Part 85: Great Minds Think Alike

Main story folder & table of contents: "Return To Manitou Island" 
Previous chapter: "Part 84: Spirits Crossing" 

PART EIGHTY-FIVE:
Great Minds Think Alike

THOMAS SAT ON the cold stone floor, his head resting against his arm, which was propped on his knee. His other hand was stretched out beside him, clasping that of Charmian, who lay beside the dead-end wall, her eyes shut and her breathing shallow.

Thomas opened his own eyes to stare at the floor below his face, and it blurred before him in the dim light of the Weavers' webs. Several droplets pattered against it as he watched, and he gripped Charmian's hand tighter. He lifted his head to look down at her. It looked as if she slept.

"Please wake up," he said softly; when she didn't respond, he put his head back down, still holding her hand, and squeezed his eyes shut so the tears dropped to the floor.

"What's wrong with you...?" he murmured, and then his voice took on a hard edge. "Don't tell me that running into a wall of all things is going to kill you after everything else you've been through!" He lifted his head to look at her again, but her face was so pale that he couldn't even speak. He tried to swallow and it hurt; he swept one hand across his eyes and pulled it away, blinking to see the small ice crystals forming on his fingers. He stared at them in silence for a moment or two before brushing them away against his knee. He looked down at Charmian.

She's the only one who wasn't afraid of me...after finding out. She's the only one who ever bothered to speak to me like a normal person.

She's the only person I've ever had a real conversation with.

She's the only person who really knows me, and who even bothered to know me.

And she knows everything about me, and it doesn't matter.

His eyes started burning again, and he bit his tongue and tried to blink the feeling away. He put his free hand to her forehead, but couldn't tell whether she felt warm or not; he leaned over to put his ear to her chest, listening vainly for anything that might tell him what was wrong with her, and how to bring her back. He heard her heart beating, but it seemed so quiet and faraway, that he hated the sound of it...

Charmian's brow furrowed, then she let out a soft murmur.

Thomas took in a breath, eyes flying open. He sat up, staring down at her, and saw how her face changed; it screwed up, and she turned her head slightly, letting out another noise. Her leg moved.

"Charmian--?" Thomas whispered.

She responded by shivering and making that same face. "Your hands are freezing," she mumbled groggily.

Thomas blinked, surprised. Then his eyes flooded with tears again, but he started quietly laughing. He wiped them away as Charmian slowly put up one hand to rub at her forehead, wincing and drawing her legs up.

"My head is killing me," she moaned.

"It's no wonder," he said, "after running into the wall like that."

"Wall...?" She opened her eyes and looked around her as he helped her sit up. The cave wall stood just beside her, but that was all it looked like, a cave wall. She stared at it for so long that he followed suit, frowning slightly and seeing nothing.

"Charmian?" he asked, drawing her attention. "Are you all right...?"

She stared at the wall for a moment more before slowly nodding. "Yeah...I'm okay." She turned to look toward the tunnel. "What happened?"

Thomas's mouth twisted. "You ran into the wall, because you were rather angry with it." Anger flickered across his face. "Charmian, you could've cracked your skull wide open on that thing! As it is you probably gave yourself a concussion! Do you have any idea how worried you had me--?"

Charmian's brow furrowed. "You were worried...?"

Thomas let out a great sigh. "Of course I was worried! You've been lying on the ground unconscious for ages!"

"Ages." Charmian blinked, then gasped and stood up. Thomas shot to his feet and grabbed hold of her arm when she threatened to topple over, but she quickly regained her balance and glanced around. "Where are the others--?" she asked.

"They haven't shown up yet. They've probably gotten long lost by now!"

"We have to find them and get the dreamcatcher and get out of here." Charmian started walking for the tunnel but he stopped her before she could get very far, stepping into her path.

"Now what is this all about?" he demanded.

Charmian blinked. "What do you mean--?"

