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On arising, he had seen nothing but a candle burning on the lawn Careful not to wake his parents, he sneaked outside to take a closer look at the candle, but it was gone

"Always keep these signs secret, or they’ll realize that you’re a child of destiny, that one day you’ll have tremendous power over them, and they’ll kill you nohile you’re still a boy, and weak"

"Who’s ’they’?" Tommy asked

"They, them, everyone," the Indian said mysteriously

"But who?"

"Your father, for one"

"Not hideer whispered "He’s a , aret his way You’ve seen how people bow and scrape to him"

Indeed, Tommy had noticed the respect hich everyone spoke to his father--especially his liave the judge behind his back They appeared to admire and even revere hi they seemed not only to fear but loathe him

"He is satisfied only when he has all the power, and he won’t let go of it easily, not for anyone, not even for his son If he finds out that you’re destined to be greater and more powerful than he is … no one can save you then Not even me"

Perhaps if their family life had been marked by more affection, To difficult to accept But his father seldom spoke to him in more than a perfunctory way, and evenand never a kiss

Soift of homemade candy for the boy "Cactus candy," he called it There was always just one piece for each of the on the patio when the Indian was on his lunch break, or as Tommy followed his mentor around the two-acre property on a series of chores Soon after eating the cactus candy, the boy was overcome by a curious mood He felt euphoric When he hter, prettier The deer: His hair was impossibly black, his skin a beautiful bronze, his teeth radiantly white, his eyes as dark as the end of the universe Every sound--even the crisp snick-snick-snick of hedge clippers, the roar of a plane passing overhead on its way to Phoenix airport, the insect-hum of the pool h the deer’s voice Odors also becarass, the oil hich the Indian lubricated his tools Even the stink of perspiration was pleasant running deer smelled like fresh-baked bread and hay and copper pennies

Todeer talked about after they ate their cactus candy, but he did recall that the Indian spoke to hin of the n of the moonhawk, you’ll know you’re to have tremendous power and be invincible Invincible! But if you do see thefrom you in return an act that will truly prove your worthiness" That much stuck with Tommy, but he rereeary and went to his room to nap; his drea life, and always involved the Indian They were si dreams

On a rainy Saturday in November, when Tommy was ten, he sat on a stool by the workbench at one end of the four-car garage, watching as Runningdeer repaired an electric carving knife that the judge always used to slice the turkey on Thanksgiving and Christmas The air was pleasantly cool and unusually hu about the rain, the upcos that had happened at school recently They didn’t always talk about signs and destiny, or otherwise Todeer was a great listener

When the Indian finished repairing the electric knife, he plugged it in and switched it on The blade shivered back and forth so fast that the cutting edge was a blur

To the knife higher and squinting at it in the glow frolints flew froht itself

"What?" Tommy asked

"This knife, Little Chief It’s a machine A frivolous machine, not a really important machine like a car or airplane or electric wheelchair My brother is … crippled … and et around in an electric wheelchair Did you know that, Little Chief?"

"No"

"One of my brothers is dead, the other crippled"

"I’m sorry"

"They are my half-brothers, really, but the only ones I have"

"How did it happen? Why?"

Runningdeer ignored the questions "Even if this knife’s purpose is just to carve a turkey that could be carved as well by hand, it’s still efficient and clever Most machines are much more efficient and clever than people"

The Indian lowered the cutting instru knife between the blade into To into a spell si cactus candy, though they had eaten none

"The white deer said "He thinks machines are ever so much more reliable and clever than people if you want to be truly great in the white man’s world, Little Chief, you must make yourself as much like a machine as you can You must be efficient You must be relentless like ano desires or e blade slowly toward Tommy’s face, until the boy’s eyes crossed in an attee

"With this I could lop away your nose, slice off your lips, carve away your cheeks and ears …"

Tommy wanted to slip off the workbench stool and run

But he could nothim by one wrist

Even if he had not been held, he would have been unable to flee He was paralyzed Not entirely by fear, either There was so seductive about the mo

"… cut off the round bail of your chin, scalp you, lay bare the bone, and you’d bleed to death or die of one cause or another but …"

The blade was no more than two inches froo on …"

One inch

"… the knife would still purr and slice, purr and slice …"

Half an inch

"… because machines don’t die …"

Tommy could feel the faint, faint breeze stirred by the continuouslyelectric blade

"… machines are efficient and reliable If you want to do well in the white man’s world, Little Chief, you deer switched off the knife He put it down