Coyote Blue Chapter 16~17

CHAPTER 16Live, Via the feelinging World Sa classifyite NetworkSanta BarbaraLonnie actinotherapy Inman was sitting in a worn leather easy ch line of work listening for noises to sift downward(a) from upstairs. He had loaded and unloaded his Colt Python.357 Magnum four durations, nervously fumbling its hurtful weight as he alternately entertained fantasies of vengeance and prison. each few minutes he would rise and go to the window to work show up if the black Mercedes was still parked disc all everyplace front, because he would intermission at the front near(a)t, w present he opened and slammed the entre until the violence in his heart subsided enough for him to sit again. He was short and dark and sinews stood surface on his b atomic number 18 arms handle cables. The front of his black armored combat vehicle top was soaked with blood whither he had ripped the skin of his chest with his fingernails, seek to destroy the tattoo of a naked cleaning lady, the same woman whose figure was air fleecy on the tank of his Harley, the same woman who had false his thoughts to murder. Lonnie Ray Inman dropped sixsome cartridges into the cylinder of the Python and snapped it shut, determined this term to make it step to the fore the door and up the stairs, where he would burst through the door and kill steam organs new lover. sleep with prison.-=*=- A thousand miles away, ten thousand feet up in the bighorn Mountains, Pokey Medicine Wing watched Lonnie loading the gun. Pokey was into the second daylight of his fast and had been searching the Spirit World for clues to the where intimatelys of his favorite nephew, papal bull Hunts Alone. He had called for his spirit helper, Old Man coyote, to help him, stickyly the trickster had non appeared. Instead he was seeing a white city, with red roofs and laurel wreath trees, and a man who fateed to murder surface-to-air missileson.Pokeys organic structure sit, dangerously close to death, in the middl e of a two-hundred-foot stone medicine wheel, the holiest of the Crow fasting places, fair(a) west of Sheridan, Wyoming. Pokey had been under the hoof of a bull-moose uproar when he began the fast, and in a flash the dry mountain wind was sucking the weather life-water from his body. Alone in the Spirit World, Pokey was unaware of his heart assay to pump his thickening blood. He hypothesizeed for a way to warn surface-to-air missileson, and called out for Old Man brush wolf to help. brush wolf was in the console style of the Santa Barbara YWCA when he heard Pokeys call. He had entered as a horsefly, and after not cover the women in the showers for a while had changed himself into a baby hedgehog and was furled into a ball in the soap dish, imitating a loofah. Lazy by nature, prairie wolf had slip byn his medicine to only three people since time began Pokey, surface-to-air missileson, and a warrior named Burnt Face, who had built the ancient medicine wheel so it t ook him a while to realize that he was organism called. Reluctantly, he remaining the hedgehog body in the capable hands of a soapy aerobics instructor and went to the Spirit World, where he pitch Pokey waiting.What? Coyote said.Old Man Coyote, I need your help.I survive, Coyote said. You are dying. none I need to find my nephew, surface-to-air missileson.But you are dying.I am? ShitYou should end this fast now, old man.But what about surface-to-air missileson?Ive been helping surface-to-air missileson. Dont worry.But he has an enemy who is liberation to kill him. I adage him, but I dont know where he is.I know he has enemies. I am Coyote. I know everything. Whats this guy look like?Hes white. He has a gun.That narrows it down.He has a tattoo of a woman on his chest its bleeding. He looks out a window and sees a motorcycle and a black car. Thats all I know.Do you soak up any water on the mountain where your body is?no(prenominal) Theres a shrimpy snow.I leave alone help y ou, Coyote said. Go now.Suddenly Pokey was moxie in his body, sitting on the mountain. In his lap he found a package of dry Kool-Aid that had not been there before. He looked down at it and smiled, then fell advancing into the dirt.In the shower of the YWCA a naked aerobics instructor s tossed and ran into the cabinet populate when the loofah she was using turned into a raven. The bird circled the locker room tw scrap and nipped her on the bottom with its beak before loyal down the hall, into the lobby, and out an open skylight.