"You're hiding something, and I want to know what it is." He crossed his arms. "Something happened when you hit that wall, didn't it? Well, what was it?"

Charmian stared at him until she couldn't anymore, then averted her eyes. Thomas tilted his head to one side and then the other, following her stare. "Nothing!" she insisted after a moment of this. "I hit my head like you said I did."

"And now all of a sudden, you have this overwhelming urge to just leave the cave?"

She nodded. "Yeah, that's right."

"You're a pathetic liar."

Charmian flushed. "At least I try." She nudged her way past him and into the tunnel. Thomas gave another exasperated sigh and followed.

"Come on now," he said as they went. "With all the humiliating stories I've told you so far, you can't even let me in on one thing? I'm running out of things to entice you with. At least throw me a bone."

"It's...complicated," Charmian said, her ears growing warm.

"Well, care to uncomplicate it for me--?"

"We can't get to the Spirit Land properly through Scott's Cave."

He almost stopped. "We can't--? I thought that sky woman said we could--!"

"She said it's a gateway. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a good entrance."

"So, how do you plan to get there--?"

"The Arch."

Thomas blinked, then frowned. "Fairy Arch--?" She shook her head, and his frown grew. "Arch Rock?" He caught up with her and looked down at her as she walked. "You mean, the way to the Spirit Land is the one that's been the most obvious all along--?"

"It's not quite as easy as it sounds," Charmian murmured, her gaze drifting to the ground.

He looked at her, then shrugged and glanced toward the ceiling. "Oh, I always like the sound of that."

"I have to go and have a talk with the Spirit Road!" Charmian said; when he gave her a weird look she blushed. "That's what Yellow Turtle says, at least."

"Yellow Turtle...?" Thomas's brow furrowed. "That was the name of the old man of Silver Eagle Feather's tribe. You mean you spoke with him...?"

Charmian nodded. "There, okay? That's what happened with the wall. He was on the other side. I told him about Chakenapok, and he didn't even know him. Apparently Chakenapok isn't even in the Spirit Land. He's a lost spirit of some kind--so we have to go to Arch Rock. He said the Spirit Road might know where Chakenapok ended up."

"You are aware you're talking about a road, aren't you...?" Thomas inquired.

She shrugged. "I've seen weirder things!"

He opened his mouth, then sighed and gave up. "At least I know you're not lying there." He put his hands in his pockets. "All right then...so you go to Arch Rock. And then what? I'd rather think this Spirit Road thing is for dead people, isn't it?"

Charmian chewed on her lip as she thought over what Yellow Turtle had told her.

You do not have to die. You must only come close.

I'm not sure what it means, but I REALLY don't like the sound of that...

"I guess we'll find out when we find out," was all she could think of to say, and though she could tell that he didn't like the answer, he didn't protest it.

They met Marten still standing watch at the end of the tunnel, and everyone had gathered here but for Manabozho and Puka. Charmian blinked on seeing them; Mani came forward and whistled and checked her over as she looked from one to the next.

"How come we didn't run into you guys?" she asked in puzzlement. "There were these three tunnels here, right--? One of you went down each--?"

Took left tunnel, Mani said. Found nothing, came back.

"I was in the right tunnel," Mudjikawiss grumbled. "And I found absolutely NOTHING, if that helps!"

"I came from your direction," Wabasso said, looking baffled.

Charmian turned and looked at the three tunnels, then put up her arms. "I give up. This makes just as much sense as the Sky Tree." And as if to prove her point, Manabozho and Puka at last showed up from their respective tunnels, and everyone paused and gave each other confused looks. Charmian just waved and started toward the main tunnel.

"Come on," she sighed. "And let's think really hard the next time we decide to split up."

"That was FUN!" Marten exclaimed, hopping upon Puka's shoulder as they went. "Like a FUNHOUSE! Glooskap told me about funhouses! He said you get lost in them, and it's FUN! This place is a WHOLE LOT of fun!"

