By
James W. Nelson Copyright 2011 by James W. Nelson Introduction
Think of the 1800s, the wagontrains, and the people who crossed the prairie looking for a better life. Now fast-forward to the new millennium and the worldwide economy totally crashing, causing unbelievable chaos and violence. One man sees it coming and envisions building a hidden colony to ride out the likely decades-long crisis.
When the crash came nobody could point a finger and blame a specific thing. The United States and the world were locked in drought, stagnant economy, and rampant pollution. Too many people were wasting too much, demanding too much standard of living, and too much money created too much free time and entertainment, for, as one height was reached boredom prevailed, and more and greater thrills were demanded.
More wood, more metal, more food and drink, and more oil.
The oil flow stopped.
Then the flow of supplies stopped. The civilized world found itself trapped inside a steel,
And no gasoline.
Aaron Hodges is the main viewpoint character, but with so much happening its necessary for other characters to sometimes have the viewpoint, too. Each character is developed thoroughly. The reader will have no problem switching back and forth, and will know at the very beginning of each scene just whose mind they will be in.
Set in the near future, novel runs for two years. Background themes include the economy, environment, and a shadowy “master race” organization. This novel is character-driven, just normal people loving and finding love, surviving, and reacting to circumstances as best they can. You will like the characters, you will care what happens to them, and at the end you will cheer. THE BELLWETHER
Dedicated to my late parents (They never gave up on me)When I knew the late Mrs. George H. Raveling Jr., of Valley City, North Dakota, she was eighty-two years old, alone in life, and herding forty head of fat, shining, Hereford cows, she was eighty-two years old, alone in life, and herding forty head of fat, shining, Hereford cows, pound Poland China broodsows, with litters of up to 16 piglets each.
Chapter 42 “THE MATRIARCH” is dedicated to her (Mrs. Raveling, may you be resting in peace….)THE BELLWETHER (Character list)
THE COLONISTS
Kester Hodges (Aarons uncle, minor character, semi -villain)(sixties) (wife, son, daughter-in-law, daughter, brother, Damon)
GeorgeThe hobo (no last name, Aarons hired man, good friend) (sixties) (some viewpoint)
Caroline Jentner (some viewpoint, love of Aarons life, teacher) (30)
Jennie (7, daughter, small for age, a bit crippled)(some viewpoint) Brett Haberman (some viewpoint, engineer, one of Aarons two best friends) (32) Jacqueline(Bretts wife)(some viewpoint)
Terri(7, oldest child, becomes Aarons friend & ally)(some viewpoint)
Sofi (5, middle child)
Wendi (3, youngest)
Jacob and Martha Haberman(Bretts parents)
Erica Norgarten(Bretts implied-at-the-end second wife)(some viewpoint) Billy Maclen Norgarten (17-year-old brother)
Taylor Magellan (some viewpoint, weapons, one of Aarons two best friends) (32)
Carmen Radnor(Taylors girlfriend, a nurse)(some viewpoint)
Taylors bedridden aged parents
Doctor William Solomon Radnor (Carmens brother) (sixties)
Nancy (wife)
2 children
Daniel Friskop (some viewpoint, modern mountain man, scout) (forties) (father to Whooping Crow)
Horsefire (Pinto stallion)
Applechaser (Appaloosa mare)
Julian (wolf-dog)
Satire (lynx)
Kelly Bolander (organic farmer, animal husbandman) (thirties)(some viewpoint)
Sharma (Kellys wife)
Sharmas parents (sixties)
Allia (9 year-old, son)(some viewpoint)
Josephine (sister)
Matthew (brother with wife and children)
Simon (brother with wife and children)
Andrew (derelict brother, later becomes second scout for wagontrain)
Senator Joseph and Elizabeth Bolander (Kellys parents)
Vivian Hartley (crafts and seamstress)(some viewpoint)
Jock (13-year-old son)
Brenna (11-year-old daughter)
3 other children
Sam Chilton (gardener, nurseryman, greenhouse) Clarice (wife)
Hans Willouwing (cook)
Dagmar (wife)
9-year-old girl
7-year-old boy
Griswold (brother with family) (meat cutter)
Gunther (brother with family) (food-preservation)
Forrest Barton (the man with no skills) (fifties)
Jessica 17
Karla 16
Gloriana 14
THE NATIVE AMERICANS
John Running Light The northern prince Iroquois (some viewpoint) Paul Bacardi (his English/Spanish name)
Roanna (Indian-Mexican-American wife)
Princess Tongowari The southern princess Hohokum (some viewpoint) Shining Flower of the Half Moon (royal Indian name)
