Child’s Toy

Sunshine warmed Ginger’s face as she leaned back against a cold marble pillar. The atrium of the tribal headquarters where she loitered hummed with slow activity. The Ancients elfs that had paid her a visit walked by, one sporting an eyepatch and the other a cast. They had been forced to attend the special session, and now couldn’t muster the nerve to so much as send a glance her way.

Beyond them Slick, today in an ostentatious gold suit, meandered towards a side door with two of the Chehalis Elders. He caught her look and motioned a wordless offer for her to join them, but Ginger shook her head to decline. She had other plans.

As other Elders and guests filtered out, Ginger zoned in the warm pocket she’d chosen. The disc of her necklace glittered as she rolled it back and forth between her fingers. Lost in thought, she peered beyond the one-way glass and compound fence to the Fifth World sedan that had been parked there for hours.

“You toy with that pendant like you’re gambling.”

Ginger straightened and quickly slipped the delicate chain over her head.

“Chief.” She nodded respectfully.

Grey Bear, the graying Salish Chief, approached, dismissing the attendants that shadowed him. “You keep playing with that thing and someday it will deactivate and set off every alarm between here and Portland.”

Pursing her lips, Ginger couldn’t help but smile as he cupped her face in his calloused hands and kissed her brow.

“You did well in there,” the aging man rumbled. “If you did not have your heart set on this, I would be sorely tempted to make you a successor.”

Ginger chuckled as they strolled out the front doors. “The stray mutt taking over the bear’s den? If you want to start another tribal war it’d be easier to just say so.”

Grey Bear shook his head and offered her his arm as full daylight washed over them. He smiled at the blue Bellevue sky. “Soon Seattle will see this again. The Project creeps too close to my borders.”

Arm in arm, she followed his gaze upwards. “Seattle will see much more by the time I’m done with it.”

“I am not sure it’s ready for that.”

“Exactly how it should be.”

The Chief gazed at Ginger with a grandfatherly fondness. “You beat up those elf kids, didn’t you?”

His tone brought a warm look to her face. She lifted her nose and gave an imperious sniff. “Jackwagons thought they could tell me what to do.”

The man chuckled. He motioned down the sidewalk with his free hand for his private car to approach. “Ten years and you’re still picking fights.”

Her grin matched the fierce gleam in his eye. “You should have taught me to be a pacifist.”

Grey Bear smirked and left one last peck on her forehead before letting the fiery-haired young woman step away to open the car door for him. “If only I knew how.”