The Thieves of Shiny Things by Charlie Dickinson

Author:Charlie Dickinson
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub, pdf
ISBN: 9780982650172
Publisher: Cetus Editions
Published: 2011-04-30T07:00:00+00:00



CHAPTER NINE:

UNDERWATER TREASURE, SHINY BAIT, COUGAR MAN

JUPA LEFT KELELI, eager for what was next. The sky was clear and a low sun shone brightly. He saw in his head a long hike to where the waters of the Kosomu Stream began crashing down, flowing toward the Nokotul hamlet. He would avoid those people because he was headed higher and far above their hamlet. He filled his deerskin water bag, started walking.

With legs as tense, as hard as the rocks he had to climb and with a grimace in his face, he pushed forward, away from the usual path trod by Miwokituls, accepting every boulder at first would be a trial. He picked his way, crouched over, hands and feet crossing one craggy obstacle, then another.

After a while, he paused, stood up, looked around. Any shade from trees was gone. He was in the clear. He had passed the timberline.

But the hiking, if anything, was harder. No soft dirt for his aching hands and feet crabbing over what was, more and more, just obstinate scree.

Keeping his balance, his eyes swept slowly right, then left. Then ahead, surprisingly, a small stand of short trees. He stopped climbing. He began to work his way sideways off the spill of scree.

Babbling water. His ears pricked at those sounds. Finally, below the tiring scree, past the stunted trees, around an outcropping of rock, he walked upon a gushing spring.

Without pause, the water burst forth from the maw in the side of the mountain. He caught his breath and felt oddly light, having left the climb across the tortuous rocks. For the longest while, he stood stupefied, his mouth closed in a deep smile. With hands bloodied by small rock cuts, he palmed his forehead. A secret place, pa knew about this.

He wanted to throw himself in the waters and take on the secret for which his father was murdered. But no sooner would his legs exult and leap than they weakened, collapsed, and brought him to his knees. He had to get closer. He crawled to where the water flowed out and down the mountain. Peered hard. Were those yellow glints sparkling in the sunlight? No, nothing. He was in the wrong place to see beneath the water.

Wind whistling off the mountain kept him from seeing clearly. He glanced away from the spring to trees lower on the mountain. Out to what he knew was the west, for the morning sun cast his shadow that way. Scratched his nose. Someone hiding in those trees might see me here. Might've seen pa here. He couldn't be sure. He shook off the shiver from what might be other eyes and went back to searching the splashing water.

He knew the spring flowed forth underwater. On all fours, he gingerly crossed the verdigris slick, sure if he could put his arm in, he would find gold treasure.

The maw kept spewing watery violence, gushing every which way.

His brow furrowed. What's under that? If gold stones were tossed out, they're in the water too.

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