their eyes out at 50 feet. So who were they?”
“I didn’t take time to get their names, but their I.D’s are in our room. They raped two girls, earlier tonight. Who are you going to have do the autopsies?”
“I suppose the local M.E. can handle it. Then we’ll have to send the DNA samples to either the State lab or our lab. As soon as I hear anything, I’ll let you know.” Harry said.
“Yeah, you can call me on my cell phone, we’re going to New Mexico for awhile. Rosie has some business to wrap up down there.” I said.
“So, you guys are building two new oil refineries huh?”
“Yeah, I guess so, maybe only one. Rosie is handling it.”
“Well watch your backs, I have already heard rumblings from Washington. The present administration, they don’t like the competition. I can’t wait till November.” Harry said, shaking his head as he walked away. Then he turned back around, “Oh yeah, if I was you I’d keep a close eye on those girls, they might want them dead too.”
I looked at Faith, then said, “I guess we don’t get to have sex on our date night.”
“I think there is an adjoining room right next to ours, I noticed a locked door anyway. We’ll stop at the desk when we get back and rent it too.” Faith said. I leaned over and kissed her. Just then the girls came out.
“Where do you guys live?” Faith asked them. They said that they had a little house on the outskirts of town.
I said, “I suppose every low life in town knows where you live?”
“Clay, behave yourself, that was unkind.” Faith said.
“The reason I asked was that the head FBI agent thinks they might still want to kill you. I don’t really know why he thinks that, but it behooves us to take precautions.” Faith said.
“Can we go by and get some clean clothes?” Angelina asked.
“No,” I said, “they might be watching your house.”
“Clay, I remember you from High School, why are you being so mean? You used to be so nice.” Patty said.
“Pay no attention to him, he’s just a little out of sorts. He thinks he isn’t going to get any nooky tonight. Come on let’s go back to the Hotel.” I followed along behind them. I remembered them well. I remember that I asked Angelina out, but she was a popular girl, I was a nobody, just a breed kid. How the mighty have fallen. Angelina turned around and looked at me, a little tear ran down her cheek.
I got behind the wheel, still feeling out of sorts. You know how it is, when memories from High School come flooding back, especially if those memories weren’t the greatest.
I started up and looked to the rear, when a bullet came ripping through my side rear view mirror. I jerked open the door and rolled out, both guns in my hand. I heard the squealing of tires coming toward me. I stood firmly in the street with my feet braced, firing both pistols. The windshield of the car was shattered in a million pieces. The guys behind the window, weren’t in much better shape. Their car careened into a parked car right behind my truck. I stood there, reloading my guns. The wail of sirens started up again. I was sure getting tired of this.
The city police were coming to get the cruiser that I had borrowed. That was why they were there so fast. They got out of their car, “Well if it isn’t the one man crime wave.” One cop said. He made the mistake of saying that while he was within arm length of me. I knocked him cold. Faith got out and took me back into the Hospital. The next thing I knew was when I woke up back in my own bed at the ranch.
Faith was setting beside the bed, reading. I looked at her and said, “I didn’t get any nooky, did I?”
She turned and jumped on the bed, “Oh, you’re back. I was so worried. How do you feel?” She said, feeling my head.
“How long was I out this time?”
“Thirty days.”
“I’m sorry. But I guess we can go to New Mexico when I get out of bed.”
“No need. Rosie took the plane, the Hoeffer boys went with her, as body guards.”
“But she doesn’t have a license.”
“Yeah, I know. But she went anyway. They’re due back in three days. Rosie said the boys are doing okay. They make good body guards. They can shoot right on target, she taught them how to use a knife. They’ll be alright.”
“I didn’t even know that she knew them, how did this all come about?”
“Everybody on the ranch knows everyone. Rosie told me that she had been noticing that they were doing a good job. That was why she picked them.”
“Which one is she sweet on, Chip or Dale?”
“I don’t think she is sweet on either one. But I think Tiff likes one of them, I don’t know which one.”
“What ever happened to Patty and Angelina?” I asked.
“They’re living with Red and Daisy. We hired them on as ranch hands. They’re doing pretty good. Not great, but they are trying.”