-=*=- Across town, calliope took the empty salad sports stadium from surface-to-air missile and set it on the dresser next to a statue of Buddha. more than? she asked.No, Im exuberant, surface-to-air missile whispered. Grubb had fallen asleep in his crib and surface-to-air missile didnt pauperization to risk waking him. steam organ, he said, is this guy dangerous?Lonnie? No. He thinks hes tough because hes in a biker club, but I dont think hes danger ous. His friends are a little scary, though. They take a lot of PCP and it makes them spiritually black.I hate that, surface-to-air missile said, proud because he was spiritually dense without the aid of drugs.Im going to take the dishes out and check on J. Nigel. why dont you light some candles? I dont think we should turn on the stereo, though. It sour rubbish irritate Lonnie.We wouldnt want that, Sam said.-=*=- Outside, a raven landed on the hood of Sams car. Lonnie Ray saw it from his window. Shit on it. Shit on it, he said, but as he watched the raven seemed to disappear. Lonnie slammed the closet door until the doorframe splintered.Coyote was a mosquito making his way through the air vents of the Mercedes. He flew out of the defroster vent and settled on the drivers seat, where he became a man. Sams Rolodex was on the passenger seat next to his pack of cigarettes. Coyote lit a cigarette and flipped through the Rolodex until he found the handbill he was looking for. He remo ved it and tucked it into the waist of his buckskins.-=*=- Lonnie Ray was rattling through the kitchen cabinets, looking for liquor, when he heard the pounding at his front door. On his way through the living room he snatched the Python off the easy c copper and shoved it in his jeans at the small of his back. He threw open the door and was nearly knocked down by the Indian who brushed him aside on the way into the room.The Indian looked slightly the room and go around on Lonnie Ray. Where is he? Wheres the bastard hiding?Lonnie Ray recovered his residual and dropped his right hand to the grip of the Colt. Who the fuck are you?Dont worry about it. Wheres the guy that drives that Mercedes?In spite of his own anger, Lonnie Ray was intrigued. What do you want him for?Thats my business, but if he owes you money, youd better get it back before I find him.You going to kill him? Lonnie asked.If hes lucky, the Indian said.You got a gun?I dont need a gun. Now where is he?Chill, man, I mig ht be able to help you out.I dont have time for this, the Indian said. Ill just catch him at his house.You know where he alives? Lonnie Ray asked. This was like a gift from heaven. He could send the Indian up to calliopes to do the stinky work no risk, no prison. If it didnt work, he and the male childs could surprise the guy at his house tomorrow, no witnesses. Lonnie Ray hadnt really relished the idea of having to sprout calliope, anyway.Yeah, I know where the bastard lives, the Indian said. But he aint there. Hes somewhere around here.You give me his address, Ill tell you where he is.Fuck that, the Indian said, shoving Lonnie against the wall. Youll tell me now.Lonnie brought the position of the Python up under the Indians chin. I dont think so.The Indian froze. Its on a government note in my pants.Lonnie Ray held out his free hand. Dont ever tell someone you dont have a gun, dipshit.The Indian lifted his buckskin shirt, pulled a card from his waistband, and handed it to Lonnie Ray, who peekd at it and spun the Indian around by one shoulder, pointing him out the door.Lonnie ground the barrel of the Python into the Indians spine, stood on his toes, and whispered threateningly into the Indians ear. You didnt come here and you didnt see me. You understand?The Indian nodded.Hes upstairs, Lonnie whispered. Now go He shoved the Indian out the door. And never, never fuck with a brother of the Guild. Lonnie closed the door. tail A, he said with a giggle.-=*=- Upstairs, calliope said, Tell me what you know, Sam. slightly what?About anything. She sat down next to him on the bed and brushed his hair back with her fingers. Tell me what you know.The silence that followed would have been awkward except Calliope seemed to expect it. She stroked his hair while he tried to think of what to say. He sorted through facts and figures and histories and strategies. Clever retorts, meaningless jokes, sophistries and non sequiturs rose in his mind and fell unspoken. She rubbed his neck and found a knot in the muscle that she worked her fingertips into.That feels good, Sam said.Thats what you know?A smile rose to Sams lips. Yes, he said.What do you want? she asked.He shot her a sideways glance and saw the candlelight gleaming in her eyes. She was serious, waiting for an answer. Is this a test?No. What do you want?Why dont you ask me what I do for a living? Where I live? Where Im from? How old I am? You dont flat know my last name.Would that stuff tell me who you are?Sam turned to face her and took her hand from his neck. He still had a niggling suspect of her and he wanted to let it go. The truth now Calliope, are you break off of something he cooked up? Some trick?No. Whos he?never mind. Sam turned away from her again, stared at a candle cremate on the dresser, and tried to think. She really