by D. B. Silvis
“Maggie, Kip, I’d like you to meet Doli.”
They both said hello and shook Doli’s hand. Killian then embraced his two friends.
Maggie smiled at Doli. “Your name is Dolly?”
“It’s Doli. D-O-L-I,” she answered.
“Doli is the Navajo word for bluebird,” Killian explained. “She is Princess Doli to the Navajos.”
“Well, it’s nice to know you, Doli,” Maggie told her. “I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting a princess before.”
Somewhat embarrassed, Doli softly tapped Killian on the shoulder. “Please just call me Doli, he’s fascinated by it, but I’m not a princess here.”
“Welcome, Doli,” said Kip. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Killian grinned. “I have another surprise for you.”
“You’re married,” blurted Kip.
Doli and Killian laughed.
“No, we’re not married, we’re friends.” Killian’s eyes were smiling as he looked at them. “Doli is a Blue.”
Kip and Maggie’s mouths fell open.
“Really?” said Maggie.
Doli nodded.
“Doli was a young girl in the Navajo camp the day Tom Mulligan and I saw the shiny metal object, and the short greys,” explained Killian.
“My God,” said Kip. “Over a hundred years ago.”
“How in the world did you two ever meet?” asked Maggie.
“First, let’s get our bags. Doli and I will tell you all about it on the way back to the ranch.”
Kip and Killian picked up the luggage, and they all walked out to the parking lot, and drove to Zack’s ranch.
That evening, they had dinner at Kip’s parents’ home. For Jesse, Arthur and Zack’s benefit, Killian related a short version of how he and Doli met. He omitted the part about Doli being a Blue. After they’d walked back to Zack’s ranch house, Maggie and Doli went up to their respective bedrooms. Kip went to the bar, poured three glasses of Grand Marnier, and handed one to Zack, and one to Killian.
“Zack,” he said to his grandfather, “we’ve always kept you informed as to what Killian has been doing. However, tonight at Jesse and Arthur’s, Killian left out one bit of information we’d like you to know.” He glanced at Killian, leaving it to him to continue.
“Zack, it’s true that Doli is a Navajo princess. In addition, like me, she is a Blue.”
Zack stared at Killian and then at Kip, who nodded in confirmation. Zack drank half of the two-ounce cordial.
“Well, I’ll be God damned! That’s something, a female Blue.”
During breakfast, Zack couldn’t take his eyes off Doli. He even followed Doli, Maggie, Killian and Kip out to the barn. They had all dressed warmly as it was a cool, somewhat breezy day. Zack stood and watched while they saddled Blaze and three of his horses. He continued to watch them as they rode away.
“I’ll be damned,” he muttered to himself, “A real princess and a female Blue.”
After the four friends had ridden for over two hours they stopped by the small lake, where they dismounted, removed their jackets, and unpacked a basket lunch onto the weathered picnic table. While eating, they enjoyed the now warm sun shining in the clear blue sky.
“Killian,” said Kip, “we’ve talked about everything under the sun. You’ve filled us in on your interesting life over the past months, and we’ve told you about our boring old lives.”
Maggie punched Kip’s arm. “Our lives are not boring.”
They all laughed.
“No, but compared to Doli and Killian’s, well… Anyway, what I was getting to is, what’s next? What are yours and Doli’s plans now, Killian?”
“For the time being, we’re going to stay here and enjoy Zack’s hospitality. I want to show Doli Washington, D.C., New York City, and other points of interest in the area.”
“Great,” Maggie responded. “I’m glad you’re staying here for a while. It’ll give us time to get to know Doli and enjoy your company.”
“After our stay here we plan on going to Fort Defiance, Arizona, where everything began. Back in 1860, it was the open territory of New Mexico. We hope to meet with the Navajos in the area, and possibly talk to one of the older medicine men.”
“For any particular reason, Killian?’ asked Kip.
“Basically, we have a lot of questions we need answers to. We’d like to know more about the Sky People and the Star Warriors. In addition, how many Blues are there, and why some are good while others are evil and full of hate?”
