Mindful 2
Chapter 5
Crossing the Wall.

During the following month `He that sees passed as much knowledge as he could to both Iona and his own daughter Dawn. Once everybody was happy that they had the herbal mix right for Iona’s hyper-reactive metabolism, `He-that-sees’ finally embarked upon the first attempt to help Iona `Cross the Wall’. Whilst this was progressing, Dawn had to make several return visits to the tribe to replenish essential supplies. To do this she borrowed Iona’s 4x4. On her first return she took with her a letter from her father to the council elder who smiled at the turn of events.

The children of the tribe squealed with excitement when they learned that their new medicine woman had a cougar and two cubs for companions when she travelled in the 4x4. Before her departure to Medical school and perceived tribal betrayal, Dawn had been immensely popular with the native village children. Now that she had confirmed that she would probably be returning as her father’s assistant, her standing in the tribal affections had returned and compounded.

Back in the hills Iona and `He-that-sees’ were progressing carefully with their plans. After finally managing to overcome the bitter tastes of the herbs, Iona had joined `He-that-sees’ in the dark enchanted places on the other side of consciousness. As they talked and compared experiences, Iona savoured the wonderful intensity of their shared dreams and expressed her amazement to `He-that-sees’.

“I just don’t understand how we can both be unconscious and yet in communication simultaneously. I mean we are both in each other’s dreams for want of a better expression. I just don’t understand that bit.”

“You ask too many questions Iona,” smiled `He-that-sees’, “a driver does not have to know how the engine of the car works does he?”

“It’s useful though,” countered Iona.
“Indeed it is, but not essential. Perhaps when we have gone further, we might both learn more.”

“Yes,” sighed Iona contentedly as she finished off the last of the venison, “I’ve noticed though that the wall is not so black now; not so obsidian and overawing.”

“Now that is a good thing. I’ve been waiting for you to tell me that. D’ you want to have a go at it tomorrow?”

“We could try. I’ve got to face it some time.”

“So what are you afraid of?”

“What I’ll find on the other side. Michael might be angry.”

`He-that-sees’ nodded sagely and turned over in his cot. Iona studied his well-muscled back briefly in the flickering firelight then slipped away into her own private natural dreams. The following morning, she was woken by a rough cat’s tongue licking her face. Dawn had returned with supplies and the cougars. `He-that-sees’ had already lit the fire and a pot of water was boiling ready for the coffee.

“I let you lie in’” explained the old shaman, “I think you’ll need your strength.”

Iona stretched and blinked as Dawn’s eyes met with hers then widened with concern.

“Are you going to try it today?”

“Yes,” her father interrupted, “we can’t keep putting it off any longer.”

“Promise me you’ll be careful. Don’t take any unnecessary risks!”

“There’ll be no risks,” reassured `He-that-sees’. “But we’ll need more venison before anything. Iona needs beefing up. A hunting trip I think.”
Dawn smiled as Iona added some coffee to the hot water. Hunting trips with Iona were anything but hunting trips. They were using the wild, bachelor herd of bucks like a virtual larder. Even the mother cougar had become lazy. Her paw had healed well but she had now chosen to stay were the food was easy and the surroundings warm. There could be no better arrangement for her to rear her two cubs. Dawn was ecstatic about the fantastic relationship that Iona had created between the wild beasts and the human trio.

For Dawn, the whole hunting exercise had become little more than a blissful stroll through the woods ending with a quiet approach to the bachelor herd, a single, silent telepathic punch, and then walking home with a fresh carcass. She was overjoyed that they didn’t even need to carry weapons.

`No blood, no mess, just a clean sweet kill’, she grinned.

This novel hunting activity, coupled with the new supplies, had set up the group with more than adequate supplies to last until Iona had completed her mission to cross the wall and reach Michael. When they returned with the carcass, `He-that-sees’ was waiting for them and preparing to walk on the other side. He had boiled up their different dosages of herbal tea and was waiting for it to cool. They had a huge meal to reinforce Iona’s fragile constitution then settled on their cots as they drank their herbal teas and waited for the bitter drinks to take effect. Dawn sat beside them and watched patiently for any signs of distress in the tiny elfin figure curled up on the cot. After a couple of brief checks, dawn confirmed that the shaman and the seer were both truly deep into their induced sleeps.

On the other side, Iona found herself beside the reassuring sentience of `He-that-sees’. As they approached the wall they even `talked’ about it. They had taken the strongest dose of herbs that Iona had dared and the other side seemed distinctly clearer this time. As their trances deepened, they eventually came to `the wall’. Iona paused nervously and `He-that-sees’ spoke to her.

“Don’t be afraid. There is no evil here.”

“I suppose it’s like the Christian heaven then, everybody’s happy.”

