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  “You mean about my ancestor, Flinthawk?”

  “Yes. I’ll remind everyone how since that time, in accordance with the blessing he bestowed on our town, evil of any kind eventually has incurred its own punishment here. Also, I’m running a separate editorial about the terrible price acting prematurely out of a need for revenge will exact.”

  Joshua watched the newsman carefully, wondering what had happened in Ralph’s past to explain such caution. There was something broken inside this man, something that had never quite healed. But respecting the Four Winds custom of not bringing up anyone’s personal history, he said nothing.

  “Should my friend fear the townspeople’s mood?” Nydia asked, avoiding Joshua’s name out of respect to the singer.

  “Yes. Even my assistant, Alex, who is normally very mild mannered, wanted the Last Word to take a much different approach. Many have already convicted you, Joshua,

  I’m sorry to say. They’re afraid, you know.”

  “But why? People here have known me for years. Some have even come to me when Lucas was unable to help them.”

  “Yes, I know that. When people are desperate, they open their minds to new ideas. But right now, they’re acting out of the kind of fear that closes the mind. If you have turned to evil and killed your father, none of us are safe, you see. A man your size is pretty intimidating, and if you’ve added a skinwalker’s power to that, who here would stand a chance against you? That kind of fear can turn people into an instant mob. I wouldn’t turn my back on anyone until all this is cleared up. And although I’d like to believe what

  I’ve said will make people stop and think a bit, I expect men like Darren Wilson will still want your hide on the wall. He’s not long on thought, and he’s not the only one around here with that affliction,” Ralph said.

  “Tell us about the meeting this morning,” Nydia asked. “Was anyone in particular speaking out against Joshua? And what was the gist of the meeting?”

  “Most folks want Joshua out of town or in jail until this is cleared up. They fed off each other’s fears, so it’s hard to say who started the ball rolling. They were hoping that the mayor would run Joshua out or have him arrested immediately. Some spoke of burning him out, too, which is not all that unusual for small-town mentalities. But of course, the mayor really came down hard on that kind of talk. In fact, he was the voice of reason, though I think he lost a few votes in the process. Apparently, the special investigator from the state police won’t be available for a week to ten days, so the sheriff will be on his own until then. The mayor promised, however, that he’d monitor every step of the investigation himself and that the sheriff would be required to submit daily reports. Those would then be handed over to the special investigator when he arrives.

  “We also learned that you’d been deputized.” Ralph gave Nydia a hard look. “A word of warning for you. If you choose to ally yourself publicly with Joshua in any way, you can expect trouble. Talk has already started, saying you might be Joshua’s accomplice.”

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Is it? Then tell me what the truth is, and I’ll print that, too.”

  Nydia told him the story of her father-in-law’s illness, and the reason she had come to Four Winds. She only omitted the fact that her son was depending on her to help his grandfather and there was no way she’d ever let him down. Some things were simply too personal to share with a stranger.

  As she finished, a young man wearing jeans and a sweatshirt came in. He greeted Ralph, then shot Joshua a venomous look.

  “This is my new assistant, Alex,” Ralph said, introducing the young man.

  “I’ve got the material you requested, Mr. Montoya,”

  Alex said stiffly. “Are you finally going to let me do an editorial? We talked about it two months ago.”

  “Only when I’m sure I can trust you with the responsibility that entails. At the moment, I’m not convinced.”

  Alex scowled. “You mean I won’t get to do an editorial unless I happen to agree with your views?”

  “It means this paper won’t be a party to irresponsible journalism. You’ve still got a lot to learn.”

  “What if I do a short one on something I heard today?”

  “Elaborate.”

  He glanced at Nydia and Joshua. “Now?”

  Ralph rolled his eyes. “I guarantee they won’t steal your story.”

  “There’s a rumor that Four Winds’s infamous peddler made an impromptu visit yesterday.”

  Ralph sat up. “When? He didn’t come down Main Street, or I would have known. Where was he seen?”

