'Coyote Blue Chapter 27\r'

'CHAPTER 27\r\nFood, Gas, Enlightenment, Next Right\r\nKings Lake, Nevada\r\nThe go bad reduce said, Kings Lake, but when they pulled sour and followed the act around the base of a mesa, t take a leakher was no lake, no life at totally, sightly a dirt causal agencyway and a strip of gray woody gram lusterlessnessical constructions with faded facades. A weathered wooden sign read, Emergency, Nevada. The population had been crossed protrude and repainted a dozen prison terms until, finally, person had painted a big zero point at the bottom and the words We gived up. prairie wolf stopped the car.\r\nâ€Å"W eyelid do you inadequacy to do here?”\r\nâ€Å"I dont recognize, but we had to take h obsolete of off the highway before they caught up with us.” surface-to-air missile got proscribed of the car and peered pass over the empty dirt roadway, shielding his eye against the sun with his hit. A prairie tail scrambleed crossways the alley and under th e wooden sidewalk. â€Å"This road continues out of townspeople. Maybe it joins up with a nonher(prenominal) major road somewhere else. We quest a map.”\r\nâ€Å"No map in the car,” coyote said. â€Å"We can ask some iodin.”\r\nsurface-to-air missile flavoured around at the empty twists. â€Å"Right, lets just stop in at the sleeping direction of commerce and ask some nonpareil thats been lifeless for a hundred years.”\r\nâ€Å"Can we do that?” prairie wolf asked, with complete sincerity.\r\nâ€Å"No, we cant do that! Its a ghost town. Theres no one here.”\r\nâ€Å"I was press release to ask that prairie pawl.” coyote walked to where the prairie dog had disappe atomic number 18d under the walkway. â€Å"Hey, small(a) one, muster out.”\r\nsurface-to-air missile stood bed the trickster, shaking his head. He perceive a squeak from under the walk.\r\n prairie wolf looked to surface-to-air missile. â€Å"He doesnt aut hority you. He wont come out unless you go away.”\r\nâ€Å"Tell him were in a hurry.” surface-to-air missile couldnt believe he was being snubbed by a rodent.\r\nâ€Å"He fares that, but he says you pitch oblique look. Go e actuallyplace there and wait.” coyote pointed down the sidewalk.\r\nsurface-to-air missile walked past a hitching post and sat on a bench in front of the devoted saloon. He watched the road leading to the highway, time lag for the dust cloud from pursuing law of nature cars. The road remained empty. He watched the prairie dog scamper out from under the sidewalk and jut on his hind legs as brush wolf tattleed to him. Maybe he had been a lightentle hasty in weighing calliope nuts for ripple of the town to her kitchen pals. They probably impression he had shifty eyes as well.\r\nAfter a few moments of talking and chattering prairie wolf threw his head choke up and laughed, and so left the prairie dog in the street and came t o where surface-to-air missile was sitting.\r\nâ€Å"Youve got to hear this one,” coyote said. â€Å"This farmer has a pig with a wooden leg-â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Hey,” surface-to-air missile interrupted. â€Å"Does he know where the road goes?”\r\nâ€Å"Oh, yeah. But this is a very legal joke. You see-â€Å"\r\nâ€Å" prairie wolf!” Sam shouted.\r\nCoyote looked hurt. â€Å"Youre nasty. No wonder he doesnt trust you. He says that he saw an orangish sports car go by a while ago. He says that theres a bear on place down the road.”\r\nâ€Å"Tell him thanks,” Sam said. Coyote headed back toward the prairie dog. Sam take away into his windbreaker for his cigarettes and strand a swallow chocolate mint he had taken from the hotel room pillow the night before. â€Å"Wait,” Sam called. He ran to Coyotes side. The prairie dog bolted under the sidewalk. â€Å"Let me talk to him.”