Thomas rolled his eyes. "If by that he means 'confusing as all hell,' then it's a great deal of fun."

Charmian gave him an odd look. "Did you just swear...?"

Thomas snorted. "What, I can't let out a foul word every now and then--?"

"It's not that, I've just never heard you swear before." Charmian's face twisted up. "It sounds kind of funny."

Thomas opened his mouth, but Puka hopped in between them, rubbing his index fingers together in a "shame-shame" gesture. "Oooooooo! What is THIS? Do I sense a little LOVE in the air--? Thomas and Charmian, sitting in a TREE! K-I-S-S-I-N-UGHFF!!"

He collapsed in a messy heap when Mudjikawiss slammed his fist down on top of his head. Charmian ground her teeth when she realized how bright red her face must be going; she glared back over her shoulder with the most venomous look possible and curled her lip back.

"Knock it off!!" she hissed. "Or I'll pull out your eyeballs and shove them down your THROAT!"

Mudjikawiss, Manabozho, Marten, Wabasso, and Mani all stared at her with wide eyes, saying not a word. They blinked a few times, but that was all. Puka groaned as he was helped to his feet, and muttered, "I thought you said they weren't a couple," but by then Charmian had forced herself to tune them out.

Thomas looked ready to laugh. "I think this cave is making you stir crazy. You'll feel better once you get out into that nice cool air." He made a face. "Nice, frigid, arctic air."

Charmian winced. "Maybe he's puffed himself out by now," she said with a little bit of hope; but by the time they at last reached the mouth of Scott's Cave, and were peering out toward the east shoreline again, the lake was still whipping in a frenzy of waves, a fresh heap of snow had piled up in front of the cave, and the trees were still groaning from their icy burden. Thomas and Mani worked to clear away the new snow while Charmian rubbed her eyes.

"I was really hoping he'd be done," she groaned. "I've never been so sick of snow in my entire life."

Puka chattered and rubbed his arms. "You see now why I REALLY ran away? Freezing cold, nine moons out of twelve! Piles and piles of dreadful boring WHITE! A HORRENDOUS fate for a summer-loving bloom such as myself!"

"We will see who is blooming," Mudjikawiss growled ominously. Thomas dropped down from the cave mouth while Mani continued shoveling away the last of the snow, and gestured for Charmian.

"The way should be clear now. We'll take the trail back up to the bluff, and try to find our way to Sugar Loaf, since it's closest--sound good?"

Charmian nodded and let him help her up. Just as she got into the cave mouth she gasped and nearly fell over backward. Everybody behind her backed up with surprise.

"What is it--?" Thomas asked.

"My--my dreamcatcher!" Charmian exclaimed. "The reason I CAME here!" She cast an anxious glance into the cave before starting to climb back down. "I can't believe I forgot about it so quick! Why didn't you remind me--?"

Thomas caught hold of her arm before she could descend. "Charmian--it hasn't been two full hours just yet," he said when she looked back up at him. "They might not even be done with it."

"But--I can't just LEAVE it here--!"

He rolled his eyes. "Are we going to go through that again--? Trust me! If Geezhigo-Quae recommended them, then I doubt they'll do anything odd to your dreamcatcher. And they'll give it right back when done!"

Charmian chewed her lip. "But..." She glanced at the tunnels and tried to decide what to do. As soon as she noticed that she was wringing her hands she paused, a thought striking her.

That web they gave me...it's gone! It went into my hand...they gave that to me as collateral!

What am I supposed to give them back...?

She stared at the tunnels before letting out a miserable sigh and letting Thomas take her hand and help her up again. She would just have to find something else to give them in exchange, in the meantime. She still hated the thought of leaving the hoop behind once more, but as he helped her up Thomas leaned toward her to murmur in her ear.

"Besides, where do you think that thing would be safest right about now--? Way down here in the cave, with the Weavers, or up there with you, looking for Chakenapok? You wouldn't want any reason to come down here and have them fix it again, would you?"

