okay y'all chapter 12. ultimate secure and the golden carp occupied my thoughts the rest of the summer i was growing up and changing i had plenty of time to be myself and to think and to feel the magic these events contain things were quiet at home since the departure of leon and eugene my father was drinking more than usual because he felt that they had betrayed him he would come home back from the asphalt of the highway wash himself out by the windmill then spend the rest of the afternoon doing small jobs around the rabbit bins things were quite at home since the departure of leon eugene i didn't have to worry very much about keeping the animals fed because he did all the work he kept a bottle of whiskey out there and he drank until supper time i went and called him to supper one afternoon and i heard him muttering in the dusk that forsaken their father he spoke to the gentle rabbit which gathered around his feet they have left me oh he moaned it was not their fault i'm a fool i should have known that modest blood in them would make them restless it is the same blood that set me to wandering when i was young i should have known i was proud that they would show the true blood of the modest but little did i realize the same pride would make them desert me gone we are all wanderers and i am here alone papa i called okay he turned oh it is you antonio it's time for supper hey came to my side and placed his hand on my shoulder perhaps it is true that luna's blood will win out in the end he said perhaps it is better that way my mother too was very quiet she tried to cheer herself by saying andrew was still home but andrew worked all day and was usually in town at night only saw him for a few moments at breakfast in our separate time momma teased him that he had a good lady had a girl in town that assumed she and papa would have to go and speak to the girl's parents banjo remains silent he will not be drawn into conversation of course my mother had all too much to talk with during the day and that was very good for her ultima and i continued to search for plants and roots and hills i felt more attached to ultima than to my mother altima told me the stories and legends of my ancestors from her i learned the glory and the tragedy of the history of my people and i came to understand how that history stirred in my blood i spent most of the long summer evenings in a room we talked stored the dry herbs and played cards when i'd asked her about the three dolls on her shelf the dolls were made of clay and shall she locked with candle wax they were clothed and life-like in appearance they look familiar i thought to myself do not touch them she said there were many things in ultima's room that i instinctively knew i should not touch but i cannot understand why she was so blunt about the dolls one of them must have been left in the sun i said i looked closely at one doll that stagnant bent over the clay face seemed to be twisted with pain come here ultima called me away from the dogs i went and stood before her clear stare fixed to me to the spot and made me forget the dose do you know the manta norio she has yes he's a man who threatened you at all that oh when we went to cure my uncle lucas he's a wicked man she said when you're out alone fishing along the river if you see this man antonio you are to keep away from do you understand i understand i know she spoke very calmly and i was frightened i was not frightened she spoke to me very calmly and so i was not frightened you're a good boy now come here i have something for you she took her scapular from around her neck excuse me [Music] she took her scapular from around her neck next spring you will start your catechism and you will make your first communion you will receive your scapular it will protect you from all evil in the meantime i want you to wear mine she took the thin string and placed it around my neck i had seen my sister's scapulars and knew that the cloth at the end had a picture of the virgin or saint joseph on it but this scapular had a small flattened pouch i smelled it in his fingers so sweet a small pouch of helpful herbs opened my smile have had that since i was a child it will keep you safe but what will you use i asked behind she laughed i had many ways to keep me safe i promise you would tell no one about this she tucked the scapula under my shirt i promise i answered another thing i did that did that summer was to confirm sickle story i followed the line of water sickle said was drawn around the town and it was true the entire town was surrounded by water of course i did not go to the hidden lakes but i could see the obvious truth nevertheless the town was ringed by a river rained by the river the creek the lakes and numerous other springs i waited many and afternoon to catch sight of the beautiful carp as it swam by and while i waited in the sun i potted over this legend pondered over this legend and there were good times two gay times before the awful storm that broke over our house when the people of las pastures came to town for supplies they always came to visit with my parents when they came my father was happy not only because they were his people because they were happy people they were always laughing and the men's eyes were always bright with a sting of whiskey the talk was loud and exciting and there was a song in it they even smelled different from the people of the town or my uncles from my puerto ricos were quiet and the older around them was deep and quiet like damp earth the people from las pastures were like the wind and the fragrances they carried on their clothing shifted as the wind shifted the people from las pastures always had stories to tell about the places where they had work sometimes they talked about picking cotton in east texas and about running whiskey into the picking broom corn you know by running whiskey into the cotton fields of dry counties sometimes they talked about picking broom corn and as they talked and laughed i could see the rolls of green broom corn and i could smell and sweet scent and left in the sweaty working clothes they left in their sweaty working clothes where they could speak about the potato fields of colorado and the tragedy that befell them there they left the sun in the dark earth of colorado crushing they left the sun in the dark earth of colorado crashed into the tilled earth by a spilled tractor and then even the grown man cried but it was all right to cry because it was fitting