To Cross a Wasteland

by Phillip D Granath

  “I trusted you, even after everyone said I shouldn’t. I defended you when everyone told me you were nothing but a mad dog killer!” Kyle was shouting by the end.

  Coal attempted to reply past the barrel in his mouth, causing him to gag again. This time Kyle obliged him, he yanked the pistol from his mouth in one quick teeth grinding motion and drove the end of the barrel firmly down against Coal’s forehead until the back of the Indian’s head was flat against the floor.

  Coal coughed once and then spoke. “You’re right, I was going to give you up, I was going to say whatever I needed to. I don’t know if it would have saved me or not. It’s just who we are Kyle, we’re survivors, doing whatever we need…”

  Kyle cut him off with a shout. “That’s fucking bullshit Coal! It’s not enough to just survive, it never has been. If you can’t afford to have a conscience, to live with yourself at the end of the day, then what’s the fucking point of surviving?”

  “I couldn’t afford to have a conscience, the things I’ve done, the things I’ve seen. Yeah at first it was for the water, to get the things I needed to survive, the horses and the bullets. But I was good at it, the tracking, riding and even the killing. I’m better at all of it than anything I ever did back before the fall. Back when people crossed the street when they saw a dirty half-breed like me coming. So, I kept doing it, and it made me a rich man, a man to be respected. They cross the street now, just to stay out of my way. I have more than any man could hope for these days.”

  “Rich? Respected?” Kyle asked in a mocking tone.

  “Look what that got you Coal. You surrounded yourself with employees, not friends. The moment you were gone they went to work for Murphy, the first guy to show up and offer to keep paying them. The closest thing you got to a friend right now is me, and I have a fucking gun to your head. You didn’t have four wives, you had a harem full of women that fucked you because it was all they could do to survive. Well, that didn’t work out too well for them, in the end, did it? Hell, the only family you got left is right now trying to decide whether or not to skin you alive or just cut your fucking hand off! But hell, at least they are going to let you choose which hand,” Kyle finished and slowly stood, removing the magnum from Coal’s head but still keeping it pointed at him.

  “How is just surviving working out for you Coal?” Kyle asked. Then the Scavenger un-cocked the magnum and walked over the empty window sill to stare out into the darkness.

  Coal stayed where he was, lying on the floor, both men lost in their own thoughts for a time. Then Coal spoke.

  “You’re right Kyle, about most of it and I’m sorry for dragging you out here,” Coal paused and then continued.

  “Laughing Bear…George, he raised me. I was closer to him then my real father. George is the one that taught me how to ride, how to shoot. The rest of the boys out here on the Res, they were the ones that taught me how to fight, they beat my ass every single day. Red Bear not the least of them. It wasn’t easy being a half-breed before, but after the fall, when the tribe decided to reject everything that wasn’t traditional. Well, it got even rougher, I was well into my teens then,” Coal paused again, then went on.

  “I began to realize how much having me around was hurting George and the rest of the family. It was a black mark against his name that I even lived in their home, half family or not. So when I finally had enough, I left, just started walking. George rode out as soon as he realized what I was doing, I thought to try and stop me. But no, he stepped down from his horse, handed me the reins and his old rifle. Along with a handful of shells. It would be a fortune now, hell it was a lot back then. It allowed me to ride into town, helped me get my first job, to ride down my first bounties,” Coal went quiet then, suddenly lost in his own memories again.

  “Sounds like you owed him a lot,” Kyle said, not sure what else to say.

  “I did, I owed him everything, and I loved him. But that didn’t stop me from bringing him booze when I knew what a drunk he used to be. It didn’t stop me from demanding Peyote from him once he was hooked again. I killed him just as much as Red Bear did, maybe more,” Coal paused and then added.

  “You’re right Kyle, I need to do more than just survive, I need to do…something more. I just, I don’t think that way. I don’t even know what I would do? I…” Coal trailed off.

