Big Candy expected he might have to wait a day or two before Charlie Luna could be located, but later the same day, he was brought before the magistrate again. There stood Charlie Luna. For an instant Charlie almost didn’t recognize Candy because of all the weight he’d lost. Charlie broke into a big smile.
“Yes sir!” He knew this man!
The magistrate ruled Big Candy was free to go. He was flat broke and he still didn’t feel fully recovered from the ordeal. He walked out of the courthouse with Charlie to thank him.
“I almost didn’t recognize you,” Charlie said. Candy nodded and smiled. He didn’t recognize himself the first time he stood in front of a mirror.
“You took a wrong turn?”
“You could say that. Ever hear of the Sand Tank Mountains?”
Charlie nodded; he used to worry Candy hated him over Sister Salt, so he was relieved to be able to help him. Now it was clear there were no hard feelings; Charlie felt so happy he invited Candy to dinner.
Both men avoided any mention of Sister Salt. Charlie’s house was full of children and in-laws and relatives from three or four generations. Candy was reminded of his cousins’ houses in Louisiana.
On a long bench flanked with old women and children, Candy ate three bowls of posole and a small stack of tortillas, which pleased Charlie’s wife immensely. Charlie rattled on in Spanish, using his arms to show her how big around Candy’s belly used to be. He told them how Candy cooked all sorts of roast poultry and rich meats — the odors used to waft through the workers’ tents at night and made their mouths water because all they got was tortillas and beans.
Candy explained since his ordeal without water his stomach somehow was affected and he no longer was able to digest any meat or poultry. From time to time he tried a bite of lean pork or venison, but a second bite brought nausea. Even the odor of cooking meat and grease made him feel weak and ill; his passions for new recipes and unusual game or seafood were gone. Wylie wanted him to go to Los Angeles to open a restaurant, but that wasn’t possible now.
Charlie Luna shook his head slowly; yes, he’d heard similar stories about people who suffered a terrible event and overnight their hair turned completely white or they no longer went outdoors or never left their beds. Everyone agreed: a person really could be changed overnight if an incident was drastic.
In the big yard next door, Candy noticed freight wagons and corrals of mule teams outside a big warehouse. Charlie’s aunt owned a freight line between Tucson and Caborca, Sonora. He needed a relief driver to go with him to Hermosillo in the morning. The cargo was something special — Charlie raised his eyebrows expressively — and the pay was very generous.
Candy figured it was some kind of contraband but he didn’t care as long as the job paid good money.
♦ ♦ ♦
Delena’s mission was finished as soon as the Tucson contacts finished the purchases and made the arrangements to ship the rifles to Hermosillo. Her orders were to return to Caborca. The dogs had regained all the strength they’d used up in their travels and were becoming restless, unaccustomed to the inactivity. They smelled a rat under the floor of the barn and chewed away one edge of a warped plank while she was in the house at dinner. She slept in the barn with them to keep them from barking and howling at night; they piled around her and wrestled one another for the honor of sleeping across her legs; twice their wrestling with one another resulted in loud dogfights that brought the neighbors out to the alley. It was time to go.
The last evening at the safe house an old man leading a mule loaded with firewood stopped outside. The man of the house went out immediately to pretend to buy the wood so the neighbors didn’t get suspicious. Delena did not recognize him, but he was sent by their people in the south to find out if she was alive and if they could expect any supplies soon.
They sat up late into the night in the kitchen to hear the old man’s accounts of recent skirmishes with the federal troops in the mountains. While they talked, Delena threaded her bone awl to mend the burlap dog packs as the woman of the house busied herself cooking and packing food for Delena’s long walk south.
The last thing she did was fill the canvas water bags from the well in the yard; free of the cargo of money, the dogs could carry all the water they might need and bones to eat. A light wind out of the southwest carried a faint scent of rain — a good companion for the desert crossing. After midnight, the woman finished packing the food, and Delena went out to the toilet and was amazed the sky was so bright with stars. She didn’t need any Gypsy cards to know this was the best time to set out.
The old man was already asleep in the barn as she checked the ties on the dogs’ packs a last time to make sure they were firm. Delena thanked the Tucson couple for the food and the safe haven but also for their tolerance of her dogs. The man of the house shook her hand and the woman embraced her. They prayed for the people and the struggle every day, and they would not forget her.
In the brightness of the stars at that hour, the silhouettes of the black dogs with their backpacks were plainly visible in the gateway; she heard the dogs pant eagerly for the signal to go. As she turned to go she said, “We will outlast them. We always have.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Just ahead of the storm clouds came more flocks of crows, followed by people in groups of three and four. The encampment was not nearly as large as the one before, but Sister said that didn’t matter; maybe with a smaller gathering, the authorities would leave them in peace to dance for the Messiah. So far no old-time Mormons showed up like they had last time; but who could blame them after their punishment?
Off in the distance on the road from town, the twins noticed a figure coming slowly their way. They thought at first it might be some old Mormon woman brave enough to join them, but as she came closer, Maytha recognized Hattie; so their prayers for her had done some good!
Vedna ran to tell Indigo, who instantly looked at Sister Salt for her reaction to the news. No one may be turned away from the gathering, Sister said; otherwise, the Messiah will not come. Indigo shut Linnaeus and Rainbow in their cages for safekeeping, while Sister bundled the little grandfather onto her back, and they went to greet Hattie.
Even from a distance they could see her face was bruised and swollen, and she moved unsteadily on her feet. Indigo was shocked at the swelling of her face — she hardly looked like the Hattie Indigo knew. She seemed to have trouble with her eyes and did not seem to recognize Indigo at first, but then she gave a shout and dropped the blanket and sack of candy to hug Indigo. The twins dropped to their knees at once to pick up the spilled candy balls and wipe the sand off before returning them to the sack.
Hattie started to cry and hugged Indigo so hard and long Indigo finally had to pull loose from her embrace, and left Hattie wobbling on her feet until Maytha and Vedna steadied her between. Sister Salt watched Hattie’s shaking hands and the difficulty she had focusing her eyes.
They nearly killed her, Sister Salt said bitterly after they helped Hattie lie down on Indigo’s blankets. Poor woman! She was in bad shape; she might not recover. She told Indigo to sit awhile with her until she got settled. Don’t talk about what happened — talk about good things.
Linnaeus sat on Indigo’s lap and watched Hattie solemnly; he didn’t even try to tease Rainbow by pulling his tail feathers. She held Indigo’s hand in hers and lay back with her eyes closed and moaned softly. Indigo began to talk about the crows and the snow clouds and the people who came to dance for the return of the Messiah.
Gradually Hattie’s grip on her hand relaxed, and Indigo saw her body relax as if the intensity of the pain was beginning to subside. Sister said Hattie should not have walked even a short distance, as badly hurt as she was. After Hattie fell asleep, Indigo gently slipped her hand loose from Hattie’s. “We will pray for you every night of the dance,” she said softly, then took the monkey and parrot outside to stretch her legs.