by Alex Archer
Annja nodded. “Backwoods medicine.”
Godwin smiled. “It was, according to my mother, incredibly painful. But my father did what he had to do to make sure she lived. And while she recovered, he set about keeping them fed with all the skills he’d learned from his tribe.”
“And obviously, they made it.”
“My mother was a fast healer, but even still, they had to weather the winter in the Arctic Circle. If my father hadn’t found her when he did, she would have died. As it was, they nearly died that winter anyway. But they survived and as a result of their struggle together, they fell in love.”
Annja smiled. “I love a happy ending.”
“Well, this one doesn’t have one,” Godwin said. “Because when my father returned to the tribe with news of all he had endured, he did not receive the welcome he expected. And my mother was never accepted.”
“They kicked him out right then?”
Godwin shrugged. “What probably happened was they called a council of elders together to listen and try to explain to my father that he was wrong. He would have been a valuable asset to them with the skills he’d learned and honed during that winter of survival. They wouldn’t want to lose him.”
“But they did.”
“My father was a stubborn man. That’s probably one of the things that kept him alive as long as he was. He refused to die. Or give up the woman he loved. And in the end, the tribe had little choice but to banish him forever.”
Annja took a breath. “That’s an incredible story.”
“Welcome to my world. As I said, we moved south and I went to a normal school and had a pretty normal upbringing. Except that all the time I’ve felt like something’s been missing. Some part of myself I never really knew.”
“Your family.”
“Yeah.”
Annja glanced at Wishman but the old man was turned and talking in low tones to another elder of the tribe. She looked back at Godwin. “Do they know who you are?”
“Oh, yeah. The first time I came up here they knew.” He smirked. “It’s funny, isn’t it? You go through life thinking about things in a fairly logical way. Science and all that. And then you see something or something happens that makes you question it all.”
“Like them knowing about you?”
“Or wild polar bears nuzzling you. Yeah.”
Annja grinned. “Welcome to my world.”
Godwin eyed her. “So that kind of thing happens to you often?”
“Well, not often, but frequently enough that I have no idea what kind of personal belief system I have in place now. Every time I try to upgrade it, something happens and I have to make further changes.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard it described in quite such a clinical fashion before. That really takes the spirituality right out of it, huh?”
“I do the best I can,” Annja said. “Doesn’t always come across the right way.”
Wishman nudged her. “Why do you talk to the outcast?”
Annja frowned. “Because he’s my friend.”
“He is the son of one who betrayed us. He cannot be trusted.”
“That’s rubbish,” Annja said. “And while I respect your traditions and culture, this is one thing I will not agree with you on. Godwin is not his father. And as such, he should not be held to the same punishment that you held him to. It’s not fair.”
Wishman shook his head. “What his father did is not done. The son has spoken to you of our belief of tirigusuusiit, yes?”
“He has.”
“Then you should know that what his father did falls under that law. He chose to forsake our traditions for the white woman. And we could not convince him to see the error of his ways.”
Annja shrugged. “It’s love. Who can make matters of the heart follow some unspoken rule like that?”
“We can,” Wishman said. “Or else the option is always there for the offender to leave the tribe.”
“But you kicked him out.”
“Yes. So he would not pollute the others with his twisted ways of doing things.”
“I wouldn’t call it twisted.”
“That is because you are not yet Araktak, Friend of Bear.”
Annja looked at him. “‘Yet’?”
Wishman nodded. “Chunok has chosen you for a special purpose—to help us preserve our ways amid the modern times.”
“So?”
“So his wishes must be abided by or else we risk his wrath. And we will not risk the anger of the gods.”
Annja looked back into the fire. “What does that mean? That you’ll make me a member of the Araktak?”
“What you would call an honorary member. You are not born into the tribe, so you can never fully be Araktak. But we will make you the closest thing we have to it.”
“Does this entail me doing anything…unusual?”
Wishman smiled at her. “One would say that helping a wounded polar bear—a creature that could have easily killed you—is unusual enough. Do you agree?”
“Well, yeah.”
Wishman nodded. “So tonight we will have a feast in your honor and we will ask the gods to accept you as one of us. If they agree, then the ceremony will end and we will do what you are here to help us do.”
Annja glanced at the scrawled symbols in the dirt. “What happens if the gods don’t accept me?”
“That has never happened before.”
Annja looked at him. “That’s not what I asked you.”
Wishman took his hand from his pocket and scattered bits of bone in the dirt at his feet. He bent lower and studied what looked to Annja to be ancient symbols carved in them.
Annja watched him trace his finger along the symbols, muttering something under his breath. He picked up the bones again and threw them back into the dirt.
Annja cleared her throat. “So, what do they say?”
Wishman held up his hand for another moment and picked up the bones a third time and threw them back down. This time he grunted twice, spoke some more words and then studied the bones carefully.
“Wishman?”
“Friend of Bear, you must learn patience,” he said.
