Nathaniel Smiley

By Chris James

Chapter 6

The drive back to the Qualla was silent for the first hour, each of them alone with their thoughts. Ted could not believe the wealth of information they had gathered from Marshall and he could only agree with Nate... the man was special.

In a spiritual sense it seemed right that Marshall saw himself as the gatekeeper for the Tsalagi ancestors, the Cherokee should be thankful for his mission in life. Ted knew that many would consider the man crazy for talking about ghosts, but he believed in Marshall's thinking. The image he'd seen in the viewfinder was powerful; they had to include that in the final product.

Just what they were going to do with this material had been on his mind since the beginning. And now that they had all this wonderful footage Ted knew that they didn't have sufficient knowledge or experience to compose a final product. They would need help, and he thought maybe they could talk to his father about some of the faculty at the university.

Nate was lost in so many thoughts he couldn't focus on just one. The visit with Marshall had been stunning and filled with revelations about his people and himself. The gay aspect of the man's life felt welcoming, and yet he'd discovered that was not why they had become so close. It was the spiritual feelings that had developed between them that made him feel so good.

For like him, Marshall had seen the project as a spiritual journey of discovery. And Ted, he was proud of the boy he loved. They had gone into this together and Ted was embracing it all with an open mind, Nate was so very proud. But Marshall had dug up old thoughts as well, what would happen when school started?

Nate knew he could not bear to be away from Ted even for a few days at a time, there had to be a solution. The project had limitations and they would soon have to face them. All this raw footage needed to be melded together into something and he had no idea where to begin... he hoped Ted had some ideas.

"So you've seen this Travers family before?" Ted finally asked.

"Yeah, they dance at the summer gathering every year. Even their kids dance... oh, you've got to see them. It's really a big family effort and I'm sure we could get them to show us some..."

"Nate... my head is full, Marshall still controls my thoughts," Ted said.

"Me too."

"I've never met anyone like him. But he made me realize how important this project is... we need help."

Nate laughed. "I'm so glad to hear you say that... I couldn't agree more, but where will we find it?"

"I want to ask my dad, he knows guys in the anthropology department and the film school at the university," Ted said.

"Yeah... that would help. Would you be mad if I said we ought to skip the Travers family for the moment and head back to Boone for a few days?"

"No... that would be fine," Ted replied. "I could talk to my dad. Is everything OK with you?"

"No... not really," Nate said. "I keep thinking that when this is all over you'll leave."

"We'll think of something," Ted said. "I'm not leaving you."

"You have school to finish; your dad won't allow you to stay."

"I'm seventeen; I could drop out or finish up with an equivalency exam... "

"No... that's not the answer, you'll screw up your chances of getting in college," Nate said. "We'll have to think of something else."

"OK, we'll think about it in Boone, we ought to be there by dark," Ted said.

He focused on driving; only stopping for gas in Asheville. It was six-thirty when they turned into the campground and stopped at the house. Bill was on the front porch and stood up to greet them.

"Hey, boys... what brings you home?"

Nate got out and Bill patted him on the back, smiling into the Jeep at Ted.

"Everything's fine," Nate said. "We came back to drop off what we have so far and talk about where we're going."

"Good... good, did you get some dinner?"

"Not yet, anything left?" Nate asked.

"I'm sure we can find something, you going to join us, Ted?"

"Sure, let me go check in with the folks first and I'll be right back," Ted replied.

Nate carried his pack and duffel bag into the house and Bill followed along. Aunt Joan was in front of the evening news and she accepted the kiss Nate gave her.

"You go take your things up to your room and I'll make you boys some food," She said, heading for the kitchen.

Nate dropped everything off in his room, and then stopped in the doorway. There was enough room here for Ted to stay, they could add another bed. But Ted had his own room at home; maybe he would want his own space. They could do that too, there were three other rooms up here, his aunt and uncle slept downstairs.

How could he explain to them what he wanted? They wouldn't understand a gay relationship and they would insist he was too young for such a thing. And then there were Ted's parents to consider, this was a real mess.

He heard Ted come through the door downstairs and talk to Bill. Maybe if they showed off some of the raw footage, at least their project would have some credibility. Somehow this project had to become the excuse for keeping them together past the school deadline. They had almost two months to figure it out.

