Blood of the Rainbow (22 page)

Sara followed Myra out to the parking lot where they stopped by a metallic, black Audi Roadster. Myra punched her key control, and the locks opened with a chirp. “Nice car….”

Myra beamed. “Thank you. You really like it? It was a graduation present from Jared.”

“Yes, I do. Jared bought you a car for graduation!”

Myra grinned. “I guess being the baby has its advantages. Either that, or Jared felt overly generous that day.” She laughed. “I’m not complaining. Ever since Jared moved to Louisiana, and started making a decent salary, he’s been spoiling me.”

Sara narrowed her eyes and grinned. “Then why did you say what you did about Jared giving me his credit card?”

Myra started the car and revved the engine a couple of times. “Because, Jared does these things for people, but it has to be
his
idea. You’re the first person he’s given free range of his bank account.” She laughed again, pushed play on her stereo, and familiar music blared out the elaborate speaker system. “I’d let the top down, but I think it will be nicer with the air conditioner on.”

Sara narrowed her eyes in concentration.
Now how do you suppose Myra got her hands on this?
“That’s ok. I really don’t like my hair to be blown all over the place.” Curiosity was killing Sara. “Myra,” she prompted. “This CD was just recorded the other night, how did you get it so fast?”

Myra smiled. “Jared sent it to me. I love it! I love hearing you sing Sara. I’m looking forward to the convention. I wish I could sing like you.”

“Do you sing?”

Myra scoffed. “Only when Jared’s not around. He says my singing grates his ears. I’m
not
musically gifted like Jared.” Without prompting, Myra started singing. It didn’t take Sara long to understand. She thought Myra was pretty, her speaking voice was pleasant, but when it came to music, Myra couldn’t carry a tune if her life depended on it!

Sara smiled and tolerated the noise, but she was thankful when Myra parked in front of a Specialties Bookstore, and shut off the engine. Myra reached for the door handle. “Ok, let’s go see if we can find you something to read.”

------------

Inside the bookstore, it felt pleasant. The air outside was hot and dry. If Sara and Myra had been in Louisiana, they would have been sweating profusely, but in Arizona, there was precious little humidity.

Sara followed Myra. She seemed to know exactly where she was going. She led Sara past several rows of books and about halfway down one of the shelves. A few seconds later, they were standing in front of a huge selection of books, on Native Americans.

Myra pulled three off the shelf, handed them to Sara, and sat next to her, in one of the soft chairs in the reading area. “All right,” she said. “These are good if you want to be
entertained
, but trust very little of what’s written in them. They have
some
of the facts right, but not many.”

Sara left two of the books resting on her lap, and started thumbing through the third one. There were a lot of interesting, and colorful pictures. Sara pointed to one of the pictures. “Was this taken around here?”

Myra glanced at it and winced. “Well, according to the author, it was….”

“But?” Sara prompted.

“It was actually taken somewhere up in Washington, in Quileute territory.”

“You mean the tribe in the ‘Twilight’ books?” Sara asked, surprised. “They’re a real tribe!”

Myra made a face. “Oh yes. The tribe is
very
real.
Unfortunately
, some of the legends the author created in the books aren’t. To my knowledge, there are no such things or have there ever been for that fact, as ‘the cold ones’. That’s not to say there are no such things as vampires, but they’ve never been referred to as that. I suppose it might come from myths about their cold skin. I really can’t say for sure.”

Sara was hesitant. “You’ve never met - a vampire - have you?”

“Sara!” Myra scoffed. “Get real – girl!” she laughed. That didn’t exactly answer Sara’s question, but Sara knew it was all Myra was going to say on the subject.

Sara sighed. “Myra… I
don’t
want a bunch of books full of lies. I want something that will tell me the truth.”

Myra bit her lower lip. She narrowed her eyes at Sara, reading her, deciding how much she was willing to disclose. She sighed deeply. “There is only one book that will do that….”

“But?” Sara prompted, determined.

Jared was right about her. She doesn’t give up
. “It’s not in print anymore – at least it
shouldn’t
be,” she said, anxiously glancing around as if Jared might leap out from behind one of the other shelves. Slowly and cautiously Myra continued. “It was written a long time ago, and I don’t think Jared would approve of you reading it.” She stood, and glanced at some other books in that section.

