****
“Me? You want me to be a shaman?” asked Dooley, goggle eyed. He and his father had been invited to join the others in the Cabin, where Two Bears stated that he had selected Dooley Simple to be his official apprentice. Both father and son were stunned.
“It’s a huge honor,” said Ann. “No white person has ever been asked, not even a Goth has ever been asked.”
“Now wait just a minute,” objected Fred Simple. “It sounds to me like you’d just be making a target of my Dooley, maybe to save your own skins. Dooley a shaman? That’s absurd!”
“Being a shaman isn’t a matter of race,” said Two Bears. “Dooley has more raw natural shaman talent than anyone I’ve ever known, myself included. Even without a watch or knife, he has shown powerful shaman talent.”
“Talent?” huffed Fred. “Talent doing what?”
“Being part of the living world,” replied Two Bears. “He has learned much already, mostly on his own.”
Simple opened his mouth to reply to the big shaman but stopped himself and turned to Dooley. “Son, Two Bears and I will go out and talk together alone for a minute about this, OK?”
“Sure Pop,” said Dooley, smiling.
The diminutive Professor led the cooperative giant shaman outside, closed the door, and walked several meters from the cabin and out of hearing range of Jake Morgan and Billy Wilson before again speaking. “For being a good friend to Dooley all these years I am very thankful to you, Two Bears. I was apprehensive at first, but you have been very kind and giving with him; the whole Tribe has.”
“He has given back to us ten-fold anything that we have given him. He is a remarkable man.”
Simple shook his head. “He is indeed a wonderful person. Everyone that knows him loves him. But let’s be honest; he has certain limitations.”
Two Bears smiled. “Perhaps you have noticed the trees along the driveway that have been shaped. Dooley did that. Just some art work for Mort, said Dooley. It is a skill that only one shaman in ten has, given extensive training. Dooley started doing it as a young child without any training at all. His potential is astonishing. That is what Johnny and I both sensed years ago, even when they were children. Dooley sensed kindred talent in Johnny and in other Goths and the Tribe. We were drawn to each other. Johnny told me of this, many years ago, and I have since found it to be true. It was our great honor to make your son one of the Tribe. He uses his powers only for good, for as you have said, above all, he is a wonderful person.”
Simple shook his head. “You’re talking nonsense.”
“He has twice eluded Dark successfully, using shaman powers. You saw one example of that for yourself, Mr. Simple. Dark is what you would perhaps call an evil demon. He is immortal and has killed countless people. Dooley bested him twice, using his own special powers.”
Doc Simple nodded his head slowly. “It would explain some confusing things that have happened, but I’ve spent my entire adult life debunking such notions.”
“Yes, I’ve read your book. Ironic that you would spend your life traveling the country investigating strangers, when your own son is so gifted in terms of what you seek.”
“I’ve even seen a man fly and some other strange things here. But it’s all some kind of flim-flam, it has to be.”
“Is it? Look at your legs, Professor Simple.”
Simple looked down and saw it at about the same time he felt it, something sinuous wrapped softly around both of his legs. For a terrifying moment he thought it was snakes or some other horror, but it was only leafy vines, which must have gotten twisted around his feet as he walked into the forest. But even as he watched them they climbed higher, twisting up his legs very snake-like indeed. He tried to jerk his feet away but only lost his balance. He would have fallen, but a young tree bent down towards him, and pushed him upright again. “It’s a trick,” he muttered.
“Call it whatever you like, but it’s real, and Dooley is capable of doing such things also.”
The vines slipped higher, wrapping around his waist as the bent sapling straightened up, lifting Simple three feet off the ground.
“If it is real, this is my big break. This place is full of mysteries ready to be exposed. The academic world will go ape-shit!
“Is that what you want for your son? Do you want him studied by your universities and your government like some freak?”
The tree bent down, placing Simple gently on the ground, and the vines rapidly withdrew. Simple swayed, unsteady on his feet. “Of course not,” he managed to state emphatically. “Those bastards better keep their mitts off my Dooley.”
Smiling, Two Bears placed his own giant hand on the smaller man’s shoulder to steady him. “I am sorry, Professor, I didn’t mean to upset you. We offer a unique opportunity, for you as well as your son.”
“But wait a minute! Even if all of that is so, exactly what would his responsibilities be? What does the job pay? And what are the hours?”
“Very good questions,” admitted an amused Two Bears. “As a father you speak well for your son. In white-man terms, he’d go from part time to full time. It’s a lifetime appointment. He would spend more time with us but he could still visit his friends in town. Benefits would include a home with the Tribe for the rest of his life. He would be responsible for learning more shaman lore and helping the Tribe and Goths survive and keep their secrets.”
