****
"I'm John Running Bear, special envoy for the National Congress of American Indians," the visitor announced, as he sat across a small table from Tribe Chief Mike Talking Bear and Mouse, Leader of the Elder Council of Mothers. "I am here to urge your participation in NCAI supported events. This Monday is Indigenous People's Day for America. The NCAI again urges that you join us in celebrating this day, and also urges that next summer you also celebrate the International Day of the World's Indigenous People established by the United Nations. I hope to stay here through Monday to help you organize your participation."
"We were informed of your visit by the Embassy of Tribal Nations in Washington," said Chief Mike. "We of course told them again that we have no interest in such events. Let the white men celebrate their Columbus Day in peace next Monday if they wish to. It and your counter-celebration on that same day mean nothing to us. Our views on this have been made clear to your organization many times. Yet here you are, only a few days prior to the holiday in question, making an obviously fruitless attempt to change our minds practically overnight. That is foolish.
"I am even more concerned that I met you several years ago at the Oneida Turning Stone Casino," continued Talking Bear. "Then your name was not Running Bear, and you claimed to be Tuscaroran. Your lies perhaps fooled the Oneida, but not me."
Running Bear certainly hadn't realized that he had previously met the chief of this reclusive Mohawk tribe. Chief Mike Talking Bear must not have been publicly advertising his own real identity.
"You spoke truth to us now but not the whole truth, Mohican," said Mouse sternly. "Tell us fully and truthfully why you are here."
The rattled Running Bear hadn't yet mentioned his true tribal affiliation. "Please forgive my deceptions. When we apparently met years ago I was scouting out the Oneida casino to understand if there were lessons to be applied to our plans to establish a Mohican casino in New York State. True, I work for many masters, and have sometimes avoided telling the full truth in order to do so. Although I do in fact work at the behest of my tribe for the NCAI, I do now confess that is not why I am here today."
"We do not have time for games and have no casino here," said Mouse. "Tell us now about your other employer and why you are really here. Tell us what the NSA wants with the Mohawk."
They knew that he was a NSA agent! Running Bear had heard stories about Mouse of Giants' Rest. It was rumored that she could read thoughts. Now he realized that those reports must surely be true, and that it was not possible to lie to these people. "Yes, I work for branch of the US Government Agency known as the NSA that tracks down and nullifies bio-terrorists. They search for a highly wanted fugitive known as Jerry Green, who was in the past a neighbor to Ed and Mary Rumsfeld. The Rumsfelds recently moved to this reservation. I was assigned to come here and look for Jerry Green."
"You did not need to use deceit to do so," admonished Chief Mike. "You seek a fugitive white man. We have well established FBI links that could have been used to determine if Jerry Green is here. Why weren't those used?"
"The NSA likes to do things for themselves," Running Bear explained truthfully. "The NCAI likes to monitor and when possible limit NSA intrusions into Native American affairs. I have gained enough trust in the NSA organization to be involved in most such intrusions and to limit them. In this instance I strive to limit their intrusion into the affairs of your tribe."
"You are a Native American 'mole' in the NSA," said Mouse, smiling. "You should have simply said so."
"Jerry Green is not here now and never has been here," said Chief Mike. "Ed and Mary are here and under our scrutiny and protection."
"I thank you for that information, but there is one more area of NSA concern," said Running Bear. "What do you know of the jants?"
"We are told that the jants were created by Jerry Green," said Mouse. "Jants were brought here by Ed Rumsfeld, though he did not do so with malice. They saved his life and he owes them a degree of loyalty, but even he does not fully trust them. We are concerned that the jants invade our homelands and have great intelligence but do not share their intentions with us, at least not yet. Are not your NSA employers similarly concerned? We sense that far beyond our Mountain countless jants abound. They broadcast powerful cyphered thoughts to communicate with each other and to think together as one great mind."
