there were times when Natalynn could still smell the ocean and hear the singing of the whales in her mind even though it was a distant memory

her tribe would be getting ready for the whaling

they had fought long and hard with the government many generations before to have their whaling rights returned to them

it was because of this whaling/government connection that the elders had first been approached about the government's genetic engineering project that was looming on the horizon

many promises had been made by the government

promises of children who wouldn't have diabetes or alcoholism

....and that slowly all the genetic diseases that affected her tribe would be genetically removed

the Makah would prosper in ways never evened imagined by her parents and grandparents

if only that could be

the elders had considered the Makah involvement long and hard, of course the fact that they were blackmailed about their whaling rights had a huge influence on them, when they cooperated and sent a few of their people to the labs for tests and possible genetic alterations none of them knew they had started on a path not realizing it's significance and how earth shattering it would be

but isn't that always the way it is with the "White Man" and the "Red Man"?

three generations later both races were about to find out

and when the joy and amazement subsided all that would be left to consider was

was it a song worth singing

Queenie Shambala's beeper was insistant and she felt like tossing it out the window, but as usual she resisted the impulse . The clinic on the Rez was always busy on Monday busier today than usual

she glanced at the beeper as she turned it off for the umpteenth time " come to ultrasound" the message said "ASAP"

Being a Neonatologist on this Indian Reservation was a very busy job and there are always those days when busy is not particulary welcome

This was one of those days