tea and watch children play in the garden. Nightfall would have seen her return to her own bedchamber for a deep, dreamless sleep beneath her silk sheets.
A hand grabbed her shoulder.
She let out a short scream and whirled around, hand reaching for her revolver. It was halfway out of its holster before she stopped. The Indian called Naalnish stood before her. The sun shone in his black hair as he regarded her in silence.
"Yes?" she asked after a few awkward moments. "What is it?"
Naalnish looked over his shoulder as Ata'halne appeared behind him. Naalnish asked the other man something in their native tongue. Ata'halne nodded.
"You would know why he is called 'He Interrupts'?" Naalnish asked, turning back to Victoria.
"Not particu-"
"It is not because he speaks too much or too loudly. He was given that name because he interrupts the speech of wisdom."
"What do you mean?" Victoria asked.
The Indian sighed. "He spoke to me of his great worry for you. He says you are young and do not understand this world. He asked me if I would have my own daughter receive help if she journeyed to your lands and found trouble. I could not say no."
He paused. Victoria said nothing, afraid of somehow changing his mind again.
"I cannot help you to fight this evil," Naalnish said, "but I know of one who can."
Hope fluttered in her chest. "Who is he?"
"A singer," he replied. "He has seen many things in his long years, and he knows much of the Holy People. He has led many ceremonies in our clan. I will ask him to help you, but he may say no. If he will not help you, you must find your way alone."
"Where is this man?"
"He is near," Naalnish said. "It will not be a long journey."
Victoria studied the man's face. He seemed sincere, as did his friend. If what Naalnish said was true, she might not need to return home in shame, defeated by powers beyond her ability to overcome. Still, could she trust these two men? They seemed honest and decent, but she knew nothing of them or their ways. They could be planning to kidnap, rape, or even kill her, abandoning her body for the desert animals to scavenge. Or perhaps their people kept slaves, and they would sell her to this singer man they spoke of.
The thought of spending the rest of her days in this godforsaken desert almost brought the refusal to her lips. She opened her mouth to say as much when her gaze met Ata'halne's. The Indian's eyes sparked at her from beneath his thick brows. This man had convinced his friend to turn back and offer her their help, even at the risk of endangering his own family. If their offer was sincere and she turned it down, she would make a fool of him. Besides, she still had her gun and her knife. Abrasive though she was, Cora had taught her how to handle herself. She could at least give them a fight if their intentions proved less than honorable.
"Take me to him."
THIRTEEN
"Welcome to our home."
Victoria leaned out from behind Ata'halne, her arms clamped around his waist. Naalnish nodded toward a small group of structures rising out of the desert floor. They were conical shapes built of sticks and mud. As they rode closer, she could see that each hut had a large, colorful blanket covering its entrance. A few women sat in a small circle, talking and laughing in the same strange language Naalnish and Ata'halne spoke. They raised their voices in greeting when they caught sight of them. The two men raised their hands in return.
Victoria could feel eyes staring at her with great interest, but she avoided their gaze. She shifted her leg to feel the pressure of the revolver against it. Her two escorts had not demanded she remove her weapons, which gave her a small measure of comfort.
They had ridden for no more than a few hours. The sun had continued its journey into the fathomless blue sky and now hung near its peak, raining down its relentless heat in earnest. Victoria's shirt stuck to her back again, and she knew she would need to have it washed when she returned to town. The aching in her body had become a constant companion, one she had learned to ignore.
Ata'halne guided their horse up to a larger building. Unlike the other huts, this one had a small extension protruding from its side. Had it been of any notable