Next morning, as Spud and I are dressing, Wolf walks in.
“Hey, I might’ve been in an embarrassing state.”
“Wolf hoping so.”
“What’s up brother?” asks Spud, smiling.
“Trent find dead body in Soames’ room last night.”
“Trent?” I ask.
“Hotel clerk,” offers Spud.
“Him hear noise. Go look.”
“Soames?”
“No, other guy.”
“I better investigate,” says Spud.
“You can start here,” I say.
They both look at me.
“I was there, in the closet. Soames admitted to killing Headless, Supervisor Jones was his name. I heard it all. The dead guy is named Brady. He shot Michael, said so himself.”
“What, why?”
“That’s all I got.”
“I shouldn’t ask more?”
“That’s the important part. Solved two crimes. They do believe Michael is dead.”
“Okay, should I ask how you got in the closet?”
“I went up to search his room for evidence, Soames came in through the door, then Brady came in the window, closet was my only choice.”
“Soames killed Brady?” Spud asks.
“Near enough.”
Spud looks quizzical. “Okay, I won’t ask.”
Wolf nods and adds, “Like Annie say, not important.”
“Yep,” Spud nods to himself. “I gotta hit the road, scheduled for takeoff. No time for more.”
“Adios, darlin’.” Spud embraces me, leans me over almost to the ground and delivers a giant smoocheroo. “Wolf will keep you happy.”
Wolf looks at me with, well, a wolfish grin and a gleam in his eye.
“I feel like dinner,” I say.
They look at each other and both guffaw.
“Seriously, I’m nervous.”
“Not to worry darlin’, Wolf is a pussy cat.”
“Wolves and cats both eat people.”
Spud grins more and waves as he heads for the Shitkicker. He has Soames and somehow also the roadblock crew to keep him company.
Spud and ‘friends’ rocket off to the proverbial stars; actually it’s just a couple day hop to nearby Proxima Pi. Oh, yeah, proxima means nearby, in case yore Latin is rusty.
“We must be off,” says Sir Jacob. “We’ve a meeting with Sir Steven.”
I borrow Charley’s boudoir to shed the mustache, unbind my tits and dress back up as myself. After the visit to the recently dead/resurrected Michael, some weapon cleaning and then way too much time in the dry goods store shopping for supplies, I develop a world class thirst.
“I am allergic to this shit. You boys finish yore shoppin’, I’ll go warm a bar stool.”
“Girls! No staying power,” says Sir Jacob. “I say Annie, I shall be a gentleman and accompany you. Come, Wolf, let us adjourn to talk and drink as men...”
“And women,” I, being uppity, must add.
“…do,” finishes Sir Jacob.
We head down the street and I go first into the saloon, brassy and bold, just like I am walking onto a starship.
A big man standing at other end of bar, yells drunkenly, “Hey! Ma bitch! Come ova’ here, lemme pet yore soft, beautiful hair!”
I pull leather, he raises his hands slowly. “Wait, not...”
“Apologize, now!”
“I’se apologize, missy, this brother were talkin’ ‘bout the bitch.”
“Enough!” I wiggle the barrel of my.45 at him.
“Um, Annie...” Wolf whispers.
“Busy here.”
“That ain’t a polite term for a lady, motherfucker.”
“No Ma’am, but...”
“Annie,” repeats Wolf.
“Still busy.”
“Yes ‘mm.”
“But, nothing. Apologize!”
Wolf says, “But Mose is talking about...”
“No matter, Miss. I apologize. Don’t shoot, just let me walk over. I’ll shake her paw, too.”
“Paw?”
“Annie!” Charley yells. “Put your gun down, Mose is talking to the Bitch.”
“What?”
“The dog, Annie. She is standing behind you. Please relax now. Holster your weapon.”
“Where did she come from?”
“She her own bitch, go whea she want.” Mose, who is carrying a long scoped buffalo gun in one hand, walks over and kneels down to pet the dog. “I’se mighty sorry Bitch, she maybe don’ know yore name. Here, you shake.”
Bitch raises her paw, Mose shakes it and gives her a big hug.
I turn five shades of red. “Oh.”
“Mose, all that bowing and scraping is just confusing Annie. She’s a bit simple minded.”
“Hey!”
“It’s awright, lotta women scared of a big black buck like mysef.”
“Annie, I’ll thank you to refrain from shooting my close friends,” Sir Jacobs adds his two cents worth. “This is Sir Steven Hawkins, as we call him. Steven, this is Annie Talks To Horses.”
