Read Online Gabriel's Stand by Jay B. Gaskill - Free Book Online Page A

fundraising. They talk about the earth as a living being named Gaia. The idea has its good points.”
    â€œI thought you might say that.”
    â€œWe have always seen the Great Spirit in the world, in every part. Many of the Gaia worshipers talk about respect for the world, the land, the animals, about the deep interconnections. Of course they are right about that…as far as it goes.”
    â€œCan you tell me more?”
    â€œAs you suspected, this is becoming a huge movement among certain groups. I wish…” Fred paused, searching for the words. “I wish it didn’t worry me so much. I think there is something very dangerous at the core of this.” Walking Wolf stared at him intensely, as if he might have already entertained the same suspicion. “Of course, they would very much like the public support of Native Americans.”
    The Chief nodded knowingly. “No doubt. Did anyone talk to you?”
    â€œNot much. I noticed a couple of women—one from Germany I think. They were working the room. One of them—her name was Berker—thanked me for coming. She did it as if she already knew me and in a voice that the others could hear. Then she paid close attention to the rich ones.” Walking Wolf smiled slightly at that. He’d been there many times before. “They were fundraising for something called the Gaia Network. They also called it the G-A-N. Don’t know what the ‘A’ stands for. The white eyes are fond of using letters where words would do.” The phrase, “white eyes” was a running joke among the Indians who were enjoying the current old western movie fad. Walking Wolf smiled again as Fred continued. “There was a talk about humanity as an ecotumor, and a planetary malignancy.”
    â€œWhat was that about?”
    â€œI think they meant it almost literally—that we human beings are a tumor, a cancer on the world, an infection in Gaia.”
    â€œ We are?”
    â€œYes. We are the malignancy.’”
    â€œA cancer?” Chief Walking Wolf chuckled. “Oh boy.” He laughed again; then he took a long puff from the pipe. “This is interesting. You have a good ear, Loud Owl. I chose well.” He handed Loud Owl the pipe. As the Navajo took a puff, the Chief looked at High Tree, then back at Loud Owl. “And how did the rest of them take to these crazy terms?”
    Fred blew a tendril of smoke that curled and rose in the tent in a shadowy helix. “They loved the idea. Large checks were written.”
    â€œFools and their money. So what does all this mean?”
    â€œFor us? You were right to be cautious. When they call for your support, they will probably take a ‘yes’ for granted. So I advise to keep your distance.”
    â€œI should not ride this horse?” The Chief was still amused.
    â€œNot this one. I thought about this while I drove back. The idea of people as a malignancy is very dangerous. What do physicians do with a cancer? They don’t talk to a cancer. They don’t try to get it to change.”
    The Chief grew more serious. “They just cut it out. They kill it. So what kind of people were these two women, the ones who were collecting the money?”
    â€œThe younger one seemed to be the leader. Her name tag said ‘L. Berker, Opinion Research Associates.’ She asked for my card.”
    Both High Tree and Walking Wolf laughed. The idea that Fred Loud Owl carried a card was immensely funny. “I looked into her eyes…” Loud Owl paused, his expression suddenly grave. “She smiled at me, but not with her eyes.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œHers were the eyes of a dead person.” A chill descended. There was a long silence. Fred Loud Owl handed the pipe to High Tree.
    â€œWhy do so many of the white people always seem have this side to them?” High Tree asked.
    â€œMany of the white eyes become unbalanced