Making It Personal
"THIS IS NOT all that Megissogwun did when last he came here," Geezhigo-Quae said softly, and the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes were such that Charmian fell silent, a vague sense of unease creeping up inside her.
She slowly turned away from the entry to the Sky Tree's main room, to face the old manitou woman again. "What do you mean...?" she asked hesitantly, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.
Geezhigo-Quae did nothing but stare at her for a moment, so she stepped back into the room, crossing the sloping floor. Geezhigo-Quae moved to the balcony to look out at the landscape and Charmian followed her, fiddling her fingers a little bit. She sensed that the manitou felt calmer looking out here, somehow, and so didn't complain. She'd never stood so far out on the balcony so for the first time she noticed that some of the branches of the Tree extended out into their line of sight, and she could just barely make out the forms of the Michinimakinong making their way along them, back and forth, doing various tasks. She looked down and could see several more in the distance--possibly stragglers from Cheengwun's mining expedition. She frowned a little, though she didn't know why.
"I know that Megissogwun recognized me when he came for me the second time," Geezhigo-Quae said. "In fact, he must have come here intentionally. He is not the sort of manitou to mince words, or perform useless actions, as you've doubtless seen."
"Pretty much," Charmian agreed.
"There was a great amount of upset when he first attempted to carry me off a long time ago," Geezhigo-Quae continued. "The other great manitous--they are even older than I am, yet far gone from here by now--fought and argued and called for blood. It was known that I would be one of their number someday. Based on his actions, most believed that this Pearl Feather sought me out to take my medicine, as I was merely the most convenient target--he was not as powerful back then as he is now."
"That's kind of what I was wondering," Charmian said. "I got the feeling that the Red Swan is...was...um..." she fumbled a bit "...really powerful...maybe."
"He stole nothing from me that time, however," Geezhigo-Quae said. "Perhaps he merely never got the chance. I grew and took my place in the sky, and then here, after Gitchi Manitou created the first Island. I loved that Island. It was not mine, but sometimes I felt that it had been made just for me. There were no people upon it then, no Michinimakinong or Ocryxes--only the manitous, the Wendigoes and Nebanaubae and little folk. The Wendigoes, they were a bit of a pest, but there were never very many of them and the manitous and such knew to keep out of their way. I went to look at that Island every single day. It came to feel almost like a duty. But that place brought me peace." She shuffled her wings. "Megissogwun decided to destroy that peace. He did not care if the Island lived or died. He did it merely to get to me."
Charmian's brow furrowed. "Get to you--? You mean, get back at you?" When Geezhigo-Quae nodded her confusion grew. "But why? He could've easily taken your power a long time ago, couldn't he? What was his whole point in all this?"
"He stated his intentions when he showed up at my Tree," Geezhigo-Quae replied. "He said that he wanted me for his wife."
Charmian's jaw dropped. "Wife?" she blurted out, then shook her head and snapped her mouth shut. "Sorry!!" She cringed. "He really said that--?" A nod. Charmian made a face. "Honestly? He hardly looks like the type to get married--I rather thought he HATED women!"
"I do not believe it was necessarily love," Geezhigo-Quae replied, pursing her lips. "Merely that he'd recognized my power...perhaps this was his way of combining it with his own. Perhaps he could not steal it, directly, and this was the only way. Or perhaps he merely felt he deserved the honor." She lifted a shoulder. "In any case, when he first showed up at my Tree, he demanded this. I turned him down. What purpose would I have wedding such a creature? I remembered him as well, and I could tell that he had only dark things in mind. He vowed to destroy everything that mattered to me if I did not obey. I refused, and he...disappeared." Her brow furrowed a little, as if she'd forgotten this until now. "I had not even known he wasn't really here. He has this ability, to show himself far from where he really is, yet one can sense his medicine and it is as if he's truly there. He did this just before the long knife in red left the Tree, to follow the rest of you. I'm fairly certain the long knife saw him as well."