to grieve the death of a son but always the talk would return to stories of the old days in la pasture as always the talk turned to life on the yano the first pioneer pioneers there were sheep herders then they imported herds of cattle from mexico and became volcanoes they became horsemen caballeros men whose daily life was wrapped up in the ritual horsemanship they were the first cowboys in a wild desolate land which they took from the indians then the railroad came the barbed wire came the songs the cord the corridors became sad and the meeting of the people from texas from my forefathers was full of blood murder and tragedy people were uprooted they looked around one day and found themselves closed in the freedom of land and sky they had known was gone those people could not live without freedom and so they packed up and moved west they became migrants my mother did not like the people of the yano to her they were worthless drunkards wanderers she did not understand their tragedy they searched for freedom that was now forever gone my mother had lived in ayano many years when she married my father but the valley and the river were too ingrained in her for her to change she made only two lasting friends in la pastures ultima from whom she would lay down her life and onciso who's drinking the tolerated who drinking she tolerated because he had helped her when her twins were born it was late in the summer and we were all seated around the kitchen table making our plans to go to alporto for the harvest when my mother was strange premonition remember narcisso he was a fool and he was a drunkard but he did help me in my hour of need ah yes arsenal was a gentleman my mother winked in teaser bye my mother scoffed and went on them i didn't sleep for three days rushing around getting things for ultimate me and he never touched the bottle where was papa deborah asked who knows the railroad took him to places he never told me about my mother answered angrily out of work my father said simply how to support your family anyway my mother changed the subject it has been a good summer at our puerto the harvest will be good and it will be good to see my papa and lucas return and look thankfully at ultima this calls for a drink of thanksgiving my mother smiled he too wanted to preserve the good spirits and humor that were with us that night he was standing when our sister burst through the kitchen door he came in without knocking and we all jumped from our seats one minute the kitchen was soft and quiet and exit was filled with a huge figure in our sea so he was the biggest man i had ever seen he wore a huge mustache with his hair flowed like a lion's mane his eyes were wild and red as he stood over his gasping and pantied for breath saliva dripped from his mouth he looked like a huge wounded monster deborah and theresa screamed and ran behind my mother i see so my father explained what doesn't matter he pointed at ultimate and under her feet took her hand and kissed it narcisso ultimate smile she took his hand and made him stand kept outside my father repeated he is drunk my mother exclaimed anxiously he clutched deborah and teresa no no not he's so insistent the norio he gasped and pointed to the kitchen door grande you must hide he pleaded with ottoman you don't make sense my father said he took narcisso by the shoulder sit down catch your breath maria send the children to bed my mother pushed his passenger cecil who sank into my father's chair i didn't know what was happening nobody seemed to know but i was not about to miss the action simply because i was a child my mother's first concern was to rush the frightened deborah and teresa up the stairs to the room i hop back and slip into the darkness beneath the stairs i held her down and watched with anticipation the drama that unfolded as you know she so regained his composure and related his story grounded must hide he insisted we must waste no time even now they come why must i hide nor had narcissistic minds calmly who was coming my mother had it she returned to the kitchen she and i missed me and i was glad for it i see so roared oh my god at that i heard ultima was out who did danger cry outside there was someone out there i looked at ultima tsar smile vanna she held her high her head high as is stiff in the wind as a sniffing the wind and the strength i had seen when she died with the nori at the bar filled her face she too had heard the owl we know nothing my father said no make sense ombre today the nordio's daughter nai his witch died the small evil one died at al puerto today what that had to do with us my father asked idiots no she so cried and rung his hands living on this cursed hill away from the town you hear nothing colonial has blamed la grande for his daughter's death he pointed to the ultimate maria my mother christ she went to ultimate and put her hands around her that's impossible you must take her away hiding until this evil story has ended again i heard the owl cry and her ultimate whisper it is too late bye my father almost laughed the norio spreads rumors like an old woman the next time i see him i'll pull this dog beard and make him wish he had never been born it is not no not rumor nice he's so pleated he has gathered his cronies around him at the bar he's filled them with whiskey all day and he has convinced them to burn a witch they come on a witch hunt i my mother choked to sob and crossed her forehead i held my breath at what i heard i could not believe that anyone could ever think that ultimate was a witch she did only good again the owl cried i turned and stared into the darkness but i could see nothing still i felt something or someone lurking in the shadows i was why should the outcry who told you this wild story my father in the man sue silva has come from my buddha i spoke to him just minutes ago and came running to warn you you know his word is gold i see so handsome my father nodded in agreement gabrielle what are we to do my mother cried well proof that the knowledge i have my father has proof and i see so lord he was now nearly out of his mind with the deliberateness of my father he does not need proof on but he is filling men with whiskey has spread his poison his vengeance into them we must flee my mother cried no altima she looked at my father and measured him carefully with her in 10 gays a man does not flee from the truth she said i granted narcissism i'm only thinking of your welfare one does not talk about the truth