Global Warming Fun 4: They Taste Like Chicken

by Gary J. Davies

Chapter 12: Night Owl

  Ed was just falling asleep when Mary shook him awake. It had been a long day, but now Jerry Green had gone back to Washington and things were back to normal, more or less. Or at least that's what was supposed to have happened. "What is it?" he asked.

  "Visitors on Tribe business I suspect, Chief," Mary informed him.

  "But I need my beauty sleep!" he complained.

  "So that's your secret!" Mary concluded.

  "SORRY TO DISTURB YOU, CHIEF," pathed Talking Owl from nearby, "BUT I HAVE JUST RECEIVED A VISITOR WITH AN UNUSUAL REQUEST."

  "YOUR VISITOR ASKED YOU TO WAKE ME UP?" Ed guessed.

  "NO, RACCOON; HE ASKED FOR MEDICAL TICKS," said Talking Owl.

  Ed had by now thrown on a colorful Tribe robe and slippers. He told Mary to go back to bed and stepped through the curtains that formed the doorway, out of the modest suite that he and Mary called home and into the common area that ran the length of the Jant Clan Longhouse.

  There stood Talking Owl, looking regal as always, even when wearing a plain gray robe instead of her usual ornate and colorful one. Her small size and subdued clothing contributed to the impression that the big snowy white owls that sat on each of her shoulders were truly gigantic and exotic. He tuned his thoughts to the owls. "SHE:KON," he greeted them both, as he nodded a Tribal greeting to Talking Owl. Yellow Claw he recognized by her thoughts, the other owl he did not.

  "We of the Owl Clan know our visitor as Night Wing, a recent arrival to our Reservation from icy lands to the north and a new resident of Green Mountain," explained Talking Owl. "I fed him well, but he is impatient to get on with business and return to Green Mountain."

  "I see," said Ed. "Could this have something to do with Mark?"

  "What do you think? He says that Wolves are sick and he needs to have medical ticks," said Talking Owl.

  Indeed, Ed could sense the owl repeating a message in English over and over again: "WOLVES SICK; NEED TICKS." It probably didn't know what it was saying; a powerful human telepath had to have given it the message and sent it here.

  "And since this longhouse houses the Tribe medical ticks you brought him here?" Ed asked.

  "That and the fact that fulfilling his request might be in violation of the need to not aid those on a spirit quest. Owls do not request or administer medical ticks. There is a sentient intent behind his actions."

  "Mark, of course," admitted Ed. "That's pretty obvious."

  "WHAT DO THE GREEN MOUNTAIN JANTS KNOW OF THIS?" Ed asked his local jants.

  "THE GREEN MOUNTAIN JANTS ARE HELPING TREAT A HUMAN AND PLAN TO TREAT SEVERAL WOLVES," the jants replied.

  "MARK DAWN OWL IS BEING TREATED BY JANTS?" Ed asked.

  "NO," replied the jants. "ANOTHER HUMAN, IDENTITY UNKNOWN TO US, IS BEING TREATED: A NON-TRIBE HUMAN. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT BEING MADE AVAILABLE, AS THE GREEN MOUNTAIN JANTS ARE DEDICATING ALL THEIR RESOURCES TO PROVIDING MEDICAL TREATMENT, AND THEY CONCLUDE THAT ADDITIONAL DATA COULD BREAK THEIR AGREEMENT TO NOT PASS ON QUEST INFORMATION."

  "That's all very interesting," noted Talking Owl.

  "It must be related to the fly attacks," said Ed. "The good news is, Mark is apparently alive, the bad news is, he's asking for help to deal with the medical needs of wolves and an intruder human."

  "The owl message only mentioned wolves though," said Talking Owl. "The intruder situation isn't part of it, possibly because owl message capacity is tiny. From what Mark selected to tell us the most urgent issue is sick wolves that need ticks, not intruders."

  "Nevertheless, ask your husband to increase surveillance for intruders around Green Mountain," Ed said.

  "And the ticks?" she asked.

  "There are twelve wolves; how many med-ticks can Night Wing carry?"

  "Unknown, but he can certainly carry twelve," Talking Owl said.

  "That is hopefully too many but those that aren't used will doubtless be returned to us."

  "You intend to provide the ticks then, despite quest rules?"

  "Yes," replied Chief Ed. "The Tribe and the animals of this Reservation are under attack by flies and there are one or more human intruders. I think we should do what the Tribe man on the scene has requested, even if it might bend quest rules a bit."

  "The Council of Elders might not like it," Talking Owl warned.

  "Tough. It's my call."

  Talking Owl said nothing, but Ed could tell that she approved.

  Ed contacted the jants, who rounded up the med-ticks and had them ready to go in minutes. He pack them into one of his wife's smaller leather purses, along with a short note for Mark: again breaking the quest rules. Talking Owl tied the purse to the owl's leg using its shoulder strap and then she and Ed walked the bird topside to the Deck.

  There they repeated Mark's name to the bird several times, and saw him off.

  Mary was awake when Ed returned to bed and grilled him mercilessly before letting him sleep. It had been a taxing night, but Ed knew that somewhere on Green Mountain young Mark was having a much tougher time.

  ****