The Night Watchman(44)

“Did it ever hit the spot,” he said later to LaBatte. “Set me up for the walk to town, for gas.”

LaBatte sighed. “And me, one dusty little candy.”





The Missionaries




Two young men wearing white shirts and black pants, with slicked-back brown hair, carrying two brown paper sacks, came walking down the dirt road to the Wazhashk house. It was a warm day for late September. Thomas saw them approach as he walked from the old house to the outhouse. He thought about putting off his visit, but they were proceeding slowly. They seemed to be having a disagreement. One stopped and turned around to walk away, then the other caught up with him and they started talking again. When Thomas came out of the toilet, the young men were closer. He walked into the house, washed his hands and face, dried off with a towel, and walked out to meet them in the yard. They looked as though they were from the government, though they were young.

“Good afternoon,” he said.

He shook hands with each one.

“What can I do for you?”

“Have you ever wondered why you are here?” asked the taller of the two young men, eyeing him intensely.

“No,” said Thomas. He was startled, but then, they were obviously from far away, from Bismarck, even farther. Maybe Washington. They, too, seemed taken aback by his reply. One recovered and said, “Why not?”

“Because I know,” said Thomas. “Don’t you?”

The shorter of the two turned to the other and blurted out, “See?”

The taller hung his head and tried to sting the shorter fellow with his eyes.

“How about a cup of water?” said Thomas.

“Yes,” said the shorter, who seemed to have control now of the situation.

“Follow me,” said Thomas. He walked toward the house, up the three steps, through the door. The two young men hesitated.

“May we come in?” they both asked at once.

Thomas nodded and they followed him. A tiny child was creeping across the floor, and at the sight of them reared back, fell over, and started crying. Rose was taking care of a baby from down the road.

“Who are they?” shouted Noko, flattening herself against the wall.

Rose appeared from the next room, fists on her hips. She put her hand on her mother’s shoulder.

“You scared her,” she said ominously.

“We’re sorry,” said the young men, fumbling with their paper sacks.

Rose picked up the baby, jostled her in a comforting way, and flared her eyes at Thomas.

“They just want to know if we wonder why we are here,” said Thomas.

“You took our land,” said Noko. “Where else were we supposed to go?”

Rose looked down at the part in her mother’s white hair, impressed by her answer and her vicious stare.

“Excuse me,” said the shorter one. “Perhaps we can start over. I am Elder Elnath and this is Elder Vernon. How do you do?”

“Elder?”

“We were really asking if you ever wonder why you, as an ancient people, are here on this land?”

“I’m old, not ancient,” fumed Noko, her hearing suddenly acute.

Rose patted her mother’s bony shoulder.

“Wet your whistles, boys,” said Thomas, dipping from the can. He handed each of them a cool cup of water. “Now, is there something I can help you fellows out with?”

“Elder Vernon didn’t ask you the right question. We didn’t have luck telling people who we are right off the bat, so he thought he’d ask a question with a bigger scope is the way he put it.”

“Bigger scope?”

“Who put us on this land. What we are here to do. That sort of scope. Our job is really just to see if you want to read The Book of Mormon and pray with us.”

“Mormon!” Thomas stepped back. “Do you young fellows know Arthur V. Watkins?”

“He’s a writer,” said Elnath, surprised. “He wrote The Nephite Shepherd.”

“Is it a good book?” asked Thomas.

“Goodness, yes! In the Awakening of Zemnarihah the shepherd learns he is part of a secret society. But there are setbacks because of the Lamanites who still atone for the sins of Laman with their swarthy hides.”

“Watkins wrote that?”

“I think he’s our senator,” said Vernon, the taller elder.

“You’re from Utah.”

“Yes.”

“Why does he want to do away with us?”

“He doesn’t want that!”

“He wants to terminate us.”

“No, not at all!” Elnath became passionate. “We are charged with bringing you the gospel! You’re all Lamanites.”

“We’re Chippewas here, Crees, and some French.”

“It was revealed,” said Vernon earnestly, “to Joseph Smith that you are people of the house of Jacob and children of Lehi.”

“I’ve never heard of Joseph Smith, or those other people,” said Thomas.

“Joseph Smith was a prophet.”

“We get a lot of prophets coming around here,” said Thomas in a friendly way. “And I have a religion. I’m more interested in politics. Why is this senator after us? Who is he? What’s his message? Those are the things I want to know.”