The past few days have given me a whole new understanding of just how weird-ass the world can be, but this takes it to a whole other level. Because it’s not just a helicopter with the damn thing flying itself. It’s a dog that’s turned itself into a helicopter. We’re inside a dang dog. I remember my dad’s old expression, that dog won’t hunt, that he’d use when he was telling you something wouldn’t work. This sure is a whole other dog story, and I’m as happy as anyone on board when we finally come up over a rise and there’s Sammy’s hunting lodge nestled in the pines.
I never even noticed the transition between the otherworld and here. But I don’t care. All that matters is we’re off that mountaintop.
The chopper takes us over the pines before coming down on a helipad on the far side of the lodge. Reuben pops the door open and we all pile out. I’m the last one. As soon as my feet touch the tarmac, the helicopter shrinks and is gone. Just like that, the big black dog is back sitting on his haunches staring at us. Or maybe not us. Maybe I’m being paranoid, but I can’t shake the feeling that most of his attention is on me, expectant.
I break eye contact and look around. A path leads off under the trees, back toward the lodge, no doubt. At the edge of the helipad are a pair of ATVs. One’s the usual two-seater. The other looks like a golf cart on steroids: big, fat monster tires, a roof overhead, probably seats six. After that, there’s just the mountain dropping away, its forested slopes marching off into the deeper darkness below.
“Well, it’s been real,” Sammy says. He starts for the path, but Reuben grabs him by the collar of his shirt like a pup by its scruff and brings him to a stop.
“We’re not done,” Reuben says.
Sammy grunts and shakes himself loose. “We worked out what I need to do. Now you’re not okay with it anymore? Make up your mind, Little Tree.”
“It’s provisional, depending on what the Aunts have to say.”
Sammy rolls his eyes. I can feel Reuben’s hackles rising and put a hand on his arm.
Reuben takes in a breath, lets it out. “But while I’ve got your attention,” he finally tells Sammy, “the other thing you need to do is to treat the animals you hunt with respect.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sammy asks.
“It means that when one of your trophy hunters bags a bighorn, you give sincere thanks to its spirit for the gift of its life. And you don’t leave the carcass rotting on the rocks.”
“Oh, come on. What do you expect me to do with it?”
“Lot of folks on my side of the rez would be grateful for the meat and hide. You can have one of your boys drop it off at the trading post and I’ll see it goes to whoever needs it the most.”
“You mean you’ll sell it to them.”
Reuben frowns. “See, that’s the white man in you talking—no offense, Steve.”
I wave it off.
Sammy’s jaw is out. “People come out with crap like that when they’ve got nothing and need to bow and scrape to make ends meet,” he says. “But I remember what it was like to be dirt poor, and I’m never going to live like that again.”
“I’m never poor in spirit,” Reuben says.
“Sure, that’s what everybody who’s got nothing wants to believe. Like the white man’s Bible, where it says the meek are going to inherit the earth. But I’ve got news for you, Little Tree. That’s never going to happen. The meek don’t come out ahead. Not ever. Money’s the game changer, even for a traditionalist like you. Once they get a taste of it, nobody turns their back on it.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” I tell him.
Sammy laughs. “Says the desert rat who’s got less than the poorest blood on the rez.”
I look at him and then back at Gordo.
Sammy holds up his hands. “Hey, don’t get me wrong.” He nods in Gordo’s direction. “I’ll play the game your way because you’ve got the big gun pointed at my head. But don’t kid yourself. Your ideals don’t change the way things really work.”
“You can say that after everything you’ve seen today?”
Sammy shrugs. “So the ma’inawo are real. I know they’ve got me over a barrel and I need to adjust my game to their demands. But off the rez? Outside of these mountains? How many of them do you see as CEOs or politicians? None. Want to know why? Because they’re not the movers and shakers of the world. If they were, they’d be running it instead of humans.”
I think about how Sammy was, back in the otherworld—so scared I was surprised he didn’t crap his pants. But here, with that big hunting lodge on the other side of these pines—just one accomplishment out of the many he’s managed to pull off—he’s regained all of his old arrogance.
Reuben smiles as though Sammy’s just said something particularly stupid. I’ve seen that look before when someone around him has messed things up.
“I guess you’ve got it all figured out,” he drawls.
Sammy nods. “Damn straight I do.” He points a finger at Thomas. “I know it’s too late for Little Tree, kid, but if you ever want to make something out of your life, come see me. I can show you how there’s more to living than eating dust and scrabbling to make ends meet.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Thomas says.
Sammy shakes his head. “Yeah, sure you will.”
He faces Reuben again. “Tell Morago I’ll be by to see him.” Then he turns away and heads down the path toward the lodge.
“Phone Jerry while you’re at it,” Reuben calls after him. “Clear up that bullshit story you tried to sell him about Steve and me.”
Sammy doesn’t stop, but he lifts a hand, thumb up, and keeps going.
Reuben turns to me. “I wish we’d just tossed him off the mountain.”
“Me too, but you know why we didn’t do that.”
“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
He looks from Gordo to Thomas. “What do you think?” he asks Thomas. “Do we still owe the ma’inawo anything?”
Thomas looks at the dog. “How would I know?”
“I owe Si’tala,” I say.
Reuben’s attention jolts back in my direction. “What? I guess nobody warned you not to make bargains with ma’inawo.”
“I guess not.”
He sighs. “What did you promise her?”
“I told her I’d make her a body,” I say.
“Out of what?”
I shrug. “She said it doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter what it looks like, either. Apparently it’s just my intent while making it that’s important.”
“What do you get in return?”
“A marker that I can call in when I need to.”
Reuben sighs. “You should have talked to me or Morago before you agreed to anything.”
“That wasn’t really an option, considering where I was.”
“Maybe so. But when you see how batshit crazy Consuela’s turned out to be, do we really want another one of her walking around sticking her nose in everybody’s business?”
I start to say something, but he waves it off. “It’s too late now,” he says. He rolls his shoulders. “Time we were heading back to our part of the rez anyway. But talk to Morago about this when you can, and maybe Calico, too, if you ever see her again.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I get that look again. “Doesn’t matter if she’s ma’inawo or human,” he says, “I know a pissed off woman when I see one, and that fox girl of yours has a serious mad on.”
“Come on. She knows what I meant. And if she doesn’t, she’ll be back and we’ll talk it out.”
He shakes his head and looks at Thomas. “Is it just me or did you feel it, too?”
Thomas give him a puzzled look. “Feel what?”
“How the collective intelligence here just dropped another few IQ points,” Reuben says.
“Real funny,” I tell him.
His gaze is back on me. “I’m not joking, Steve.” He gives his shoulders another roll, stretches the muscles in his neck. “Let’s head out. It’s a long way home.”
He walks toward the path that Sammy took.
“Can’t you just step us into the otherworld?” I ask.
“Sure. If you want to be in the otherworld version of this same mountain. Like I told you, I don’t have the same gift of getting around as Calico does.”
“Great.”
After the past few hours, the last thing I feel like is a hike through the mountains. But Reuben stops at the big ATV.
“What?” he says. “You didn’t think we were going to walk, did you? Sammy owes us the use of this machine.”
He gets behind the wheel. When Thomas and I take our own seats, Reuben looks back at the dog.
“What do you say, big fellow?” he calls over to Gordo. “You want a ride?”
The dog stands up, takes a step in our direction, and disappears.
Reuben laughs. “Yeah, you couldn’t just give us a lift?”
He starts the engine. It sounds loud and the head beams seem too bright as he steers us onto the rough trail that’ll take us down the mountain.