The old man, Eduardo, grinned, exposing large, overlapping teeth. He stood knee-deep in sheep, selected a lamb from the lot, and held it as tenderly as one would hold a baby. At their request, he kneeled among them. Then he leaned against a tree, the sheep clustered at his feet. When it was over, Eduardo and Ben shook hands. Ben handed him a twenty-dollar bill. “For the familia.” Ben nodded toward the sheep.

“Sí, señor. Muchas gracias.” The man clicked his tongue and departed, the sheep stirring up dust.

“You were wonderful with him,” Amelia said

“Voted most popular guy in the eleventh grade,” Ben said.

“You’re a born salesman.”

“My father was a salesman. He traveled. Never at home.” Ben shook his head. “Not for me, thank you.”

They were cruising at sixty-five miles an hour. Huge mountains loomed on the horizon, yet so clear was the atmosphere that they appeared close enough to touch. Amelia pointed out to Sadie that vast spaces and clear, clean air produced a false illusion of closeness, and that the mountains were actually many miles away.

They drove in silence for a while, Amelia certain that they were lost. Then a sign appeared pointing left. Bandelier National Monument. The road changed and became a well-graded two-lane with signs warning of curves ahead. After a time, it straightened, and the terrain grew flat. Ben picked up the conversation where he’d left off.

The inhospitable desert mesa vanished, and they began the descent past tall canyon walls to the sign that read Frijoles Canyon. At the park station, they picked up maps and historic information, and within minutes strolled beneath sheer walls on a paved trail among ruins and remains of ancient ceremonial kivas where, in olden days, men had invoked the great spirits. They photographed the crumbled walls of ancient structures and strolled to the end of the canyon, where a small waterfall sent its crystal liquid trickling into a narrow stream.

Sadie took off her shoes and dangled her feet in the cold water. “Oh,” she said, pulling her feet out. “It’s really cold.”

Back at the center of the canyon floor, Ben pointed up. “I’m going up to one of those caves and shoot the kivas. Who wants to climb the ladder?”

Amelia tipped her head up, up, up. Along the length of cliff wall, at what seemed a great height above the canyon floor, a series of solid wood ladders led to dark ragged holes. “That is definitely not for me.”

“I’d like to,” Miriam said, “but I can’t. I’m afraid of heights.”

“I’ll be right behind you on the ladder,” Ben said. “I’d never let you fall.”

“I want to climb up and see the cave,” Sadie said.

“Why?” Amelia asked. “If you’re not comfortable with it, why do it, Miriam?”