Sky People by Ardy Sixkiller Clarke Page A

leaned back and looked upward toward the heavens. Overhead the a three-quarter moon traveled across the sky. The intolerable white heat of the day turned into a cool, dark black mystery set with millions of tiny stars. Under these flashing jewels, the night critters came. Bats dipped and swirled overhead while, below, various unknown creatures scurried among the ancient buildings. Neither of us spoke for the next three hours.
    When I felt myself dosing off, it happened. “They are here,” Teodoro whispered. Then I saw them. Small balls of light flickered around the ancient plaza and playfully danced back and forth. As I sat there transfixed by the scene unfolding in front of me, one light broke off from its gliding antics and moved in frontof me. The other lights floated into formation behind him. They hovered there, and then disappeared on the night air.
“Usted es una de nosotros,”
Teodoro said. “You are one of us.”
    I sat speechless, thinking about what I had seen. While I was lost in thought, dawn came and sunlight flooded the plaza. Suddenly a large, circular, rotating wheel-like craft appeared overhead. I watched speechless as the revolving wheel disappeared toward the east, and the sun appeared in its saffron glory. I squinted my eyes and looked in the direction of the sun, but the craft was gone. The morning mist lifted, revealing the ancient city, but there was no further sign of the flying, gyrating wheel that hovered, just momentarily, over the spot where the balls of light appeared. I looked at Teodoro. He said it was time to go. I followed him blindly, retracing our steps through the jungle but excited and unsure about what had just happened.
    “Teodoro, did you see the spacecraft—the UFO?” I asked.
    “Sí
. The old ones, the ancestors come from the sky. It has been a long time since we saw them. Our priest said you had the power to bring them back to us.”
    “Teodoro, I have no power. I am a university professor.”
    “The priest said your visit will restore balance. It had to be a woman from
el norte
who was unselfish, kind, and good. You are that woman.”
    “I’m not sure I’m the one the shaman prophesized,” I said.
    “Oh sí. You are the one. If not, why did the old ones come?”
    “Le gustaría regresar esta noche al sitio?”
Teodoro asked me if I wanted to return to the site again at midnight. When I told him I was leaving within the hour, I saw his surprise. I explained that a driver was coming for me. When we reached Copán Ruinas, he bowed and shook my hand. “Thank you, Señora. The ancestors have returned because of you. Now my village will prosperous (sic) again.”
    I walked back to the hotel alone. It was already hot. I imagined the sun a monster swallowing the sky. There were no clouds in the sky, just the white-hot blaze that made me sweat from every pore in my body. I wanted to lock myself in my room, takea cold shower, and write about what I had seen, but when I reached the hotel, Joaquín approached me. Dressed in his black jacket and cowboy hat, he opened his coat, revealing a Montana State University Bobcats t-shirt.
    “I wear in your honor, Señora,” he said. “Remember I told you about Johnny de Montana who gave away his clothes to the people? He gave me this t-shirt. When you told me you were from the University of Montana, I wore for you.” I did not correct him. It was not the first time that Montana State and the University of Montana were regarded as one. Although the Cats and the Grizzlies might not approve, the two universities were regularly confused outside the state.
    “I have a t-shirt like that one at home,” I declared as he walked me to the main counter of the hotel.
    “By the way, Doctora, your driver is waiting for you.” He motioned for a man wearing a white cowboy hat and jeans to come forward. The driver wore a broad smile with the whitest teeth I had ever seen. His straight black hair touched the collar of his white, starched,