"Chakenapok kind of does the same thing," Charmian said with a frown, "only he's a lost spirit, and Megissogwun isn't...at least, if the way he keeps beating people up is any indication..." She shook her head and then nodded. "So...is that when he destroyed the Island?"
Geezhigo-Quae nodded, looking weary. "I had honestly not thought he would do such a hideous thing. I thought that perhaps, he would attack my Tree, or send something after me, or...I do not even remember everything I thought. I only remember standing and watching as Gitchi Manitou's Island disappeared under the waves. Gitchi Manitou had set me to protect that Island...and I failed, because I underestimated this manitou." Her wings lowered. "I cannot even describe how I felt watching the manitous and little folk and even the Wendigoes die. Every single one of them, it felt as if it were my fault. I could not do a thing to help them."
"That's just it," Charmian said, trying to think of something to say. "You already know he's powerful--it's probably best that you didn't try to fight him. You wouldn't have been able to create the second Island."
Geezhigo-Quae stared at her for a moment, and she began to fidget; then the old woman looked away. "Even as the Island drowned I vowed that somehow I would make it right," she murmured. "I did not know how, but I promised it to myself and to Gitchi Manitou."
"And then you called the Winds to take care of Megissogwun," Charmian said.
To her surprise, Geezhigo-Quae shook her head. "No," she said in an odd voice. "That was after he came to my Tree again."
"Again...?" Charmian's frown returned. "You mean, he came back--?"
Geezhigo-Quae nodded. "And this time," she said, "it was truly him. I had even strengthened my Tree in case he would try such a thing...yet he came within, as easily as a person passes through a spiderweb. What he'd done to the Island did not teach me a thing about how powerful he was. We met right here, in this room." She turned and gestured at the sloping floor; Charmian looked as well, although there was nothing really to see. "He walked in as if he owned this Tree and everything in it," Geezhigo-Quae said quietly, and Charmian shivered.
"Did he ask you again?" she asked. "Even after flooding the Island?" A nod. "How the heck could he ASK that after doing THAT?"
A slight shrug. "Recall that he seems to be ruled by his pride in himself. He never made any attempt at winning me. I already knew he was willing to destroy in order to get what he wanted."
"Did you call the Winds then?" Charmian asked.
Geezhigo-Quae was silent for a long time before replying, "After he left."
Charmian let out her breath. "Well..." she rubbed her head "...at least he never got to come back for the second Island...at least until now. That means you recognized what he could do, doesn't it? And you avenged the first Island, so you must have done everything you could to make it right for Gitchi Manitou."
"It was not only the Island I was avenging," Geezhigo-Quae murmured, and Charmian lifted her head to look at her, but the manitou woman's eyes had turned distant; she was staring at the sloping floor. Charmian looked at it again, but saw nothing; she frowned to herself in puzzlement. Geezhigo-Quae was silent for such a long time that she began to wonder whether she was meant to head back to the shortcut or not, but decided to wait, just in case, although it was hard to keep herself from fidgeting impatiently. Geezhigo-Quae's wings rustled a little bit, then she met Charmian's eyes. Charmian felt trapped all of a sudden, and had to fight even harder not to squirm or look away.
"Megissogwun vowed that he would take away everything that mattered to me," Geezhigo-Quae said. "Everything of importance. He took away my Island. This was not the only thing he took away from me. He came to my Tree...and he took what else mattered to me."
"Your Tree?" Charmian said, as it was simply the first thing that came to mind; then she closed her mouth and the two of them stared at each other. Her eyes wandered a bit; the Tree was still here, obviously, and Geezhigo-Quae had never said a thing about it being destroyed. Her stare moved toward the sloping floor and paused there; she remembered Mani and herself meeting Megissogwun on the Island, how he had acted as if they hadn't mattered in the least...how he had approached them again on the bluff near Arch Rock, batting Manabozho aside as if he were nothing...how he must have treated Niskigwun while they were away, tearing out his wings and impaling him with his own spear as if he did such things as a matter of course...and then she thought of his first demand on Geezhigo-Quae...and then she tried to think of what would matter the most.
