They continued the journey up the mountainside as soon as dawn broke. Jimi was pretty sure who had stolen Susan’s pod - something he would have to deal with if, and when, he caught up with his mother. Two Moons might just be hiding out from Al Swearengen in the old family cabin they used in the summer. It would be bleak up there this time of year but if he was her that’s where he would go - if it wasn't his mother who had taken the pod! The clouds were low and heavy with snow as they made their way. Susan was getting restless and he correctly anticipated her next question.
‘Is it much further, my butt is getting numb’
‘Too much reality for a city girl?’ he said, smugly
‘I should be in a buggy with a fringe on top, like the lady I am. Not slumming it on the back of a stolen nag with a renegade injun’
‘Quit complaining - the cabin’s just around that hill’
His heart was in his mouth as they rounded the bend. My God, there was smoke rising from the chimney; the question now was - who was at home?
‘We better walk the rest of the way, we don’t know who’s inside.’ Jimi said cautiously.
‘Lock and load, baby’ said Susan
‘No shooting unless I do, OK?’
‘Yes, master Jimi’
They made their way up to the cabin, carefully using the trees for cover. They were close now.
‘You see anything?’ She asked excitedly
‘Not a damn thing - the window is all misted up’
‘We gonna knock on the door?’
‘Hell, no. You circle around the back and fire a shot. There’s only one door and we’ll see who comes out’
She did as he asked and a minute later a shot rang out, echoing among the hills.
To his surprise a figure he recognized emerged - it was Looks Far!
He approached - the ‘45 drawn in case there was someone else inside with a gun on her.
She saw him and shouted out: ‘Come in Twelvetrees, we've been waiting for you’
Was his mother inside? He stepped up on to the veranda towards the smiling Lakota.
‘Go inside, there’s someone who’s waited a long time for you.’
He didn't even see her properly in the gloom of the interior before they were embracing tearfully. Jimi thought his heart would burst.
‘Let me take a look at you, my Jimi’
It was like he was a boy again as he saw her little frame silhouetted in front of the fire.
‘You’re OK, mother?’
‘I am now, my son’
‘I didn't know what to think when I had no word from you for so long’
‘I’m sorry Jimi, my heart was broken when your father died and I didn't want to upset you even more with my grief and then this other matter came up’
‘You mean the skull?’
They were interrupted
‘Hey, how long are you gonna leave me out here in the goddamn freezing snow?’ asked Susan peering into the cabin.
‘YOU!’ said his mother.
Susan looked sheepishly at Jimi
‘You found her then. I, I’ll wait outside’
‘Why is SHE here Jimi?’
‘It’s kind of a long story, but she’s been helping me. Can she come in to warm up?’
‘You want her here?’
‘She’s in trouble mother, somebody has stolen her travel pod’
‘You know what she’s done?’
‘Time travel sometimes does crazy things to Makossans - you know that mother. It was all just a big adventure to her’
‘And I did kind of help you out with Al. He would of got a lot nastier if I hadn't come up with the plan to wait for Jimi’ Susan said quietly.
‘You put my son in danger and you want my thanks?’
‘I knew Jimi could handle him’ Lied Susan
Looks Far entered and beckoned Susan to the fireside. Two Moons ignored her and turned to Jimi: ‘I hear you have given rifles to Spotted Elk and they have started a new war’
‘I have’
‘As a scientist I can’t approve of what you've done - your father taught me that. But I understand why you did it. Our people have so much to offer mankind but the Europeans can’t see that. We are only in the way of their idea of progress. I pray that what you have done will bring an end to the persecution but I fear it might just mean more death.’
Her words made Jimi feel ashamed of his arrogance but not of what he had done.
‘There’s something I want you to do for me Jimi’
‘Anything mother’
‘Take the skull to Makossa. Your scientists must analyse its power. It must not remain here - any human with that kind of power will become a monster’
‘Why don’t you come with me?’
‘I must stay with my people’
At that moment a shrill alarm pierced the air. It was coming from both his and Susan’s communication devices.
‘What does it mean, my son?’
‘It means that we must return to Makossa immediately’
No comments:
Post a Comment