Manitou Canyon by William Kent Krueger Page B

Bloody Mary for Harris. Although Rainy knew that it would have been better for the young man not to be drinking alcohol if he was going to agree to the sweat, she said nothing.
    When their drinks had been delivered, Harris took a long sip, folded his hands on the table, and smiled at them. “All right.”
    â€œCork told us about the vision you had,” Rainy said. “I wonder if you’d mind sharing it with us.”
    â€œWhy?”
    Rainy said, “Do you know anything about the Grand Medicine Society?”
    â€œNever heard of it. Is it like the AMA?”
    â€œNot exactly, but they’re healers. Ojibwe healers.”
    â€œOkay. So?”
    â€œI’m a member of the Grand Medicine Society. A Mide. My great-uncle, a man named Henry Meloux, is also Mide. Cork told us about your vision. But we’d like to hear it from you firsthand.”
    â€œBecause?”
    â€œIn the hope of understanding it better and maybe helping you to understand it better.”
    â€œI understand it fine.”
    â€œThere’s something else, Trevor, something you don’t know.”
    He waited.
    â€œIn your vision, as I understand it, Stephen O’Connor spoke to you.”
    â€œYes, that’s true.”
    â€œStephen is on his way here now. He’s had a kind of dark premonition. He gets them sometimes. We’ve learned to pay attention.”
    â€œPremonition about what?”
    â€œWe believe it’s about Cork.”
    She saw him tense. “He and my sister are in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness right now.”
    â€œYes, we know.”
    â€œHang on,” he said. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a cell phone, and made a call. He waited, finally shook his head, and put the phone away. “Lindsay’s not answering. Did you try Cork?”
    â€œYes, but cell phone service is nonexistent in the Boundary Waters.”
    â€œSo . . .” He seemed lost a moment. “What exactly do you want from me? What do we do?”
    â€œWe’d like you to come with us. We’d like you to talk to my great-uncle and take part in a sweat. Do you know what that is?”
    â€œI think so. But why?”
    â€œA sweat can be a way of opening yourself to an awareness that’s locked inside you. It might help you understand your vision better. Stephen will also take part in the sweat. We’re hoping this might help us understand why he was a part of your vision and maybe what his premonition is all about.”
    â€œI don’t know. You’re Indian, so this is probably normal stuff to you.”
    â€œI understand. But consider this. If Cork’s in danger, your sister might be, too.”
    â€œYeah.” His face looked colorless, his features pinched with concern. “Yeah,” he said again, this time to himself. He thought it over some more, then said, “Okay. Why not? What have we got to lose, right?”
    â€œThank you.”
    â€œSo, when do we leave?”
    â€œRight now, if you’re ready.”
    â€œI need to go back to my hotel first. Can you pick me up there? The Four Seasons?”
    â€œOf course.”
    He looked at his watch. “Would two o’clock be okay?”
    â€œTwo o’clock would be fine.”
    â€œAll right then. Let me cash out and I’m off.”
    He walked away, and Daniel said, “That wasn’t so hard.”
    Rainy stared where the young man had disappeared amid the maze of machines that sang like sirens to the desperate, the hopeful, the greedy, the lost.
    â€œI’m not sure why exactly,” she said, “but I get the feeling that was the easy part.”

C HAPTER 13

    T hey canoed the western side of the horseshoe lake until they reached the place where a small stream fed through a line of rushes into the great boggy area filled with tamaracks that they’d seen the day before. In the lead, the tall man threaded his canoe through the reeds