The Alchemy of Desire

by Crista McHugh

  “One spring day, Coyote passed a camp and heard the women mourning the lives lost to the hard, cold winter, and their cries moved his heart. He wanted to help the humans.

  “He knew of a faraway mountain where three Fire Beings lived and carefully guarded the secret of fire. They feared man would acquire it and grow more powerful than them. Coyote saw a way he could help mankind and punish the selfish Fire Beings.

  “He went to the mountain of the Fire Beings and crept to the top on all fours to watch the way they guarded the fire. As he drew near, they heard him and jumped to their feet to search the area.

  “‘What’s that I hear?’ one of them hissed. Its eyes glinted red in the firelight, and it flexed the claws on its hands like a great black vulture.

  “‘A thief in the bushes,’ said another.

  “The third looked closely and saw Coyote on all fours and mistook him for a normal coyote. ‘It’s nothing,’ she said, and the three Fire Beings ignored him.

  “He watched all day and night as the Fire Beings guarded their fire. He saw how they fed it branches and stamped out the sparks when they ignited the dry grass. He also saw how the Beings took turns sitting by the fire at night. One would guard it while the other two slept in their tepee.

  “Coyote saw the only time the Fire Beings didn’t jealously watch the fire was in the early morning hours, when the first winds of dawn blew across the mountain. The Being by the fire would start shivering and go into the tepee to awaken her sister. The next Being would always be slow to go out for her turn, her eyes heavy with sleep.

  “One morning, when the Being whose turn it was to guard the fire was slow to climb out of bed, Coyote sprang from the bushes, snatched a glowing portion of the fire and ran down the mountainside.

  “The Fire Beings chased after him and, although Coyote was a swift runner, one of them caught him by the tail, singeing the hairs on the tip white. Coyote yelped and tossed the fire down the mountainside, where Inyan, the rock, swallowed it. As much as the Fire Beings tried to get the fire out of him, he refused to give it back.

  “Coyote laughed, for he knew the secret of fire now. He took two stones that had fallen off Inyan to the nearby camp. There, he showed the people how to create sparks by striking the two stones together and how to feed the fire so they could be warm all winter long.”

  Finished with his tale, Jim turned to him. “Sometimes thieves have good intentions.”

  Diah replayed the story in his mind and remembered how the stolen vial of black fire saved their lives. Perhaps it was good thing Oni had taken it. If she hadn’t had it with her the other night, he’d still be sitting in a jail cell. And who knew what Hinkle would have done with her once he got her out of the fort? That busted lip seemed mild compared to some of the things he knew him to be capable of doing, especially when he remembered how easily the colonel had ordered the killing of hundreds of people during the war. “So you’re telling me I shouldn’t judge her too harshly for stealing from me?”

  “I’m not necessarily telling you what to think about my niece. Just giving you a little insight on how she might see things.”

  “Is that the only story you know about coyotes?”

  Jim grinned. “There’s scores of them and they all pay homage to his wiles. Maybe I’ll entertain you with some more later on.”

  The aching in Diah’s heart eased a bit, and he wished more than ever that she would be waiting for them when they returned to the dugout.

  Chapter Eleven

  The cold wind felt exhilarating as the coyote ran through the hills under the moonlight. She paused to raise her voice in song. This is freedom. No responsibility. No decisions to make. No reason to have a broken heart.

  But therein lay the problem. Oni’s heart still ached, and all because she was stupid enough to fall for the first man who treated her like lady. And then he has to ram it all down my throat and remind me he doesn’t trust half-breeds. He probably only acted that way to throw me off guard.

  Time would heal all things. It always had in the past. She just needed to run until she forgot about her problems. Maybe they’d be gone when she got back to her uncle’s place.

  A strange object on the horizon caught her eye and she loped toward it. It looked like a large bird at first, but as she closed in on it, she realized it was some kind of machine. Human curiosity overwhelmed her coyote fear and she crept closer.