  “Well, Coal you’re in luck. You may recall, I’m planning a little trip across the desert. If it works out, a lot of people are going to get a fresh shot at a new life, most would agree, it’s a good thing. The pay is non-existent; the chances of even surviving are slim. And the real kicker Coal, you’re already part of the fucking team. So congratulations, you already started doing something for the greater good, it just took you a full day and a bump on the head to realize it,” Kyle said turning from the window to face the half-breed.

  Coal sat up on the floor, rubbing his head where Kyle had hit him. As the Scavenger moved to the couch and flopped down on it, releasing a cloud of dust.

  “I didn’t see any guards out there,” Kyle said.

  “That’s because there aren’t any. They just expect us to stay, not to run,” Coal explained rising slowly and moving to sit in the rocker.

  “Could we run?” Kyle asked.

  “Without horses, they would run us down before brunch. Even with, well, I doubt it,” Coal said considering.

  “Well then let’s get started, I need you to tell me everything you can about the tribe’s politics. If we are going to walk out of this thing with our skins on our backs we are going to need our story airtight for tomorrow,” Kyle explained.

  “Yeah, sure thing, I’ll tell you all I know,” Coal replied and then added. “That was some pretty quick thinking back there, telling them you were from the City Council and all.”

  Kyle knew it was as close to an apology as anyone would ever be able to get out of the half-breed. “Yeah, well it doesn’t matter who the people are. The one thing you can count on to flatter an aging group of politicians, and that’s recognition from another aging group of politicians.”

  Coal nodded in agreement in the dark and then added. “Well it was good thinking, probably saved our lives.”

  “Didn’t you hear? I’m a survivor,” the Scavenger replied.

  The two men discussed the politics of the Nation, the Chief, and Council of Elders long into the night. Coal fell asleep first, snoring gently in the rocking chair. Though the half-breed would never admit it, Kyle knew the weight of his injuries still taxed his strength. The Scavenger lay awake for a few more hours, staring at a ceiling, most of which had large sections pulled away, wire and piping painstakingly removed. It left him wondering, what kind of people tore apart perfectly good homes and burned them piece by piece, while so many in his town lived on the street? How would they ever find middle ground with such a people?

  Defend your Life

  The morning sun flooded in through the empty window sills, surprising Kyle. He didn’t know exactly when sleep had finally found him, but it hadn’t been very long ago, that he could tell. The Scavenger glanced over at the rocker and Coal wasn’t in it. Kyle leaped to his feet.

  “That son of a bitch!” He shouted in disbelief and ran from the living room and out the front door.

  Coal sat on the front porch, watching the sunrise. He looked up at Kyle with a knowing grin, “Miss me?”

  “Yeah…I couldn’t sleep without you,” Kyle replied sarcastically.

  “Thought I had run out on ya, didn’t you?” Coal asked.

  “The thought had crossed my mind,” Kyle admitted and sat down next to the half-breed.

  “I did go for a walk earlier, talked with a few old friends, kinda forgot I had any of those. It’s funny I had such bad memories of this place growing up, makes you forget the good times, the good people that were part of it,” Coal said, and Kyle just nodded in agreement. Both men were quiet for a while and then Coal spoke.

  “So, I may have dozed off mid-conversation last night, did we
actually come up with a plan for this meeting?” the half-breed asked.

  “I got…a vague…concept of a plan,” Kyle replied.

  “Well, that’s something I guess. One word of warning though,” Coal prompted.

  “Shoot,” Kyle said.

  “The Council of Elders, The Chief, they got their own motives, and they are each blind in their own ways. The Council wants to protect the people, the old ways and they think long-term. Red Bear is a young Chief, he needs to prove himself in the eyes of his people, especially his Braves. He’s also sick with grief for having to kill Laughing Bear,” Coal explained.

  “You told me,” Kyle replied.

  “I know I did, I just want to make sure you understand,” Coal paused and looked up across the field and Kyle followed his gaze. Two-Steps was walking towards them, coming to escort them to the meeting.

  “What we didn’t talk about was Two-Steps,” Coal explained and then gave a chuckle.

  “How do you think he got his name?” Coal prompted.

  “For some reason, I doubt it has anything to do with dancing,” Kyle replied with a sigh, Coal gave a small chuckle again.

