Kate licked sugar from her fingers and waited for judgment to be rendered. Johnny and Van, well aware of the esteem in which Annie Mike was held by her tribe, in the Park and not least by Kate Shugak, waited, too, with some anxiety.

Annie frowned and the kids looked at first dismayed and then ready to argue, but Kate knew from experience that the frown was more an expression of deep thought than of disapproval. I wish they‘d proposed it to the board before they‘d announced it to the kids, she said.

That was my first thought as well, Kate said. She meditated on her coffee. However, I see their point in taking it directly to the kids themselves. For one thing, not everyone enrolled in Niniltna High School is a Niniltna Native Association shareholder.

Annie nodded. They want to make the offer to everyone, not just Natives. Yes. Kate looked at Johnny and Van and the corners of her mouth quirked up in a smile. And they knew perfectly well that it‘d be hard to say no to paying jobs for the kids, once the kids heard about them. She looked back at Annie, smile fading. Let‘s face it, Annie. Fish and Game projections aren‘t good for the Kanuyaq runs this year. The economy‘s tanked. Sure, Global Harvest is trying to buy their way into our good graces. But it‘s a pretty good paycheck for someone their age, and it‘s not like our kids have that many options. I can‘t think of any Park rats whose lawns need mowing.

Annie nodded again.

Johnny and Van held their breath.

Kate reached for another cookie, and paused for an appreciative moment to admire its golden brown perfection. Stevenson was right, sometimes it was better to travel hopefully than to arrive. They‘re going to pay that money to somebody, Annie. Annie reached for a second cookie herself. True, she said. It might as well be our kids.

Johnny and Van, recognizing victory, beamed.

Kate took a bite of cookie and let the lemon and sugar dissolve blissfully on her tongue. Although arriving had its own rewards.

It was at least a counterpoint to the uneasy feeling that she‘d just consented to the thin end of the wedge.

Kate and Johnny pulled into the clearing at the homestead as Jim was getting out of his Blazer. As usual Mutt leaped from the cab of the pickup to lavish an ecstatic greeting, her tail wagging hard enough to start a Force 5 gale.

Although Kate couldn‘t keep the smile from spreading across her own face, so who was she to talk. I figured you‘d be late. If you made it home at all. I told Maggie the hell with it and sent her home.

Anybody left in the cells?

Well, since Maggie told me she sprung Willard to the custody of Eknaty Kvasnikof on your say-so, only Petey Jeppsen‘s left. Especially since I refused to arrest the bigamist.

Kate and Johnny exchanged a glance. And thereby hangs a juicy tale, Kate said. Yeah, but first I need a beer.