Zuni Stash

Being Mona’s assistant, often I could go unnoticed. So standing beside her, I remained quiet as a mouse. Hands in my skirt pockets.

“That’s a beauty. Mister Castanetto.” Mona told him, admiring his roll top desk. Aged, I could tell. “Susanna?” I nodded to her aside.

“See the fine grain detail, smooth finish? I considered this quite a buy. You hardly ever find tooled juniper pieces like this.”

I note the puzzled look on Mona’s face. “Yes. It’s wonderful.” We’d traveled all day, by stagecoach to Pecos, from Villanueva, New Mexico. Not to look at furniture.

“I’m lucky, Miss Blackeagle.” Castanetto bobbed his head. He looked almost as old as her. Appearing a spry seventy. “But this is why I contacted you.” He pointed to part of the desk. One of the panels among the drawers.

Mona stepped closer. “A hiding place?”

“Exactly!” Castanetto gave a smile, then tapped the panel. It chirped, when he pushed then slid the panel. “See, ladies?” In a moment he held a small black book.

He moved to his kitchen table, sitting, then laying his prize down. As he opened the cover, turned pages, I could see Mona’s face light up. She scanned what she saw.

“Zuni!”

Luigi gave another smile. “I had to ask many people, before someone said just that.”

We were looking at a leather bound journal type book. I tried identifying the ink used. Seemed high quality. Little feathering, nearly no bleed-through. I’d examined similar books at the Albuquerque Library.

“How old is this?” Mona stroked the paper.

“Sometime before the Collapse, I estimate,” he answered. “The desk dates back there. Machine tooling among the edges.” He pointed to it. “The book’s stitching—also done on a machine.” There was pride in his voice, he added, “And the ink.” Castanetto pointed down, near Mona’s finger. “I’ve only seen such quality ink in libraries.”

I wasn’t going to mention my former connection to the libraries. Some folks got intimidated by mention of that. Since the Collapse, librarians have had a stranglehold on political power in the Southwest. Mona knew my past, but I mostly kept it to myself.

“This area was not Zuni territory Mister Castanetto.” Mona explained.

“I learned that.” He nodded. “Please, call me Luigi.” He smiled up at us. “I learned this was Tewa Pueblo land. Near the center of the Pueblo revolt.”

“1680.” I blurted out, before catching myself.

“Yep.” Luigi agreed. “I’ve learned how the Pueblo people drove the Spanish soldiers and missionaries out.” He grabbed the ribbon bookmark, opening that page, pointing to the middle line of the writing. “Here’s something interesting a friend was able to translate.”

“Gold.” Mona said.

A big smile lit up his face. “You see why I contacted you. Your expertise in pueblo languages.”

Mona’s finger quickly moved across the page. “There are treasure maps found every year at yard sales.”

The smile faded from his face. “I know.” He admitted. “But what if it’s real?”

Mona examined his face. Then she turned her glance to me. Did she want my opinion? The journal looked too good. Like it had been written just last year.

“What are you proposing?”

“Fifty percent share.” He said. The smile was back, a little crooked. “You find it. We split it.”

That got me involved. As Mona’s assistant, her caretaker, I’d have to go on this wild goose chase. “So we do the work, find treasure. You get half?”