  “No. Though better for us if it had. Laughing Bear always said the boy was Two-Steps ahead, always the smartest guy in the room. It’s true, he’ll see things and see through things easier than any of them today. He also already doesn’t believe us,” at Coal’s words Two-Steps arrived.

  “It’s time,” was all the Indian said.

  Two-Steps escorted them to the church in silence. The building that had been packed with hundreds the night before now stood as if abandoned, the doors left wide open. As they entered Kyle noticed that the table that had once held Laughing Bear’s body had been moved. The massive table now stood at the end of the room, and the five aged figures sat along one side of it waiting for them. The Chief’s high-backed chair had moved as well, from the raised dais down to the head of the table.

  One look at Chief Red Bear told Kyle that the big man was not happy. He sat with his arms folded across his massive chest and was still covered in blood. Kyle couldn’t be sure if the Chief was mad at them or at the fact that he had been forced to move his chair down to sit at the same level of the elders. Two-Steps walked the pair up to stand in front of the council’s table and then moved to sit in a pew at the side of the room. Coal had explained that while anyone was allowed to attend a council meeting and that anyone could speak, only the council and Chief’s word would count.

  “Coal, you and this…Councilman, you have been…” The withered old woman, Little Bird it seemed, started to speak, but the Chief cut her off.

  “Why are you here? What was this business you had with Chief Laughing Bear?” the young Chief demanded, the question an obvious attempt to interrupt the elder and show his authority. But if the council was at all insulted none showed it, their eyes rested on Kyle patiently awaiting his response.

  The Scavenger took a breath and then began. “First I would like to thank you Chief Red Bear, for allowing this meeting. The loss of Laughing Bear must weigh heavy on every heart in the Nation this morning, as I know it weighs on mine. To continue on with something so important to the tribe when your heart is still grieving is the sure sign of a great and powerful Chief,” Kyle spoke the well-practiced words, and they seemed to have the desired effect. The Chief sat a bit taller in his chair, and he gave Kyle a slight nod in reply. Well, so far so good Kyle thought and then turned to face the elders.

  “Respected Elders of the Nation. It’s with a heavy heart that…” It was the Elder’s turn to cut someone off it seemed.

  “Spare us your fluffy words. Yes, everyone is sad Laughing Bear is dead. I’m sad, you’re sad, we are all very sad. But the man is dead and buried, and if we spend all day exchanging the niceties you pale-faced, politicians so love. We’ll be wasting what little time I have left before I get to join him in the ground. So tell us plainly, what were these secret meetings you were having with Laughing Bear? And why is this the first the Council has ever heard of it?” Little Bird spoke plainly.

  “Little Bird, when the City Council came to me and first asked to try and talk with the Nation, it was I that insisted we talk to Laughing Bear first,” Coal answered drawing a more than a few unfriendly looks from the council members.

  The half-breed continued, “I thought my Uncle would at least hear them out for my sake, and that he would be the best to judge the merits of their words.”

  “And what did my father think of their words?” Red Bear demanded.

  “UHHH…. not much, at first,” Coal finished weakly, but his brief inject had given Kyle a few moments to think.

  “Elder Council members let me assure you, going behind your backs, dealing with the Chief solely was not our intent. In fact, we found it unsettling, but we are strangers to the ways of the Nation and its politics. We had solely the Chief’s word to rely on in these matters,” Kyle adlibbed

  “You are very young to be a Council member, aren’t you boy?” asked a withered old man sitting too Little Bird’s left.

  “I’m not a Councilman, Respected Elder. I’m merely an agent for the City Council in this matter,” Kyle replied with one of the lies he had prepared last night.

  “Oh, that I think explains much. None of them willing to risk their necks out here in the Nation?” the man asked with a chuckled and Kyle found himself nodding.

  The Elder continued, “It makes a bit more sense now, how Laughing bear was so easily able to manipulate you into keeping the meetings a secret, into excluding us, into bringing him booze. The youth often make these types mistakes when first handed the reins of power.” The elder turned to look directly at Chief Red Bear as he spoke the last of the words.

