“I get the point,” Nate broke in.
“So what will it be? Do we let the critter alone, or do we make the lake safe for us and our kin? What wouldst thou of us, Trojan?”
“I am from Troy now?”
Shakespeare quoted, “A true knight, not yet mature, yet matchless; firm of word, speaking in deeds, and deedless in his tongue; not soon provoked, nor being provoked soon calmed.” He paused. “Have you been provoked, sir? Is it war or is it peace?”
“It is war,” Nate King said.
The King Valley Water Devil Society
“What are you up to, wench?”
Blue Water Woman gave her husband an innocent look and said, “I have no idea what you mean.”
“From the extremist upward of thy head to the descent and dust below thy foot, a most toad-spotted traitor,” Shakespeare quoted.
“You think that you know what this is about?”
“Methink’st thou art a general offense and every man should beat thee,” Shakespeare said testily.
The sun was low in the western sky, and they were making their way along the shore toward the King cabin. At Blue Water Woman’s insistence they were walking instead of riding. Shakespeare did not mind, as it was not far, and it was good to have ground under his feet after his harrowing experience on the lake. He happened to gaze to the northwest and noticed two people in the distance approaching hand in hand along the west shore.
“What’s this? Zach and Lou are on their way to Nate’s, too? Did Winona invite them as well?”
“All I know,” Blue Water Woman said, “is that she invited us to supper. Beyond that, your guess, as whites like to say, is as good as mine.”
“You speak with a forked tongue, woman,” Shakespeare grumbled. “You are up to something. You and Winona both. But I am telling you in advance that whatever it is, it won’t work.”
“My, my,” Blue Water Woman said. “We can add predicting the future to your many talents.”
“More of your conversation would infect my brain,” Shakespeare quoted. He had more to say, but just then he glanced over his shoulder and beheld five figures in green hurrying along the water’s edge from the east. “Look yonder. Waku and his family are coming, too.” He glared at his wife. “What is this? You and Winona have invited everyone in the valley.”
“It is their home as well as ours,” Blue Water Woman said. “They should take part in important matters.”
“Aha!” Shakespeare erupted, pointing a finger at her. “I knew it! Blasts and fogs upon thee!”
“I like fog,” Blue Water Woman teased. “Walking in it is like walking in a cloud.”
“You are not worth the dust which the rude wind blows in your face.”
“And you would know about wind, one I love, as you are as big a bag of air as any man ever born.”
Shakespeare nearly tripped over his own feet in his surprise. It was rare for her to thrust so directly. “Well now. So it is pistols at twenty paces. But in a battle of wits I am taking advantage of you, as you are unarmed.”
“A fool go with thy soul, whither it goes.”
Shakespeare stopped cold. “My God. You just quoted the Bard to me?”
“I have not lived with you all these winters, listening to you recite him day in and day out, without picking up a few of his sayings.”
“That was beautiful. Do that to night under the sheets and I will show you why they call me Carcajou.”
“You are hopeless,” Blue Water Woman said, and walked on.
Evelyn King was waiting to greet them. She hugged Blue Water Woman and pecked Shakespeare on the cheek. “Ma had me wait out here to welcome everyone. This will be fun. We haven’t had everyone all together in a spell.”
“Why did your mother ask us here?” Shakespeare inquired.
“You will have to wait and find out with the rest,” Evelyn said, and gave his hand a tender squeeze. “She told me to say that. She said you would pester me if I didn’t.”
“Females! Their tongues outvenom all the worms of the Nile.”
“I am a female, Uncle Shakespeare.”
“Yes, girl. But you are young and innocent yet. Deceit has not found lodgement in your veins.”
“Are you saying that all females are deceitful?”
“Never in a million years, child. Only those who live and breathe.”
Blue Water Woman smiled wearily at Evelyn. “You must forgive him. When he was an infant he was dropped on his head.”
Evelyn laughed cheerfully. “I love how you two can poke fun at one another and not get mad.”
“He does most of the poking,” Blue Water Woman said.
Shakespeare wondered if she meant what he thought she meant. For all her meekness, her wit was every whit as sharp as his, and she was not above thrusting deep when the occasion called for it. Coughing, he said, “How about if we go on in? I would like to find out what all this is about.”
“Go ahead,” Evelyn said, “but the finding out will have to wait.”
“Why?”
“I heard Ma tell Pa that she wants everyone here before she explains why she and Blue Water Woman called us all together.”
“My wife, you say?” Shakespeare said, and gave his other half a smug glance. “If I were any brighter I would be the sun.”
“I sometimes think that in a past life you must have been a rooster,” was Blue Water Woman’s retort.
“A noble bird. I commend your choice.”
“Yes, roosters like to preen and strut and crow.”
“I am twice pricked,” Shakespeare said. He placed a hand on his hunting knife. “Want me to give this to you so you can do it right?”
Squealing with glee, Evelyn clapped her hands as if she were applauding a play on a stage. “Oh! Keep it up! It gives me something to write about in my diary.”
Just then five figures in green came around the corner. Wakumassee and his wife, Tihikanima, were in the lead. After them came Degamawaku, their oldest, then their daughters, Tenikawaku and Mikikawaku.
“Dega!” Evelyn exclaimed, and dashed to meet him.
“Strange how of the five she only has eyes for one,” Shakespeare playfully remarked.
“As you said, she is young yet,” Blue Water Woman responded. “She has not learned that men are fickle in their affection and do not care if they cause unending worry for those who care for them.”
Shakespeare was spared another round by the arrival of Zach and Lou. He shook hands and they all went in.
Nate was at the counter, sipping coffee. He raised his cup in greeting. “Take a seat, everyone. My wife will be with us directly.”
The table and chairs had been pushed against a wall so there was space for everyone to sit on the floor. Shakespeare eased down and crossed his legs, his elbows on his knees. “Do you know what this is about, Stalking Coyote?” he asked Zach, using the younger man’s Shoshone name.
“All my mother would tell me when she rode over to invite us was that we must be here on time.”
Louisa was grinning from ear to ear. “We should do this once a month for the fun of it. We don’t see everyone often enough.”
The bedroom door opened and out came Winona. She had on her usual beaded buckskin dress and moccasins. “Tsaangu yeitabai’yi. Good afternoon, and welcome. I am glad all of you could make it,” she said in flawless English. She was a natural linguist; every language she learned, she learned well. Only Shakespeare spoke more tongues, and then only because he had lived so much longer and been acquainted with various tribes in his travels.
“I am surprised you and my wife didn’t invite the Shoshones and the Flatheads while you were at it,” he now remarked.
“Pay him no mind,” Blue Water Woman said. “He is in one of his moods.”