  “That I don’t know. Mrs. Stephens, who lives in that adobe cottage near the road junction leading out of town, told me she was sure she’d seen him driving by. She was really excited about it.”

  Ralph exhaled softly. “Wait a minute. That same Mrs. Stephens also saw a UFO last spring. She claims that aliens hovered over her vegetable patch and that’s why none of the pumpkins were growing this year.”

  Nydia struggled to suppress a grin after seeing the warning look Joshua shot her.

  “That doesn’t mean she didn’t see the peddler,” Alex argued.

  “True, and I can’t prove she didn’t see aliens, either. What it does mean is that you need at least two people to verify what she saw before you can print a word of it. From

  the research I’ve done myself on the peddler and his habits,

  I can tell you that he usually comes right into the middle of town, and sticks around for several hours, usually longer.”

  “So maybe he changed his rules. Some say he’s a free spirit. He comes and goes as he pleases,” Alex argued.

  “Fine, go find someone else to back up the story. I’m not telling you that we can’t run it-I’m just saying that you need corroboration.”

  Alex’s deep eyes burned with frustration. “Okay, okay. I’ll see what I can do.” He shot Joshua an icy glare. “If I were you, I’d watch my step out there. People are putting two and two together. You’re not very popular around these parts right now.”

  Ralph rolled his eyes. “As I said, this town’s in an ugly mood, Joshua. Be careful.”

  With a quick word of thanks to Ralph for his cooperation, Joshua left the newspaper office. As he went down the street, he read the flashes in people’s eyes, emotions so clear he had no trouble interpreting them. There was fear, and anger, too. The revelation hurt him more than he would have thought possible. He’d counted these people as friends. Fear was a powerful enemy.

  They had just reached his truck when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something flying toward them. He reached out and grabbed it in midair before it could hit Nydia. The rotten tomato burst in his hand, and he dropped it onto the sidewalk. A barrage of other rotten vegetables followed, pelting the truck and them.

  He heard insults coming from the group of high-school kids who were throwing the fruit as he pushed Nydia into the cab and quickly drove away down Main Street. “I’ve never seen the people here act like this,” he said. “Nydia, I’d like you to reconsider your decision to stay, for your own safety. I give you my word that I’ll come to help your father-in-law as soon as I am able.”

  “No. People are depending on me not to come back without you. I won’t disappoint them. Besides, I can be of more use here. I’m not afraid. We won’t let anything happen to each other.”

  Her confidence filled him with pride and a sense of protectiveness so fierce, he pitied anyone who tried to harm her. “You are safe with me.”

  “We have work to do together,” she said simply.

  He could sense her drawing into herself. Nydia seemed to realize, on some level, that their beliefs were so far apart, they’d never be able to have any kind of future together. He tried to assure himself that it was just as well. He had chosen another path, and the People needed him. A modern woman was not what he wanted, but he couldn’t quite rid himself of the hollow ache in his gut.

  As they pulled up in fro
nt of Marlee’s, they saw her cleaning the windows. Rotten fruit and vegetables littered the lawn.

  Marlee gave them a tight-lipped smile as they approached. “Well-wishers,” she said, trying to make a joke out of it, but not quite succeeding. “I spoke to Lanie. It was worse over there. Someone threw a rock through their living-room window.”

  Joshua expelled his breath in a rush. “This shouldn’t have happened. I’m going to have to handle this before it goes any further.”

  “Wait a minute,” Nydia protested as he started to walk away. “What do you have in mind?” He didn’t answer and, aided by his giant strides, he was already by his truck, the door open, before she caught up to him.

  Before he could start the engine, Gabriel came up in his Jeep and double-parked beside Joshua, blocking his way. “Where are you heading off to?”

  “To my home. Alone. I can take care of myself, and I won’t endanger anyone else if I stay there.”

  “Too late. I just came from there. Someone reported seeing smoke, so I went to check it out. The cabin is nothing more than rubble and smoking embers. Jake Fields took out the fire truck, and between him and some volunteers, they made sure the fire didn’t spread.”