“That has to be interesting,” said Maggie. “I hope you succeed in finding the answers.”
“We’re sure we’ll be able to locate some Navajo medicine men that’ll be able to shed light on our questions,” Doli told her.
“Maybe one of the medicine men will be a Blue,” suggested Kip.
“No,” said Doli firmly, “I remember, as a child, they weren’t allowed to become Blues.”
They packed up the remaining food, and rode back to the ranch.
For the next month, Killian and Doli became tourists. They traveled and took in all the interesting sights and activities of Washington, D.C. and New York City.
Since meeting in Vietnam, Killian and Doli had become more than good friends. One night, while having dinner in a fine New York restaurant, Killian proposed and Doli accepted.
After their whirlwind travels they returned to the ranch, and spent time with Maggie, Kip and Zack, who couldn’t get over the fact he had two Blues staying at his ranch. The night before they were ready to leave, Kip held an engagement party for them at the country club. Everyone was there, including Jesse, Arthur and Whelan.
In the morning, Kip drove them to the airport, and they boarded a plane for Albuquerque, New Mexico. Once there, Killian rented a car and they drove the one hundred and seventy miles to Fort Defiance. They arrived late, and checked into a motel, which had a green neon cactus blinking on the rooftop. They rose early and walked to a nearby café to have breakfast. Their waitress was a young Navajo who told them most of her people lived in or near the town. But, there was a small group that preferred to live by the old ways, and they had a camp outside of town. She told them where it was located. Doli took a deep breath when she realized it was where she had lived as a child. The waitress said they’d need to rent a horse if they intended on going to the camp, and pointed to a stable across an open field.
Killian and Doli left the café and set off across the field. Then Killian stopped. He stood looking around for a long moment, deep in thought. Doli looked at him. She knew what he was thinking. “This is where you and Lupan fought.”
Killian heard her voice, but it seemed far away. He was remembering the battle between the 1st Cavalry, and the Navajo Indians led by Chief Manuelito. He was picturing the fight he had with Lupan.
“You fought here with Lupan?”
Killian replied without looking at her. “Yes Doli, A hundred years ago.”
They continued walking toward the stable, where they rented two Palomino Indian ponies, and rode out to the Navajo camp. When they were close, Doli reined back her horse and sat looking at the site where she was born. Her face betrayed a mixture of emotions. It was here where she’d first seen the Sky People, the Star Warriors, and had herself become a Blue. It was from here that she and her family had been driven out to go on a three-hundred mile march across New Mexico. The camp looked much the same, little more than a cluster of eight-sided hogans made of wood and plastered in mud. The front door of all of the hogans faced east, to welcome the morning sun.
Killian noted the emotional expression on Doli’s face, as she surveyed the shabby village. He reached over and patted her shoulder. “Come on, let’s go in and find the medicine man.”
Doli nodded and they rode in. Poorly dressed women and children stared up at them as they passed by. They stopped in front of a hogan that looked like it served as a store. Three old men with weathered faces were sitting outside, smoking pipes. Doli greeted them in Navajo, a
nd asked if they knew where she could find the medicine man. One of the men pointed a bony finger in the direction of a hogan across the way. She thanked him and they rode over to the hogan and dismounted. Doli knocked on the door. A short, old woman opened it. She stood staring at the two strangers. Doli told her who she was and that she wanted to talk to the medicine man.
The woman’s face broke into a toothless smile. “Princess Doli! You’ve come home!”
Doli grinned at the old woman’s acknowledging her as a princess. “Yes, this used to be my home. Is the medicine man here?”
The woman nodded and retreated into the hogan. A moment later she returned. “The hahtahlih is waiting to see you. Go in,” she said, gesturing at them to enter.
As Doli and Killian stepped inside, the woman left, shutting the door behind her.
A stooped, old man was waiting for them. He was smiling. “Princess Doli, I welcome you back home. I am Atsah Be Yaz, son of Atsah.” He shook hands with Doli and Killian.
