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Chapter Twenty Four
Paint, Sing, and Fall Down!
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By four, Sue had long since given up on sleeping for the night, and had carried her things back to the RV. She was quietly chatting with the cute young man by the name of Tommy, who was "working" the front desk for the still unopened hotel, while waiting for the rest of her party to get up, and out of their rooms when Gaagi came in from the front of the building. Tommy had been telling her what he'd heard about the stuff printer's being trashed, and how they thought whoever had done it had been wearing some sort of gray fur coat, because there was a bunch of gray fur tangled up in the machine, like it had gotten caught, then pulled free. Also, how the technicians heard some sort of yelp just before they found the problem, and one of them thought he saw a dog running into the storage closet when they went in to investigate the sound, but found the closet empty. Sue kept thinking of the Coyote disappearing in her bathroom, but didn't say anything.

"Good morning, Sue." He said, walking in and presenting a smile to her.

"Morning," She replied, stepping away from the counter, and dismissing Tommy with a warm smile before turning back to Gaagi.

"I had the strangest dream last night" Gaagi said, walking up to her.

"Let me guess, I was in it, as was Eadgils, and Cassandra, and a Coyote?" Sue asked.

Gaagi stumbled to a stop, and looked at her sharply. "You mean..."

Sue nodded, "Yep."

"Well then, it is good I acted on the dream. I contacted one of our Medicine Men, one who knows who, and what I am, and spoke of Patrick's curse, and my dream to him. He has agreed to help, or at least to discuss it. The ceremony which may help, is one he remembers. We need to be at his hogan before dawn though, if we want to do it today. He is already out gathering herbs and other supplies he will need. I am supposed to bring you folks, and some things from my own Medicine Kit - masks and such." Gaagi replied.

Sue looked towards Tommy, the young man holding down the front desk through the wee hours of the morning, and raised her voice, "Tommy, is there any way you could ring up the rooms of the rest of my party, and let them know I need them down here and ready to roll ASAP?"

Tommy just nodded, and picked up the desk phone. Before he had dialed the first call, however, the elevator doors opened and disgorged Cassandra, her own bag slung over her shoulder. She merely cocked an eyebrow at seeing Sue and Gaagi already in the lobby.

"I take it you couldn't sleep either?" she asked softly, out of subconscious deference to the pre-dawn hour.

"Not after that coyote bit my foot, then ran away in my room." Sue replied.

"Ran away?" Gaagi asked. "What do you mean?"

"When I woke up, he was at the foot of my bed, my left foot in his mouth. Before I knew what was really happening, he dropped my foot, yipped at me, and ran into my bathroom and disappeared." Sue explained.

"Disappeared into your bathroom?" Gaagi asked.

"No, disappeared IN my bathroom. I followed him in there, but he was gone. He ran into the bathroom, and disappeared, as in gone. Poof! I felt like I should have Shaggy and Scooby there to help check the walls for secret panels for a while, but I finally just gave up and tried to go back to sleep. No joy there, so I grabbed a shower instead, packed my stuff, and toted it back out to the RV." Sue waved over at Tommy, speaking softly on the phone to someone, and finished her story, "After that, I hung out here for about ten minutes, talking to Tommy about his new job. You folks sure put a lot of yourselves into this Casino deal. I really hope it works for you."

Gaagi still looked confused, trying himself to figure how a mythical creature could appear in some sort of mystical shared dream between himself and these two women, let alone later appear physically in one of their bedrooms, then literally vanish in a bathroom. It was plainly impossible, but he could personally attest to the dream part at least. "Perhaps you were not really awake, and you just thought you saw Me'ii in your room."

"No, my foot had marks from his teeth. He was there. How he got in, or out though, I have no idea." Sue replied.

Sue and Gaagi followed Cassandra out to the RV with her bag, while Tommy called the last room to wake them up.

The group finally assembled by the RV in the pre-dawn gloom, and Gaagi lead them through the dark roads of the reservation to a solitary hogan located in a clearing, the distant hills vaguely illuminated by the gathering pre-dawn light.

As they approached, an elderly Indian dressed in a traditional looking shirt, with regular Levi's pants came out and softly spoke some Navajo in greeting.