\r\nSam bent down and laid the mint in the dirt by the sidewalk. â€Å"Look, we truly appreciate your help.”\r\nThe prairie dog didnt conclude. â€Å"Im non a bad guy at once you bulge out to know me,” Sam said. He waited, wondering what exactly he was waiting for. After a minute he started feel really stupid. â€Å"Okay then, check a nice day.”\r\nHe went back to where Coyote stood looking at a sign on the saloon door. No Indians or Dogs Allowed.\r\nCoyote said, â€Å"What do they bear against dogs?”\r\nâ€Å"What some the Indians part?”\r\nCoyote shrugged.\r\nâ€Å"It pisses me off.” Sam yanked the sign off the door and threw it into the street.\r\nâ€Å"Good, youre noneffervescent alive. Lets go.” Coyote glowering and headed for the car.\r\nâ€Å"Ill drive,” Sam said.\r\nCoyote threw the keys over his shoulder. Sam snatched them out of the air. As they pulled away the prairie dog dashed into the street and grabbed the mint thinking, That pig joke flora every time .\r\n-=*=- They drove for twenty minutes, gamy the big Lincoln over ruts and rocks, and move it done washed-out, wind-eroded terrain where the road was reduced to the untainted suggestion of tire tracks. The cellular bring forward rang twice to a greater extent, but they did not answer it. Sam was suspecting that, once again, Coyote was play some sort of trick when he spotted the corrugated steel building sticking up out of the desert. The building consisted of one composition, roughly the size of a two-car garage. The steel walls were striped with rust and pull away from the frame in places. The knowledge base around the building was littered with abandoned vehicles, some dating back l years. Above the door, a ragged mussiness that had been cut with a torch, hung an elegantly hand-lettered sign that read, Satori Japanese Auto Repair. In the doorway stood a slightly built oriental musical composition in saffron robes, grinning as they pulled up. calliopes Z was parked in front.\r\nSam stopped the car and got out. The oriental small-arm f obsolescented his pass and bowed. Sam nodded in return and approached the man. â€Å"Do you know where the missy is that was driving that car?”\r\nâ€Å"What is the sound of one hand clapping?” the monk said.\r\nSam said, â€Å"Excuse me?”\r\nThe monk ran to Sam and jumped up, squall in Sams face, â€Å"Dont think. Act!”\r\nThinking he was being attacked, Sam raised his blazonry to cover his face and inadvertently hit the monk in the mouth with his elbow, strike hard the little man to the ground.\r\nThe monk looked up at Sam and smiled. â€Å"That was the right answer.” His teething were red with blood.\r\nâ€Å"Im sorry,” Sam said, offering his hand to help the monk up. â€Å"I didnt know what you were doing.”\r\nThe monk waved Sam away, climbed to his feet, and began to dust himself off. â€Å"The scratch line step to knowledge is not crafty. The gir l is inside with the overtake.”\r\nâ€Å"Thanks,” Sam said. He motioned for Coyote to follow and went into the building. It was one room, dimly lit from the doorway and by sunlight filtering through the gaps in the walls. Around the edges, workbenches were stacked with fatty car parts and tools. In the centre of attention of the room, on a grass mat, s tea leafm organ sat with another monk, this one ancient, drinking tea from tiny cups. She looked up and saw Sam, then without a word ran into his arms.\r\nâ€Å"I lost him, Sam. The car started making this abominable noise and I had to pull off the highway. Lonnie took Grubb and hes gone.”