This startled Running Bear. How could insects possibly have intentions? They were intelligent and telepathic? In what sense did they think together? Sheffield had hinted at possible intelligence, but could it actually be true? They were so strongly telepathic that even here on their remote reservation the Mohawk could sense that jants were widespread? He would have to somehow tell Sheffield what he had learned, without entangling the Mohawk in it. "The NSA is very concerned about all invasive species," he at last mumbled.
"Tell us about your boss Dr. Sheffield," Mouse said.
Crap! She truly was reading his thoughts! "Dr. Sheffield is one of the most sensible people in the NSA. I was drawn to working with him because of this. I believe that he has a good heart. As the climate crisis deepens the NSA infringes ever more on the rights of all peoples, including Native Americans. My NCAI mission is to influence the NSA through Sheffield, in favor of the Native American tribes. I seek to limit NSA prying into Native American affairs."
"We share a common interest on that point," noted Chief Mike. "We seem to also share common concerns about the jants. Perhaps these are areas we could pursue to our mutual benefit?"
"That sounds interesting," said Running Bear. "I think that Dr. Sheffield would agree with sharing jant knowledge. It will have to be done with great care, however."
"In return you must see to it that the NSA stays out of our Tribe business," said Mouse. "Specifically stay away from our Mountain and from Ed and Mary."
"The only NSA interest in Ed and Mary Rumsfeld is to find Jerry Green," said Running Bear. That was true, as far as he knew.
"Ed doesn't know where Green is, but the jants might," said Mouse. "If we find out where he is we will tell you personally."
"Excellent!" agreed Running Bear.
Running Bear then told them what he knew about the jants, which wasn't really anything more than they already knew. But that was alright, their main concern was to deter prying by the NSA, and hopefully they had done that. And if they hadn't, at least now they were alerted to the threat of NSA meddling.
Running Bear had in turn obtained Mohawk confirmation that jants were sentient and telepathic; something that Sheffield would hopefully be thrilled with.
"May I stay here the night to rest before returning to Washington?" Running Bear asked his hosts. "The drive here was horrendous!"
"That won't be necessary," Chief Mike replied. "We happen to have trucks that are leaving Giants' Rest right away. They will deliver mail to a nearby town and return with mail and supplies. Our men will be able to drive you off of the Reservation immediately. There is heavy snow forecast that could otherwise strand you here indefinitely. We wouldn't want that, would we?"
"Of course not," replied Running Bear.
Only when he was many miles from Giants' Rest did Running Bear allow himself to think freely about his encounter. He had achieved considerable success but had fallen far short of total triumph. In the end they had firmly booted him off of their reservation. They were obviously hiding something, but probably not Jerry Green.
He would need to convince Sheffield to keep him on this case as the ongoing NSA interface with the Tribe. He would keep secret their pledge to possibly provide the location of Jerry Green. If Sheffield's hard-ass boss caught wind of a strong lead concerning Jerry Green he would probably flood the Mohawk Reservation with agents, regardless of laws and treaties. In fact, to avoid an NSA invasion of the Reservation, he should not reveal the presence of jants on the Reservation to even Sheffield.
What were these Mohawk hiding? He simply had to know! Did it relate to the Stone-Coat myth? He had meant to bring up the subject
but hadn't. Why not? He now suspected that he had been subtly manipulated as he spoke with the Mohawk. He had been altogether too cooperative with them!
Or could they be lying about Jerry Green? Could they be hiding Green somewhere on the Reservation? In any case he had to prevent the NSA from assigning more agents! He had to reassure Sheffield that he was personally confirming that Green was not hiding on the Reservation.
It irked him that white men O'Brien and Rumsfeld were allowed to be on the Mohawk reservation to learn Mohawk secrets while he was shut out. He had to get onto the Reservation, both to confirm that Jerry Green was not there and to find out what other secrets the Mohawks held from him! Since the Keepers of the Eastern Gate had shut their front door in his face, he would need to use the back door. Fortunately he had already researched other Reservation entry points and found a back door. Cautious man that he was, he never entered a place without knowing of back doors.