“Small Eagle,” Doli replied, “I fondly remember your father, Eagle. He was my teacher. I did not expect to meet with his son today.”
Small Eagle chuckled. “Yes, soon I’ll be ninety-two. I’ve seen many moons.” He looked at Killian. “I welcome you too, Taglito Silaada. I have heard much about you. Please sit down.” He pointed to a faded green sofa. Small Eagle sat down in a well-worn brown upholstered chair.
He gazed at them. “You have come for answers.”
“Yes,” Doli answered.
The medicine man nodded and let his hands fall open onto his lap.
“Who are the Navajo people, and what connection do we have to the Sky People?” asked Doli.
The hahtahlih thought for a moment. “Our history goes back over three thousand years when there were the Anaszi. In the old Navajo language, Anaszi means ‘ancient strangers’. They are thought to have been aliens or Sky People. We don’t know if we are the descendants of those ancient strangers, or if they were simply our teachers and guardians, over the centuries, when we were growing and becoming strong. The Indian nation was sixty million, before the white man came to our land.” He paused in thought. “Over the years it has been passed down that we are ‘dine’, the people. To us, other humans are ‘not people’. They are the ‘anaii dines’, enemy people. It has been passed down that we are divine dine, holy people who are closely associated with the gods.”
Doli was thinking about what she’d been told. “We are ‘dine’,” she echoed, “and for many years we have been the chosen people of the Sky People?”
“It has been passed down that we are, Princess Doli.”
“Have the Sky People returned since our people made the forced three hundred-mile march across New Mexico?”
“No, they have not returned.”
“If they were our guardians, why didn’t they help us, Small Eagle?”
“My father Atsah told me the council had meetings discussing that subject.”
“And?” asked Doli.
“It was believed the Sky People were not pleased with the Navajo. At that time we were known as fierce warriors. Our people fought for their land until the 1860s. But then the white eyes built Fort Defiance, and a short time later, their soldiers killed or captured one hundred-thousand of our people. We became disheartened and lost our spirit. The council thought we displeased the Star Warriors.”
“How?” asked Doli.
“The Star Warriors had taught us how to fight and be strong. Their belief was knowledge and strength was earned, not given. We disappointed them in giving in to the white man and his ways. They taught us to be strong, yet we became weak. The Star Warriors abandoned us because of our weakness in the face of adversity.”
No one spoke for a few seconds.
“Why did they create the Blues?” asked Killian.
“The white people in America and other countries had become too numerous to conquer. At the time, the white man was gaining strength and power. The Sky People gave power to the Star Warriors to create thousands of Blues who, they believed, would be powerful teachers, guardians and law enforcers, and would create a balance in all things in the world. The intention was for the Blues to infiltrate the white man and help the Indians from within. Their plan was for the Blues to be super dines, who’d create a bond between the white man and the Indian. Blues were the Sky People’s answer to the Indian’s problem. The Blues were supposed to do good, spread knowledge, and become leaders of all men. Much of this has come true, as there are many good Blues in the world.”
“What went wrong?” asked Doli.
“Some Blues did not do good things. They had great hatred and sought revenge for how the white man treated their people. They abused the power given to them. They began transforming into animals and became known as Skinwalkers. The Sky People’s intention was for the Blues to be able to do shapeshifting in the form of human to human, not into animals. But the evil Skinwalkers had more hate than love in their souls. They took advantage of the fact they couldn’t be killed by bullets. They became half-human-looking creatures that terrorized, and sometimes killed innocent people for hate and pleasure. The Star Warriors became angry with the behavior of their creation. Our forefathers believed that to be another reason why the Sky People abandoned the Indian nations in 1870.”
“Skinwalkers are rarely seen now,” Doli observed. “It’s the Blue Warriors, like Lupan, and his followers who have replaced the Skinwalkers that turned into animals.”
“Yes, Princess Doli, that is true. They’re no longer interested in scaring the white man; they want to kill him. Lupan and his kind are a reason the Sky People no longer look favorably on us.”