“If this is paradise then we are entering by the back door,” chuckled the old shaman. “Now the trick is to remember that the wall’s density is a function of the depth of your consciousness, the deeper your condition, the weaker the wall.”

Iona quickly found herself close to the dark obsidian presence and `reached’ out tentatively. The resistance was less ‘solid’ and she found she could somehow pierce whatever it was that had so defeated her many times before. `He-that-sees’ smiled encouragement as he watched the tiny seer finally merge through what had now become only a shadow. `His herbs had worked perfectly and Iona’s dosage had been pretty much ‘spot on’.

Casually he followed her across and Iona found herself in a similar place to what she had just left. She turned to `He-that-sees’ with a voice tinged with disappointment.

“It’s no different, except maybe it’s a bit lighter. That glow ahead is the only difference.”

“So what did you expect? Remember you are already close to death. I believe that light to be the light you Christians call the light at the end of the valley of the shadow.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never gone towards it.”

“So how am I to find Michael or my mother even?” - Well perhaps not her.”
He-that-sees’ glanced sharply at Iona as he realised there was much hurt in Iona’s words. He shrugged his shoulders and suggested that they return to the living.

“But, I haven’t met Michael yet!” Iona protested.

“And it’s not wise to either, at least not this time. If you are looking for someone in particular they might inadvertently act like the lorelai and draw you in before you are ready to withstand or understand the dangers. We are in the shadows now. If we cannot return we remain dead.”

Iona peered covetously at the light and hesitated before moving towards it but `He-that-sees’ recognised her dangerous temptation and he attached his sentience to hers. Iona struggled to go forward, but the stronger, more experienced shaman, was able to force her back across to the other side.

As the wall darkened again to become a dense impenetrable mass, Iona stared back despondently at its threatening brooding presence and reluctantly followed `He-that-sees’ back to the land of the living. As they woke, they were met with a very distressed Dawn.

“Where have you been? You’ve been nearly two days!”

“Wha, - what! Never, protested Iona, it was just a few minutes.”

“Like hell it was. You nearly died! I thought I’d lost you!”

Iona turned uncomprehendingly to `He-that-sees’ who spoke softly.

“I told you it was dangerous Iona. You haven’t eaten for two days. Are you hungry?”

Iona suddenly realised she was famished and that her telepathy wasn’t working. A sickening realisation came to her as she realised just how close to death her tiny body had come. She must have almost starved to death! Greedily she wolfed down the food Dawn had prepared before she had even reheated it. It was another six hours before her body had replenished itself sufficiently for her telepathic gifts to return. Once she was recovered, `He-that-sees’ and Dawn joined with her in a long telepathic chat. After exploring Iona’s personal demons, `He-that-sees’ concluded.
“When you were over there, that light was the light at the end of the valley of the shadow. Your wish to go towards was a death wish, a suicide wish. Is this Michael that important to you?”

Iona nodded despondently as she realised that her death wish had never gone away. It may have lain dormant for years, bottled up inside her, but the childhood guilt of not having somehow saved Michael was still with her. Telepathy only served to make it more painful. Iona could talk with anybody, anywhere, except with the one person she needed to, the one person who might be able to forgive her, the one person who might assuage her guilt, the one person on the `other side’, Michael; dear, dumb Michael.

As `He-that-sees’ learned of this he thought deeply about crossing over again. The tiny seer had powers beyond even his vast learning and the old shaman wasn’t certain he could protect her fully from whatever temptations or urges the elfin woman might confront. And yet, it was obvious that if the seer was to be released from her lifetime’s torment, they would have to cross over again, and worse still, somehow address the light. `He-that-sees’ fell into a deep thoughtful silence. Reluctantly he concluded that one more journey was required, if only to convince the seer that she may never get to see her beloved Michael.

Dawn sensed her father’s turmoil and poured out another round of coffee. Then, keen to get away from the gloomy atmosphere in the cave, she took the cougars for a walk. When she came back, she was mortified to learn that the foolish pair had gone over again. In horror she stared at the comatose bodies and she settled down to another desperately long wait.

It was to be another three days before `He-that-sees’ finally returned to a tearful daughter who had been monitoring their life signs and almost given up on them. When he woke his face had a grey fearful pallor as he realised he had to face his daughter with the dreadful news.

Dawn sensed the ghastly circumstances and her face paled as her father croaked the awful facts.
“She wouldn’t listen. She got free of me and plunged into the light. I’m afraid she’s gone.”