didnt know about Coyote. What now?Well, what do you want? she asked again.He snapped, Dammit, I dont know.She didnt recoil or seem hurt, but began rubb ing his neck again. You came here because you wanted me, didnt you?No. Yes, I guess I did. It wasnt bad enough that she had to keep telling the truth now she was expecting it back, and he was out of practice.Weve had sex. Do you want to go now?Christ, she was like some gorgeous New Age district attorney. No, IDo you want a bowl of chocolate marshmallow ice cream?That would be great Sam said. Off the hook, no further questions, Your Honor.See, its not that hard to figure out what you want. She got up and left the room, transporting for the kitchen again.Sam sat back and waited, realizing that it had been some time since a door had slammed downstairs. Suddenly he was very uncomfortable with the silence. When he heard footfalls on the stairs international he leapt to his feet and ran to the kitchen.CHAPTER 17A White Picket Fence or so ChaosSanta BarbaraSam hit the kitchen just as Yiffer stepped through the screenless component of the screen door.Cool Ice cream Yiffer said, staggeri ng to Calliopes side at the counter.Keep it down, Yiffer. I just got Grubb and J. Nigel down. Calliope picked up two full bowls of ice cream and nodded to the carton on the counter. You can have the rest.Bitchin. Yiffer grabbed a serving spoon from the empty salad bowl and dug into the ice cream, shoveling a baseball-sized clump into his mouth. Sam watched in amazement as Yiffer mouthed the ice cream until he got his jaws closed around it, then swallowed the whole clump, dipping his head snakelike to facilitate the passage. Oh, shit, man, Yiffer said as he dropped the spoon and deform over, grabbing the bridge of his nose. Major ice cream headache. OuchSam heard footsteps on the stairs outside, ran to the door, and popped his head out to see who was coming, ready to duck back inside should it be the crazed biker from downstairs. To his relief, Nina was trudging up the steps, obviously a little drunk herself. Did Yiffer come home?Sam said, Hes punishing himself with ice cream as we speak.Ill kill him. She ran the rest of the way up the steps and Sam helped her wrestle the door open, then he stepped out of harms way as she stormed by him to Yiffer, who was still bent over, now holding his temples.You jerk Nina shrieked. Who was that woman at the bar? And where the hell is my money?Babe, Im in pain here. Im suffering.Nina raised her fist as if to hammer Yiffers back, then she spotted the serving spoon, picked it up, and began licking the surfer unmercifully on the head with it. You want pain (whack), Ill give you pain (whack whack whack). Suffering? (whack) You wouldnt (whack) know (whack) suffering (whack) if (whack)Well, Calliope said. I guess you guys need a little space. Cmon, Sam. She led Sam out of the kitchen and back to her bedroom. They sat eating and listening to Yiffer whining under Ninas attack. later a few minutes she was losing florists chrysanthemumentum and Yiffers whines turned to moans. Soon Nina was moaning with him rhythmically. Sam stare d at the candle on the dresser as if he hadnt noticed.They do this all the time, Calliope offered. I think Nina gets in touch with that antheral energy that equates violence and sex.Excuse me?Hitting Yiffer makes her horny.Oh, Sam said. He flinched at the sound of breaking dishes from the kitchen. Nina screamed, Oh, yes, you asshole Yes Yiffer groaned. The house shook with the sound of a door slamming downstairs and J. Nigel joined the din with a wail of his own.Lonnie moldiness think that were doing it, Calliope said.Do you think hell give us time to explain before he shoots us?Dont think about it. Calliope stood and stepped out of her dress, then gestured for Sam to take off his shirt. The moaning in the kitchen was uprising in intensity and J. Nigel was wailing like a siren. The windows rattled with a salvo of door slams.Sam looked at her and thought, A bowl of ice cream, a load of loonies, and thou Now? he said. Are you certain(a)?Calliope nodded. She pulled his shirt off, th en pushed him back on the bed and took off his shoes. Sam let her undress him as he tried to post the noise out of his mind. As she pulled the sheet over him and crawled in beside him, he imagined the two of them being shot in the act. When she kissed him he barely matt-up it.In the crib next to them Grubb began to stir, and with the next series of door slams and a crash from the kitchen he came awake crying. Despite Calliopes soft warmth against him and the smell of jasmine on her hair, Sam was unable to respond.Hell be okay, Calliope said. She stroked Sams cheek and kissed him mildly on the forehead.Ill be back in a second, Sam said.He got up and wrapped his shirt around his hips, then, checking the hallway, he darted out of the room and into the buttocks. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, staring blankly at the ceiling. The sex sounds from the kitchen reached a crescendo with a piercing scream from Nina, then stopped, leaving only the sounds of crying babies and slamming doors. Sam took a deep breath. I cant do this, he said to himself. This is too weird. Too fucking weird. He lowered the lid of the toilet and sat facing the shower stall, presume the posture of Rodins Thinker. For once in his life, it really seemed to matter that the sex be good, but this was like a combat zone. I cant do this, he said.Sure you can, a voice said from behind the shower curtain. Sam screamed and jumped to the top of the toilet tank. Coyote stepped out of the shower holding a beaded leather pouch.What in the hell are you doing here? Sam asked.Im here to help, Coyote said.Well, get out of here. I dont need your help.You are wasting that woman.Do you have any idea what is going on around here? Listen. Another door slammed and Nina resumed shouting at Yiffer. From what Sam could make out it had something to do with the yard sale.You must leave here, then, Coyote said. You must find a place on the womans body and live there. Hear only her breath, smell only h er scent.If you dont get out of here I wont even have a chance. What if she sees you? How could I explain your being here? Thinking about it, Sam realized that if he told Calliope that there was an ancient trickster god in her bathroom she would yield it without question would probably ask for an introduction.Coyote held out the beaded pouch. entrust this on your member.What is it? Sam asked, taking the pouch.Passion powder. It will make you as strong and stiff as a lance.Sam shook the circumscribe of the pouch a fine brown powder into the palm of his hand. He sniffed it. What is it?Corn pollen, cedar, sweet grass, sage, powdered elk semen it is an old and stiff recipe. Try it.No way.You want the woman to think you are not a man?If I try it will you go?Coyote grinned. Put just a pinch on your member and you will pleasure the woman to tears.And youll go?Coyote nodded. Sam tentatively took a pinch of the powder and began to sprinkle it on his penis.Calliope opened the bathroom door, catching Sam in mid-sprinkle. You wont need that, honey, she said. Im on the pill.But Sam looked around for Coyote, but the trickster was gone. I was justBeing responsible, Calliope said. Thank you. Now come to bed. She took his hand and led him out of the bathroom. Sam submitted, glancing over his shoulder for signs of Coyote.Yiffer and Nina had taken the fight to their bedroom. Nina was calling Yiffer an idiot and going on about a newspaper ad being misplaced. A door slammed downstairs and Yiffer stormed out of the bedroom. Im going to kick his ass he shouted. In the hall he looked up at Calliope and Sam as he passed. Hi, kids, he said, then he proceeded down the hall. Sam could hear the kitchen screen door ripping off the hinges as Yiffer went through. Youre history, biker boyCalliope pulled Sam into the bedroom and closed the door.Shouldnt we call the police or something? Sam asked.No, hell be okay. Lonnies afraid of Yiffer. He wont fight him and hes afraid to sho ot him because of jail.Oh, everythings fine, then, Sam said.Come to bed, Calliope said. Sam shot a glance to Grubb, who was lying quietly on his side staring suspiciously at Sam over the edge of a pacifier, as if saying, What are you doing with my mom?Can we blow out the candles? Sam asked.Without a word Calliope blew out the candles and pulled Sam down on top of her on the bed. Outside, the sounds of Nina shrieking down from the top of the stairs, Yiffer pounding on Lonnies door, and J. Nigel crying for attention lessened into white noise.You must find a place on the womans body and live there. In the dark, the noise far away, Sam ran his hands over Calliopes body and the world of work and worry seemed to move away.He found two depressions at the bottom of her back where sunlight collected, and he lived there, out of the wind and the noise. He grew old there, died, and ascended to the Great Spirit, found heaven in her cheek on his chest, the warm wind of her breath across his to lerate carried sweet grass and sage, andIn another lifetime he lived on the soft skin under her right breast, his lips riding light over the ridge and valley of every rib, shuffling through downy, dew-damp hairs like a child dancing through autumn leaves. On the mountain of her breast, he fasted at the medicine wheel of her aureole, received a vision that he and she were steam people, mingled wet with no skin separating them. And there he lived, happy. And for the firstly time in years he felt that he was home. She followed, traveled, lived with him and in him as he was in her. They lived lifetimes and slept and dreamed together.It was swell.