People of the River(100)

Wanderer walked beside her in his gangly, springing stride, his head tilted so far to the left that it looked like it hurt. He had been thoughtful all morning while they followed the irregular edge of the bluff down into the bottomlands. As the heat of the day increased, sweat dripped from his long nose and splatted in the center of his red shirt. He had hung Power pouches and shell bells on the ties of his breechclout— to frighten away rambunctious souls, he'd said.

"So the rainbow wasn't a regular rainbow?"

"No." Wanderer shook his head. "It stretched across the entire sky. And the bands of light felt warm when I touched them." His wrinkled face had a preoccupied expression, as if he were plumbing the depths of an intricate problem.

"So what did Wolf Slayer say about the war. Wanderer?"

"Oh, he just showed me Cahokia during the battle. It was terrible, Lichen. It frightened me. I . . ."

Lichen swerved around a thistle patch, and Wanderer's words faded away. She turned and saw him stepping off in another direction, still talking while he waved his arms.

"Wanderer? No, not that way! This way."

Lichen trotted over to grip his hand and guide him back to the trail. He'd ambled off in the wrong direction five times since dawn. Once he had almost stepped off the edge of the bluff. "Just try to follow me, Wanderer. All right?"

"Oh, did I do it again?" he asked in bewilderment as his eyes went wide to study the land. "I'm sorry, Lichen."

"You were thinking. It's all right."

"I'm not very good company today, am I? I'm still trying to figure out that Dream."

"I know. Tell me more about Wolf Slayer. He was a glowing man, you said. I wonder if Foxfire will be?"

"I don't know. First Woman doesn't glow at all."

Lichen stared, open-mouthed. "You've seen her?"

Wanderer peered back with aplomb. "Why, yes, a very long time ago. When I was first learning to Dream."

"Wanderer, why didn't you ever tell me? I need to know things like this—you know, for when I see her. What's she like?"

"Cantankerous. I never even saw her Cave. She ran at me, swinging her walking stick to drive me away."

"She did?"

"Yes. I don't think she liked me." Wanderer's bony shoulders slumped when he sighed.

The wilted remnants of lamb's quarter, strawberries, and windflower drooped across the black soil. Morning glories huddled at the base of rocks, cautiously twining their purple blossoms in the sheltered crevices. A few hearty sunflowers stretched their leaves to the sky, pleading for a drop of moisture. But not a cloud blemished the expanse of pale blue.

Father Sun beat down on Mother Earth with clublike intensity, blinding the people who worked the fields that outlined the meandering traces of creeks. The soil had shattered where it lay exposed to the burning rays.

Lichen led the way across a stretch of trail where the ground had shrunken and cracked like pieces of fat frying over a chokecherry fire. I'm coming, First Woman. I'll be there to talk to you as soon as I can. But won't you let even one good rain fall before I get there?

Lichen winced at the thought of going into the Underworld again. Memories of her litter overturning in the river had been haunting her. In her nightmares she still gulped mouth-fuls of chilling water and felt her lungs go cold before she jerked awake. With Water Snake's soul, she knew that she could cross, but what if she had received a new soul by then?

"Wanderer?" she asked with trepidation. "What happens if I get Rock's soul before I have to go back into the Underworld?"

"Hmm?" Wanderer grunted absently. "What?"

"I said, what happens if I have to cross the river in the Underworld with Rock's soul in my body?"

Wanderer squinted. In the sky behind him, a bald eagle circled lazily, flapping only when it needed to change altitude. Its flight inscribed a lilting Song across the blue. "Rock's soul?"

"Yes. You know, or something else that would sink. I'm worried that—"

"Oh. ... Oh, I get it. Well"—he gestured airily—"I suppose you'll have to roll along the river bottom until you find a firm enough place to climb ashore. You'll want to avoid all the mucky places, of course, because if you get stuck, you won't have any hands or feet to push out with. Not having eyes will be the real problem, since you won't be able to see where you're going. But I suspect that if you feel your way, paying attention to the flow of the current, you'll make it." His bushy brows lifted abruptly. "Well, I mean unless one of the grouse with fish fms dives down to gobble you up for its gizzard."

His eyes were unnervingly intent. Lichen frowned sullenly and walked off. Her sandals crunched on the baked soil as she descended into a hollowed niche where cool shadows fell over her. Blessed Thunderbird, I hope no worm souls try to get me before I have to talk to Bird-Man again.