Tuksook went to the rock and sat. There were plenty of People about, so she was in no danger from predators. Lurch was working to repair the water diversion to the shower; Sutorlo, Pod, and Nipe were diverting a new water channel that aimed for the house when it reached the meadow level. They had to divert more to the east before it turned south. Numbers of the men were repairing the roof.
Tuksook felt the warmth from the rock and it was soothing. She looked at all about her. The stories were about life. She looked out upon the meadow below her. She envisioned the meadow becoming deeper and deeper in snow. The People could not travel during the time of snow. They would have to see a cold time of unprecedented snow and leave as soon as travel became possible. That would mean many things. Preparedness would be critical. Tuksook wondered whether she needed to include preparedness. She wondered whether the People would stay together or whether some would go north and some south. Tuksook tried to dream up a story but nothing happened. Her mind web was not a creative one but rather an amazing place where stories lived that others had already put together. She leaned back resting on her forearms. Wise Ones before her had faced the same need. How, she wondered, did they form the stories. Tuksook had to tell a story about something to happen instead of something that had already happened. She had no way to know which of the stories she told had been formed that way—if any.
She thought of the change in the earth she’d seen. She realized that it was as if the earth were being born anew. People were also being born to a world of war and unrest as a result of the coldest of cold times. Tuksook decided that idea held the story together. Tuksook rose up and descended to the meadow. She walked the meadow deep in thought. Others avoided her, because she seemed separate.
The sound of music broke through her deep thought. Tuksook stopped and leaned against the center stone in the meadow. She watched the children dance and sing. They were becoming very good at this newly learned singing and dancing. She listened. How Tuksook wished the world of peace would continue forever. She knew better. After pausing to enjoy the children, Tuksook continued her pacing and thought.
Later that evening, she shared the evening meal with Gumui. He teased her for being in a world to herself during that day.
“I was,” she admitted. “I had to develop the story or whatever you call it for the People. I’ll share it tonight at the council.
“I’ll be interested to hear.”
“Well, it’s almost time.”
The people gathered for council that night out under the stars on the rocks and skins they used from the beginning for their council. The sky was clear and partly dark, typical of the sky at night in that part of the world. It was warm and no bugs were biting.
“The council is now open,” Tuksook said. “Is there anyone who would speak?”
Stencellomak looked directly at Tuksook.
She nodded.
“Three of us plan to boat down to salt water tomorrow to take at least one sea aurochs. We need a fourth rower. Is there one more who’d like to go with us?”
Dipcaco spoke out, “I would like to learn sea aurochs fishing.” At fifteen he was definitely of an age to participate.
“Good! Thank you Dipcaco,” Stencellomak accepted. “You’ll join with Vel, Vole, and me.”
Dipcaco lowered his head to Stencellomak.
“Anyone who would speak?” Tuksook said again.
Item looked directly into Tuksook’s eyes.
Tuksook nodded to Item.
“We are low on beaver and giant deer skins.”
Hunters made little sounds and looked at each other.
Wave looked at Tuksook, who nodded at him.
“We will talk with you further, Item, to see if there are other skins needed. Then, we’ll take the treks to bring back exactly what you need.”
Item lowered her head to Wave.
“Anyone else?” Tuksook asked.
Silence.
Tuksook said, “I have some information that I have tried to turn into a story. It doesn’t work as a story, but it will become part of our stories. It involves the future. I will tell it tonight. It came from a dream Wisdom gave me.” She paused.
“This is a message about the future, not a story of the past. It is a message for the People. Wisdom made the earth, and Wisdom made People. All things balance for the right working of the earth. All things balance for the right working of the People. The People go about their lives for countless years in Eagle’s Grasp. But all is temporary. People begin to feel things changing. There are more earthquakes. There is more rain for years and then little rain, then years of more rain. The People can feel the earth shifting out of balance. Little bit by little bit, the imbalance shift increases. People who do well with others suddenly find difficulties occurring. They argue in anger instead of taking time to reason. The time is coming but is not yet. Watch the balance. When the balance is destroyed so that the snows deepen more and more, and fighting breaks out among the People, the time is right. Do not wait until the cold time storms bring snows above the top of the bent tree house. Go when it becomes difficult to do well with each other and to walk the meadows even when you’ve made the paths through the snow. Go when the temperature becomes biting even with the protective clothing you have. The earth moves to a loss of balance and upheaval like nothing the People have ever seen.”
