On the one hand, she’d seensomethingin the garden. On the other hand ... Selena’s mother had believed in spirits and demons and spiritual warfare and all sorts of things that made her incredibly tiring to be around. Whenever Selena had argued with her, her mother would yell, “Satan, get out of my daughter!”
Often very loudly. In public.
Selena really didn’t want to step back into that world, not even for Grandma Billy.
She sipped her coffee. The chicory wasn’t as soothing as real coffee would be, but it was better than nothing. The sky blazed blue. A raven made its rattlebone call from somewhere on the hillside, and another one answered.
“You’re saying it’s a god,” said Selena finally.
“Yep.”
“Like, agod-god.”
“Dunno. Is that different than the usual run of gods?”
“You’re saying gods are real,” said Selena.
Grandma shrugged. “Sounds like a question for Father Aguirre. There’re things out here in the desert, that’s all I know. People, but not human people. And I don’t mean people like Copper here, or my rooster.”
“Are we talking about magic?”
“Sure, why not?”
“Because magic isn’t real!”
Grandma Billy cackled, a really good cackle, the sort you could only manage if you were over sixty or had a well-trained smoker’s cough. “Sure,” she said. She leaned back in the chair so that the front legs left the ground. “Sure, if you say so.”
Selena considered this. She considered various scripts, none of which seemed to apply to anything, and eventually settled on honesty. “This is a completely batshit conversation to be having.”
“Sure,” said Grandma Billy cheerfully. “Have to be a bit touched to live out here, I imagine. I mean, I am, and Amelia sure was.” She paused. Her eyes were old but raven-sharp. “I’m a bit surprisedyousaw him, even with the thin spot. Two old desert women, eh, that’s one thing. Young girl like you, something must’ve banged you pretty hard to knock you half out of the world like that.”
“I’m thirty,” said Selena testily. “I’m notthatyoung.”
“I’m seventy-eight. I’m notthatold. Still.”
Selena recognized a losing proposition and switched tactics. “Whydo you think there are gods wandering around in my garden?”
“Well, there’s only the one just yet,” said Grandma judiciously. “And he’s pretty harmless. Word of warning, though, there’s others who aren’t so nice. If anybody shows up with coyote eyes and tries to get into your pants, slam the door. Some people don’t take ‘Oh,hellno!’ for an answer.”
Selena almost mentioned her dream from early that morning, then just stared into the sky until her eyes started to hurt.
“Anyway, I wouldn’t suggest inviting just anybody in, but if you want to make friends, most spirits around here like a bit of cornmeal.”
“Cornmeal,” Selena said.
“Just not that gray crap I brought you.” Grandma snorted. “Wouldn’t givethatto a god. Tobacco also works.”
“Why tobacco?”
Grandma shrugged. “Dunno, it just does. Do I look like a priest?”
Selena cocked an eye at her. With her vest and skirt and craggy brown face, and enough jewelry to jangle when she walked, Grandma Billy looked like the more bohemian sort of shaman.
“We might do better if more priests looked like you,” she said, and then could have bit her tongue for embarrassment.What kind of thingis that to say out loud? I’m doing it again, oh damn, saying stupid things, I’m so frazzled with this god business ...
Grandma laughed, delighted. “Be a damn sight more interesting services. But don’t let Father Aguirre hear you say that. He’s a good sort, for a priest.” She stretched. “Anyway, just wanted to tell you that I was going into town, if you wanted to come along.”
Selena didn’t actually want to go see other people very much, but it occurred to her that belief in little green gods might be a sign of dementia, and maybe she should talk to someone about it. “Sure,” she said. “I’ll get Copper’s leash.”