“Ah,” he faced me. “But don’t you see, Miss Susana? It’s my desk, so therefore my journal. And my treasure map.”

~~~

We’d relocated to the council hall. A sparse roomy wooden frame building. Mister Castagnetto had arranged with the town to let us stay overnight. Our sleeping rolls were laid down in the corner.

“Are you sure this trip is worth it?” I was having my doubts. “Isn’t it likely to be a wild goose chase? A dangerous one at that?” The table in front of us was laid full of maps. Mona had concluded our goal might be close to Pecos.

Mona seemed lost in thought for a moment. “It’s important to me.” She tapped the closest map. Her gaunt figure reminded me of the change I’d seen in her over our year together. She didn’t seem the strong, vital old lady I’d first met back then. “These ruins here. The Pecos Pueblo. So much history is lost.”

“The Pueblo people are doing well. Their population is growing.” The Collapse had been hard on everyone. But Pueblo tribes had been somewhat self-reliant when the disaster struck. When technology was lost. When airplanes no longer flew. Long haul trucking stopped. The pueblos had been able to survive. Actually grow.

“But, the history. Hundreds of years ago, so much of their heritage was lost.”

I shook my head. “You think this will have preserved history?”

Mona’s eyes shone brightly. “I hope it does. I want it to.” Such longing filled those words. I was determined to help fulfill this dream, if possible.

Moments later her voice rang out. “Found it!”

She pointed at one of the maps. I read aloud, “Viveash Mesa?” Comparing the map to a drawing in the book I could see the similarity. Maybe only 15 kilometers. But a hard hike, on foot.

Nodding, she used the ruler to get an idea of the distance. “Yes. We should be able to reach it, in a day or two.”

Shaking my head, I still wasn’t buying it. “Why would Zuni artifacts be here? So far from Zuni land?”

“Well,” she scratched her cheek, “there was a diaspora of the tribes in those days. Many tribes had to take refuge with other groups.”

A thought occurred to me. “You aren’t going to do it?”

She gave me a look. “Split the money?”

“Exactly. You aren’t going to?”

“Ah, I will be glad to split. Whatever reward the tribe decides to share with us.”

“Luigi’s not going to like that.”

Some sound behind me caused me to turn. Two people at the back door. An older man. Younger woman. She actually reminded me of me. She walked like a fighter. My only reaction was, This can’t be good.

“Ah, Miss Blackeagle. I’m so glad to meet you.” The man bowed. He wore a strange grin, plastered on his face.

The two split up. She moved left, he right; toward Mona. I couldn’t cover both. She seemed more dangerous, so I focused on her. She casually walked over to the table and grabbed the black book. Darn! A knife appeared in her hand. Large. Some kind of Bowie.

Lightly, Mona asked, “Who are you?” Playing it smart. Not sounding worried or nervous. Calm.

I needed to play it cool. The hardest thing for me. Why I left the library. While I was being turned into a deadly fighter, being constantly reprimanded to never use those skills. My patience was tested now.

His eyes found his assistant, who’d tucked the book into a pack on her back. But his words were for Mona, “Call me Jaime. The treasure belongs to me.” He tapped his cane to his chest. “I am related to the writer of that journal.”

“Strange way to claim legal ownership.” Mona pointed to the young woman with the big knife.

“Ah.” He laughed. “Pardon Hester. She just protects me from people with bodyguards.” His chin swung toward me.

I resented his tone. Wanted to wipe that smug smile off his face.

Mona leaned against the table. I could appreciate her state. Tension was a live thing in the room. “We have an arrangement with the owner of the book. You can join us.”

Another laugh. I did not like Hester’s boss. “You wouldn’t believe how much of my life has been devoted to searching for this book. I won’t share it with anyone. I’ve earned this treasure!”

Shaking her head, she responded, “You won’t be able to read it.”

“Ha! You think you’re the only one who can speak Zuni.” His face contorted. Immediately I knew what was going to happen. I was two meters away. “The arrogance. I’ll make sure you can’t follow me.”

Without any other warning, he raised and swung the cane overhead at Mona’s face. I watched long enough to see her block with both arms crossed above her. I grabbed the chair. Lunged at Hester. Who was fast, but not enough. The chair leg knocked the knife from her. I followed up with a roundhouse kick to her head. As she dropped to the ground, I continued to turn and raced toward Mona.

Seeing me, the man ran for the door. Mona had fallen to a sitting position. “You in one piece?” I saw a bruise on her arm. Otherwise, no other injuries seen.

“Fine, Susanna.” She struggled catching her breath. “Get them.” Thinking a second, I decided to chase Hester. For the book.

I was back a few minutes later. “Sorry. They had horses.”

~~~

“I don’t think we should continue.” I sat at the fireplace whittling a tree branch with the Bowie knife left by our attackers. “I know you memorized the directions. But, what if Hester and her boss are there before us?”

“I have to do this.” Mona stared at me intensely. “This could be the legacy of my life work.”

I let out a sigh.

I considered my top priority keeping Mona safe. She’d become so dear to me over the last year. I was determined not to let anything untoward happen to her. But, I was feeling resigned. We’d made camp a few kilometers past the Guadalupe Mission. We probably could reach Viveash Mesa with a strenuous multi-hour hike.

“It will still be finding a needle in a haystack.” I laughed, “Or a cave in a hillside of caves.”

“That’s why I think we might be able to beat them.” She waved some sheets in front of me. Mona’d taken some notes, when she’d been deciphering the journal. Our attackers had not grabbed those. “The final descriptions of the location were especially hard to read. I don’t believe the average Zuni reader could make them out.”

All I had to add was, “Let’s be on our guard.”

~~~

It had been an exhausting effort to find the right location. Mona was sure we were there, finally. One last obstacle. A narrow path beside a dark pit.

“I hear rattlers in there.” I said, unnecessarily. But I was done with today. I was drenched with sweat, even though now finally, the sun was moving lower. To top it off there was a strong skunk odor filling the air. “Could the Zuni arrange for a plague of skunks?” I joked.

~~~

We felt giddy with pleasure as we made our way toward the light. “You’re rich Susanna. You can retire.” Mona’s voice held half a giggle in it.

“How many pieces of eight were there?” I doused my oil lamp. Could have been a thousand.

“But, the real treasure are the written records.” Now Mona sounded more serious. Though just as joyful. “Histories, journals, and genealogies. This is the greatest pueblo historical find in centuries.”

A shadow blocked our way.

“Thanks for finding my gold!” Jaime! I could see Hester behind him. Funny what people do when reacting without thinking. Mona snatched the book from his hand. I raced past him to Hester. As I did, my shoulder knocked him into the ditch. Striking out at Hester, I could hear the old man scream and the sound of angry rattlers. Hester brandished a long knife, Bowie replacement, but it didn’t help. I put her down quick.

~~~

“Here’s your share.” Castanetto looked unhappy at his cut of $20,000. But the man did accept the sack of money from the tribal elders. Mona whispered, “The tribe gets the Zuni documents and the pieces of eight. Your cut and mine are equal. It’s only right. This is post Collapse. We’re beyond finders-keepers, agreed Luigi?