“Are they causing any ruckus, like you know, sex wise with the male hands?”
“No silly. They don’t do that anymore.”
“Well that’s a relief.” I said, just as Suong came in the door.
“So, how’s my patient doing today? Is that head wound healing alright?” She said, looking at Faith.
“I was just going to take the bandage off and look at it, when he woke up.” Faith said, reaching for my head. I put my hand up there instead.
“When did I get this?” I asked my beautiful wife.
“Do you remember what happened when we came out of the Hospital? I see that you do. Anyway, the bullet hit your door jam and split up, part of it broke your outside rearview mirror. The other piece hit you on the left temple. Blood was streaming down your face, but you didn’t seem to notice. I at first thought it was just a scratch. But it put another hole in your head, just like you needed more. Anyway it sort of match’s the other side now. I think it’s also going to turn your hair white; I hope it leaves a lighting bolt pattern, just like the one on your right, that’ll be neat, won’t it?”
Suong, came over and started to take the bandage off. She poked around a little bit, then said. “I think we can leave the bandage off now. Let it get some air, he’s a quick healer.” I have to go to the oil well and also the Refinery sight. You can get him up, if you want to. He should have a real bath, instead of those sponge baths.”
“So, who’s been bathing me this time?”
“Me, mostly. But Tiff and Hope have helped out.”
“Oh? That makes me a little bit embarrassed.” I said.
“Don’t worry about it, they didn’t. Yours isn’t the only Tally Whacker they’ve every seen, you know.”
“Okay, are you going to help me out of bed? I feel a little weak, laying here for thirty days.”
Faith helped me sit up, then I swung my feet to the floor. Faith said, “Just set there awhile, I’m going to run you a hot bath.” I was a little dizzy, not bad, it passed quickly. I called to Faith, “When did you take the I.V’s out, I see the marks where they were?”
“Oh, we did that yesterday, Suong said that you would wake up today. She was right. Just a minute and I’ll help you in, the baths almost ready.” Faith came in, just as naked as I was. She said, “I thought I might as well take one with you, kill two birds with one stone, you might say.”
It was a good thing our tub was a big one. It also had those water jets. I sat at one end, Faith got in and laid back up against me. The water was nice and hot, I dozed off.
“Hey, wake up, you’ve slept enough. It’s time to get back in the swing of things.” We did….
As we were getting dressed, I asked, “So who were those guys?”
“The same as the others. Harry Silver seemed to be glad that you were in another coma, he said, ‘perhaps now I can get some rest.’ isn’t that funny?”
“No, it’s not. He seems to think that this is all my fault. I still can’t figure out why they want me dead so bad. What did I ever do to them?”
“I don’t think it’s you so much, I think it’s what you represent.”
“Well, what do I represent, I’m just trying to take care of my family, that’s all. And perhaps do the right thing. I’m certainly not a do-gooder, that’s for sure.”
“You know, something else is different, you remember that old movie, ‘the night of the walking dead, or something like that, how these zombie’s came walking with one purpose? Well, Harry said that they seemed driven, like they have a one track mind, ‘Kill Clay Bronson, Kill Clay Bronson. Do you think there is something else, besides a mundane reason, like money, that they are trying to kill you? Like maybe something supernatural?” Faith said.
“Oh Yeah, ‘the Devil wants me dead.’ I can’t be that important, he wants us all dead, not just me.”
“Well, you’re important to me and the rest of the family. Say, that looks pretty neat, the way your hair has grown back over the bullet scars, they look like two lightning bolts. Hey! You could be a superhero, like from one of those comic books.” Faith said, as she came over and taking my head in her hands, gave me a long kiss.
“Come on, let’s go downstairs, the kids want to see you.” Faith said, taking my arm as we went downstairs. Setting in the front room, was Tiff, Hank and Poppy, with Alita setting beside her. Alita hopped off the couch and ran toward me, I swooped her up in my arms, she fastened her arms around my neck and wouldn’t let go. The rest of them grouped around me, hugging where they could.
Hope came in with a cup of coffee for me. “I saved some breakfast for the two of you, the kids have already ate.”