Great! Another brick wall
. “Why not?”

“The book should never have gone to print – but it did.” She handed Sara a couple more books. “I’m sure you can find some things in these that will satisfy your curiosity.”
But they still won’t have what you’re looking for. Oh this is so unfair to Sara! It’s her future – it’s her life.

Yeah
,
but they’re not going to give me anymore answers than the others,
I’d guess.
Myra had already made the wrong mistake. She’d sparked Sara’s curiosity about this mysterious book now. “If it’s not in print anymore, how much harm could it do? Why wouldn’t he want me to read it? Come on Myra! Tell me what’s in it – please!”

Myra suspired forcefully again. “More than should be,” she said curtly, glaring at the man behind them, eavesdropping. He cleared his throat nervously and pretended to be reorganizing the books, at the end of the aisle.

“Nosey bastard,” Myra spat under her breath.

She handed Sara a couple more books. Her collection was growing. Book upon book. A tower of lies.
Not
what Sara needed! “In the meantime,” she continued, doing a little dance. “Scan through these. Some of the stuff is right, but again, not all of it. I’ll be right back. I’m gonna make a quick trip to the restroom,” Myra said, glowering at the man as she passed him.

Sara waited until Myra was a few aisles down from her, and rising on her tiptoes, watched until Myra disappeared behind the restroom door. Sara sat the stack of books Myra had given her on a chair, and hurried to the end of the aisle. Somehow, she felt the strange man could help her more than Myra was willing to.

Sara softly cleared her throat. “Excuse me….”

The man peered at Sara through narrowed eyes, looked her up and down, grinned wryly, and then responded. “Yes… can I get something for you?”

Sara nervously glanced toward the restroom. “I hope so. I don’t’ have a lot of time before my friend comes back. Do you have any books that can tell me the
true
legends about the Navajo people? Perhaps a book that’s no
longer
in print?” she prompted.

The man eyed Sara suspiciously, glanced toward the restroom, and then back at Sara. “Wasn’t that Myra Thundercloud you were with? George Thundercloud’s granddaughter?”

George - Thundercloud? George? Could that be?
Sara didn’t know who that was, and right now, although she was mildly curious, she didn’t have time for guessing games. Either he was going to help her, or he wasn’t. If he wouldn’t help her, Sara didn’t have time for this. “Yes,” she replied curtly. The man raised an eyebrow, and continued to scrutinize her. Sara glanced nervously toward the restroom doors again, expecting Myra to come bursting through them any second.

“Do you want to know about the Navajo – or do you want to know about
them
?” he said, motioning toward the restroom.

Sara sighed in exasperation. “Navajo, of course….”
Will you get on with it?
Her nerves were like an over-wound spring – ready to snap.

He lost interest. “Then I can’t help you. If you want to know about
them….”
He motioned with his head.
“That’s
a different story….”

“All right! Fine! Whatever! But hurry, I don’t want her to know!”

“Are you sure you want to do this? They get upset when people find out about their -
secrets
.”

Sara furrowed her brow and again glanced impatiently toward the restroom. “Listen, I don’t have time for all this. Do you – or do you not - know of such a book?”

 He responded slowly. “Yes… I know of the book you’re talking about, written by George Thundercloud, but the book comes with a curse.”

Sara smiled slightly. It sounded almost as stupid as Sara asking Myra about vampires. Obviously, the man was trying to make a s. Sara didn’t believe in curses – did she? “Did you say it was written by
George
Thundercloud?” Sara was starting to make the connection.
If what he’s saying is true, no wonder Jared didn’t want me to know about this.

After what Jared had told Sara about his grandfather, and his dreams, Sara knew if anyone could give her answers, it would be Jared’s grandfather. But, if the old man lying in that hospital bed is George Thundercloud, how could she get answers from a dying man, deep a coma?

“Yes. George Washington Thomas Thundercloud. Tom Thundercloud’s father. But like I said, the book comes with a curse.”