Gaagi translated, saying "Tsosie welcomes us to his home, and urges us to hurry inside. This is an old ceremony, and it must be started at dawn, and finished before the sun sets."

"What did he say his name was," Patrick asked Sue softly.

"Tsosie. Pronounced So-See, it means Yellow." She replied, just as softly.

As the group headed towards the hogan, the old man suddenly raised his voice and gestured towards Sue, Sally, and Cassandra.

Sue spoke softly in reply, then looked over at Cassandra, before turning back to Gaagi and a king some sort of question.

At Gaagi's reply, he gestured once more, this time at Sally, while speaking emphatically and shaking his head.

"I'm sorry Sally, but Tsosie has rather forcefully reminded me that your presence would disrupt the Ceremony. He was first asking that you, Sue, and Cassandra wait in the RV, but Sue told him why she needs to be there, and seeing as how she and Cassandra were both a part of my vision last night, I agree. She also pointed out that Cassandra is an Immortal, and thus exempt from this particular taboo, so he said she can stay as well, but he is refusing to budge regarding your presence. "

Sally stopped her stride short, and glanced back and forth between the older man, and Gaagi, as if unsure what to say or do.

"I think I'll stay out here as well," Adam said from where he was standing with Patrick. "I don't think I understand enough Navajo to follow the Ceremony, and my experience with these things is that they tend to be even more boring than a Catholic mass if you are not participating, and are ten times as dull when you don't know what's going on. At least the Catholics give you wine to drink. Granted, it's not beer, but still..."

Sue turned to Adam and smiled her appreciation at him, as she followed Cassandra, Patrick, and the two Indians inside the hogan.

Once inside, Tsosie again addressed Gaagi in Navajo, saying, "I really don't think this Ceremony is a good idea. Usually there is a very good reason for a spirit to be bound or restrained. If you release it without knowing what that reason was, how do you know you are not doing a great evil?"

"I suppose we don't. But someone, or something has a Holy One persecuting this young Immortal, and he can't spend all his time wondering when and how he will next die." Gaagi replied.

"I don't think it was an accident that we found you, either," Sue added, in nearly flawless Navajo. "Did Gaagi tell you about the dream?"

"Yes. He said he saw Coyote and the ghost of an old friend, as well as that friend's first, and last students. I assume those were you two. Did he tell you of it as well?"

"No, he didn't have to," Sue replied, "We were both there."

Tsosie looked up in shock, and asked, "You all SHARED the spirit dream with the dead Immortal and Coyote?"

"Yes." Sue replied for Cassandra, who was unable to follow the conversation.

"I am not sure what that means. But I am sure it is important somehow," Tsosie said, settling down on the ground, with a piece of wood, covered in a layer of white sand before him. "I still have doubts about this song."

"We need to do something," Sue replied.

Tsosie nodded, then pulled a bag from his belt, and began carefully pouring some red ochre sand on top of the white sand before him, chanting something softly to himself.

"What is he doing?" Patrick asked, speaking for the first time that morning.

Gaagi replied softly, "Every Ceremony practiced by our people needs a sand painting. Each one has to be made exactly right, to attract the attention of the Gods, or it won't work. Tsosie is the only Medicine Man left that I know of who knows the Releasing Way Ceremony and its proper painting."

"If it's so important, shouldn't he have a picture of it or something, so he can be sure he gets it right?" Patrick asked, watching the old man as he pulled a second bag from his belt, and started adding blue sand to the image he was creating.

"No, our people believe that to make any image of the sand painting, or even to create detailed records of the ritual is wrong. It may distract the gods, and bring misfortune," Gaagi explained.

"So how does he know what to do?" Patrick asked.

"He learned it from another Medicine Man, and would have passed it on to a younger one, if any were interested," Gaagi explained.

"But what if none are interested?" Patrick queried, watching as red sand was now being added to the growing image.

"Then, when the last Medicine Man who knows it dies, it will be lost. It is sad to say, but that is our way. If we didn't honor our traditions, then why bother to save them at all?" Gaagi replied.