  A futile rage swept over Joshua. He’d done nothing wrong and now, while people destroyed his home and threatened him and those he cared about, the real killer got to enjoy his handiwork. Frustration knotted his fists into lethal weapons. He was far from the peacemaker now.

  “Tree, let it go. There’s nothing you can do about it now. Come to my home. That way, Shadow and I will be around to back you up if there’s more trouble.”

  Joshua weighed the matter. “No. I’ll go to our mountain retreat instead. Only the three of us know where it is.”

  “Then you’ll have to let me in on the secret, because I’m going with you,” Nydia added. “That was our agreement. I’m staying with you until this is over, then we’re leaving to go help my father-in-law.”

  “You can’t come with me now. There’s no purpose to it, and it would be far too dangerous.” Under different circumstances, he would have enjoyed having her with him in that secluded cabin, but now she was a distraction he couldn’t afford. He needed to bring himself under the same control he’d always valued, not have this woman’s softness beckoning his hands and mouth.

  Nydia lifted her chin and met his gaze. “You say that there is no purpose in my coming. Let me propose one. When you learned our chants, you also took on the responsibility to pass them on. Teach me. There are women singers, so this won’t be against our Way. You can teach me the chant my father-in-law needs first. That way, we’ll ensure that it can’t be lost, and I can use it to help the ones you’re not able to reach.”

  Joshua remembered what she’d said about her son wanting to be a singer. If becoming a hataalii or learning the chants worked the way she suggested, it wouldn’t have been a bad way to ensure the continuity of the prayer. But things weren’t that simple. “You don’t understand,” he said slowly. “The chant takes months to learn.”

  “I may surprise you. I’m a fast learner. And I’ll follow whatever rules you set down. If you can’t come back with me, this is the only acceptable alternative.”

  “What you ask is impossible. You can’t be an ‘almost’ singer. It takes dedication, not just determination. And you must believe in what you’re doing.”

  She exhaled softly. “All right. How about this, then? The Navajo Community College is just starting to offer courses in ceremonial rites. The songs are being preserved before they’re lost. Will you entrust me with the song so that I may preserve it?”

  “This isn’t like copying down a letter. It wasn’t our way to have a written language. Written Navajo is a modern invention and an imprecise one, and the song you want is from ancient times.” He didn’t want to refuse her. Her soft voice compelled him with its desperation. Some said that he had a will of iron, but when she pleaded with him, the hard resolve in him melted away.

  “We can record it on videotape at the same time I write it down,” she insisted. “The song can then be placed in a storage vault until another hataalii can learn it.”

  Joshua shook his head. “I don’t know about any of this. There’s more to a sing than just words or drumbeats.”

  “You’re my only link to the song I need. Where you go, I’m going,” she said at last.

  “All right, then. Come with me.” She was a fascinating blend of steel and softness—a woman with the courage and tenacity of a warrior and a core of gentleness that sliced his resolve to ribbons. It was easier standing up to his two brothers and their fists than fighting the soft warmth in her voice.

  “You can’t just drive out of town now,” Gabriel grumbled. “Anyone can follow you. Wait until the earlymorning hours when most people are asleep or too groggy for clear thinking. Then go.”

  Joshua nodded.

  “Shall I follow you in my truck?” Nydia asked.

  Gabriel answered for Joshua. “No. Wait a day. Let people find out that Joshua is not around anymore. I’ll say that I’ve placed him in protective custody. Maybe that will cool them down. You use the time to buy supplies. You’ll need them out at the cabin. He doesn’t keep much out there. But make a point of bringing everything you buy to Marlee’s. Say you’re shopping for her. Then, when it gets close to dawn, I’ll come by and take you out to where my brother is.”

  “All right,” she agreed.

  Joshua watched Nydia. There was a fire in her that continually drew him. He shook free of the thought. Four Winds was having its say, despite his protests. Heat twisted and coiled inside him as his gaze traveled over her. The woman and he would face their destiny together and, if the gods were kind, neither would ever look back on this day with regret.

