Heroes of the Water Monster: Prologue–Chapter 4

by Brian Young
In this sequel to Healer of the Water Monster, teenage Nathan is losing his ability to interact with Navajo Holy Beings, so he chooses younger Diné blood, eleven-year-old Edward, to take over guardian duties for Dew while she learns all the songs to control and protect water.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 4, Chapters 5–9, Chapters 10–14, Chapters 15–20, Chapter 21–Hwééldi
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. corral
    a pen for cattle
    The mom herded the scared sheep and yelping lambs into the corral.
  2. sole
    single and isolated from others
    These days, there’s no fort in Fort Defiance, but back then there was. And it was built for the sole purpose of relocating the Diné.
  3. decimate
    kill in large numbers
    But the US Army wasn’t prepared for how many Diné would surrender after their livestock were slaughtered, their cornfields charred, and the peach orchards decimated.
  4. grim
    shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
    Food and resources were thin, even in that grim beginning.
  5. barren
    providing no shelter or sustenance
    For four horrid years, all our ancestors toiled the barren, unfamiliar lands. All they planted shriveled and died.
  6. provisions
    a stock or supply of foods
    The US government had to feed us and gave us minimal provisions.
  7. rampant
    occurring or increasing in an unrestrained way
    There was rampant starvation.
  8. hogan
    a Navajo lodge covered with earth
    Talking God had instructed our earliest ancestors how to build hogans, with logs and earth. But there were no trees that were suitable for hogan construction.
  9. reclaim
    reassert one's right or title to
    When our ancestor returned to Diné Bikéyah, he lived with the young couple until he was old enough to reclaim his old home and cornfield near Many Farms, Arizona.
  10. subdue
    put down by force or intimidation
    When he was old enough to wrestle in tournaments, he enjoyed the adrenaline rush of subduing his opponent.
  11. amble
    walk leisurely
    He heaved himself up and ambled his way to Nathan’s room.
  12. flare
    erupt or intensify suddenly
    He sat down on Nathan’s bed. Soreness flared up in his muscles. He had been packing, unpacking, and organizing his new room nonstop for hours.
  13. inevitable
    incapable of being avoided or prevented
    Edward would have given anything to have another dad joke distract from the inevitable conversation.
  14. demeanor
    the way a person behaves toward other people
    Edward said, “We have something to tell you.”
    Janet and Nathan stopped eating and listened.
    “We, huh?” Ted said, noticing Janet’s and Nathan’s quiet demeanor.
  15. revelation
    an enlightening or astonishing disclosure
    “So, you know about the Holy Beings from the traditional Diné stories? Turns out they are real. And I can see them.”
    Ted sat back and crossed his arms, absorbing the revelation.
  16. incredulity
    doubt about the truth of something
    Ted asked, “And where is Yitoo supposed to sleep? On my leather couch?”
    “In the pool in back,” Nathan said.
    “Of course! In the pool in back. That makes sense!” Ted said, his voice rising and filled with incredulity.
  17. prevail
    prove superior
    Tempe Town Lake was where they went to celebrate, to despair, and to prevail!
  18. nape
    the back side of the neck
    Even if she was barely the size of a hamster, her razor claws dug painfully into Edward’s sensitive nape.
  19. reverie
    an abstracted state of absorption
    It was then that Dew decided to sing her favorite song: “I just can’t hide this feeling, baby! I want to be your appealing lady! It is in your energy. My sacred reverie, mm, baby!”
  20. contend
    maintain or assert
    “We’ll bike to your school. I’ll wear those really high bike shorts.”
    “No one wants to see your legs, Dad!” Edward contended. It wasn’t rude if it was true.
  21. skimp
    limit in quality or quantity
    Ted asked, “How long will this take? Because you still have to maintain your grades. And then there’s the wrestling season to think of. If the Olympics is your goal, then you can’t skimp on your training.”
  22. oscillate
    move or swing from side to side regularly
    Once Uncle Jet secured a job and was able to move into his own apartment back in Phoenix, he bought Nali an electric stove, an oscillating fan, and even an electric kettle for her tea water.
  23. hock
    joint of the hind leg of hoofed mammals
    Next to the fire, a deep aluminum pot boiled pinto beans, mushrooms, and ham hocks.
  24. cataclysmic
    severely destructive
    Every day there was another scientific report about the effects of climate change becoming more dangerous and saying that the deadline to make changes to prevent cataclysmic weather patterns was fast approaching.
  25. tangible
    perceptible by the senses, especially the sense of touch
    He knew that not everyone experienced the tangible effects of climate change as he did.
  26. accommodation
    living quarters provided for public convenience
    Uncle Jet said, “Don’t know how our ancestors managed. These aren’t the most comfortable accommodations.”
  27. sobriety
    the state of being unaffected or not intoxicated by alcohol
    The toughest part of my sobriety is seeing people I care about deal with what I did when I blacked out, how that person I was haunts you all.
  28. obligation
    a personal relation in which one is indebted for a service
    “You don’t owe me anything,” Nathan said. He didn’t like the concept of owing a person a favor for having been helped. It made the relationship feel like a series of emotionless obligations.
  29. materialize
    come into being; become reality
    Jet Stone Boy hummed and pressed his quartz crystal onto the soft sands, and a rainbow path materialized in front of them.
  30. petroglyph
    a carving or line drawing on rock
    With the last of the colorful lights, Nathan saw the petroglyphs of the four trials and the long, narrow cave that led to the entrance of the Third World.
  31. waning
    of the period when the visible surface of the moon decreases
    The bright stars and waning half-moon behind her cast a dark shadow on her features.
  32. assume
    take to be the case or to be true
    “There are so many songs, and I can’t wait to start. She’s going to be a powerful water monster, thanks to me!”
    Nathan assumed that meant Mother Water Monster had already given Yitoo permission to be up here.
  33. venerate
    regard with feelings of respect and reverence
    “It has been our pleasure to assist you both, Venerated Yitoo Bi’aanii and Nathan Todacheenie. Be well.”
  34. manifest destiny
    a policy of imperialist expansion said to be inevitable
    Nathan was also very curious as to how this land had looked before colonization, before the crimes of Manifest Destiny.
  35. remnant
    a small part remaining after the main part no longer exists
    Then they saw the remnants of her river. Before them was less a river and more a deep, dark, bleeding scar.
  36. meander
    move or cause to move in a winding or curving course
    The water was low and dirty—a feeble stream that meandered back and forth like a lost snake looking for nourishment.
  37. wrangle
    achieve something by means of argument or trickery
    He could wrangle a favor out of the water monsters!
  38. exude
    make apparent by one's mood or behavior
    She was sad, that much Edward could see. But her posture still exuded confidence, strength, and authority.
  39. dismay
    the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
    “The Holy Beings of the original inhabitants of this area, before the Pale People,” Yitoo said, her face scrunched in dismay. “I want to ask their permission to be on their lands.”
  40. divert
    send on a course different from the planned or intended one
    “At first, we thought the low levels were from my river being diverted to the cornfields on top of the nearby plateau. But I sense foul play, as the dryness of my river, of all of Diné Bikéyah, is unnatural. Something big, something heartless, is stealing massive quantities of my water.”
Created on Thu May 30 15:34:12 EDT 2024 (updated Tue Jun 25 13:20:06 EDT 2024)

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