'But' -- 'Stop it! Shut up!'
'Damn you, Jamie' -- He switched into the Apache language, addressing
Nalte.
At the last, he spoke English once again.
'Nalte, may Jon Red Feather take the woman away so that we may speak
without interruption?'
'Speak without interruption!' Tess flared. But Nalte was nodding.
'Tess, come!' Jori called to her.
Apparently she didn't move quickly enough. Jamie reached for her arm and
thrust her toward Jon. He pulled her away even as she protested.
'Jon' -- 'Tess, he's trying to negotiate for your return.'
'They were going to shoot him! I had to do something.' She tugged free
of Jon and turned back to watch Jamie, still talking with Nalte.
'What are they doing now?'
'Talking about prices.'
'For what?'
'For you, of course,' he told her with a crooked smile. 'How can Jamie
pay Nalte?'
'Well, he can't pay him ... not very much, that's why he's arguing
that you aren't worth the price.'
'I'm not worth the price!'
'Tess' -- Tears touched her eyes.
'He shouldn't he here to begin with! He must not understand Nalte'
'Nalte would have killed most men by now. He is seeing Jamie because he
knows about him, he knows that Jamie has always been fair. Tess, keep
your mouth shut, all right?' She wanted to keep her mouth shut, but she
was still in terror that the Apache would betray Jamie, as they had been
227 betrayed so many times themselves. She was deliriously glad to see
him and Jon, and she wanted to know about Chavez, but she was afraid to
ask. Her temper was rising because she was so desperately scared of what
was to come. Before she could say more, Nalte came striding by with
Jamie and his guard behind him.
Jamie cast her a fiercely warning glare; Nalte barely glanced her way.
They entered Nalte's dwelling.
'What are they doing now?' Tess demanded. 'Negotiating,' Jon said
briefly.
She started to shiver. Nalte didn't need to negotiate. He could kill
Jamie and ke~P her. He had all the power. He could do anything he wanted
to do.
'There's no hope!' she whispered.
Jon set his hands on her shoulders.
'Courage, Tess. There is every hope. Nalte's little sister begins her
puberty rite today. The rite goes on for four days. The woman over there
will be her sponsor. She is of impeccable character, and she will stand
for the sister. The man there with the buffalo horns upon his cap and
the white eagle feathers, he is the shaman, the medicine man, and he
will add the sacred religion to the ceremony. The girl is dressed for
her role as White Painted Woman or White Shell Woman, a sacred maiden
and one of the most important of the Apache supernaturals.
She will pray to the sun. The dancers with the headdresses, they are the