Tsosie looked up, and said, "Ok, Patrick, student of Sue, I need you to sit in the center of this circle," he indicated the middle of the painting before him. "And be careful not to disturb the sand as you sit. This is powerful and dangerous medicine."

Patrick dubiously eyed the red circle in the center of the large painting before stepping to carefully straddle the image, a foot off to either side. Ass he started to ease himself down, he almost lost his balance, but a quick grab by Gaagi in front, and Cassandra in back stopped him from literally landing on his butt in the middle if thee picture. The two elder Immortals then gently lowered him until he came to rest on the sand with a dry scrunching sound.

Tsosie then turned to Gaagi, and asked him for the masks of Changing Woman, and Talking God, along with the icon of the Holy Person.

"Icon?" Gaagi asked, pulling the masks from his bag.

Tsosie nodded, a look of relief flashing almost imperceptibly across his face, then explained, "For this ceremony, Talking God must ask Changing Woman to free the Holy Person from their bindings he will then hand her the icon, and she will break it open, releasing the inner icon, and thus freeing the bound Holy One from all ties. Without the icon, we can't do the Ceremony."

Gaagi looked upset, "I never heard of this before. Of course, I never saw the Ceremony itsself, only heard about it being used to release fallen warrior whose spirit would not pass on as he should. Does that mean we will have to get one of these icons, and try it again tomorrow?"

Tsosie shook his head, "I don't think we should try to do it at all. I really don't think this is a good idea. If we were meant to do this Ceremony, you would have had the Icon, or I would have asked you to bring it."

At that point, a soft "Yip" came from the back of the hogan, and the coyote came out from behind a chair. In his mouth was a plastic doll of some sort.

"Me'ii" Tsosie gasped, drawing back.

Gaagi, merely watched as the coyote approached, and laid the multi- colored plastic doll at his feet, then looked up at him expectantly.

Gaagi bent down, and gingerly lifted the offering, feeling the inside seem to shift, as though a much heavier object was hidden inside the plastic shell.

"Is that the icon?" Sue asked.

Tsosie looked with wide eyes, first at the doll, then at the coyote, then up at Sue. "It is plastic. I have never heard of the icon being made of plastic, but there is no real reason it can't. Usually it is crafted of cornmeal, or of clay, with the inner form made of stone, wood, or something else. As long as the shell can be broken without damaging the inner figure, it shouldn't matter what it is made of."

Gaagi gently shook the doll and looked around the room. "It looks like we are meant to do this after all. I may be wrong, but this may well be the item Jonah was complaining about having been printed out on the Casino's new stuff printer yesterday afternoon, even as I was first meeting with Patrick and the rest of his companions."

"Then perhaps it was destined. We will continue the Ceremony."

The morning was almost but not quite over, the sun no longer slanting through the open door of the hogan as Tsosie and Gaagi each wore a mask, and following the ritual, Tsosie , wearing the mask of Talking God handed the icon to Gaagi, asking Changing Woman to free the binds of the Holy One. Gaagi then took the icon in both hands, and twisted, shattering the thin plastic shell, releasing a heavy turquoise figurine, decorated with silver.

As Gaagi held the icon in his hands, a sudden flash of light filled the room, and it vanished, a gust of wind blowing the sand around Patrick. As the wind blew the sand away, leaving the board clear, the sand itself seemed to vanish into nothingness along with the turquoise figurine.

Tsosie stood up suddenly, a look of surprise etched on his face, as Patrick fell over backwards, to lie sprawled on the empty piece of plywood.

The Coyote Yipped happily, and walked over to the door, where he looked back at Patrick impatiently, as though in a hurry to get moving all of a sudden.

Tsosie spoke at last, "It is done. Although I have never seen a ceremony end in such a way, even the painting has been returned to nature, I think. Wherever it has gone, it isn't here any more to draw the attention of the Gods."

Patrick stood up, and looked down at the empty piece of plywood beneath his feet, then over at Tsosie before asking, "So, that's it? I won't be getting killed anymore?"

Tsosie looked back at Patrick, and shook his head. "No, all I have done is release the Holy One who was bound to you. That won't prevent things from killing you, or even someone from again tasking a spirit to plague you. But for now, you both are free."

