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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

‘The spirits sent me, Sam. You know that. You felt that. I know you did. But like everything else you can feel and see with your shaman’s eyes, you have pushed it away and denied it.’ He opened his eyes suddenly and looked straight into the black shiny ones that fixed him with their steady gaze. ‘I blame my conduct for part of that denial. I know why you wish to forget who you are, Sam Hunting Wolf, but it is time now to remember. Remember only this of my error that night, that I love you dearly.’

The object of his love continued to stare. Sam’s face was devoid of emotion, a silent oval of judgement. Calvin closed his eyes again. Sam’s gaze was burning him like a coal.

‘Even now he watches. He waits and watches for your weakness and then he will bring the blackness to you and do with your shaman’s powers what he must to become potent. You cannot stop him and you must end this before he kills again.’

A branch cracked and spat in the fire and Calvin bowed his head, speaking more quietly now. ‘I am here because there is a stone in your spirit that prevents you from being pure. I am here to remove that stone. Without purity you will never defeat the Trickster.’

The name. Sam took a sharp breath and flared his nostrils. The nightmare he had denied and would still be denying if this crazy old man had not returned to haunt him like a spectre. Sam snapped from the trance Calvin’s soft words had induced. His eyes flashed and he clenched his fists, speaking in a tone that was more menacing than any shout.

‘Love me dearly?’ Sam snorted unpleasantly and lowered his voice to a pitch that was barely audible over the crackle of the fire. ‘I’m giving you a minute to get out of here.’

Calvin looked back unmoved. So it was time. The tired old man who wanted to rekindle a love must give way to the shaman at last. Sam’s dark, raging face stared at him over the flames, the heat of its hate upstaging that of the burning pine.

Calvin raised his arms and in a voice stronger than any young man’s he shouted suddenly and alarmingly straight into Sam’s face.

‘NO! You are the impure one! You will listen! The spirits care little for your childish anger. They care only for your purpose. Be still.’