Dawn tested for a pulse in the tiny frame and failed to find one. Then she let out a scream of despair and the cougars started fearfully before slinking off into the birch woods. Both Dawn and `He-that-sees’ watched the big cats depart and interpreted this as an omen. The cats had come with Iona and they would depart with Iona. `He-that-sees’ slumped back onto his cot as guilty tears filled his eyes.
`If only he had been more forceful towards the seer. It had been a stupid idea to think they could talk to the dead, leastwise, talk to a chosen one, that is select their own departed one and plunge into the farthest places without paying some awful cost. Whenever `He-that-sees’ had crossed over previously, he had simply waited on the other side until and unless a dead one had chosen to speak to him. Iona’s much more desperate, forthright attempt had ended in complete disaster. The other side was for the dead, this side was for the living and it had been conceited of him to think he could take the elfin seer cross with impunity. `He-that-sees’ conceit and ambition had caused the death of one much more gifted than he and the crime now weighed heavily on his shoulders.

Furthermore, his own daughter had forsaken him and left in a desperate fury, swearing never to see her father again. `He-that-sees’ had lost his daughter and the tribe had lost their next medicine woman.

Broken in despair, `He-that-sees’, felt he could see no more and he slumped on his cot almost inviting death to release him from his guilt.

He lay like that for another day before the body in the next cot finally stirred.

At first of course, `He-that-sees’ thought it was some figment of his imagination but after the third definite movement was followed by a low groan, `He-that-sees’ had to accept the truth. The tiny, frail, elfin little seer had returned. The old shaman joyfully fought the cruel stiffness in his ancient, frozen joints to re-kindle the fire and prepare some food. As the evening shadows gathered, `He-that-sees’ heart was lifted joyfully when Iona finally accepted some hot. revitalising stew.
Like a caring nurse, the old shaman gently spooned the food past Iona’s cracked lips for he had added some medicinal herbs to help the seer’s recovery. As Iona eventually sat up for the first time, `He-that-sees’ let out a huge sigh of relieved delight.

“You are back with us!”

Iona nodded and smiled through her sunken shadowed eyes. The old shaman scolded her gently for he was so happy and relieved to have her back.

“You were wrong to do that. Dawn still thinks you are dead.”

“Where, - where is she?” Croaked Iona, “Can I have some water?”

The shaman lifted the ladle to her lips as he explained.

“She blamed me for your death. She has left and gone back to the village.”

“Then we had better catch her.”

“She took the car. She has probably left the village. We will never catch her now.”

“Wait. Give me some more of that stew, what’s in it?”

“There are extra herbs, medicine to make you strong again.”

“Yes, I thought there was something like that. My telepathy is back and that normally takes much longer. Those herbs are good. When I am better, will you please teach me about them?”

“They are dangerous, you must eat much food to help your strength match the effects of the herbs. Here finish this bowl. There’s not much left though. The venison has run out.”

“Don’t worry, I have other friends.”
“Who?” Asked the puzzled shaman.

“The cats. As we speak, she is bringing meat now.”

Before Iona’s words were finished, the cougar appeared at the cave entrance with a fine plump fawn, freshly killed. `He-that-sees’ gasped with delight.

“By the gods, you do speak to all things don’t you?”

Iona gave a lopsided grin as the cougar dropped the carcass between the fire and Iona’s cot. The old shaman wasted no time in adding the fresh meat to the stew whilst sharing one haunch with the cat. As the cubs finally followed their mother into the cave the old shaman suddenly had an idea.

“Couldn’t we send the cat to let Dawn know you’re alive?”

Iona’s eyes lit up. It was an excellent idea. She promptly tied a chord around the cat’s neck and attached a brief message. Within moments the cat understood Iona’s telepathed image of Dawn and it set off immediately for the village. Early the next morning an excited child of the village burst into Dawn’s lodge.

“Your cougar is here!”

Dawn stopped packing her clothes and immediately sensed the portent of the cat’s arrival and the message served to confirm it. With a wail of relief and delight she invited the cat into the 4x4, dashed to the store to buy a huge pile of supplies then returned to the hills. By noon, Dawn was back at the cave. As she struggled the last mile with the supplies, the cougar had trotted ahead and preannounced her arrival.

Dawn sagged with fatigue and delight when Iona met her with a hot meal and sweet herbal coffee. She smiled as she recognised one of her father’s memorable herbal `pick-me-ups’.

“Where’s dad?”
“Down in the woods collecting more herbs.”

With that, a delighted shout announced her father’s return harbingered by the bouncing cougar cubs. Within minutes the group were united in happiness as Iona finally revealed what she had encountered on the far side.

“Michael was there! I met him, or at least our souls met.”

“Your spirits; “Corrected `He-that-sees’

“Yes, OK then, our spirits, what’s the difference.”

“Souls are what you believe only exists in men, spirits live in all things.”

“D’ you think so?”

`He-that-sees’ pulled a wry smile and nodded towards the cougar who was licking her cubs.