  THE NEXT DAY SEEMED to drag for Nydia. Joshua had left just before dawn. According to Marlee, who’d been to the post office this morning, the town was already buzzing with the news of his absence. Some people were angry with the sheriff, despite the mayor’s promise of eventual state police help, while others talked in hushed tones about conspiracy.

  Deciding to delay shopping for supplies until the end of the day, when people were ready to go home, Nydia spent the day helping Marlee, who spoke incessantly about Lucas. Marlee seemed happy to have a woman to chat with, perhaps comforted by the fact that Nydia was a stranger. Sometimes it was easier to confide in someone who would not be around to divulge secrets later on.

  By the time it was six, Nydia was eager to leave and carry out the plan that would enable her to join Joshua. She drove to Rosa’s store and went inside. As she stepped through the doors, she saw Rosa speaking to two men she didn’t recognize and one she did, Darren Wilson. She watched them carefully, listening as she went about her business. They were unaware of her. As she heard Joshua’s name being mentioned, she ducked behind a display of canned peaches. In a burst of inspiration, she reached for her tape recorder and turned it on.

  Another man came and joined the group talking. It was clear that they felt Gabriel was more concerned with protecting his brother than he was with carrying out his duties as sheriff. But it was obvious they wanted more than Joshua in jail. With a little prodding, this crowd would be screaming for a lynching.

  After placing her tape recorder back in her purse, she walked around the group in the aisle and set her groceries on the counter, ready to settle the bill.

  Rosa glanced at the supplies with open suspicion. “You stocking up for a trip?”

  “Actually, most of this is for Marlee. I’ll be leaving soon to go back to the reservation. I need to check on my son and father-in-law.”

  Rosa nodded, but her eyes didn’t lose their gleam of skepticism. “I read about your family in the morning paper.”

  “Then you’ll understand why I can’t stay much longer,” Nydia said. Uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the men’s hostile gazes, Nydia settled her bill, picked up her grocery sack and walked quickly toward her truck. She’d just set the b
ag down on the seat when someone grabbed her from behind, clamping a strong hand over her mouth. Moving fast, her assailant kicked the pickup door shut, and pulled her into the alley.

  Nydia struggled to break free, but the man, wearing a white pillowcase with cut-out eye holes over his head, held her in an iron grip that made it impossible for her to even draw a full breath. As she fought to break his hold, three other men appeared, all wearing similar makeshift hoods.

  Fear swept through her. Prejudice was something that went beyond the reach of logic. No matter what these men thought they were doing, she had a feeling that at the root of their actions was an instinctive distrust of someone who chose a way of life unlike their own.

  She stepped down hard on the instep of the man holding her, but instead of breaking his hold, the man simply lifted her up in the air and shook her hard. “Stop fighting, or it’ll just get worse. Just tell us where he is,” the man demanded in a harsh whisper.

  “He…who?” she managed to say as he lifted his hand from her mouth slightly.

  “No lies!”

  Another hooded figure came up, holding a long-bladed lock-back knife. Nydia twisted hard, trying to free herself, but the effort was useless.

  The man pressed the side of the blade to her throat, then edged it up slowly until it rested below her ear. “I don’t have to cut you if you cooperate.”

  Using the grip of the man holding her as leverage, Nydia kicked the knife wielder in the groin.

  He staggered back and fell to the pavement in agony, but recovered more quickly than she’d hoped. “That was a mistake. Now you’ve made me mad, and you’re going to pay for it.”

  The man holding Nydia forced her down to her knees and kept her there. She couldn’t move her head. She could only lift her eyes and watch the gleaming blade in horror as it captured the last rays of the setting sun.

  Chapter Five

  Nydia’s senses were painfully alert as she searched for an opening that would offer her an escape. Each second counted. She forced back her panic, struggling to see things clearly, paying attention to every detail.