Chapter 14: The Aftermath

Shale Oil Company

In a closed board meeting of Shale Oil Company, Ron Grisholm, president of the company, had just delivered his statement of intent to rebuild the pseudo-fracking sites and continue prospecting for oil. The board members were heads-down examining the report and proposal.

“I don’t see how we can invest like that with the stock in the toilet, Ron. Have you got it all in the proposal here?” one of the board members asked.

“There is no sense even reading the paper. The short of it is that we show these terrorists that they can’t stop America. I’ll drain every drop of oil on the continent if I have to squeeze the earth’s tit with my own hands,” Grisholm declared.

There was a low growl. Heads turned to see a giant silver wolf leap to the board table. He stalked down the length of the table while board members scrambled back and Grisholm struggled to get a pistol from his shoulder harness. Pulling it free, he swung toward the wolf in time to meet the claws that ripped out his throat. The body jerked as it landed back in its chair, eyes wide but unseeing.

The wolf shook the blood from his massive paw and turned to stalk back down the length of the table. He paused to look each stricken board member in the eye.

“I vote no,” the first said, raising his hand as the wolf stared him down. At each board member where he stopped, the answer was the same. “I vote no.” At the end of the table, the wolf sprang and disappeared through the door of the boardroom.

No one knew where the wolf came from, nor where it went.

Over the course of the next few months, it was revealed that the former president of the corporation—’acting alone and without the consent of the board’, of course—had suppressed environmental studies that revealed the Yellowstone location was not stable and that the operation would have an adverse effect on both the ecology and tourism.

The information was ‘shocking’ and needed to be ‘investigated at the highest levels’ according to news reports. The Interior Department and USDA both rescinded all energy exploration permits on Federal lands. Both Forest Service and Park Service funding were increased.

A new company, Native Energy Management, Inc., owned by a consortium of Native American tribes and funded by Gold Watch Energy Foundation, purchased a controlling interest in Shale Oil Company at pennies a share. By the time they took the company over, it was a skeleton of the original company and the new owners began transforming it into a research facility to explore earth-friendly energy solutions. Its work would continue for many years.

Attacks were not limited to Shale Oil, nor even to U.S. soil. Periodically, drums could be heard rumbling like thunder but apparently without source. People paused to listen.

An Arabian prince was killed in a stampede of his own horses. A Japanese magnate was killed by a rare komodo dragon. Two South African mine owners were caught in a freak collapse. Each had recently declared their intentions to expand operations that many termed raping Mother Earth.

Park authorities joined by forensic analysts combed the Yellowstone Grizzly Village site and turned up no evidence of habitation either at the village or at the company installation. Investigation of the installation site was hampered by the unpredictable venting of the new geyser. On some days, it went the entire day without erupting. On others, a burst would follow the one before by only a few minutes. It was dangerous to be too close to the vent when it erupted as the ground shifted and was unstable.

An investigation of the mountainside facing the valley revealed little. There was a cave that had previously been uncharted, but there was no sign that anything had inhabited it for hundreds of years. Researchers did, however, note that the cave had unique acoustic properties.

The Family

The Alexander Bell Ranch and LK Stables returned to a semblance of normal as well. With the additional acreage made available through Cole’s purchase of the Calhoun spread, he balanced the number of cattle that he could maintain without leasing the National Forest property on Centennial Ridge. That also reduced the number of men needed to ride herd, even though it increased the dry food requirement. Kyle and Ramie’s horses thrived on their allotted pasturage.

The wounds never quite healed. But the two unusual families sought and received solace in the arms of their lovers. The babies continued to grow and reaffirm everyone’s hopes for the future.

“I hope it’s twins,” Kyle said. Ramie looked at him aghast. “We could use more hands on the ranch,” he continued innocently. Ramie slugged him in the shoulder a little harder than she intended to.

“When are we going to tell the family?” Aubrey asked. “Moms and Pa will be so excited to hear they’ll be grandparents again.”

“I think it’s a little early, don’t you?” Ramie said. “I only missed one period.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Aubrey admitted. “I missed eighteen of them.” The three laughed.

“Aubs, honey? Is it all right? I never meant to get pregnant,” Ramie said, looking at her wife and husband/brother.

“Yeah, right,” Aubrey said. “Hmm. Maybe it wasn’t you. Miranda?”

“What is it, sweetheart,” the bright voice came from Ramie’s lips.

“When was my darling wife supposed to have her implant replaced?” Aubrey answered sweetly.

“Uh ... I ... well ... I don’t keep track of things like that,” Miranda said.

“I forgot all about my implant!” Ramie said. “Demon Miranda, we are going to have a long talk.”

“Can we do it while making love to our husband and wife?” the voice of her ancestor said.

“Are you really upset, Laramie?” Jason asked softly through Kyle. Ramie looked into his eyes and saw both her husbands clearly.

“I’m a little scared,” she said softly. “But you know I love all four of you and if you can be happy for me, I’ll be overjoyed.”

