After lunch, it felt like drudgery to most of the crew to go back putting out smokes. Todd and Frank said little to each other and at times even worked in separate areas; periodic blasts of water from the hose accompanied the work being done on any smoke in Todd’s charge. The stream of water was weaker now, and soon Todd and the rest of the crew would be out of water altogether and back to dry-mopping.
Frank revisited his gratefulness that it was not as hot as it had been the day before. With the few burnt trees left standing nearby, he occasionally even found himself working in the shade. He let his eyes wander over the black landscape and tried to imagine what the fire had looked like when it roared through the area. There must have been some tall flames, judging from the height of the trees that had burned. He then noticed the melted bottles strewn about, left over from people’s drinking binges, and remembered reading on the bulletin board at camp that one such gathering of people had supposedly started this fire. In their drunken brilliance, a group of men had decided that they’d light a campfire, and proceeded to pass out. The fire had spread quickly. The news clipping stated that the men had been caught fleeing the scene; one was arrested for drunk driving, and they would all be fined for their negligence. Theoretically, whoever caused the fire was supposed to pay the entire costs of the suppression efforts, but Frank guessed it was unlikely these men would be able to pay a bill that would likely run into the millions.
Frank’s thoughts were broken by the sudden appearance of a bright yellow bird alighting on a bare, black branch. Its coloration was nearly identical to that of the firefighters: a brilliant yellow head and body rested on top of dark brown legs. It, like the firefighters, stood out boldly against the bleak backdrop. Frank enviously watched it flutter off, zigzagging between the trees, towards the living forest, after having realized that there was no reason to remain in an area so devoid of life. It suddenly seemed unnatural that it had been in the black to begin with. But then he remembered the beetles. He looked at the nearest tree, and noticed several crawling over its blackened bark. He walked over and put his ear to the now-dead tree, listening to the concert of scraping sounds the beetles were making as they scampered over its length. If he died out here, would they scamper over him too? He imagined himself as a black swarming mound, an object of revulsion for a rescue party.
Frank looked over to check on his new partner. As he expected, Todd was not at work, but was instead standing motionlessly over what had been a smoke before tens of gallons of water had been dumped on it. Frank took notice of a large snag nearby, standing about forty feet in height. At its base, flames had done the work of a beaver, and the tree seemed likely to topple at any moment. Then he realized with alarm that it hovered threateningly over Todd. “Hey Todd! That snag in back of you looks bad, better bump outta there!” he yelled.
Todd turned around, saw the precariously balanced snag, and began walking quickly towards Frank, looking back periodically to eye the threat. “Thanks there, partner! That’s one nasty fucker!” Todd said, wideeyed with excitement.
“Gust of wind could easily drop that one.”
Frank walked towards the snag, cautious and sure, broadcasting his sudden feeling of competence. He looked up and began pushing on the dead tree with one hand. Slowly he rocked it back and forth until a loud pop came from its base. The tree then began its steady, downward fall away from him and Todd. Frank backed up quickly as the snag fell, knowing that when the tree’s top hit the ground, its base might kick up and injure him. The tree fell silently and unobstructed, crashing loudly on the forest floor to prompt celebratory yells from some of the crew.
When Frank proudly returned to where he had previously been standing, Todd tried to hide his slackjawed amazement. “I guess we should’ve checked this area better,” Frank said, intending to instruct Todd.
“Yeah, next time I can take care of it,” Todd insisted firmly.
“Sure.”
The two men returned to their work, advancing deeper into the burn until they were nearly at the end of the two-hundred-foot limit and had almost tied in with Scott’s and Paul’s area. As Frank worked on a new smoke, Todd found a small, twenty-foot-long snag nearly burned through at its base, and he emulated Frank by pushing on it. The small tree toppled easily, and landed with a satisfying thud. Todd tried unsuccessfully to hide the fact that he was quite pleased with himself. He located another candidate, and approached it with determination. This snag too he pushed over in the same manner. Again the act was satisfying, but it wasn’t enough; he wanted to find a snag at least as large as Frank’s had been. He scanned the burn until he found his prize. It stood nearly sixty feet high, past the two-hundred-foot barrier, about two full tree lengths away from where Scott and Paul were working.
