“I think there is a way to not have war, if you will help.”
“I’ll do what I can,” Falcon replied. “What do you want?”
“We want you to find the men who killed Yaakos Gan and kill them,” Keytano said.
Falcon smiled, and nodded. “That I will do with pleasure,” he said.
The medicine man said something and Keytano nodded.
“There is something else,” Keytano said.
“Something else?”
“Yes,” Keytano said. “When you kill these men, we want you to take their scalps and bring them to us so that we may see that you have done as you said.”
Falcon took a deep breath, then let it out in a long sigh. He shook his head.
“Keytano, I will find them and kill them, but I will not scalp them.”
“You must, for it is the only way the council will know that you have done as you promised. And only if the council knows that the evil ones are dead, will I be able to keep the village from following Chetopa on the path of war.”
“I’m sorry,” Falcon said, “but scalping isn’t something I do.”
“Did you not take the scalp and gouge out the eyes of many of our young warriors during your war with Naiche?” Keytano asked.
Falcon was caught and he knew it. He had done that very thing, in part out of anger, and in part to send a message to the Indians: that he was someone to fear.
Sighing, Falcon nodded.
“Yes,” he said. “You speak the truth. I did scalp your people.”
“You took the scalps of our people, but you will not take the scalps of these evil men? Are these evil ones not as evil as the Apache you killed?”
“Keytano, the Apache I killed were not evil,” Falcon said. “They were just warriors fighting me.”
“Is Fargo Ford evil?”
“Yes.”
“Then, why will you scalp my people who are not evil, but you will not scalp the white men who are evil?”
Suddenly, and inexplicably, Falcon laughed.
“Why do you laugh?” Keytano asked.
“Keytano, you should be a lawyer,” Falcon said. “I believe you could get a light sentence for ole Satan himself. All right, you win. I will chase Fargo Ford and his group down, and I will kill them. And I will bring you their scalps to prove that I have.”
Keytano smiled. “That is good,” he said. “Come, we will tell the council, then you will be free to go.”
Falcon chuckled again. “Free to go, huh? Yes, I figured it was sort of like that ... that I would not be able to leave until you gave me permission.”
Falcon followed Keytano back to the council fire. Most of the Indians were still there, though by now as many were standing as were sitting. Chetopa was with a group of five or six rather fierce-looking young men. The expression on his face was one of anger and hate and, regardless of what Keytano promised, or what Falcon did, Falcon knew that he was going to have to deal with Chetopa. If not now, someday.
“Hear these words,” Keytano said, addressing his assembled people in English. “I have spoken with Dlo Binanta, and he has said that he will find the evil ones and he will kill them.”
“And he will bring the scalps back as proof?” Chetopa asked.
“Yes, he has said that he will do this,” Keytano replied.
“Let the council hear him say this in his own words,” Chetopa demanded.
“Is the word of your chief not good enough for you?” Falcon asked Chetopa.
“It is not the word of Keytano that I question,” Chetopa said. “It is the word of Dlo Binanta, killer of Apache. I will not believe you unless I hear the words you speak.”
“Keytano has told you of the words that I spoke,” Falcon said. “You do not wish to believe me and I think you would not do so no matter what I said.”
“We will not speak of this again!” Keytano said, angrily. “I have told you what Dlo Binanta said. Do you say that I am lying?”
“I do not say that you are lying,” Chetopa said, backing down.
Keytano said something in his own language, then, looking at Falcon, pointed to the outer edge of the circle.
“You are free to leave,” he said. “Go now, find the evil ones. Kill them as you have said, then bring their scalps back so that we may all see.”
Standing just outside the edge of the circle, Falcon saw a young Indian boy holding the two horses he had