“You more than anybody should know that Iona. Has not she got a spirit, do you not even speak with her?”

Iona was forced to concede the shaman’s argument and smiled as she stroked the cougar’s coat.

“OK then, I met with Michael’s spirit. As always, he was supremely prosaic; well he always was. He forgives me and tells me to carry on over this side. He told me not to be stupid and stop blaming myself. Finally, he sort-of kissed me. Can spirits kiss?”

Iona turned to `He-that-sees’ for an answer but `He-that-sees’ shrugged hopelessly. He was way out of his depth. Iona shrugged and continued talking.

“Anyway, he was quite down to earth; as always. He was a perfect companion in the hospital once we’d got the autism thing out of the way. He always gave me good advice and he did this time. By the way, I met my mother as well.”

“That figures,” replied `He-that-sees’, “for most people, their mother is the first one they meet when they die.”

Iona knew this to be plausible, the tales of dying soldiers crying for their mothers and then acknowledging them as their last breath left their bodies, were legion.

“Did she give you any advice?” Asked Dawn.

“No. She gave me love.”

“How would she do that; I mean how did that feel?” Wondered `He-that-sees’.

“She just opened up her spirit and showed me the love that any mother shows her son. I just opened up my spirit and accepted it. It was the most natural thing on earth, well in heaven to be more precise.”

For a moment a pregnant silence descended upon Dawn and her father. Then Dawn broke its spell.

“Her son?”

Iona suddenly swallowed nervously.

“Oh shit. I was just reflecting my mother’s delight. She always loved me as her son. I have a twin sister and my mother was wounded when she realised I might also be a daughter, or at least want to be a daughter. In the end, the authorities separated me from my mother and twin sister. I didn’t think when I told you of her feelings.”

“Are you her son?” Asked `He-that-sees’ softly.”

“I was, yes; well in truth I still am, medically that is.” Iona cast her eyes to the ground as she finally confessed her secret.
“I’m a boy; well a man now. I’m sorry, to have deceived you. I live as a woman for my own protection. Women don’t suffer as much aggression as men.”

“A man you say,” Whispered Dawn softly, “so you are berdache!”

“I thought you said that word was derogatory, a white man’s insult.”

“Not really,” replied `He-that-sees’ “It’s just a sort of shorthand, like the term `Yank’ for a white American.”

Iona nodded as she cast a nervous glance towards `He-that-sees’. She was infinitely relieved to learn telepathically that the old shaman had almost no feelings either way about the issue. Iona might as well have said it was raining for all the effect the berdache issue had on Dawn’s father. On the other hand, Iona discovered all the usual feelings in Dawns mind. Dawn had already expressed her wish to have a child and now she had already put two and two together. Dawn was no mental slouch. Her wishes had been exactly the same as Doctor Mary, Jackie and Emma. Even as Iona followed Dawn’s thoughts, the Indian maid voiced them.

“Are you still, you know, potent?”

Iona smiled knowingly and sighed wearily,

“Ye-ess! I’m potent, and fertile. I’m ahead of you!”

Dawn turned to her father and made her feelings clear.

“I want her child!”

“Uuhm, don’t you mean `his’ child my dear?”

“Whatever. Her children could well be seers!”
Iona decided that it would do no harm to put the native peoples on a par with the mainstream Americans and let their tribes enjoy the fruits of telepathy. She confirmed dawn’s hopes.

“My children are telepathic. I have four other children, and all are telepathic.”

Dawn let out a shriek of delight as `He-that-sees’ caught the drift.

“You mean, if I, - if we, - have children, they will be seers?”

“Yes.” Iona confirmed matter-of-factly.

Dawn turned to face her father with all the power that this revelation lent to her elbow.

“Now, can I have children?” She demanded.

“But what about your purity, your purity as a maid?”

“Bugger the vestal virgin thing. It’s all bloody superstition anyway. Iona’s telepathy is a fact. Look around you! If I have her child, he will be telepathic!”

“Or she,” added Iona for effect and to demonstrate her feministic outlook.

“OK then, she’,” conceded Dawn dismissively, “never mind the politics, are you able to make me pregnant?”

“I’ve got other women pregnant. But I thought you were a, - a, - what was it, - a Wink’te or something.”

“I am a Winkt’e, but I’m still capable of having babies aren’t I just look at me. Besides, I have no problem with you; you’re more girl than boy. Have you got a proper cock?”

‘He-that-sees gasped with embarrassment.

“Daughter! That is not how a maid speaks to a man!”

“Oh to heck with the formalities father! This is too important!”

She turned to Iona and continued.

“You know, one that erects and stuff; does all the right functions?”

“That’s personal, but yes!” Snapped Iona defensively.