  The flying machine had a box at the bottom that resembled a train car and a large balloon overhead. A series of propellers whirled around it, and red smoke poured out of the exhaust vent in the back. As it inched closer to the ground, four men jumped over the side of the car with ropes in hand and tethered the ship to the ground by hammering the metal spikes into the damp earth.

  A familiar scent hit her nostrils and Oni crouched in the brush. Hinkle was nearby.

  The door of the car opened and a staircase descended from the floor. A fat man waddled down, followed by another man so large that he must’ve eaten an entire cow each day to maintain his girth. The fat man’s eyes glittered in the moonlight. “Hinkle,” he called out into the night.

  A shadow moved forward, flanked by a dozen more behind him. “Shamus, how wonderful to see you again.”

  “Enough with your silver-tongued pleasantries. Where are they?” Shamus lifted something in his hand and a bright glow illuminated the tip. A wand in the more traditional style.

  The colonel tugged at the collar of his uniform. “The Reynolds brothers?”

  “Yes, you worthless lump of air.” He pointed the wand at Hinkle’s nose. “Don’t tell me you haven’t found them?”

  “I found them and I detained them, like you wanted, but…”

  “But what?”

  “This coyote got into my jail and attacked my guards, and—”

  “I’m not here to listen to coyote shenanigans.”

  Hinkle ran his fingers over his moustache. “Well, the truth is…” He looked at the men around him for support, but no one said anything. Shamus’s scowl deepened with each passing second. “They got away.”

  “I should have known better than to trust a feckin ejit like you. You’re as thick as manure but only half as useful.” Shamus drew his wand back.

  Hinkle raised his hands in front of his face as if that would stop the blow of the magic. “No, wait!” His voice raised an octave higher and his eyes clenched shut. “I’m on to them. I’ve found their trail and I can catch them. Not to mention I’ve got wanted posters going out to all the nearby forts. If they show themselves before I get them, they’ll be arrested.”

  “I’m growing weary of your excuses. I asked you to stop them and get the White Buffalo for me. I need to get that pelt before Lamont.”

  “And you’ll have it. I give you my word as a United States officer.”

  Shamus glared at him for a few more seconds before finally lowering his wand. “What else do you have to tell me?”

  “They have an Injun guide with them who claims she knows where to find the White Buffalo.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Does she now?”

  “Yeah, and looking at her, I could tell she was Sioux. They’re the keepers of the legend, so I’m betting she knows more than she lets on.”

  “And did you at least capture the guide for me?”

  “Uh, no, she got away too.”

  “Feck, I wonder how you made it this far in the army. Maybe the president and I should have a little chat over a bottle of whiskey and discuss how well the frontier is being defended?”

  “That won’t be necessary ’cause I got my own little Injun guide.” He waved his hand over his shoulder and one of soldiers shoved a woman forward. She fell to the ground with a muffled gasp.

  Shamus held the light from his wand over her, and Oni recognized the traditional Lakota clothing the woman wore. Girl would probably be more accurate. She hardly appeared older than fifteen. She wiggled in the dirt, unable to stand with her wrists and ankles bound.

  �
�This lass is your replacement for the guide you lost?” He bent over and examined her. “Tell me, do you think you can lead me to the White Buffalo, or should I just have Tommy-boy slit your throat now?”

  His companion drew a knife with a jagged blade and grinned.

  The girl’s wide eyes stared back in terror, but her gagged mouth prevented her from answering. She shook her head. Bruises covered her face like a patchwork quilt. Dried blood trailed down from the corner of her lips, and Oni’s gut clenched in anger.

  “No, you can’t lead me to the White Buffalo? Or no, you don’t want your throat slit?” Shamus stood and muttered a string of Gaelic curse words. “Is this the best you can give me?”

  Hinkle jerked his thumb over his shoulder, and the soldiers dragged the Lakota girl back into the shadows. “I might have something that’ll spark your interest, but I’m not talking about it out here. Perhaps we can go inside your warm car and I’ll tell you a bit more about it.”

