DANCER NEAR THE FLAME

By

Dorothy Robichaud

© copyright June 2007, Dorothy Robichaud

Cover art by Jenny Dixon and Dan Skinner, © copyright June 2007

ISBN 978-1-60394-040-5

New Concepts Publishing

Lake Park, GA 31636

www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the authors imagination and not to be confused with fact, Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

Chapter One

Kaarina stood in the bow of the wheezing troller that was about a mile from Klatala on the southeastern coast of Alaska. Gaping in astonishment at what appeared to be an enormous purple snake coiled around a drifting tree trunk, she turned to Roy Quin, the retired sea captain she’d hired to get her over to the old fishing village. “That can’t be an eel. It’d be over forty feet long once it was unwound.”

Roy roared with laughter, his seamed leathery face revealing the cumulative wear of cold, sun, salt and time.

Kaarina stood rooted to the spot. “You mean you’ve seen something like that before?”

“It’s one of the feeding tentacles of a giant squid. And its formed a ball around its prey like a python does. I’ve seen a couple of those bus-long monsters dead on the beach, but never alive.” Roy reached for the throttle and the boat picked up speed as it made a half circle around the beast.

An iciness reached down into Kaarina’s heart and her mind went numb. “You’re kidding, right?”

Roy let out an excited hoot. “Fifty years at sea, and this is the first time I’ve got a glimpse of that creature’s tentacle in action. So I’ll have to charge you extra for this trip, Kaari. Giant Squid’s appearance wasn’t included in the tour. Wait’ll the guys at the Bilge and Barnacle Pub hear about this.” As he spoke the unseen behemoth ratcheted its limb, and with a dreadful sucking sound, it slipped into the depths.

By the time they reached Klatala, Roy had filled Kaarina in on what little was known about the nightmarish, near-mythical Architeuthis dux they’d just encountered. Given the persistent rumors of its predilection, when riled, for capsizing not only hapless fishing boats, but full-sized sailing ships, they were fortunate to arrive without mishap.

Kaarina let out a strangled gasp and she grabbed Roy’s arm as he steered the vessel into the harbor. “My God, Roy. Look at the beach.”

“Unbelievable. I had no idea the tsunami reached this far south.”

An involuntary shiver rippled through Kaarina’s body when she got a good look at the shoreline. The tide was out and mixed in with mounds of waterlogged driftwood and rubble on the beach were the rotting body parts of a dozen or so bizarre-looking sea creatures that were stretched into garish proportions. “Look at those humungous fish with huge eyes, oversized teeth and jaws. Have you ever seen anything like them before?”

“When I worked on a large trawler, we sometimes scooped up a few of those buggers in our nets. They’re to be found under tremendous pressure, in the pitch black depths at sub-zero temperatures.”

“That shrimp is a yard long and that urchin is the size of soccer ball. Even those two small fish have frightening features.” Kaarina’s imagination unraveled as she burned the sight into her memory. The scene was as an example of the eternal mystery of nature. There was to be no more waffling now; she had to reconnect with her shamanic path. There had been several recent events in her life that had transpired to embolden her spiritual imperative, and seeing sea life so tragically uprooted was just another one of them. As she stepped down the boat’s wire ladder to the quay, she knew she must move forward instead of remaining stuck in the past. She had to get involved with the plight of others and by doing so, ensure her own destiny.

Roy handed her two suitcases. “Hope to see you over at Millport sometime.”

Kaarina nodded. “Thanks Roy. Sure glad you’re an early riser.” Glancing at her watch, and finding out that it was not yet seven, she knew why her friends weren’t there to greet her. She was an hour early. Leaving her suitcases to be picked up later, she walked down the pier and onto the dock.

At this high latitude, even during the three or four hours of semi-darkness, the Kagona Mountains were backlit by a wan and ghostly radiance. Now it was the early morning fog that added a sense of ethereal wonder to the village.