“The People must go either far north to the sea or take boats to travel east and then south far away from here, far away enough so that the cold times are warm. The People will survive in either of those places. The People must survive. Prepare as always to have much more food than needed to make it through a cold time.”
“When the need to move is clear, begin as soon as travel is possible. Take what food you can carry. The trek north is very, very long. It may take more than a full cycle of seasons. For those going to the north, keep going until you reach the sea. For those going south, keep going until the cold times are warm.”
“The earth will be out of balance for many, many years, as if part of it were dead. People will be against one another. The time is changing from a world we live in, a world of peace, to a world of war. Much will change. When balance is restored there will be war—the world of peace will be gone. It will go on longer than you can imagine. The People must be prepared to live in a time of war. New tools will be necessary. The People must become good at war to survive. It is how it will be. We cannot change it. What we must do is to be prepared.”
“Failure to leave in time will cause the People to cease to be. That is not acceptable. Failure to learn to war well would also cause the People to cease to be. That is not acceptable. Learn what you must to survive. Learn it well. Keep in your mind webs the importance of not fighting among one another, for doing so weakens the People, increasing the likelihood they will not survive. Keep in your mind webs the importance of learning skills of cunning behavior to avoid fighting, if at all possible. In that you keep your People alive. Keep in your mind webs that, if fighting is inevitable, you must fight as if your very survival depends on success—for it does. Know the best tools of war and learn to use them perfectly.”
Tuksook looked up to see startled faces staring back at her.
“This does not happen in the life line of anyone alive here now. It will happen, though, very, very far into the future.”
“Why are we learning about it now?” Pago asked.
“Remember the stories of Ki’ti’s time when the People were told to flee from a volcano. When they did need to flee a volcano, they had the information when they needed it because of the story of Maknu-na and Rimlad. It wasn’t new to them. It wasn’t known to only a few. In this case we are being prepared in advance. Winds of change can affect a single person, a group of People, or the whole world. Fleeing the volcano was a big change, but it did not involve an earth out of balance or People out of balance. The weather remained cold for years after the volcano. When the time of war arrives, it will seem to last forever. People will remem
ber no other way. Our People have always lived in a world of peace. This change will be huge. Wisdom has given us the information to begin to understand ahead of time, so the People will have the information when needed, and it will be part of them.”
“Thank you. I understand. It’s just such a shock” Pago said.
“It is a shock,” Tuksook concurred. “Anyone else?”
Silence.
“The council ends,” Tuksook said.
Tuksook felt emptied. She had finally put together a message, not a story, but it had the same effect. The People would be warned. She had the story firmly locked in her mind web. Tuksook would repeat it with the other stories.
People left the council, some muttering and some silent. They had much to reason.
The next day when the morning meal was finished, Stencellomak, Vel, Moki, and Dipcaco headed to the boats. They checked to be sure that everything they needed was in the boat. All was there. They pushed the boat to the river’s current and climbed in. The day was crisp and clear with the occasional puffy white cloud. The many shades of green on the mountains between which the river ran were deepening. On the west shore Stencellomak pointed out a bear at the water’s edge. An eagle flew overhead. Vel wondered where the raven was. Often, when you saw an eagle fly, it was chased by a raven.
The river, so clear the last time Stencellomak had been on it, had muddied up. He wondered about it until he realized they’d had a time of rain recently that had probably contributed dirt to the water. Stencellomak fingered the two large cat teeth that hung around his neck on a strip of leather. He did it automatically, not really aware he did it.