Sue helped Patrick walk out the door, while Cassandra stayed behind to speak to the Medicine Man in a soft voice.

Gaagi, Sue, and Patrick stepped out of the smoky hogan and into the clear fall air, blinking against the sunlight.

The door to the RV banged open, and Sally and Adam came out, heading over to join the group clustered by the door.

"That dog looks like the Coyote that fell off the cliff with you yesterday Patrick," Sally said, walking up.

The coyote looked up at her, and waggled its tail, giving a soft "Yip" of greeting.

"Did the ceremony work?" Adam asked, coming to a stop himself, and looking first at Patrick, then down at the coyote as well.

"Something happened. Gaagi here broke open the thing that the coyote brought us, and then it exploded and blew the sand away," Patrick explained.

"Uh, not quite. I released the icon from its shell, and then I caught it. It was a turquoise and silver figurine, really nice craftsmanship too. Then before I could say anything, it vanished, in a flash of light, a wind came, and that blew the sand away somewhere, maybe out the door. And Tsosie said everything was done."

"So where did the coyote come from? Is he Tsosie's?" Adam asked scowling at the canine now sitting at his feet looking up at him.

"No, he came by himself. He was in the dream last night. And I think he was the one who broke the stuff printer at the Casino yesterday evening. I think that is where the icon we used came from; the shell was made of a thin, brittle plastic at least."

The coyote nodded sagely, then looked back up at Sue, and lolled out its tongue, thumping it's tail against the ground.

"So the coyote helped." Adam asked, incredulously.

"In the legends of my People, Coyote, or Me'ii will sometimes help. But usually there is something he wants of his own. We are always advised to be very cautious when dealing with him." Gaagi replied.

"He is more than he seems, Adam," Cassandra said, finally emerging from the hogan with Tsosie . "Tsosie and I have been talking about him. He agrees he is if not the Coyote of legend, at least something other than a normal coyote. We both can feel his power. He almost has a quickening, as well."

Tsosie nodded his head, "My people believe in the Coyote People, descendants of Coyote, the god who helped lead First Man and First Woman to the surface, or fourth world. Who also stole the water monsters children, flooding the third world, and who also introduced Death into the world."

Adam looked speculatively at the coyote, and muttered to himself. "I don't remember him introducing me anywhere."

The coyote looked up at that, and smiled. Adam turned back to look at Cassandra. "So the ceremony worked, the kid's free of his pestering poltergeist?"

"Whatever the being was that was trying to kill him has been released, yes. Whether that will last is yet to be seen," Cassandra replied.

"Then we should be loading up, and heading out. If we move now, we may make L.A. by tonight." Adam replied, turning back towards the door to the R.V.

Patrick walked over to the old Indian, and extended his hand, "Mr. Yellow, I just want to thank you for your help."

The Medicine man hesitated a few moments, before he accepted the hand in a firm handshake. "I still worry we may of done more harm than good in the long run. But you are welcome," he replied, shaking his hand. "I will say it has been an experience."

With that, the party piled back into the RV, and headed back towards Gus's Taco place, while the coyote trotted off behind Tsosie's Hogan and disappeared.

As the RV arrived at Gus's Taco Stand, the side door banged open, and people started pouring out into the early afternoon sunlight.

Finally, everyone had assembled by the door, and Cassandra pushed it closed, then they made their way into the restaurant.

As Gaagi led the way inside, the delicious smell of freshly cooked food reminded everyone that they had skipped breakfast that morning.

Sarah came out from the kitchen to greet Gaagi, and she introduced the sixteen year old boy working the counter as her younger brother Jimmy.

Jimmy stared silently at Cassandra, when he wasn't stealing admiring glances of either Sue or Sally, when he thought no one was looking.

Patrick looked up at the remnants of the missing light fixture dangling from the ceiling. As Gaagi came up behind him, he softly commented, "I know it's only been four days since it started, but it's gonna take a while ta stop wonrderin' what's gonna try an' kill me next."