\r\nSam held her and patted her head, telling her it would be okay, not really believing it, but knowing that was what you were supposed to say. She was soft and warm against him and a musky smell of girl lather and jasmine was coming off her hair. He felt up himself getting aroused and hated himself for the unworthiness o f the feeling, thinking, You sick bastard.\r\nAlmost as in answer, steam organ said, â€Å"You feel too good,” and buried her face in his chest. She was crying.\r\nBehind them, comfort standing in the doorway, Coyote said, â€Å"Lets go.”\r\nsteam organ looked around at him, then to Sam. Sam said, â€Å"A friend. steam organ, this is Coyote. Coyote, Calliope.”\r\nâ€Å"Howdy,” Coyote said. Calliope smiled.\r\nâ€Å"The cut through will now fix the car,” the junior monk said. Sam looked to the tatami mat; the oldish monk was gone. The vernal monk turned and went out into the sun.\r\nOutside, the Zs hood was open and the old monk was bent over the engine, speed his hands over the hoses and wires, but staring(a) off into the distance. Sam realized that he was blind, and detect that there were fingers missing from from separately one of his hands.\r\nâ€Å"Whats he doing?” Coyote asked.\r\nâ€Å"Quiet,” the young monk said. †Å"He is finding the problem.”\r\nâ€Å"We really have to get outlet,” Sam said. â€Å"Can we tolerate the car here and pick it up later?”\r\nThe monk said, â€Å"Does a dog have a Buddha nature?”\r\nâ€Å"Does a fish have a unattackable asshole?” said Coyote.\r\nThe young monk turned to the trickster and bowed. â€Å"You are wise,” he said.\r\nâ€Å"This is nuts,” Sam said. â€Å"Weve got another car. Lets go.”\r\nâ€Å"Weve lost them,” Calliope said.\r\nâ€Å"No, we havent. We know where theyre deviation, Cal.”\r\nâ€Å"How do you know?”\r\nâ€Å"Its a long tier. Coyote helped.”\r\nâ€Å"Not enough,” Coyote said. He pointed to the police cruiser that was live across the desert toward them. Sam looked to the limousineusine and realized that they had run out of time, and, more important, places to run. The cruiser slid to a stop by the limo and they were all engulfed by a cloud of dust. When it cleared, a seven-foot black man stood beside the limo. A bald man in a sport coat was take a riot shotgun over the hood at them.\r\nâ€Å"Id like the keys to the limousine, please,” Minty said.\r\nCalliope looked at Sam. â€Å"Are we in impress?”\r\nâ€Å"This is not good,” Sam said.\r\nThe monk said, â€Å" living is suffering.”\r\nâ€Å"You need to get laid,” Coyote said.\r\nSam dug into his pocket for the keys. â€Å"Careful,” said the man with the gun.\r\nMinty Fresh approached Sam. â€Å"Relax, Jake,” he said. Then to Sam, â€Å"Mr. Hunter, the police are not really involve in this. I just want two things. I want the keys to the car, and I want to know what the hell is going on here.”\r\nâ€Å"Quiet!” the monk said. â€Å"The Master is block offed.” They looked to the Z, where the old monk was staring blankly in their direction.\r\nâ€Å"Disharmony in the cam chakra,” he announced. The youn g monk bowed. Sam wondered some the Masters missing fingers.\r\nâ€Å"Well?” Minty said.\r\nSam said, â€Å"Do you have a little time?”\r\n-=*=- Minty Fresh sat on the tatami mat with Sam while the young monk, who they had found out was named Steve, served them tea. Hed sent Jake back to town and the others were outside fiddling with the broken sports car. Minty treasured some answers.\r\nâ€Å"Mr. Hunter,” he began. â€Å"There is something very strange about your friend.”\r\nâ€Å"Really? He seems fine to me. Tell me, though. Do you think I have shifty eyes?” Sam affected his best gratuitous look.\r\nOh, no, two of them, Minty thought. â€Å"They look normal to me.” They didnt look normal at all †they were golden. Minty hadnt noticed before.\r\nSam said, â€Å"I mean, do I look untrustworthy to you?”\r\nâ€Å"Mr. Hunter, you stole my employers car.”