Sir Steven tips his hat and says, “Pleasure to make yore acquaintance, Miss Annie. I am Stevenson Moses Hawkins, the one and only black man on the Rock, but not the only African. You know we humans all started out in Africa, on that Planet they called Earth. In what they egotistically called America, ignoring all the other countries in the Americas. Slavery was their sin and Injins were their shame. Heard of it?”
“Dare say I have, seems to be a popular story on the Rock. Sorry about being so trigger happy.”
“S’okay. I heard the women’s liberation stories. I suppose y’all girls are people, too. Us men do kinda need you for the procreation stuff.”
I start to bristle again.
Wolf, Jacob and Mose start laughing.
“That was priceless! Bitch,” says Sir Jacob.
“Shit, you set me up? Bastards.”
“Here darlin’,” says Wolf. “Have a drink, you were cute as a bug.”
“Not sure I like yore friends.”
They all chuckle, yeesh.
Mose says, “Join me at my table back in the corner there, we can talk. I will buy you a drink, Annie, for the trouble I have caused. Pray you will believe that it was these two crazy bastards’ idea. Hope you don’t take offense, no bad med’cine intended. And you might’s well call me Mose, everyone but Sir Jakey here does.”
We head back with a bottle and glasses and settle around the table.
Mose raises a glass. “To shinin’ times.”
He looks at Wolf. “Speakin’ of Med’cine, Wolf. I got news for y’all. I saw the Spirit Buffalo last week. That what you lookin’ fer? It were somthin’, brother, a fine sight to see. White as the fallen snow.”
Wolf’s eyes gleam.
I ask, “What is a Spirit Animal?”
Wolf explains, “Very rare white phase animal, seldom seen. They have much power.”
“Well hell, Michael saw a white deer out by No Name Peak maybe three weeks back whilst hunting cows. Thought maybe he were hallucinatin’.”
Wolf is excited. “Spirit Deer,” he says reverently. “Bitch, buffalo, and deer.” Wolf looks ecstatic.
“Do all species have white animals?”
“Very rare in wild. White only blend in in snow, rest of year easy target for predator, especially after dark. Smart animal like weasel, ptarmigan, arctic fox change color with season. Most animal not.”
“Spirit bear, wolf, owl, eagle? So all are possible?”
“Mm.” Wolf turns his head. “Mose, where you see Buff?”
“Out chere whea the Three Forks meet. One of a big bunch, hundreds. Travelin’ south a course, in front of the weather.”
“Wolf go. Annie help Wolf find white deer, Mose show Wolf white buffalo. We must leave soon, weather get worse now. Wolf go on Spirit Quest. Friends guide and help.”
“You don’t need me Wolf, you know that country betta than I. I got my supplies mostly bought fer trappin’
season, so we can travel together to my Three Forks cabin, we’ll have Spirit smoke and feast. You and Annie go south from there. Buff cut a wide swath. Yore Spirit will guide you.”
Mose stands up. “Time’s a wastin’. Wolf, you got good solid horses to trade me? I need another animal for the winter.”
“Yes, bring two new ones today.” as Mose and Wolf head out to horse trade, Wolf looks back and says, “Meet Charley’s later, talk to Michael.”
I look at Sir Jacob. “Just like that, a Spirit Quest?”
Sir Jacob explains, “Yes, winter waits for no man and the white animals are short lived. Time is of the essence. Once the snow sticks they will be harder to spot and of course travel will be impeded. With luck the weather will hold while you make a quick trip.
“Wolf knows whereof he speaks. White animals are rare in nature it is believed that this is because they stand out from the background in all but snow white areas, thus are more open to predation, as he opined. The scientific theory results from the fact that when animals are bred in captivity the numbers of white animals increase dramatically.
“He takes the Spirits seriously and amazingly has asked you to accompany him. It is an opportunity I have not known him to offer to any who are not of his family.”
Wolf comes back to the table.
“But, why me?” I ask.
“True that Injin and Paleface came from same place before time,” says Wolf. “Africa. But Injins better.”
I laugh. “And?”
“Annie Injin, Wolf Injin, good medicine come if we go. Circle of life, Spirit Animals, white man not understand.”
“Ay yi yi Wolf, yore givin’ me a headache. Maybe I ain’t Injin.”
Wolf says, “Annie already have Injin name and white Spirit Bitch. What more could you need?”
