The Curse of the Tribe: Book One: the Curse Seeks a Family

By Jerry L. Maurer

A twenty-first century adventurer passes through a portal in the time/space continuum and is thrust into the sixteenth century before the coming of the Europeans. He finds himself in the Southwest amongst a tribe of hunter-gatherers on the brink of extinction. They call him “Chee.”

A young girl, born with a deformity, was declared to be a curse. The superstitions of the tribe required that she be cast out to die of exposure, starvation, or under the fangs of some beast, but she somehow survived. This little forest waif’s indomitable spirit and determined courage compel her to seek love, acceptance, and a family.

Chee gathers a group of young people who were willing to fight for survival. There are sisters, whose family was captured or killed. There is also a trio of young men, still in their teens, gradually emerging as skilled hunters and valiant warriors. With Chee’s help, can they bring hope to the tribe and stop the downward spiral to destruction? Can they bring love to the “curse of the tribe” who had despaired of ever finding a family?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Apr 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665704304

Jerry L. Maurer

Jerry Maurer grew up on a hardscrabble farm in the Appalachian Mountains. Born into a family of outdoorsmen, he learned to love hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking. Upon moving his family to Colorado and finishing a Master’s degree, he spent several years working on ranches, leading horse trips, packing gear and guiding youth into the Colorado wilderness.  His studies of the Anasazi and other indigenous cultures and many hours around a campfire gave rise to this historical fiction of life among the hunter/gatherers before the coming of the Europeans.

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Copyright © 2021 Jerry L. Maurer.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by

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Archway Publishing

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of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher,

and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are

models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6657-0431-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-0429-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-0430-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021905294

Archway Publishing rev. date: 04/19/2021

Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

About the Author

Acknowledgments

As is true of most of the accomplishments of life, there are many people whose influence made this book possible. These are only a few of the most recent encouragers and enablers:

To my wife, Diane who endured many hours of my self-imposed isolation; to Becky for encouragement and help; to Dan and Heidi, Dan and Cheri for discussions, ideas, and encouragement; and especially to Cheri for many hours of proof reading, story structure and consistency.

Preface

Stories and depictions of the lives of early native Americans seem to be few and far between. Before the coming of the Europeans, there were no horses, no iron for weapons or common cooking utensils and not even a bronze age.

At the time of Columbus coming to the Americas, the Aztecs, Mayas and Incas had not spread north. The Anasazi had been driven out by drought hundreds of years before and were most likely the ancestors of the pueblo cultures. In most of North America, the indigenous people groups were hunter/ gatherers.

This is a fictional story of the intersection of such a group with a twenty-first century adventurer who was suddenly present with them.

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Chapter 1

I was sharpening my chainsaws on the backyard gazebo, enjoying a warm, late winter day, and looking forward to the coming days when I wanted to be in the woods cutting firewood and getting ready for the next winter. I was down to the last two teeth on the chainsaw when out of the corner of my eye I noticed a wisp of fog, or maybe it was mist, or smoke, catching the rays of the sun shining through the trees. I finished the last two teeth and glanced over at the edge of the yard and the mist was still there, but something didn’t seem right. Smoke rises, fog swirls, mist dissipates but this just sat there. It appeared to be a little thicker and more clearly defined. If it was smoke then there must be something burning at the edge of the bushes. All the plants and trees that line my yard and block the view of the neighborhood, were there to make us feel like we were out in the woods somewhere.

On closer examination there was no fire, no water to form mist or fog and the haze was too thick and well defined. It was an opaque sheet of something about three feet wide and seven feet tall, bluish with no variations of color and no swirls or movement. I walked up to it with caution and carefully stuck my hand in. My hand disappeared! I jerked it back as if I’d stuck my hand in a hornet’s nest. With my hand safely reconnected, I began to examine this phenomenon. This thing, this sheet of something was floating in front of a large stump where we had taken down a huge cottonwood tree. The stump was supposed to be part of a zip line for the grandkids but they outgrew my imagined zip line before I ever got it built.

I picked up a piece of heavy bark and tossed it at the mist. It disappeared without a sound. I stepped around the side and picked up another piece. It hit the stump with a loud thud and tumbled to the ground.

The hazy opening was less than three feet away from me. Facing it, I picked up a heavier piece to hit the stump through what was starting to seem like a passageway. I threw it hard but there was no sound and the large piece of bark just disappeared. This was more than strange. I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise a little.

