Catholic Guilt and the Joy of Hating Men - By Regan Wolfrom Page 0,38
asked.
“Yeah,” Darrel said, sounding more than a little relieved at the well-timed change of subject.
“Not much left,” Paul replied. “I can show you guys if you want.”
“That would be great,” I said. “Thank you.”
He smiled at me. “We don’t know much about this village.”
“How can that be?” Breccan asked. “Don’t you guys keep records?”
His smile faded. “We lost a lot,” he said. “The people who live in Haida Gwaii today are descendants of a handful of survivors. Smallpox, typhoid, measles...”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
He nodded. “I’m just glad we’re still here.”
A raven sounded out from above us, and I looked up to see it circling.
“That’s Edgar,” Paul said. “He’s kind of a big deal around here.”
That made me laugh. “How can you tell him from all the other ravens?” I asked.
“He’s huge. That’s the easiest way to tell. That and he’s alone.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Edgar used to have a partner in crime almost as big. The guys named her Poesy. Like Edgar Allan...”
“Cute. What happened to her?”
“She disappeared over the winter. By the time we got here this season she was gone.”
“That’s sad,” I said.
“We’ve all been hoping that he’ll find a new favourite soon. But it hasn’t happened yet.”
“It’s just a bird,” Darrel said.
Jon laughed. “Yeah. Ravens are just crows with better PR.”
I closed my eyes for a brief second and envisioned the paddle. I could take them both out. With just one whack...
Paul took us to where the village once stood, but there was really nothing there to see. He pointed out what was probably old house sites, but it was impossible to know how much of what he was saying was true and how much was just a guess.
I didn’t blame him for wanting to know more about the place. It’s hard to imagine being in a place from your people that disappeared so completely that no one even knows its name.
I asked as many questions as I could come up with; I know Darrel was interested in it, too, but he was too butthurt to let anyone know that.
“I like to think that this village once belonged to the Children of Raven,” Paul said. “But I’ve got nothing to back that up. You know... besides Edgar.”
“I’m pretty sure the clans lived together,” Darrel said.
“The moieties live together now, but in the beginning each lived apart. My clan is one of the Raven clans.”
“Good for you, Paul. Good for you.”
“Well I think it’s pretty interesting,” I said.
“I think I’m gonna head back for another dip,” Breccan said. “All this testosterone is making me dizzy.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Jon said, with a yawn for good measure.
She and Jon started back to the beach, and Darrel followed behind.
“You’re going, too?” Paul asked me.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Got anything else to tell me?”
“Not much about that village.”
“You can tell me about being a mortgage broker. Just... uh... try to make it dazzling.”
He laughed.
I heard Edgar cawing overhead.
“I’m sorry about before,” I said.
“What was before? Don’t tell me you’re the one who brought us syphilis.”
I hadn’t expected that.
“People don’t really get what this nation is about,” he said. “I’d say there’s at least one guy every week who asks me about teepees.”
“Well, Darrel should know better.”
“He was trying to impress you.” He paused and clicked his tongue. “Uh... I’ve been trying to impress you, too.”
“I’m easy to impress. I find common household implements to be fascinating.”
“If you like that, you’ll love my take on reconveyance fees.”
Edgar cawed again.
“He’s pretty opinionated,” I said, nodding upward.
“He likes you.”
“Who doesn’t? Obviously I remind him of one of his exes.”
Paul didn’t laugh at that.
I realized that I’d sounded a little bit like Breccan.
“It’s pretty cool that you’re out here,” I said to him. “Sometimes I wish I had more of a connection to my roots.”
“You’re what, Scottish?” he asked.
“You can tell?”
“It’s the freckles. Well, that and the patch on your backpack. Clan Munro. With a little eagle and everything.”
“You mean a ferocious eagle,” I said. “A tear-your-entrails-from out-your-rear kind of eagle. And don’t you forget it.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I smiled and tapped my hand against his shoulder. “A raven and an eagle,” I said. “So now do we fight or something?”
“We’re supposed to kiss.”
I could feel the blush. “Wow... you’re, uh, forward.”
He was blushing, too. “Sorry. That’s not what I meant. I mean... a member of a Raven clan was supposed to marry a member of an Eagle clan.”
“Oh, okay... now I don’t think you’re easy.”
“Thanks.” He looked away. “Thanks for listening to me drone on about this