Jay-Bone was the only person he had ever known, who, despite seeming like a pretty stupid dude, always seemed to know where he was and where he was headed, either in Ice Age Europe, Medieval Maryland, or modern Arizona. Eddie’s new cell-phone was reading midnight when they rolled up into the driveway of a nice small stone house. A big blue-tinted RV was parked out front on the street. In the driveway was a small silver Camry, and—don’t swallow too hard or you will choke—Randy Bracken’s evil Harley. Only three people rode this sinister ride: Randy, his little brother Jay, and Tina—or Mammy Dread as Eddie called her. Unfortunately, Randy Bracken was in 19th Century South America looking for some English dude named Burton.
Oh snap son. I never thought I’d be hoping to see Randy Bracken. This shit is bad.
Jay’s hard hand squeezed his shoulder and they made eye-contact. The man’s voice was comforting, “Nothin’ ta worry ‘bout Eddie—Tina’s my wife. I’ll smooth things over.”
Eddie then glanced nervously at Mona, getting off of her bike and unzipping her leather jacket to expose her 48-G’s. “Son, how’s this shit gonna fly?”
“Hell Tina will be happier to see Mona than me. She’s more into girls than guys. A soon as she sees that rack she’ll be in love.”
Eddie took a deep breath and stepped off of the chopper. “Here’s lookin’ out son. I got yo back.”
When Jay extended his fist to knock on the door it opened to reveal a pretty Navaho girl with the most perfect nose he had ever seen. She greeted them with a smile and pulled the door aside as the five of them filed in and shook her hands one at a time and received her blessing, and her name: Hyacinth.
To the right was an old man squatting among a bunch of pots under a lot of wind chimes, making some kind of sand picture on the floor. Between the old man and them stood two older Indian men, a small silver-haired man and a big dude. Between these men stood Tina, an arm around each, who both seemed completely entranced. Her silky hair was draped over the smaller man’s shoulders.
Tina nodded at Jay, smiled at the boys, glared at Eddie—how many expressions can she make in three seconds?—and cast lust-filled eyes on the big biker queen. Tina sauntered over to them and placed her hand under Three-River’s chin. “It’s nice to see you again my son. You have grown into a fine young man. I look forward to our reunion.”
Three-Rivers silvery voice chimed, “Nice to see you too Mother.”
She slid by and embraced Mona as if they were long lost lovers. Hyacinth was hovering behind Tina as if hoping for some attention and Jay just stepped back to give his wife room to work as the two tall women kissed passionately. When they finally came up for air, Tina spoke like a serpent. “Dear Mona—she never even asked her name—that big handsome Navaho warrior behind me needs a wife. Go to him.”
Tina then turned to Hyacinth. “My beautiful child, Jim Silver deserves you as do few men in this crowded world. Go to him.”
Both of the other women were now hugging and kissing the two Indian men—what? Good God people get a room!
As if reading his thoughts Tina fixed him with a stare and he was on his knees crying as her voice echoed in his mind, “Insect, you die before dawn.”
Tina was dressed in a black bodysuit and black chaps and leather jacket. The crazy squirrel was bouncing around on the floor checking out Tina’s legs and butt, and then off to one of the easy chairs to look in on the old man who was pouring colored sand on the floor.
On Three-River’s signal MoonBeaver stepped back out of the way. Eddie could not rise. When Tina gave Three-Rivers a critical look, like she was going to scold or even spank him, Jay stepped in between them and put up a restraining hand.
Jay-Bone to the rescue! You’re safe son, he’s got this.
Tina hit Jay with a slap that sounded like a sonic boom. It got everyone’s attention, even the old man and the lovers standing above the easy chairs. That slap would have knocked out most people but Jay-Bone just took it and began to speak. “Look, Babe, I can expl—”
Eddie thought it was a front kick but he never saw it. What he did see was Jay folding in half around Tina’s foot and the man flying vertically for ten feet and cashing into a cabinet filled with clay coffee mugs that tumbled out of it and shattered when they hit the gray slate floor. An involuntary exclamation came from Eddie, “Damnnnnn!”
Tina took three long cat-like strides that brought her over Jay. Her voice was like a cold wind and her hand was beginning to shape under the extending bodysuit into a knife blade pointed at Jay’s throat as he tried desperately just to breathe.
“That, my husband, was our divorce. You shall indulge my disobedient child no longer. For what it’s worth I will miss feeling your strong heart beat within me when we love. Do not worry yourself about my fate. I shall find another, more obedient, man to fulfill my needs.”
