(no subject)
A woman who called herself Elizabeth Wile opened the door of her Sedona home to find a non-descript car in her driveway, and a Deputy US Marshal on her front steps.
"Good afternoon," she said, raising an eyebrow. "May I help you with something?"
"I hope so," the Marshal said, showing her badge. "Are you Ms. Wile? If so, would you mind answering a few questions?"
"I'm not sure what I could help you with," Elizabeth replied. Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. "But ask your questions."
"You've lived here for several years now, right ma'am?"
"Yes, that's true." The eyebrow stayed up.
"And you work in town?"
"I sell my art through one of the galleries. I work from home."
"And they pay you in cash, presumably. There's no record of them cutting checks to you." The tax returns were a little questionable as well, but she shouldn't know that, and didn't mention it, just in case.
And then the eyebrows were down, slanted sharply against Elizabeth's narrowed eyes. "I'm not entirely sure where this conversation is going, Marshal. Perhaps you should be more specific." Her diction was crisp and chilly
"You don't seem to exist before you came to Sedona. No social security, no previous employment, no mortgage on the house. It's in your name, certainly. But I don't see how. You have a license, but no actual driving records." The Marshal was leaning in, now, pressing her advantage.
"What exactly are you accusing me of?" Elizabeth snapped. "Being an illegal immigrant? Changing my name? Fraud?"
"I'm saying that things are not always what they seem to be. Mother." Bird stood firm, putting her badge away and staring into the other woman's eyes.
Coyote met her gaze, but didn't immediately deny the accusation. After that, it was probably too late to try. Admit the truth, or face legal repercussions that would seriously inconvenience her, if not land her on the wanted list. This girl was definitely her daughter. Definitely had been her daughter.
"You'd best come inside, little Bird. I can see this is going to be a long conversation, and we should not make it so convenient for prying eyes and ears."
Hours later, the conversation had moved to a local all night diner, and was continuing over the remains of sandwiches and slices of homemade pie.
"-that terrible Elvis imitation. And if you asked him to stop, begged him to stop, all he'd do is give that cheesy smile and say-"
"-he was big in Japan!" They both were wheezing with laughter at this point, giving a belated and loving wake to a man they both missed. However, only one of them admitted it.
Bird wiped tears from her eyes with her napkin as Coyote chortled and played with her leftover French fries. It was quiet in the diner; the waitress had discerned that there was a rather intense talk going on, and had stayed mostly clear since bringing the food.
The mood had changed several times, and it was swinging back to serious, now.
"He loved you so much. If all this is true, why didn't you stay?" Bird's stare was not accusing, so much as almost desperately trying to understand.
"Is that really the question you want to ask? You are no fool. You know the answer." Coyote didn't meet her gaze.
Bird looked down and away anyway. "I guess so. The whole town knew what happened. You couldn't just magically reappear as yourself. Or- or as anyone else. I think I understand." She did understand most of it. Just not all of it. She had never thought of her mother being afraid. "You couldn't have just-" She made a gesture that could be interpreted loosely as 'magic'.
Coyote snorts. "I Dream of Jeannie everything to make it the way I wanted it to be? No. It doesn't work like that."
"How does it work, then? Jay's always been more interested than I was about the more...mystical parts of life. I wasn't sure how much I believed. Especially after we thought you died. Until now."
"It is not something easy to explain. Think of the kachinas, or even mana, if you like."
"Manna from heaven?" Bird looked confused at what she interpreted as a non-sequitur.
Coyote frowned, distracted. "Did your grandfather make you go to church? Mana, one N, all things contain a spark of the divine."
"But-"
"Listen to me, girl! Not god, the divine. Or celestial, if you prefer. English is such a limited language."
Bird winced a little. She had been letting her Zuni slip recently. It was hard to find someone to practice with regularly, on her schedule. "All right, I'm listening. Do you mean everyone has magic?"
"Magic may not be the correct word also. What are you good at? What do you apply your passion to? Protecting people, upholding your law. And you are good at it, of course." There was pride hidden under her teaching tone.
"I am," she admitted. "Animals, too. I like working with people and animals. Learning things. Fixing problems. Are you saying that's my magic?"
"Something like that. You do not apply yours in the way society thinks of 'magic' these days. Not seeking to further your power, or through sympathetic idols like curses or kachinas, or even prayer or meditation. You use it because you are alive. You use it to be."
"It's a lot to take in."
"I know. I would not be offended if you needed to think about it for some time. It is only fair." She owed this girl who used to be her daughter that much, at least.
"You'll still be here?" Bird said, looking at her sharply. "You won't leave again, just because I found you?"
Coyote sighed. "No. Not for now. I will be here."
"Good. Because Jay wants to talk to you too." She handed Coyote a slip of paper as she stood. "He doesn't have a car, but he thought he could meet you somewhere in the middle." Coyote read the note- mainly an address- as Bird gathered her things. "I'll see you again soon."