Annja nodded. “Yeah, see, that’s never really been my strong suit. I can’t stand waiting for stuff. Like right now, for example. What you’re doing is driving me crazy with questions.”
Wishman scooped the bones into his hand and stored them back in the pocket of his coat. He looked at Annja. “Chunok chose you for a reason.”
“Okay.”
“Everything is as it should be.”
“Yeah, but what if it wasn’t?”
Wishman shrugged and stood. “Then maybe we would see if the polar bear comes back to kill you.”
And then he walked away, leaving Annja to ponder his words.
12
The feast started promptly at sundown. And while Godwin had explained that usually women would cook and take care of the shelters, the men of the Araktak tribe were also expected to be able to cook for themselves during times when they were away. As a result, the Araktak men, particularly the elders, put on a tremendous spread.
Before anyone could eat, Wishman came out before the improvised log tables and seats and lifted his hands overhead. He gave a long prayer in his language and then repeated it in English for the benefit of Annja and Derek.
Finally, he looked around and spoke to the gathered crowd of a dozen. “My friends, we hold this feast to honor the presence of the one Chunok has chosen, Friend of Bear. He has spoken today and came to us in the guise of the mighty polar bear. And this woman befriended him, cared for him and sent him on his way. She showed neither fear nor hesitation and above all the depth of her spirit. For that, we must be thankful that Chunok has sent us one as strong as she.”
There was a great deal of nodding and Annja felt as if she was slipping back in time. If it hadn’t been for the flannel shirts and jeans on the men, she might have believed this scene was taking place a thousand years before
this night.
Wishman looked at Annja. “Friend of Bear, we offer you what we have in the token of friendship of the Araktak. We hope you will use your strength to help us through the times that are coming soon.”
Annja bowed her head and then looked back at him. “I am honored by your gesture of kindness.”
Wishman nodded and then spoke once more. “Let us feast and give thanks to Chunok that Friend of Bear is among us!”
A great chorus of whoops and cries went up from the Araktak men. Godwin joined them, despite his outsider status. Annja wasn’t sure what to make of it all. She wondered if Godwin was trying to prove himself worthy of their acceptance, as well.
Only Derek seemed slightly uncomfortable and Annja found that strange. He’d seemed so at ease earlier on. She wondered if something was bothering him, and if so, what?
Wishman appeared before her and gestured to the long table of food. “Please, you are our honored guest and you must start the feast. Help yourself to whatever you wish.”
Annja smiled. “I’m not sure what you’ve cooked for me.”
Wishman took her by the hand and pointed out the walrus meat, the caribou and even some whale blubber. Annja had to resist the urge to reprimand Wishman for the whale blubber and reminded herself that the Inuit still whaled in the Arctic Ocean, although they did it from much smaller ships than the typical harpoon-cannon-wielding floating carnage houses that other nations used.
Annja helped herself to some of the walrus and caribou and then sat down.
Wishman offered her a cup of something warm and strong. Annja drank it and marveled at how fast the obviously alcoholic drink hit her system. She felt entirely relaxed and when she tasted the meat, it only seemed to enhance the drink’s effects.
“This is delicious,” she said.
Godwin sat next to her. “The Inuit have a high-fat diet with very little in the way of carbohydrates. Surprisingly, it doesn’t seem to have an adverse effect on their health.”
Annja nodded. “Just like the folks down in Antarctica who have to eat double the number of calories people in temperate climates have to. The body will use it all to make heat. I’m sure it just gets burned through. Just sitting and shivering you can burn through a thousand calories like it’s nothing.”
“Up here, it is nothing,” Godwin said. He glanced at Derek, who was sitting apart from them. “He okay?”
Annja shrugged. “I don’t know. I was just wondering that myself. He seems to be thinking about something pretty hard.”
“Mr. Wainman?” Godwin called.
Derek looked up and then came over. “Hey.”
“You okay?” Annja asked. “Looks like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
Derek shrugged. “Nah, just some minor complications. Nothing too important.”
“Really?”
“Well, maybe.”
Annja bit into another piece of caribou and chewed slowly. “Have something to drink. It will help calm you down.”
Godwin fetched him a mug of the liquor and when Derek drank it down, he coughed and sputtered as he struggled to swallow it. The action brought a rousing chorus of laughter from Wishman and the others.
“Careful,” Wishman said. “That will make you breathe fire.”
Annja glanced at him. “Why didn’t you warn me about that?”
Wishman shrugged. “You are Friend of Bear. Liquor should not be a challenge for one such as yourself.”
“Ah,” Annja said. “I got it now.”
Derek took another sip and set the mug down. “Wow, that stuff’s insane. Any idea what it is?”
“Don’t ask,” Godwin said. “Just enjoy it.”
“That sounds ominous,” Annja said. “And just when I was starting to like this feast.”
Derek went back to eating and Annja eyed him. “You clammed up again. What gives?”
“I got a text message from the company.”
“You got reception all the way out here? That’s impressive,” Annja said.
Derek shrugged. “Satellite technology.”
“So, what did the message say?”