`He-that-sees’ gaped stupidly at his daughter’s forthrightness then he just shook his head and chuckled. `By the spirits! Young people today!’

Dawn turned to her father and smiled beguilingly.

“Don’t you want a grandchild, and wouldn’t it be wonderful if he, - or she was telepathic?”

“Oh my god girl! You put it so delicately; but yes, you’re quite right, a shaman who was telepathic would be truly powerful medicine. Just look at how this, - this seer, this Iona has actually returned from the dead. In only her second crossing over, she travelled further than I would ever have dared. Yes, my beloved daughter, if you gave me a telepathic grandchild, my cup would runneth over.”

Dawn turned to Iona who was still devouring her meal and she smiled. Having cleared the children hurdle she was now curious as a doctor.

“Iona,” she asked softly, as though recognising the risks to the question; “how does it all work, the telepathy thing; how does it work?”

Iona motioned that she wanted to finish her food then she would explain. Dawn settled impatiently beside the cougar and her sleepy cubs to await events. As she watched Iona put away a fourth bowl of stew, she wagged her head disbelievingly.

`Was the tiny seer still recovering from the crossing over?’ She asked herself.
As she waited, Dawn watched the cougar licking her cubs and this only served to reinforce the ticking of Dawn’s biological clock. She wanted a baby and Iona’s telepathic child would be a huge plus.

Eventually, Iona put down the bowl and looked up at Dawn.

“So, you want to know about telepathy”

`He-that-sees’ also moved in closer as Dawn answered.

“Yes. Is there a pathology? Can ordinary people know if somebody is telepathic?”

Iona lowered her voice to emphasise the forthcoming need for caution and circumspection.

“The answer is yes. Inside my head and those of my children there is a sort of fish-like organ. A boy’s looks like a flounder that sits just under the cerebellum on top of the corpus callosum. A girl’s telepathy organ sits in the same place, but it resembles something more like a seahorse with the tail curling right down to the cortex. Their telepathies differ as well.”

“How?” Gasped Dawn.

“Boys have a greater range and they can create nets, but girls have more intimate connections and they can blank off their thoughts from other telepaths. Boys have no secrets; girls can keep their thoughts strictly private if they wish.

“Why would that be?” Wondered a fascinated Dawn.

“I don’t know. I’ve discussed all this with my four children, and we can’t work it out. My three daughters are jealous of their brother and my son is jealous of his sisters. It seems there are benefits to both, but I haven’t worked it out. I have a simple theory but I have no hard evidence to support it.

It goes back to the hunter-gatherer thing. When hunting prey men need to connect over long distances to pass information to everybody in the hunt. Women used to gather vegetable foods from static, secret places so passing or hiding secret information of known, static fruit or berry locations only to members of the tribe required the ability to hide their thoughts.

Anyway, those are just my thoughts. My son thinks that God, or `Mother Nature’, -call it what you like-, has got something mapped out for us telepaths but none of us know what it is. We certainly can’t look into the future and it’s not for the want of trying.

Iona then went on to describe all the turmoil and past events in her life and Dawn shuddered as she began to recognise the awful dangers. Despite all the horror, Dawn still found herself wanting a telepathic child, as did her father. Iona sighed and smiled.

“You are just like Doctor Mary was. She also wanted to be the `telepathic Eve’.

“I’m not surprised,” smiled Dawn beatifically, “what mother wouldn’t want such a gift for her child?”

`He-that-sees’ also nodded vigorously. Even with his tribal perspectives, he could readily recognise that any people who had telepathy would be better set to prosper. Iona sensed his mild xenophobia and she reached out telepathically to disarm him.

“Telepathy belongs to all mankind. If I give it to your grandchildren, I must share it with others. None must prosper by telepathic domination. I know only too well, for I suffered from other’s domination by those who considered me of a lower order.”

`He-that-sees, then got a mild telepathic blast of philanthropy to emphasise Iona’s views before she went on to explain her humanitarianism arising from the oppression and abuse she had endured after having been diagnosed as a ‘lesser being’, - an insane sub-human. As a diagnosed, paranoid, transvestite schizophrenic, Iona had suffered from all the usual prejudices and thus been placed right at the bottom of the intellectual pecking order. This had inevitable precipitated her into the many catastrophic circumstances that had so destroyed her childhood.
`He-that-sees’ felt a wave of guilt envelope him as he realised that Iona’s telepathy had, by dint of her brutalised early years, even yet become a vehicle for compassion and understanding. It had been an amazing and inexplicable metamorphosis, for by rights, the tiny figure should have become a monster; mankind’s nemesis no less!

Dawn also received these telepathic revelations and she struggled to keep the tears from falling. The emotional telepathic attachments were far more powerful than the crude verbal accounts. Dawn had learned the same powerful lesson as Sandra, Mary, Emma and Jackie. Emotion and feelings travelled far more effectively via telepathy.