Six ducks flew from west to east. It was a good day to be on the water. Vole thought about the water and the People. Some loved to be on the water and others did not want to be in a boat on the river. The reasons interested him. Most of those who didn’t want to be on a boat gave reasons he could not understand: “I don’t like the feel of it,” “It makes me feel nauseated,” “I want my feet where they belong—on the land.”
Something rammed the boat hard.
The men in the boat turned to look. The trunk of a dead tree was in the water and it had somehow managed to travel faster than they were traveling. Dipcaco climbed to the back of the boat to unhook the root that had become tangled in the bamboo. He tried to shove the boat to the side of the tree trunk, but had no success. Suddenly part of the tree hung up on something under the water and the boat broke free, almost causing Dipcaco to fall overboard.
The very young hunter changed the direction of his seating. He faced the rear of the boat and rowed backward. The other hunters were glad that the young hunter knew what to do. He would alert them, they reasoned, if the tree trunk freed and once again headed for the boat.
Evening arrived and the men neared their habitual stopping place for the night. It was a small cove with a sandy beach. They landed the boat and tied it to the same tree where they’d tied up for years. Suddenly a great noise trumpeted. It was a mammoth trumpeting. The men were alert, but not frightened. The animal was near but not visible. Dipcaco climbed the rock wall on the south side of the cove. He looked hard but could not see the animal through the trees.
Stencellomak had chosen to start to set up the campsite, despite the mammoth noise. His lean-to was constructed and his backpack stowed inside. He set the fire in the hearth. He had brought some meat for roasting in smaller pieces, and he proceeded to cut it up and skewer it. Vole had set up his lean-to. He’d taken the birch bucket to the river to fill it with water. When he reached the camp, he put the drinking dipper in the bucket. Vel had made his lean-to and gone way down the beach to dig out a v-shaped privy line, since he had great need. Dipcaco returned and began to set up his lean-to. The trumpeting of the mammoth now came from a greater distance, so they were comforted it was leaving the area.
Dipcaco dragged up some logs for seating and the men held their skewers over the fire, eating when the meat was ready. It was giant deer and camel. Both very good. There was no talking while they ate.
When they finished eating, Dipcaco asked, “Do trees float down the river often?”
Vel replied, “That’s the first time I’ve seen one.”
The others replied that they had seen none until this day.
“You did the right thing, Dipcaco,” Stencellomak told him.
“Thank you,” the young one said.
Stencellomak went to his lean-to first. He lay flat on his back, resting the muscles that were tight. Soon the others also decided it was time for sleep. There were no more sounds of mammoth.
Back at the meadow people were busy preparing for sleep. Mongo did not feel well. He stumbled to his sleeping place and slumped over, grabbing the side of it. He twisted himself so that he managed to sit on the edge. He held his chest. The pain was awful. Cadpo, Wave’s wife, ran to his side.
“Father, are you well?” Wave asked Mongo.
The man couldn’t speak, because of the pain. Cadpo helped him lie down.
“I’ll be right back. I’ll find Item.”
Cadpo went as quickly as possible from the south part of the house to the west part where Item’s place was.
Item looked up when Cadpo arrived.
“It’s Mongo?” she asked.
“Yes,” Cadpo said, frightened.
Item slipped on her tunic and followed Cadpo. When she arrived, she was surprised. Mongo no longer breathed. Wave was at the side of the old man’s body, holding it, weeping silently. Both Stencellomak and Vole were gone sea aurochs fishing.
Cadpo and Za, Stencellomak’s wife, washed the body and covered it to wait for morning for the burial. Za and Mela, Vole’s wife, comforted each other while Cadpo and Wave held each other in grief. Some of the children were already sleeping. The older ones, like Elfa and Ubassu, who had joined and were in a different part of the house, would learn of the death in the morning. Others like Tak and Ulu, Tern, Solong, Velur, Pica, and Abet gathered in little groups to weep and share their grief, all done silently in the bent tree house.