His Aunt Joan had laid out quite a spread, fried chicken and the works. Ted and Nate sat down to eat and Bill joined them with a cup of coffee. It gave them a chance to explain what they had so far and the need they both felt for some professional help.

"I asked my dad if he knew anyone in the film school at the university and he gave me a name, Evan Stevens... said that's who we ought to call," Ted said.

"And what do we tell him?" Nate asked.

"Explain the project, tell him we have a lot of raw footage and don't know how to arrange it I guess."

"You think he'll listen to us?" Nate asked.

"Dad said he will and he told me to look the guy up online first."

"OK, right after dinner."

Bill's computer was a little slow, but after they'd tracked the film school's website down they understood. The site was loaded with links to film trailers produced by the students of the school. Evan Stevens wasn't just a faculty member; he was the head of the film school.

Ted rolled his eyes. "Figures my dad would know all the big wigs, but they also have to be the busiest guys there, he won't have time for us."

"No... look at this list of things he's produced. Wow, they're all history related. The Renaissance... The American Revolution... The Pilgrims. But he has nothing on Native Americans... maybe he will talk to us."

"I guess we could ask, should I send him an e-mail?" Ted asked.

"Yes, your name will get us through the door, then we'll dazzle him with our brilliant film work," Nate said.

Ted grinned. "You could sell shoes to an elephant... OK, let's do it."

The e-mail was brief and right to the point. Professor John Lawson had given them Professor Evan Stevens' name and these two high school students were in the midst of recording something called the Cherokee Legacy Project. A brief description of the work so far and the request that they needed help in assembling the final work. Could he direct them to someone? And then it was signed Ted Lawson and Nathaniel Smiling Sky.

It was decided they would assemble both families for the viewing and invite JT over as well. Bill agreed it was a good idea and thought a picnic dinner was called for, especially since Ted's parents would leave in four days. They set the viewing time for two days hence which would give the boys a chance to set up something appropriate.

JT had a huge flat screen television and he offered to bring it over if they would help him move it. The boys spent hours the following day downloading the digital information off the memory cards and editing out some dead time. It would run just as one event after another in chronological order.

Nate was pleased to see the quality Ted had produced. The expensive camera and all its automatic features had helped, but the final decisions had all been made by Ted. Nate skipped ahead to the scene with Marshall at the fire in the spirit circle and they watched it unfold.

Ted had allowed the smoke from the fire to drift across the man's features, making him look ancient and wise as he tended the fire. The image was timeless; it could have been made a century ago. But Marshall's story about the ghosts was haunting and when he sang his prayer to the Creator it gave Nate a shiver.

"Damn... that's beautiful," Nate said. "I want more of him."

"I think this gathering will give us a great opportunity to fill in any gaps. Why don't they call it a Pow Wow?"

Nate laughed. "They do, that's the official name, the July Pow Wow, but any time the Cherokee come together it's a gathering."

"I imagine the Travers family is getting ready about now," Ted said.

"We have two weeks before the gathering... the Pow Wow, we need to see them next week or sooner. I wouldn't want to disturb their work just before they have to give all those big performances. But by now all their equipment and costumes are ready," Nate said.

"I think we should film this like an interview, get the background stuff, and the costumes. Then maybe a little bit of rehearsal and wait for the performances until they're at the Pow Wow with a big audience, they'll be at their best there."

Ted nodded. "You got it, and I hope you plan on narrating the interviews because I'm staying behind the camera."

"I think we need a second camera too, just to be on the safe side," Nate said. "I can run that here and there, get a different perspective."

"OK, you just rose to the austere level of producer in the credits." Then Ted laughed. "Little Bear Productions presents... "

"I was thinking more along the line of Smiling Sky-Lawson Productions," Nate said.

"That works too."

Friday evening arrived and the Lawson's came over a little early for the picnic. Mr. Lawson sat on the porch with Bill and they talked for a while until JT arrived. Nate and Ted had rearranged the living room with JT's big screen at one end attached to the DVD player. They had two disks burned, almost three hours of viewing material, if anyone could last that long.

Bill was grilling chicken with Mr. Lawson's help when a blue car pulled in the entrance. Nate heard the crunch of gravel and looked out the window.

