Quoted By:
As the rigorous, burning colors of the sunset mark themselves on the ground and in the air you settle up your business and stow your newly acquired goods only to come to attention at the sound of rising voices. Coyote has left you, when you can’t recall, but he has returned to the Old Woman and Young Girl and is engaged in an argument. Loud and growing louder. You do not speak Maidu, but even you can tell that Coyote’s voice and cadence are very different from what you’ve heard the rest of the day. He is impassioned in a dangerous way. His shoulders are low, his head is forward, his arms rise and fall with the force of his words.
You walk briskly to the arena of villagers starting to surround them. The Old Woman is giving as good as she gets. She does not move as much but she matches him shout for shout. You curse yourself for man’s hubris at Shinar and enter the ring, throwing your own instrument as far and wide as you can.
“SHUT THE HELL UP BOTH OF YE!”
You’re more effective than you thought. Both Coyote and the Old Woman stop talking, her looking at you, him looking at the girl. You round on him and muster up a retread of your warning, when in the distance you see a depressingly familiar sight. Badger Tail, and six braves are coming into the market. He makes eye contact with you, fury writ large on his face, and commands the braves to follow him. That’s when you truly notice the sun’s final vanishing, and the wide sweep of dark cresting over the sky. You are late.
You resign yourself to meet Badger Tail halfway and play the penitent, but as you turn the Old Woman grabs your arm tight. She says some words to you in Maidu. She must know you don’t speak it, but she says them anyway. She glances at her granddaughter who is trying to get a word in but is hushed. You try and apologize, but you just don’t understand her. You gently pry her hand off of you, but as you begin to walk away something very small catches your eye. Of the variety of feathers tucked behind the Young Girl’s ears, one happens to be an owl feather.
Badger Tail is almost to you now, and you do not relish the night ahead with him in attendance. You wish you could rely on someone, anyone else to represent you to the Great Chief of the Maidu. You take one last look too at the Old Woman and the Young Girl, you still have a moment. Then you look at Coyote, and an idea pops into your head.
