Out of This World (45 page)

So I remember shifting, and I remember crossing over, but when I tried to draw my body from the ground on the other side, everything snapped to black. Until I woke just now, I had no idea if I'd been able to pull it off or not.

“How did you learn to do that?” Tío Goyo asks.

“I didn't. But I had to try something. I couldn't let things go on the way they were.”

“You mean, you weren't ready to die,” he says.

“No. Well yes, but what I really meant was everybody wanting a piece of me. I needed to just disappear—at least so far as the world was concerned.”

“You were successful in that,” he tells me. “Everybody thinks you're dead.”

“Even the authorities—the FBI?”

“Especially them. They took your body away with them.”

“Good.”

“But your secret won't last forever,” Tío Goyo warns me.

“Not among the cousins. It doesn't matter how careful you are, at some point one of them will catch your scent, and with the way they gossip, it won't be long before everybody knows.”

“That's okay. I just need a bit of peace and quiet to figure out what I'm going to do with my life.”

“I can help you with that,” Tío Goyo says. “I had some success when I spoke to Diego Madera.”

“Who's that?”

“The cousins call him Old Man Puma. He's the patriarch of the Hierro Madera Mountain Lion Clan and he says he will claim you as part of his clan. He wants you to stay with him for a while in the mountains. He's been around forever, so he'll be able to tell you everything you need to know about the cousin part of your nature.”

“That's perfect,” I say. “When can I go?”

“Right now.”

“I can't go right now,” I tell him. “I have a few loose ends to tie up.”

“His acceptance of you is a great honour.”

“I understand that. And I really am honoured. But I have some unfinished business to take care of. And I need to tell my mom and best friends that I'm alive. I don't care what the rest of the world thinks, but I can't leave them thinking I'm dead.”

I hesitate a moment, then add, “Actually, I'm hoping it'll be okay to teach my friends what you taught me.”

“You are gifted,” he says. “It will not come so easily to them. They will have to work much harder.”

“I get that. But you don't mind?”

“No. I will even help if I can.”

“That means a lot—thanks.”

Tío Goyo gives me a hard look. “And is there more unfinished business—with the girl you hoped to rescue, for example?”

“No, I've made enough mistakes when it comes to Elzie. If
she chooses to remain with Nanuq, there's nothing that I can do about it.”

He regards me with a shocked expression. “You mean … you don't know?”

“Know what?”

“Your assassin. It was her.”

I shouldn't be surprised, but it still hits me like a punch to the gut. I feel sick that Elzie would actually follow through on this crazy plan—that she would be the one to pull the trigger.

“What happened to her?” I ask.

“She's been charged with murder and incarcerated, and evidently she's remorseful. She hasn't attempted to leave her cell.”

I sigh. I wish she hadn't had to learn her lesson the hard way, but I can't invest any more time in Elzie than I already have. It's over in terms of her, but I still have other business to take care of.

“I'm finished with Elzie,” I say, “but I have to deal with Nanuq. If I don't, he's just going to start up again.”

“You think you can kill him?”

“I've already got two deaths on my conscience. I don't want any more. I'm hoping I can talk some reason into him.”

Tío Goyo shakes his head. “Good luck with that.”

“Will you explain the situation to Señor Madera?” I ask.

“The last thing I want to do is offend him.”

Tío Goyo looks over my shoulder. “Why don't you tell him yourself?”

I hadn't brought up the maps in my head yet, and I never heard anyone approach, but when I turn around, he's standing right there and my heart feels like it stops dead.

He reminds me of Tío Goyo, except where Tío Goyo gives off no cousin power reading whatsoever, Diego Madera registers
right off the charts. I can't believe I didn't feel it until now. It must've had something to do with my just having regained consciousness, or he somehow dialed his presence down, but if the pings I'm getting now are any indication, I'm back to normal.