"Wonder who that is?"

The car parked and Mr. Lawson walked over and shook hands with the young man who got out, and they slowly walked back to the porch. OK, curiosity got the best of him and Nate headed for the door with Ted right behind. Bill was shaking hands with the guy when they stepped outside.

Mr. Lawson gestured their way with a smile. "There you are. Ted... Nate... this is Evan Stevens from the film school at the university."

"Oh... cool," Nate said, Ted was speechless as they shook hands.

"I received your e-mail and called John; sorry I didn't respond right away. But what you had to say intrigued me, and John only confirmed what I thought, you have unique access to the information these people can provide. And when he told me you were going to show the footage... well, I just had to see it."

"Tea or beer," Bill asked, getting right to the point.

"Tea would be fine, something smells good," Evan said.

"Chicken with my special recipe sauce," Bill said. "Go on, sit down and talk to the boys."

Ted and Nate took a seat on the porch and watched Evan choose a chair. The man wasn't what they'd pictured; he couldn't be over thirty years of age. Ted's father sat across from them with an amused glint in his eye and JT sat on the porch steps to observe.

"I'm sorry, but I had to check your story out first," Evan said.

"That's fine, Mr. Stevens... but we didn't expect you to drive all the way out here," Ted said.

"Ted... you boys call me Evan, I always maintain a first name basis with my students. The work is hard enough without putting up artificial barriers; formality is a waste of time. So where did this idea come from?"

"Nate had the idea... he wanted to get in touch with his past," Ted said.

Evan looked at Nate. "I'm sure it's difficult for a young Cherokee to seek the truth about his ancestry. John says you've just begun, what have you got so far?"

"About four hours of storytelling, dance and costume making. But then we have some interesting spiritual material, a ceremony," Nate said.

"And what do you have planned?"

"The July Pow Wow is coming up and I want to get a lot more of the dancing there. But we have the chance to talk to the dancers in a few days and get the background stuff before they perform."

"So what kind of help are you asking for?" Evan asked.

Ted noticed the guy was all business; he was going straight for the core of their project needs.

"I'm doing all the camera work and that's limiting us to only one viewpoint," Ted said. "We'd like to use a second camera, and then ask for help in assembling the final product."

Evan nodded. "A second camera I can handle and the editing too. But I need to see your raw material, and John said you were going to show it tonight, that's why I'm here."

Nate smiled. "You always drive over when a couple of high school boys send you mail?"

Evan laughed. "No, but what you had to say intrigued me. I'm a history buff, but I've never had access to the Native American viewpoint before. Imagine living here surrounded by Cherokee history and not being able to look into it, you guys are a godsend."

"We want this material to be an educational look at the Cherokee. The good thing is that we have a lot of support from within the community, and because of that the people are talking to us," Nate said.

"That's important, what makes them so open?" Evan asked.

Nate got up and walked in the house, returning a few minutes later with the long box. "This has opened all doors," He said.

Evan looked in with curiosity as Nate opened the box to display the pipe. "A peace pipe?" He asked.

Nate smiled. "You watch too many movies; peace pipe is a Hollywood invention. This is a sacred object, and this one is probably hundreds of years old."

Evan leaned in and studied it closely. "You use this in the film?"

"Yes, there's a scene where it's passed around the family circle from hand to hand until everyone touched it. You can see the genuine emotions on their faces, it's like they were in the presence of the Creator."

"That moment brought the Ross family together like I've never seen them before," JT added.

"Excellent, I can't wait to see this," Evan said.

Nate closed the box. "Not until we give Bill our undivided attention and eat his chicken or I'll never hear the end of it."

They ate while Evan explained his background and why he'd become attracted to teaching film. His first student project had been about the Pilgrims, a look at his own past since the family had a long history in New England.

"My grandmother used to tell us stories when I was a kid, all about our seafaring relatives. My father was a banker so you can imagine how incredibly fascinating the lives of sea captains could be. I carried that seed of interest in my head for years, but I get seasick pretty easily so that kept me off the ocean.

"I've always been a movie buff so taking an education in film seemed like a good career move, I like teaching. John and I did some educational film work a few years back, not that I know anything about biology. But he's been supportive of the film school's work and that counts a lot come budget time. Do either of you want a career in film?"

