Plant Them Deep Page 6

  She saw Herman, who’d approached from behind Knight, struggle not to laugh. Knight’s expression was more of a scowl, however.

  As Knight said good-bye and climbed into his Jeep, they began walking back to Herman’s truck. Herman told her what he’d found. “I saw a few ‘sweet cattail’ plants in a dried-up marsh close to the river, but they’d been damaged as they were dug up, so I guess they were left to die. The same entrenching tool we saw before had been used, based on the marks left on the ground.”

  “I need to put the Plant Watchers on alert for this person. He or she is creating some real damage now, and has to be stopped.”

  “I agree.”

  “I’m meeting with Sadie Black Shawl later this morning so she and I can map out a strategy to locate as many of the missing Plant People as possible. I’ll call this situation to her attention, and maybe we can find a way to include it in our report. If we make it official, then it’ll be harder for the council to downplay the threat this plant thief poses.”

  By the time they arrived home, the young Sioux woman was there, sitting on Rose’s porch, waiting. From what she could see, Boots had given her something cold to drink, and made her comfortable.

  “Come in!” Rose greeted, noting Sadie seemed upset.

  Rose led Herman and Sadie into the kitchen, the real heart of the house. Every important discussion, every major decision had been made here. It was the one place where guests felt like family, and family felt truly at home.

  “I have bad news,” Sadie said while Rose was pouring Herman and herself some iced tea. “Following the instructions I’d been given, after our first outing I made an official report. I gave it to my supervisor, and everyone seemed satisfied with it. But twenty minutes ago, just before I drove here, I got a phone call telling me I was being replaced with someone older and with more experience.”

  “Who did this to you?”

  “John Begay, the same person who hired me. I’m being reassigned, at least that’s what my records will show. The councilman said that the power company people felt you needed help from someone with more experience than me—a local person, apparently.”

  Rose wondered if Knight had made a quick phone call after they’d left him this morning. But it didn’t seem likely. Something more than ego was at play here.

  “What will you be doing on this new job?” Rose couldn’t help but worry about Sadie. She’d deserved better.

  The young woman shrugged. “Begay didn’t know yet. But don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

  Rose believed her. In a lot of ways, Sadie was tougher and more savvy than she’d been at her age. Choosing to leave her family and come so far south, here to the Dinetah, proved it. As a young woman, Rose’s entire life had been wrapped up in her family. Her two children had been the center of her world. She’d wanted to nourish their dreams and give them an unshakable belief in themselves. Looking at both Clifford and Ella now, she knew she’d succeeded.

  “But I still intend to help you all I can—on my own time. That is … if you allow me to,” Sadie said.

  “I’d welcome your help,” Rose said. “We’ll just make sure Begay doesn’t hear about it.”

  Sadie finally smiled. Checking her watch, she stood up. “I have to go now or I’ll miss my next class.”

  “Do you know who they picked to replace you?” Rose asked.

  “John said it was someone connected to the new plant nursery. I was told you’d be notified today or tomorrow.”

  “All right, then, I’ll wait for the news. I expect they’ll tell me soon enough.” Rose shrugged.

  After Sadie left, Herman remained quiet for a long time as Rose began washing and peeling potatoes at the sink in preparation for dinner.

  “Are you sure you’re enjoying these new challenges you’ve taken on?” Herman asked. “Your life would be a lot more peaceful without all the confusion and politics. And it’s not like you don’t have enough to do with your daughter and granddaughter here at home.”

  “I love my family, and I’m very proud of them, but I had other dreams once—things I was never given the opportunity to pursue. Now that my kids are grown, I have a responsibility to myself. For the first time in my life, I can do whatever I want, and helping the tribe in my own small way is what I choose.”

  As the phone began to ring, Herman went to answer it while Rose wiped off her hands with a small towel.

  “It’s your granddaughter’s father.” Herman handed her the receiver.

  Rose greeted Kevin, but just as soon as he began speaking, she detected the concern in his voice.

  “I wanted to fill you in before you got the official call so you’d be prepared,” he said.

  “I’ve already heard that my helper is being replaced.”

  He paused, then added with a laugh, “That shouldn’t surprise me.”

  “But I would like to know about the person I’ll be working with and I’d appreciate anything you can tell me.”

  “You’re not going to be happy. His name is Curtis Largo, and I’ve heard that nobody likes to work with him.”

  “I know him. He works two jobs, one for the tribe, and the other serving special interests, like the mining and energy industries. They pay him consultant fees. It’s more like bribes, if you ask me.”

  “He’s the one. I heard that you two squared off at a chapter house meeting once.”

  “It wasn’t the first time either. He and I disagree on virtually everything. Even on the rare occasions when he agrees with what I’m saying, his manner is so unpleasant that I’m always tempted to switch to the opposite side just on principle.”

  Kevin laughed. “I understand completely.”

  “Having the tribe assign him to help me will make my job a lot more difficult.”

  “Perhaps even more than you realize,” Kevin said. “I’ve heard bits and pieces of conversations already, and I found out Largo has powerful friends on the tribal council. When he discovered what you’d been hired to do, he made several phone calls, trying to get your job. I suspect he’ll be planning to advance his own agenda by holding you back and ruining your credibility. It’s no secret that some in the council already think you have too much influence for a ‘mere’ citizen. So watch your back.”

