Cruel and Unusual - serialised novel EXCLUSIVE to Steemit Part 32

For the full list of episodes, please see this post: Episode List
Then, Episode 31

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“I would ask something of you, Anton. Who is Keme and where is he from?” Hazel said.

“I am not sure that I should be gossiping about him, Hazel.”

“I do not ask for gossip. I ask for fact. I would feel a little less uneasy if I had good background knowledge on him. So, if you would not mind, please enlighten me.”

“Very well, he is a Native American Indian. He is the descendant of a great and wise Shaman of my acquaintance. He was made Wolf, I suppose, by accident.”

Hazel’s eyebrows lifted at the statement. “How is someone made Wolf ‘by accident’? I have never heard of such a thing.”

“Ah it is very infrequent but it can happen. The Shaman I mentioned, he tutored me many years ago. He had great shape-shifting powers and as you may recall, I had just begun to experiment on my own such ability. I searched for one such as he that could help me. I lived amongst them for many years and saw some of his children grow. When I left them, it was not for good. I did return. Once, just before the Shaman left this mortal plane, and a few times since. My eternal youth is not questioned. I am always accepted, and the last time I visited was at a request from the present Shaman, Keme’s grandfather. He had been tutoring Keme since he had come of age and Keme’s lessons had progressed so well that both were certain that Keme would be able to lead his tribe as their Shaman. Then a visitor came to their lands. They made him welcome as they do most often. The tribe was just getting used to the stranger when he disappeared. He just went missing without a word and the tribesmen were concerned.”

“One evening he was seen in the forest by a hunting party. They hailed him but he did not reply. Curious, they followed. Keme was in the party and he was concerned. From a distance, they heard horrible screaming and noises of tearing and snapping followed by growls and snarls. By the time they had found the source of the noises, the screaming and shouting had stopped. The cause for all the screaming, however, was evident. A large wolf was standing before them. It was alone and had obviously killed the stranger. Usually the native wolves do not approach man. Of course, living in the same forest, the tribe saw them from time to time but usually in a small pack. Lone wolves are very rare indeed. This one was yet more so. He was a very large wolf and he stood his ground as they approached. They thoroughly expected him to run so that they could take the remains of their friend, but instead of fleeing, it attacked. There was no other choice. The hunters had to kill it or it would be a continuing danger to their tribe.”

“What they did not know was that this wolf was one of our kind. He was ferocious, very strong and could also think, unlike the wolves that survive on their instinct. This Wolf took down many of their finest hunters but Keme had a magnificent spear, his ceremonial spear, given to him by his grandfather. The spear tip was made from silver. It pierced the Wolf’s heart, and even Keme will admit that he was extremely lucky. But what was even luckier for the tribe – though they did not know it – was that there was no surviving injured. That is to say none were wounded – bitten - by the Wolf and left to become Wolf at the next Full Moon.”

Anton stopped and Hazel was about to ask him a question when she sensed someone approaching her door. A knock and then the door opened. A maid entered the room with a slight bob of a curtsey, the door held open by a liveried man-servant. Anton thanked them both as they left.

“Ah breakfast. Good!”

They ate in relative silence and no more was spoken about Keme until they had finished breakfast.

As they sipped their coffee, Hazel asked Anton to continue.

“Ah yes, there were no wounded left for the Wolf legacy to continue. I suppose then that you are wondering how Keme became Wolf.”

“Don’t be so smug. I have a fair idea. It concerns his Shamanism I suppose,” Hazel said, smiling.

“You could never settle for being just a pretty face, could you my dear?” Anton said. “You are right in a small way. The tribe people carried back their dead and the Wolf body. They did not find the remains of the stranger, but did not concern themselves with that for the time being, they had other matters to deal with. The ceremonies were begun for their fallen brothers and because it was Keme’s spear that killed the beast, the kill and therefore the pelt were his. He set to work, skinning the beast very carefully. He had had practice in skinning animals but this was very important, it had to be exact. His father and grandfather both gave advice as they watched but neither helped. Once the skin was off, the meat was stripped from the body and dried in the traditional manner – on frames in the sun having first being heavily salted.”

“But Wolf meat is not very appetising and members of the tribe consumed none of it. It was to be used for the camp dogs in the coming winter when times would be hard. This was yet another fortunate occurrence of course for even I do not know what the result of a Hume that has eaten Wolf flesh would be. The skin was stretched on a hoop and dried. If it were left like that, it would become hard and unyielding so Keme used buffalo brains to tan the skin to make it supple, stamping the brain mix into the skin with his toes. Eventually the pelt was ready. The head had been left on, and Keme had a new ceremonial gown to wear, a Wolf pelt.” Anton paused again, he seemed to be thinking and Hazel didn’t interrupt his thoughts.