Immediately, the snake collapsed in on itself, but, unexpectedly, it began to burn. In little time, the flames became a blaze until the hissing of the snake was loud within the room.
"No!" cried the evil one. "You have killed it! You, who should be the one who is dead, have killed it, my treasured pet."
But, the fire was spreading fast, and, all too soon, the entire bag was aflame. What happened next took place so fast, Amelia felt herself grow weak, feeling as though she couldn't keep her balance. The fire caught hold of the parchment paper on the windows, and no sooner had this happened than the entire room, piece by piece, went up in a blaze.
Mitchell struggled to free himself, and Amelia looked on as Strikes Fast allowed the man to run out into the courtyard. He was yelling, "Fire! Fire! Every man to duty! Hurry, before the entire fort goes up in flames!"
But, Amelia wasn't worried about the fort or this particular room. She cared only about Gray Falcon, and, as she ran toward him, she screamed out her words, asking, "Did that thing bite you?"
"Almost," Gray Falcon replied. "Almost, but, because you were here, it couldn't reach me. We must leave here quickly. Strikes Fast, take her from here while I try to find the evil one. Go!"
"Not without you!" cried Amelia.
And, then she saw him—the evil one. She didn't care about him; all she cared about was—what was the man doing? He was running toward the fire, not away from it. He stepped into the blaze, but before it caught him completely, he called out, "You killed it, and by killing it, you killed me! Don't you see? We are one!"
What happened next was so sudden, not one of the three of them moved. And, before anyone could react, he was gone.
It was perhaps a fitting end to an evil life.
But, the room was afire!
Gray Falcon grabbed Amelia up in his arms and sprinted out from the blazing inferno, followed by Strikes Fast. Smoke was everywhere, making it difficult to breathe, but the more distance Gray Falcon put between them and the fire, the easier it was to take in a breath of pure, oxygen-filled air. They passed by the many engagées who were struggling to form a line as they carried water back and forth to put out the blaze.
Neither Gray Falcon nor Strikes Fast stopped.
Indeed, they soon had negotiated the gate, and, as they stepped out of the fort, Gray Falcon, still carrying Amelia in his arms, turned to look back upon the blazing back wall of the fort. He commented, "It was his power—both the snake and the contract. And, now they are both gone. Perhaps, with Maká'pato'si's passing, there is a little less evil afloat upon this land of ours, this land we know as Turtle Island."
He set her on her feet then, but he didn't let her go. Instead, he pulled her deeply into his arms. Bending down to nestle his face into the crook of her neck, he said, "You saved me, my wife. Your warning kept me from opening the bag with my hands." Bringing her even more deeply into his embrace, he whispered for her ears alone, "Little did I know all those years ago how lucky I was when I met you. I love you, my wife. Now. Forever."
She cried, but between her tears, she murmured, "And, I will always love you, husband of mine. Forever. After all, it is I who is the lucky one."
He laughed, then put his arm around her waist as the three of them— Gray Falcon, Amelia and Strikes Fast—slowly paced toward the Pikuni camp.