As the evening sun settled, the autumnal chill seeped into the cave. Dawn had rushed out of the village ill-prepared for a cold night in a shallow cave so she curled up on her cot and invited the cats to join her. She was ecstatic with joy when the tawny animals disposed themselves at her back and feet. Iona smile indulgently as she and `He-that-sees’ studied the pretty maid.

“Not many girls get to own a real, live fur coat, do they?” Giggled Iona.

`He –that-sees’ grinned affirmation as he built up the fire and Iona served herself yet another portion of stew from the simmering pot. `He-that-sees’ had quickly divined that Iona’s metabolism was affected by her telepathy for nobody could ordinarily eat so much and remain as such an elfin, sinewy figure. He nodded knowingly towards his beautiful daughter and asked Iona her intentions.

“Will you marry her by our customs and make her child a full member of the tribe.”

“Would that mean I would have to live with her for the rest of my life,” countered Iona, “for if they come searching for me again, I will have to run.”

“I think the elders of the tribe could make some new accommodations for my grandchild. Once he or she is born, and inducted into our tribe, then you would be free to leave if you have to. After all it’s not every day, telepathy comes to our people.”

Iona breathed a small sigh of relief. A permanent marriage would be something she would find difficult. Her whole life had been one of transience, comings and goings, rejections and censure ‘lost and found’ for she found it hard to trust or relate to anybody, even when she could easily read their innermost feelings. The faults lay not with the others, but with her. Once she had established that Dawn’s child was telepathic, and the tribal niceties had been resolved, she would be on her way again. Iona now had a mission.

Now that her issues with Michael had been resolved, she was at peace with herself and at long last free to go forward. As Dawn slept blissfully amongst the mountain cats, Iona and `He-that-sees’ chatted telepathically long into the night until the weak sun flickered in the eastern sky. As the dawn’s red fingers searched for a grip to climb between the clouds, they both smiled ruefully to each other.

“Huh! Here comes the sun again. We are like a pair of sleepless old grandmothers.” Grinned the old Shaman. “This telepathy thing makes old women of our feelings and our gabbling.”

Iona nodded with a soft smile as she reached into the old man’s contented heart. She had rarely sensed a more contented and blissfully happy old man. She chose her moment with perfect timing.

“Would this then be a suitable time to ask for your daughter’s hand in union?”

`He-that-sees’ eyes lit up with a twinkle as he reached out and pulled Iona into his powerful hug.

“Of course it is. A new dawn brings me a new Dawn. That is an auspicious sky is it not, for it has brought my daughter back to me? If my Daughter wishes it, you can marry her immediately after I have advised the elders.”

“Then I must warn you that the old chief knows of my telepathy. I had to enlighten him on the day of my arrival. The council was very suspicious of me despite the fact that your daughter had come back to them completely of her own volition.”
“Then that is to our advantage my son. For if he knows of your gift he will understand just as I do. He is a good and wise counsellor.”

“With this reassurance, Iona curled up in her cot and settled for a couple of hours sleep before returning to the village. Almost immediately the mother cougar extricated herself gently from Dawn’s cosy embrace and curled up around the tiny telepath’s elfin frame. `He-that-sees’ quickly realised that the cat responded to telepathy and that telepathy lay in the tiny seer’s brain.

`Still’ he reflected’ `at least his daughter had the companionship of the cubs and the prospect of someday blessing her people with the greatest gift a woman could give the tribe,’ he surmised contentedly. It was noon before Iona awoke and `He-that-sees immediately served him some more fresh stew. After eating their fill, everybody left the cave and clambered down the trail to the 4x4. By mid-afternoon, they had entered the village. `He-that-sees’ went immediately to the council lodge and called a meeting while Iona and Dawn entertained the children who shrieked with delight at the cougar cub’s antics.

In only half an hour, `He-that-sees’ returned beaming.

“The council chief agrees to your union. It was good that you revealed your gift to him. He told the council that the union would be good thing for our people and I reinforced his words. Nobody else had anything else to offer. Now my daughter, you must go into the lodge and tell the council that it is your free will to marry this strange individual.”

Dawn wasted no time in declaring her will and explaining why she wanted to marry a white berdache. In the council chamber she sat with the three cougars at her feet to demonstrate the powers of her intended partner. Such medicine had a huge impact on the council and she returned smiling.

“We marry tomorrow. The cougar thing did it.”

Iona flung her arms around Dawn and they returned to her family lodge where `He-that-sees’ was already holding court with the women’s council. Dawn’s mother had been a Sioux while `He-that-sees’ tribe was Shoshone. There would have to be an invitation to Dawn’s mother’s family. Already, the women were gossiping on their cell-phones.