“But you gave me the name.”
“Spirits speak thru Wolf.” He walks out. Inscrutable.
Sir Jacob and I head over to Charley’s. She is staying home with Michael until he is stabilized. Wolf joins us there and grills Michael until Charley kicks us out.
“Michael needs rest.”
Back in Charley’s kitchen, I am still unconvinced.
“Wolf, I didn’t see the white deer, Michael did. Why am I going?”
“Michael need rest, heal. Michael tell Annie where him see deer. Wolf charged with Annie safety by brother. Wolf not let you out of sight. We not know, maybe shooters aiming for you. Spud say, Wolf agree. Maybe Annie learn something. You ever go Spirit Quest?”
“Well, no. But I have things...”
“Okay, Wolf decide. Hands free or hogtied, Annie go, bring good luck with Spirits. Spirits speak.”
“Why now, when winter is nigh? Why not in spring when the weather is warming?” I ask.
Wolf says solemnly, “Because now is now and later is illusion.”
Sir Jacob and Charley laugh.
“Apologies Wolf, not a laughing matter, but Annie looks like she thinks she still has a choice,” says Sir Jacob.
Charley looks at me and asks, “100 years from now when you are looking back at your life, don’t you want to be able to say you had the guts to go on a Quest?” She pats my hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of Michael. I have known Wolf all his life. He speaks for the Spirits and they have always proven well worth a listen, and Sir Jacob, I’ll wager, will help Coati with the livestock should the weather close in.”
Crack of dawn next morning Mose, Wolf and I set out with the pack string loaded with Mose’s winter possibles and our camp. Bitch has moved up to a position right behind Spike and I. She looks as serious and committed to the Quest as Wolf.
Michael stays in MadDog to recuperate. He and Charley promise to stay alert, watching for the arrival of any more Centrist paper pushers.
Sky will act as liaison between them and us Spirit Seekers.
As I ride past a big bush Wolf rides out, grabs me and plants a big kiss on my lips.
“Wolf wait,” I say as he plants another one. I push him away. “Spud is trusting you to take care of me.”
“In fact Spud said for me to keep you happy. That I am doing.”
“No. I’m sure he means just protect me and such.”
“A brother keeps his woman well-bred and fed during his brother’s absence. It is the way of our tribe.”
“Has anyone told Spud?”
“Of course, he doesn’t want you to get horny and wander. My job is to take care of that.”
“Oh.” I feel the blood in my cheeks.
Wolf says, “Injin ways are not white ways, you have much to learn, Annie Talks To Horses.”
We ride along for hours up the trail through a deciduous forest rampant with fall color then we break out on top of a cliff overlooking another vast plain.
We pause to look at the wonder the Rock has spread out before us.
“The gods smile on us, Annie.”
“But if you had a wife and Spud left town?” I am still chewing on the same bone.
“Yes, Little One, I would still bed you also. It is a brother’s duty. Should Spud die, I would marry you, were you his wife. Or if I had a wife already, I would then have two wives and all the children to care for, proudly. No one would be left alone or hungry.”
“Okay. Say I marry Spud and you are also married.”
“Yes?”
“If I die, would your wife marry Spud?”
“Yes, as I say no one should be left alone or hungry.”
“But what if I don’t want to?”
“Not marry me? I am Lone Wolf? All ladies want me. And many men also.”
“Seriously.”
“No,” he says and grins. “It is Annie choice.”
“And?”
“And Spud choice if things are the other way around.”
I ponder this a bit. “Children? Marriage? I ain’t ready. Holy cow! I ain’t ready to even think about...”
Wolf interrupts, “Annie Talks To Horses, you have wandered from my thought.”
“Thought?”
“Open your eyes. We are here now. Relax. Be here now. Trust in the future, should tomorrow even come.”
I think, but my mind is blank.
“Wait.” I think back. “You mentioned my eyes.”
“Open them. Look.”
I look out at the valley. The prairie grasses and flowers have tall seed heads waving in the wind and the trees along the creek are cloaked in fall colors. The creek is rolling and tumbling along.
“Oh, my gods, yes,” I say. “This world, this Rock.”
“Yes,” says Wolf, “all we can see, it is ours. The gods are smiling on us.”
Cowgirls
Just Wanna
Have Fun
by
Barbara
Neville
Copyright © 2015 Barbara Neville
Cowgirl Thrillers Page 47