Chapter 17

Lucy stepped out of the truck and went around to the back to get her suitcase. Before she had a chance to pick it up, Ken had grabbed it while looking at her as if she should have known he'd carry it. The van with Linda and Ed pulled up beside the car.

Looking around the parking lot in front of the country hotel, William said, "We'll get checked in and then I need to get on down the road."

"Are you sure that you don't want me to come?"

"Lucy, I'd love for you to come, but you can't. This is something that I have to do alone," answered William as his mother stopped beside him to listen to the exchange. He nudged a small people with the toe of his boot.

Ken shook his head and said, "If your father wasn't here..."

"He is and you won't," said William knowing that Ken didn't feel right about him going to the ranch without an escort.

"I could go with you," said Linda.

"You could, but you shouldn't. I need to face them as Talks With Animals. If I were a little older or a little younger, you could go and no one would think anything of it. However, they are going to be judging me and I need to stand alone," said William. If he were a little older, no one would think twice about his mother going with him. They'd be going as equals to share in an important event. If he were a little younger, no one would think that he was being insecure by coming with his mother since she'd have to take him there.

Earning a dirty look from Lucy and Linda, Ed said, "He speaks the truth, Linda. There's no use complaining about it. Let's check in."

The group entered the hotel with Ken in the lead. The building had a lobby that was far larger than was typical for a hotel. Until the birth of the White Buffalo, the restaurant and providing space for meetings, hosted by various civic clubs, were the primary sources of income for the hotel.

Tables, surrounded by chairs, were scattered about the lobby. A good number of the chairs were occupied and the people paid little attention to William and Linda. While the presence of two more Native Americans in the hotel lobby went unnoticed, all eyes were on Ed since he was wearing his black robe. Few people had seen a Druid up close and none had ever seen a black robed Druid. While people were marveling over Ed, Ken went up to the counter and arranged for three rooms.

They had been in the lobby for five minutes before Kotyit entered the lobby. His arrival drew eyes from Ed. A gasp went up from the handful of Native Americans waiting around the lobby when Kotyit said, "William, it is good to see you again."

As murmurs of 'Talks With Animals' filled the air, William turned to his old friend and said, "I didn't know you were coming. You could have flown with us."

Trying to look grumpy, Kotyit said, "I don't think I could have taken your company that long."

Laughing, William retorted, "That's a two way street, old man."

"You need to learn how to respect your elders, young pup," replied Kotyit with a grin. He put a hand on William's shoulder in a sign of affection. Looking at the young man, he added, "So today is the day you visit the White Buffalo."

"Yes," William answered. With his answer, the majority of people in the lobby decided that it was time to head out to the ranch so that they would be able to watch what happened when William met the White Buffalo.

As the lobby suddenly cleared out, Ken came over with keys to three rooms. Reaching the small cluster of people, he said, "We're all checked in."

Watching as Ken handed William a key to one of the rooms, Kotyit said, "I guess you'll be leaving soon for the ranch. I'm going to change into my good clothes and then I'll see you there."

Looking over at Lucy, William said, "I'll be leaving in about half an hour. We've got to put our luggage in our room."

Smiling wryly, the old man winked at Lucy and asked, "It'll take you half an hour to do that, huh?"

Lucy blushed as she replied, "Maybe longer."

Laughing at the prime and proper tone of voice Lucy used in answering, Linda said, "That's the hope of a young woman in love. I'd count on fifteen minutes, max. If he's at all like Ed, I'd settle for five minutes."

Shaking his head, Ed crossed his hands over his heart as he said, "Ugh. That's cold."

Kotyit laughed at the exchange as he walked away. Over his shoulder, he said, "Us old men take that long to figure out how to get out of our clothes."

The key let them into a basic room with two double beds, a night table between the beds, a low dresser with a television on it, and a table with two chairs. The window was covered with a curtain that didn't quite span the entire width of the window. An air conditioner built through the wall under the window struggled to keep the room cool enough to be considered warm. The carpet had seen better days.

William sat down on one of the double beds holding his head between his hands. He rubbed his temple with the tips of his fingers. Lucy moved to sit behind him and rubbed his shoulders trying to ease the tension within them. The muscles were hard little rocks under her hands. In a soft voice, she said, "You're worried."

"I'm tired," said William. He could tell by the pressure of her hands on his shoulders that she didn't believe him. Wishing he had the time to take a quick swim, he added, "I guess I'm a little nervous about what might happen."

"Life has dealt us a weird hand. Nothing about our lives is normal. We talk and act like adults, but we're still kids. Other kids our age are worried about their prom. You're about to meet the White Buffalo. You have a right to be a little concerned about what happens," Lucy said.

"Maybe you're right," said William, although he didn't sound convinced.