Ted looked at Nate. "I don't think we've even considered what might happen beyond this project. I've learned a lot about the Cherokee, and just enough to know I haven't scratched the surface of what's out there."

"He's a diplomat," Nate said. "His approach to my people has been full of interest and understanding, something they catch on to right away. Granny Huhu opened right up to Ted, her Seyodowa as she calls him."

Ted looked at his father. "It means Theodore, pretty cool, huh?"

John smiled. "Yes, it is. And who is this spiritual person you spoke of before?"

"Marshall, I suppose you could think of him as a shaman," Ted said.

"Marshall Lewis," Bill said. "He's a bit of an eccentric to The People; he has some strange views of our history."

"But many of us understand his views, I think he's one of the most dedicated shamans in the Qualla," JT said.

"I think he's closer to the truth than most people realize, and we only spent two days with him," Nate said. "I think he's the perfect person to be our narrator once we get around to bringing the whole project together."

"Why is that?" Evan asked.

"He's one of the most charismatic people I've ever met," Nate said. "You'll see."

And finally they sat down in the living room with coffee and rolled the footage. Evan sat back, unsure what he was about to see, but he had an open mind as Gran Huhu filled the screen. The setting was warm and she came off as the voice of the ages in her first words.

Evan had seen many novice efforts over the years, and sometimes the student had the right touch... he was looking at some very fine work here. It was obvious Ted had held the camera in his lap to be unobtrusive, but it was a steady shot nevertheless.

The dancing was good, the kids priceless, and then they got to Marshall. Evan had seen antique clothing at the Smithsonian, but even they would be jealous of what this man had in his collection. As Nate had said, Marshall spoke eloquently about his work and the educational value of the content was high, then everything changed.

The filming out in the woods by the small fire was just stunning. The images were so well matched to the content Evan knew this sequence would survive intact. Marshall's dress, his very demeanor gave him the solemn appearance of a shaman.

The story he told was filled with emotion. The very idea that the dead would seek a return to their homeland was compelling, and then the man sang. A haunting theme that only punctuated what he had said. And it was that very moment that Evan knew he was personally going to be in on this project, the boys had latched on to something grand and he had to be a part of it.

The DVD ended and Nate sat back to hear what everyone had to say. Ted turned the lights back up and resumed his seat.

"That was outstanding," Bill said. "I might just be wrong about Marshall."

JT smiled. "He has that effect on people."

"Well I think you boys did a fine job, both in the material you filmed and the presentation," John said.

"It's far from over, Dad... I think it's pretty rough as it stands," Ted said.

Nate looked at Evan and the man smiled back. "It's your opinion I want to hear," He said.

Evan nodded. "I could lay out the superlatives, but I think the material speaks for itself. You have an eye for capturing images, and I mean the both of you. I've seen a lot of home movies from my students, and this isn't one of them. Given the right equipment and some editing this could become a major piece of art. But I don't want to swell your heads; you have a lot of work ahead of you."

Ted grinned. "Thank you, that's encouraging. I was hoping you could give us some pointers... "

"I will as we move on," Evan said.

"Move on?" Nate asked.

Evan smiled. "OK, you have me hooked, I want in on your project."

"You? I thought maybe you'd lend us a student in your school for some help," Ted said.

"And miss out on all the fun? If you'll have me I want to be a part of what you're doing and I know that has limitations. I don't want to interfere with the image you've developed and I certainly don't want you to feel like you have to defer to anything I say, this is your project."

"Are you serious?" John asked.

"I'm bored... there hasn't been a decent academic project come along in years. I can take a sabbatical... vacation time, whatever the university wants. But these boys have latched on to something important here, I'd like to watch it develop," Evan said.

"How long do you think all this is going to take?" Bill asked.

Evan looked around the room and nodded at Nate. "They will determine that. I can see they have a lot more filming to do, and then the edits and post production work... maybe a year or so."

"A year... why so long" John asked.

"I think the boys have to put all this work in perspective, they have a small piece of it now. I understand their objectives; this is to become an educational film. But when I did my first film about the Pilgrims it was little more than landing on Plymouth Rock. My mentor shook his head at me and said I only had a piece of history, I was missing the rest.