Kaarina reveled in the beauty of the place. On taking in a deep breath, she didn’t allow the stench of the rotting sea life to override the refreshing odor of the salt spray that mingled in with the familiar smells of kelp and seaweed. This village, shrouded as it was in the tremendous depth and mystery of its native lore, had been her playground for eighteen years. Normally, it would be experiencing a seasonal rebirth this July. But, instead of fish boats tied up three and four deep, three motorboats had the harbor all to themselves. Even the scheduled ferry stops had been discontinued due to a reign of horror initiated by a person or persons unknown. To date, nearly two hundred inhabitants had been driven out, and the authorities had investigated various theories during the past two months.

From the information Kaarina had been given, she believed that a guy with supernatural powers--most likely a shaman--was responsible for the nefarious activities. But the investigators would think she was nuts if she told them that. When it came to why Klatala was being targeted, however, she didn’t have a clue.

Stunned, outraged and shattered in spirit since she’d heard about her brother Clay’s death two days ago, she’d quickly decided to take over his place as manager of the village’s activities. Shoving back the tears that welled up and threatened to send her emotions spiraling into a black abyss, she tried to stay focused.

The sad irony that Clay was an archaeologist--a scientist--who’d been chasing a killer, whose occult powers were capable of reaching beyond and beneath surface reality, was not lost on her. She shivered as she allowed herself to sense the malignant presence that now desecrated the haunting ambience of the village. Not smart. She gingerly retracted her psychic antennae. This was no time to alert that shadowy soul practitioner of her appearance on the scene.

There was much to be accomplished on the mundane plane before she could mount a campaign to exorcise that menacing entity. A successful outcome was entirely dependent on whether her latent powers were up to it. Not a certainty by a long shot.

As Kaarina gobbled up the familiar sight of the village like a homesick child, she was caught up in a firestorm of memory. Thirteen years earlier, while training as a Saami shaman, she’d had her confidence shattered. Summoning up a total shamanic commitment and entrusting the control of her wandering spirit to the care and guidance of otherworldly beings proved impossible.

Warding off the enumerable otherworldly demonic spirits required the kind of fearlessness that she’d no longer possessed. Giving herself over to the required state of unbending courage and total trusting submission had loomed as unattainable objectives.

But things had changed. Events had transpired that had led to the recovery of the sense of being called to a higher purpose. Hearing a splashing sound, she turned around. Walking out of the ocean was a scuba diver holding a camera. He removed his face mask and grinned at her. “Hey. I thought people were leaving, not arriving. This place has turned into a no-man’s land. Everyone’s staying in Millport until they catch that psycho who’s raising hell around here.”

“Are you here by choice or did the tsunami lift you up and dump you in this harbor?” Her brother’s death was such an emotional downer, she was desperate for some light banter.

He laughed. “No,” he said, giving a wiggle to one of his frog feet. “I was staying in my boat out at Takatal Bay when the tsunami hit. Fortunately, the Alaska Warning Center was able to give me fifteen minutes of lead time to get out of the way. I was able to stuff my diving gear, logbook and some charts into a couple of duffle bags before I headed for the hills. But damn it anyway. When that massive sea wave picked up my boat and plunked it down on the beach, the left side of the hull got smashed.”

Kaarina nodded distractedly, silently admiring the imposing male confronting her. In his kelp-draped frog suit, hunchbacked with gleaming oxygen tanks, he might’ve been another fantastic creature displaced by the tsunami. The square-jawed diver was over six feet tall and somewhere in his mid thirties. All that muscle and brawn so clearly revealed by his wet suit came together in what she imagined was the quintessential sportsman.

Close up, his face was more charismatic than good looking. A number of interesting scars indicated that a few heavy objects had made a close and personal connection with soft flesh. That slash along his left jaw and the mouth that went off-center when he smiled had suffered some major damage. But his gentle and intelligent presence and mellow baritone indicated that there was a disconnect between those battered features and his true character.

He sat down at the edge of the dock, surveyed the fish and crustaceans that had been left high and dry and invited her to join him. After he removed his frog flippers, and gloves, he reached out to shake her hand. “Warren Kyinauk.”

Kaarina shook his clammy appendage. “Kaarina Sajantila. I grew up here.”