Charmian sighed again, but his reasoning made sense. "Fine," she mumbled. "They keep it for now--but they'd better not get sticky fing--um--sticky--sticky legs as soon as I decide to get it back!"

Thomas rolled his eyes once more but didn't comment.

They climbed out of the cave and wallowed into the drifting snow, struggling to make their way back up the bluff as wind whipped across their faces. Even Charmian's heavy winter clothing felt like nothing in this cold, and she was shaking hard enough to rattle by the time they reached the top. She was starting to look at Marten's furry coat longingly when Thomas walked up beside her and placed his jacket over her shoulders; when she looked up at him he shrugged lamely.

"I'm sorry I can't really do anything to help," he apologized. "But you look about ready to crack into a million pieces."

Charmian blinked, then averted her eyes. "I'm...I'm okay. Really."

She started when something else draped over her shoulders, and Manabozho appeared on her other side; she glanced at her shoulder to see that he had tossed his own blanket over her. He gave Thomas a challenging look but Thomas only frowned in puzzlement.

"Thanks," Charmian said, uncertainly.

"Well, HOLD ON!" Puka cried, and dashed forward. He pulled off his feathered cloak and wrapped it around her, sticking out his tongue at the others. "If you fellows can do that, then SO CAN I! Phbbtttt!"

Manabozho and Puka started snarling at each other, and then began wrestling and pulling at each other's feathers. Charmian carefully pulled off the feathered cloak and Manabozho's blanket and set them aside, then handed Thomas back his jacket. She made a face.

"Thanks, but I think you'd better keep it. There's nothing worse than a jealous rabbit."

Thomas's mouth twitched. "I think I understand." He put his jacket back on. "So are you going to ask Old Mother Manitou about the Arch, and the Road?"

Charmian opened her mouth, but Mani whistled to catch her attention. She stopped and looked back to see that he and Wabasso looked equally curious. "Oh...that's right," she said. "I didn't get to tell you guys. Well...basically I have to head to Arch Rock and have a talk with the Spirit Road. At least, I think. It'll tell me where Chakenapok is, since he's not in the Spirit Land."

Mudjikawiss reached Manabozho and Puka, and, grasping them both by the nape, pulled them apart and dumped them in the snow. "N--not in the Spirit Land--?" Manabozho sputtered, kicking snow off of himself.

Charmian shook her head. "That's what Yellow Turtle said, at least, and I can't think of why he would lie. Think about it, though. Chakenapok died pretty violently, and that only after Malsum took over his spirit. Based on what Yellow Turtle told me, I don't think he would've stood a good chance of making the four-day trip. He must've ended up somewhere else. I just don't know where." She furrowed her brow. "Where do lost spirits go?"

Wabasso lifted one shoulder. "This is a mystery no one has ever been able to answer thoroughly. Many of them drift about near where they died, yet no one knows where they dwell."

"Why all this miserable talk of death and dying and ghosts?" Puka asked as he picked up his feathered cloak and started dusting snow off of it. "Surely there are BETTER things to talk about!"

"I have to go to Arch Rock," Charmian explained, "and try to get in touch with the Road. Though I'm not quite sure how one does that. Yellow Turtle didn't exactly fill me in on the details."

"Perhaps Old Mother Manitou will know," Thomas suggested. "Or point us in the right direction." He waved. "This way--?"

They turned and located the trail even beneath all the snow, as it was free of trees, and began trudging. Charmian took off her mitts to breathe on her hands as her fingers had gone numb.

"I think I'd like it if maybe you stuck around this time," she murmured to Thomas as they walked. "I'm getting the feeling Yellow Turtle meant a trance of some kind, and you saw what happened every other time I tried something like that."

She felt rather embarrassed admitting it, but Thomas simply nodded in response. She sighed and put her mitts back on, and tugged on her hood.