"Soon," she agreed.
"Good afternoon," she said, raising an eyebrow. "May I help you with something?"
"I hope so," the Marshal said, showing her badge. "Are you Ms. Wile? If so, would you mind answering a few questions?"
"I'm not sure what I could help you with," Elizabeth replied. Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. "But ask your questions."
"You've lived here for several years now, right ma'am?"
"Yes, that's true." The eyebrow stayed up.
"And you work in town?"
"I sell my art through one of the galleries. I work from home."
"And they pay you in cash, presumably. There's no record of them cutting checks to you." The tax returns were a little questionable as well, but she shouldn't know that, and didn't mention it, just in case.
And then the eyebrows were down, slanted sharply against Elizabeth's narrowed eyes. "I'm not entirely sure where this conversation is going, Marshal. Perhaps you should be more specific." Her diction was crisp and chilly
"You don't seem to exist before you came to Sedona. No social security, no previous employment, no mortgage on the house. It's in your name, certainly. But I don't see how. You have a license, but no actual driving records." The Marshal was leaning in, now, pressing her advantage.
"What exactly are you accusing me of?" Elizabeth snapped. "Being an illegal immigrant? Changing my name? Fraud?"
"I'm saying that things are not always what they seem to be. Mother." Bird stood firm, putting her badge away and staring into the other woman's eyes.
Coyote met her gaze, but didn't immediately deny the accusation. After that, it was probably too late to try. Admit the truth, or face legal repercussions that would seriously inconvenience her, if not land her on the wanted list. This girl was definitely her daughter. Definitely had been her daughter.
"You'd best come inside, little Bird. I can see this is going to be a long conversation, and we should not make it so convenient for prying eyes and ears."
Hours later, the conversation had moved to a local all night diner, and was continuing over the remains of sandwiches and slices of homemade pie.
"-that terrible Elvis imitation. And if you asked him to stop, begged him to stop, all he'd do is give that cheesy smile and say-"
"-he was big in Japan!" They both were wheezing with laughter at this point, giving a belated and loving wake to a man they both missed. However, only one of them admitted it.
Bird wiped tears from her eyes with her napkin as Coyote chortled and played with her leftover French fries. It was quiet in the diner; the waitress had discerned that there was a rather intense talk going on, and had stayed mostly clear since bringing the food.
The mood had changed several times, and it was swinging back to serious, now.
"He loved you so much. If all this is true, why didn't you stay?" Bird's stare was not accusing, so much as almost desperately trying to understand.
"Is that really the question you want to ask? You are no fool. You know the answer." Coyote didn't meet her gaze.
Bird looked down and away anyway. "I guess so. The whole town knew what happened. You couldn't just magically reappear as yourself. Or- or as anyone else. I think I understand." She did understand most of it. Just not all of it. She had never thought of her mother being afraid. "You couldn't have just-" She made a gesture that could be interpreted loosely as 'magic'.
Coyote snorts. "I Dream of Jeannie everything to make it the way I wanted it to be? No. It doesn't work like that."
"How does it work, then? Jay's always been more interested than I was about the more...mystical parts of life. I wasn't sure how much I believed. Especially after we thought you died. Until now."
"It is not something easy to explain. Think of the kachinas, or even mana, if you like."
"Manna from heaven?" Bird looked confused at what she interpreted as a non-sequitur.
Coyote frowned, distracted. "Did your grandfather make you go to church? Mana, one N, all things contain a spark of the divine."
"But-"
"Listen to me, girl! Not god, the divine. Or celestial, if you prefer. English is such a limited language."
Bird winced a little. She had been letting her Zuni slip recently. It was hard to find someone to practice with regularly, on her schedule. "All right, I'm listening. Do you mean everyone has magic?"
"Magic may not be the correct word also. What are you good at? What do you apply your passion to? Protecting people, upholding your law. And you are good at it, of course." There was pride hidden under her teaching tone.
"I am," she admitted. "Animals, too. I like working with people and animals. Learning things. Fixing problems. Are you saying that's my magic?"
"Something like that. You do not apply yours in the way society thinks of 'magic' these days. Not seeking to further your power, or through sympathetic idols like curses or kachinas, or even prayer or meditation. You use it because you are alive. You use it to be."
"It's a lot to take in."
"I know. I would not be offended if you needed to think about it for some time. It is only fair." She owed this girl who used to be her daughter that much, at least.
"You'll still be here?" Bird said, looking at her sharply. "You won't leave again, just because I found you?"
Coyote sighed. "No. Not for now. I will be here."
"Good. Because Jay wants to talk to you too." She handed Coyote a slip of paper as she stood. "He doesn't have a car, but he thought he could meet you somewhere in the middle." Coyote read the note- mainly an address- as Bird gathered her things. "I'll see you again soon."
"Soon," she agreed.