Eight Monkey spins the good thread, whirls in the middle of my left thigh, Nine Toothroad guides us down the good road, straight road long road, a small car goes off the road fast crosses my vision from right to left, heads up the spine of a sand dune, the driver is stocky, skin as white as this paper, someone sits next to him, has a black flat-brimmed hat on, the car reaches the highest point, almost gets stuck in the sand, the driver steps hard on the gas, wheels spin— car lurches over the crest, runs smoothly down the far ridge and straight into a gulch and out of sight. A young archaeologist shows me a new find— a car wreck no one ever discovered till now. I look in through the right-rear door he leans in through the left-front window all the glass is gone, a black car twenties or thirties, the forest grows right up to it, over it, left-front seat broken backward, body in rags, right leg stretched to the foot feed, head and chest lean to the rear, right elbow bent back tense suspended forearm reaches, lost his grip on the stick shift, nothing but bones, sinew, and leather awkward posture, should I reach out to move the arm? Disturb a find still in situ? What about measurements, photographs? A little push just above the elbow— the arm moves stiffly forward, then drops back to its former position. Lord Eight Monkey, Lord Nine Toothroad give these bones a name— Ten Caneplant, Eleven Jaguarthroat— Twelve Birdsilver's lightning forks between my first two toes tells my blood an old man, never quite a big man sickened from his dilemma, cried out for wealth in the form of metal, or was it the rustle of paper? Thirteen Sinner, One Knowhow— Two Knifedge remembers his angry words, his stamping foot. Three Rainready, Four Marksman— Five Lefthanded says madness trampled him down. Six Wind says his fury caused him pain caught his woman in the crease behind her own left knee, tripped him by his right ankle. Seven Foredawn says her burden made her kneel. Eight Net, Nine Snake— Ten Death remembers her prayers she cared for the health of her youngest daughter. Eleven Deer, Twelve Yellowripe— Thirteen Thunder's lightning brings the man down.
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