True Heart Page #4

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Are we going back out?

Wanda, we couldn't see them

even if we flew over them.

You need to sleep.

In the morning we'll get an early start.

Dick, the kids have been

out there for three days.

They're all alone.

I know,

but if the old man's telling the truth...

...they could be almost home.

I need to send a fax to Vancouver.

Wanda.

Sam, listen.

My God.

Excuse me, sir!

Excuse me!

Is there anyone in charge around here?

Ranger's just around the corner!

Okay, thank you!

Stack them up on the other side.

Shut it down!

Simon! Boss, over here!

Mom!

- My God! You're alive!

- Bonnie! Sam! You made it!

I can't believe it.

Boy, you guys sure gave us a scare.

Just look at them.

I can't believe you walked that far.

That's incredible. You're heroes.

We knew they'd have a radio here,

so we came here and...

Wait a second.

Khonanesta. We've got to find him.

Hold on. Khonanesta?

- Is that his name?

- Yeah.

I think we met him.

You did? Where...

At the plane.

Is he here?

What happened?

Did you do something with him?

The thing is, we weren't sure whether

the man was telling the truth...

...and then everything got complicated.

Mom, what are you talking about?

Kids, we think he may be a poacher.

What?

You've got to be kidding.

I'm not kidding.

We found illegal bounty in his camp.

He's in our custody, charged with

six violations of the Wildlife Act.

But Khonanesta wouldn't do that.

He couldn't. You know that.

Look, kids,

obviously he's not so bad if he helped you.

Maybe he just doesn't understand.

Mom, you don't understand.

There are poachers out there.

They tried killing us and Khonanesta.

- They what?

- We're trying to tell you.

They threatened to kill us unless

we told them where the Kodiak was.

Kodiak? Bear?

Folks, please, we'll sort this out, I promise.

- But if the kids saw these men...

- What about the contraband?

What about the issue of the animals?

That's true.

How can we be sure

your friend's telling the truth?

After all, for a man like...

Khonanesta.

Khonanesta. Right.

For a man like him

to elude the authority for months...

...he'd have to be pretty smart.

Pretty clever.

So why be surprised

if he misled you, too, right?

No, that's wrong.

You guys don't know

Khonanesta like we do.

We spent three days with him.

He's not like those other men.

He loves animals.

Guys, honestly...

...Bonnie and I didn't believe him at first.

And Khonanesta wouldn't lie, either.

He knows the bears are watching,

and they always know the truth.

Look, you kids just need

some food and rest.

- But, Mom, we're not crazy!

- We're not saying we don't believe you.

Then will you help us?

Help you do what?

I think Khonanesta was framed.

She's right.

Those poachers will do anything.

Will you just let us talk to him?

Please, we can prove he's innocent.

He's in the first-aid shed.

- Great.

- Hurry up.

Okay. Come on.

- Charlie, you got the keys?

- Right here.

He's not in here.

Charlie, what the heck's going on?

That's impossible.

This thing was locked the whole time.

He's going to save the bear.

We've got to help him.

He's going after the Kodiak.

Help him?

Simon, you want us

to track this guy down?

That might be difficult.

But we have to try.

There's poachers out there...

...and Khonanesta's hurt.

No. You're not going anywhere.

- But, Mom...

- No buts.

I don't want you getting

more involved than you already are.

Why not?

Why not?

Look, they're alive

because Khonanesta helped them.

Now they want to help him.

Isn't that what you'd want them to do?

Isn't that the right thing to do?

Simon, how about it?

Can we get a little search party together?

- We could be wrong about him.

- But we don't know where he's going.

That's just it. We do know.

Sort of, but...

It's a place called...

Khootsini. It's Khootsini.

Do you know it? I mean, the poachers...

Khootsini is a sacred place,

supposedly out near Hoots Rock.

I've never seen it.

I don't know that anyone has.

If only we had that riddle.

I have a feeling

we might be able to help out here.

This is it.

Did he give it to you?

Not quite. He put up a fight...

...but we took everything

from him before we brought him in.

"Whose is it? He who wanders.

"Who finds it? He who is lost.

"Where is the sun?

"In the eye of the lonely one.

"Where does he walk?

"North by ten and ten

"East by five and five

"South by two and two

"And so through."

Okay, this first part's pretty easy.

The "it" in "whose is it?"

Lt's Khootsini.

It's a sacred place, right?

But "he who wanders" and "he who goes"?

Lt's the Kodiak, right?

What's this next part?

"In the eye of the lonely one?"

What's that mean?

"Lonely one."

Maybe it's a solitary rock or tree.

But "where is the sun?

In the eye of the lonely one."

Could be the sun hitting it at a certain time

and pointing the way, see?

Wait a minute. Just hold on.

This doesn't mean we're going after him.

Then what? What are we gonna do?

We've got to help him somehow.

Tell you what, Hoots Rock is not too far.

Virgil and Kim took the chopper,

if they could meet me...

But we've got the riddle,

we know where the bear...

Sam, no, it's too dangerous.

And you're tired and hungry and filthy.

But, Mom, there's no time!

Sam, I don't want to talk about it.

It seems like that's all you want to do!

Isn't it your job to save the animals

and the environment?

And isn't it yours, too, and yours?

What good is any of this

if the bear ends up dead?

Bonnie, it is just a bear.

Your lives are far more important.

Mom, it's not just a bear!

Honey, listen.

We'll just check it out,

scare these guys off...

...until the rangers get there,

then we let them take over.

We could take horses,

cut straight through the valley.

That okay with you, Charlie?

Fine by me.

Horses could use some exercise.

Please, guys, let's hurry.

Sam, hold it.

I don't want to step on your turf here.

It's your turf now, too.

All right, let's do it.

Yes! All right!

Listen up now.

We go out, we come back. No heroics.

Send Virgil and Kim out

when they get back in.

I'll radio the station as

soon as we find the place.

I'll saddle up some horses.

Sure you're up for this?

Doesn't seem like I have much of a choice.

Bit more than a conference.

I can't believe I agreed to this.

There it is!

We're almost there. Through these woods.

Whoa, girl.

This is it.

Wait here.

The horses sense something.

No wonder no one's ever found this place.

Wait.

These are boot prints.

Are you sure, Sam?

Yeah. At least three guys have been here.

The poachers, they've been here.

Yeah. They've been here recently.

Their footprints haven't deteriorated at all.

Not bad, Sam.

Come on, let's go.

That's what we came for.

Let's find this place.

Can we estimate the sun,

tell which way it's traveling?

We can do better than that. See...

...the lichen faces north.

And since it's summer...

...the sun should be setting...

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