Long Bear Leading Great Lakes Elder Chippewa (some viewpoint) Whooping Crow (10-year-old great-grandson)
Fire Shining (granddaughter, Whooping Crows mother)
Hotowatah
Raven Hawk Two Shirts of the Rabbit Buffalo Walker
Four Crows
THE VILLAINS
Lieutenant Charles Rutledge Gibbs The Gloryhunter (27)(some viewpoint) Colonel Davis
Luther Helm The contractor (fifties)
Anson The marauder Chieftain, factory foreman, nephew to Luther (twenties) Mallory Spicer (twenties)
Caleb Conrad (STIM Commander) (Stop The Indian Movement) (forties) Jared Contorte (The Crazy man) (thirties)
Fred Likken (Carolines fiancé) (early forties)(some viewpoint)
MISCELLANEOUS
Sergeant Sanchez (later receives a battlefield commission; at end joins colony)(twenties) The pioneer woman (eighties) (unnecessary to name her)
Henry Grannin(Brett Habermans California neighbor) (fifties)
Liddy (wife, forties)
Pandion (osprey)
Her mate
The trout
Alces (moose)
Corvus (crow)
Greatest elder on earth Hohokum The medicine man Papago
The messenger/escort Chiricahua Apache First Royal Guardian Jicarillo Apache Presenter of the Legend Nez Perce
Aaron Hodges is the bellwether. He sees the future through the prophecies of his Nez Perce friend, Four Crows. As Aaron sits on a log, Four Crows makes a symbolic painting on the back of his suede shirt, and speaks to him with a ghostly voice from the past, and future, a future that will see the unification of the Native American and the civilized world falter.
Consequently, Aaron makes preparations early, but, unable to believe such a disaster could really occur, he gets sidetracked with a factory job, a Las Vegas gambling trip, buying a small farm, fighting environmental battles, but does stumble onto a beautiful location for a hidden colony. But the people he attempts to recruit for colonists also cannot visualize such a bad thing happening, especially the love of his life, Caroline. When the crash actually happens, martial law is declared quickly. There will be no taking a caravan of vehicles down a hardtop road. So some 60 people go crosscountry in 16 “covered wagons” each pulled by a 4-horse team, over fields, prairie, and forest, about 40 days and 300 miles from southern Minnesota farming country into northern Minnesota wilderness.
Already rich by inheritance, available at age 25, Aaron has left the money in the bank for that proverbial “rainy” day. The Las Vegan trip just adds to the chest.Old Paintis Aarons rusty van that he lives in while working and traveling.
Caroline Jentner is the love of Aarons life. She has a partly-crippled, seven-year-old daughter, Jennie. Little Jennie doesnt have a big part, and doesnt appear until chapter 12, but when she does appear she will capture your heart. You will come to love her, and she helps Aaron and her mom finally get together near the end of story. Caroline often has the viewpoint, and sees the world quite differently from Aaron.
George , a senior citizen hobo, is picked up by Aaron just outside a truck stop at Cheyenne, Wyoming; he has no last name and a peculiar body odor. Aaron and George will both get a job at the same factory where Caroline works, George will help Aaron and Caroline get together after an absence of 19 years. Later, George will become Aarons handyman at his small farm, and throughout their relationship George serves as Aarons living conscience.
Brett Haberman , an engineer from California,is one of Aarons two best friends. When the crash happens the Habermans will have to fight their way out of their own yard, then travel 2000 miles to join Aarons wagontrain.
Jacqueline Haberman , Bretts wife, has long been concerned about deteriorating conditions in the nation, but when the colony is suggested to her, well, things will never get “that” bad. She will involuntarily help in the abduction of her sister, Caroline.
Terri Haberman , 7 years old when Aaron visits the Habermans, she helps her parents fight their way out of their yard. When they arrive atAarons farm she is 9 and develops her first crush on 11-year-old Allia Bolander. When the two children go exploring in a dangerous place Terri shows how strong she can be.
Taylor Magellan , an ex-soldier drunkard 300-pound barbouncer, and Aarons other best friend. Aaron asks Taylor to provide weapons for self-defense, which he does, but attracts the attention of Lt. Gibbs, who will hound the wagontrain for 200 miles. (To buy weapons he goes by the name of Mister Langseth.)
