Читать книгу Shaman's Dream: The Modoc War - Lu Boone's Mattson - Страница 24

He knew that would be what this Boston tyee was thinking about. He knew it before it was out of his mouth. But a commotion up at the roof-hole stopped the Meacham and told Keintpoos that his cousin was coming. He heard her standing on the top of the ladder, arguing, and then she was clambering down into the house, calling out to the women. She came in as always, sure that she was where she should be, not bothering to see if she was still welcome, coming here now, just when she pleased. She came in changing things, her man Frank behind her.

“Cousin,” she said in Modoc when she saw Jack. When she came up by the fire she told him, “I’m go-between. I can speak. I know this man Meacham.”

She started talking in English to Meacham, not asking Keintpoos what should be said. Always she claimed a special place next to him. As bad as his sister, or worse. Never asking, but telling. ‘Little Woman Chief’ they called her -- sometimes behind her back. This time, though, he needed her. He kept his silence for the while. She would know what he was thinking: that it was for him to choose when to speak.

“When you’re ready, you’ll tell me,” she finally said, taking a place in the circle of men by the fire.

As he thought: She could see -- like his sister -- what was inside him.

In Modoc she said, “I’ll tell you all that he says. You must listen. I don’t know yet what it will be, but you must let him say it. This is the one who can make things right.” The other Modoc men said little, but he knew they would not like what she was counseling. Euchoaks the kiuks and John Schonchin, especially. They had long ago given up listening to the Bostons and their promises of gifts that never came or, if they did come, could not be trusted.

But she was like this. She trusted even white men. And this one especially, it seemed. She had spoken of him before, this Meacham, said he turned Riddle down a new road into a husband. But it meant nothing to Keintpoos that Riddle claimed her before the white man’s Great Spirit. Riddle was a careless man, not strong in his ideas. As easy for him to walk as to ride. Keintpoos knew that about him. Yet Toby was proud of the change. Her place was better now than it had been when she was offered around the camps to any Boston man who would pay the price for her. And now she wanted him, too, to hear this Meacham.

“You sent for me. I haven’t ridden all this way, cousin, to hear your no-saying.” She hissed it into his ear so that Euchoaks and Scarfaced Charley and John Schonchin didn’t know what she said. He didn’t doubt she meant it.