“I heard Ma tell Pa that she wants everyone here before she explains why she and Blue Water Woman called us all together.”
“My wife, you say?” Shakespeare said, and gave his other half a smug glance. “If I were any brighter I would be the sun.”
“I sometimes think that in a past life you must have been a rooster,” was Blue Water Woman’s retort.
“A noble bird. I commend your choice.”
“Yes, roosters like to preen and strut and crow.”
“I am twice pricked,” Shakespeare said. He placed a hand on his hunting knife. “Want me to give this to you so you can do it right?”
Squealing with glee, Evelyn clapped her hands as if she were applauding a play on a stage. “Oh! Keep it up! It gives me something to write about in my diary.”
Just then five figures in green came around the corner. Wakumassee and his wife, Tihikanima, were in the lead. After them came Degamawaku, their oldest, then their daughters, Tenikawaku and Mikikawaku.
“Dega!” Evelyn exclaimed, and dashed to meet him.
“Strange how of the five she only has eyes for one,” Shakespeare playfully remarked.
“As you said, she is young yet,” Blue Water Woman responded. “She has not learned that men are fickle in their affection and do not care if they cause unending worry for those who care for them.”
Shakespeare was spared another round by the arrival of Zach and Lou. He shook hands and they all went in.
Nate was at the counter, sipping coffee. He raised his cup in greeting. “Take a seat, everyone. My wife will be with us directly.”
The table and chairs had been pushed against a wall so there was space for everyone to sit on the floor. Shakespeare eased down and crossed his legs, his elbows on his knees. “Do you know what this is about, Stalking Coyote?” he asked Zach, using the younger man’s Shoshone name.
“All my mother would tell me when she rode over to invite us was that we must be here on time.”
Louisa was grinning from ear to ear. “We should do this once a month for the fun of it. We don’t see everyone often enough.”
The bedroom door opened and out came Winona. She had on her usual beaded buckskin dress and moccasins. “
“I am surprised you and my wife didn’t invite the Shoshones and the Flatheads while you were at it,” he now remarked.
“Pay him no mind,” Blue Water Woman said. “He is in one of his moods.”
“I blush to think upon this ignomy,” Shakespeare muttered.
“Don’t start.”
“Since most of us speak English, I will use that tongue,” Winona announced. Turning to her Nansusequa guests, she addressed Wakumassee and Degamawaku. “You two speak it the best in your family, but you are still learning. I will talk slowly and use small words so you can translate for the others.”
“I am speaking the white tongue good,” Dega declared, proud of his accomplishment. That he had extra incentive in the form of Evelyn King was not a fact he mentioned.
“You have improved a lot since we met,” Winona agreed. “But I will still speak slowly so it is easy for you to translate.” She raised her arms to get everyone’s attention. “The first ever meeting of the King Valley Water Devil Society is now in session.”
Shakespeare sat up. “The what?”
“The King Valley Water Devil Society. Do you like the name? Blue Water Woman came up with it.”
“I should have known.”
“What be society?” Wakumassee asked. “That one I not know.”
“It was a little jest on my part,” Winona explained.
“A tiny jest is more like it,” Shakespeare said under his breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear. “Why beat around the bush? You called this meeting because you and my wife are worried.”
“We have reason to be,” Winona said. “We were in the steeple today. We saw what happened.”
Nate put his cup down. “You never mentioned anything to me.”
Shakespeare frowned at his wife. “All your squawking about the steeple being a waste of wood and you go up there to spy on us?”
“If caring for someone and wanting to be sure they are not harmed is spying, then yes, we were spying.”
“I was right about you being up to something,” Shakespeare said.
“Yes, you were right. We talked it over in the steeple and decided to call this meeting.”
“Say that again.”
“Excuse me?”
“That part about me being right. In front of witnesses, no less.” Shakespeare made a show of looking at the ceiling and then out the window. “I expect the world to end any moment.”
“Who say world end?” Waku asked in some alarm. “Nansusequa believe world stay as is until moon fall down.”
Louisa piped up with, “How is that again?”
“You might as well say the world will end when there are no more buffalo,” Zach threw in.
Nate came over and put one of his big hands on Winona’s slender shoulder. “It is not like you to keep secrets. Why didn’t you say something?”
“I am now.”
“Fine,” Shakespeare said in disgust. “Horatio can stay home from now on. But I am not giving up. I will go out on the lake by myself if I have to. That thing must be dealt with.”
“I agree,” Winona said.
“So what if I am the only one who—” Shakespeare stopped abruptly. “What did you just say?”
“I agree with you. It could have been anyone out there today. Waku and Dega, fishing. Or my cousin when he pays a visit. Or one of us ladies out for a swim.” Winona shook her head. “Until today the water devil has been no more than a nuisance. Now I fear it could well kill one of us.”
“I think the same,” Blue Water Woman said.
Shakespeare sat back, unable to hide his astonishment. “Let me get this straight. When I was going on about how we had to do something and built the steeple, you flayed me hour by hour. But as soon as Winona says we need to act, you are all for it.”
“I did not change my mind because of Winona,” Blue Water Woman said. “I changed it because I saw the water devil try to kill you.”
Deeply touched but refusing to show it, Shakespeare coughed and asked, “Aren’t you forgetting the bad medicine?”
“If there is no creature, there is no bad medicine.”
Nate studied his wife, “I am happy you have come over to our way of thinking. But why did you invite everyone here?”
“I have been wondering the same thing,” Zach said. “You could have told us all this tomorrow.”
“True,” Winona acknowledged. “If that was all there is to it. But when I called this the King Valley Water Devil Society, I was not joking. This valley is our home. We have chosen to spend our lives here. We must make it as safe as we can.”
“My exact sentiments,” Shakespeare said.
“After what we saw,” Winona said, “it is clear the two of you can use help.”
Shakespeare took immediate exception. “I wouldn’t say that. We need to plan better, is all.”
“Again, I agree.”
“Keep this up and I will think I am drunk. Which is some feat, given that I have not tasted liquor in a month.”