Around the side of the house was a board pile, so I got an old eight-foot two-by-four, held it by one end and pushed the other end through about four or five feet. I expected the length of board to pass through the mist and run into the stump standing right behind it. It just disappeared!

My mind was on fire with questions. What was it? Where did it go? If something goes through the mist can all of it come back? My hand and five feet of board were still connected to this side.

Several experiments that might bring answers began to percolate in my brain to test various possibilities. The first and most simple was to tape my phone to the end of the board, start a video recording and push it through. I easily moved it through the mist doorway, held it there for half a minute, moving a little to the right and then to the left before carefully bringing it back through.

The images were stunning! The perspective was high above a plain with mountains in the distance, a forest coming down the mountain to meet the plain and a river system coming out of the mountains. Panning left, there were a few aspen type trees that got thicker. The farther left I moved the image, the closer they were to me

This mist was a portal to somewhere!

Three more times I took pictures. First, aiming a little higher; then another slow scan as far to the left and then to the right as I could go. I finally scanned lower to see what was immediately in front of and on each side of this portal if one were to step through.

That produced a quick slap up the side of my head mentally. Okay, you don’t want to step out somewhere and not be able to get back and with no idea where ‘somewhere’ might be! I thought to myself.

I needed help! I needed advice! I wasn’t about to embark on something without input from people I trust. There were too many questions and I knew there were a whole lot more that I hadn’t even thought of yet; then there ought to be a whole lot of experiments and tests which were far beyond my expertise.

Fortunately, I knew a few people with qualifications in computers, photography, science fiction and engineering who would be just as intrigued with this mystery as I was. I went in the house and informed my wife, Dorothy, that I had stumbled upon an emergency and was inviting some of our friends over for help. She was familiar enough with my idiosyncrasies to know she’d have to wait until we all gathered to see what was going on.

I immediately called Cam and Ben. Drop what you are doing and get over here; and bring your wives, it’s a matter of life and death.

Not only were Cam and Ben ideally suited by background and areas of interest to think outside the box, but they had technical experience in various other fields as well. Of course, their wives were equally as stellar being insightful and skilled in art and literature with a matching interest in science fiction as well. They could all evaluate the weird and unusual without freaking out.

Since I am not usually one to be overdramatic, nor would I discuss any detail over the phone, they came right away.

I blurted out, I need help. I could see the start of smirks and mouths opening to make wise cracks. After all, they had known that for years but my demeanor and urgency discouraged the humor.

I have a situation and I really don’t know where to begin. First of all, I need your solemn oath that you will reveal nothing of what I tell you to anyone; even our best friends. I began, probably a little too melodramatically.

I need your thoughts, opinions, help and probably a lot more, and this may be more trouble than you are willing to commit to, I added.

Cam looked concerned. You haven’t committed some crime or done something really awful have you?

Not yet, I replied, but I’ve got a serious situation here that is way beyond my ability to deal with alone.

Ben looked alarmed and sympathetic at the same time. Well, lay it on us and we’ll see how we can help.

I tried to begin. You need to think outside the box. Actually, I don’t even know what the box is. I think I was stammering.

"Think of Stargate SG 1, think of ‘beam me up Scotty’, remember on Star Trek, where they attempted to sling shot the Enterprise around the sun to go back in time to get two whales."

Ben chimed in, there are a lot of movies and shows that are based on time travel. Do you think that you traveled back in time? Why would you think that?

I responded, I haven’t traveled anywhere but I’ve encountered something that I have to explore and I need help. First by bombarding the whole thing with questions and then experimenting with possible answers.

Ben asked again, are we experimenting with the possibility of time travel? What are we experimenting about? What have you encountered?

Cam added, I’m not sure what you mean. Do you want us to help experiment with time travel?

I countered, further confusing the subject, I suppose. My concern is, I don’t have any answers, and I don’t even know what the questions are but the government could come and confiscate my house and experiment for political and military purposes and totally screw things up.

You’re sounding a little paranoid not to mention a little irrational. Cam’s wife Heather observed.

Heather was level headed to a fault and the least likely to go off on speculations and wild theories.

Good, bring me back to reality, I said, I need sound logic, reason but open mindedness to what I am about to show you. Regardless, we go no further without an ironclad, solemn, oath that you will not talk about this with anyone.

