Bear's Heart Read online

“Look up.”

  The block on top was open as well, a short tunnel leading to the sky.

  “Look down.”

  We stood on a woven piece of metal, over a sixth open cube.

  “See?” Jack asked. “It’s the center of the universe. If you stand in the middle, it goes all around you.”

  I nodded. This was the first thing that had made sense to me, something that marked the six directions. I stood there for a moment, regaining my own center.

  “Thank you for showing this to me.”

  Jack smiled eyes bright with happiness. I liked seeing him that way, rather than troubled as he had been for so much of the last day.

  He tugged my hand. “We’re right by the duck pond. Let’s go see if we can find out what Spider Old Woman thinks you’ll learn there.”

  Jack led me up a short grassy hill and at the top we looked down.

  This was it. The grass sloping down to the water. A pond with a small island. Ducks swam by. A cluster of trees to one side with a rock jutting out into the water. People lying on the grass, sitting, reading books. This was the exact place of my vision.

  I turned and hugged Jack. “You were right!”

  He looked flustered. “What? You didn’t trust me?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Of course. But I’m still happy we found the right place so quickly. With this sort of luck on our side, I am sure we can find the source of the wind, fix the problem and both of us go home.”

  He ran a hand through his shaggy hair and grinned. “Well, as long as you’re happy.”

  “Let us continue to search and see if we can find the next step.”

  We walked around the very edge of the pond, but found nothing but children and ducks and people feeding them. The brown water looked filthy, but the ducks did not mind.

  We found nothing that warranted further exploration and so spiraled outward, circling the pond, slowly making our way to the outer paved area.

  And then we found him, the young man from my vision. He ran a hand through his light hair, shoving it from his face as he hurried by.

  I grabbed Jack's arm to follow, but he pulled me back.

  “It’s Dad! Quick, we have to hide!”

  "Him?" I pointed to the young man. He did not look much older than us, certainly not old enough to be Maggie's father.

  "No, over there." And he pointed in the direction the young man ran.

  An older man walked towards us, with glasses and a coat. Tall and thin, I could see traces of Maggie in his walk and I wondered if she knew she looked like her father when she was lost in thought.

  The younger man ran after him, calling “Professor Sanger! Professor Sanger!”

  “Let’s follow them.”

  “What? No!” Jack’s face was pale. “He can’t see me out, not like this!”

  “How many people does your father know who can change their shape?”

  Jack looked at me, startled. “Um, none. People don’t do that here.”

  “Then how could he ever suspect that you are you?”

  We followed them to where Maggie’s father waited for the younger man with a look of impatience.

  “Sorry, Dr. Sanger, I just didn’t get down what time we’re meeting tomorrow.”

  Maggie’s father rolled his eyes. “If you’d been listening, you'd have known. 2 p.m. If you’re bringing your family, make sure they meet the buses at the Wilson building.”

  The young man nodded, a little flushed. “Thanks, I know they can’t wait to see the new dig.”

  The two men entered one of the buildings and I felt uncomfortable following further. I turned to Jack. “We should go talk with Maggie, and find out what your father has been doing. He must be our next clue.”

  Chapter Nine

  Early evening shadows stretched over the road by the time we reached the park by Maggie’s house. Our stomachs reminded us we had not eaten since we left the village that morning. Jack led me to an area of grass and stone benches, deserted in the fading light.

  He set the backpack down on a park bench. “If I know Maggie . . .” and he rummaged through the pack.

  “I knew it!” he crowed, holding up two wrapped packages.

  “What are these?”

  He laughed. “Cheese sandwiches. Maggie doesn’t go anywhere without them. They’re great.” He looked through the pack again, found another. “Let’s go ahead and have them all. I don't usually have more than one, but today I might.”

  I smiled and thought of all the times I had seen her share her sandwich with her constant companion. The smile faded as I wondered what this expedition would mean for the two of them.

  We ate in silence and Jack showed me a rock fountain that could be controlled with a lever for us to drink out of. Very useful, but very strange, like most of this place.

  As we ate I stumbled for words. “This morning, you asked me to wait before talking to you about something. And I have. But we are going to see Maggie soon and before we go, I need to have all the information I can.”

  He turned his face to me, his eyes sad. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Jack, do you think it would be easier to talk to me about this, or to Maggie? At some point, she is going to notice something is different, something has changed. I think she is already starting to notice.” I put my hand over his. “I am your friend. I will help you find a way to tell her. But you must explain to me what is happening.”

  He wrapped his fingers around mine and stared into the sun as it lowered to the horizon. The sky became streaked with vivid orange and reds.

  Perhaps I had pushed too hard. “Even the sunset is different here. Brighter, more colors.”

  Jack smiled weakly. “Dad says that’s because of the pollutants, um, like the smoke that the cars and factories put out into the air. The light hits those in the air and makes the sunsets more brilliant. It’s a pretty thing, but may kill us in the end.” He squeezed my hand. “I think I’m dying.”