Further Reading
Below is the entire table of contents for Thunder-Boy. All of Hyacinth’s chapters were withheld from online postings as were a few others.
Protagonists in Order of Appearance 17
Chapter 1: In the Noose of Time 18
Tavon’s Crew 18
Painted Wolves & Bloody Doves 24
Family 30
Chapter 2: The Medicine Goes Away 35
The Hollow Boy 35
Mother Moon’s Dream-Thief 41
The Secret of the Thunderbirds 47
To Steal Thunder 54
The Plight of Thieves 56
Chapter 3: Mammy Dread 60
Sensei’s Ghost 60
Colder Than Ice 62
Departure 64
Chapter 4: Among Burnt Men 67
A River of Thunder 67
Melted Bead 70
The Prophet of Bean Pies 73
A Man with Three Numbers for a Name 75
Chapter 5: A Dance Too Far 78
Business Time 78
Golf is Not a Sport 81
That Time 82
Chapter 6: Return of WhiteSkyCanoe 89
The Spell-binding of Eddie 89
The Penned-in Wild Place 92
Egret at Dawn 94
Chapter 7: Meadow Hawk 98
Father 98
Joseph 100
Chapter 8: White Ash 103
Coming Down 103
Miss Ann 106
Chapter 9: Gerald Hicks 110
The Return of Squirrel Boy 110
The Transmigration of Gerald Hicks 113
The Plight of Sunset Squirrels 116
The Weeping Giant 119
Chapter 10: Heat 126
The Columbian Kid 126
Bringing the Heat 128
Wilkens and Monroe 130
The Dude that Never Shuts Up 134
Chapter 11: A Medicine-Man of Nearest Sunset 137
A Husband of The Ender’s Daughter 137
Mister Medicine Vest 139
Dancing in the Sky 143
Chapter 12: Mamma Witherspoon 149
Chapter 13: Clouds and Rain 155
Ghost Riders 155
Johnny Hardtack’s Nag 157
Ethereal Hooves 161
Duty 163
Girlsy 168
Chapter 14: Raven 172
Crow Caw 176
Chapter 15: Thunder-Boy! 178
Where Demons Tread 178
The Ender’s Garden 188
The One Tree 191
Chapter 16: Without Time 197
Chapter 17: Return to Mother Earth 200
The Medicine of Holy Robinson 200
Wild Goose Town 204
Medicine-Cloud 206
Power of the Meek 210
The Long War Way 215
Upon the Wounded Land 222
Chapter 18: George 224
Chapter 19: Deep Trouble 229
The Devil’s Dookie 229
The Butcher and the Binder 233
Seamus 240
Chapter 20: That Time 244
Midnight Madness 244
Hitting the Door 248
Hitting the Wall 250
Fire-Storm 252
Chapter 21: The River of Drowning Souls 256
In the End 256
Tears of the Departed 259
The Seat of Repose 262
Chapter 22: The White Sky Canoe 265
Chapter 23: Warpath 270
Human Stew 270
The Sons of Fierce Woman 275
Don Enrique 276
The Hunt 279
The Rundown 282
El Cid 285
Fury 289
Little Lord Shaw 291
Chapter 24: Sender 295
The Vanishing 295
Wounded Knee 301
The Sender 305
Chapter 25: Socks 309
Jay-Bear 309
The Divide 311
Maria 313
Three-Rivers’-Town 314
Eggshell 316
Chapter 26: Corn Town 319
Jesus Christ Superstar 319
Buttercup 322
Chapter 27: Goodbye Brotherman 325
Chapter 28: He-Who-Makes-Rivers 329
Good-River Cousins 329
Three Islands 335
The Six Rivers 336
Falling Waters 338
Shine Down 341
Chapter 29: Jim Silver 347
Chapter 30: The Iron Horde 352
Topknot 352
Terror at Night 359
Death at Dawn 361
Pillage 362
Mister Ted 366
Chink 369
Chapter 31: Thunder over MedicinePole 377
Badassin’ It 377
BITCH 381
Chapter 32: House of the Rising Sun 389
I Dream of You 389
Medicine-men of Nearest Sunset 393
Gathering of the Thunder-Riders 396
Mister Takeda Takahashi 398
Chapter 33: To Catch a Dream 404
Paths Inward 404
The One Place 407
Appendix: The Three-Rivers Sunset Saga Hijacking: The Short Story Draft that Became the Novel Thunderboy 413
Author's Note 413
Context 413
Part 8: A Medicine Man of Nearest Sunset 414
The Rolling Journey House 417
If you would like to finish reading Thunder-Boy, click on the link below for the print listing.