It blew back the moment the wind around them gusted in a great swirl, and everyone's--even Thomas's--teeth chattered at the blast of icy cold which whirled in circles through the snow. "WooooOOOOOOOOOO!" a voice called, in what sounded like an almost comical imitation of a ghost, and they all glanced skyward in confusion. Charmian grimaced.

"Great, just what we need--TWO windbags!"

Marten hopped onto her shoulder. "What d'ya mean, two windbags--?"

As if in answer, the icy whirlwind pulled back and tightened in on itself, spiraling in a column just ahead of them on the path. They stood and watched as it grew shorter and shorter, and then sprouted wings, and a moment later Chepi was spinning in the air like a ballerina, little icicles dangling from all of her feathers. "WooooOOOOOOOO!" she exclaimed again, and waved her hands, before fluttering to the ground and landing daintily on her feet. She gestured and the wind around her died down and she gave a little flourish, before--"WooooUGH!"--one foot sank in the drift, and she nearly fell on her face. She caught herself just in time and dusted snow from herself with an irritated look before straightening out all of her icicles, which Charmian realized with a roll of the eyes were actually part of her costume. She put a hand to her mouth and gave a dainty cough.

Mudjikawiss, Puka, Wabasso, and Marten all gawked at her.

Charmian just rolled her eyes again. "Come on," she said, waving, and she, Marten, Thomas, Mani, and Manabozho started forward, past Chepi. Chepi kept her place but her jaw dropped as they passed her, and she whirled around and began huffing, clenching her fists.

"W--w--well!" she cried. "Some GREETING this is for the almighty QUEEN OF THE WINDWALKERS!"

"Some almighty," Charmian deadpanned. "I don't exactly see YOU commanding any of this wind!"

Chepi huffed again and crossed her arms. "I hardly have anything to do with a vulgar little cretin like him," she groused. "And it's not MY duty to soil my hands fighting with such a creature! Besides--fighting is--hardly ladylike!"

"Neither is accepting bribes," Charmian said; "Like the title 'Queen of the Windwalkers.'" She pursed her lips. "Or would that be, payment for services rendered...?"

Chepi's jaw dropped again and a crimson flush steadily began to creep up her face.

Charmian turned away from her and waved once more. "Come on. We don't have time to deal with windlings just now."

She was turned away, so she could only hear Chepi start to throw her fit. "I--I--I can BARELY believe this--this--this HORRID IMPUDENCE!!" she squeaked in dismay. "The NERVE of you people! I bother to DRAG myself away from my glorious home, and deign to bestow a glorious HELLO upon you dirty little things, and--and--and THIS is what I get in return--?"

"You just came out to see what all the commotion was about!" Charmian retorted. "And decided to make an impressive appearance, since we were in the area!"

Chepi raised her voice to a squeal. "WELL DID IT WORK?!"

A long, loud gasping noise made Charmian stop in her tracks, and she and Thomas and the others turned to look back. Chepi was staring at Peepaukawiss, who hadn't moved a step since she'd arrived; he in return stared right back, hands clutching his feathered cape to his breast, and his eyes were the size of saucers.

"What..." he managed to get out, and all of his feathers quivered. "What is this...this...thing--?"

Chepi's mouth dropped open. "I BEG your PARDON--?"

Puka just gestured wildly with his hands. "What is this--this--" He flailed his arms at the air. "This--absolute--vision of--UTTER BEAUTY?!"

Now everyone else's jaws dropped. Except for Chepi's, which clicked shut, and she glanced from left to right before placing one tiny hand to her breast.

"Me?" she squeaked.

Puka at last stepped forward, still gesturing with his hands. "Never--ever EVER--have I seen such--such--" He paused long enough to engage in one particularly complex gesticulation. "--EXQUISITE SPLENDOR--in one place!"

Chepi's cheeks went pink. "You--you mean me?" she stammered, and Puka fell to his knees at her feet. Her wings flared when he clasped her hand, and Manabozho's eyes rolled back and he collapsed in the snow.