“I’ve spent my vacations out at the bay for the past three years, but I’ve never seen you before. Are you Clay’s sister?” Warren considered the lovely female who’d appeared so mysteriously on the beach. With her velvety copper-colored skin, windblown black hair, a nose that was a little too long and a full mouth that was just right for her face, she could be a mermaid assuming human form.

“Yes….“

“God, I’m sorry. I just heard that the chopper he was in crashed into the ocean.”

“I’m still in shock.” About to choke up, she decided that that was all she could say about the tragedy. She didn’t know this man, so he should understand that she didn’t want to share her grief with him.

Warren gave her a sympathetic nod. “I wonder if you could help me?”

“Before I hear about your problem, I want to know if you’re aware of a giant squid about a mile out. He’s a cannibal and not to be trusted, so you could’ve been chopped liver by now.”

“Wow! Thanks for the warning. When it comes to slimy scum suckers at the bottom of the pond, the giant squid’s the bottom feeder to beat.”

“I know what you mean. The sooner he’s back down where he belongs, the better.”

Warren’s arm made a sweep of the beach. “That tsunami was generated tens of thousands of feet down, and it had the force of the whole ocean behind it. Waves sped along the entire water column as they scoured the seabed.

“From high up on that cliff that sweeps down to Takatal Bay, I saw the main event. It was a stupendous thing to see. After an initial set of smaller wave fronts, the waters in the bay receded and exposed a wide expanse of seabed. And lying out there like some giant seafood banquet was an unbelievable array of sea life. Then a huge wave approached the shore at the speed of an express train. After it compressed like a giant accordion, it reached a height of a hundred feet or more before it crashed into the cliffs.

“You should see the shoreline out at the bay. Talk about bizarre sea life! You wouldn’t believe the variety of shapes and sizes.

“According to the gang that’s still hanging around here, there was a second weak tsunami surge about an hour later. About thirty feet high, it dumped some strange critters here in the surface waters of the harbor. I’ve been checking them out … sure glad I didn’t run into that squid.”

“I can hardly wait to check out the damage out at the bay. Now … you wondered if I could help you. My friends will be here in a few minutes.”

“I thought you’d be able to suggest temporary living quarters while my boat’s getting repaired.”

Standing up, Kaarina flung out her arms. “Why not move into one of the empty bungalows around here? There are more than enough to choose from.”

Warren leaned forward and placed his forearms on his knees. “I’d like to continue my diving out at the bay. So I was hoping to get hold of another boat. I’m eager to finish my video about those famous sunken wrecks a few miles out.”

“Well, if you’re so determined to remain afloat, I can rent you dad’s ‘89 motor cruiser, the ‘Black Hawk’. Clay had been using it on a regular basis so it should be in pretty good shape.” Since he was kid, Clay kept his belongings, living quarters, techy stuff and vehicles in ship-shape condition. Such a wonderful trait. Such a shame….

“That motor cruiser. It has a great family history then?”

“Has it ever! It’s survived a couple of accidents while my family cruised the Inside Passage. It was once stuck on a sandbar in an inlet because several winter storms had changed the contour of the bottom overnight. Luckily, a ship used for salvaging boats had been nearby. The damage done to the hull was minimal. Another time, a huge wave caused by an incoming swell meeting an outgoing tide pitch poled the boat. Poor Clay was launched overboard. And he swam to land because it was closer than the boat. Following that experience, he’d always had a life jacket on when … sorry, I got a little carried away.”

Warren studied her broken features intently before he spoke. “I’m going to need a boat for the next two months. But you’re probably going to need that motor cruiser yourself.”

“I’m sure you’ll let me use it from time to time. Right?”

“Right.” His elemental attraction to this woman whose long dark lashes and full lips owed nothing to artificial enhancements had been instant. Her magnetic aura was magical, and he sure wasn’t going to fight it. He wanted to be drawn in closer and closer. “Because there’s no regular policing around here, maybe you can make use of my services. I’m a private eye, and I’d like to find out if your brother’s death really was an accident, or whether the chopper was tampered with.