Sara shook her head.
The man is being more ridiculous than I am. Werewolves? Vampires? Curses? Honestly Sara! The next thing you know, he’ll be trying to sell you the heart of the ocean!
Sara was getting irritated. “I don’t give a damn about stories or curses! I don’t believe in them! And I’m
not
superstitious either!”

The man looked insulted, and turned to leave. Sara grabbed his wrist. “Wait!” she snapped. “Please, can you tell me where I can get a copy of this book? That’s all I want to know.” Sara knew Myra would be back soon. In fact, she should already be back. Unless she’s stalling. What if she’s calling Jared?
Oh that would just be my luck.
“Well…?”

The man glanced down at his wrist, and then looked back at Sara. She released him, not realizing she’d been squeezing harder than she’d intended. The man rubbed his wrist and narrowed his eyes again. “Yes… but it will cost you, and you accept full responsibility for any consequences that may arise from you reading it.”

Sara breathed a sigh of relief. She took out her wallet with trembling fingers. “Fine – fine, just tell me how much, and where I can get it.” Sara’s hands were sweating, her heart was pounding. She felt awful about this – really awful. It felt wrong, but she had no choice. Not if she wanted to know what was going on, and what it had to do with Jared.

He raised both eyebrows. “I have the book in the back, but it will cost you a hundred dollars….”

You’re not trying to make a sale! You’re trying to rob me!
Sara furrowed her brow. “What? A hundred dollars? For one book – are you out of your mind?”

He turned to leave. “That’s my price – if you want it….”

Sara watched him until he was near to the end of the aisle. Nervously she glanced one last time toward the restroom. “Fine!” she called out.

The man stopped and slowly turned, grinning wryly. “Are you sure?”

Sara groaned and handed him the money. “Yes!” He took it and started to walk away. “Wait! What about my book?”

“Like I said, it’s in the back. I’ll have to get it for you.”

“All right, just wait a minute!” Sara rushed back to her collection of books.  She grabbed the first two off the top of the pile and followed him to the checkout counter. The man laid her stack of books on the counter, and started ringing them up.

Myra walked up behind Sara without making a sound. “Did you decide on something?”

Sara jumped. “Yes, I did!” she said, catching her breath.

Myra smiled. “Geez – you’re a nervous one, Sara, chill out!”

“That will be forty-five dollars and fifty-five cents, please,” he said with a grin of satisfaction. “Will that be cash, or credit card?”
You sorry thief!
You’ve got a hundred dollars of my money! What do you want now - my blood too?

Sara fumbled in her purse. She glanced at Myra with wide eyes. “Oh shit!”

“What is it?” Myra whispered in Sara’s ear.

“I can’t find Jared’s credit card,” Sara whispered under her breath, sounding desperate. “Can you go out and look under the car seat, and see if it fell out? Oh God Myra – he’s going to kill me! He’ll never trust me with it again,” Sara said, nervously piling things on the counter, as she dug through her purse.

“Sure!”

Sara waited until Myra left the store. She whirled. “All right – get my book,” she said sternly. “And hurry up!”

He smiled condescendingly, sliding the book out from an ordinary brown envelope. “Relax - it’s already in your bag.”

Sara gasped. “That’s it? How can you justify charging me a hundred dollars for that? It’s got what – fifty or a hundred pages?” She was seething.

“It is - what it is, and you tell no one where you got it, or I’m taking it out, and the deal is off,” he added with another sly grin. “You could always find out the hard way….”

Sara clenched her teeth, “Fine! Just hide the damn thing between the other books.”

He opened one of the bigger books and concealed the little book between the pages. It fit easily. He looked at Sara, raised his eyebrows, waiting for her approval. “Satisfied?” he asked sarcastically.

Sara sighed and nodded, as she handed him Jared’s credit card, from her back pocket. The man took the card and grinned again. “You’re a sly one, aren’t you Sweetheart?”

Sara narrowed her eyes and glowered at him. “Don’t you have something to do?” she prompted with sarcasm.

The man put Jared’s card in the machine and handed Sara the control. “Enter your PIN numbers please.”

Sara took out the business card Jared had given her, concealed it with her hand and keyed in the number.

They waited. Nothing happened. A few seconds later the card was rejected.

“Hmm,” he commented and removed the card from the machine. “There – now try it.”