Casey wore only his loincloth, standing in the gardens of the Annexe. He took a small bundle of sage, and, using a lighter, set it on fire. He blew it out so it smoldered, the scent filling the air.
Before him, spread out on a woven reed mat, were offerings of fruit, grilled beef and trout, fire-baked bread, and succotash.
“Wahhh, sehhh…” he chanted, beginning the hymn:
I sing of Sky Woman
Eldest of all beings.
You feed the creatures of the land
and all that are in the seas,
And all that fly.
Through you, men are blessed
with children and harvests –
To you my life belongs.
To you my life can be taken.
You bring me wealth and power,
you fill my life with purpose.
Hail to thee, mother of men,
wife of Thunder God, bountiful goddess!
I sing of Thunder God
Deep-sounding from thy lofty height.
You bring light to the creatures of the land,
and all that are in the seas,
and all that fly.
Through you, men are blessed
with rain and life and fire.
To you belong the storms and air,
Any wrath upon me is ever deserved.
You bring me power and strength,
You fill my life with purpose.
Hail to thee, father of the sky,
husband of Sky Woman, untamed god!
He stopped, and bowed before the offerings. “Please come to partake of my humble offerings, and listen to what I have done in your name.”
Then he sat down, closing his eyes. He started to go through his memory of things that he’d done, and throughout them all were some flashes of time spent with Cedric. He couldn’t truly concentrate.
“You love him, don’t you?”
Casey’s eyes flashed open. Sitting on the opposite side of the reed mat was a woman in jeans and a simple t-shirt and jacket, a wide-brimmed cowboy hat on her head. She had dark coloring, Indian red-tinged skin. She looked up at him, her black eyes reflecting her smile.
“Soniac,” he whispered.
She reached over and picked one of the grilled sirloin tips, and bit into it. “Hino has seen what you have done, Black Fox. We know you do well.”
He lowered his head.
“Yet you still are afraid.”
“The lodge I was with, they’re hunted by some, and they think I’ll tell their secrets.”
“You have not, thus far.”
“No, I have not, and I will not. But they don’t trust me. I don’t trust them. I want to be sure that they’ll leave me alone.”
She took some of the grilled fish. “Leave them alone.”
“They’ll make Cedric choose.”
“You can support him in his choice.”
“If he chooses the pack–”
Soniac ate a strawberry. “You will not be harmed.”
She said it with such firm conviction, as if it had already been decided and set in motion. At that moment, all of his fears lifted from his shoulders and he let out a relaxed sigh.
She took a piece of bread and scooped some succotash on it. “We will know if you bait the wolves.”
“I won’t, I promise.”
She smiled. “You can play with only one wolf, the one who loves you.” She stood up. “Do not waste what you offer; put it in the common area and let all partake. All offerings of mine, do this for me.”
“I will, my lady.”
She finished the morsel, and came around. She bent and kissed him gently on the cheek, and her warmth and love spread through him, like flowing water. “I love you,” he sighed, his eyes closed in happiness and joy.
And then she was gone.