“The weird bugger who’s been breaking the necks of cats around here. Maybe he’s into killing people now. I imagine you’re going to make an effort to ferret him out. Clay was sure making the effort--“

“That wouldn’t work for me. I have my own ideas on how to catch that scum bag who’s trying to lower the value of my dad’s real estate.” Kaarina’s eyes narrowed. “But please, feel free to do your thing. If you like, we can compare notes from time to time.”

Warren hadn’t expected such a negative reaction. Was her brusqueness typical, or just a momentary lapse? My God, he was offering his services, something that was a little out of character for him. His credo was to stay clear of any job that didn’t come through his Seattle detective agency.

Kaarina pointed to a row of floats and the boathouses that ran parallel to them. “Norm Gustafson will be down here shortly. He’s got the keys to the yacht and the shed.”

“Yeah. I’ve met your security officer.” A couple appeared, running towards them down the wharf. Warren knew it was time to get lost. Even though he found her intriguing, disquieting, even, it didn’t take a genius to crack Kaarina’s code of the hills. He inwardly sighed. Those cobalt eyes, with their mysterious illuminating power, were focused on what lay ahead for her. She didn’t give a damn how she came across to him. “Well, I’m off to get a look at that yacht,” he said, jumping down onto the sand, “see you later.”

Running to greet Kaarina were her married friends, Amy and Willie Johnson. While she’d trained under Ankau, their grandfather, they’d taught her everything they knew about the Klatala Tribe’s myths, genealogy, native heritage and secret language. And, like her, they believed a depraved shaman had terrorized the villagers and caused the deaths of three people.

“Hey, Kaarina”--Amy wrapped her in a tight embrace--“we’re so sorry about Clay. That crash is so clouded in suspicion. One of the rotors had come off….” She paused for a moment and then continued. “They’re saying it was a mechanical failure. But like I told you in my email, I’m sure that ruthless shaman caused that accident. Those troopers keep their whirlybirds in excellent shape.”

Willie’s brush cut scraped her forehead when he kissed her on the cheek. “Trooper Dave had to leave the chopper on the helipad in front of the oil dock because the fog had closed in. That must’ve been when the creep loosened one of the rotors.”

Kaarina battled with an emotional tidal wave. Still numb from the shock of hearing about Clay’s death, all she could manage was a stiff nod. To think her brother had crashed into the sea while searching for a reprehensible soul practitioner was too tragic for words. Jamming her hands into the pocket of her jeans, she finally managed to swallow the lump in her throat. Setting her jaw firmly, she gave her friends a grim smile. “That monster ranks up there with the shamans who affect people’s minds by taking their power and intelligence and giving it to someone else.”

Willie made a fist with his right hand and slammed it into the palm of his other hand. “We’ve just got to stop Lakitcina. There’s got to be a way.”

“Lakitcina,” Kaarina said, “you’ve given the lunatic a name?”

Willie nodded. “I gave him the name of a sorcerer who practiced bad medicine in the old days. Any problem with that?”

“Lakitcina it is,” she said, resting her hand on Willie’s arm.

When Amy looked out at the ocean, there was dread and foreboding in the depths of her dark eyes. “Can you believe it? As if we didn’t have enough trouble around here without a tsunami. That wave was the stuff of nightmares. Did you hear about it?”

Kaarina shook her head. “Not till I got here. During that seven hundred mile ferry trip from Seattle, I was out of the loop. Sound asleep. And when I arrived at Millport, everyone else was asleep.”

“It could’ve been worse for us,” Amy said. “The epicenter was a few hundred miles north of here, and it caused a huge wave to make a destructive sweep of the coast. But fortunately, before it reached us, it smashed into that massive stand of trees on the Kotlinchuk Peninsula. They sapped its energy. But an hour later, the second smaller tsunami swept away that soggy tree barricade and deposited those creepy crawlies onto our beach.” Amy shook her head as if a mosquito was torturing her, and glossy copper highlights flashed in her long thick blue-black hair. With her jewel-shaped face and skin like golden satin, she was an Indian princess of the fairy tale variety.

