〃That's right；〃 said Taleswapper。 〃With the first bite； you know。〃
〃What about the second bite？〃
〃With the second bite； you live forever；〃 said Taleswapper。 〃And that isn't a thing you'd better plan on doing； my boy。 Don't ever imagine you can live forever。〃
Alvin woke up that morning with the taste of the fruit still in his mouth。 He had to force himself to believe that it was just a dream。 Ta…Kumsaw was already up。 He had a low fire going； and he had called two fish out of the Licking River。 Now they were spitted with sticks down their mouths。 He handed one to Alvin。
But Alvin didn't want to eat。 If he did； the taste of the fruit would go out of his mouth。 He'd begin to forget； and he wanted to remember。 Oh； he knowed that he'd have to eat sometime a body can get remarkable thin saying no to food all the time。 But today； for now； he didn't want to eat。
Still； he held the spit and watched the trout sizzle。 Ta…Kumsaw talked； telling him about calling fish and other animals when you need to eat。 Asking them to e。 If the land wants you to eat； then they e； or maybe some other animal； it doesn't matter； just so you eat what the land gives you。 Alvin thought about the fish he was roasting。 Didn't the land know he wasn't going to eat this morning？ Or did it send this fish to tell him he ought to eat after all？
Neither one。 Because just at the moment the fish were ready to eat； they heard the crashing and thumping that told them a White man was ing。
Ta…Kumsaw sat very still； but he didn't so much as pull out his knife。 〃If the land brings a White man here； then he isn't my enemy；〃 said Ta…Kumsaw。
In a few seconds； the White man stepped into the clearing。 His hair was white； where he wasn't bald。 He was carrying his hat。 He had a slack…looking pouch over his shoulder； and no weapon at all。 Alvin knew right off what was in that pouch。 A change of clothes； a few snatches of food； and a book。 A third of the book contained single sentences； where folks had written down the most important thing they ever saw happen with their own eyes。 The last two…thirds of the book； though； were sealed with a leather strap。 That was where Taleswapper wrote down his own stories； the ones he believed and thought were important。
Cause that's who it was； Taleswapper； who Alvin never thought to see again in his life。 And suddenly； seeing that old friend； Alvin knew why two fish came at Ta…Kumsaw's call。 〃Taleswapper；〃 Alvin said； 〃I hope you're hungry； cause I got a fish here that I roasted for you。〃
Taleswapper led。 〃I'm right glad to see you； Alvin； and right glad to see that fish。〃
Alvin handed him the spit。 Taleswapper sat him down in the grass； across； the fire from Alvin and Ta…Kumsaw。 〃Thank you kindly； Alvin；〃 said Taleswapper。 He pulled out his knife and neatly began flaking off slices of fish。 They sizzled his lips； but he just licked and smacked and made short work of the trout。 Ta…Kumsaw also ate his； and Alvin watched them both。 Ta…Kumsaw never took his eyes off Taleswapper。
〃This is Taleswapper；〃 Alvin said。 〃He's the man who taught me how to heal。〃
〃I didn't teach you；〃 said Taleswapper。 〃I just gave you some idea how to teach yourself。 And persuaded you that you ought to try。〃 Taleswapper directed his next sentence at Ta…Kumsaw。 〃He was set to let himself die before he'd use his knack to heal himself； can you believe that？〃
〃And this is Ta…Kumsaw；〃 said Alvin。
〃Oh； I knew that the minute I saw you。 Do you know what a legend you are among White people？ You're like Saladin during the Crusade they admire you more than they admire their own leaders； even though they know you're sworn to fight until you've driven the last White man out of America。〃
Ta…Kumsaw said nothing。
〃I've met maybe two dozen children named after you； most of them boys； all of them White。 And stories about you saving White captives from being burned to death； about you bringing food to people you drove out of their homes； so they wouldn't starve。 I even believe some of those stories。〃
Ta…Kumsaw finished his fish and laid the spit in the fire。
