Crooked Arrows Page #2

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- Keep it elevated.

- So the swelling goes down.

- I am.

I have decided the manner

of your spirit quest.

You will return to the Creator's game.

Return? You mean, like, play?

No, you don't play.

Our coach quit

and I'm not a suitable replacement.

Well, neither am I.

I have a business to run.

Which will not expand as you wish,

unless you do as I require.

Dad, you know why I don't play anymore.

I do, and they call it

the "medicine game" for a reason.

Let it heal you.

Our next game is tomorrow,

the season ends on Memorial Day.

I'm only half Sunaquot,

shouldn't that mean only half a season?

Restore pride to our people,

and their game.

That is your first obligation.

- There's more?

- To re-examine your spirit.

Yeah, can you give me some

defined deliverables on that?

No, but I know who can.

Is it within my power to assign

him a spiritual advisor?

It is most certainly.

Good, then I assign you.

So, what? You're my babysitter now?

- That's howl roll, baby.

- Heh, heh.

Great.

I like the ones who, I like the ones who

I like the ones

I like the ones who like to show me things

Oh, man.

Gentlemen.

Look at this.

You're late.

Doesn't your fancy car have a clock?

- Yeah, it has GPS navigation too.

- Ugh.

I had to make a pit stop.

Man, you have a nice car here.

You two brothers or cousins?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

Okay, then.

All right, you two play attack,

you three middie...

...you three defense,

and I guess that makes you goalie.

I'm your new coach.

Watch the cutters.

Go!

That was quick.

The new suit on the sideline

hasn't made a big difference for the Sunaquot.

Come on, guys.

Who's got point?

Reed, be aggressive!

Play your position.

Yeah, no, I know.

Yeah, it's a convertible.

You've got to hit him, Chewy!

Chewy, can you hit him?

Like you're any better, pretty boy

Why don't you step up?

Uh-huh. I'll be there after this game.

Yeah, I'll sign the check.

Just stall them, all right?

Hey. Unless you're Googling halftime speeches

that don't totally suck...

...I suggest you put that down and coach.

- Stay in the game, man!

- Fine.

All right, guys, they're in a zone.

Run Z82 and work it around the wings.

Joe, they have no idea what that means.

Yeah, but it sounds good.

Jimmy! Whoo! Over here! Yo! Yo! I'm open.

Ball hog! Owen was wide open.

- Get out.

- Z82? It's not even a real play.

Sounds like a radio station.

You, you're in,

as long as you don't hog the ball too.

Good luck with that.

Hey, who's the dorky white kid?

It's Toby, Dr. Gifford's son.

- Julie has a son?

- Oh!

Yeah, and he just got crushed.

Welcome to the club, kid.

So how did your meeting

go with our opposition?

How much land

are you able to deliver, Joe?

The council approved construction

on the land here...

...where the current casino is,

up to the river here.

Great. We will break ground next week.

Actually, that's where we had to make

one concession.

We can't go until the end of May.

But that's two months.

I know. Uh, it's an ancient tribal law.

What law? I thought you were my insider.

I am. Uh... It's, uh, called

It means "No disturb land in spring."

Your people didn't farm in the spring?

No, not really.

They were more hunter-gatherer,

scavenger types.

Like bears,

with a little bit of vulture mixed in.

My clan name means Vulture Bear.

I need a start date, Joe.

N ow.

The day after Memorial Day.

You're sure? There are no other

ancient tribal traditions I need worry about?

No.

This is from last night's reading.

"Loving that Land O' Lakes Maiden,"

by an Onondaga poet, Eric Gansworth.

She is the first lesson in love for many

Indian boys, all tanned hide and feathers

Features straight out of Hollywood

But she lights the spark for those red boys

And probably for some

Black and white and brown ones as well

For anyone who learns her tricks, really

And they're not that hard to master

So, what's this poem about?

That smoking-hot Indian lady

on the butter package.

Yes, Reed, that's clearly stated

in the title, but what else?

That smoking-hot Indian lady is a stereotype

we Native American women have to overcome.

We don't spread easy like butter,

we can be tough and strong.

Jimmy, your thoughts?

I think nobody cares about poetry.

I do. Actually I happen to love poetry.

Well, in that case...

Ooh.

Nadie, my wounded lady

Will you marry me?

I'm strong, tough

And man enough to churn your butter nightly

- Chewy.

- Mm.

- Oh!

- Ow.

Nice shot.

Now Maug has got another one.

Grandma, I'm not late today. Sis.

Wow.

All right, bring it in.

So that was pretty pathetic yesterday.

No focus, no fitness,

and zero team work.

We're gonna start over

with the fundamentals.

Passing and catching, line drills. Go.

Can't. No balls.

Maug's got them.

Okay. Who's Maug?

Protector of the forest.

Six-foot-10,

300 pounds of pure muscle.

Catch a deer

with his bare hands, eat it raw.

What you're saying is we're calling practice

on account of Sasquatch?

- Yeah, pretty much.

- Yeah.

Works for me.

- How about you go buy us some more balls?

- Yeah.

How about you man up, Jimmy,

and go into the woods and get them yourself?

Ooh.

How about you call me Silverfoot.

How about you make me?

Today's lesson:

If you're afraid to go into the forest,

you've got no balls.

Oh!

Come on, Jimmy.

We ain't got no balls.

You're the one walking away.

Look at him, with his face buried

in that Crackberry all day.

So tell me then,

how's your fitness, coach?

You want to go? We can go.

Everybody. On the line.

Oh, come on.

Ready?

Maybe you could coach baseball.

Strike three. You're out.

Dude, Italian leather boots.

I'll show up if I have to,

but I can't coach these guys.

There's no weak warriors, Abooksigun,

only weak leaders.

And in this case, weak and slow.

There was a time

when you beat the sun, Abooksigun.

Crooked Arrow.

I hear you have returned

to the Creator's game.

Yeah, I'm sure you've heard why.

I also heard you're are O and 2.

Yeah, I don't know what to do.

These kids have had sticks

in their cradles.

But they're a joke right now.

Do you remember the story

of the eagle and the arrow?

No.

The eagle once ruled our skies.

And then, one day,

he was struck down by the arrow.

As he lay dying,

the eagle could not understand why.

The shaft of the arrow had been feathered

by one of his own plumes.

We often give our enemies

the means to our own defeat.

Look inside.

Ask your heart.

The truth may sleep, but it never dies.

It was only an oral language

until Hiawatha transcribed...

...the Haudenosaunee constitution

onto a wampum belt. Later, Ben Franklin...

...copied your version

of three equal branches of government.

Go.

His famous quote, "if a bunch

of ignorant savages can govern fairly...

...then we should be able to do the same"...

-...is the foundation of American democracy.

- What you want me to do?

Nadie?

- Hm?

- What's going on?

Uh, nothing.

Time for practice.

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