Willie stepped behind his wife and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I know you had to spread your wings in the big world, Kaari, but this is where you belong.” He nodded toward the end of the wharf. “I saw you talking to Warren, our favorite fair-weather visitor. So, were you able to divert his attention from old rusted hulks and have him assess Klatala as a crime scene?”

“Yeah. He said he’s ready to do his thing, but it sure isn’t the way we’re going to go after that killer,” she said, placing her hands on her hips.

Willie shook his head. “We need all the help we can get, Kaari. This is no time to be selective.”

Kaarina knew he was right. Determined as she was to be more trusting of other people’s intentions, she’d started off badly. “Okay, okay. Warren Kyinauk is hereby acknowledged as a member of our team. That is if he still wants to help.”

Amy fixed Kaarina with a look, at once quizzical and hurt. “Why did you stay away so long? Thirteen years for heaven’s sake! Grandfather was so proud of the job you were doing as a shaman intern.”

Kaarina felt Amy’s gentle reproof keenly. She realized the three of them had changed in profound ways over the years, but hopefully their sense of purpose would find a way to merge again.

Amy’s disapproving look indicated that she had more to get off her chest. “When you took off, you broke Ankau’s heart. He’s eighty-eight now, and when Willie’s brother, Lukwala, was ready and able to command the powers, grandfather made him shaman. But he failed.

“Charlie Jack, a middle-aged fisherman, hadn’t measured up to his dad’s expectations, and his spirit was sick. Because his heart trouble was getting worse and worse, Lukwala decided to perform a soul retrieval. His plan was to make a connection with Charlie’s dead father and ask him to release his son’s lost energy. But when Lukwala’s waking mind was tuned out in the underworld, Lakitcina entered his frequency and distorted his reception. Before Lukwala was able to make another try at bringing back Charlie’s lost soul part, the guy’s weakened heart broke. It just stopped beating.

“And the evil one also psychologically damaged Lukwala’s other patient, Nancy Thomas. He’d journeyed to the Land of the Dead, and his power animal had directed him to where her soul part was tied to a tree. He was ready to bargain with her abusive ex-husband who’d been killed in a drunken brawl. But that diabolical shaman was able to link up with Lukwala’s oscillating cosmic vibrations. His very wavelength and energy field. Prevented as he was from bargaining with Nancy’s abuser, Lukwala was unable to return with her fragmented spirit. Now Nancy suffers from even more soul-shattering trauma.”

Kaarina considered this. “Lakitcina influenced Lukwala psychically, so he must’ve been hiding in the lodge, waiting to undermine Lukwala’s success.”

“That’s what we think, too,” Willie said, loosening his hold on Amy, “but when the villagers saw that Lukwala had failed to heal his clients, they lost faith in him and he disappeared.” He set his metal-rimmed glasses a little higher on his prominent nose. “That murdering rat’s not only wrecked Luckwala’s career, but we think he’s abusing the animals, too. If we’re right, he’s got a bear and a falcon under his possession. We think a bear’s responsible for killing dozens of cats, and that falcon’s been breaking into houses whenever it gets the chance.”

Amy’s depthless eyes narrowed reflectively. “Falcon has that great natural food supply in the summer, and I’ve never heard of that bird breaking into a home before now. And as for bears, they steer clear of the village. No one’s ever had a run-in with one of them in the past.”

Kaarina had a hard time believing that a bear could be the ruthless shaman’s spirit guide. Some shamans received their powers from that animal. “If no one’s actually seen a bear attacking the cats, maybe Lakitcina’s killing them.” Willie’s job in the old cannery, that was perched atop wooden pilings jutting over the ocean, started at eight. Recently designated as a heritage site, the large L-shaped, slanted-roof structure had a picturesque angularity that was to be lovingly preserved. But in this present climate, it could present an eerie ambience for those working inside. Every floor vibration, footstep and scratching sound could be just the tricks of an old creaking building or the evil shaman getting ready to make his next move.