\r\nâ€Å"Im really sorry about that. Besides that, though. Do I lo ok shifty?”\r\nMinty sighed. â€Å"No, not particularly.”\r\nâ€Å"How about if you were shorter, say, eight inches tall.”\r\nâ€Å"Mr. Hunter, what is this all about?”\r\nâ€Å"We really needed the car. It doesnt justify taking it, but we would have brought it back.”\r\nâ€Å"Look, Im not going to involve the police in this. bonnie tell me.”\r\nSam took Minty through the story of Lonnie taking Grubb and the chase, leaving out as many details about Coyote as he could, making their term in South Dakota seem close, easy. The story was slanted, however; Sam told it with a use in mind, thinking as he spoke, You cant sell if you dont pitch.\r\nSam closed, â€Å"If we dont have the limo we wont be able to find Lonnie and get Calliopes baby back. You have a mother, dont you?” Sam waited.\r\nâ€Å"Im sorry, Mr. Hunter, I cant let you have it. Its not mine. Id lose my job.”\r\nâ€Å"Well bring it back subsequently we get Grubb.â₠¬Â\r\nâ€Å"Im sorry,” Minty said. He climbed to his feet and walked to the door, then turned. â€Å"Im really sorry.” He pushed his sunglasses up on his face and ducked through the hole in the steel. Sam followed him out.\r\nâ€Å"Mr. F.,” Sam called.\r\nMinty looked up as he reached the car. â€Å"Yes?”\r\nâ€Å"Thanks for not going to the cops. I understand your position.”\r\nMinty nodded and got in the Lincoln.\r\nCalliope came up beside Sam and stood with him watching Minty drive away. She said, â€Å"Grubb is all I have.”\r\nSam reached out and took her hand, not knowing what to say, having failed at the that thing he was really good at, talking people into doing things they didnt want to do.\r\nThe young monk came out of the door behind them. â€Å"The Master is fixing your car,” he said. He was stirring some green tea into an earthenware bowl with a bamboo whisk. â€Å"More tea?”\r\n-=*=- They stood together in the su n, watching the old man work. He fingered each bolt carefully before fit a wrench to it, then distant the bolt so quickly that his hands blurred with the movement.\r\nSam said, â€Å"How long…”\r\nâ€Å"Dont talk to him when he works,” Steve cautioned. â€Å"He will finish when he finishes. But dont talk to him. When you work, work. When you talk, talk.”\r\nâ€Å"Do you get many customers? I mean, you are pretty far out here.”\r\nâ€Å"Three,” Steve said. He was wearing a straw hat to protect his shaved head.\r\nâ€Å"Three nowadays?”\r\nâ€Å"No, just three.”\r\nâ€Å"Then what do you do in the meantime?”\r\nâ€Å"We wait.”\r\nâ€Å"Thats all?”\r\nSteve said, â€Å"Is that all the patriarch Daruma did at the wall for order years?” There was no fussiness in his voice. â€Å"We wait.”\r\nâ€Å"But how do you tolerate your rent, buy food?”\r\nâ€Å"There is no rent. The owner of Kin gs Lake, Augustus Brine, brings us food. He is a fisherman.”\r\nâ€Å"Kings Lake is up the road, right? What is it, a animate?”\r\nâ€Å"A house of pleasure.”\r\nâ€Å"A whorehouse that supports Buddhist monks?”\r\nâ€Å"How sweet,” Calliope said.\r\nâ€Å"Hes got it,” Coyote said, pointing to the Master, who was attribute up a rod of shine metal.\r\nâ€Å"A bent push rod,” Steve said. The master carried the push rod into the shop. They all followed and watched as the old man tightened the rod into a vise. He picked up a fashion and stood over the vise, his free hand feeling the rod. Without warning the old man screamed and delivered a clanging blow to the push rod, then bowed and set the hammer on the bench.\r\nâ€Å"Fixed,” Steve said, bowing.\r\nâ€Å"Is that how he lost his fingers?”\r\nâ€Å"To achieve enlightenment, one must give up the things of this world.”\r\nâ€Å" standardised piano lessons,” Coyote said.\r\n'