Frank had been watching Todd, and realized the man’s intentions. He said amiably, “Hey man, don’t bother with that one.”
Todd acted as if he had not heard. Frank started to say more, but checked himself. He didn’t want to confront Todd aggressively; it wouldn’t be prudent, he told himself. He was trying not to face the fact that he was afraid to do so. Todd walked over to the tree with childlike zeal and began pushing, throwing all his weight into the effort. His eyes bulged and his lips became tightly pursed. The tree rocked slightly at first and then swayed more and more, gaining momentum with each of Todd’s strenuous pushes.
Frank felt uneasy, as if he were witnessing an act of vandalism. Then he noticed something that made his heart jump. Another snag, limbless and similar in size to the one Todd now pushed on, stood directly in the path Todd’s tree, which seemed likely to take it down if it fell. The second snag was dangerously close to Scott and Paul. Frank yelled at Todd, abandoning all fear of his partner, “Hey man, stop! There’s another tree in the way!”
Todd, who had spent considerable effort getting the tree to its present rocking state, chose not to heed Frank’s request. His efforts were soon rewarded when the tree made a satisfying snapping noise and began its slow, downward fall. Todd looked on with satisfaction spreading over his wet face.
“Scott! Heads up!” Frank yelled in a panic.
Scott had seen where Todd was pushing on the snag a moment earlier, and had already calculated that he and Paul were standing at a safe distance. He was not concerned when he heard Frank’s warning.
As frank had feared, the large snag’s fall was abruptly halted when it came in contact with the trunk of the second tree at an acute angle. In a fraction of a second, the pressure became too great, and the second tree also cracked at the base, screeching as it fell. With the first dead tree sliding down the second tree’s trunk, pushing as it slid, Todd’s snag continued falling towards Scott and Paul with increasing speed. The import of the noises finally registered in the minds of the working pair, prompting them to turn from their smoke.
The faces of the men instantly registered shock and then terror as they watched the snag fall towards them with the speed and sureness of a firefighter’s axe blade. Their eyes widened in fear but they stood motionless, clutching their tools, momentarily uncertain of the direction in which to jump to escape injury. Finally, both pounced on the ground in opposite directions from each other, a split second before the tree smashed into the soft forest floor, missing both by several feet.
Todd too lay on the ground. He had been standing at the base of his tree, watching in panic as the second snag fell. When the second tree landed, the base of the first had kicked back up into the air, swung around, and struck Todd’s hip from the side, throwing him several feet sideways.
Clouds of ash showered down upon all three dazed men. Each began to sit up and examine themselves.
“Paul, you okay?” Scott asked hurriedly, before discerning if he had suffered any injury himself.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Paul answered, dazed but unharmed.
Scott determined that he too was okay. He surged to his feet and headed for Todd like a
shark with the scent of blood in its nostrils. His head was lowered, his eyes were focused fiercely on the man in front of him. His pack fell to the ground behind him, disregarded.
Todd, also uninjured, had already jumped to his feet, sensing a fight might be coming even before he saw Scott approaching. He stood squarely to face his combatant, clutching his Pulaski like a baseball player at bat who was doing well to conceal his fright from opponent and spectator alike.
Frank watched in horror, and for one of the few times in his life, he acted without thinking. He sprinted over and flung his thin frame around Scott’s, almost before it was too late, with enough force to halt Scott’s progress.
Scott stood with fists clenched, breathing hard. He soon lowered them and made no attempt to break free.
Scott and Frank both remained in an embrace, panting, their eyes shooting skittishly back and forth between Todd and each other, neither sure of his next move.
“Man, look at him, Scott. He’s not worth it. He almost killed himself!” Frank said, as he continued gripping Scott gently. Scott turned to glare at Todd, holding on to all the hatred he was able.
Todd was wideeyed and fight ready; it was as if electricity surged through his entire body. Every finely tuned nerve and muscle had been instantly readied for quick and lethal action; he appeared capable of killing without hesitation.
Scott’s fists remained clenched at his sides, but no one spoke or moved for several moments.