Leading her friends over in the direction of the plant, Kaarina mentally ran through the complex workings that went on in the cannery during a peak fishing season. Her dad had taken her on a tour of the plant in the mid eighties, and she’d written an essay about salmon canning for a social studies assignment.

Along the production lines, whining spinning blades, spraying water, fish guts and scales had created a smelly mess. Accidents were common around the Iron Butcher, and the loss of fingers had been common occurrences. Apart from that work area, the main floor was taken up with freezers, managers’ offices, workshops, labs and a village store. A vast net loft was above the main floor, but the electrical room, machine shop, power plant, drying shed, icehouse and reduction plant were separate buildings on the periphery.

It was usually the millwright’s job to dismantle, repair and re-assemble the mechanical plant--a winter long job when the plant had been in operation. But he’d fled, too. So now Willie and Norm had the job of repairing the structural damage, and remedying insect infestation and dry rot after the plant had remained idle for the past twenty years.

Her thoughts then drifted to the man whose help in the weeks ahead would be crucial to her success. “Now what about Ankau? How is he dealing with the madness around here?”

Amy held Kaarina’s hand as they walked. “Grandfather wanted to go head to head with Lakitcina, but we discouraged him from getting involved. His powers have weakened, so he’d be risking his life.”

When Willie took off to get her suitcases, Amy stopped walking and gave Kaarina a concerned look. “Ten years ago … when your little son drowned, I wanted to be with you. But I’d just had a miscarriage and I wouldn’t have been much comfort to you.”

“Grandmother Laila helped me climb out of my black pit of despair. Lars was just three, but I have loads of memories to draw on. He’ll always be with me.” Kaarina’s train of thought abruptly went off track, and she pointed to a painting of a sleigh and a reindeer on the side of the cannery wall. “That painting … it’s sure not one of Willie’s.”

Amy spoke in a frightened whisper. “No way. That wasn’t there when we left the cannery yesterday. It’s not meant to be a Christmas decoration, that’s for sure. The way the paint’s been splashed on so carelessly, and it feels so much like blood. Talk about creepy.”

Walking up to the graphic, Kaarina ran her hands over it. Just a touch, and her mind sailed off into the soul craft world of the Arctic Saami aboriginals of Northern Europe.

With a concoction made from boiled Red Alder bark mixed with saliva, the shamans painted just such an image on their sacred map drums. And after they ate poisonous mushrooms that had been purified by the reindeer’s metabolism, the instrument’s rhythm and tone enabled their souls to leave their bodies and fly as reindeer beyond the limitations of their body. In the celestial levels of existence, heavenly spirits filled them in on high level spells, and in the infernal regions of the earth, they found a one-stop shop for battling demonic forces and solving their tribes sundry problems in their unending battle for survival.

Kaarina had to force her thoughts back into the here and now. She turned to Amy. “The reindeer’s importance in a Saami shaman’s soul retrieval performances is legendary. By damaging this wall with something so essentially Saami, it’s Lakitcina’s way of telling me that he shares the same myths, legends and beliefs as I do.”

Willie returned with her suitcases and put them onto the forklift that was parked in front of the cannery office. Giving Amy a knowing look, he nudged Kaarina with his elbow. “Okay. Let’s talk about you, Kaari. In your e-mail you informed us that you’d had a head injury. Can you tell us more about that? When Amy learned about it, she dreamt that you nearly died. She couldn’t sleep for days.”

Kaarina walked back to the row of saw horses where a few old fishnets hung in readiness for mending. “Six months ago, I was driving up to my ski cabin at Mount Baker. And when I had to swerve off the road to avoid hitting a wolf, I was badly hurt when my car smashed into a tree. When I finally woke up, one of the nurses told me that I’d been out cold for two months.

“After that. I had to struggle with severe memory loss for a month or so. But I had no trouble remembering that it was my great grandmother, Maga, who’d played a strong part in helping me to find my way back to consciousness. And I remember her warning, too. My life will be unfilled if I continue to ignore the job I was destined for.”

