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Back The Trickster
Chapters (74)
  1. The Trickster
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Contents
  5. Preface to the 20th anniversary edition
  6. Introduction
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. Keep Reading
  70. FURNACE
  71. Acknowledgements
  72. About the Author
  73. ALSO BY THE AUTHOR
  74. About the Publisher

Calvin had bent to dig at the roots of the plant, and spoke without looking at Sam. ‘Well then, you camp out with me tonight. You know Moses when he be gettin’ home. Specially now that Marlene ain’t there to beat on no more.’

Sam stared at his feet. Calvin had no idea how the boy felt about the death of his mother, but he could guess. Such an ugly stupid death. Choked on her own vomit after a moonshine session, and no one in the cabin sober enough to notice she was dead. The RCMPs took the body away to do an autopsy, probably hoping to pin something on Moses at last, but seems like they couldn’t. Since it was just Indians they didn’t even bother bringing Marlene’s body back to let her family have it buried. Calvin wondered where she’d ended up. Sam must have too, but he didn’t talk about it.

‘Sure. We can camp.’

Calvin had nodded, and they got on with their tasks.

Over the fire that night, Calvin had cooked at least twenty different types of fungi, wrapping the delicate flesh in birch bark first, then an outer layer of damp leaves, so that the concoction steamed and didn’t burn.

He’d watched Sam’s face as he ate and was delighted he could give the boy some pleasure. Then it had been time to talk more of the past that would be their future.

‘You know Moses has the key now, don’t you?’

Sam nodded.

‘But he don’t know first thing ’bout how to use it. Only you and me be knowin’ that, Sam, now that Eden be gone.’

A nod again, and a wide brown hand reaching for more fungi.

Calvin ate a little more and looked into the fire. ‘So what you gonna do when Moses be tryin’ to get that outta you?’

Sam looked up at him with those glittering black orbs, and made that thin mouth he did when anyone mentioned his father. ‘He won’t.’

Calvin leaned forward, his arms hanging over his knees. ‘You remember what I told you ’bout it, don’tcha?’

‘Sure.’

‘And you believe it with your heart?’

Those eyes had looked into him, so trustingly. ‘Sure. I guess it be true.’ Sam had looked down at the fire, avoiding Calvin’s eyes. ‘You be my real Pappy, Calvin. I believe everythin’ you told me. Even more than the stuff Eden said.’

‘That’s dumb, Sam. He knew more than anyone. He was there.’

Sam’s face hardened. ‘Well he ain’t around to say it no more, is he? The son he be never keepin’ in line saw to that.’