  “I know I have enemies on the council. What I need is an ally.”

  “You have several of those you can count on. I’ll be there for you, and so will the others who respect what you do. But that’s not going to keep you out of trouble.”

  “I’m not worried. If they try to undermine me, they’ll find out just how hard and effectively I can fight. I intend to complete the job I’ve started. It concerns an issue that’s important to every single member of our tribe, whether or not they realize it now.”

  SIX

  The next two days were busy ones, and it was fortunate for Rose that her pickup was easily repaired. Having decided on a plan, she began surveying the better-known collection sites, going from place to place with one or more of the Plant Watcher volunteers. To save on travel time, she first selected areas accessed by large roads or the highway, going to the most distant ones first, then working her way back toward Shiprock.

  As a group, they searched the foothills and canyons on the eastern slopes of the mountains along the dirt roads running north and south between Horse Mesa and Beclabito. Walking along in a line, side by side, they employed a technique Rose had heard her daughter mention when searching for evidence at crime scenes.

  High on the slopes above Cottonwood Canyon, among the piñons and junipers, Rose finally spotted one of the plants on the list, then several more.

  “Over here,” she yelled to Herman, who was thirty feet away, keeping pace and searching his strip of ground.

  “What is it?” Lena yelled to Rose from where she was working.

  “Come and see, but remember where you are so we can continue the search later,” Rose reminded. While her two helpers converged, Rose noted other hardy-looking plants several feet a
head.

  “That’s ‘sheep’s food,’ right?” Herman said as he came up beside her.

  “Of course,” Lena answered before Rose could. “This looks like a good collection site to record, and none of the plants here have been tampered with.”

  Rose nodded, smiling for the first time that morning. “It’s good to find a place like this that’s still undisturbed. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that place we found near the road where perfectly healthy ‘children’s food’—mariposa plants—were chopped into pieces. It’s almost as if the person was a little crazy.”

  “He was probably angry,” Herman said. “He broke off the bulbs while trying to dig them up, and lost his temper.”

  “Not exactly the attitude a person should have when collecting Life Way medicines,” Rose said.

  “The thief’s lack of respect for our ways makes me wonder about something. Do you suppose this is the work of the evil ones?” Lena whispered the last few words.

  Rose knew Lena was referring to skinwalkers, Navajo witches who practiced evil. To say the word out loud was the same as calling them. “I doubt it. The evil ones surround themselves with secrecy and collect only certain kinds of plants—frenzy medicines, not Life Way medicines.”

  Lena nodded slowly. “You’re probably right. But whoever is doing this has no concern for the well-being of the Dineh, or our healers.”

  “I can think of a lot of Navajos who’ve been accused of that at one time or the other, including tribal council members, preachers, and lawyers. And there’s a whole herd of non-Navajos in the Four Corners,” Herman said with a shrug.

  “Doesn’t narrow down the suspect list much, as my daughter would say,” Rose said with a sigh. “I just wish whoever it was showed more care in digging up the plants. The waste and the blatant disregard for our traditions is hard for me to deal with.”

  Soon they moved on to a new site and came upon a steep ridge too difficult to climb easily. Hours passed as they worked their way along the slopes slowly and carefully.

  “Let’s take a break,” Lena finally said with a groan.

  It had been a long, trying afternoon. They’d brought hats and drinking water, but the temperature had risen to the midnineties and working in the sun was becoming increasingly difficult for all of them. Yet, despite that, none of them wanted to leave until the area had been thoroughly searched.

  “At least it’s not July. It would be worse then,” Rose said.

  Herman, who’d come down to join them from his position farther uphill, took off his old straw hat and wiped his forehead with a red bandanna. Lastly, he took a long swallow of water from the old military-style canteen he’d clipped to his belt.

  “Even without the help of the man assigned to work with me—who I’ve yet to speak with, by the way—the job is still getting done thanks to you two,” Rose said. “This morning, before we left home, I was sent an instruction sheet the council wants me to follow when I record the data from the plant survey.” She paused, then added, “My daughter’s VCR directions are easier to understand.”

  “You need more help—the kind we can’t give you. Why don’t you talk to your daughter’s professor friend? He may be willing to lend you a hand,” Lena suggested.

  They all knew Wilson Joe, who taught ecology and other life sciences in Shiprock at the college. “That’s a good idea,” Rose said.

  “Let the two of us finish searching this area while you go talk to him. I’ll give her a ride home when we’re done,” Herman said, gesturing toward Lena.

  Rose glanced at Lena, who nodded. “Then it’s settled,” Rose said.

  As Herman walked uphill toward his search area, his eyes on the ground ahead of him, Rose glanced at Lena. “Have I ever told you how much I depend on you?”

  Lena smiled. “It’s mutual. I know that you’ll be there for me always. It’s good to have something in life that’s as certain and sure as our friendship.”

