‘Don’t you understand that God didn’t kill any of us?’ Chess asked. ‘Jesus didn’t kill any of us.’
‘But they allowed it to happen, enit?’
‘They didn’t allow it to happen. It just happened. Those soldiers made the choice. The government made the choice. That’s free will, Thomas. We all get to make the choice. But that don’t mean we all choose good.’
‘But there’s so much evil in the world.’
‘That’s why we have to believe in the good. Not every white person wants to kill Indians. You know most any white who joins up with Indians never wants to leave. It’s always been that way. Everybody wants to be an Indian.’
‘That’s true,’ a voice whispered from the back of the van.
‘Who’s that?’ Thomas and Chess asked.
‘It’s me, Betty.’
‘What’s true?’ Chess asked, irritated at the interruption.
‘White people want to be Indians. You all have things we don’t have. You live at peace with the earth. You are so wise.’
‘You never met Lester FallsApart, have you?’ Chess asked. ‘You’ve never spent a few hours in the Powwow Tavern. I’ll show you wise and peaceful.’
‘I’m sorry I said anything,’ Betty said and remained quiet. The other white woman, Veronica, took Betty’s hand, squeezed it, and sent a question along her skin: ‘What are we doing.’