Derek glanced around. “They’ve expedited things slightly.”
“Why?”
“The board wants to get started drilling faster than a month from now. They claim they need the extra time to produce a better return on the investment.”
“But you told the Araktak that it would be a month.”
Derek looked at her. “And now you know why I’m not exactly a Chatty Cathy right now.”
“You’re going to have to tell them,” Annja said. “Sooner than later, too. If you hold off, they might get upset.”
“They’re going to be upset anyway,” Godwin said. “The Araktak don’t like deals being renegotiated without them.”
Derek nodded. “Thanks for telling me that, Godwin.”
“Sorry, Mr. Wainman.”
Derek waved his hand. “Forget it. I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just that we came into this planning one way and now the arrangements have been changed on me. And I have to make sense of them in such a way that our hosts here don’t feel like they’re being screwed over.”
“Are they?” Annja asked.
“No. Well, not really. I hope not at least.”
Annja shook her head. “Way to be firm.”
“What would you do, Friend of Bear?”
Annja elbowed him. “First of all, don’t be a wiseass. Secondly, you should just tell them and get it out of the way. They’re going to have to know eventually, right?”
“Well, they’ll figure it out pretty soon anyway.”
“Why is that?”
“Because the company is sending a half-dozen miners up here to begin exploratory coring.”
“What? When?”
Derek frowned. “They’ll be here tomorrow.”
Annja and Godwin stared at him. Godwin shook his head. “Well, that changes things rather drastically.”
Annja kept looking at Derek. “Doesn’t the company board realize what a precarious situation this places us in? This isn’t just about you, you know? Godwin and I are here, as well. What’s to stop these guys from just throwing us out of here?”
Derek frowned. “A signed deal. And the fact that the Araktak have already accepted the company’s money. We own this land now, not them. We’re only giving them this respect as part of the deal.”
“If they don’t like it, though,” Annja said, “can’t they claim you violated the terms of the agreement and refuse to cooperate?”
Derek nodded. “They could. But the question is, would they? If they roadblock us, we can have the RCMP up here in a flash. The company has a lot of power and the Canadian government won’t be keen to see something stop an operation that could be worth billions.”
“This is not going to go over well,” Annja said. “And I don’t know if I should be sitting next to you.”
“What—you don’t want to help me?”
Annja took a deep breath. “Buddy, I think you’re going to have to be on your own for this one.”
Derek looked at Godwin. “You’ll get my back if it comes to that?”
Godwin shook his head. “It won’t. They might be plenty pissed off at you, but they’re not going to stick a knife in you, as much as they might want to. This isn’t the old days.”
“I wish that made me feel better,” Derek said. “But it doesn’t.”
Wishman came over and knelt in front of Annja. “How does Friend of Bear find the meal?”
“It’s fantastic. And the drink is something else.”
Wishman offered her another mug of the strange liquor. “This will make it easier for you to rest tonight so that we may have a productive day tomorrow.”
Annja glanced at Derek but he looked away. She smiled at Wishman. “Thank you. I feel pretty relaxed already.”
Wishman nodded at her plate. “Finish your food so you will have the strength to deal with the cold. Th
e fat on the meat will help you stay warm. And when you are working outside, you must have enough in your belly to stave off the environment.”
Annja nodded. “I will. Thank you.”
Wishman didn’t look at Godwin but glanced at Derek. “What troubles him so much?”
“Bad news,” Annja said.
“Annja!” Derek glared at her.
Annja shook her head. “It’s like a bandage. Better to just rip it off quick. It might hurt for a moment but then the pain’s gone.”
“You hope,” Derek murmured.
Wishman eyed him. “What bad news do you have to share with us?”
“It’s nothing.”
Wishman tilted his head. “Friend of Bear says you have bad news. Friend of Bear would not lie.”
Derek glared at Annja. “I was trying to come up with a better way of doing this, Annja.”
“Yeah, well, sometimes you just have to get it done. Now stand up and tell them what you have to tell them. Keep putting it off and the only person who will look bad is you.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I think she is,” Godwin said.
Wishman kept staring at Derek. “Please tell us this news.”
Derek stood and put his plate down. He strode out to the middle of the lodge and cleared his throat. No one quieted down, however, so Wishman raised his hands for quiet and instantly everyone fell silent.
Derek cleared his throat again. “I would first like to thank the Araktak for hosting us here in this incredible land. You have our most sincere gratitude for honoring us with this feast and this fantastic meal. The drink is also quite…potent.”
Someone chuckled in the back of the room. But a glance from Wishman silenced him again.
Derek nodded. “I have been informed by my company that they will need things to move a little faster than we had originally allowed for.”
Wishman frowned. “The company told us they would give us one month, during which time we might search for relics on this sacred land before you drive your drills into it.”
Derek nodded. “Yes, I realize that was what they told you. I was told this, as well, and it is this timetable that I conveyed to Annja—Friend of Bear, as you call her. It was with this timetable that she agreed to help the Araktak.”