  I blurted the first principle of my training: “All mortal things die. It is their nature.” I spoke hurriedly to soften my words. “Are you sick? What can I do?”

  He shrugged. “I’m not sick. I think you’re right, actually. This is in my nature.” He turned his face to me. Tears stood in his eyes. “I know things are different between our worlds, but here . . . here animals do not live as long as people. They say every year of a dog’s life is like seven human years.”

  I thought about this, inspected it in my mind, found the issue he had not addressed. “What does Maggie say about this?”

  “She doesn’t know yet. I don’t want her to know.”

  “How can she not know, if this is common knowledge? How can she not know just to look at you?”

  He looked back at the darkening sky. “A part of her must know. But I don’t want her to think about it. I don’t want to think about it. We’ve never been apart and this means I’ll be gone, long before Maggie and we’ll be separated forever.”

  I could say nothing in the face of this truth, but sit next to him and rest my head on his shoulder. We watched the day end together.

  Jack judged it time for us to head to Maggie’s house to check in. He had wanted to wait until after her family had eaten, when Maggie would be in her room working on homework.

  As we walked we talked about where I should stay for the night.

  “Go home, then come back in the morning.” Jack decreed. “It’d be safer there, even with the wind.”

  “I do not want to lose so much time. It is possible that the difference in time would aid me, but I cannot count on that. I need to stay here until this puzzle is solved.” I considered options. “I will return to where we ate the sandwiches and sleep there. There are bushes and few people. It will be comfortable enough.”

  Jack halted. “No way! You can’t go sleep in a park. It’s too cold to sleep outside and besides, it’s not safe.”

  “Jack, how much safer can I be? I am a bear, after all.”

  He
shook his head. “Not here, you’re not. No sleeping in parks.”

  We had not resolved the issue when we arrived at Maggie’s house. Jack led us around the side, through a gate and towards a window at the back. We crouched low, inching our way along. Then Jack stiffened, his eyes wide as a man spoke. The voice we’d heard this afternoon at the school sounded as if it came from directly above us.

  “I just don’t know, honey. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.”

  A woman answered. “I never thought this would happen. Do you think someone could have taken him?”

  The man’s reply was muffled as we crawled away.

  We stopped beneath a far window and Jack reached up and scratched the glass. Within seconds the pane slid to the side and Maggie stood in front of us.

  “Come in, come in, quiet!”

  We crawled over the windowsill into her room and crouched down behind her bed. The door that I supposed led to the rest of the house was on the other side of the room, so that if her parents came in they would see nothing. We hoped.

  I remained silent while Maggie and Jack stared at each other. She glared at him, outrage stamped across her features. “You’re still a boy?” Her soft question carried hurt with it. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to be like this?”

  He reached forwards, then stopped his hand as she pulled back. “I didn’t know if I could do it, didn’t know if I could keep the change here. I would have told you if I knew for sure.”

  Her eyebrows drawn together, Maggie shook her head. “I would have packed tons better if I’d known.” She bit her lip, as if to stop herself from arguing. “But what did you find out?”

  Stumbling over each other, we told her about finding the young man of my vision, and how he had led us to her father.

  “We still do not know what is causing the wind. It may be a false trail, but his appearance may provide the next clue.”

  Maggie nodded slowly. “He’s been busy lately with a dig.”

  “The other man said that, but I am not sure what he meant.”

  Maggie explained. “An archeological dig. Where they find things that have been lost, or buried under the dust, or sometimes under newer buildings while they’re being built. Around here people used to find old abandoned pueblos, or old houses, or sometimes graves.”

  I shook my head. “I think it would have to be something new, for it to affect my home so suddenly. Time moves differently between our worlds, but I cannot believe that we would just now be seeing the effects of something that happened so long ago here!”

  Jack spoke up. “Maybe they found something old, but just recently.” He shrugged. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. If any of this does.”

  “He’s taking a lot of students and their families to the dig site tomorrow,” Maggie said. “Maybe you could try to follow?”

  “Maybe we can just go with them. I’d bet people would just assume we’re someone else’s kids. Just meet with everyone else in the afternoon, and we’re good to go.”

  I looked closely at Jack. He’d clearly been spending too much time with Coyote, but I could not argue with his plan.

  “Then we will wait for tomorrow. I wish we did not have to wait so long.” My voice trailed off and I thought of my parents, the new lines on my mother’s face, the weariness in my father’s step and bowed my head.

  Maggie touched my arm softly. “I did wait for Ash.”

  My throat tightened. “What did he find?”

  “Your parents are all right. Tired, but hanging in there.”

  A shadow lay on her words. “What else is wrong?”

  “I think Ash is getting sick. A lot of people who were fine before are so tired now. It’s like the wind is wearing them down.”

  I hugged her. “I’ll do my best to stop it, as soon as I can.”

  She nodded, leaned back against the high-padded bed and closed her eyes.

  “Maggie,” Jack’s voice was nearly inaudible. “What did you tell Mom and Dad?”

  She did not answer him for a moment and when she did the bitterness in her voice struck me. “What did you think I told them? They don’t know how it could have happened and they think I left the gate unlatched. There’s no other way for you to have gotten out.”