Everyone trouped into the kitchen with us. Alita wouldn’t let go of my neck, which I didn’t mind it in the least. She sat on my lap as I ate. I fed her some of my hotcake. She liked it with plenty of butter and syrup. The rest of the children sat down and had some, although they had just eaten.
I looked at Tiff, she was a beauty, “So Tiff, how’s the oil business going?”
“Good, they’re right on schedule. The second well came in while you were sleeping. And we are starting a distillation process, since Diesel comes off lower on the tower, we are actually making some product. We haven’t got the Cat Cracker on line yet. But things are looking up.”
“Where are you selling the Diesel that you have?” I asked.
“We opened one of the closed stations in town. You know, the one that was a Casino, we took all of the machines out and turned it into a family restaurant. We have two Diesel pumps. We’re selling it for a dollar a gallon. There is a line all of the time. The Big Oil stations are madder than a wet hen.”
“Well have they brought their prices down any?” I asked.
“Some, but they say they can’t. Which I suppose is true, since they get their supply from Big Oil Refinery’s. They keep pressuring us to raise our prices. I am getting a little worried about what Big Oil might do. Do you think we should hire more security?”
“You do what ever you think is necessary. More guards might make them think twice, before they start a war with us.” I said.
I turned my attention to Hank and Poppy next. “So guys, how are the training of the Horses and Mules coming?”
“Good, we don’t have to do too much, they seem to be training us. But we need more saddles and pack saddles with panniers.”
“Alright, you guys just buy what you need. I’ll call an open an account with the Saddle Shop in town. Hope can drive you in anytime you want.” I said.
I looked back at Tiff, “Say, has the EPA given you guys any trouble?”
“Some, they are there all of the time, if they want something done, we just do it. We follow all of their guide lines.”
“I bet that pisses them off?” I said.
“At first it did, I think they were looking for an excuse to shut us down. But now I think they are pretty happy about how accommodating we are.”
“What about down in New Mexico, how are things going down there?”
“I just talked to Rosie this morning, their right on track. Rosie said that she would be back in a couple of days.”
We talked for awhile longer. Then everyone went about their chores. Alita went with Poppy, they were going to ride Matthew and Luke. Poppy had been riding Luke, since Iris wasn’t here. They were both standing right outside the kitchen door. If you weren’t careful to shut the door, Hope told me, those two mules would be right in the kitchen.
Seeing Luke, Iris’s mule, made me think of Mary Jane and Iris. As Faith and I were cleaning off the table, I asked, “Have you heard from Mary Jane?”
“Sure, we talk almost everyday. You wouldn’t believe the layout they have up there. She couldn’t tell me everything, top secret you know. But she did say that the Helicopter that picked them up; it can go into outer space, way out, not just forty of fifty miles. She said that Earth was sure pretty from the Moon.”
“No? You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope, Elizabeth took her up there, before they went to the Ranch. But she did say that they miss us. I told her that we missed them also. And oh yeah, she did say that they have been seeing a lot of Pete Frank. Mary Jane said that Pete had been through some kind of reconditioning.”
“Reconditioning? What do you mean, physical?”
“No mental. Wolf told her that they went through his brain and removed any harmful tendencies.”
“I don’t think I like the sound of that. Smacks of brainwashing to me.” I said.
“No, nothing like that, I asked her. She said that they just put his brain back in perfect working order.”
“Perfect? How can that be, there hasn’t been any brain that has been perfect since Adam and Eve, then they lost that for us.”
“I don’t know, that’s just what she told me. But, I sort of like your Devilish little mind, especially in bed. I don’t think it would be as much fun if you were perfect.”
“Oh, you can never tell, it might be better.” I said as I reached for her and gave her a kiss and squeeze. When we came up for air, I said, “Do you want to go for a ride, we can saddle Brutus and Nick up?”
“Sure, I haven’t been riding either, been setting beside you mostly. But we had better get our weapons. We didn’t put them on when we came downstairs. From now on, I think we had better put them on anytime we leave our room.”
“Isn’t it the pits, to have the forces of evil so pissed at you, that you have to go armed.” I said.
“Isn’t that pretty melodramatic, ‘forces of evil’?” Faith said, as I walked behind her up the stairs.