Eventually the tribe mother explained.

“We must wait until the full moon. It’s your mother’s clan’s custom in the Sioux tribe.”

“But that’s a week away,” protested Dawn.

“By the spirits girl! Can you not wait a week. You’ve been a maid for eight years, why all the sudden urgency?”

Dawn fell silent. There was no option but to wait a week. Besides, it would be nice to have her aunts and cousins attend. She had missed her mother desperately since her death. There would be old family stories to retell and new cousins she had never met. Secretly she was relieved to delay the wedding for a week, for it would also give the tribe time to prepare. She could also acquire a suitable wedding outfit, as befitted a virgin, tribal girl who had achieved success as a doctor. Now she had returned to them, her kinsfolk were delighted and happy for her.

The following day, she and the Shoshone tribal mother flew up to the Sioux nation to make the proper arrangements. After all, Dawn was definitely a true maid and this gave added kudos to the whole affair. In the damaged, fragmented culture of the Native peoples, a virgin was to be celebrated, especially when that virgin was as beautiful as the old shaman’s daughter.

Dawn’s mother’s family could proudly present her as a genuinely pure bride and therefore dress her accordingly in their proper tribal style. For the whole stay, Dawn and the old Shoshone tribal mother were treated royally as festivities went apace.

When the date for the wedding came around, the returning Sioux wedding party had grown to fill a Boeing jet as over three hundred family members claimed a sufficiently close blood tie with the maid to attend her wedding in her Shoshone village.

Fortunately, for `He-that-sees’, Iona had already offered to help with the costs of the wedding feast. Money was still no object to Iona.

The berdache issue was quickly explained to the Sioux shaman for they too had no problems with Winkt’e matches. At least the bride and groom could bring forth children and that was what really mattered irrespective of their lifestyles. The wedding feast lasted two days and it was an exhausted couple who retreated with the cougars to the cave where they had shared and experienced so much.

As expected and hoped, Dawn became pregnant quickly for her father’s herbs had ensured that. A few months later the pregnancy was confirmed as twins and to everybody’s delight, a grandson and granddaughter were eventually presented to `He-that-sees’ during a full council ceremony. As a mother of twins, Dawn had now become a fully paid up member of the council. Iona was also invited to join the council, which she did but rarely voted.

Once the twin’s telepathy was confirmed, Iona was already getting itchy feet. When they were about 3 years of age, Iona first detected the first tiny flickering’s of telepathy in the children. She warned the only three people in the tribe who were a party to the secret and then more or less let things carry on as they were. For Iona, with her now extensive experience of her gift, the formative years until the children were able to understand the particular uniqueness of their gifts, were amongst the sweetest years of Iona’s life.

Firstly, as the twins initially expressed fear at the strange invasions of their tender minds, Iona acted as their telepathic guardian and mentor. She slowly expanded the twin’s awareness and she was delighted whenever they achieved another new milestone. At first, she could only describe these events to Dawn and `He-that-sees’ but the twins’ development steadily expanded until that wonderful day in their fourth year when their daughter Kitten suddenly and unexpectedly released her first telepathic signal.
It was akin to an ordinary child’s first word and Dawn was ecstatic when she received it whilst she was preparing some food for Iona’s return. When the word `mummy’ invaded Dawn’s consciousness she almost dropped the knife in her delight and she immediately skipped into the living room where both her daughter `Kitten’ and her son ‘Leaping Cat’ were watching television.

“Who just said mummy?” She asked sweetly as she desperately tried to hide her excitement and not show any favouritism. Kitten’s hand went up shyly and it was all her mother could do to not pick her up and dance around the room.

“Why that’s wonderful darling. Have you got any more words?”

Kitten shook her head and innocently returned to watch the screen while her mother frantically ran to pick up the phone. Instead, as her hand stretched out to pick up the phone, she suddenly got a telepathic message from Iona.

“Did you just get a telepathic message from the children?”

“Yes!” Squealed Dawn, unable to contain her delight.

“I thought you might. I just picked up a ripple in my head. Which one was it?

“Kitten. She’s just fessed up to it.”

“Yeah that figures, I suppose girls tend to be a little bit advanced on boys.”

Dawn smiled. Iona was probably right but one couldn’t be sure. What rules applied to normal children might not apply to telepaths. Having established that Kitten was moving upwards, Iona decided to make the next step. She would try speaking to Kitten while she wasn’t in the room. She warned Dawn to tell Kitten that her Daddy-mum was going to talk to her. Gently Dawn took Kitten on her knee and explained to her.

“Darling, you know that you just said something to me without speaking.”

“Telepy.” Giggled Kitten.

“Yes darling, `telepy’. Well Mummy-dad is going to reply to you, would you like that.

