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Christina shrugged and wrinkled her nose. “Him and Eli didn’t get along.”
    â€œThat kid’s got a good shit detector.” Silas hadn’t been particularly fond of her latest admirer, either. Good for his nephew for putting the run on the guy.
    â€œYeah, well, Eli’s gonna end up supporting me in my old age unless he takes a shine to one of these guys pretty soon.”
    â€œHe’s only eight. He’s got lots of time to dig up a stepfather before that.”
    Christina rolled her eyes. “I’d just as soon have a man who’s breathing.”
    â€œI’ll pass that on to Eli, but a woman with a personality problem like you have can’t be too fussy.”
    She grinned and thumped him on the shoulder. “Take your own advice, older brother.”
    â€œI’ll give it my best shot.” Silas gave her a quick hug and eased past her, toward freedom.
    Christina grabbed a handful of his shirt and held on. “Why not stay for coffee?”
    â€œCan’t. I’ve got a deadline on an article, and I’m trying to improve the Ahousaht Web site.”
    She knew it was an excuse, but she didn’t challenge him. “Okay. See you tomorrow morning at the meeting, then. No applicants yet for the medical posting, I’m beginning to wonder if we’ll ever find a doctor who wants to come and live here.” Christina was nursing supervisor for the medical center. She was the one who’d convinced the Council about the advantages of having a resident M.D.
    â€œYou know, somebody did call about that posting.” He’d forgotten all about it till now. Silas was one of the band’s healers, but he was the first to admit the need for both healing modalities. “Just before the ceremony, I dropped by the band office to get some stuff Bennie left for me, and the phone rang. It was a woman. She asked if the position was still open. I told her I didn’t know.”
    â€œDid you get her name and number?”
    â€œHer name was Jordan, Jordan Brick or Bruk or something.” Silas shook his head. “I was late for the welcoming ceremony. But I did tell her to call back and talk to Bennie before I hung up on her.”
    Christina gave him a look. “Probably the only person who’ll ever even think of applying, and you pissed her off right up front, eh?”
    Silas shrugged. “You know me, I’m not exactly Mr. Congeniality.”
    â€œMr. Porcupine is more like it.” Christina shook her head and rolled her eyes. “You need a crash course in human relations, big brother.”
    He smiled down at her, not in the least offended. “I’m way too old to change my wicked ways.”
    â€œThirty-six going on ninety-seven?”
    â€œIf that woman really wants the job, she’ll call back. And she’ll have to really want it or she’ll never stick it out through the first few weeks of culture shock. She’ll find out—” he ticked them off on his fingers “—there’s no sushi bar, no movie theater, no health club and it’s a forty-five minute trip by water taxi to the nearest pizza joint, which for some strange reason won’t deliver. And then there’s the rain. Mustn’t forget we have an annual rainfall of a hundred and ninety-six inches. So if I was a little abrupt on the phone, it’s a good thing—a test. We’ll see how determined she is to live on an island populated by wild Indians.”
    Christina blew a raspberry. “The elders hear you call us that and they’ll revive scalping. You make it soundso bad anybody would turn tail and run. If by some fluke she phones back and even comes for a look-see, maybe you oughta lay low while I convince her there actually are advantages to living in Ahousaht.”
    â€œIf she comes, I’ll stay out of the way. Promise.”
    Christina shot him a mischievous look. “Come to think about it,