“Huh? Oh yeah, I sort of got lost in your get-a-long there, I can’t believe one woman can be as beautiful as you.” I said.
“Well, you had better believe it, Buster, because I think it’s ditto.” Faith said as she pulled off her top and bra, to put her special bra on, the one with knives built in. “Fasten that for me, will you sweetheart?” She said. I did so with trembling hands….
On our way through the kitchen, Faith knocked together a little lunch for us, something easy that would fit in our saddlebags. Hope said, “When will you be back?”
“Should be before dark, can you watch Alita? Faith said.
“Sure, her Mule watch’s her most of the time, I have to talk like a Dutch Uncle to get her off him. Don’t worry, if you’re a little bit late, her and Poppy can sleep in that bedroom by the kitchen anyway.”
“We have our Satellite Cell phone, we’ll call if we’re going to be late, Okay?” I said.
“Yes, you two have a good time. Are you sure you’re feeling up to a long ride?”
“Yeah, Suong must have put some hi powered stuff in my I.V.’s”. I said.”
While we were saddling up, Alita and Poppy came into the barn yard. “Where are you going Momma?”
“Daddy and I are going for a ride, why do you want to come?”
“Yes, can Poppy come too?”
“Do you want to go for a long ride Poppy?” I asked.
“Yes, but I would have to ask Mom, I’ll run and ask her now, okay?”
“Perhaps you had better go with her Faith, should probably pack more food and water.” I said. All three went back to the house. I went to the gun locker that was in the tack room and took out two Winchester Saddle Guns, .44 Mags. The same size as the revolver that I was carrying. I also tied a camp ax and shovel behind the Cantle on top of the bedroll’s, one never knew.
I checked the saddle’s on Luke and Matthew, rearranged them a little, then tied bedrolls behind their saddles also. Why was I doing this, when we were going to be home before dark? I didn’t know, perhaps who ever was pulling my strings, maybe they knew.
The women came back with more food tied in a canvas bag. The children had changed to shirts and jeans with hats. They also brought jackets. At night in the mountains it gets cold. Now why did ‘night in the mountains’ come up in my mind?
I glanced over at Alita, she wasn’t even bouncing in the saddle. Matthew sure had a smooth trot. We went by the oil rig, waved at them and kept on going. We came to a small spring, that I used to water my horse at when I was a kid. It was still cold and pure.
We had a bite to eat, just enough to keep hunger pangs away, made sure our canteens were full of the spring water. The animals cropped grass and then drank their fill from the spring. We didn’t have to hobble them, they wouldn’t go anywhere. Why? Because they were where they wanted to be, with us.
I didn’t realize it, but we were making a bee line for one particular spot, that waterfall I told you about earlier. Faith pulled Nick up and said, “What’s the hurry, Honey? Where are we going?”
I looked around at the hills and the towering mountains. “Uh, right up in that cut over there into those beautiful green hills, right close to the mountains.” I said.
“Did you know that before I asked you?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“I thought as much, lead on McDuff.” She said, as she gave Nick his head. I followed along in the rear, riding drag was my thing. Although I was in the rear, I could still see way ahead of everyone else.
We followed the stream back into the hills, till we came to a small valley with the waterfall at the other end. We rode up within 50 yards of the waterfall. Dismounted, loosened the cinches’ and let the mounts graze. We walked around easing our legs and backs. After all it had been awhile since we rode.
Alita was over two years old now and she was in better shape than us old ones. If 28 was old. She walked over close to the falls, I went after her. And took her hand, “Daddy, there is a cave behind the falls.”
“Huh? There is?” I said, as we walked closer. Why hadn’t I noticed that before?
Maybe because, when I was here before, it was in the spring time, when the streams ran high. We got closer still. It was the last part of August and the stream flow was down. We had a dry summer, with little rain.
I picked Alita up, Faith was right behind me, with Poppy behind her. I walked into the waterfall. The cave, if it was a cave. Was about eight foot tall and about the same wide. Funny thing, there was no debris laying around. Then I felt a breeze, not from where we just walked under the falling water, but from the depths of the cave?
You would expect it to be dark; the further in we went. But it was as if the stone walls were giving off a soft reflected light. The breeze smelled like spring time. You know when the dew is heavy on the grass and flowers in the early morn.