  Shamus pursed his lips. “You’d better be making it worth my time, Hinkle. I need to be tending to business back in Chicago, not cleaning up after you in this wilderness.”

  The colonel started for the airship. “I wouldn’t dream of wasting your time, Shamus.”

  The men disappeared into the car and the soldiers huddled together near their horses for warmth. The Lakota girl sat forgotten in the darkness.

  Oni crept closer to her and sniffed her dress. She smelled of buffalo chip campfires and sweat.

  The girl yanked her feet back and stared at the coyote, not relaxing until she moved away. She was terrified, but Oni couldn’t leave her at the mercy of Hinkle.

  “I suppose we’ll be camping here tonight.” One of the soldiers tossed a bag inches from Oni. “Let’s get those tents up before Colonel Hinkle gets out.”

  With the soldiers distracted, Oni rummaged through the open bags and hoped she wouldn’t be caught. After a few minutes, she saw light flash off a metal surface, and small knife fell out of the bag. She picked up the hilt with her teeth and carried it to the Lakota girl.

  This time, the girl didn’t try to pull away when the coyote approached her. She saw the knife and nodded. When it was dropped into her hand, she began sawing through the ropes around her wrists.

  Oni moved between her and soldiers. While the girl was busy trying to free herself, she was already moving on to the next part of the plan—how to get the girl on a horse.

  “Hey, be careful with that case,” one of the men shouted to a fellow soldier. “Colonel Hinkle said if something broke in there, we’d be in a whole lot of hurt.”

  They set the case at the edge of the camp and continued unpacking their supplies. The sound of the blade rubbing against the rope resumed and Oni investigated the case. It emitted the faint odor of sulfur. Diah’s case of black fire.

  She gathered the straps in her teeth and dragged the case closer the girl, stopping every few inches to see if the soldiers noticed her.

  “Le mita pila, Mayashehchan,” the girl whispered. She paused from cutting through her ankle bonds long enough to run her hand through the coyote’s thick fur.

  Oni dropped the case and gave her a coyote smile in return for the girl’s thanks.

  Once free, the girl crawled to her. “How may I repay you, Trickster?”

  Oni lifted the case and whimpered. The prospect of carrying it for three days in her coyote form would be difficult, but she could run faster on four legs than on two. And she dared not shift, even in front of a member of her tribe.

  “You want me to carry this for you?” She appeared confused as to why an animal would want a case full of little glass vials.

  Oni nodded her head.

  “Then I will carry it where you lead me, Mayashehchan.” She grabbed the straps and crept closer to the horses. Hiding between them, she tied the case to one of the saddles and looked to the coyote.

  Time to play another trick on the soldiers. Oni circled the camp and yipped from the brush.

  “What was that?” One of the men reached for his rifle.

  In the distance, another coyote answered her call. She moved a few steps closer so the firelight reflected in her eyes.

  “There’s some sort of animal in the bushes over there.”

  More howls filled the air and Oni joined the chorus. Her tail wagged in delight. They should be here any second now.

  “Shit, it’s a pack of coyotes.”

  “Shoot ’em!”

  The men scrambled for their guns as the pack burst into the camp. They yipped at the soldiers, crashed the tents and snatched whatever food they saw. Oni advanced on the horses and spooked them. The girl mounted her horse before it ran away and disappeared into the night. Oni’s heart soared when she watched her escape. She knew the girl’s scent and would catch up with her later.

  A shot rang out, followed by a whimper. One of her brethren lay dying in the center of the camp and the others retreated.

  The door to the car banged open. Hinkle’s shout boomed over the chaos. “What the hell is going on here?”

  The soldiers scrambled to attention. “Some more of those rabid coyotes, sir.”

  “Well, kill ’em!”

  “Yes, sir.” But the other coyotes were already long gone.

  “Where the hell did the horses go?” Hinkle asked.

  Oni traipsed off in the direction the Lakota girl went, with laughter filling her soul. She’d caused enough trouble for one night.

