“Evil,” she told him softly, “lies in and is created within the hearts of men.”
“Red men?”
“Perhaps—if they are the same as white men.”
“Imagine,” he murmured to her. “Something we agree upon.”
She smiled, then laughed. It was amazing, but the fear and terror of last night seemed so very far away.
“Of course, among the Sioux, Wakan Tanka is the Great Mystery. But the Sioux have many gods, and they are all very colorful.”
“Are they?”
He nodded gravely. “There are four superior gods beneath Wakan Tanka. They are Inyan, the Rock; Maka, the Earth; Skan, the Sky; and Wi, the Sun. They all have very special responsibilities. Beneath them are four more gods, associate gods, because they all associate with one above them. Wi’s associate is Hanwi, the Moon. Tate, the Wind, is associate to Skan, the Sky. Whope is the associate of the Maka, the Earth.Whope is the daughter of the Sun and the Moon and is known as the Beautiful One. Wakinyan, the Winged, who cries out like thunder and has eyes like lightning, is the associate of Inyan, the Rock. Make sense?”
“I suppose…what a world!” Skylar exclaimed, gesturing at the clear blue big sky and the magnificent land.
“Many Sioux feel that they have the world. The sky, the sun, the earth, the beauty of the land around them.”
“The land they are losing?”
He nodded gravely.
“What will happen?” she asked him.
“The government has determined that the American people must have the Black Hills.”
“And?”
“They will have them.”
“But if an agreement can be reached?—”
“There have been dozens of agreements. None has ever been worth the paper it was written upon. Yes, the Indians have committed atrocities upon the whites, and indeed, the whites have practiced tremendous cruelty as well. One wonders if any man’s god is looking down at all of this. Personally, I think that a time has come when there will be a great deal more tragedy before another ‘agreement’ is reached.”
“So then?—”
“So then I’m here with Sloan because we always try for peace, the least possible bloodshed. It’s the best that anyone can do.”
He smiled ruefully at her and nudged Tor’s ribs with his heels and started riding hard, cantering ahead of the cattle to ride alongside Sloan.
That night, when they stopped to make camp, Skylar took it upon herself to tie Skeffington securely to a tree. The mule still twisted and wiggled to elude her, but Skylar was determined she’d not be gotten the best of by a mule again. She hadSkeffington’s packs down and the coffee perking before the men returned from caring for the cattle for the night. No one, however, seemed to expect her to know how to cook over an open fire. It seemed to be Willow’s task to prepare their meal, but Skylar had never minded cooking, and she made herself available to Willow to help in any way she could. They hadn’t hunted that evening, so they warmed some of the food Meggie had packed for them. Ham, beans, and corn muffins, warm against the coolness of the night.
Yet even as they ate, and even if it appeared that they were all relaxed, Skylar was aware that either Sloan or Hawk was standing at all times, that they were both well-armed with their Colt repeaters and knives, and that, though they didn’t seem to expect an attack, they intended to be prepared should one come their way.
“Do you think there are more Crow near us?” Skylar asked Hawk, trying not to sound nervous.
“Not now,” he said, shaking his head and taking a seat beside her while Sloan rose and leaned against a tree as he stared out at the night sky. “We’re very close to the Crazy Horse people.”
“How do you know?” she asked.
“The trail.”
“The trail?”
He smiled. “Men have hunted through here. Many men. I don’t know what those Crows were up to, coming so far east. But this would be a very dangerous place for any Crow right now, so close to a large Sioux encampment of warriors.”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but it’s all still so confusing. Some of you get along, some of you don’t. The Crazy Horse people hate the whites so much that they won’t go to the agencies to talk, but both of you, with white blood, can go to the Crazy Horse people!”
