Misplaced (137 page)

“I
don’
t
kno
w
ho
w
t
o
d
o
anythin
g
else,
”
sh
e
replied
,
splashing
back.
Sometimes
it
w
as
easier
to
say
a
serious
thing
while laughing.

Khara
ga
v
e
her
a
look
that
said
she
w
as
a
liar,
but
a
sort
of
truc
e
w
a
s
i
n
plac
e
an
d
V
ictori
a
resiste
d
th
e
temptatio
n
t
o
argue.

Using a bandana from the backpack, Khara squeezed
w
ater
down her face while humming a sad tune.

V
ictori
a
follo
w
e
d
th
e
w
anin
g
ray
s
o
f
sunligh
t
o
n
th
e
w
all
an
d
wriggle
d
he
r
toe
s
i
n
th
e
w
ater
.
“
Y
o
u
ne
v
e
r
di
d
tel
l
m
e
al
l
of
it—the legend of Urraca Mesa.”

Spreading
the
bandana
across
a
red
rock,
V
ictoria
saw
her
hesitate
.
“
I
wil
l
explai
n
i
t
a
s
Be
n
tol
d
th
e
stor
y
t
o
me,
”
she
began.
“The
Apache
belie
v
e
Urraca
Mesa
is
the
gate
w
ay
to
the
Underworld—Hell
,
a
s
yo
u
cal
l
it
.
E
v
e
n
th
e
wor
d
‘urraca,
’
which
mean
s
‘magpie
’
i
n
thei
r
language
,
ha
s
dar
k
implications
.
The
birds
are
said
to
be
the
bearers
of
certain
evil.
If
a
magpie
cries
out your name, an ill fate a
w
aits you.”

All levity
v
anished.

“S
o
that’
s
wh
y
th
e
totem
s
w
er
e
cats,
”
V
ictori
a
surmise
d
after
a long silence. “Now it begins to make sense.”

“They
w
ere placed there to scare a
w
ay the magpies.”

“By whom?”

“N
o
on
e
knows
.
Th
e
legen
d
say
s
tha
t
i
f
th
e
totems
d
i
s
appear
,
th
e
gate
w
a
y
wil
l
ope
n
an
d
a
terribl
e
dar
k
for
c
e
wil
l
b
e
unleashe
d
ont
o
th
e
earth
.
Th
e
on
e
w
e
foun
d
toda
y
is
th
e
las
t
on
e
remaining
.
Th
e
other
s
ha
v
e
lon
g
sinc
e
falle
n
or
disappeared.”

“I’m still not convinced that it
w
as a totem at all.”

“That
does
not
surprise
me.
But
Ben
told
of
one
other
w
ay
i
n
whic
h
th
e
porta
l
migh
t
open—wit
h
a
n
eclips
e
o
f
th
e
sun.
He
says
giant
spheres
of
blue
lights
are
known
to
ho
v
er
in
this
vicinity
.
Sometime
s
thes
e
strang
e
light
s
disappea
r
nea
r
the
portal after an eclipse, only to return
y
ears later.”

“Still, it’s a legend. Not much to hang your hopes on.”

Khara patted
V
ictoria’s
hand.
“
Y
ou
can
afford
the
luxury
of skepticism.
If
the
portal
exists,
it
is
my
best—my
only—chance. One
w
ay
or
another,
tomorrow
w
e
shall
each
ha
v
e
the
ans
w
ers
w
e seek.”

V
ictoria’s
hair
spread
like
a
fan
in
the
w
ater.
Little by
little
he
r
ears
,
the
n
he
r
cheekbones
,
an
d
finall
y
he
r
mout
h
sli
d
below
th
e
w
ate
r
line
.
Sh
e
fel
t
relie
v
e
d
whe
n
Khara’
s
word
s
became to
o
muffle
d
t
o
comprehend
,
an
d
soo
n
he
r
voic
e
disappeared
altogether. A
flash
of
the
golden
cuff
caught
her
e
y
e
as
Khara r
os
e
and
d
eparte
d
,
leaving
her
to
the
w
ar
m
,
w
atery
s
ilen
c
e,
like that of a child in the womb.

I
t
w
a
s
sometim
e
late
r
tha
t
V
ictori
a
w
a
s
v
aguel
y
a
w
ar
e
o
f
the
hand that grasped hers,
w
akening her from her floating trance. “This
is
the
last
e
v
ening
w
e
will
spend
together.
Come,
take what little
I ha
v
e to gi
v
e you.”

“I’
v
e
tol
d
yo
u
befor
e
tha
t
yo
u
don’
t
o
w
e
m
e
anything,”
V
ictori
a
reiterated
,
feignin
g
ignoranc
e
o
f
th
e
collectio
n
of
object
s
lyin
g
withi
n
reac
h
a
t
th
e
edg
e
o
f
th
e
spring
,
which
included Nando
r
’s pouch.

“S
o
yo
u
persis
t
i
n
saying.
”
Khar
a
ha
d
somethin
g
t
o
say
,
and i
t
hun
g
heavil
y
i
n
th
e
ai
r
bet
w
ee
n
them
.
“I
f
th
e
god
s
ar
e
wit
h
us tomorrow—i
f
w
e
succeed—ther
e
wil
l
b
e
n
o
trac
e
o
f
m
y
journey
here, not a single piece of evidence that the daughter of
P
epy
th
e
Secon
d
e
v
e
r
w
alke
d
th
e
eart
h
i
n
thi
s
tim
e
o
r
an
y
other
. I will not allow my mummy to be a curiosity for the eager e
y
es
o
f
schoolchildren
,
o
r
tourist
s
wit
h
thei
r
cameras.
”
Sh
e
w
agge
d
a finger
at
V
ictoria. “I will insure my peace in the afterlife.”