"He was right. What we have here only asks for further definition, and Marshall opened up that line of questions. The Trail of Tears is probably the only well known event in Cherokee history, we're missing the rest. The very definition of an educational documentary is to answer questions not leave them open for interpretation.

"But this is a good beginning, it gives you a cast of characters and I think you need to follow through with them. The stories and dances will give the film a lively look, but the audience will be left wondering what's behind the images... and that's what you need to explain."

"A year, but we have school," Nate said.

"Home school if you must," Evan said, "but I have a Master's in Education; I'm qualified by the state to teach you. And look at the bright side; I'm sure we can get you some college credits out of this as well."

Ted looked at his father and saw shock on his face. "You're serious about this?" John said.

"I know several producers in the independent film business, this could lead to something great," Evan said.

"School would have to come first," John said.

"Take your pick of curriculums. Anthropology, History, Film... this has it all. If I can get the year off we could live here and be close to the subject matter. The boys would just have to be willing to take on the hard work."

"If you can do it then I agree," John said. "What about you, Bill?"

"Me? If I don't agree Nathaniel will make my life miserable. I had no idea he could learn so much with this thing, but I'm for it too."

"I'll talk to the dean on Monday," Evan said.

Evan was going to spend the night in the camper with the Lawson's so Nate offered to put Ted up for the evening. Bill agreed, knowing full well the boys would get little sleep tonight, their excitement was barely contained.

JT took off, promising to be back in the morning for his television, and John led Evan down to the camper. Joan and the boys went about straightening up the house and then she and Bill retired for the night.

Out on the porch Nate sat down on the wicker couch with a sigh, and Ted sat close beside him in the dark. Bill had left a single lamp on in the front room, the soft glow filtering through the curtains in the window behind them.

"Did you ever imagine it would turn out like this?" Nate asked.

"How could I... my sneaky father, bless his heart," Ted replied.

"Yeah, that was so cool, and so is Evan."

"So how is this going to work, we just took on a chaperone," Ted said.

"That's the first thing that came to mind. He isn't married, you don't suppose... "

"No way, there aren't that many gay people in the world," Nate said.

"He's going to find out about us, you know that don't you?"

"Then we'll choose the time and tell him, that way we get to tell our side first," Nate said.

"Good idea. This is so damn great, I want to scream," Ted laughed.

"A year... what did we miss?"

"He's right you know, we're filming the punch line without even telling the whole story. I never considered we ought to make an outline of what we need to accomplish."

"Ted, this was a project made up so we could stay together. Neither of us saw this coming. How could we know what we were going to film would become so interesting to someone like Evan. An independent film... wow."

"I don't get it either. So far we've lucked out with just a simple camera."

"I think that's about to change, the question is should we go that way?" Nate asked.

"I don't think Evan wants to bring in a film crew with dozens of people," Ted said. "I'm not sure we'd be welcomed under those circumstances."

"We wouldn't, people wouldn't act normally. If he wants to bring another camera along and run it then I agree, especially at the Pow Wow. But what we did with the Ross family and Marshall wouldn't have worked if he was there."

Ted slid over and took Nate's hand. "We need to make this work, look at the possibilities. I don't know about you but I pretty much teach myself at school. Evan would make a great teacher. And think of it, we would have access to his knowledge of the film industry. I never thought about making this a career, but I'd like to consider it now."

Nate slid a hand up to Ted's cheek and then leaned over to kiss him. Ted leaned into the kiss and pushed Nate back against the cushions. It was a moment of great passion because of the place and the events of the evening. Ted couldn't resist, he unsnapped the waistband of Nate's shorts and slid his hand inside.

Nate lay there as Ted performed, thrilling him to a quick and wonderful orgasm. They lay there in the bliss of a shared moment, and Nate knew Ted had felt the need to express his love. They were launching a new phase of their relationship, and sometimes a stolen moment would be all they had. Yes, he agreed... they would have to tell Evan.

Nate's bed was small for the two of them, but they made it work. And although it was hard they managed to fall asleep. Nate knew Marshall was right; the Creator had blessed them both. It was his final thought that night as he lay in the arms of the one he loved so much.

Nate was awake at the crack of dawn, and he dragged a sleepy Ted down to the washhouse. The warm water seemed to revive the boy so Nate returned the favor Ted had given him on the couch the night before. There was something completely thrilling about being on his knees in front of Ted and listening to him groan.