She felt a chill start to creep up her arms, and rubbed at them uneasily. She had to turn away from staring at the floor, as doing so gave her a queasy feeling now; she turned back to Geezhigo-Quae, and her face must have been pale, and the look in her eyes must have been obvious, for the manitou woman's own stare softened and then shifted slightly aside. She motioned at the balcony, and they both turned back to it again, Charmian shivering with a bit of relief.
"He would honestly do such a thing...?" she whispered, not expecting an answer.
"I had not thought so," Geezhigo-Quae replied, "yet he did."
Charmian was silent for a moment, then her head popped up in alarm. "Turtle--!!" Even before the word was fully out of her mouth, the old woman was shaking her head, and she let out a breath. "You're sure...?"
"He has never disguised his intentions, even if he uses deceitful means," Geezhigo-Quae said. "If he says he kidnapped Turtle to make certain that Kabeyun is found, then this is why he did it. If he says that she is still alive and well, then this is so. He deceives--but he does not lie. Everything he has vowed, he has upheld." Her wings lowered. "Everything," she said softly.
"So this was never truly about the Island at all," Charmian said. "It was about you?"
"This is what I believe." She lifted her head to meet Charmian's eyes again. "When he last came to the Tree--when the long knife was hiding here--he vowed that he would do this again. That he would destroy everything I hold dear. He has already taken this one thing from me. He already destroyed the old Island, and is threatening to do so to the next." She paused. "When I called the Winds, it was to avenge the Island, yes; but it was also to avenge what was done to me. I had my own reason for calling them. I just did not tell them."
"But why keep this secret for so long?" Charmian asked. "It's not like any of it's your fault! If anything, maybe it would've made the Winds fight harder for you--? And everybody with me, I know they would agree..."
"I did not want anyone else to know," Geezhigo-Quae said. "Aside from Gitchi Manitou--who knows all--there is no one who knows yet but the Pearl Feather, and yourself."
"But...why?" Charmian asked, perplexed.
In response, Geezhigo-Quae's gaze shifted again, until she was staring out and slightly upward. Charmian followed her stare, and found that she was looking at one of the outstretching branches of the Tree. Two younger Michinimakinong were dangling their legs over the limb; another, older one came along and grasped them by the arms, scolding them and leading them along. Geezhigo-Quae next looked at a slightly lower branch and here Charmian saw Cheengwun himself pacing with a pensive look on his face; a third look was directed down at the meadow below, where several Michinimakinong children were playing while their mothers worked and chattered nearby. Understanding slowly began to dawn, and Charmian took in a slow breath. She looked at Geezhigo-Quae again, eyes wide.
"The Turtle Fairies," she whispered. "You mean they..."
"The one good thing which came of all this," Geezhigo-Quae said quietly, her blue eyes glimmering.
Charmian stared at her for a moment, then looked back out at Cheengwun. "You're their ancestor," she said, her voice soft and almost dazed. "Niskigwun doesn't call you Grandmother just because he respects you..." She blinked and turned back. "Megissogwun is--?"
"I would prefer if you did not tell this to anyone," Geezhigo-Quae said, still staring at her, and Charmian's mouth snapped shut again, as if she'd been about ready to yell the news out to Cheengwun himself. She first felt her ears grow warm; then she dropped her stare, and felt almost like slinking out of the Tree.
No wonder she didn't want to tell! What would they think? If they found out that they're...that he's...
She started gnawing on her lip. "He threatened to destroy them too?" she asked.
"This is the only thing I can think of," Geezhigo-Quae said. "Everything he said to me when he was here--I believe he fully intends to destroy Kabeyun, and the Island, and my Michinimakinong...no matter what they might be, to him...he has always cared only for himself. If they are not in his plans, then he is fully willing to kill them all...just to get back at me."
