Coyote Gorgeous (9 page)

White Eagle nodded
gravely, the headdress bobbing with the movement.
"
Evil is tugging on the threads of
Spiderwoman’s web. We are all brothers and sisters, people and
animals alike, all linked by her invisible thread and I felt the
tremors of ensnared evil struggling to get
free.
"

The carnage of his
neighbors’ pets and his own blank memories made Kaletaka hang his
head in shame.
"
I fear I
might have brought that evil upon us.
"

White Eagle pressed his
lips together and shook his head slowly.
"
You cannot
have.
"

"
Why
not?
"
How could his father be
so sure? Kaletaka dared to hope.

"
Because you
are Kaletaka,
"
White Eagle
said with finality.
"
Guardian
of the People.
"

"
It’s only a
name.
"
Kaletaka had never
understood all the fuss.

"
For
some.
"
White Eagle looked
suddenly wizened.
"
But Hopi
names have great meaning. And your mother, Little Star, was very
special.
"

"
Why?
"
Kaletaka scarcely
remembered her, only a fleeting feeling. She died so young, and
White Eagle never talked about her. According to the few pictures,
she was pretty.
"
What was so
special about my mother?
"

"
She was a
starchild.
"

"
Starchild?
"
Disbelief
colored his voice, but could this legend be true? Kaletaka himself
had felt the pull of strange forces. In order to find answers, he
must keep an open mind.
"
You
mean to say she wasn’t human?
"

"
Only half
human.
"
A rare tear rolled
down White Eagle’s cheek.
"
She was the joy of my youth. Quite a prize, even for the son
of a Chief.
"
His gaze
returned to the climbers then traveled up the cliff to the pure
blue sky.
"
The Great Coyote
himself, Creator of the Universe, was Little Star’s
father.
"

Images from cliff
paintings flashed in Kaletaka’s mind. Alien craft from the stars,
and ancient gods mating with human females.
Great Coyote, have mercy
.
"
You mean to say my mother was half
alien?
"

"
Do not
reject your ancestry, my son. Deep inside, you know the
truth.
"

The truth sounded so
strange. Kaletaka would have to make a leap of faith.
"
Here, with the drums and the flute,
your words make sense. But out in the real
world
...
"

"
This is the
real world, son.
"
White Eagle
flashed a stern, accusing stare.
"
Clever is Man, he did not see his actions set nature in
motion toward disastrous consequences.
"

Kaletaka smiled,
recognizing a quote from an ancient chief of the Bear Clan.
"
Even if what you say
is
true, how can I
protect anyone?
"

"
You just
can.
"
White Eagle stared at
the cliff as if reading it.
"
A feather fell from the sky. The eagle saw it. The deer heard
it. The bear smelled it. The coyote did all
three.
"

The realization suddenly
dawned on Kaletaka. His newfound strength, acute senses, quick
reflexes, healing ability, power of transformation. Could it all be
part of the Great Coyote’s plan?
"
But why would my abilities only manifest
now?
"

White Eagle stared into
nothingness, as if pulling answers from another dimension.
"
A great evil has awakened where you
live, and when this happens, the Guardian of the People comes into
his powers as well. Your time has come. Only you can extinguish
that evil.
"

"
Only
me?
"
Kaletaka found the
responsibility overwhelming.
"
Why me? What about my brothers?
"

"
They had a
different mother. Only you were born of a
starchild.
"

"
That would
make me what exactly? Three quarters human and one quarter
coyote?
"

"
You are what
you are.
"

Visions of his sculptures
exploded through Kaletaka’s mind. The Great Coyote. The gods and
goddesses of various mythologies.
Could
his fascination spring from the unconscious knowledge of his own
otherworldly origins?

Father and son remained silent for a
while. Kaletaka watched the climbers progressing up the cliff. The
drums beat at the rhythm of a living heart, and the chant resumed
in the rising heat as the sun arched toward its zenith.

"
Does this
mean I have inherited the traits of the Great Coyote, good and
bad?
"
This would take some
getting used to.

"
I hope not.
For your sake. Great Coyote is a
trickster.
"

"
Maybe it
won’t be so bad. My enhanced sensory abilities make life more
exciting.
"
After all, they
had led Madison to him. But in the process, he’d also become a
monster, and a target for her rifle.

"
It won’t be
easy to fight evil.
"
White
Eagle looked suddenly sad.
"
You will face horrible dangers, and you may have to sacrifice
much.
"

Would Kaletaka have to
sacrifice his art? Madison? His own life? He shuddered at the
thought. He fully enjoyed life, art, music. And he’d even
fantasized about a future with a woman of his
own
...
Madison.

He flinched at the thought that
Madison might become involved. Her insatiable curiosity could place
her in grave danger. Kaletaka would have to keep her away. He could
not stand it if any harm came to her because of him.