Item returned to her sleeping place. Instead of lying down, she went to Tuksook. She touched Tuksook’s shoulder.
“Tuksook,” she whispered, “We have lost Mongo.”
Tuksook sat up. She looked at Item and tears fell from her eyes. Gumui sat up. He had heard Item tell about Mongo. He also allowed tears to fall from his eyes. Loss of Mongo was a great loss. He had taught them much. He was special.
“I’ll be ready after the morning meal. It will take some time to dig the grave.”
“Yes,” Item agreed. She returned to her sleeping place. The people were losing their elders, those people at the last of their generations. Only Kew and Taman remained. Kew wasn’t in good health. He was eighty-one. Taman seemed well. He was sixty-nine.
At sunrise, which was early, the men heading to fish for sea aurochs waked up, put their gear in the boat, ate a few sticks of jerky, drank water, and headed to the boat. They were eager to reach the salt water to find a sea aurochs.
Back in the meadow, people arose a bit later, since the light from the rising sun dimmed in the interior of the bent tree house. They were called to the morning meal, where those People who didn’t know about Mongo heard the announcement. Quiet followed. People ate and then Wave, Vole, Gumui, and Momeh went to gather tools to dig the grave. Children who were old enough ran about the meadow gathering flowers to add to the grave. When it was time, the People gathered in a circle around the grave. Mongo’s body was placed on its side as if he slept. Mela and Za had covered his skin with red ochre. The children placed flowers on Mongo’s body, as it lay atop his sleeping skin. His body was almost covered. It was very quiet. They began the ritual speaking about the deceased. No one had any difficulty speaking about Mongo. From the time they were all very young, Mongo taught them, both male and female children, about how to survive in the world in which they lived. They considered they had three basic teachers: Mongo, Taman, and their Wise One. Tuksook recited t
he creation story, and the grave side tradition ended. The People dispersed. Tuksook wondered who would replace Mongo as teacher.
The fishers reached the salt water. They looked to the west to see whether they could spot any heaps of kelp lying on shore. There were none to the west or east. They paddled to the west. By mid-morning, they found a kelp heap on shore and paddled out to the usual depth looking down into the clear water. Finally, Vole spotted the dark baggy shape of the sea aurochs.
“Vole and I will go down,” Stencellomak said. “Vel will handle the tie down as soon as he sees that we’ve secured the tail. Dipcaco, it is your assignment to watch all that happens. The water is freezing cold. We will do this quickly. We have to put the slip looped rope around the beast’s tail and tighten it. It’s not hard if you know what you’re doing. You must watch. Look down to see for yourself what we do. It’s very important to place the loop on there at the first try. When we come to the surface of the water and shout to row, begin to row with all your strength. We’ll swim with all our effort to reach the boat quickly, but the boat needs to start moving. That, along with its tail tied seems to keep the sea aurochs in submission. Any questions?”
Dipcaco said, “No. I understand.”
Vel handed the rope to Stencellomak as soon as he was in the water. Vole followed him down. They had a little difficulty encircling the tail because the sea aurochs kept moving. Fortunately, when it moved it didn’t go far.
From above the two on boat observed carefully.
“Time to tie down,” Vel said with some excitement, having seen them tighten the rope at the tail. Just as he had the tie down completed, first Vole popped up and then Stencellomak, both shouting, “Row!” They swam to the boat quickly, arriving shivering hard from the very cold water.
Like all the People, Dipcaco had been taught to observe, not talk. As the evening arrived, he was ravenously hungry and his arms felt as if they would freeze into position and never move again. No one had spoken from the time of the capture until the present. Stencellomak said, “We don’t overnight at the camp on the return, Dipcaco. We push for home as hard as possible. That’s why from time to time you’ll see hunters return from sea aurochs fishing and leave the butchering to the People while they go to their sleeping places to sleep. Can you hold up?”
Tuksook's Story, 35,000 BC Page 28