Silence filled the Tree. They stood and stared out at the grassy landscape, the little group of Turtle Fairies below picking up their belongings, the children running off toward their camp. Cheengwun was gone from sight.
"I wonder now if I should have sent you along on this task," Geezhigo-Quae murmured.
Charmian blinked, then looked at her. The manitou woman still stared out over the balcony. Charmian bit her lip, then reached out and gingerly touched her hand. She felt awkward doing it, as if it were impolite, and did draw her hand back after a second; yet Geezhigo-Quae turned to give her a somewhat surprised look.
"I don't care what he threatens," Charmian said. "You know me! It doesn't matter what it is. If it's threatening the Island, then I'm going after it, no matter who asks or if nobody asks at all." She paused. "And Manabozho agrees...even if he won't say so. And Niskigwun...and everybody else."
Geezhigo-Quae stared at her for a moment, then her eyes softened. "After seeing what you did the last time you were on the Island," she said, "I do not doubt you." She stood up straight and turned to face her. "What do you intend to do regarding all this?"
"Kabebonikka's our best bet," Charmian said, her mood deflating a little. "We should be reaching him soon...I hope."
"What of this Red Swan woman?" Geezhigo-Quae asked.
Charmian finally fell silent; now, after hearing all that the sky manitou had to say, she wasn't sure what to think of the Red Swan. "I don't know," she admitted at last. "But she must be related...so I'm guessing I'll find out soon." She paused. "We've already run into Mishosha--he seems to be Megissogwun's righthand man--and I get the feeling that he's going to be coming after us even harder now that we're headed north. He has at least one manitou from the Island with him!" she said, suddenly remembering.
Geezhigo-Quae frowned. "It must be one of the old ones," she mused, puzzled. "Though how this Mishosha got hold of one, I have no idea...perhaps he himself visited the Island once? Or perhaps Megissogwun brought the manitou to him--this I would not doubt."
"Well, I'm betting we'll find out soon," Charmian said. She adjusted her pack. "I have to get going now. Keep an eye on the Island, will you?"
Geezhigo-Quae's mouth twitched. "Need you ask?"
Charmian gave a faint smile, bobbed her head a bit self-consciously, and turned to go. She waved as she stepped out the door, taking a bit of heart in Geezhigo-Quae's responding wave; then she shrieked and jumped when she nearly ran into Cheengwun. He flared his wings but gave her a curious look as she attempted to regather herself.
"I thought you might need a ride back to that hole of yours," he offered.
Charmian paused to catch her breath. "Y...yeah...that'd be nice...thanks." Cheengwun gestured and she started following him, which was just as well, as she wasn't sure of which way to head in to go back in the direction of the tunnel. They passed several other Michinimakinong along the way; Charmian glanced at each one, biting her lip and thinking about what she'd just been told. No matter how hard she looked...none of them even resembled him...
She blinked. Turtle is part Michinimakinong. That means that even she...
The fingers of one hand curled in on themselves, digging into her palm.
"Something not good has happened," Cheengwun said in a quiet voice; she lifted her head to look at him, puzzled, and he peered to the side to meet her eyes. "Hasn't it?" he added, and she shrank in on herself.
"Nothing...nothing too bad," she said.
Cheengwun's mouth twisted in an odd way, as if he were appraising her and she was coming up wanting. "Your face scrunches up when you lie," he said, and she grimaced even more. "Is it Niskigwun?" he asked, and she felt like pulling her vest over her head. She hated the look that he got on his face when he slowed his step. "It is--?"
"He's okay," Charmian said, making sure to think, At least he's alive. At least he was talking and in good hands, so that her face wouldn't scrunch up so much. Cheengwun stared at her hard for a moment or two, then sighed and turned away, walking again, though with considerably less spirit than before. Charmian found herself wishing that she hadn't run into him at all. She thought of whoever would have to tell him the news that his elder brother had just been impaled and had his wings torn out, and was grateful that the other Michinimakinong was no longer looking at her, for her face must have looked truly awful then.
