Togo (Goes) on Assignment (A Peculiar Lead)
Chapter 4: Making Sense of it All, Scene 10
Togo Goes on Assignment is published weekly as a series. If you came in late, you might want to go back to the beginning. Or, if you’re cut from the same adventuresome cloth as Togo, feel free to read on and figure things out as you go. If you’ve been reading along and just forgot what happened in the last episode, you can click here.
True to her word, Margot had an ice cream cone waiting when the S.H.E.D. Gulf Stream Jet nosed into the private hangar at La Guardia. Togo finished his treat with one single, monstrous gulp. He looked longingly at the cone that had been placed in front of Margot.
“Go ahead,” she motioned. “I don’t want you staring and drooling while I’m eating it.”
The second cone was gone as quickly as the first. While pleasing to the tummy, Togo had almost immediate regrets.
“Ice cream headache!” he yowled as he scrunched his eyes shut and rolled back in his seat.
Margot finished loading files into her briefcase, rolled her eyes, and stepped past him in the aisle. “Goodbye, Top Dog,” she said. “Happy Hunting!”
The plane was well up in the air winging westward before Togo dared to open one eye. The excruciating pain between his eyes had subsided and he had some homework to do before they touched down at Albuquerque International Sunport.
He took his time reading over the history of the Petroglyph National Monument just outside the city. Apparently, several thousand years ago, ancestors of the Pueblo people, practiced the creation of art of spiritual and historical images in an area of volcanic formations. By chipping away the natural desert patina on a stone, the ancient artists could create a lasting image by revealing the lighter-colored rock beneath the surface. Thousands of images have been discovered.
His old friend, Nikki MB, was waiting with a car in Albuquerque.
“I thought we’d go straight out to the petroglyphs,” she said. “We have a few hours of sunlight left.”
As Nikki drove then out to the site, she pointed out the local landmarks, like the Albuquerque Volcano. Togo nodded his head knowingly. He had three sisters when he was a pup. And they could be pretty volatile. Of course, that was somewhat due to his tendency to pull pranks . . .
“The Albuquerque Volcano is what is known as a fissure volcano. The single eruption was along a weak line of several miles that formed three distinct cones.”
“Cones,” Togo thought. “I wonder if they have ice cream in Albuquerque.”
Nikki continued, “Over time, the volcano became known as the Three Sisters as the area became recognized as a special and holy place for the native people,” Nikki explained. “Although we aren’t totally certain about the meaning of all of the petroglyphs — and there are thousands out here — we know that each one bore special significance. In fact, it has become apparent that the artists, over the span of time, were very conscious of the context of their work. It is apparent that they were intentional about where they placed their pictures, adding significance to their meaning.”
“Hmmm,” Togo said, as he scratched behind his left ear, “but I thought you said that we don’t know what some of the pictures mean. How can we make such a general statement about their significance?”
“Good question,” Nikki answered. “When the true experts on these incredible pictures look at the entire area in context, they realize that all of these things form the whole of the experience that people have had here from ancient times until now. Because some of the meanings are clear and bear relation to other petroglyphs both nearby and far away, we can understand that they are all tied together even if produced in different centuries.”
“Wow!” Togo exclaimed. He wasn’t sure what had surprised him most. The thought of the age-old wisdom developing over time or the little bit of an ice cream cone his tongue had discovered on the left side of his mouth. Both were experiences to be enjoyed. And thus, as he was learning, both were significant.
Reaching their destination, Togo bounded out of the car and followed Nikki to the trailhead for the path through the Boca Negra Canyon.
“What I haven’t heard so far,” Togo begins, “is why our search for the nefarious do-gooder has led us here. What has he done?”
“Or she,” Nikki interjected.
“Or she,” Togo acknowledged.
“That’s the odd thing,” Nikki said. “We know the person was here, but there is no indication that they did anything other than hike the canyons and observe.”
“Then how do we know they were here?” Togo asked.
“Because they left you a note,” Nikki said. “The lab folks are working on it back at the office. In the meantime, I thought you should see the petroglyphs and experience the context of it all.”