Gaagi joined him in his appraisal of the remnants, than responded, "I am sure it was a painful way to learn it, but that paranoia could serve you well in the years, and hopefully centuries to come. I was once told by a wise man that you should always try and expect the unexpected, and be careful to prepare for the rest."

"Who said that?" Sue asked, coming up beside them.

"Eadgils, that old demon who both you and Cassandra named as Teacher," Gaagi replied with a shrug, then turning towards the kitchen.

After a bit, he motioned to his sister, and she came over, and he quietly asked her something in Navajo.

Sarah replied a bit louder and in English as the party approached the register, "I think so, but I'm not sure. You'd really have to ask Sally, she's her Watcher. If anyone would know, she would."

Sue, the first in line, couldn't resist the bubble of curiosity surfacing in her mind. "Ask what? I might know."

Jimmy looked at Sue, then at Sally, standing at the back of the group, talking to Adam about something.

"I was wondering, Cassandra, is she really like two thousand years old?"

Sue tossed a glance over her shoulder and saw a grin on Cassandra's face, indicating she had heard the question. At a slight nod of her head, Sue answered honestly. "No."

The expression on his face became crestfallen, as her denial sank in. Then suddenly a voice spoke from over Sue's shoulder, "I'm actually closer to four thousand."

Jimmy suddenly shot her a wide eyed gaze, his mouth drooping slightly open. Sarah also came to an abrupt pause, and turned back to look at the Immortal woman.

Cassandra continued with a mockingly stern expression on her face, "Not that it's polite to inquire about a woman's age, no matter how discreetly one tries to do so."

Jimmy suddenly flushed, his skin darkening in embarrassment, as he looked down at the register. "I'm sorry Ma'am, I didn't mean to be rude."

"Get me a taco, and a medium sprite, and we'll call it even," Cassandra responded with a grin he didn't see, as she turned and marched back towards the same table everyone had used the night before.

Jimmy looked up, relieved, then as he punched the order into the register a suddenly stricken look came across his face, "Does she expect me to pay for it?" he wondered in distress.

Sue felt a flash of compassion for the kid, and responded softly, "I'll take a taco and a glass of water. You can add her to my bill, I'll cover it."

Jimmy smiled up at her, a puppy dog expression in his eyes, as he said, "Thanks."

As Sue joined Cassandra at the table, taking a seat opposite the elder Immortal and facing back towards the kitchen, putting her back to the only other pair of customers in the place at the moment, Cassandra broke out in silent laughter.

"I couldn't help it," she said between soft giggles, "It was just too easy a line."

Sue looked over at the woman, and shook her head. "I suppose. But it was mean all the same."

One by one, the rest of the group put in their orders, then joined the two at the table. After a while, a silent Jimmy came up and delivered a tray with a taco and a sprite on it to Cassandra, and a second tray with another taco and a cup of water on it to Sue. "Here you are, Ma'am. I'm sorry again for being rude. Please forgive me."

Cassandra bestowed her sweetest smile on him in return, and responded, "Ok, Jimmy. I'll let it slide. Just remember not to be so impolite in the future. Especially around Immortals, some of them would kill you just because they thought you knew their secret. Always remember that."

Jimmy flushed again, and turned back to collect the other orders from where Sarah was depositing them on the Pick Up counter.

Gaagi came out to join the group as they ate, bringing his own taco and a hot beverage of some sort, and sat down at the table next to them, eating in silence as he waited for the other patrons, who were just finishing their lunch at the corner table to clear out.

About the time everyone other than Patrick, who was just starting on his third Taco was finishing up their lunch, Gaagi, noticing the other couple slipping out the door, asked the group in general, "So what's your plan from here?"

Adam, glancing over at Patrick, shook his head and replied, "Assuming we make a solid push from here on out, we should be able to make it to L.A. by perhaps 9 or so. If I read the maps correctly, it's about an 8 hour drive from here."

Gaagi nodded, "That sounds about right. So, what then?"

Adam looked speculative for a moment before he replied, "Well, if we make it back early enough, I'm thinking of trying to catch a late flight to Seacouver. The Tribunal starts meeting on Monday, and I'd like as much time as possible to get ready for it with Joe."