to men drunk with whiskey in the smell of a lynchian if he has no proof then we need not be concerned with the stories of wolf spreads my father said all right i say so jump if it is proof you insist on before you hide like i'll tell you what jesus told me the nori has told the men who would listen to him that he found like it on this string bag you know the kind that the kunaneras were around the neck under the bed of his dead daughter it cannot be i jumped up and shouted i rushed to my father cannot be ultimate because i have it i took open my shirt and showed them the strange scapular and at the same time we heard the loud report of a shot a running man carrying burning torches surrounded our house it is them it is too late nor see simone and slowing back into the chair i saw my father look at his rifle on the shelf then dismissing it he walked calmly to the door i followed closely behind him gabriel mares an evil voice called from beyond the dancing light of the torches my father stepped outside and i followed him he was aware of me but he not sent me back he was on his landing as such will not be shamed in front of his son at first we could see only the flaring light of the pinyon torches and our eyes grew accustomed to the dark and we could see the dark outlines of men and the red sweating faces by the light of their torches some of the men had john charcoal crosses on their foreheads i trimmed when i was afraid but i vowed on when i let them take ultima i waited for my father to speak again as my father asked he spread his feet as if ready to fight we have no quarrel with you might as evil voice caught out we only want the witch my father's voice was tense with anger now who speaks yes loudly there was no answer come come my father repeated all my shouting you know me you call me by my name you walk upon my land i want to know who speaks the man glanced nervously at each other two of them drew close to each other and whispered secretly a third came from around the house and joined them they had thought taking ultima would be easy but now they realize that my father will let no man invade his home our business here this tonight is not with you mod is the voice of tenor squeaked in the dark i recognized the voice from the bar at all you walk on my land that is my business my father shouted we do not want coral with you modest is the old witch we want give it to us and we will take her away there will be no trouble besides she had no relation to you and she stands accused of witchcraft who accuses her my father asked ernie he was forcing the men to identify themselves and so the false courage the whiskey and the darkness had lent them was slipping away in order to hold the man together tonori was forced to speak up he decided accuses her he shouted and jumped forward so that i could plainly see his ugly face he did not have a chance to finish his accusation because my father reached down and grabbed him by the collar donor was not a small man but with one hand my father jerked him off his feet and pulled the cringing figure forward you are cabron he said almost calmly into tenorio's evil frying face you are a whoring oh you are a whoring old woman with his left hand he grabbed at the top of the hair that grew onto norio's chin and yanked it hard the nordio screamed in pain and raged and my father extended his arm and told he went flying he landed screaming in the dust and then scrambling to his feet he ran to refuge behind two of his coyotes wait might is one of the men shouting and jump between my father and tenorio but now i come to fight you there's no man here that does not hold you in respect but witchcraft is serious accusation you know that we do not like this any better than you do but the charge must be cleared up this morning thino's daughter died he has proof that his ultimate curse that killed her the rest of the men nodded and moved forward their faces were stolen they all held hastily made crosses of green juniper and pinon branches the light of the torches danced off crosses of pins and needles they had pinned on their coats and shirts one man had even run needles through their coats and um run needles through the skin of his lower lips and the no curse might enter him blood trickled down his lip and dropped from his chin is that you blast montano my father asked of the man who had just spoken see the man answering about his head give us the wisdonorio shouted from behind the safety of his men he was raging with insult but he would not approach my father there's no witch here my father answered and encourages her to await their attack the nori has proof another man shouted to mother and my father retorted they were going to have to fight him to take ultima but there are too many for him i thought of running for the rifle give us the blue hat to know your shot here is the man forward and they answered as a chorus give us the witch give us the witch the man with the cross needles on his lip waves his juniper crossed towards the house so others waved their torches back and forth as they slowly approached my father give us the witch give us a wish that he chanted and moved forward when my father held his ground the hissing of the torches frightened me but i took courage from my father they were almost upon us when they suddenly stopped the screen door banged in on cecil stepped forward instead of bumbling drunkard there now stood in the path him i was a giant man he had my father's rifle casually in his hands as he surveyed the mob kepasaki his booming voice broke the ten silence why are farmers out here play vigilantes when they should be home sitting before a warm fire playing cards counting the rich harvest say i know you man i know you blast montano manuelito and you cruz no you are not men who need the cover of darkness to hide your deeds the men glanced at each other the men they considered the town drunk had shamed them by pointing out the lowliness of their deed one man took a drink from a bottle he held and tried to pass it on but no one would take it they were silent you shame your good names by following this jodi though tenorio narcisso continue i ate the know you're growing a raging hate but there was nothing he dared to do this cabron has lost a daughter today and for the el puerto can sleep easier now that her evil dune has gone to hell with her this gabron has lost a daughter today and for that alberto can sleep easier now that her evil doing has gone to hell with her