Carmen Radnor Magellan , a very small woman, enters the bar with four strange men, and attracts Taylors attention, sits at his table, smiles, and then ignores him. When they leave—its obvious Carmen does not belong with those men—so Taylor asks her to stay. She does, they have to fight the four men, and Carmen, a nurse, joins the wagontrain in charge of the hospitalwagon.
Daniel Friskop , a modern-day mountain man who dresses the part. When we first join Friskop hes in Nevada capturing his future horse companions, Horsefire and Applechaser. When Aaron approaches him to scout for the wagontrain and lead them to the Wilderness Bowl, 2 other animals have joined him: Julian, a wolf-dog, and Satire, a lynx who rides on the back of Horsefire. Friskop agrees but they never become very close friends, especially when Friskop notices Caroline.
Kelly Bolander , the husbandman, is older than Aaron but a very close friend. Aaron approaches him to provide the horses, both draft and saddle, 16 wagons, and all the livestock to supply the planned colony. Kelly has three brothers, a sister, and his parents; they all join and become vital to the colonys success.
Allia Bolander , 11 years old when he experiences his first crush, on Terri Haberman. They first meet in Aarons farmyard as the wagontrain is gathering, and Allia kisses Terri almost immediately. They become fast friends. Allia helps deliver the first colt of Applechaser (now belonging to Terri) and when they go to that dangerous place Allia gets his first taste of manhood.
Andrew Bolander , a derelict son, doesnt appear till the wagontrain is crossing the interstate highway. The army has stopped the livestock herd and threatening to send everything to be butchered to feed the nowstarving nation. Andrew has been following the wagontrains tracks, stops the soldiers, and will later take over scouting when Friskop abandons them thanks to fighting with, and beating Aaron, over Caroline.
Vivian Hartley Vivian is a darling woman; she has five young children, all with different fathers. She has been used and abused by men all her life. She meets Aaron at the factory. After Aaron and Caroline break up, Vivian fills in and gets pregnant by Aaron, who, when he calls her to come to his farm and join the wagontrain he doesnt know shes very, very, pregnant. (Would Aaron have asked her along had he known? We dont know….)
Erica Norgaarten , one of three of the poker players who will figure later in the novel. Aaron is on a winning streak. Later, he almost gets robed, Erica helps save him, and still later they make love, and Aaron gets a second woman pregnant. Again he doesnt know. Erica, later will join Anson Helms motorcycle gang in order to feed her starving baby, and when Helm attacks the wagontrain, Erica and her brother, both armed with automatic weapons, will help save it. Then they join the wagontrain.
Paul Bacardi (John Running Light) Leading Native American character. He grew up at Embrace Lake Minnesota, became an attorney in Nevada with many rich clients. When he becomes involved with Tongowari (who he helps rescue from STIM) he reclaims his Indian name and begins to suspect his relatives in Minnesota are not his true relatives.
Tongowari , the southern princess. She is escorted out of southern Mexico by Two Shirts to the village by the Sauntering River in Nevada, where an international powwow is taking place. Her marriage to the northern prince will unite all Native Americans from both continents.
Two Shirts of the Rabbit, a Chiricahua Apache who has received training all his life, from his sixth birthday, for his one mission, that of escorting the princess safely to the powwow.Four Crows , Nez Perce, sets the unification in motion by creating a paintingof “the return of the buffalo” on the back of Aarons suede jacket, which attracts Two Shirts attention, who then takes Aaron to meet the Papago medicine man who sends Two Shirts on his mission and tells Aaron that he, too, has a mission, alluding to the colony that Aaron wants to build. Unfortunately, Aarons painting also attracts the attention of STIM.
Long Bear , a leading Native American elder who lives at Embrace Lake, Minnesota, grandfather to John Running Light. He has always known of his grandsons true heritage and purpose in life. He tells a story of the frivolous white man to Caroline and her daughter when she visits the reservation, and tells her that she will have some future decisions to make, where she must follow her heart and not do what others are doing.
Lt. Charles Rutledge Gibbs , an army officer (one of the three poker players) who has had a long list of failures and is obsessed with impressing his superiors and getting an advancement and a command, so when he sees Taylor Magellan purchasing army weapons from his slack superior, he follows to the farm, sees the wagontrain gathering and is sure they are a camp of insurgency.
Sergeant Sanchezhas been a burr under Gibbs saddle clear back to Afghanistan. The sergeant follows orders, sometimes argues and usually is right. Later he receives a battlefield commission.Anson Helm Weve all known people like this man. Helm lives right on the edge between civil to uncivil to barbaric. In the beginning hes a factory supervisor who gets the job done but makes no friends in the civil world. Hes also a member of a motorcycle gang, who, when the crash happens, resorts immediately to barbarism.