I heard the clip-clop of hoofs, I glanced back over my shoulder, our steeds were following us. I should of expected it, they wouldn’t be left behind.
The light was getting brighter, we had went about fifty yards, I expect. I really wasn’t counting. I hesitated, why? Maybe it was the unknown, or just my natural caution at a new experience. I got no feeling of dread, it wasn’t that.
Alita leaned close to my ear, “It’s Okay Daddy, there’s nothing there to hurt us.”
“Oh, and how do you know Missy?” I said, kissing her on the cheek. Faith and Poppy were hanging onto my coattails, so to speak. We all felt it, the feeling that our life was going to change, somehow.
We stepped out into a beautiful light, soft diffused light, but sunlight, never the less. There was a valley, ringed by the mountains. Running down the middle, toward us was a nice crystal clear stream, it disappeared into the ground a short distance away.
Where did the water come from that caused the waterfall that we just walked through? It couldn’t be from this stream that ran back underground, it had to come from someplace higher. I bet this would be a geologist’s dream.
The valley ran on for at least a mile, I would bet. We could see fruit trees, Apple, Pear, I don’t know what all. The grass was belly high to a tall horse. A Doe and Fawn bounded away, they didn’t go far, just stood there looking at us. We stared back. The Doe stomped her hoof, snorted and tossed her head. Alita said, “Daddy, I think she wants us to follow her.”
There was a trail of sorts, we followed them as they started off at a slow walk, with both Doe and Fawn looking back to make sure we were following along. Bees were busy at the many flowers growing everywhere.
Setting beside the trail was a Coyote, chewing on a raw carrot, that he was holding in his paws. No, I’m not kidding. He was sitting on his haunch’s holding this carrot, using his dew claws like thumbs.
We stopped, with jaws agape. “What are you looking at? Haven’t you ever seen a Coyote before?” He said, at least that was what I heard, whether it was through my ears or was it just in my mind?
Alita clapped her hands in delight. Poppy was almost jumping up and down, giggling. “Daddy, can we keep him?”
“Keep me? Young Lady, I’ll have you know that I’m not a pet. I’m a free individual the same as yourself.” Alita squirmed to get down, I sat her on the ground. She walked over to him. “Would you like a bite of my carrot?” He said, holding it out to her, Alita took a bite and then handed it back to him. All before we could protest.
He was almost as tall as Alita, setting on his haunch’s, Alita put her arm around his shoulders. “Oh Daddy, isn’t he just wonderful?”
“I reckon he is, Honey.” I said, then to the Coyote. “Well you’ve got us here, what’s next?”
“What do you mean, I’ve got you here? You all came of your own freewill. But there is more that I would like to show you. If you will follow us.” He got up and dropped in behind the deer.
We followed in a daze. I did look up at the sky. The sun was filtering through what looked like water vapor. So that was why I had never seen this place from the sky, when I had flown over. I know I’ve covered every inch of these mountains by plane.
Thinking back, I’ve often wondered why clouds always hung around this one spot.
As we walked, there was about every species known to this climate, running around. A Grizzly bear that was overturning rocks for grubs, stopped what he was doing and waved at us as we passed. I glanced back at our animals, they never even turned a hair at the bear. Most of the time horses and mules would do most anything to get away from a bear.
We came to a clearing, setting in it, was a long stone building. The roof was also made of stone, slabs cut about two inch’s thick, overlaid like clay tiles. You could tell that it had been there for hundreds of years, moss was growing on what must have been the north side.
There were more fruit trees, plus what looked like a garden spot. Coyote seen me looking at the garden. “Oh, that’s our garden, we tend it now. We even store food in the root cellar over there.” He pointed.
“Who built this?” I asked.
“I don’t know for sure, but there’s some kind of writing on the walls in places, Norse, I believe.” He said.
Faith spoke for the first time, “Vikings? Really? It must be well over a thousand years old then.”
“I suppose it is. There’s a few graves over near that hill, I’ll show you when you have time.” Coyote said. “Would you like to see inside the house, we’ve been keeping it clean, waiting for you?”