Todd eyed the approach of Alaska and, with quiet urgency, hissed under his breath at the two men standing before him, “Don’ fuckin’ say a word about what just happened. Scott, I know where I can find your sorry ass, and I’ll be waitin’ for you under that bridge when you get back if you make a wrong move! You know better than to fuck with me, brother.”
Scott’s frozen face advertised his rancor, just as it had before Todd had spoken.
“Tell everybody the tree fell by itself,” Todd warned, just before Alaska came into range.
“Everyone all right?” Alaska asked excitedly, though no one appeared injured. “I turned around and saw you guys scramble, Scott...” Alaska paused, waiting for the explanation he demanded.
The eyes of Scott and Todd locked together.
“Yeah, everything’s all right,” Frank finally said.
Alaska eyed Scott and then Todd suspiciously. “So what the hell happened here?”
There was a pause before Frank answered, “Wind blew a tree over... then that tree knocked another one over next to these guys.”
“Close one, huh?. I told you to keep an eye out... Well, I guess as long as everyone’s okay. You guys take a break.” Alaska walked over to Paul. “You all right there, Earthman?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. What the hell happened?”
“Uh... what do you think? Maybe a tree fell? Take a break, I think maybe your head’s a bit stirred up there. Smoke a joint. You’ll feel better.” Alaska said before he sauntered away, glad that no one had tarnished his squad’s image and that everything remained under control.
“I wish a tree would fall on your ass,” Paul mumbled to himself.
Frank pulled Scott towards one of the fallen snags. Both men sat down. Neither looked at Todd, trying to forget he was there, brushing the soot off his clothes and fastening his colored bandana back onto his shiny head.
Scott was silent, looking partially defeated but thoughtful. He stared absently at a whirlwind an afternoon breeze had kicked up as it picked up ashes and dropped them back on the ground in new locations. As soon as Todd moved out of hearing range, Frank said, “I don’t know, Scott... It’s your decision, but I don’t think we should let him get away with this. What if he does this kind of shit again? He needs to be taught about safety first, and all that. Maybe we can just say to Fast Horse that Todd’s unfit to work with. I mean, it’s his job to take care of this kind of shit.”
“Yeah, sure,” Scott said, staring straight ahead as if something miles away was holding his attention. “I’d still like to get my hands on that fucker,” he finally said.
“He would have taken your head off just now, and you know it.”
“I may not be much in this world, and I might not be doin’ much for nobody but myself, but people like him... they ain’ worth the clothes they stole to put on their backs.” Scott paused to think for a moment and then continued with his speech. “It’s humility that makes you human. He ain’ got that, so he ain’ human. People like him think they’re better ‘an everybody else. Can’t tell ‘em somethin’... They already know it. Can’t say to ‘em they doin’ somethin’ wrong; They ‘bove everybody else, so it ain’ wrong for ‘em. They just walk around fuckin’ up everthing an’ everbody. Too many damn people like that.” Scott slowly shook his head and remained in a pensive state.
“Yeah, I know of all kinds of people like that.”
“Yeah, they all fuckin’ up my world.”
Frank was enthused by Scott’s comments.
“Them that don’ give a shit I know are what made things tough for me to get along; them and my own frustration at my situation. But people like Todd are what makes where I am such a nasty, fucked-up place for a lotta folks. I don’t care who you are, if you killin’ an’ robbin’ people, you a lot less of a man than me.”
A long pause developed. “Let’s hit that smoke,” suggested Scott.
Both men rose and strolled over to a nearby smoke, not caring for the moment that they weren’t working with their partners. After several minutes of work, however, Frank could remain silent no longer. “Sure, I agree with what you were saying,” he said. “But you can’t hate Todd, you gotta hate what creates such a messed up person like Todd.”
Scott rolled his eyes without looking at Frank.
“Yeah, you’re right about too many people thinking they’re better than everybody else,” Frank said, discontented.
“I hear that. Folks can’t get along in this world thinkin’ that way.”
“So you think people can change Todd?” Frank asked, as he flipped some dirt onto the newly unearthed coals.
