Misplaced (111 page)

“Th
e
legen
d
o
f
Urrac
a
Mes
a
i
s
tie
d
t
o
th
e
eclips
e
o
f
th
e
sun.”

Khara’s characteristic
v
eneer of calm melted like hot
w
ax.

“When
the
moon
passes
bet
w
een
the
sun
and
the
earth,
the
Apach
e
kno
w
i
t
fo
r
wha
t
i
t
trul
y
is
.
Th
e
Rin
g
o
f
Fir
e
i
s
a
celestial
e
v
ent,
a
reminder
that
the
hardships
of
man
are
puny
against
the
forces
of
nature.
The
history
of
our
people
is
learned
from
stories
.
I
f
they
’
r
e
true
,
th
e
tote
m
s
a
t
th
e
to
p
o
f
Urrac
a
M
es
a
predat
e
th
e
Anasazi
.
Mayb
e
they’
v
e
bee
n
ther
e
sinc
e
th
e
creator
made
the
earth.
The
shaman
who
instructed
me
w
as
convinced
the
y
marke
d
th
e
threshol
d
t
o
anothe
r
world
.
I
t
w
a
s
through
this
portal,
already
ancient
in
the
time
of
the
Anasazi,
that
they
escaped.

“The
y
w
er
e
a
peacefu
l
people
;
al
l
the
y
w
ante
d
w
a
s
t
o
be
lef
t
alone
.
Initially
,
the
y
buil
t
fantasti
c
d
w
elling
s
hig
h
i
n
the
c
lif
fs
.
No
o
ne
kn
o
ws
why
they
f
l
ed
the
s
afety
o
f
Cha
c
o
Cany
o
n.
P
erhap
s
the
y
w
er
e
force
d
ont
o
th
e
ope
n
mesa
s
b
y
w
arrio
r
tribes,
or
maybe
they
faced
star
v
ation.
Recently,
there
has
been
some
evidence
pointing
to
a
long
drought.”
Ben
threw
up
his
hands,
but
continued.
“The
point
is
that
they
disappeared.
As
legend
tells
it,
the
last
place
they
w
ere
seen
w
as
Urraca
Mesa.
The
sun
w
en
t
dar
k
an
d
a
n
entir
e
trib
e
v
anished
.
N
o
on
e
goe
s
nea
r
there,
especiall
y
durin
g
a
n
eclipse
.
Th
e
plac
e
i
s
cursed
.
It’
s
pri
v
ate
property
now.
Some
rich
white
man
bought
all
that
land
and
donated
it
to
the
Boy
Scouts.”
He
took
a
step
back
and
crossed
his arms.

V
ictoria’s e
y
es narro
w
ed. “
Y
ou
’
re trying to scare us.”

Be
n
rubbe
d
hi
s
temple
.
“Nothin
g
goo
d
wil
l
b
e
foun
d
there.
”

“
Y
ou
say
another
world,”
Khara
repeated,
digging
the
heels
o
f
he
r
boot
s
int
o
th
e
sof
t
earth
.
“Bu
t
wha
t
i
f
th
e
porta
l
leads
no
t
t
o
anothe
r
world
,
bu
t
t
o
anothe
r
time?
”
Befor
e
h
e
ha
d
a
chanc
e
t
o
sa
y
anything
,
sh
e
presse
d
hi
s
han
d
t
o
he
r
cheek.
“Th
e
god
s
ha
v
e
pu
t
m
e
i
n
you
r
path.
”
Crossin
g
he
r
lef
t
arm
acros
s
he
r
chest
,
sh
e
asserted
,
“I
f
wha
t
yo
u
sa
y
i
s
true
,
many
civilizations—past and future—are in your debt.”

Use
d
t
o
bein
g
th
e
deli
v
ere
r
o
f
v
agu
e
fortunes
,
Ben
ackno
w
ledged her statement by knitting
his brow.

Khar
a
immediatel
y
abandone
d
the
m
bot
h
fo
r
th
e
young
ma
n
standin
g
a
t
th
e
edg
e
o
f
th
e
fire
.

Be
n
cleare
d
hi
s
throat.
“Don’
t
yo
u
tw
o
g
o
pokin
g
aroun
d
i
n
place
s
wher
e
you
shouldn’t.
Y
ou
’
re her friend; make her listen to you.”

“If only that
w
as the remotest of possibilities.”

Chapte
r
Forty-one
Kha
r
a

H
e
plucke
d
a
t
th
e
string
s
o
f
hi
s
instrument
,
hi
s
e
y
e
s
ne
v
er
leaving
hers.
Khara
heard
seduction
in
Oli
v
e
r
’s
music,
saw
it
in his
e
y
es.
Whate
v
er
trace
of
resol
v
e
she
’
d
brought
with
her
fell through her fingers
like sand.