Then another realization
struck him.
"
What if evil
wins?
"

White Eagle closed his
eyes, and his shoulders slumped.
"
You cannot fail, my son. The consequences would be
disastrous.
"

"
But I’m not
ready!
"
How did one prepare
to battle evil? He knew so little about his abilities, had no clue
how to transform at will.

"
You must be
ready. Trust the truth, and the powers you
inherited.
"

"
Right. Easy
for you to say.
"
Kaletaka
took a deep, calming breath and released it slowly. Could he let
his spirit float upon the hypnotic chant of the drummers? Extending
his senses, he found reassurance in the abundance of life force
around him. If he could tap into the strength of Mother Earth and
Grandfather Sky, maybe he could overcome that evil. And if he
succeeded, Madison could be his reward.

As his mind soared high above the
mesa, he felt someone watching intently. The watcher stood on the
ridge across Dry Creek canyon. Friend or foe? Getting shot had left
him paranoid, and evil could lurk anywhere.

Then the scent of gardenia
after the rain reached his nostrils and Kaletaka knew.
Madison
.

*****

Through her lens, Madison watched as
Kal left White Eagle at the bottom of the mesa and disappeared
behind a boulder. So, this was the business he had to attend. Not
that Madison minded. She’d rather see him here than imagine him in
town with another woman. She winced as her foot sent a rock
cascading over the edge of the canyon. She chuckled nervously. When
did she get so jumpy? And when did she stake a claim on Kal? He was
just an assignment. At least, he should be.

But this assignment quickly turned
into an intriguing puzzle. She wished she could join the tribe and
be with Kal, but her orders forbade it. Madison refocused her
attention on the young men scaling the cliff. Each near-missed
foothold, each loss of balance, each dangerous leaning or
overextended reach made her heart jump. Why in heaven would any
young man risk his life in such a manner?

When the climbers finally
reached the top, Madison understood the function of the ropes
hanging from their belts. In the nest, half a dozen eaglets, not
yet capable of flight, screamed in distress, and the parents
circling in the sky responded with cries of outrage. Madison could
feel their pain.
How heartless.

Ignoring the eagles’ protests, the
young men chose the two largest eaglets in the nest. They took
great care as they harnessed their legs and tied their bodies with
ropes. Then they lowered the birds, upside down, like sacks of
grain, slowly down the cliff.

At the bottom of the mesa, the rest of
the tribe watched, dancing and chanting, waiting for the eaglets to
reach the canyon floor.

Sacrificial birds. How many crimes
were committed in the name of religion each day on this planet? The
wildlife scientist in Madison balked at such barbarism. She loved
animals, and her mission was to protect wildlife, not watch them
being pillaged, driven to extinction.

"
What are you
doing here?
"
The familiar
baritone enveloped her from behind.

Startled, Madison lowered
her binoculars and spun. Her heart leapt at the sight of Kal. He
had appeared out of nowhere, without a sound, like a cat in the
night. Yet, she was happy to see him. She wondered at his agility
for climbing her cliff so fast.
"
How did you know I was here?
"

Kal laughed and shook his
head.
"
If I told you, you
wouldn’t believe it.
"
He
sobered.
"
But no white man
should witness our secret ceremonies.
"

"
I’m a woman,
not a man. And this is not the Reservation but government
land.
"
Madison wished she
could stop grinning like an idiot.

"
Good
point.
"
He looked suddenly
grave, as if scolding a child.
"
Why are you spying on the tribe?
"

"
Just
following orders.
"
Madison
kept her tone light but resented his accusation. She had nothing to
feel guilty about.
"
Making
sure White Eagle doesn’t abuse his privileges. These birds are
protected here.
"

"
Enforcing
the white man’s law.
"
Kal’s
gaze fell on her sidearm, and his eyes hooded in
disapproval.
"
With
guns.
"

He’d mentioned disliking
guns before.
"
Why don’t you
like law enforcement? Bad experience?
"

"
What Indian
hasn’t felt the brunt of the white man’s law?
"
His eyes sparked suddenly, and he smiled, staring
at her in a way that a woman couldn’t help but notice.
"
But you are
different.
"

"
How
so?
"
Was it a compliment or
an insult? Madison’s brother thought she wasn’t good enough to be a
real cop.

"
Well, you
are the wildest and most beautiful officer I ever
met.
"
He dropped and sat
cross-legged on a patch of grass, picked a long stem weed and
played with it.

Smiling at his obvious
flirtation, Madison sat next to him, facing the abyss. Why was he
running hot and cold all the time? He confused her and she never
knew what to expect. Better stay on track, focus on the job.
"
What’s going to happen to the
eaglets?
"

He sighed, as if answering
constituted a burden.
"
At
first, the birds will be treated like children, given toys, well
fed, entertained. They will stand watch, tethered to the roof of
the pueblo, until the harvest ritual in
July.
"