“You gave the firecracker to Oppenheimer and didn’t try to take it back,” Joe said. “Even if you were pretending to be blind out there, you bumped into too many people.”

“Not bad for a real blind man, though,” Roberto said.

“Not bad.”

“They’d really dare do it?”

“You pulled a shotgun on the wrong Kraut. He’s our Kraut and there’s a war on. I don’t know how he knew you would dance, but he knew and the captain in charge of security on the Hill knew, and they pointed you out to a pair of Indian Service riders. Don’t worry; Fuchs and the captain fingered you and ran. The cowboys watched the dance for five seconds and only saw you from a distance. Bring in someone else to dance. You’ll have all afternoon to get back to Taos.”

“Coke?” Roberto asked. “You thirsty?”

“No, thanks.”

“Hot out there, isn’t it?”

“If you’re going to get someone, you better do it now.”

Roberto removed his dark glasses and laid them on the bench. His eyes looked not only shrunken but painted out.

“Well, it’s not as simple as that, Joe. No one is allowed in or out while clowns are here. I don’t think anyone but you would break the rules.”

“If six clowns don’t come out of here, the riders will come in for you.”

“You dance,” Roberto said.

“Him?” Ben asked.

“There’s no one else,” Roberto said.

“It would be a joke,” Ben said.

“You show him what to do,” Roberto said.

The three clowns by the ladder squatted and talked among themselves. It would be a great disgrace to include someone as ignorant as Joe Peña in a ceremony. On the other hand, it would be a great disgrace to have an elder from another pueblo arrested in Santiago.

“No,” Joe spoke up. “For once Ben is right. I only came to warn you.”

Roberto acted genuinely puzzled. “What good is a warning if you won’t help?” he asked. “That’s a fake warning.”

“From a fake Indian,” Ben said.

“Fair warning.” Joe held up his hand and made it a wave as he moved to the door. “From here on, I don’t even know you.”

“He went away an Indian and came back a black man,” Ben said. “He went into the Army and became a white man. Maybe there’s no one there at all anymore. Now, his brother was an Indian.”

“Ben,” Joe said and shook his head.

“Best thing that happened to his mother was she died before today,” Ben said.

Joe returned from the door. “Ben, Ben, Ben. Don’t say another word.”

“I need your help,” Roberto said.