Sky People by Ardy Sixkiller Clarke Read Free Book Online

to visit me. I have so much to tell you.”
    “I promise,” I said. He stood and kissed me on both cheeks. As we left the backyard, I saw Miguel carefully guide the elder to a hammock that was hung in a shaded area under the roof of his house.
    Unfortunately, I never saw Raul Manuel again. When I returned to Belize the following winter, I planned to keep my promise, only to discover that three months after we met, Raul died in his sleep. He left a handwritten note that his belongings were to go toward Miguel’s education. As Miguel’s mother cleaned his house, she discovered dozens of bars of gold in a box. A note was enclosed that stated that he was given the gold by the Sky People in payment for his knowledge.
    “Were there any markings or identification on the bars?” I asked.
    “There were strange markings, but I gave it little thought. Was that important?” Before I could answer, she explained, “I sold them and put the money in the bank for Miguel. I know how important it was to Raul for Miguel to go to college. I didn’t keep anything for myself. I wanted to honor Raul’s request. I sent Miguel to boarding school so he could begin his education, but lately Miguel has been disappearing like the old man. I think he goes with the Sky People.” When I asked to see Miguel, she told me he was away at boarding school. “The school notified me about Miguel’s disappearances, but there is nothing I can do. I told them to lock him in his room at night. They locked him up, but he disappeared anyway. What do you think? Do you think he goes with the Star People?
    “Tell me what you think,” I said.
    “I grew up listening to Raul Manuel’s stories. Then when I had children, he told them stories, too. Miguel was my youngest. His father and grandfather had passed and Raul became asubstitute for them. Miguel loved the old man. He wanted to be just like him. If Raul really traveled the stars, I am sure Miguel travels there, too. I think it is his fate. Who am I to question fate?”
    I
often think of the small boy, Miguel, who sat silently adoring the old man and agreeing with every word he uttered. I have not seen Miguel since that first meeting, but some nights, when I look at the stars, I think that Miguel, like Raul Manuel, is probably high above Earth floating in that silver sombrero and taking care of the Sky People’s garden
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Chapter 4
Men Who Walked Through Mountains
    T
here is a legend that when the man/god Quetzalcoatl left Tula, he walked to a mountain and entered it, and it closed behind him. There are various accounts throughout the indigenous world of Star Men who meld into solid structures including mountains. In Peru, there are stories of gods who were able to walk through walls to enter another dimension
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    In this chapter, you will meet a witness who reports that Star Men often come from space and visit the ancient temples. They have the ability to walk through the solid walls of the temples and disappear inside mountains
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    Alexandro Jean was the manager of the small, boutique hotel where I stayed in Belize City. He was a short, stout man with a bucktooth smile and curly black hair that always appeared as though he had been caught in a wind storm. He wore a silver concho belt over his tight, black polyester pants, a cowboy hat, and a long-sleeved, starched white shirt that appeared out of place in the humid weather.
    “I hear that you like stories,” Alexandro declared as I entered the small hotel lobby on my way to the restaurant. I nodded and he motioned me to the desk. “I have a personal story I can tell you about UFOs,” he said in a stage whisper as he glanced around the room as though watching for eavesdroppers. “I work day and night at the desk, but in the early morning hours, there is no one around. Perhaps if you stop by, I can tell you my story.”
    “How did you know I collect UFO stories?” I asked.
    “Nothing escapes me, Doctor. It’s my business to know about our guests.