Old Man Puma is obviously old and powerful—more so than either Auntie Min or Vincenzo. He's dressed casually, like the hawk uncle—cowboy boots, jeans, a checked flannel shirt over a white T-shirt—but his hair isn't dark. It's a tawny gold, like my fur is in my mountain lion shape. His skin tone is a lighter brown than most of the cousins I've met and his eyes are a penetrating green-yellow. His shoulders are broad, his hips lean. His hands, with their thumbs hooked in his belt, are big—like a mountain lion's paws.

“It's good to meet you, little nephew,” he says.

“And you, sir,” I manage to get out. “I hope you don't find me ungrateful—”

He waves one of those big hands as though brushing away something of no consequence. “I expect the members of my clan to be loyal,” he says. “To take responsibility for their actions and to fulfill their obligations. You've just proven your worth on all counts. Do what you must, with my blessing and the support of your clan.”

“Wow, just like that?” The words pop out of my mouth before I think about what I'm saying, but Diego only smiles.

“I was here when Coyote played his first trick,” he says. “When Raven stirred his pot and the world was born. I've watched the mountains rise and fall; seen oceans drain and the deserts take their place. After all that time, I have no difficulty judging the character of a being. You might be young to your cousin blood, little nephew, and the how and why of your
existence is as much of a puzzle to me as it is to you and our friend Goyo, but I can read your worth as easily as I can read sign, and yours has a surety that cannot be mistaken for anything but what it is: noble and just.”

Yeah, I think. He's one of the old cousins, all right, because they all sure do like to talk like they're reciting poetry. But I'm learning to dial back the wise-ass comments.

“Thanks,” is all I say.

“Do you know where to find Nanuq?” he asks.

I tap a finger against my temple. “I've got something like a GPS in here and it'll take me right to him.” Then I realize he might not know what I'm talking about. “Um,” I add, “do you know what a GPS—”

“I'm old, not stupid.”

“I didn't mean—”

The big hand waves that off as well.

“There will be things I can teach you,” he says, “but I've no doubt there is much I can learn from you, as well. I appreciate your respectful attitude, but you need to know that I am not one to stand on ceremony.”

“Got it,” I say when I realize he's waiting for me to respond.

“Now go,” he says. “Fulfill your obligations as befits a member of the Hierro Madera Mountain Lion Clan.” He reaches over and taps my temple with a large finger. “You'll know where to find me when you're done.”

Then he just kind of fades away.

I turn to Tío Goyo with a grin. “Okay, that was so cool. How did he do that?”

“You'll have to ask him the next time you see him,” Tío Goyo says.

“Maybe I will.” I wait a beat, then ask, “What about you and me? Are you still hoping I'll go hunt giant parasites with you?”

“You would be a great asset, no question,” he says, “but I see now that you have a different role to play in the story of the world.”

I sigh. “I'm done with destiny.”

“I'm sure you are. But is destiny done with you?”

“Oh, please. Do you know how hokey that sounds?”

He smiles. “I see you'll go your own way,” he says, “but being who you are, you won't be able to turn your back on injustice when you see it. You will stop and make things right with diplomacy and compassion.”

I sigh. “Yeah, and then they'll make me a saint.”

“We will see. Though, if you insist on going after Nanuq, we might not get the opportunity.”

“Don't be so cynical.”

Tío Goyo shakes his head. “Did you ever hear the story of the young javelina who thought he was a panther?”

I call up the maps in my head and focus on the pulsing dot that's Nanuq.

“No,” I tell Tío Goyo. “You'll have to tell it to me when I get back.”

I drop my body back into the ground and then I'm gone, heading deep into the otherworld. I appear in the sky above the campsite where I left Elzie yesterday. Most of the dog cousins are gone, but there are others here. All kinds. I note where each is, especially the two condor brothers.

Nobody takes notice of my sudden appearance except for Nanuq. His gaze immediately lifts, fixing on where I float high
above them—though I'm guessing what he sees is a red-tailed hawk.