“There will come a day when I’ll find Lupan and end his evil ways, Small Eagle,” Killian assured the old medicine man.
Small Eagle gazed at Killian. “Taglito Silaada, over the years we have questioned why the Star Warriors made you a Blue.”
“It was an accident, Small Eagle.” Killian told the medicine man the story of his friend Tom Muldoon and their fight with the two Navajos, one of whom was a Star Warrior. When Killian had finished, Small Eagle nodded and smiled.
“It was a good accident. Your reputation for doing good things has spread throughout the Indian nation. Nevertheless, your ending Lupan’s life will not make all evil go away. On this earth, there are many like Lupan. Until the day the original intentions for the Blues are fulfilled, there will not be peace. It is written.”
“Recently, there have been sightings of alien ships,” said Doli.
“I have read about those, but none have come here to aid the Indian nation.”
Again they sat in silence for a few moments.
Then Doli stood up. “We can see things are not good for your people, Atsah Be Yaz.”
“It has been bad for the Indians for many years,” he answered.
“We will do what we can to help. I’ll have food and clothing sent out to you and your people, from Fort Defiance.”
Killian and Small Eagle stood up.
“Thank you, Princess Doli,” said the medicine man. “It will be appreciated.”
Killian removed his wallet, and handed the medicine man all the money he had, close to four hundred dollars. Tears came to the old man’s eyes.
“Thank you for your time and knowledge, Small Eagle,” said Doli as she leaned down and kissed the old man on the cheek.
Killian shook Atsah Be Yaz’s hand, then they left the hogan, and rode back to Fort Defiance.
Early the next morning, they drove back to Albuquerque, and boarded a plane for the National Airport in Washington, D.C. They spent the night at Maggie and Kip’s apartment in the city. Before dinner, while Maggie and Doli were in the kitchen, Kip took Killian into his den. He unfolded the previous day’s newspaper, and showed him an article on page four.
“I thought this might be of interest to you,” he said.
The caption read, “Indian Steeplejack War in the Big Apple.”
Killian
proceeded to read the first part of the article, and then looked up at Kip, “Indian steeplejacks fighting four stories above the ground? That’s crazy.”
“It is, but keep reading,” suggested Kip.
Killian continued with the article. When he came to the next interesting part, he read aloud. “Four other steeplejacks, who were working on the floor below, swear they saw two of the Indians fall from the building; a third Indian was tied to a beam and set afire. They watched him burn, and then there was a bright flash of blue light, followed by a ribbon of blue-white smoke that rose up into the sky. However, the police reported no bodies were found on the ground, and there wasn’t a burned body tied to a steel beam, only a charred piece of rope. The witnesses are holding to their story, but the police say it doesn’t make any sense and think it may be a hoax.”
“Blue Warriors fighting Blues?” asked Kip.
“What the other four steeplejacks saw makes sense to me. But Blues fighting four stories up, doesn’t, Kip.”
“Do you think it could be Lupan, or a Blue Warrior like him, causing trouble?”
“Yes, it could be, but why fight and kill a Blue up there?”
“Do you think a war between Blues is breaking out?” asked Kip.
“I don’t know, but I’m going to New York to find out.”
Maggie walked into the den, followed by Doli. “What are you boys up to?” she asked.
“I showed the article to Killian.”
“What article?” Doli asked.
Killian handed her the newspaper. She read the article.
“We’re going there, aren’t we, Killian.”
“I am, but you don’t need to go.”
“No, I want to. It involves my people.”
Early the next morning, Kip drove them to Zack’s ranch. They had no idea what type of situation they would encounter in New York, but they were going. Killian wanted to drive his pickup; he needed to take his lariat, bolas, extra rope and a few napalm B grenades. Killian had read the confrontation occurred at the construction site of the new World Trade Center. The police and newspaper people were baffled as to what had really happened. He and Doli, however, knew it had been between Blues and Blue Warriors. But why it happened was the question.