  Oni caught up with the Lakota girl and led her toward Jim’s. The soldiers never caught them, much to her relief, but then, being without their horses might’ve had something to do with it. On the third day, a cold rain poured from the sky, and the girl turned her horse in a different direction from where Oni wanted her to go. Every time Oni tried to steer her back to the dugout, the girl turned back. At last, she sat on her haunches in front of the horse.

  “My home is this way, Mayashehchan.” The girl pointed west.

  Oni jumped up and nudged the case with her nose. If the girl wanted to leave, that was fine, but she wanted the case.

  The girl untied it and set it on the ground. “Le mita pila, Mayashehchan.” Then she rode off.

  Oni waited until the girl was out of sight before she shifted. Jim’s dugout was still half a day away by foot and she was already losing the feeling in her fingers. She slung the case over her shoulder and began walking.

  Chapter Twelve

  Diah sopped up the last bits of gravy with the warm sourdough bread and breathed a sigh of satisfaction after he chewed the last morsel of his dinner. “Another excellent meal, Jim.”

  “Glad you enjoyed it. Now, if you two don’t mind cleaning up, I’m going to stretch out in front of the fire.” Jim dragged his chair closer to the stove and propped his feet on the freshly restored woodpile.

  Wind rattled the exhaust pipe of the stove and Diah shivered reflexively. While they were waiting on Cager to be well enough to ride a horse, he’d been helping Jim prepare the place for winter. They’d gone out with the wagon and gathered any scant timber they could find. In the next day or two, they were planning a trip to one of the forts to stock up on supplies and a load of coal to get him through the long, cold nights ahead.

  He listened to the storm howl outside as he washed the dishes and wondered for the millionth time how Oni was faring on her own. It hadn’t snowed yet, but according to Jim, it was just around the corner. The cold rain crept into his bones whenever he went outside and was enough to make him miserable. He hoped she’d found some shelter.

  “Dear God, are you moping about her again?” Cager dropped the last of the dishes into the washbasin. “You’d think she was only woman who gave you the time of day.”

  “Shut up, Cager.” Despite his brother’s left arm still being in a sling, Diah contemplated decking him.

  “I bet she’s out there, watching this place and waiting for us to leave before she comes and retrieves her horse.”

  “If that was the case, she woul
d have grabbed it while we were sleeping,” Jim said. “You two obviously don’t know her as well as I do. She’s quite comfortable roaming under the moonlight.”

  “But there’s no moon tonight.”

  “Then maybe she’ll find her way back here.”

  Diah shook his head and said no more. When it came to his niece, Jim frequently spoke in riddles or shared some Lakota legend he thought was relevant to the conversation.

  A loud bang broke the silence. Diah tensed and Cager exchanged a worried glance with him. Had Hinkle found them?

  Jim fed the fire like nothing was out of the ordinary. “Are you two gonna stand there like ninnies, or are you gonna answer the door?”

  Diah shook the water from his hands and dried them on his pants. He grabbed his rifle on the way to the door. If there were soldiers on the other side, he wanted to give them one hell of a fight before they captured him again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cager grab his wand and nod as if he was thinking the same thing. The only person who didn’t seem uneasy by the unexpected knock was Jim, who started picking his teeth.

  The person on the outside banged again, this time more frantically.

  He pulled on the latch string and cracked the door open enough to peek through.

  Oni huddled close to the door, but that still didn’t prevent the rain from draining down her neck and shoulders in hundreds of tiny rivulets. Seeing the beam of light on the ground, she turned to face him. She opened her blue lips to speak, but her teeth chattered instead.

  “Sweet Jesus!” He rested his rifle against the wall and pulled her inside. “Oni, what are you doing out in his weather?”

  “Obviously, she doesn’t have the common sense to stay inside.”

  Jim jumped to his feet and smacked Cager on the back of his head. “Little Trickster, let me see your hands.” They shook when she held them out. He pressed the fingertips on one hand and pried her fingers open from around the straps of the leather case she carried so he could examine the other. “No danger of losing any fingers, but we need to get you warmed up.”