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Show 32 "Maybe your father will help us from the next world like Kachinqs do," Apa said. "Maybe," Chua said. He didn't say any more about his father. But his mother seemed to know. The air was silent and the moon shone brightly in the sky. Dark blotches of sagebrush and cactus dotted the horizon as far as Chua's eyes could see. The lone cry of a coyote broke the stillness of the air for a minute, and then faded to only the sound of their feet padding through the sand. Hour after hour Chua and Apa plodded along behind Ahote. The light of the moon helped them walk around the rocky places and sagebrush. "How does he keep going day after day with no food?" asked Chua. "The chewing root fiHs-him with strength," Apa said. "But his body will quit after V a while. It can't go on like this without nourishment." "He's still strong," Chua said. He rubbed the black lump on his shoulder. As the light of a new day rose, the-ereator painted the sky pink. The sun looked like a giant flower blooming at the edge of the earth. Chua pointed to a small dark line towards the horizon. "See Mother, that's the canyon. It won't be long now." "My legs feel like they are twisting and tying themselves in knots," Apa said. "I can't walk any more." Chua looked down at her feet. They were swollen almost double their size. As they neared the canyon, Chua hurried to catch Ahote. "My mother must rest," Chua said. "She can't," Ahote said. "We must continue." |