Mallory Spicer Weve also known people like thisman. Hes a member of the same motorcycle gang and makes his living by petty thievery, odd jobs with shady and questionable connections, but hes civil enough to get government help fora college education…at least a few courses. When we meet him we know hell never go the distance. He also harasses Caroline…until she finally dispatches him.
Caleb Conradis the worst kind, a criminal but underground, the secret leader of a “master race” organization (STIM, Stop The Indian Movement). In the beginning he is the supervisor of a corral construction company in southern Arizona. STIM knows something is about to happen and will begin right there at the construction site, where Aaron Hodges comes to work and meets Two Shirts of the Rabbit, who also is working there.
Jared Contorte is the third poker player who will figure later. Hes not exceptionally bright, also a petty thief (tries to rob Aaron of his winnings) and scams well enough to make a “homeless” living.
Fred Likken This is the “tall, dark, and handsome” college professor who continuously hits on Caroline, to no avail(she mostly cant stand him) until Caroline (mostly finally giving up on Aaron) decides her little Jennie needs a man-figure in her life, so she agrees to marry Fred Likken. Likken will later lead the army to the wagontrains location.
Pandion The avian heroine of the Wilderness Bowl.The Wilderness Bowl A highly fictional place, a modern Shangri-La, located in northern Minnesota wilderness. If only such a place really existed….
STIM (Stop The Indian Movement) A master race organization dedicated to the elimination of the Native American.
THE BELLWETHER (contents)
Part One REUNIONS, GASPS, & A LAST CHANCE
1 The Prophecy
2 Violent Preview
3 Carolines Double
4 Jacquelines Fear
5 Conception of a Colony
6 Proxy Reunion
7 You Will Lead
8 Scenario of a Master Race
9 George
10 Homecoming
11 Hallowed Courage Creek Affair Part One
12 Caroline
13 The Reunion
INTERLUDE: WHITE HOUSE DIARY, 22 MONTHS BEFORE THE CRASH
14 A Legacy: Of Land & People
15 The Assassin
16 Carolines indoctrination
17 Vivian
18 Graduation & Goodbye
19 The Capture
20 Paul Bacardi
21 The Winning
22 Erica
23 Princess Tongowari
24 John Running Light
25 The Sweat Lodge
INTERLUDE: WHITE HOUSE DIARY, 11 MONTHS BEFORE THE CRASH
26 Conversation With Solomon
27 Last Wilderness
28 Tree-Removal & Drainage Bill
29 Hallowed Courage Creek Affair Part Two
30 The End of Boyhood
31 The Decision
32 The wilderness Bowl
33 The Crash
34 Escape From California
35 Soldier Meets a Nurse
36 The Scout
37A Baker, A Banker…
38 The Husbandman
39 The Gloryhunter
40 The Great Novice Assembly
41 The First Twenty-four Hours
42 The Matriarch
43 Fred Likken
44 Death Stench
45Helms Marauders
46 Present For Terri
47 Interstate Crossing
48 Deadly Shivaree
49Carmens Vigil
50 The Lake of Embrace
51 Aaron vs. Friskop
52Birth, Death, Disillusion…
53 The Adolescent Man, & Woman
54More Death, Despair…
55 The Siege
56 Advent
57 Aaron & Caroline
Part one REUNIONS, GASPS & A LAST CHANCE
1 The Prophecy Aaron has spent the summer working at a Montana cattle ranch with his new friend, Four Crows, of the Nez Perce, who paints a symbol of “the return on the buffalo” on the back of his suede shirt, which, worn at his new job in Arizona will get him contact with a Papago medicine man who knows the future.
2 Violent Preview Aaron arrives in Starkville, California, to visit his best friend, Brett Haberman, and family. He stops at a shopping mall and gets involved in a robbery that suggests the chaos and violence to come.
3 Caroline’s Double Aaron has reached the home of his school friend. Outside the house he sees three little girls lined up like stair steps. The tallest, Terri, is an image of Caroline.
5 Conception of a Colony Aaron shares his idea of building a self-sufficient colony with Brett, who is receptive, but its the last encouragement he gets for a long time.
6 Proxy Reunion Upon leaving the Habermans, Aaron learns that Caroline is the younger sister to Jacqueline, but the sisters are separated and out of contact. Even so, its the first good lead he has ever had to finding Caroline.