Willie let out a whoop and did a little circle dance while he pretended to beat a drum. “Then you’ve been reborn! So you’ll have no trouble with the trances. Once you get to the underworld, you can do battle with Lakitcina.”

Amy angrily punched her husband in the ribs. “That demon’s shown that he’s capable of causing illness and death. And whatever happens to Kaari’s wandering spirit happens to her physical body. So don’t talk so flippantly about such things. Haven’t you been listening? She’s already gone through hell.”

Kaarina sighed heavily. “As you two might’ve guessed, I haven’t exactly been in tune with the vibrations of the universe during my absence. So we’ve got a lot of work to do before I’m ready for an out-of-body experience.” She chose not to worry them with the disturbing fact that in order to induce an altered state of consciousness and tap into underworld frequencies, she’d have to dismantle the psychic barrier that still blocked some of her crucial brain chemistry.

“I’d better get to work, now,” Willie said, glancing at his watch, “but before I do, I’ll walk you up to the Trolley House.”

Kaarina shook her head. “I’ll be fine. And don’t worry about my suitcases. Suji will get them later.”

“I can walk with you,” Amy said.

“Thanks,” Kaarina said, “but I’ll be fine. Now get home and give Ankau a decent breakfast.”

Amy laughed. “Grandfather will feel like celebrating now that you’re back.”

As Kaarina climbed the foothills that led to her home, she heard Raven’s deep ‘kaugh’; it was lower and more hoarse than Crow’s nasally, high-pitched call. Looking up, she saw it swoop overhead as if to greet her.

A few minutes later she, once again, picked up on the malevolent force responsible for killing her brother. Shivering, she psychically pulled back and adjusted her focus. There was much to do before she’d be ready to confront the killer, so it was best to stay in harmony with herself and the mountains.

Being alone under a limitless Alaskan sky had once been a solitude to die for. Casting off the ups and downs of a teenager’s life and relaxing in the harmonious company of the trees, plants, birds and animals had had her warming to her destiny. And now it was wise to recapture and expand on that kind of spirit strength without allowing negative thoughts to surface.

As she trudged up the slippery boardwalk that led even further into the chattering rainforest, her thoughts drifted to the main reason why she was eager to rid Klatala of the menacing entity. After five years in and out of a Seattle hospital, her father, Joosef, had been turned down as a candidate for a heart transplant. Now he planned on leaving his home in Poulsbo, Washington, and returning to Klatala in the fall. But, to have him come home to this deserted village after he’d spent a lifetime building it into a self-reliant community was unthinkable.

A few minutes later, when she reached a small shed that the Indian, Saami and Norwegian villagers called the “Trolley House”, she was filled with instant fury. A splash of red paint defaced Willie’s painting of Killer Whale on the side wall. He’d taken great pains to maintain the highly stylized artistic form of the northwest Indians (square mouth, numerous teeth and high elongated head) and developed his own pigments as well. By soaking copper rock in urine, he’d made a greenish-blue pigment and yellow was developed from ochre and wolf moss. Then he’d mixed them and other colors like red, black and white with salmon eggs, and somehow managed to get the consistency just right. Now all that painstaking work had been for nothing.

Tamping down the rage that roared for release, she forced herself to focus on the tasks at hand. She walked into the shed and climbed into a beautiful miniature version of a San Francisco cable car. A four-seater, it offered the only means of scaling the rocky twenty-five degree slope. Her grandfather, Olaf, had engineered its construction himself. From its underground cable to its wooden brakes, he’d been determined to make it an accurate replica of the real thing down to the last detail.

It was always an exhilarating experience on the trip up the hill, but going back down was a heart-stopping thrill. The weightless, flying sensation and the view that stretched far out into the Pacific Ocean were a breathless combination. The ocean defined this part of Alaska. To the villagers, each tide line and current were landmarks; instead of road miles, the time it took to make a trip by boat was how everyone described distances.

As the little train made its way up the rocky incline, the muscles along her jaw line tightened. Three months, that’s all the time she had to rid the village of the evil force bent on destroying it. And if she were to succeed, she’d have to have some allies who were willing to go the distance.