"Such unbearable loveliness!" Puka effused, staring up at Chepi in adoration. "All in ONE perfect face! I never once thought I would find anyone half as beautiful as myself--but you--YOU have BESTED me!"

Chepi blushed and put a hand to her face. "Oh--I get that a lot," she giggled.

Charmian almost swallowed her tongue.

"Surely not ENOUGH!" Puka gushed. "There is NO ONE on this Island who could ever find the words to describe such--such--INEFFABLE GLORY!!"

Chepi giggled giddily. "You're just saying that because it's true!" She waved at him. "But go on--keep saying it."

"All right," Charmian said, and turned away. "This is getting too weird for me."

Thomas had to catch up with her, wallowing through the snow. "I take it she's a friend of yours?" he whispered as Mani fell into step behind them, Wabasso helping Manabozho to his feet.

Charmian ground her teeth. "Hardly."

Mudjikawiss glowered as he stomped behind them. "That ASS is not going to pry himself away from that giggling dippleheaded tart."

Charmian glanced back to see that Puka was not following them. He still knelt holding Chepi's hand, and judging by the way she was giggling and blushing as he spoke, she guessed they could be at it for a while.

She shrugged. "We can come get him if we need him. She won't go too far." She turned back, then frowned. "What the heck's a 'dipplehead'...?"

Manabozho clenched his fists and his eyes flared blue. "As happy as I would be with him out of my life completely--the thought of him engaging in--in--ANYTHING with that--THING--!" He jumped in front of Charmian and waved his own arms. "CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT HELLIONS THEIR CHILDREN WOULD BE?!"

"They're far too interested in themselves to ever think of kids," Charmian retorted. "Now can we just get to Sugar Loaf already, for God's sake?"

"She is a TURTLE SPIRIT!" Manabozho growled, then fell into a fit of angry mumbling. Wabasso tossed Charmian a sympathetic look and she sighed, turning once more to the trail.

As she did so, something dark flitted from the corner of her eye, and she turned her head with a puzzled frown to look into the woods. The snow-heavy trees made everything hard to see, so she stopped walking and stared. The others came to a halt around her.

"Now what?" Thomas asked.

Charmian hesitated before shaking her head a little. "I don't know. I thought I saw something." She fiddled her fingers. "That's the bluff...I wonder if any of Elk's guys have come back yet? They all went down to the lake, just before I got to go to the cave. But Black Elk Horn seemed pretty set on staying down there and I haven't heard any commotion yet or anything."

Manabozho crowded by her and Marten clambered over her shoulders. "I think I smell something!" he exclaimed. "Something FUNNY! And not funhouse funny, but BAD funny!"

Charmian expected Manabozho to lambaste the little Mikumwesu, which was why she was even more surprised when he frowned and said under his breath, "I can feel it too."

Charmian's and Thomas's brows furrowed. "Feel it--?" she echoed, and Manabozho nodded.

"Whatever it is, it's not of the Island."

An icy little prickle of tension worked its way into Charmian's breast, and she bit her lip. They all stared silently into the woods for a long while as the snow fell around them, when the flicker came again, and she gasped and stiffened when she could just barely make out, between the fat falling flakes, the vague form of a man sneaking between the trees. He disappeared behind one, then reappeared on the other side, and then turned to disappear into a stand of them, vanishing from sight.

Charmian sucked in a breath which drew everyone's attention. "I--I know that guy!" she whispered. "I've seen him before!"

They all looked at her. "You have?" Marten asked.

"Where?" Thomas prompted.

Charmian's fingers grew colder than they had been before, and she clasped the cowrie shell hanging around her neck. "On the East Bluff," she answered. "And Crooked Creek said that he's the enemy!"

Continue:

Part 86: A Spy In Our Midst  (13+) A race for life turns into a race against death... #920521 by Tehuti, Lord Of The Eight

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