“Hell no... Man, it’s like you gotta draw the line an’ say this fucker’s no good, lets fight ‘im. You gonna try an’ change Todd? Man, the only thing that’s gonna change Todd is that bullet that’s got his name on it waitin’ for him out there somewhere. How the fuck you gonna do it?” Scott puffed air through his lips. “You gotta convince Todd that he gotta change first. Remember, he don’ think he hasta change. And besides, you gonna convince ‘im, rich white boy?”
“I’m not rich,” Frank said defensively,
“You soundin’ rich to me,” Scott shot back. “Man, I say you hafta take power ‘cause ain’ no one handin’ it out to you, an’ they ain’ gonna. You livin’ in some dream world.”
“But the system’s already got the prisons and police to get rid of anyone doing something like that. No one sees criminals as victims anymore.”
Scott’s disgust at Frank’s preaching mounted. “Some things’re big enough that they jus’ can’t be kept back, even if you want to. That is, if people start gettin’ a feelin’ a power in ‘em... If a dam holds back too much water, it’s gonna burst one day. Those holdin’ it up are gonna see the whole community just git waaashed away. I almost enjoy seein’ more fools come an’ try an’ support a crumblin’ dam. Gonna make that water come out even faaaster and more furious someday. Cain’ let things go on for too long without doin’ somethin’ ‘bout it.
“Anyway, your social programs and all them ideas ‘bout change got too many ‘if thises and if thats’ in ‘em. We gonna hafta get room ta breathe first, an’ how we gonna do that? Go talk to people? They don’ wanna hear nothin’ ‘bout it. You wanna convince ‘em they gotta respect us and leave us be? Society is just a buncha camps as isolated as can be. I ain’ gonna go over an’ get shot tryin’ ta go inta one alone.” Scott paused agai
n. “Tell me, how am I, one guy, gonna go an’ change su’um like the KKK?” Scott looked slyly at Frank. He believed he finally had him against a wall and could silence him. “You, peacelovin’ white boy, think I should go over an’ hug my neighbor, huh? Show ‘im I’m human?” Scott mimicked the nasal-sounding voice of an educated person, “’No really, Mr. KKK, I’m not closer in evolution to an ape, I’m just a nice guy like the resta y’all’... Naw, man, they wanna think that way! They like it! They need someone to put blame on for them bein’ such fuckups! That’s the way of the world, an’ you cain’ change that...”
“But every social group has those you can reach through reason; and then they can influence the rest.”
“Yeah, but a lotta folks never really was whole, and you can’t teach half a man somethin. We gotta let ‘em decay in their disease and hatred, and then finish ‘em off! We got some fights ahead of us, I’ll tell you that... but it ain’ like you been thinkin’.”
Frank looked at Scott in amazement. The man had a lot more spark in him than he ever imagined.
Scott grinned and caught Frank’s attention before he spoke, “So, Frank, say the world’s a forest, and we’re all trees tryin’da get as much as we can. Tryin’da take over. Some trees, they growed up on land cleared just for them. They grow all spread out, not worryin’ ‘bout nothin’, usin’ nutrients left there for em’ in the soil... Pretty soon trees better adapted and more aggressive come along, just shootin’ out of the ground, movin’ in on these here pretty trees that cain’ change the way they grow ‘cause they was born that way. These new trees crowd out the old, and bam! The old ones... they fall to the ground, maybe just crushin’ a few younger trees. Then it’s a new world, brother... A new world.”
Frank smiled. Scott was now enjoying himself, mentally involved in the picture he was painting.
“But it seems to me that there’s other kinds a trees too,” Scott continued, his animated eyes jumping out at Frank. “One kind that’s ‘round us right now is real common. This type all grow together, spreadin’ out over territory. And these trees don’ give each other no space neither, and their growth gets stunted. When a disease come through, they almost all get it. Makes ‘em weak and someone comes along an’ lights a match an’ they burn real good! ‘Specially if they ain’ seen a fire in a while. It’s damn pretty to see it all just go up like that!” Scott snapped his fingers. “None of ‘em survive, then! Just sit back an’ watch ‘em blaaaze together!”
When a Fire Burns Hot Page 10