Sarah looked shocked, and asked, "Tribunal?"

Sally nodded, and answered, "Yea, fer Sue. An' it's me fault. I 'oeer reacted when I first met her, thought she was after my own 'mmortal, considering how hers had just died an' all. I called my supervisor when I lost Cassandra, an' demanded an investigation. I got it, an' when I tried ta call it off, I was tol' it was too late, an' if I wanted ta say anythin' ta the Tribunal, ta do it meself."

Sarah looked at Sue, and asked, "Are you going to be ok?"

Sally answered for her, "Hopefully wi' both the watcher who first raised the cry, an' one of our most senior researchers standing fer her, it'll nae be a problem."

Suddenly, Sarah swung around to look at Gaagi, "You! You knew!"

Gaagi looked confused for a moment, "About the Tribunal thing, no I just heard about it myself."

"No, about the Watchers," Sarah replied. "You knew about them all along, didn't you?"

"Well, if you think about it, any warrior worth is salt will notice a white man sneaking around him all the time taking notes. Why do you think they had such a hard time keeping track of me before your parents?" Gaagi replied.

"They had no idea." Sarah replied.

"Eventually I decided that if someone was going to be spying on me all the time, they might as well be my friends. So yes, I knew. I didn't know as much about them as I do now, but over the years, you tend to pick up on little clues. Like that blue tattoo your family and some of its friends are so fond of," he said, nodding to her wrist.

Sarah just shook her head. Adam, noting that Patrick was about done with his taco, broke in, "Well, we should be on our way. If we want to try and catch the late flight to Seacouver when we get to L.A., we really do need to leave."

Cassandra nodded. "It'll be nice to catch up with Duncan again. I haven't seen him in a few years, not since that time in Bordeaux."

With that, everyone stood, and made their way to the door. Patrick extended a hand to Gaagi, and said, "Thanks again for your help on that curse thing. I'll keep your advice about stayin' on my toes in mind as well. I hope we meet again, and not just 'cause I really like your tacos, either."

Gaagi returned the handshake, in an uncharacteristically firm manner, and replied, "I still think you should have one of the elder Immortals as a teacher, and not one less than a week your senior. That said though, she seems capable enough, and certainly has good teachers of her own. Do me a favor and look after her. I don't know why, but I feel like she has trouble coming from somewhere."

Patrick looked at Sue's retreating form as she climbed the steps into the RV, and responded, "I took her as my Teacher, because she did more for me in the first day we met than anyone not family has done for me in my whole life. Trust me when I say I would give my life for her, and not just die either, I'd trade all of eternity if I had ta to help her in any way."

"You are a good man, Patrick. Come back any time. I'll probably still be here, and I'll be glad to fix you up with more tacos. Heck, next time, the first one's on the house."

Patrick grinned at that, and turned towards the RV. He had almost made it to the steps, when the coyote from the ceremony bolted seemingly out of nowhere, and shot in the door ahead of him, accompanied by a holler from Adam inside.

Patrick made his way into the confusion, to see Adam trying to chase the coyote back out the door, while it tried to make it's way past him towards the front of the RV where Sue was settling into the driver's seat.

Finally, Adam managed to push the animal back out the door, as Patrick stood in the kitchen, preventing it from retreating into the bedroom.

Slamming the door, he said, "Weird beast. Acted almost like it wanted to go along."

As Sue started up the engine, and pulled back out onto the highway, and headed away from Lupton, she said, "Well, maybe he did."

Cassandra, sitting in the passenger seat next to her, added, "He is not a regular coyote, you know."

At that, a soft "Yip" echoed from the bedroom behind Patrick. He spun around, and found the glowing golden-yellow eyes of the coyote once more meeting his own. As a shiver made its way first up, then back down his spine, he said, "I think he really does want to come along."

The coyote nodded, and stepped past Patrick, tossed a contemptuous glance at Adam, and made his way towards the front of the RV, where he curled up and laid down on the floor before the base of the console.

"I guess we've got another passenger then," Adam opined, as he turned towards the fridge muttering, "I need a beer."

Sally just sat at the dinette, and laughed.

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