“Huh? Waiting for us, how could you know we would come?”
“So many questions, only normal though, they will be answered in time, come.” Coyote said as he went toward the house.
There were four doors, one on each side, and one on each end. They were made out of some kind of isinglass, as were the seven windows per side, as well as two windows on each end of the house. As such, we were well surprised at the light being reflected inside.
On one side was what could be called the kitchen, with basins or sinks, that had cold spring water running into one and out again. The other sink had hot spring water running in and out. The house was at least a hundred feet long. With bedrooms. I looked into one, a stone bedstead. And what could pass for a toilet, it had running water continuously running by, just like aboard some of the older ships. They also had stone bathtubs, with hot and cold running spring water, mixing together. Who ever built this house was some kind of a genius.
A few birds had followed us in, they were singing and chirping as they followed along as we looked at everything.
I looked at Faith, she was staring around like a little kid at Disney Land. “Honey,” She said, “Do you remember that old movie, ‘Shangri-La’, doesn’t this remind you of that?”
“More like Disney Land, but yeah, with Shangri-La thrown in. I don’t know about you, but this makes everything that has happened to us in the past, seem normal. And now, this sure isn’t normal, is it?”
Coyote said, “Normal is, as normal becomes.”
I looked at my pocket watch, since it was pretty hard to tell the time by the sun, you know with the vapor haze covering the valley. Almost five, no wonder my stomach was growling. I looked at my wife as she was bending over sniffing a flower, I would never get used to how comely she was, especially from this angle. “Sweetheart, we won’t be able to make it back tonight, I suppose I had better call Hope and let her know.”
Coyote looked at me, “There isn’t any reception for your phone from here, normally, but I will ask them to clear the airways so you can make your call.”
“Ask who?”
“Them. You know,” he said, pointing up with his paw. He sat there for a few moments, then said, “It’s Okay, go ahead and make your call.
“Hope? Yes, well, we aren’t going to be able to make it back tonight. Is everything alright there?---Good, Okay then we’ll see you tomorrow, I guess. If you try to call and we don’t answer, just leave a message, we’ll get back to you.” I closed the lid.
“So, where do we put our bedrolls?” I asked Coyote.
“You had better put them in the Stone House, this valley is watered by the falling dew during the night time hours. You would get pretty wet, if you slept outside. Feel free in helping yourself from the food in the root cellar. Of course you won’t find any meat, we are all vegetarians in this valley.”
Faith and Poppy went to the root cellar, they came back with fresh fruit and vegetables. I had unsaddled the stock and took our stuff into the Stone House. Faith and Poppy were listening as Coyote was telling them how to prepare steamed vegetables over the hot spring water.
I was surprised that I didn’t even miss meat for supper. It was late enough in the fall, so that sunset was around seven. By the time the sun went down the horses and mules had finished grazing and were standing close by the Stone House, under a covered area just off the lee side of the house, so they wouldn’t get too wet. Cause the dew was heavy.
I knew the sun went down, but the light had dimmed, to what looked like a full moon. You could still see. I went back inside, the light was the same inside, reflected through the isinglass door’s and window’s. I was somewhat confused.
I asked Coyote, “Where is all of this light coming from?”
“The face of the mountains round-about, is made of fifty percent glass, just like the moon. Only since they are closer than the moon, they reflect the moons light into the valley, better.”
“You mean, they do more than reflect, they enhance?” I said.
“Yes, that’s right, you aren’t as dumb as you look.” Coyote quipped.
“Well, it’s pretty light in this house, too light to sleep, what do you do about that?”
“Rub your hand across the face of the windows, they will darken, where you rub. When you want more light, just rub again.”
I thought a minute, “There’s one thing I do know, is that the Vikings did not invent that, so who did?” I asked.
“Really Clay, there you are going dumb on me again, you know who.”
“Yeah, right, like hell I do, I might suspect, but I don’t know!”
“Clay, behave yourself! You know what he’s talking about, in fact you’ve told me some of what is going to happen, from your time in coma’s.” Faith said.
I looked down at the clean stone floor, “I’m sorry Coyote, it’s just that you sound so smug and self-righteous. But I suppose you have a right. By the way, do you have a name?”