I drift down to where he's holding court by a big campfire. He stands up, white braids swinging slowly as his gaze tracks my descent. He's huge, at least seven feet tall, bulkier than Diego, all of it muscle. He must be even more formidable in animal form. But then, so am I.

When I call up my human body from the ground, I make it bigger to match his size. Cousins scramble out of the way at my sudden appearance, but Nanuq never moves. He doesn't even blink.

“You've been causing me a lot of trouble, unborn,” he says. “My mother would take issue with you calling me that,” I tell him.

I've got my maps up and focused on the campsite, marking where everyone is. I count maybe thirty cousins. Most of them are now standing in a loose circle around Nanuq and me, but I note a few others moving slowly, a discreet distance away. I don't think they're nervous. I assume they've got weapons—rifles or even just bows—and are getting into position to take me down.

“I should also mention to anyone planning to take another shot at me,” I say, “that if you do, you'll have to answer to the Hierro Madera Mountain Lion Clan.”

“Liar. You're unborn, without any clan affiliation.”

I shrug. “Tell Diego Madera that.”

His eyes narrow. I can see he doesn't want to believe me, but he makes a subtle motion with his hand. I don't notice any difference in the position of the hidden cousins, but their movement stops. I assume he just told them to stand down.

“You know that makes no difference to me,” he says. “I'll happily pay Madera a blood price for the pleasure of killing you.”

“I wouldn't make assumptions,” I tell him.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“You're assuming that you
can
kill me.”

Nanuq laughs. “Does Madera know that his latest clan member is mentally unhinged?”

I hear chuckles from the cousins gathered around us.

“Aren't you curious as to why I'm here?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “All I know is that you somehow survived, but have just saved me the trouble of weeding out another unborn.”

He makes a grab for me and I disappear back into the earth, rising up again behind him.

“Don't be rude,” I say over the gasps of the watching cousins.

He turns faster than I would have thought possible. This time his big hand grabs my shoulder and locks on. Then his free hand is on my throat and he's lifting me from the ground, his fingers clamped tight and cutting off my air.

Our gazes lock and I see an uneasy look come over him when he realizes that I'm not afraid. I hang there, arms limp at my side, and give him a chance to let go on his own. When he doesn't, I disappear back into the earth again. I concentrate hard as I shed my body and take his hands with me.

When I rise up again he's staggering back looking at his stumps in horror. There's no blood or torn muscles and arteries. His arms just end in smooth skin at his wrists.

He roars something unintelligible and charges me. But I've thrown him off now. He's fast, but he's not thinking, and it's easy
to step out of the way. I put out a foot as he passes me and he goes tumbling to the dirt. I step closer as he tries to get to his feet. I give him a push with one foot and he goes down again.

“Next time it won't just be your hands,” I tell him. “Do you understand?”

I don't think I've ever seen such pure hate in someone's eyes. But he has himself under control again and nods.

“I just came to talk to you,” I say.

I move back as he struggles to his feet. I don't help him up.

Around us, the cousins have gone completely silent.

“I'd say we should take this somewhere private,” I say, “but I need all your people to hear what I've got to say.”

He's not beaten—not by a long shot. He shakes his head. “Nobody cares what you've got to say.”

“If they want to keep on living, they should.”

He lifts his stumps. “Being like this isn't living.”

“Don't be such a baby,” I tell him. “You know as well as I do that you'll have them back the first time you shift into the polar bear. But I'm telling you right now”—I give the crowd a quick once over—“I'm telling all of you. I
can
make this permanent. You'll be gone and there'll be no coming back.”

I let that sink in.

“So talk,” Nanuq says finally.

“This stops,” I say. “All of this. The killing. The coercion. The intimidation. The idea that you're all something special and that gives you the right to walk around like you're King Shit on Turd Island. It stops—right now.”

“You have no idea what—”

“I know what you
say
you're fighting for,” I break in, “but you're acting like fascists. I get it. You're losing your homelands.
Things look bleak. But killing innocent kids and starting wars against humanity is not the answer.”