  His face tightened and I wanted to tell her not to be cruel, but this lay between them and it was not my place, no matter how I felt.

  She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I hate having to act like I wouldn't have been careful about you.” She gave a pale excuse for a smile. “Besides, I keep having to pretend to cry and we both know I’m a lousy actress.”

  He looked at her and tried a smile back of his own and they touched for the first time since we had crawled through the window.

  Maggie wiped away a tear. “Jack, you’re going to have to pay for this, you know.” She sounded as if she tried to keep her voice light, but I could hear her distress. “We spent an hour or so before dinner putting up lost dog signs. You’re pretty safe in that shape though; no one will report finding you.”

  She pushed the topic away. “Have you decided what you’re going to do tonight?”

  “Yes,” he answered.

  “No,” I shot.

  Jack and I glared at each other.

  “Yes,” he continued. “Bear Girl is going to go back home for the night and then start again.”

  “No, I’m not,” I insisted.

  Maggie looked at us. “Wow. I can only imagine what your day must have been like. I think I have an answer for you if you can stand it.”

  We stopped glaring at each other and looked at her.

  “There’s a house under construction a block over. They don’t have all the doors up, yet. I’d bet you could stay there and as long as you were up early enough, no one would even know. Jack, it’s almost right behind Mrs. Bishop’s place. Think you could find it?”

  Jack grinned. “Mrs. Bishop gives me treats every time we see her. Yeah, I can find the street behind her house, no problem.”

  Maggie looked at me. “Would this work for you?”

  I felt uneasy. “Is this not someone else’s home? I do not think I am comfortable taking someone’s house.”

  Maggie shook her head. “There’s no one living there now. It would be like . . . like . . .”

  Jack cut in. “Like sleeping in an abandoned nest. You’re not kicking out the bird who built it, she’s not there any more, doesn’t care.”

  I looked at him, looked at them both. “If you say so. I am still uncertain.” But I did not know what else to do.

  Maggie made sure we knew where the meeting place for the bus would be, and found a pair of thin sandals for Jack and handed him a light blanket from the foot of her bed.

  “I don’t know how warm it’ll be tonight. If you’re not going to be home, at least take this with you.”

  Jack sniffed the blanket and smiled. I caught the scent of Jack the dog. He must have used it often in his other shape.

  We hugged Maggie then climbed out her window and crawled back around the house and to the street. Jack found the house with no trouble. It stood with the fragments of light from the surrounding houses shining through the empty upper levels. We stood under the tree of the house across the street and watched it. There was no one to be seen, no movement; it was entirely dark and abandoned.

  Jack found a large hole in the back wall that must have been waiting for a door to be put into place. Now only a flap of thick gray material hung down, reminding me of deer skins covering the doors of the rooms in Ash’s village.

  We pushed our way in and crept through the house. Room opened into room, ceilings arched high over our heads.

  “Jack,” I whispered and when he did not stop, I reached forward to touch his shoulder. He jumped and glared at me, but I knew he listened to me now.

  “How many families will live here when this house is completed?” I could imagine it filled with men and women, children spilling down the stairways, halls echoing with laug
hter.

  He looked confused. “Probably just one, why?”

  “One? Then, do they have many children? Will the aunts and uncles and grandparents live here as well?”

  He looked around, appeared to search for traces of something. “Um, no. Probably not. Two or three kids at most.”

  All of this, for only five people and three of them children? I shook my head, gave up worrying about it and focused on Jack as he resumed his trek through the house.

  We found a room near the middle of the house, with no windows to betray us to the outside world.

  “Just in case,” Jack said.

  We cleared a space on the floor and sat. A light chill enveloped the house, not terribly cold, but enough that I wished for the comfort of my coat and was glad for the blanket. I looked at Jack and wondered.

  “Wish you could change for sleeping?”

  He stopped patting the ground around himself. “Yeah, I guess I do. I haven’t actually slept in this shape very often. I can’t curl up the way I want.”

  After a time of tossing and turning, arranging and fidgeting, we settled in.

  “Bear Girl,” he whispered. “Why do you keep saying you don’t have magic?” He went on, unaware of my clenched fists. “These dreams, or visions, or whatever, are coming and finding you. And just you. From what you said, even Spider Old Woman wanted to see them through your eyes.”

  “Jack, I do not want to talk about this. Not tonight, not ever. I am a healer, I am the daughter of healers and whatever is happening, I do not want this.”

  “But—”

  “No.”

  I rolled away from him and after time I heard Jack’s breathing slow down, become steady and deep.

  I stared at the ceiling, dreading a night filled with worry and wakefulness, but the day’s exhaustion, after so many days of treating the sick at the village, took its toll and I felt myself dragged down into sleep.

  ~ * * * ~

  “Isabel, I need to talk to you.”

  The piebald sheep turned their faces towards Tomás as he approached.

  “I will be finished soon.”

  He took the bucket away from Isabel and scattered the grain wildly.