Chapter Thirteen
The Tigers
It was early, but Mr. Popper knew that if they expected to make their way to the Tigers’ camp they would have a long day ahead of them. He had gotten up while the others still slept, and fixed himself a cup of tea. He had used no more than a pin drop of the Music Water in his cup. Just enough to be able to see, in his minds eye, what must be done to find this most precious, stolen, unadulterated, eternal water. He sipped his tea and pulled the dreameradoo from his imagination. He began to play his overwhelming need. His empty longing. His lonely aching soul. His uncompromising desire for the undiluted Water Music and what it would bring to his people. As he played, he was on a beach. The sky was stormy and the sea was rough. The air was thick and humid, and he could taste the salt water on his lips. He could smell the scents of the ocean on the breeze. He could feel the endless depth. The dark mysteries, beyond what mere vision could see. As he played this melodic desperation, he began to ask for direction. He needed guidance by the Water itself, to find the Water, and then to know what should be done with it. This was not necessarily a conscious thought, but rather a manifestation of his longing heart.
As he played, the ocean began to spiral up like a waterspout. Like a tornado at sea. At first it was quite small, almost unnoticeable, but it began to grow as the wind picked up, until it was massive. The sky grew black and the clouds began to pop with lightening. The dark blue, almost black, spinning fountain shot a current from it’s left side and it’s right. These channels began to look like giant arms. Small streams flowed down from the very top and became, what looked like long flowing hair. Not the beautiful hair of a young woman, but the hair of a wild man. Mr. Popper began to smile, and then to laugh. He laughed so hard he had tears running down his cheeks. This was the Water Music, and he was not afraid. This was what he longed for. To see the face of the divine. To be swept into the incarnate enigma, and be totally lost forever. The form had it’s back to him, but began to slowly turn his way. He could now see a glimpse of a profile. A dark green beard. Long and unkept that burned like fire, but yet was pure water. He began to see a great light, like an exploding star that was still behind the figure, but what he thought, must be the eyes. He knew if he looked into those eyes he would be utterly consumed, but this is what he lived for. To be enfolded into the mystery, like salt into water, which can be tasted, but never seen again. Then Mr. Popper’s song faded and he began to hear the music of the universe. He could hear the voice that sang the cosmos into existence. He could hear the colors of ocean and fire. He could hear the taste of salt water and sweet rain. He could hear the horrible smell of burning destruction and the exultant delivery of new birth. The song grew fuller and louder, and he felt as if he was being swept away by it; becoming part of the very melody itself. The figure was still turning toward Mr. Popper as he looked on. The brightness was almost blinding. The storm was of hurricane strength, and the music was reaching toward an epic crescendo.
In the back of his mind, Mr. Popper began to hear a faint knocking. As the knocking grew louder, the music lessened and the storm began to calm. The waterspout stopped turning and soon vanished back into the sea. Mr. Popper came to himself and was sitting in a chair next to the window as the first rays of sunlight began to shine. There was a knocking at the door. Mr. Popper got up and went to see who it was.
“I got them horses and yun-ses stuff fer the trip.” said a handsome young man. Muscular, with a beard and mustache and close cropped hair, which was balding on top. He had dark features and dark skin from being in the outdoors, with a youthful smile that looked as if he might be up to some sort of prank.
“You must be little Tee.” asked Mr. Popper, as he held out his hand in friendship.
“Yes sir, I am.” he said shaking Mr. Popper’s hand. “We best be getten on. I’ll meet yuns at the end of town in thirty minutes.” he said as he turned and closed the door.
Mr. Popper was still dazed from his vision of the Water Music, but rallied and got the girls and Polly up and they headed for the end of town.
As they approached the end of town, they could see the horses and Donkeyhotie loaded with provisions for the trip. Little Tee was there along with T. Roice Settlehymer and Big Dee himself.
“I wanted ta give ya the escape door myself and to give ya a word a caution about it.” Big Dee started, “You can use the door whenever ya want, but there’s no tellin where ya’ll end up. So, don’t use it unless ya have ta.”
“Thanks for the word of advice. I’ll keep it safe and only use it in an emergency.” Mr. Popper replied.