“OK,” sighed Simple. “If that’s what he wants I’ll go along with it. For Dooley.”
“Including keeping our secrets?”
His pudgy body sagged as he nodded his head sadly. “Yes. The whole Megillah. And I'm a man of my word, one hundred percent.”
The two smiling men shook hands.
They returned to the cabin and Two Bears explained to Dooley what his duties would be as Apprentice Shaman.
“And the forest?” asked Dooley.
“You show true understanding,” said Two Bears. “The forest in particular will be your responsibility. Helping the forest thrive and protecting it will be your number one job, Dooley, yours and Johnny’s.”
Johnny, grinning, gave Dooley a big hug. “Johnny and Dooley, partners again!”
“That sounds good,” said Dooley, but his gap-toothed smile abruptly disappeared. “I don’t think I can do it though,” he said, so softly that the others barely heard him.
“Why not?” asked Johnny, in astonishment.
“I have my Pop to take care of. He’s going to make a house for us both.”
“But I want your father to live here with you too,” explained Two Bears. “He can help us build a house that is both yours and his. But he also has to become a member of the Tribe.”
“Meaning exactly what?” asked Doc Simple, his suspicions again aroused.
“Chiefly you would have to take loyalty and secrecy vows,” explained Ann. “The Goths and tribe members all do it.”
“When I let you come with us to heal Dooley, I was already anticipating that you would become a Tribe member,” said Johnny. “I was assuming you would want to. Perhaps I have again assumed too much. But consider also that joining the Tribe is a two-way thing. The Tribe also pledges itself to each of its members. You’d never have to worry about yourself or Dooley being alone or being in need. It’s like joining a big extended family. Everyone shares and everyone pitches in.”
“But what about my research?” asked Simple. “Research is my life. I wouldn’t be able to publish any findings to the academic community. I assume that is what you mean by secrecy.”
“Yes and no,” said Two Bears. “Your research opportunities will expand beyond your wildest dreams. You will gain access to real things that you thought were only folk tales. You have seen only a very few things to this point; less than the tip of an iceberg, your people would say.”
Simple’s head was spinning. He had seen people fly and heal and cause plants to move. What more was there? “But I couldn’t tell anyone about it?”
“Probably not in your l
ifetime,” admitted Two Bears. “But at some point we will not be able to hide from the outside world any longer. At that point your research will become world famous, and very necessary to preserving what we have well into the future.”
“He’s right,” said Ann. “Your research when it is finally made public will be critical to achieving public understanding and acceptance, and preventing the outside world from turning Goth Mountain and the Tribe into a circus or a government project.”
“I think it’s brilliant,” Johnny added, grinning at Two Bears. “Professor, this is indeed the research opportunity of a lifetime. No, of a million lifetimes. We’ll all help you chronicle things, including Dooley and me. Someday your work will be of huge value both to us and to humanity. You’ll be world famous, and Dooley too.”
“There will still have to be acceptance of all of this by Ned’s friends, but that shouldn’t be a problem,” added Ann.
“I have discussed this with Baldor already,” pathed Two Bears to Johnny and Ann. “He trusts our judgment and he thinks that Pru will agree.”
“He and McGregor could collaborate,” replied Johnny.
“That has already been discussed also,” pathed Two Bears. “A trip to the Land of the People is likely sometime in the very near future for both Dooley and his father.”
“Dooley, what do you want us to do?” asked his father. “Would you like me to spend most of my time with you on Goth Mountain, while you live with the Tribe and Johnny and train to be a full shaman?”
Dooley’s smile was again huge. “Will there be berry pie too? And ice cream for Pop and me?”
“As much as you can eat,” said Ann. “I’ll see to that part. I’ve decided to stay on Goth Mountain also.”
Smiles and hugs ensued, brought up short by Two Bears raising his huge arms to signal silence and to regain everyone’s attention. “No time now for the usual ceremony, but this will do for now.” He drew out from its sheath his huge hunting knife, closed his eyes, and held it to his heart. After a moment of silence his eyes opened, and those present noted that he now held not just one knife, but two.
The second knife was a half-sized version of the first one, which appeared to be unchanged. “Tree Talker,” Two Bears announced solemnly, “I appoint you Tribe Apprentice Shaman. This knife is yours forever.”
He handed the knife to Dooley.
Dooley accepted the shaman artifact with a big smile. “I mostly figure on cutting pie with this.” His smile faded and sobered almost into a most un-Dooley like scowl. “But there won’t be no time for pie now, Johnny.”
Johnny nodded in agreement. “Right, partner. Let’s go find our Elizabeth.”
****