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PART IIIThe Progenies of Dreams

This is the land of the Pomo. With its rolling hills and low mountains, its beauty isboth contained and enduring. While other lands bow to the bulldozer’s blade and thebuilder’s blueprints, these lands stand strong and stay true to nature’s sublime design.The animals loosed in the Mendocino forest seemed to have their own agenda.Over a period of two years, the little Hopland band of Indians reported animals of dissimilar descriptions, which behaved much like wolves but were bolder and clearlyunafraid of humans.Seldom seen was the particular creature that gave them the greatest concern. Being the most remarkable one of the pack, it was obviously different from the rest. Horrifying to encounter, it became the topic of every home.Until the first attack in the casino parking lot, the animals had shown noaggression. The simple explanation was that they only to wanted to be seen. Then oncethe first blood spilled, the reservation was in near panic. Some of the families moved intotown to get away from the threat, but the majority stayed, hoping for a solution.The younger generation listened to their elders, some for the first time. Reaching out for an explanation, they wanted to hear the ancient lore passed down from previous generations. The upside of it was that it drew families and neighbors closer together and gave them a common concern.

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One particular woman still living on the reservation, Angeni Darkcloud, long held the respect of the community because of her age and her wisdom. She was as much a person of lore as were the persons of antiquity from which her stories came. From thedreams and visions of the ancients, she imparted wisdom. Yet more effectually, from her knowledge of God, she reassured the people.One of the most lucid perceptions of wisdom that she purported was that a strong warrior would come. This promised warrior would return from a distant land to rid thewoods of the frightful dogs, bringing tranquility back to the band. People talked openly about the prophecy, because they believed that somewherein it was the answer. Some felt that such lore was pure superstition, while others believed that some dreams are from God, and that His ways are mysterious. They debated themeaning of each nuance of the old woman’s telling, but they lowered their voices to awhisper whenever they mentioned the name of the person to whom they thought the prophecy referred; the strong warrior who would come, and evidently had returned,whose name was Shine.

Chapter 1

Big Earl Farley awoke at a few minutes after 5 o’clock that Saturday morning. Hedrew back the drapes only to see a well-lit parking lot full of vehicles. He padded acrossthe room to the bathroom area and saw himself in the mirror. He was pleased to see thathis features were those of the

Old

Earl, the antique dealer.After a leisure shower and shave, he dressed in his cream western suit. From hissuitcase, he withdrew the holster and gun. Strapping the gun belt around his thick girth,243

he stood before the mirror again. He needed one more thing – this had to be

right.

Abovehis clothes, hanging in the closet was an oversized Stetson. Fitting it on his round head,he tipped it slightly and stood back to take a look-see. It put old Earl in a traveling mood.Earl bounced his 400 plus pounds lightly out of the room and threw his bags intothe Ford. Early mornings always made Earl feel exuberant. Apart from the lights aroundthe motel, it was still dark. It was yet another 40 minutes or so until daybreak.He was practicing his quick-draw when a cat, black with white markings, dartedfrom between the cars to the sidewalk. “Here Kitty, Kitty,” he cooed, beckoning the leerycat closer. It looked up at him and meowed. “Here Kitty.” It started to approach him, butthen hesitated. Sensing the danger, the cat arched its back and hissed at him, showinghis sharp white teeth.“Oh, so you want a fight, huh?” Earl said. Standing with his boots planted wide,he pulled his coat back, revealing the handle of his six-shooter. “Make your move,” hedared the cat. It backed up until it was almost to the wall when it hissed again. Earl drewand fired from his hip, missing the animal by at least three feet and hitting the motel wall.The cat leaped straight up in the air and hit the ground running. It moved so fast that Earldidn’t have time to take aim, but he fired anyhow, taking out a motel window.Angered, he sprinted like an angry bear along the sidewalk in the direction the cathad gone. Then walking slowly and with absolute focus like a cattleman looks for coyotes, he eyed the landscape and watched for movement on the ground.Through the glass doors, Earl could see the night clerk dozing in a chair. He hadnot heard the shots, and evidently, nobody had called the front desk to find out what wasgoing on.244