Page 82 of Snake-Eater
I hope it doesn’t think I’m chasing it.
She had been following the owl for perhaps a quarter of an hour when she heard a distant bark.
“Copper! Copper, is that you?”
The barking started again, closer, and now she recognized it. “Copper!”
The Labrador hurtled out of the dark, starlight shining on her coat. “Copper!” Selena ran to her and dropped to her knees, then realized, mid-hug, that her dog wasn’t alone.
The other was a medium-size yellow dog with dark eyes and a curved tail. It wagged its tail when it saw Selena, and drew back lips in a canine grin.
“Oh, you made a friend.” Selena held out a hand cautiously. “Who’s a handsome boy?”
“I certainly am,” said the yellow dog.
Selena yelped and snatched her hand back. “Oh my god!”Of course the dog talks, you’re in the spirit world now, youknewthat,whydid you think it would be a normal dog?
The yellow dog grinned even more broadly, showing black lips. Selena put a hand on her chest and reached for one of the scripts thatalmost always applied, even if she’d only ever used it on humans before. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“No worries,” the dog said. “Copper said you startled easily.” He walked up to her and nonchalantly shoved his head against her hand. Selena scratched automatically behind his ears.
“You can talk to Copper?” she said weakly.
“Of course. I’m a dog god,” said the yellow dog. “That’s a palindrome, incidentally.”
Copper had rested her head on Selena’s shoulder, where it was rapidly becoming heavy enough to be painful, but Selena didn’t care. This was an opportunity she’d never even dreamed of. “Can you ... can you tell her that she’s the best dog in the world? And I love her?”
The yellow dog lifted his head and gazed searchingly into her face. “Dogs don’t really do abstract concepts like ‘best in the world.’ And she already knows you love her.”
Copper turned her head and licked her human’s face. Selena gave a shaky laugh and wiped her cheek with her sleeve. She was pretty sure that she was crying for no reason.
“Ye-e-e-s ...” said the yellow dog, drawing the word out. “Yes, I think I’ll help you.”
Selena swallowed. “Wait. If you help me—I was told—I’m supposed to ask you about the price?”
The dog grinned again. “No charge for Copper’s human. You already scratched behind my ears.” He stretched. “Come on, then. I’ll take you to the others.”
“Thank you. Err—” She climbed to her feet, then paused, suddenly remembering the owl that had led her here. “There was a saguaro and a little owl ...?”
“There usually is,” said the yellow dog cryptically.
“Is there some way I can thank them? I think they saved me.”
A canine shrug. “Be grateful.”
“I am.”
“I mean in general.” The yellow dog’s face was clearly made for grinning. “Now come on. You don’t want to keep the gods waiting.”
The world changed as she and Copper followed the yellow dog, although Selena would have been hard-pressed to say exactly when. They were still in the creosote-lined desert, but also they seemed to be walking through a long enclosed hallway that grew narrower and narrower around them. The stars were still bright overhead, but one particular star on the horizon grew closer and closer, and then it was not a star at all but a campfire ringed with figures. Selena tried to make them out as she approached. First they seemed like elderly men and women seated around the fire, their faces as lined as Grandma Billy’s, but then one would turn their head in a particular way and the shadows would stretch out and Selena would catch a glimpse of feathers or thorns or a coyote’s vulpine smile.
Spirits,she thought.Gods.She could not tell how many there were. The fire didn’t look big enough for more than a dozen people, but she looked from face to face and never seemed to reach the end. Some of them wore what looked like blankets or robes, while others had faded work shirts, and many seemed to wear nothing but their own painted skin.
“Brought her,” said Yellow Dog, flopping down beside the fire and scratching vigorously behind his ear.
“We can see that,” said one of the old women acerbically. Halfway through the sentence, her head became a hawk’s, beak open in a soundless scream. “What do you expect us to do with her?”
Yellow Dog’s tongue lolled. “Ask her yourself.”