“One other thang I wanted ta ask ya.” Big Dee continued, “Me an T. Roice was up most a the night a talkin, and he thinks he might want ta stay on here fer awhile.”
“Of course you are free to do what you want, T. Roice. I think you have served the purpose you were sent for, but why would you want to stay here?”
“Well, Big Dee and I have been talking about a way that he, as a luck sucker, can give back to the other tribes around us. And by doing so, get rid of his bad karma, so he won’t have to worry so much. I gave him several ideas that we want to pursue. I’ll stay on here for several months, and then go back home to my family.”
“That sounds like a great idea. I’m glad to see this reconciliation and change of heart, but I will miss having you with us, now that you are T. Roice again.”
“Yes, I shall miss you also, but now that Mr. Struggles is no more, and I have this new found freedom, I need to make the most of it. Have a safe journey, and I’ll see you when the Music Water has been safely returned.”
“I will see you then, my friend.”
With that last word, the journeyers mounted their horses, and followed Little Tee, as he lead the way out of town and into the woods.
Little Tee was a man of few words. He didn’t seem to speak unless spoken to. He would get down off his horse now and then to look at foot prints in the grass, and orange colored fur that was stuck on trees and briar bushes. Then he would get back on his horse and set off again, sometimes in a new direction. They were all glad that they had him, for they would never find the Tigers without him. They had traveled most of the day and the sun was just beginning to set as they approached a large rock formation. It was a huge bolder that had cracked over time, and provided a path straight through the middle, which was wide enough for two horses to ride side by side. The sides of the bolder had outcroppings where trees had grown among the rocks.
“This looks ta be the entrance to the Tigers den.” said Little Tee. “There might be another way in, but I wouldn’t be to sure. I think we should go in this way, but be very quiet. And keep on the look out incase they got guards posted.”
“Sounds like a plan. You and I can ride side by side in the front, the girls in the middle, and Polly, you can bring up the rear.”
As they began to enter the path between the sides of the bolder, the bright light of the setting sun shone hard into their eyes and made the path in front of them hard to see. Mr. Popper had to squint to keep the sun out of his eyes. Little Tee reached into his saddle bag and put on a pair of sunglasses. The sides of the bolder formed great cliffs that, from their vantage point made it seem as though they went up forever. There began to be a smell of feline urine.
“We must be a gettin close.” informed Tee. “Keep yun-ses eyes open.”
With the sun in front of them it was hard to know for sure, but up in the distance Mr.Popper thought he saw something heading their way. Little Tee stopped his horse.
He got down and pulled a long barreled rifle from his saddle bag. The girls eyes got wide.
“Theys hard to hit. Especially when the suns in yer eyes, but I think I can take him.”
Mr. Popper squinted hard to see. Up ahead on the path was a huge Tiger running full speed directly at them.
“I’ll have ta wait until he’s close to make sure I get the shot. I anin’t got but one shot with this gun, then I got ta reload.”
“But if you shoot him, they’ll know we’re here.” pleaded Mr. Popper, who hated guns, and didn’t approve of killing anything.
“It’s either us or him. With his claws and teeth, and as strong as he is, we’d be no match for him.”
Now they could all see the Tiger. He was magnificent. He looked like an orange and black streak running toward them. His muscles rippling under his fur. Tee laid his rifle across his arm and took aim. Mr. Popper got off his horse.
“There must be another way. We can’t shoot such a beautiful creature.” cried Polly.
“He may be beautiful, but them teeth are made fer one thang. That’s to eat us, bones and all.” Tee said. “He’s almost close enough. I’ll have ta wait until I can see his eyes.”
Mr. Popper was now standing next to Tee with the girls and Polly behind him. The Tiger was now dangerously close and Mr. Popper could just see the whites of his eyes. He watched Tee as he began to squeeze the trigger. At the last moment Mr. Popper Knocked the rifle from Little Tee’s arms as he pulled the trigger and shot high.
“Are you crazy!” Tee yelled “I had him!”
Mr. Popper now began running straight at the giant tiger who was also running straight at him. The Tiger leaped into the air. At the same time Mr.Popper pulled something black from his pocket and held it over his head. It was the escape door. The Tiger hit the escape door and Mr. Popper, and in the blink of an eye, they were both gone.
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