  The young Chief’s eyes narrowed as he stared back at the old man, furious at the not so thinly veiled barb. Red Bear then turned the gaze back to Kyle.

  “Enough of this useless talk. So my father met with you in secret. But now I’m the new Chief of the Nation, you stand before me, and the Elder Council both. Now speak, tell us what my father considered so important as to keep it a secret from us all!” Red Bear’s tone left no doubt he would be stalled any longer.

  All eyes turned to Kyle, even Coal watched helplessly, waiting for a miracle. Kyle just hoped the words that he had pieced together in his head over the long sleepless night held the same sway that he hoped they would in the light of day.

  “The Nation is a proud people with fierce warriors and strong leaders. You have scratched a life from the harshest of wastelands, just as your ancestors did before you. Your people have managed to survive off of the land, to provide food and water for your people, using the old and honored ways of your past,” Kyle paused letting the words sink in and then continued.

  “My people barely survive day to day. They scavenge, and they kill for whatever is left over from before the fall. They fight amongst themselves, while you cooperate. The City Council barely maintains control,” Kyle Paused one more time, well here it goes he thought.

  “What Laughing Bear and I were slowly and painfully negotiating. What I traveled back and forth and debated at length with the City Council for, was establishing trade,” Kyle said simply.

  “Trade!!! Trade!!!???” a voice from the side demanded. Kyle turned his head as Two-Steps leaped from his seat and now stood in front of Kyle.

  “Do you take us all for fools white man? You yourself just admitted it, we have everything we need. We have food, we have water. What would you trade us? Lies and Whiskey like you did my father?” Two-Steps shouted mere inches from Kyle’s face.

  Kyle’s anger rose at the Indian’s words, and it touched Kyle’s response. “I never lied to your father. He was the one who lied, he lied to your people, and he lied to you.”

  At the Scavenger’s words, Two-Steps growled in anger, as fast a snake he pulled a knife from his belt and slashed out at Kyle. The surprised Scavenger launched himself backward but the Indian was too quick, and he was to close.
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  Two-Step’s blade came to a stop a few inches from Kyle’s throat, his arm straining and shaking with effort. Coal’s right arm had underhooked Two-Steps, locked at the elbow the two men now faced each other just inches apart. Kyle hadn’t even notice Coal move.

  “You would take the side of this dog over your family?” Two-Steps demanded of Coal.

  “I would. When my family forgets its place and dishonors this Council,” Coal hissed.

  Chief Red Bear was on his feet. “Enough,” he bellowed, and when all of the eyes turned to him, he continued.

  “Coal is right. Leave this chamber Brother, now,” Red Bear commanded.

  At the words, Two-Steps and Red Bear locked eyes for a long moment. Then Two-Steps turned and stormed from the church, still clutching the blade in his hand.

  Chief Red Bear sat back down in his chair. The Council of Elders had watched the whole exchange in silence, violence such an everyday occurrence it seemed, no reaction required.

  “My brother’s words are spoken from grief and fueled by anger. But his question was an honest one. What could you possibly give us in trade, as you say we have the food, we have the water, we have everything that you need. What could you possibly offer us?” Red Bear asked.

  “Yes Chief, you have the food, and you have the water. But you see, we have…everything else,” Kyle replied.

  The Chief and the Council all remained silent, most wore faces of shock and confusion. Even Coal turned to look at Kyle. He mouthed a question silently, “What?”

  “You are right, you have the water, you have the food, and both are in short supply in town. But we have everything else. All of the discarded junk of hundreds of years of progress. We have the kitchen knives that can be turned into spear tips, we have fabric to make your traditional clothing, and we have shoes…” Kyle began and then glancing down at the bare feet of the Elder Council added, “If you want shoes that is.”

  “We have everything else that you don’t have out here. The point is you are tearing down your buildings piece by piece, stealing piping for tent poles and using electrical wiring for rope. Your Nation is growing, but your resources are not. Soon enough there won’t be enough of all of the little things that you need. What then? War? Will you send your warriors into town to raid, to kill to be killed? For things, we would be happy to trade you for?”