Tulare by R. Lawson Gamble

Author:R. Lawson Gamble [Gamble, R. Lawson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: R Lawson Gamble Books
Published: 2022-09-27T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Zack stared at Eagle Feather. "What the hell does all that mean?"

The two men were leaning against the hood of Zack's borrowed truck outside a McDonalds where they had agreed to meet, eating cheeseburgers out of their wrappers. The sun was low in the west and reflected their darkened outlines on the glass panes of the restaurant. Several cars and a flatbed tow truck were parked in the narrow spaces to either side.

Eagle Feather thought a moment before responding. "Lowana is more of the old world than the new. She is one of the most spiritual people I have met. I can not say she is not a spirit. We must consider her words in the context of one whose knowledge comes from sources beyond any we can access."

"You said she spoke of my dream."

"She did. She said you should follow it."

Zack narrowed his eyes. "If I was a seer with a reputation to uphold, I too would mention someone’s dream. After all, everyone has dreams."

"Not like yours."

"What about the two-spirit person who––what was it?––dances with rattlesnakes and comes over the mountains?"

"Who comes from beyond the mountains," Eagle Feather corrected. "It is important to remember these statements accurately."

"What do you make of it?"

Eagle Feather took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "We know the Yokuts lived in many places, not just in this valley. They were more scattered than most tribes, with many small bands living independently, connected more by lineage than politics. If Lowana had been speaking of a white man, I think she would have labeled him so. And if she had been speaking of another tribe, such as the Chumash, she would also have labeled him so. Therefore, I believe she speaks of a man of Yokut descent who comes from a tribe beyond the mountains."

"What mountains?"

"That is a good question, White Man."

"And he dances with rattlesnakes?"

"That is easier to interpret," Eagle Feather said. "The pre-contact Yokuts had many seasonal ceremonies. I seem to recall one of them may have involved rattlesnakes."

He looked at Zack. "I will research that."

"Could she have known about the circumstances surrounding Paul's death?"

"She seemed to know much. I would not underestimate her knowledge."

"What do you think she meant about a two-spirit person?" Zack asked.

Eagle Feather grabbed his soda cup off the hood and took a swallow before replying. "The Yokuts have a tradition of a reverse gender person, just as many Great Plains tribes had a Contrary, a tribal member who did everything opposite the norm. The two-spirit people switched their gender identity at an early age and remained that way for life. They were usually the undertaker of the band, often a man who became a woman."

"So we should watch out for a woman who practices some sort of rattlesnake ceremony and comes from beyond the mountains," Zack said.

Eagle Feather nodded.

"And she said I must follow my dream. I'm not even going to ask what you think the goat allegory meant."

Both men ate in silence, wrapped in thought, the still warm sun enveloping them like a cocoon.

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