And Calvin knew that it would end, had seen that the dark spirits that were struggling to come through would one day have their time, when man and woman no longer walked the earth, when mankind had darkened it by its actions and would be destroyed by its own folly. But he had also seen that the earth would heal itself in its absence, and spirits such as the one he feared, would have their days freely on earth. But the spirits could see what Calvin could see and they dreaded that future darkness as much as man would if he knew. For what is the purpose of evil when it has no victim?

But that was far away, and the spirit was here now and rejoicing in it, growing in confidence, enjoying its stay. He had seen it as it moved amongst men and women in its inexpert disguise, sometimes shifting into a terrified lowly creature for no more reason than it could, and to pacify its bottomless ire that it could not do the same to a man. At least not yet. Not yet.

But it had found its keeper.

Calvin put down the bark bowl and held his head in his hands. Oh Great Spirit, a keeper who did not know he was the keeper, or at least would not believe the truth in his heart. That was Calvin’s doing. His responsibility to teach and to prepare, and what was the outcome? How could he have foreseen what was to happen?

The boy could have been the most powerful of them all, so strong and pure was his heart. But his weapons were blunt without that belief. He was as a white man now, weak and child-like, his belief only in what the eyes could see and the empty religion of science could explain.

It was no use blaming Moses. Calvin was to blame long before that nightmare afternoon. Calvin could have stopped him: he knew what was in Sam’s heart, and what was worse, why it was there. But he did not stop the boy doing what he did, and he was as guilty and responsible for it as any. But the boy must know the truth. It was not as Sam thought, and the importance of that information was everything. Everything.

He let his hands fall to his naked legs and breathed deeply. He must find the strength to continue. He was near being able to achieve his goal. His heart sank, remembering how easy it had been for him as a young man to achieve it. How far he had strayed from the Great Spirit’s plan. And how he had been punished for it.