Nate made coffee as Ted stirred the waffle batter and then they both started as there was a light knock on the door. Nate went to open it and found Evan standing on the threshold.

"Somehow I knew you were an early riser," Evan said. "On my way back and I know you must have a million questions by now."

Nate smiled. "Yeah, we do. But you have to get the time off from work first, don't you?"

Evan shook his head. "That won't be an issue; I've been up for a sabbatical the last three years running. I think the dean will be happy to give me the time."

"Oh... that's great. Come on... let me get you some breakfast."

"You cook too? Now I know I'm going to like this," Evan said.

Bill wandered in an hour later to find them deep in discussion about the project. He wisely chose to grab his coffee and head for the front porch.

"So you think we need this storyboard concept to make the flow of the film work," Ted said.

"It's never that strict. There's no script to what you're doing, it's pretty free form. But there does need to be an idea of what you need to capture if we're going to edit this into something cohesive later on," Evan explained.

"I can see we're going to end up backtracking on some things," Nate said.

"Yes, especially if we want to use Marshall's images and the story of the dead. But some of it can be told with images, we can't recreate the Trail of Tears with actors because that's too cumbersome."

"Joseph has a whole gallery of photos on display, and I bet a bunch more in his files," Ted said.

"Good thinking," Evan said. "Using Marshall as the narrator over something like that will have great impact. I wonder just how willing he'll be to get that involved."

"If we get to tell the real story then I think he'll be in all the way," Nate said. "Will he have to come into a studio? I'm not sure he wants to leave his house for any amount of time."

"I can digitally record his voice anywhere with the equipment I have, the editing work will just involve the three of us," Evan said. "So tell me what we're going to need at this Pow Wow event."

Evan agreed to the additional cameras, and since he liked the images Ted had produced so far he would take his cues from the boy. They had to get in a visit to the Travers family and Evan was invited along. He promised to be back on Wednesday and they would tackle the details then.

Nate wasn't at all surprised when Evan gave them both a hug before he left. The man was so happy to be involved, he didn't think of it as a gay thing. Thirty and unmarried didn't always equal gay, times had changed. Evan was very involved in his work; maybe he didn't have the time to get involved in anything serious. Ted had agreed, but they would find out.

They finally sat down with Bill and Joan to discuss accommodations. The upstairs in this old house was large enough for three. It was agreed that Ted would bunk in with Nate giving Evan his own room. That left them the back room which was the largest of the three for their workroom.

The boys spent time arranging things until Evan called to say the dean had agreed and asking what he might bring them besides the portable production equipment. Nate mentioned the bedroom and suggested all he might need were clothes. Then Evan asked Nate if he had a bank account.

"Well, yeah I do... a savings account," Nate replied.

"Good, that gives us someplace to put the check," Evan said.

"What check?"

"The school has a fund for independent film projects. It's only twenty-five thousand but I thought it might come in handy so we don't have to eat all your uncle's food for free. We can use it to pay for production costs wherever we go."

Nate almost fainted, that was a lot of money. He handed the phone to Ted with a grin.

"Hi, Evan... what did you tell Nate that almost made him pass out?"

Evan laughed. "I told him we had a budget of twenty-five grand for production costs, that's all."

"Well he looks shell shocked at the moment, good going," Ted said.

"I'll be there Wednesday as promised, see ya," Evan said, and he hung up.

"Jeez, that's a lot of money," Ted said.

"To us, but big budget films get into the millions," Nate said.

"I'll count on that for our next film," Ted laughed.

Nate called Denise with the news that they would now need two hotel rooms and could become paying customers. They argued for a while about that and reached a compromise. Ted and Nate could stay free, Evan would pay full price. Nate booked two rooms for Thursday and on through the weekend.

The Lawson's camper was all packed up and it was time for Ted's parents to drive home. John and his wife stopped off to say their farewells to Bill and Joan, new friends because of the boys. Ted had spent an hour with his father discussing the personal money situation and talking about trust once again.

John was going to talk to the Forsyth County school board about their home school program starting in the fall. Ted was to come home before the end of August and assemble his educational materials; Nate was welcome to visit as well.