Lucy wrapped her arms around him and kissed his neck. After more than a year spent with him, she knew his moods. She said, "I know you, William. What's really the matter?"

"I never foresaw any of this," William said touching upon his real fear. There were huge blank spots in his ability to see the future. Those blank spots revolved around events in which he was a critical player. He was afraid of doing the wrong thing at a critical point.

"And that worries you?" Lucy asked knowing his answer.

"Yes, it does."

"Well, join the club. Everyone else goes through life not knowing what is going to happen from one minute to the next. It forces us to make contingency plans. We deal with the unexpected the best we can. I'll admit that sometimes that means we lie awake at night worrying about things falling apart. Most of the time; our fears never come true. Occasionally they do. That's life."

"You're right," said William with a sigh.

"Of course I am. I'm smarter than you are," Lucy said with a smile knowing that she was about the only person in his life that could get away with saying that. As William turned to look at her, she attempted a vacuous expression while posing like a supermodel. She couldn't carry off the vacuous look, but did manage to look like a supermodel.

William laughed at her attempt to look vacuous while appreciating her supermodel pose. He said, "You're extremely smart, devastatingly pretty, and sexy beyond belief."

"You had better keep that in mind when you're visiting that White Buffalo, buster."

"Why?" William asked.

"So you keep the visit short and come back here for a little lovin' from me!" For a second, she managed to pull off the vacuous look.

The August sun, hot even in South Dakota, beat down on the corral. The odors of manure, hay, and plants growing drifted in the gentle breeze. The sounds of summer filled the air. The bright sun washed out the colors and hurt the eyes.

A crowd of people was gathered around a corral; their attention focused on a three-month-old buffalo calf frolicking beside its mother. The young buffalo behaved like every other calf in the herd. It would move a little ways from its mother while kicking its hooves into the air and then return after a time to suckle. The only thing that distinguished it from the others was its white color.

A short distance away, a small crowd was watching the road leading up to the ranch. The rattle of a pickup truck moving down the dirt road carried for a mile. More people moved away from the corral and joined the group watching the road. A sense of expectation hung in the air although no one present was willing to put into words what they expected to happen.

The truck rattled its way up the road and finally came to a halt in front of the crowd. The driver stepped out and stretched before turning to the crowd. Seeing the attention being given him, Kotyit said, "He'll be here in about ten minutes."

A groan of disappointment rose from the crowd. The people milled around the field talking in little groups. It was much later when William pulled up driving a rental truck. He was alone. Despite her protests, Linda had stayed behind with the rest of the family.

Turning off the motor, William looked around the crowd gathered by the road and shook his head. They were there for him and not the White Buffalo. Shaking his head, he corrected himself - they were there to watch Talks With Animals meet the White Buffalo. The fact that he had no idea what was going to happen next scared him as much as facing the black pit.

William stepped out of the truck to find himself the center of quiet attention. No one said a word; they just watched him. He looked at the people trying to guess their emotions, but the expressions on their faces were so diverse that it was impossible to give a mood for the crowd. The handful of people who were hostile did not surprise William. He knew that his relationship with the Gods and Goddesses was a sore point among many. It was felt that he would sell their beliefs to new age con-artists. The looks of adoration scared him even more than the hostile looks.

There was no reason to postpone his visit to the White Buffalo any longer. Walking towards the corral, he tried to keep a relaxed step while a small crowd of people gathered behind him. They kept their distance as if they were afraid to be too close to him when he finally reached the corral. By the time he had reached his destination, it was lined with people wanting to see what would happen.

There was a section around the corral where no one else stood and it was to that section that William made his way. On reaching the fence, he climbed between the wooden slats. He felt alone and vulnerable, facing a calf with its mother nearby. The mother could stomp him into the ground and no one would be able to save him. Not having seen this moment in any of his visions, he felt afraid.

The sense of expectation was so high, that he didn't know if it would be better if something happened or if nothing happened. If something happened, he would be viewed with even greater awe. If nothing happened, a lot of people would be disappointed. Not for the first time he wondered if this visit was a good idea. Kotyit, noticing his hesitation, winked at him in support.

The calf left its mother and trotted to stand in front of William. Their eyes locked and, for William, the rest of the world disappeared. He saw only the eyes of the White Buffalo. Heart pounding, he did not see it bow to him. Without knowing that he was speaking, William shouted, "Talks with Animals, it is good and fitting that you have come to give my words to the people. I have waited long for this day."

The crowd stared wide-eyed at the scene before them. Chills ran up and down their spines as William spoke in a voice that had an odd echoing quality to it. There was a blank expression on his face. It looked as though his spirit had fled his body. His normally dark body had turned pale.

"I have three messages to deliver. Every three moons, I shall talk through a representative of the people. Many shall come to me, but I shall select the person who will carry my message to others through words and deeds.