Dance of the Bones

And do exactly what I say.

If I tell you to run and hide yourself, You must run as fast as Wind Man.

Run fast and hide yourself

And do not look back.

Whatever happens, little Olhoni,

You must run and not look back.

Then, as seamlessly as if it were a new track on a much--loved CD, the next war chant returned to her as well, with every word and every nuance intact. And as Lani recalled the words, she was once again inside Betraying Woman’s hidden cavern beneath Ioligam, trapped there with her own personal evil ohb. Mitch Johnson, deputized by Andrew Carlisle to kill her, had been waiting for Quentin Walker—-the brother who was not her brother—-to return. It was while she and Mitch waited in an ugly, lingering silence that Lani had finally understood what would happen: once Quentin returned, Mitch Johnson would kill them both.

Lani had closed her eyes then, making the darkness of the cavern even darker. And now, sitting outside by the fire, she closed her eyes again. As she did so, all the sensations of that long--ago time came spooling back to her along with the words to the chant. She could smell the sharp, acrid stink of Mitch Johnson’s sweat; she could feel the calming touch of the damp soil against her skin; she could hear, somewhere in the far distance, the tiny drip of water; then suddenly and overhead, she felt the gentle touch of a bat’s wing, ruffling her hair and telling her what she must do: Oh, little Nanakumal who lives forever in darkness, Oh, little Nanakumal who lives forever in I’itoi’s sacred cave, Give me your strength so I will not be frightened, So I will stay in a safe place where the evil ohb cannot come.

For years Betraying Woman has been here with you, For years your Bat Strength has kept her safe,

Waiting until I could come and set her free

By smashing her pottery prison against a rocky wall.

Keep me safe now, too, little Nanakumal, Keep me safe from this new evil ohb.

Teach me to be juhagi—-resilient—-in the coming battle So this jiawul—-this devil—-does not win.

Oh, little Nanakumal who lives forever in darkness, Whose passing wings changed me into a warrior,

Be with me now as I face this danger.

Protect me in the coming battle and keep me safe.

Even as Lani had sung those words long ago, with Mitch Johnson listening and not comprehending, she had realized that the chant had contained words that were hers and not hers, all at the same time. Her -people believed in singing for power, and her words had come unbidden from some ancient magic place, the same place Rita Antone had tapped into as she sang her warrior chant to Davy Ladd even longer ago. It was no surprise that the words gave Lani comfort now—-the same kind of comfort and strength they had given her in that earlier time. Somehow she knew that in I’itoi’s world, those two other times and this time were all the same.

Realizing she was growing drowsy, Lani looked at the fire and resisted the temptation to add another log. The fire had burned long enough that there would be plenty of coals to last until morning. Then she snuggled into her bedroll. The ground may have been hard beneath her body, but she was too tired to notice.





CHAPTER 13




THE BROTHER OFFERED TO PAY I’itoi for saving his sister, but all the Spirit of Goodness asked for was a bobcat skin to hold arrows. Then Beautiful Girl and her brother went back home. Before many days passed, Coyote came once more to the home of Beautiful Girl with another message from Big Man, saying that the girl must marry Big Man. This time the brother was in the house and heard what Coyote said. The brother told his sister to pay no attention to that no--account Coyote and to get rid of him because he might have mange.