It really hit both father and son during that conversation what a life changing experience this was going to be. But John knew Ted had grown up fast; it was time to test him against the world. No parent wants to see a child leave the nest, but Ted had to go for it, success was just over the horizon. It was a father's duty to help his son succeed.

Wednesday arrived and Evan drove up just before lunchtime. They moved him into his room and then drove into town. The check from the endowment fund was made out to Nathaniel Smiley and the bank manager seemed glad to see them once he saw it. Nate had Ted drive them through the Cook-Out and they took their lunch up to Tucker's Nob.

Evan was impressed with the view and fascinated by the mounds. "I took a tour of Ireland when I was in college. The Celts built these huge burial mounds there and in several other countries, but you say these aren't burial mounds?"

"Not here, most of these were sites for ancient townhouses, meeting places... but someone might have been buried in them. There's a whole set of instructions for building one of these because the fire they held was considered sacred. Joseph has a copy in the museum somewhere.

"I do know there are ancient burial mounds in Kituhwa over on the other side of Cherokee. They're all over the country for that matter. But those cultures predated the Cherokee in what they call the Woodlands Period. Our ancestors have been around for over ten thousand years, that's a long time to keep any kind of records. The syllabary has only been in existence for two hundred years, writing didn't exist among my people before that."

Evan turned to Ted with a grin. "You know this guy is just full of knowledge I want to know, how cool is that?"

Ted laughed. "Pretty damn cool, he got me started."

Evan closed his eyes and spread his hands. "Imagine the opening of the film like this. The Cherokee have lived on these lands for thousands of years. The forest primeval gave them the perfect place to embrace nature. They became hunters and gatherers until they slowly began to farm the land. It was a different world back then and they had to make their own rules to live in it."

Nate applauded. "Exactly, that's the way it was. I think it's wrong to start off at the point the white man arrived and things began to change. Centuries ago the native population was either hard at work or warring with one another. In order for the culture to survive there was conflict over hunting rights and a host of other issues. It wasn't just tribes against one another; there were internal clan battles as well. I think that's why the Cherokee evolved into a matriarchal society."

"You once said the men hunted and the women did everything else," Ted said.

"JT said it best," Nate said. "If the men were off hunting for days at a time the women had to run things. They kept the family going, the crops tended and the spiritual life of the clan was left in their hands. They evolved the rules that guided clan living. Men were allowed to be chief but they knew their mommas ran things."

"So we ought to give time to the evolution of the Cherokee family, that would tie in Gran Huhu and the Ross family," Ted said.

"Yes," Evan said. "To make a successful film like this you have to see it from the point of view of the audience. Maybe they know something about the subject so you don't want to talk down to them with useless information. At the same time if you present things in an informative way and help them see the subject from a new angle they'll be thrilled."

"I'm thrilled by everything I've learned," Ted said.

"And it's that focus I see in your film work. When you have a vision to follow it always shows in the way you film a subject. So, you guys sleep in tents?"

Nate laughed. "Not this weekend, we get the Denise treatment."

That required some explanation and Evan was amused, until Nate told him about the pool incident. He now appraised Ted in a different light.

"Martial arts, no wonder you have such a steady camera hand," Evan said. "But I'll show you some new tricks and we can look at the equipment tonight. I want you both to understand that what I teach is a discipline, film work takes extreme patience. But that doesn't mean we won't have fun."

"Does that mean there won't be any homework when school starts?" Ted asked.

"No, but there will be plenty of time to do it. The best education comes from doing things, that's the way I teach. You'll do the book work but I plan to expose you to a whole lot more about real life. The interesting thing is I will probably learn just as much as you do, this is all so new to me."

"The film school was dragging you down, wasn't it?" Nate asked.

"Yes, I've been looking for something else. Educating people is a fine career, but without new stimulation it gets old very fast. I was living off the energy of my students, they're the only reason I kept going. I haven't had a personal life in years, now maybe I will."

"You never married?" Ted asked.

"Thought about it, almost did... but it wouldn't have been fair to her," Evan said. "What about you boys, any ladies involved?"

Ted looked at Nate who shrugged. "Nate is my boyfriend," Ted said.