animal to know spit out i may well be a beast don't she so laugh but i'm not a fool we are not fools blast shouted back we came on an errand that is law by custom this man has proved that kurandera a witch and if it is her curse that caused her death then she must be punished the men around him not in an agreement i was mortally afraid that narciso like my mother would anger the mob and would be overrun then i knew they would take ultima and kill her throat rumble laughter i do not question your right to charge someone with witchcraft it is so in custom but you are fool's fools for drinking the devil's whiskey point at the nori and fools for following him across the countryside in the middle of the midnight you have insult to me for that you will pay the nurio shouted and waved his fist and now he calls you fools he turned to the men enough for this talking we came to take the wish let it be done see the men nodded in agreement wait no stop yes i called you fools but not to insult you listen my friends you have already violated this man's land you have come and created much bad blood when you could have done this simply you have the right to charge someone witchcraft to discover the truth of that charge there is a very simple there's a very simple test he reached forward and pulled the needles from the man's lip are these needles holy he asked man see the man answered bless just last sunday by the priest he wiped the bell in his lip i call you fools because you all know the test for the bruh you do not think to use it it is simple take the holy needles and pin them to the door put them in so they are crossed and in the name of god error you all know that a witch cannot walk through the door so marked by the sign of christ i see them and exclaimed it was true it is a true test the man called sadio spoke he took the needles from narcissus they go in our cousins they have seen it work but we won't all abide by the trial narcissus say he looked at my father for the time my father turned and looked at the kitchen door and the light were the two huddled figures in my mother and ultimately glanced at her see so he places faith in his old friend but we almost abide by the trial narcissus said i abide by the test he says [ __ ] simply i crossed my forward and no doubt that ultimate could walk by the way of the holy cross not everyone turned in like that tenorio for it was he who had accused altima i will abide he muttered he had no other voice no other choice i will place the needles crucio said he walked to the door and struck the two needles in the form of a cross at the top of the door friend that he turned and spoke to the men it is true that no person of evil no bruh can walk through a door guarded by the sign of the holy cross in my own lifetime i have seen a woman so judged because her body burned with pain at the side of the cross so if ottoman cannot step through the threshold then our work tonight has just begun but if she crosses the threshold then she can never again be accused of witchcraft we call god as our witness he finished and stepped back all the men made the sign of the cross and remember the prayer we all turned and looked at the door the fire from the torches was dying in fact some of the men had already dropped their smoldering torches to the ground we could see ultima plainly as she walked through the door who was it that accusing me she asked from behind the screen door her voice was very clear and powerful the nordio trementina accuses you of being a witch the norio answered in a savage hate-filled voice he has stepped forward to shout his accusation and as he did i heard all things al shriek in the dark there was a wrestling and willingness wings above us and all the men ducked and held their hands up to protect themselves from the attack but they all saw only one man and found him i heard it hurled itself onto norio and the sharp talons gouged out one eye from the face of the evil man i screamed in pain i am blinded i am blind and in the dying light i saw blood spurt from the dark pit and bloody pulp that had once been an eye mother to the theos the man cried they cringed in fear around the screaming cursing that's a good book by the screaming cursing eye he screamed in pain i am blind and i'm blind and the dying light i saw blood spurt from the dark pit and bloody pulp that had once been an eye mother those the men cried they cringed in fear around the screaming cursing to norio they trembled and looked into the dark sky for the owl but it was gone meadow one of them cried he pointed and they turned to see ultima she had walked through the door it has proven our cecil cries walked through the door it is proven unseasonable ultimate took a step forwards a step towards the men and they fought back they could not understand why the owl had attacked an audio they could understand the power of ottoman but she had walked through the door and so the power of la quranera was good it is proven crucial the woman is free of accusation he turned and walked to the hill where they had left two that left their trucks and several of the men hurried after them two state to help the gnorio your evil bird has blinded me he cried for that i curse you i will see you dead and you narcissist i swear to kill you evil bird is blinded me he cried for that i curse you i will see you dead and you narcisso i swear to kill you the man pulled him away they disappeared out of the dim light of the spotting torches and into the darkness grande it was my mother who now burst through the door she put her arms around up to him and let her back into the house i what a night my father shrugged as he looked after the men who had slunk away up on the hill we heard their trucks start then leave someday i may have to kill that man he said to himself he needs killing narciso agreed how can i thank you old friend my father said turning to narcisso i would lock it under my life cecil said and i owe you many favors modes what are thanks among friends my father nodded come i need a drink they walked into the house i followed i posit the door a faint glitter caught my eye i bent down and picked up the two needles that had been stuck to the top of the door frame whether someone had broken the cross they made or whether they had fallen i would never know how can i thank you old friend my father said turning to narciso i would like ground in my life narcisso said and i owe you many favors modest that was chapter 12 man great chapter