On Labor Day, the family trekked to the family burial site and Cole placed two plain white marble slabs, skipping a row where his own would lie with those of his wives. He recited the names for each of the seven rows of stones, starting with Theresa Ranae Bell and White Horse. The family, much to Miranda’s embarrassment, had decided to add stones for Miranda and Jason to mark their remembrance. They insisted that they weren’t dead, but Cole explained that it was so the family would know their lineage, not to mark their resting place. None of the stones had names on them. Miranda then insisted that they add a stone for her precious Katie.

The second row had the stones of Laramie Wyoming Bell, Kyle Redtail Wardlaw, Kat Tangeman, and Caitlin Forster. Cole had added Caitlin’s stone, even though she was buried in the pauper’s field at Greenlawn, when he found out she was the daughter of Jason and Katie.

The fifth row had only Cole’s father’s stone. His mother, her brother and his wife, all lived together now and had asked that they be laid next to Earl Bell as a single family and single generation. Cole and Mary Beth still prayed that time would be far away.

The sixth row was empty. One day, Cole, Mary Beth, and Ashley would lie there.

“And here we mark the passing of our children, Caitlin Forster Bell and Philemon Morgan Bell. Their spirits continue to guard our land as they have protected it with their lives,” Cole intoned. He closed the big Bible. “My children, I will love you till the day I die. You were the bravest of us all.”

A wolf howled.

It was joined by the screech of a hawk, the cawing of a raven, and the hooting of an owl.

Ramie jammed her feet into her boots and strapped her Colt to her waist as she ran toward the door of the bunkhouse ignoring the fact that all she wore was a t-shirt. Kyle had his Remington in hand as he followed her out in his boxers. Aubrey snatched up the babies and held them to her breast, wrapping a robe around them all as she followed her family.

Cole, Mary Beth, and Ashley emerged from the big house facing the younger generation across the broad yard. His Smith and Wessons hung from his hips. Ashley held a rifle and Mary Beth a shotgun.

Between the big house and the bunkhouse, in the area where Ramie had once met the wolf pack, a different congregation of animals had gathered. Redtail, Blackfeather, and Yelloweye stood on the ground next to Wolf. Behind them a great grizzly bear stood on his hind legs and bellowed. A moose stood next and beside him an elk whose points could not be counted. Around the yard sat animals of nearly every species of mammal and bird. From among them, two horses stepped forward—paint draft horses—and between them walked three people carrying three little children.

The only one any of them recognized was the tattooed woman with the wolf’s heads on her shoulders.

“It’s us,” the young man said. “We’d like to come home.”

Mary Beth and Ashley ran to their children and hugged them.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know you?” Mary Beth said. “You might not look like Phile, but I see him in your eyes.”

“It’s going to take some getting used to you looking like this,” Ashley said. “But I am so happy to have you back.”

“Is this my grandchild?” Cole asked holding his arms out to Mandy. She presented the little boy to him. Cole took the child and put his arm around Mandy, hugging her to him. “I can never thank you enough for what you did for my children,” he said.

“Meet Grandma Mar, Beth Ann,” the young man said holding her out to Mary Beth. “This is my ... Phile’s baby with Mandy.”

“And you meet Grandma Ash, Avis,” the other young woman said. “She’s the youngest of the three. I got started late because there was so much going on. She’s my ... Wolf Riding Woman’s baby with Phile.”

“But...” Ashley started.

“Yes,” Mandy said as Cole continued to hold his grandson. Colin came from the womb you knew as Caitlin’s, fathered by Wolf Rising. He’s the oldest.”

“I think we have a lot of ground to cover and we don’t need to do it all out here,” Ashley said. “Let’s get you inside and warm and find beds for you all.”

Cole turned to the animals that had accompanied them and fixed his eyes on Redtail. “Thank you for bringing my children back to me.” The hawk bobbed his head once and lifted into the air. They heard his screech in the distance. It tugged at Cole’s heart. The other animals began to retreat and once they were away from the yard lights, they seemed to fade away.

The old one-eyed raven hopped over toward Ramie and Kyle and bobbed his head.

“Thank you, Blackfeather,” Ramie whispered. The bird hopped and fluttered until he landed on Aubrey’s shoulder and looked down at her babies. Theresa, the oldest, reached up to pet the bird. Kyle thought he looked embarrassed by the child’s show of affection. Blackfeather made a few soft calls and then launched himself into the night air.

The owl lifted himself up and the boy—Phile? Wolf Rising?—held an arm out for him to land on.

“When you call, we will be ready,” he said. The owl gave a soft hoot and launched into the air.

That left only the family standing in the yard holding each other with Bells and Bows looking on. There was a soft chuffing and everyone turned to face Wolf, the massive silver protowolf. He looked at the young woman and her child then turned his eyes on Ramie. She felt him penetrate her mind and brought her head up to gaze at the full moon.

“My land,” she said in a voice that was not her own. “My pack.” The wolf threw back his head and howled and then bounded off into the night.

“We saw you die,” Ashley whispered again. Everyone had been in bed when Wolf announced their presence so the family had made the first priority to make sure everyone had a place to sleep, was fed, and was warm. The next day, however, no work was getting done on the ranch. All fourteen gathered in the family room where there were places for everyone to sit and the babies could all get to know each other.