Menefr
a
w
a
s
al
w
ay
s
wit
h
her
,
i
f
onl
y
throug
h
memories
that
presented
themsel
v
es
at
the
most
inopportune
times.
How
carelessl
y
she
’
d
dismisse
d
he
r
virginity
.
Khar
a
recalle
d
being
f
u
r
i
ou
s
wi
t
h
h
er
,
t
h
i
n
k
i
n
g
he
r
i
r
r
e
s
p
o
n
si
b
l
e
a
n
d
u
nc
h
as
t
e
.
N
ow
,
a
t
last
,
sh
e
understoo
d
he
r
siste
r
’
s
late-nigh
t
indiscretions.
Tonight she
w
as the foolish,
w
eak one.

If
only
she
could
stay.
How
easily
she
could
spend
the
rest
of
her
life
with
this
young
man
who
had
stolen
her
heart.
She
imagine
d
thei
r
children
,
inky-haire
d
an
d
wild-spirited
.
Their
li
v
e
s
woul
d
o
v
erflo
w
wit
h
choices
,
an
d
the
y
woul
d
ne
v
er
kno
w
th
e
treacher
y
o
f
lif
e
i
n
court
.
Bu
t
ther
e
woul
d
ne
v
e
r
be
an
y
children
,
o
r
a
lif
e
tha
t
woul
d
e
v
entuall
y
b
e
measure
d
by
sil
v
erin
g
hai
r
an
d
stoopin
g
shoulders
.
Ther
e
w
a
s
onl
y
this
on
e
nigh
t
t
o
las
t
he
r
fore
v
er
.
“I
n
exchang
e
fo
r
a
lifetim
e
of
obser
v
ance,” she whispered.

“Did you say something?” Oli
v
er asked, handing his guitar
to an old man seated on his left.

Khara shook her head.

“
P
la
y
u
s
a
song
,
Gus,
”
h
e
said
,
rising
.
“
Y
o
u
kno
w
which
one.”

Gu
s
di
d
a
s
h
e
w
a
s
asked
,
hi
s
finger
s
deftl
y
pluckin
g
the
guita
r
’
s
string
s
int
o
a
metalli
c
pit
t
er-pa
t
t
e
r
melod
y
tha
t
mus
t
ha
v
e been sent by the gods.

“Dance
with
me,”
Oli
v
er insisted,
taking
her
hand.
“Not
lik
e
before
,
though
.
Lik
e
this.
”
H
e
wrappe
d
hi
s
arm
s
around
he
r
an
d
place
d
her
s
aroun
d
him
.
The
y
mo
v
e
d
s
o
slo
w
l
y
that
they
hardly
took
a
step.
A
drummer
joined
in,
his
rhythm
more
subdue
d
tha
n
before
.
Khar
a
fel
t
th
e
ach
e
o
f
desir
e
i
n
e
v
er
y
beat
.

Oli
v
er
pulled
her
hair
back
and
put
his
cheek
next
to
hers,
his breath tantalizing and
w
arm, and sang quietly,

Y
ou see, it’s all clear,
You were meant to be here,
From the beginning…

Hi
s
son
g
brough
t
jo
y
an
d
pai
n
t
o
he
r
hear
t
a
t
th
e
same
time,
but
she
would
not
linger
on
the
pain—not
tonight.
Oli
v
er had
put
a
shirt
on
after
his
dance,
but
had
not
buttoned
it.
She
inhale
d
th
e
sublim
e
smel
l
o
f
eart
h
i
n
hi
s
mal
e
skin
.
“I’
m
s
o
gla
d
y
o
u
cam
e
t
o
night
,
Khar
a
,
”
h
e
m
u
rm
ure
d
.
“
I
t
’
s
a
l
l
g
o
in
g
t
o
w
o
rk
ou
t
fo
r
us
, I
jus
t
kno
w
it
. I
can’
t
pictur
e
m
y
lif
e
withou
t
you
anymore.
Stay
here
with
me.
Or
I
’
ll
come
with
you,
I
don’t
care which.”

“Oli
v
er—”

“Shh
.
That’
s
al
l
I
w
ante
d
t
o
say
.
W
e
ca
n
tal
k
abou
t
e
v
erything
els
e
tomorrow.”

Khar
a
close
d
he
r
e
y
e
s
an
d
le
t
loos
e
th
e
jo
y
i
n
he
r
heart
.
After
t
oni
g
ht
she
would
b
e
fore
v
er
al
t
ered—a
t
hou
g
ht
t
hat
pleased
her greatly.