They reached the end of the branch and, climbing on his back again, she held on tight as he zoomed out over the land and up higher into the air, soaring over the meadow and trees and back toward the mine. The other Turtle Fairies were still hard at work chipping at the rock; Cheengwun landed at a safe distance, and they started picking their way back toward where the tunnel had led her.
"What exactly are you guys doing here, anyway?" Charmian asked, trying to dispel his gloomy mood; she couldn't help but feel responsible for it.
"Digging for ore," Cheengwun replied. When she indicated the leather masks and gloves that some of the Michinimakinong wore, he gestured at an area where a bunch of sparks and steam suddenly arose. "They set fires atop the rock, and then pour water over it, so the rock breaks and exposes what we're looking for." They reached the tunnel and he gestured at the ground. "This is where I was working...see?"
Charmian looked down to see a basket full of little hunks of copper. "Oh," she said, surprised. "Huh. You guys like copper?"
"The red stone?" Cheengwun nodded, eyes growing. "It's precious!"
Charmian's brow furrowed. "Where I come from they make the cheapest money--um--trade items with it!" she exclaimed. "Gold is what they like where I'm from."
"Yellow stone?" Cheengwun made a scoffing noise. "Ridiculous!"
"Well...I better get going." Charmian leaned down to peer into the tunnel, then put her foot inside. "I'll tell Niskigwun hi for you," she offered, hoping that it would make him feel better.
In response she felt a tap on her shoulder, and looked back. Cheengwun hesitated for a moment, biting his own lip, then stooped to dig around in the basket. He pulled out the biggest hunk of copper--it was about the size of her fist--and looked at it for a second, then reluctantly handed it over. Charmian frowned as she took it, turning it left and right.
"Take this," he offered, and her head shot up. "Perhaps...perhaps it will be useful to bargain with," he suggested, and the look in his eyes was such that she couldn't refuse it. She pulled her pack around to place it inside, checking to make sure that she'd blocked the tear in the bottom properly, then adjusting the straps.
"Sure," she said. "Thanks." She waved. "Hope to talk to you again some more sometime soon!" she said, and crawled into the tunnel.
She barely saw the way that his eyes lit up before she had to turn away. "Likewise!" he exclaimed, and she clambered into the dark. "Goodbye!"
I rather wish he'd said, "Good luck!" instead, Charmian thought with a sigh, but didn't bother responding further. She crept over the loose soil that she'd knocked out of her way, and headed back up the tunnel.
Her mind was mostly preoccupied with thoughts of all that she'd just been told as she crawled along. She worried even more about Turtle, but hoped that Geezhigo-Quae was right. Then she thought of what Megissogwun had done to Niskigwun, simply because they were taking too long...and her jaw set.
Taking too damn long for you? Fine. We'll get moving now. But if you try something like that again...
I don't stand even the SMALLEST chance against him. None of us do! He makes even Mudjikawiss look like a wimp. The only one who might've stood a chance against him was Chakenapok...and his powers are gone...and even HE said he wouldn't have been strong enough for even the wabanos...!
I hope at least together, we stand a tiny bit more of a chance...
She slowed her crawl and bit her lip. She'd vowed before to give her life for the Island if needed, yet every time that she'd promised that, it had seemed like only a vague possibility. Knowing just how powerful this manitou was...and how little a chance any of them stood against him, and how many allies he had...that possibility seemed distinctly stronger now.
She shook her head and kept on crawling. There was time to think about such things later. She reached out a hand to nudge a falling web back into place.
Charmian! You spoke to her!
Charmian gasped and hit her head on the ceiling of the tunnel. As soon as she shut her eyes, she found the Red Swan staring right back at her.
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