Page 99 of The Last Warrior

Suzette stumbled toward the god, falling to her knees and grabbing hold of his hand. Placing her face against his hand, she sang out the song’s last refrain, pleading:

“Babbo, pietà, pietà!” Daddy, have pity, have pity! “Babbo, pietà, pietà!” Daddy, have pity, have pity!

The music ended. Suzette by this time was unable to hold back the tears, and not another sound could be heard within the arena.

The Thunderer’s arm, which had been holding the knife, came down, as though now that the music had stopped, he was at liberty to kill her. It was obvious he would do it.

“No!” cried Black Lion, throwing himself in front of his wife. “No! She is with child.”

It was difficult to know what went through the Thunderer’s mind. But as he gazed first at one of them, and then at the other, his features changed. He glanced at her stomach, then into her eyes. As she stared back at him, she watched as the hatred seemed to drift away.

His arm dropped to hang limply at his side, and shaking his head so very slightly, the Thunderer let the knife fall to the ground.

He said in his booming voice, “Go! Both of you! I grant him his life. I grant you life. And I will not do to you as has been done to me. I will not kill your child. Go!”

Suzette gasped aloud, and sitting back, she at last let the tears fall freely.

The spectacle wasn’t over. The clouds above them parted, and a single beam of light fell directly into the arena. Within that light were four figures, all of them half bird, half human. Suzette didn’t need to be told it was the Thunderer’s children. Moreover, they were laughing and singing as though all these thousands of years had never happened.

“Father!” they cried out one after another. “Father!”

Suzette, gazing up into the Thunderer’s face, thought she had never seen a man more on the verge of tears.

He called out, “My children! You are alive! You are alive!”

It was then, at this very moment, that the impossible happened: The Thunderer did, indeed, cry.

Meanwhile, the audience, who had witnessed the entire affair, at last came alive, as though they, too, had been held in suspended animation. Amid the bravos and the applause, as though this had been a performance like none other, they came to their feet in a standing ovation.

But there was to be no repeat performance this day. Instead, a better, a more proper and a kinder ending of the Wild West Show happened this day. Because of a song and a child, a great thousand year old hatred and curse was gone from the world.

Perhaps, it is true. Perhaps music, indeed, can show the beauty of the soul.

Chapter

Twenty-Five

Suzette looked up. A crowd of people, all of them American Indian, surrounded them. But she recognized none of these people. Who were they?

“It is done. These are my people,” said Black Lion, as though he read her thoughts. Though his injury did not permit him freedom of movement, he pulled Suzette into his arms. There were tears in his eyes. “The curse is gone. I can hardly believe it. My people are free at last.”

He was crying. She was crying, and they embraced as White Claw and Irena joined them. Irena took Suzette’s hand in her own, while White Claw said, “Grandson, you are injured. Come, I will attend to you.”

“Aa, yes,” said Black Lion. “And I will welcome your attention, Grandfather, but first let me cast my eyes upon my people, for I have not seen them in many years. My father, my mother…” He held out his arms toward them.

Two people stepped forward to join them. But though the American Indian might have disdained a public show of affection, they, too, joined the embrace.

“We are proud of you, my son,” said a man Suzette thought must be Black Lion’s father.

“My son…” Black Lion’s mother spoke simply.

“It is time,” urged White Claw. “Let us take you to your lodge where I can attend to your wound.”

The two men helped Black Lion to his feet, and Suzette realized there was blood staining the front of her bicycling suit. Her tears spilled down upon it to join his blood.

Blood and tears, and yet so much happiness.

As they trailed behind the men, Irena hugged Suzette and didn’t let go, even when they entered the Indian encampment. Buffalo Bill detained them for a moment along the way.