  After saying good-bye, Rose walked to her truck and was under way a short time later, Lena’s words still ringing in her mind. She’d said it well. Herman was a good companion, but Lena and she had shared the birth of their children and the death of their spouses. Through good times and bad, their friendship had been tested, but never found wanting. Because of this shared history and the comfort their friendship gave them, the bond between them had become unbreakable.

  Rose arrived at Professor Wilson Joe’s office an hour later. As she reached his open doorway, she saw him hunched up behind his desk, totally focused on the papers before him. Hating to interrupt, she waited at the door until he looked up.

  “Hello! Come in,” he said quickly, reaching up and adjusting his turquoise and silver bolo tie. “I hope you haven’t been standing there very long. You should have said something!”

  “You seemed so absorbed in what you were doing, I didn’t want to interrupt,” Rose said.

  “I’m used to it,” he said, inviting her to sit down. “What can I do for you?”

  “I’ve come to ask you a favor,” she said. “Have I come at a bad time? I can see how busy you are.”

  “I’m never too busy for you. Now tell me how I can help.”

  Wilson had a pleasant smile and such good manners. He would have made the perfect son-in-law. But, for some reason, Ella had never considered him more than just a good friend.

  Rose told him about the plant survey work she’d accepted. “But to complete the forms they want me to use every time I find one of the endangered plants, I’m going to need a field botanist to insert all the fancy scientific language and geographical terms. I wasn’t able to keep the young student who was helping me because she didn’t have any experience with local flora. At least that was the tribe’s excuse. Can you suggest someone who can help me with that?”

  “I’ll be happy to lend you a hand whenever I can, but I’m teaching an additional course this semester for another professor who’s on maternity leave. During the daytime, my hours are already set.”

  “Is there anyone else?”

  “What you’re asking is something that’ll be very time-consuming, especially if it involves fieldwork, and I don’t think any of the professors here have the time or the credentials you need. But I have a suggestion. There’s a retired professor living in Farmington, and he’s written several monographs on Southwest flora. I think I have his card … .” He opened the desk drawer and searched inside. “Yes, here it is.”

  Rose took it from him and read it silently: Dr. William Hoff, Professor Emeritus, Botany, University of New Mexico.

  “I’ll be glad to give him a call and tell him you’d like to speak with him. He’s an expert on the flora of New Mexico and very highly respected. He’s made himself available before as a consultant, just to keep active. But I should warn you, he’s a bit eccentric.”

  “Eccentric means he doesn’t fit the norm, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Rose said with a smile. “I’ve been called that—and far worse,” she added, laughing.

  “Okay, then. I’ll give him a call, and let you know if he’s available. When should I tell him you’d like to meet?”

  “How about this evening, or tomorrow morning? The sooner, the better.”

  “Okay. But if you don’t mind a piece of advice?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “I think you should complain to the tribe about the man they assigned you—in writing, if necessary. If he’s not making himself available, and not doing the job, he shouldn’t be paid for it.”

  “I agree. I intend to stop by the tribal offices next, and talk to a councilman face-to-face. Maybe I can get my so-called helper replaced.”

  Rose was in better spirits by the time she left Wilson’s office. Now, no matter what happened, she had a chance to get someone with academic credentials to back up her findings. One way or another, the job would be completed, and done well.

  Rose arrived at Councilman John Begay’s office a short time later. She’d considered going to Kevin, but he’
d already warned her that there’d be trouble. He’d done his part. Now the fight was hers.

  Rose went to the receptionist and asked to see Councilman Begay. The young woman went to the adjacent office, then returned and sat down again. “Councilman Begay is in a meeting.”

  “I’ll wait.”

  Rose walked over to one of the chairs, sat down, and folded her hands on her lap.

  “It could be a very long time before he’s finished.”

  “That’s fine. I can wait as long as it takes.”

  Rose was willing to bet that John Begay wouldn’t want her to sit in his outer office indefinitely. It wouldn’t make him look good to anyone who passed by. After all, he’d hired her on behalf of the tribe.

  Her instincts proved right, and within a half hour almost exactly, she was shown into Begay’s office.

  “This is still a very busy day for me, so let’s try to make this quick. What do you need from me, Mrs. Destea?”

  “I have a complaint to file, and if I don’t get the situation resolved, I’ll put it in writing and send a copy to every council member. My assistant was taken away from me after two days, and the Navajo man assigned to replace her hasn’t been available. I’ve tried calling him, but he doesn’t even return my phone calls. I see no reason for the tribe to pay him for a job he seems too busy to do. I think in these financially strapped times, the rest of the council would agree with me.”

  The councilman stared at his desk for several long moments, as if trying to gather his thoughts. At long last, he looked up. “I think it’s time you heard a few hard facts,” he said slowly. “Your knowledge of plants is well known, but your lack of formal education puts us at a disadvantage. To apply for grants, federal aid, and such—which we may have to do to remedy the situation we’re facing—we need to attach people who have serious credentials to the paperwork we’ll be submitting. Curtis Largo was hired to replace the young Oglala woman because he has two degrees—one in business management and one in agriculture. Curtis adds legitimacy—the kind the outside world understands. We need him on this, so you’re going to have to work things out with him. I’m certain you’ll find a way.”