〃I also heard a story as I was ing here； about how you captured two Whites from Vigor Church and sent their bloody torn…up clothes to their parents。 How you tortured them to death to show how you meant to destroy every White…man； woman； and child。 How you said the time for being civilized was past； and now you'd use pure terror to drive the White man out of America。〃
For the first time since Taleswapper arrived； Ta…Kumsaw spoke。 〃Did you believe that story？〃
〃Well； I didn't；〃 said Taleswapper。 〃But that's because I already knew the truth。 You see； I got a message from a girl I knew a young lady now； she is。 It was a letter。〃 He took a folded letter from his coat； three sheets of paper covered with writing。 He handed them to Ta…Kumsaw。
Without looking at it； Ta…Kumsaw handed the letter to Alvin。 〃Read it to me；〃 he said。
〃But you can read English；〃 said Alvin。
〃Not here；〃 said Ta…Kumsaw。
Alvin looked at the letter； at all three pages of it； and to his surprise he couldn't read it either。 The letters all looked familiar。 When he studied them out； he could even name them T…H…E…M…A…K…E…R…N…E…E…D…S…Y…O…U； that's how it started； but it made no sense to Al at all； he couldn't even say for sure what language it was in。 〃I can't read it either；〃 he said； and handed it back to Taleswapper。
Taleswapper studied it for a minute； then laughed and put it back into his coat pocket。 〃Well； that's a story for my book。 A place where a man can't read。〃
To Alvin's surprise； Ta…Kumsaw smiled。 〃Even you？〃
〃I know what it says； because I read it before；〃 said Taleswapper。 〃But I can't make out a single word of it today。 Even when I know what the word is supposed to be。 What is this place？〃
〃We're in the Land of Flints；〃 said Alvin。
〃We're in the shadow of Eight…Face Mound；〃 said Ta…Kumsaw。
〃I didn't think a White man could get here；〃 said Taleswapper。
〃Neither did I；〃 said Ta…Kumsaw。 〃But here is a White boy； and there is a White man。〃
〃I dreamed you last night；〃 said Alvin。 〃I dreamed I was on top of Eight…Face Mound； and you were with me； explaining things to me。〃
〃Don't count on it；〃 said Taleswapper。 〃I doubt there's a thing on Eight…Face Mound that I could explain to anybody。〃
〃How did you e here；〃 asked Ta…Kumsaw； 〃if you didn't know you were ing to the Land of Flints？〃
〃She told me to e up the Musky…Ingum； and when I saw a white boulder on the right； I should take the fork that led left。 She said I'd find Alvin Miller Junior sitting with Ta…Kumsaw by a fire； roasting fish。〃
〃Who told you all this？〃 asked Alvin。
〃A woman；〃 said Taleswapper。 〃A torch。 She told me you saw her in a vision； Alvin； inside a crystal tower； not more than a week ago by now。 She was the one who pulled the caul from your face； when you were born。 She's been watching you ever since； in the way a torch sees。 She went inside that tower with you and saw out of your eyes。〃
〃The Prophet said someone was with us；〃 said Alvin。
〃She looked out of his eye； too；〃 said Taleswapper； 〃and she saw all his futures。 The Prophet will die。 Tomorrow morning。 Shot by your own father's gun； Alvin。〃
〃No！〃 cried Alvin。
〃Unless；〃 said Taleswapper。 〃Unless Measure es in time to show your father that he's alive； that Ta…Kumsaw and the Prophet never harmed him； or you either。〃
〃But Measure left days ago！〃
〃That's right； Alvin。 But he got captured by Governor Harrison's men。 Harrison has him； and today； maybe even right now； one of Harrison's men is killing him。 Breaking his bones； breaking his neck。 Tomorrow Harrison will attack Prophetstown with his cannon； killing everybody。 Every soul。 So much blood that the Tippy…Canoe will flow scarlet and the Wobbish will flow red clear to the Hio。〃
Ta…Kumsaw leaped to his feet。 〃I have to go back。 I have to〃
〃You know how far you are；〃 said Taleswapper。 〃You know where your warriors are。 Even if you ran all night and all day； as fast as you Reds can go〃
〃Noon tomorrow；〃 said Ta…Kumsaw。
〃He'll be dead already；〃 said Taleswapper。
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