2 The name Bando uses for his village, Latsei, is a bit of mystery. No record of any such pueblo or peoples exists in the region. It could be a corruption of Zia, a historic village NW of Albuquerque, but that is only speculation.

3 Samas’ description Hernando de Alvarado as being a captain and finding the Zuni’s of Hawikuh is accurate. The Journey of Coronado, Fulcrum Publishing, 1990

4 This dramatic description of the start of the battle of Hawikuh, could be corroborated by the author Mangum, in his book In the Land of Frozen Fires, in which we described Coronado such; “Coronado probably still carried evidence of facial bruises received when he was pummeled in the face with stones during the battle for Hawikuh.” In the Land of Frozen Fires (A history of occupation in El Malpais Country) Neil Mangum 1990

5 Captain Pedro de Tovar did indeed venture out ahead of Coronado in a Northwesterly direction. He ventured all the way to the edge of the Grand Canyon. Coronado's expedition in 1540 from the City of Mexico to the seven cities of Cibola by Merrill Freeman 1917

17

...perhaps Bando really had flown in that instant of grace."

"Why did she jump?" I asked. The numerous faces looking out from the portraits on the walls seemed to want an answer as well.

"I've often thought about that myself. You'll have to ask her."

"She spoke about you before we came to Zurich," I said.

"How so?" asked Samas.

"I asked her if the one that found her acted as advocate in her Ascension. She responded with a vehement 'No'. I sensed a deep animosity on her part."

"You're right about that. She's been hostile to me ever since she came back. I'm accustomed to it by now. Besides, I understand where it comes from."

"Where does it come from?" I asked, wanting him to say it.

"Well, part of it is obvious, because of what I did that last day at Latsei. But there's something else, something with edges that don't dull with time. I think she feels responsible for their deaths. If she hadn't gone in search of them they wouldn't have been exposed to the smallpox virus that was latent in both our bodies. No matter how you look at it, you cannot dispute the fact that she was responsible."

"You can't blame her for that," I said in her defense.

"No, no, no," he said shaking his head. "Don't confuse culpability with responsibility. They're different. It's not her fault, but you can't deny it wouldn't have happened the way it did had it not been for her. She was responsible. That responsibility, no matter how you justify it, is your own in the end. You can't help but carry it around with you. My only transgression is that I was witness to hers. Is there nothing in your lives for which you have felt responsible in the same way?"