Evan nodded and then smiled. "I know a lot of gay students, some of them I consider friends. So many of them have a unique artistic flair, and maybe that explains where yours comes from. It won't ever come between us if that's what you worry about." And then he laughed. "No wonder you kicked ass at that swimming pool."

Ted smiled. "Yeah, that's why."

"Good, that's a sign of commitment. So now I itch, have we been walking through poison ivy all afternoon?"

Nate laughed. "Am I the only one who knows what it looks like? No, we didn't walk through poison ivy, I would have said something. We'll go back and shower, I have some soap for you that will take care of it."

Nate gave Evan the bar of soap and told him how to use it, then left him standing in the washroom alone. The man's reaction to Ted's announcement had been neutral; at least that was a good thing. He was sure Evan wouldn't mention it again unless asked for an opinion, but then they didn't plan on displaying anything openly to be talked about.

While Evan went about his unpacking, Ted and Nate adjourned for their own shower before dinner. Nate thought there was something that bordered on spiritual about standing under flowing hot water with the one he loved. At least they would have their own hotel room for the weekend.

He would have to talk to Denise about the Pow Wow; usually every room in every hotel was booked up solid. Many Cherokee came from Oklahoma and drove their own campers or tented. Maybe it wouldn't matter, Nate was all for camping out the three nights and being close to the action around the campfires.

There would be a lot more than dancing and crafts. At night the elders always held long sessions of storytelling and conversation in the Cherokee language. Marshall would probably be invaluable in helping them translate accurately. There were parts of the film where Nate wanted to leave the language intact and have Marshall dub over the words in English. He'd seen how that worked in other films; it conveyed a sense of authenticity to the scenes.

There was so much they didn't know about making a film, but Evan would show them. Now all Nate felt he had to do was make sure Evan was accepted by the community because this time they didn't have JT to pave the way. Fortunately they still had the pipe and when the truth was told he could name Evan as their teacher, the Cherokee respected education.

After a hearty dinner, his Aunt Joan having laid out an incredibly fine meal, they adjourned to the room upstairs. Evan had several trunks loaded with equipment and they began to unpack. Nate and Ted had brought up two of the tables from the washhouse and Evan set out the contents of each trunk with explanations of each piece.

"Sound equipment here, cameras there, computer here, and that's our communications equipment over there."

"Communications?" Ted said.

"Yes, being able to talk to one another makes sense, we'll stay out of the shot when the cameras are rolling," Evan said.

"That does make sense," Ted agreed.

"I don't want to change the way you do things, just make them a little easier, OK?"

"Good deal," Nate said. "We can try the equipment out this weekend."

"My thoughts exactly," Evan replied. "Now tell me what you think we'll be up against."

"With the Travers family? They're a serious bunch JT says, very professional about their dancing. Like a lot of families they travel a lot and perform in competitions. I've seen them every year at the Pow Wow since I was a little kid; they always put on the best show."

"So this is going to be like a backstage look at them preparing for the show," Evan said.

"Yes, I think so. This will be a look at the culture of performing and how the family works it into their lives. I think the dancing is their commitment to the Cherokee way of life, but I know nothing about their personal lives. I suppose we'll find out."

Evan smiled. "You get us in there, Ted and I will make them look good."

"I'm starting to see this film develop a story line," Ted said. "Marshall and Granny Huhu representing the old ways, the Travers representing the new. Then I think we need to blend in the future of Cherokee youth. Will they let us film in the school?"

"I don't know, but it's worth asking," Nate said.

Evan nodded. "You see how it goes? The more you work on a project the broader it can become. At most a film is about a hundred and twenty minutes long, maybe a little longer. But asking an audience to sit through anything more is foolhardy. By the time we're done there will be ten times that in the data base, editing it all down without losing the focus is hard work."

Nate smiled. "That's why we have you."

Evan laughed. "I was afraid you were going to say that. Are we all packed for the weekend?"

"I suppose we ought to check out our stuff," Nate said.

"You do that, I'm going to e-mail some friends and tell them what we're doing, never hurts to advertise in advance."

"Ted and I will go do our thing then," Nate said.

"See you guys in the morning," Evan replied.

"Waffles or eggs?" Ted asked.

"Lord, you're gonna make me fat," Evan groaned. "How about both?"

"Done deal," Ted said.