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Back The Trickster Save as PDF
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

Her brown, oval face lit up and she threw herself at him and wrapped her arms round his big neck. When she spoke, it was rapidly, in a high, excited voice, as if there was little time to speak.

‘Can I show it to Granddad and Grandmom when we get to the reserve and say it was mine?’

Billy nodded.

‘Sure. Of course it’s yours. Doesn’t matter who put it on the rail, does it?’

She shook her head in glee, then thanked him solemnly in Siouan and ran off towards the truck.

He loved Smiles At Life so much that sometimes he wanted just to sit and look at her, watch her elegant movements and child-like concentration unobserved. But when he and his wife travelled to Redhorn to see Sam and Katie tonight, he was going to have to fight for her attention. They would be waiting on the porch soon as they heard the truck struggle up that snow-clogged dirt track. Probably before they heard it. The Long Bull family in the cabin right at the edge of the Redhorn reserve who waved at Billy, Lou and Smiles At Life every time they came or went, must phone Sam and Katie to tell them they had company. At least that’s what Billy figured. The Hunting Wolfs sure knew when their family were approaching anyhow. And the moment they pulled up and that tiny girl ran to her grandparents it would all be over for Billy and Lou. There would be no competition. Sam would scoop her up and that would be it.

Billy stood up and brushed the snow from his trousers, and a sudden wind coming from the mountains assisted, chilling him as it whipped round him.

He looked towards the mountain above the darkening tunnel mouth, its violet peak cutting the sky like a broken blade, and shivered in the message of its wind.

Billy closed his eyes and spoke the prayer in Cree that his father had taught him.

‘Great Spirit, I thank you for this wind on my face. The wind that was once upon the sea, that was once the rain, that once watered the flower, that was once the soil, that was once the earth that nourished me. I see you in the sky and in my child and I pray you keep my heart as pure as your love of me.’

He opened eyes that were brimming with tears, looked once more towards Wolf Mountain, and with a slow tread walked back to the pick-up truck and started the engine.

Keep Reading

FURNACE

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