“Where is she?”

“She’s been shopping with granddad.

“You mean outside?”

“Yes. She’s coming back from the town by the buttress road.”

Kitten fell silent as she digested this new information. She had never realised that `telepy’ could work outside the house because Iona had avoided any such situations that might cause problems. Now that Kitten had `spoken’ things had taken a new twist. She bounced upon Dawn’s knee and asked, `where’s mummy-dad?’

“I’m here darling,” replied Iona as she savoured the delight and surprise in Kitten’s mind.

“Mummy-dad! Mummy-dad! Where are you?”

“Coming home darling and I’ve got a nice surprise for you and Leaping Cat.”

Kitten squealed with delight and unwittingly `called’ her brother via her new `telepy’

Leaping Cat let out a squeak of surprise and came running to his mother.

“Mummy! Kitten’s copying Mummy-dad.”

“Yes darling,” replied his mother, trying to seem unconcerned, as though it was the most normal thing on earth.

“How did she do it?” He demanded.

“She’s growing up darling; you’ll soon be able to do it too.”

Leaping cat pouted with disappointment then retreated back to the television. His sister always seemed to be one jump ahead.

Eventually of course the rumours about strange events and telepathy somewhere among the Native Americans filtered back to interested parties in the same old military centres. Having utterly failed to learn their lesson once, the same agencies came looking a second time. Fortunately, Iona got wind of it through the Indian grapevine long before the agencies had moved to act upon any certain information and Dawn’s children were sequestrated away long before the threat emerged.

Iona was now scanning regularly at ranges exceeding a thousand miles so when the agencies finally came looking she was well prepared. She warned `He-that-sees’ and the village council about the forthcoming visit then carefully hid herself when the agents arrived. They finally recognised the 4x4’s plates and immediately decided to organise a thorough search of the village.

Iona decided to lead them away from the village like some decoy duck and dispose of them on some narrow treacherous road, high in the hills. `He-that-sees’ was fascinated to learn that Iona’s telepathic punch could kill many men at one instance and he begged to be a witness.

As the agents busied themselves around the village, Iona `borrowed’ another powerful 4x4 and set off into the hills with `He-that-sees’ as her companion. The agents quickly recognised the refugee for Iona’s hair was no secret.

“It’s her. It’s the bitch herself! The one who murdered all those marines!”

There was a wild scramble as the agents piled into their vehicles and set off in hot pursuit. Lessons had been long forgotten and this was a totally new gang of agents who had not done their homework properly. After a wild ride taking them high into the mountains, Iona finally chose a `dead-end’ trail just to con her pursuers into thinking they had her finally cornered.
Iona knew the hills well and mountain pursuits had become meat and drink to her. She put `He-that-sees’ off at a high vantage point then drove a mile or so up the trail before finally parking on a sharp blind bend. Quickly she decamped from her borrowed 4x4 and took a position on another high rock above the trail. The coup-de-grace was sickeningly easy but to Iona’s inured psyche there was no cause for lament or cheer. As the pursuers hurtled around the buttress they were suddenly confronted with the vehicle parked right in the middle of the road. As the brakes slammed on, Iona simply
killed the driver and as his motor functions ceased, his foot came off the brake and the first vehicle hurtled over the cliff. She played an identical trick with the second vehicle’s driver and it promptly followed its companion. Eight agents had met a violent and terrible death. A brief scan confirmed their deaths and Iona simply turned her 4x4 around to collect `He-that-sees on the way back to the village. On the return journey, `He-that-sees’ expressed his fears.

“Are you not concerned that you have killed eight men.”

“No. They would kill me if they had to. They have tried, several times.”

“But they have families, wives, and children.”

“So have I, your own daughter and grandchildren. Whose side are you on?”

`He-that-sees’ fell silent for this was a side to Iona he had never seen. He was glad that his daughter and grandchildren were well hidden up in the Sioux nations. Iona sighed and spoke to him as they picked their way back to the village.

“I’m afraid this is it. My marriage to Dawn is over. I did not want it but they forced it, just like I told you they would. They never give up.”

`He-that-sees’ understood this and he wagged his head with disappointment. They made a brief stop in the village then used `He-that-sees’ new pick-up to make a dash for the Sioux nations. After a last goodbye to her family, Iona set off south to the Mexican border. Even as Iona’s departing pick-up bounced along the Sioux village trail, Dawn’s eyes filled with tears.
She had so wanted to tell her husband that more new life was quickening in her womb. Sadly she had learned to her own bitter cost of the dangers confronting her one-time husband. If her own children were to be free of the persecutions and pursuits that beset her one-time husband, it was best that Iona did not know of the second pregnancy that Dawn was nurturing in her fruitful loins.