“Of course I do, it’s ‘Clancy.”
“An Irish Coyote? I don’t believe it. Those Irish get around don’t they?”
“Faith and Begorra, tis true, Irish I be, but don’t worry, I don’t drink.” Clancy said, with a Coyote laugh, which sounded more of a whisky brogue, than Coyote. He may not drink now, but sometime in his past, I bet he did. Whatever he used to be……
“I know what you’re thinking Clay. You do know that there is no such thing as reincarnation, don’t you? Of course you do. You were wondering where I got the name of ‘Clancy’? Well wonder no longer, I will tell you.” Coyote said, with one of those toothy grins, where you’re not sure if he’s laughing or growling.
“It was when they were putting the trans-continental railroad through. It was close to Cheyenne, I was just a pup. An orphan I was. I hung around, begging food. The Irish Gandy Dancers sort of adopted me. They were the ones who named me Clancy.”
“That’s a bunch of Irish blarney, if I ever heard it.” I said. “And I’ll tell you why, that railroad went through in the 1860’s. That would make you way over 140 years old. So what do you have to say about that?” I said.
“Yes, you’re right. I should of died a long time ago, shouldn’t I of? I would have too, but for this place. It seems it ad’s years to your life. Must be all of the clean living.”
I started to open my mouth, Faith interrupted me, “That’s enough Clay, can’t you see that he’s telling the truth?”
“No, not all of it, they were just partial truths, that’s what browns me off. Can’t I be petulant once in awhile?”
“Yes, but not childish. So if you have that out of your system, get our bedrolls and put them on the stone beds.”
Alita was watching me and trying to help carry the bedrolls, Poppy was strong enough to carry them on her own. There were separate sleeping areas. Alita and Poppy were whispering to each other. Alita said, “Daddy, Poppy and I don’t want to sleep alone, we want to sleep with you and Mommy?”
Clancy was listening. “There’s one bed that’s big enough to hold all four of you. Down at the end. It must of have been the Segundo’s room. It has a Isinglass door, with a name engraved in it. Come see.”
On the door, was a name, ‘Harald Hardrada’ and the year ‘1043’. “Who is that?” I asked. Faith was right behind me. “I know. He was a Viking. He was King Olaf II’s youngest half brother. He did a lot of exploring.”
“How do you know all of that?” I asked.
“I paid attention in school, besides’, I was really fascinated by the Vikings. They always reminded me of us, you know Americans.”
I opened the door, and put all four bedrolls on the oversized stone bed. On each side of the bed were cherry wood night stands with drawers. I pulled the top drawer out. It jingled, there were some kind of old coins tossed loosely in there. I picked one up, it was thin, made of silver and had some kind of Arabic writing on it, with the year 893 stamped on it. I handed it to Faith, she said, “Oh, I didn’t think I would ever see one of these. Their ‘dirhams’. They were minted in Baghdad, between the years 750 to 950. The Vikings did a lot of trading for them.”
“Is there anything you don’t know?” I asked her.
“Yes, a lot, but like I told you, Vikings fascinated me in school.”
I opened the drawer again and tossed the coins back in. The Cherry wood nightstand was hand made, and made without any modern tools. Nice job…
Clancy had came in with us, he said, “Will you people be alright here tonight?
I thought I would go howl at the moon, so to speak.” He said.
“Yes, I think so,” Faith said. “I don’t suppose there are any Viking ghosts hanging around, are there?”
“No, I don’t believe in Ghosts, do you?” Clancy said.
“No, I don’t think so. But you know how the old boogeyman in the closet thing, when we were just tykes. Our older siblings always tried to scare us with them.” Faith said. Poppy edged closer to us. Alita said, “What are you talking about? Of course there are no ghosts or boogeymen either. But, I might add, there are Demons, they try to make you think they’re ghosts.”
“Where did you get all of that?” Faith asked her.
“Really Mother, if there are Angels, of course there are Demons. Demons were the fallen Angels that came down to have relations with the women in Adams day. Didn’t you know that Mother?”
“Well, yeah, I guess so. Just never gave it much thought.” Faith said. Clancy was staring at Alita. “Smart girl,” he said as he turned and padded away.