“Yeah. That sucked bigtime,” Phile said.

“Trust you to make it succinct,” Caitlin laughed. She sobered quickly. “It hurt like hell.”

“But this is you in what you called your other time bodies?” Cole said. “I can see you and recognize you, but you are definitely different.”

“It’s different even to us,” Phile said. “Yelloweye wasn’t clear about it. As much as we can tell, the old ones didn’t want to take a chance that any of us would be recognized again. Somehow when we jumped into the stampede to remove the bodies and jumped back, we got welded together. It was only us when we got back. But we’re not the same as either Phile and Caitlin or as Wolf Rising and Wolf Riding Woman. For example, we’re a lot taller than in Oxėse, but not as tall as in now-time.”

“These are definitely my now-time boobs,” Caitlin said offering one to her daughter. “I didn’t have much up top in before-time.”

“But it’s you? It is you, isn’t it Caitlin?” Ashley pled.

“If you mean the crazy brat who didn’t become a pain until she was eight, yeah. That would be me,” she laughed. “It’s different, though. It’s like half of me is missing.”

“Only it’s still sort of there,” Phile said. Caitlin nodded. “Things like ham and eggs are familiar to me, but still a new experience for this body.” The boy took a deep breath. “Moms. Pa. Phile and Caitlin are dead.” He paused and sniffed a little. “I can still feel it. I’ve got all of Phile’s memories. I’ve got everything he ever felt or said or did in here,” he said pointing to his head. “But there’s no input coming from him. When I talk to myself, I just get answered by his memories.”

“It’s like my senses have been cut in half,” Caitlin added. “I only have this one body instead of two. Even when I’m holding Colin or Avis to my breast and they suck away, there’s a piece of me that longs for her to feel it, but those nerves aren’t connected any longer. I feel through these nerves instead.” It was hard to explain and Caitlin could feel tears in her eyes. Mandy reached over and stroked her cheek. “It’s like having had a part of me amputated and still experiencing phantom feelings.”

“It will get better, love,” Mandy said.

“Were you changed, too?” Mary Beth asked. She’d scarcely let go of little Beth Ann since breakfast.

“Yeah. Maybe not as much, but I’m different. I lived for a long time in Caitlin and Phile’s heads. When they died, I think a little of them seeped into me as well.” She took Beth Ann from Mary Beth and pulled her shirt down to give the baby her breast. Above the baby, the wolf head tattoo was somehow different than the parents had seen on TV.

“The faces are gone from your tattoo,” Mary Beth said. Mandy nodded.

“It doesn’t fully cover my arms, either. My blood type is different. I look pretty much the same as I did, but I don’t think my genes would be linked to my tribe any longer.” She looked up and seemed to puzzle at something. “There was a time that would have bothered me,” she said. “Now, I’m a wanted woman and if I got arrested, they’d have a hard time proving I was the same person that you saw on TV. I figure that as much as the camera focused on my breasts, there will be wolf tattoos on every native girl in the country in a year or two. I’m past caring what body I have or what blood. As long as I have these two we will continue to be three spirits in five bodies. Or perhaps we are now five spirits in three bodies. The old ones can sort out how that works.”

Babies got passed around a lot. Grandparents were thrilled to meet the new generation and even the cousins were intrigued. Avis and Katherine were only a week different in age with Colin and Beth Ann bracketing them by three months.

“What about the children you are carrying now?” Everyone gasped and looked at Mary Beth. Phile looked at his wives with one eyebrow cocked. “Come on. I knew you were pregnant when you disappeared and I thought the two of you had run away to pretend you were married somewhere. I can see that you are both pregnant.”

“Well, that’s right,” Mandy said. She kissed Phile on the cheek. “We were going to tell you but hadn’t told Phile yet. This is the man that got us both knocked up again. Genetically, the three on the ground are unchanged. A DNA test would show that they are closely related and share at least one grandparent. The next batch, though, won’t show a relationship that is more than a distant ancestor. I hope that won’t make a difference to you. In our hearts—all of our hearts—we are one family.”

“And how about you, young woman?” Mary Beth continued. Ramie’s head bobbed up when she realized her mother was talking to her.

“Me?” she squeaked.

“Did you think my own daughter could hide her pregnancy from me?” Mary Beth demanded.

“No. We were going to tell you as soon as we confirmed everything. We just figured it out this weekend. Um ... I’m pretty sure Miranda is pregnant and Jason is the father.” She smiled brightly.

“Oh really?” Miranda’s voice cut through Ramie.

“No. Miranda and I are pregnant and Kyle and Jason are the father. And Aubrey is the mother. Other mother.” Ramie turned to the kids. “I felt so bad for you guys when I read what you were going through. If we’d known, we might have been able to help. You’d have gotten a ton of advice from Pa, too, if Kyle and I hadn’t acted like they were loco when they told us about time travel. Then you’d have had comfort and help instead of feeling like you were weird. Not that you wouldn’t have still been weird, but we’d all have understood.”