Chapter 27A

Authors Notes: This is another chapter of violence and anger that I had to get on paper, sort to speak. I did not want this to be a part of this story, but sometimes stories write themselves and there is nothing we can do but write them. I am going to include this chapter in the story right now, but I use it as an alternate chapter. I tried rewriting this chapter five times before I got one I was satisfied with that didn’t have all the violence.

When I finished the driving lessons for my group, we drove to where Barbara and Magnie were. I dropped off Fretail and Gerona and had Marlit take another try. We drove over to the canyon mouth and back to the meadow. She did much better this time. I also told Magnie she needed to watch everything the other women did so she would know when it was her turn. I then had Pauloa drive again, this time she also did much better and I had Magnie sit in the front seat next to Ambat when she drove. Now it was Magnie’s turn. I showed her all the levers and pedals. Then we set off for the canyon. She immediately started going too fast. I asked her to slow down. She said, “Why, I can do this.” I again told her to slow down. She didn’t, so I turned the key off and took it out of the slot.

“NOW, Magnie! You will listen to me or you will never drive a vehicle again. Do you understand?”

“No, I want to drive, give me the key, now!”

I couldn’t help it, I slapped her across the face with the back of my hand, not hard mind you, but I did. Everyone was stunned, most of all me. My anger was high and my patience was low. “Magnie, you will not talk to me like that. I am your husband and mate, you are driving recklessly, and you will hurt yourself and everyone else in the truck with you. You do not know how to drive and unless you calm down and do as I am trying to teach you I will never let you drive again.”

She came back with the fiery redheaded temper, “I will do as I want and you will not stop me. You should not have hit me. I will tell everyone you are a wife beater just like Dogera. He slapped me too and on the butt. That is why I called him a wife beater, and now you are too and you will die just like him. I will call the Sky Spirits and they will kill you too!”

“Now I can see why Dogera was a wife beater. He was trying to control your fiery temper. If a spanking and a face slap will not curb your temper; then how about I just banish you from our family? Will that cool you’re your temper?”

“If you banish me I will go to all the camps and tell them how cruel and bad you are and they will come to kill you for me. I had my first mate killed because I did not like him, and I can have you killed too.”

The rest of my wives sat stunned by Magnie’s outburst. Then all hell broke loose inside the truck. Pauloa, Marlit, Gerona, and Ambat flew out of the truck and dragged Magnie from the truck and dragged her off some distance from the truck. They talked, and then yelled at her. They were far enough away I could hear but snatches of the conversation, but it appeared they were pissed. They were telling her if she didn’t straighten up they would kill her themselves. Then suddenly Magnie drew a short knife and cut Gerona and I had had enough.

I ran from the truck and grabbed Magnie from behind and whirled her around and put a fist to her jaw. She was out like a light. I had Marlit get some rope from the truck and my first aid kit as well. Gerona was not cut bad. It was a shallow cut on her arm. I poured some alcohol on it and bandaged it up. I also tied Magnie’s hands behind her and put her into the back seat. I then drove back to the cave and called Barbara and Fretail back as well.

“Family meeting people; call everyone in here to the main room.” When everyone was present I said, “Family, I have sad news for you all. I have found out that Magnie is not a very good person. Because Dogera spanked her for being bad, she called him a wife beater and he was killed. Now I see why he was driven to spanking her. She is a very willful and evil person. She almost killed herself because she did not want to listen to Barbara’s instructions in learning to drive the ATV. She almost crashed into the truck, but I was able to stop it before it became a problem. Now when we were teaching her to drive the truck, she ignored my instructions and talked back to me in an disrespectful manner. She said that she had gotten her first mate killed by lying to us, and that she could get me killed the same way. I slapped her face and she said I now had to die because the sky spirits would kill me because I was a wife beater. I said I would banish her from our family. She said she would travel to all the camps she knew of and would tell lies about me and have them come and kill me. This stupid, bitchy little girl does not deserve to be a part of this family. When Ambat, Gerona, Marlit, and Pauloa tried to talk to her about this, she drew a knife and cut Gerona. But I want to hear what my family has to say about her and what we should do.”

“Barbara, will you start us off?”

“Bob, I know Magnie is a very bad person, but I have no idea what to do about it. It appears that spanking is not the answer, nor is banishment. She could probably make good her threat to gather camps against you and have them come to kill you. Fred, are you listening?”

“Yes Barbara,” Fred said in everyone’s head.

“Can you see into her mind and see if there is a problem that would cause this behavior in her?”

“Yes Barbara I can. Let me look and I will see.”

“Bob, I have looked into her mind and what I see is monstrous. There is nothing in her mind except evil and foul thoughts. I feel unclean after being there. She is a very viscous and evil person. In her own way she is a worst evil than Detara ever was.”