Baker, Kage - Company 02 - Sky Cyote by Baker Kage

Author:Baker, Kage [Baker, Kage]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

IT BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES, LET me tell you, hurrying through the dark canyon to the distant lights, with smoke and excitement on the wind. Party time! Behind me on the trail, they might have been tribal members and not anthropologists, all giggly with anticipation. How often are you invited to go back to the first days of the world, when evening dress consisted of feathers and beads?

The Humashup Municipal Sports Field had been co-opted for the party, neatly swept and fenced around with woven tule screens to keep out the wind. Only the side facing the sacred enclosure was open, framed by a doorway of whale ribs painted red, and a big fire burned there to light the dancing ground. Outside the field were cooking fires where people were lined up for helpings of barbecued venison and abalone-shell bowlfuls of acorn mush. One or two from each family were sent on the line to get as much as they could carry back to the others, who had staked out places with picnic blankets and woven drinking jugs. Everybody stopped what they were doing, though, to stare as we made our entrance: Sky Coyote and his spirits!

I wore my usual fur ensemble, but the rest of the team members hadn’t been able to bring themselves to tough it out in green makeup alone, so they were wrapped in an interesting assortment of capes and cloaks of European design. Eclectic wasn’t a strong enough word for the combination of cottonwood fiber G-strings and Florentine velvet brocade.

“Children! Good to see you again.” I held out my forepaws as we swept in. “I hope we’re not late?”

“Not at all, Sky Coyote, not at all.” Sepawit rose from his party blanket, handing off a greasy toddler with a half-chewed rib bone to Mrs. Sepawit. “Please! We’ve saved a place of honor for You, here by the banners.” He stepped through the crowd, escorting us to our seats. People scrunched over to make way for us, and there were several admiring and envious comments on the fashion parade. “We’ve even set out a buffet for You, here in the corner. Plenty of venison and side dishes, courtesy of the ladies of the Eelgrass Gatherers’ Union, and lots of jugs of manzanita punch and chia tea. If there’s anything else we can provide, we’ve got servers ready to fetch it for you immediately.”

What a fabulous view! Imarte rhapsodized. Look at this, look, we’re right in line with the sacred enclosure!

“This place pleases us,” I announced. “Be seated, spirits. Sepawit, have I got time for a whizz before the ceremonies commence?”

“Certainly, Sky Coyote. This way.” Sepawit and I stepped away discreetly through a break in the screen wall to where a latrine trench had been dug, special for the evening’s festivities. We faced out into the dark and addressed the trench.

“Looks like everybody’s in a celebratory mood,” I remarked.

“They’re thrilled,” replied Sepawit. “Nervous, You know, because this isn’t like performing for some other village’s visiting dignitaries. I’m sure You’ve seen better dancing in the World above This One.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.