Coyote: The Outlander (with FREE second screen experience) Read Free Page B

slapped her own thigh.
    “Will my anger change things?” The calm of his voice infuriated her.
    “Doing nothing won’t change things either, Caesar.” Her tone was more accusatory than she meant it to be, but frustration was her master.
    Caesar leaned forward and grabbed her rein, forcing the two horses to come to a stop.
    He turned to her in earnest. “Coyote, it’s not about doing nothing. It’s about finding the right thing to do. You are a passionate person, and sometimes your anger leads you . . . ” He shot her a half smile. “My way is different.”
    “Your way is frustrating.” Coyote blew a stray lock from her cheek.
    “These men . . . ” Caesar sought for the words, “in that saloon, they have been raised with a certain view of the world. It is a rather destructive view, but not one that can be solved by violence. The only thing that can change our current situation is education.” He patted his horse’s neck and smiled.
    “I know a way to school these men.” Coyote pulled her derby to the back of her head and wiggled her eyebrows.
    “You know that is not what I meant.” His voice was stern, but there was a smile on his face. “Vengeance will not change the path we are on. It will only provoke retaliation, and my people are still outnumbered. Many of us are angry and live in hatred, while others live in fear.” Caesar spurred his horse back into a slow step, and Coyote followed his lead.
    “If we want to change this, the first thing we must do is change ourselves.” He patted his chest. “If we want to teach the white men about our worth, we must first find it within ourselves, not in the opinions that others hold of us.”
    “But wouldn’t anger strengthen your resolve?” Coyote bit her lip, still battling her own emotions.
    “When we seek to achieve equality, anger will only blind us and stray us from our goal.” Caesar’s eyes were dreamy when he spoke, as if he were looking into a future that Coyote couldn’t see. “We must use wisdom and wit to our advantage. If we return ignorance with intolerance of our own, we will only create a war we cannot win.”
    “I still don’t see how your tolerance will change this situation.”
    “The point is that we must learn our own value, stay strong within our own beliefs, and rely on our own rights. We must build and treasure our culture. Only then can we show our true spirits, and through education, not violence, we can teach them our equality. It is not about how others see us, but how we see ourselves.”
    “I hate it when you make sense,” Coyote muttered. “You’re a better person than I am.” She stuck out her tongue to him and tilted the derby over her brow.
    “I do not think your impulsive character puts a value on you as a person, Coyote. My more moderate temperament does not make me a better person.” A large bird flew overhead and Caesar watched it, lost in thought for a moment. “Your impulsiveness serves you well at times, and it is not always a bad thing to respond brashly. It has saved our lives on many occasions.”
    “Well, there is that, I guess.” She laughed. “That twitchy trigger finger of mine isn’t all bad.” She spurred her horse on to walk faster, eager to find a suitable place to rest for the night. There was little chance they would make it to the next town in time, and Coyote suspected they would end up sleeping under the stars.
    She sighed. “If only we had the power to change the world, right?” Her fingers sought a cigar in her pocket, but to her dismay, she realized she had smoked the last one.
    “We do, Coyote. A single person absolutely has the power to change the world. We are like the pebbles that make ripples in the water. If thrown with great force, the pebbles can have quite the impact.” Caesar adjusted his Stetson. “It’s a matter of patience to find out if the ripples will turn into waves.”
    Coyote nodded and stared at the sky. The stars were bright, which meant it would