Sharon replied, I’ll agree except that if I think you’re going off the deep end I’ll let you know.

Sharon was analytical and usually supportive of whatever someone wanted to experiment with. Any criticism would be based on what she thought was best for another person’s life and circumstances and she had a wealth of experience with people and out of the box creativity.

Ben agreed, if you’re going to blow yourself up or take some crazy potion, I’ll object.

Dorothy, was skeptical of things out of the ordinary and knew science fiction imaginings were not the basis for making actual life decisions.

I think we should be careful that we don’t get obsessed with remote possibilities and go off the deep end before we know what we are doing. She advised.

Very true. That’s why I need lots of insight and evaluation before anyone does anything. I said and exhaled slowly. Come out here and see what I’ve got.

We walked out back and they immediately saw my misty enigma. Their faces morphed from bemusement to skepticism. Ignoring their expressions, I stated matter- of-factly. Here’s the phenomenon, I’ll tell you what I found; you raise every conceivable possibility you can think of to explain it.

It’s not smoke or vapor, fog or mist, I went on. Watch this.

As I had done before, I picked up a chunk of bark and tossed it against the stump. It clunked against it and fell to the ground. I moved around to the front and tossed in an even larger piece. There was no sound and it disappeared entirely through the milky cloud.

My friends were speechless. I continued, here’s what I photographed on the other side. It looks like a typical western mountain and valley scene taken from high on a hill.

I turned to face them and inquired, What is it? And what do I do with it?

Finally, Cam took a deep breath and exclaimed. I suppose there are a lot of possibilities. I’ll start with a rift in the space-time continuum.

Ben warmed to the subject immediately. It could be space or time, space and time, or even a doorway to some other plane or dimension.

Cam’s practical side took over, questioning. Is it natural or alien? How long will it stay? Can something as big as a person go through? If you go through can you come back? If you can come back through could people or animals or aliens come through, maybe even right now?

That gave me a jolt. What if a velociraptor came charging through? A grizzly bear? An alien with a ray gun? We weren’t prepared for anything!

The hypotheticals and observations came in bursts; hackneyed, hilarious and honest-to-goodness. The most far out observations and possibilities were tossed into the mix.

Maybe it opens into another reality, Sharon mused.

Heather was a little more realistic. Are the pieces of bark you toss through still there?

Our photos showed that they were.

Ben cautioned, maybe we could send some test equipment through, like a radon detector or Geiger counter or an oxygen sensor.

Cam added, we could take an extended video and see how long the day is. The chances of any other planet having a 24-hour rotation would be infinitesimal.

We could take remote pictures of the night sky and if we find a southern cross or a Big Dipper at least, we would know what hemisphere we were looking at, I exclaimed.

For a while the conversation turned more philosophical.

Why do anything with it? After a while it will probably go away, Sharon observed.

Heather chimed in, what do you think you should do with it?

This led to a robust round of philosophical, theological and psychological questions and observations.

Why is it drawing you? Sharon asked.

Is this some kind of death wish or escapism? Dorothy added.

Well, I drew a deep breath. I believe there is purpose in life. Therefore, I believe situations, circumstances, significant events, even tragedies have purpose.

Psychologically, we are built to explore. Heather observed

Sharon chimed in, Peace Corps volunteers give a portion of their lives in the face of danger and deprivation because it gives them purpose and adventure.

On the theological side, is it simply a conviction that this is God’s calling? I added with what was a growing conviction.

Dorothy observed, "like the missionaries who went to the Auca Indians (the Huaorani) in Ecuador and were martyred. I know they believed they were fulfilling God’s purpose, even unto death," she added.

Well, I don’t have a death wish but I do have a strong impulse to pursue the possibility that this portal is here for purpose and I am part of that purpose, I concluded.

Cam observed, if you really believe there is a purpose for you here, you probably have to go. Then added somewhat jokingly, "at least you aren’t like Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader where you suddenly just find yourself somewhere else.

I’m all in! Exclaimed Cam, we can explore, experiment and plan for all the possibilities we can think of.

Keep in mind one extreme possibility, Heather said seriously, that you go through and the portal disappears and you don’t come back.

That’s possible, I responded, but it’s not a lot different than the soldiers, Peace Corps volunteers or missionaries who give their lives for higher purposes.

Well let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, Sharon said trying to lighten the mood.

"It might be like the movie The Martian who had no choice but