Kidd’s Second Calling

This thread follows Kidd from a thinning, solitary old age into renewed purpose through his responsibility for Cicada and his continued work carrying news.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Coal-Gas Dullness

The Coal-Gas Dullness A fading vocation Kidd still travels to read newspapers, but the work has become a routine he wants to finish quickly. His life feels thin, and the news of the world weighs on him rather than enlivening him. A summons to care Britt’s request interrupts this decline. Accepting responsibility for a child draws Kidd back into the immediate stakes of living, even as he resents the burden.

A Veteran’s Instincts

A Veteran’s Instincts Experience under fire When Almay’s party attacks, Kidd assesses their positions, ammunition, and weapons. His old military experience becomes practical protection for himself and Cicada. Purpose renewed The crisis replaces his earlier passivity with decisive action. He fights not for reputation or abstract causes but because a child’s life depends on his choices.

The Return Reconsidered

The Return Reconsidered Duty meets evidence Kidd leaves Cicada with the relatives he promised to find, but the celebration conceals their reluctance to adopt her. A messenger warns him that they may not accept lasting responsibility. A difficult reversal Kidd departs, then sees Cicada sent into the dark with a heavy burden and signs of abuse. He turns back, deciding that keeping his word to a child matters more than fulfilling its narrow wording.

Family Reassembled

Family Reassembled A return to San Antonio Kidd’s daughters and their family return to Texas after years of postwar hardship. Their arrival restores a family structure he had feared losing. A changed household Cicada lives with them, but Kidd understands that conventional domestic life cannot make her simply white or German again. He accepts the unresolved difference as part of their shared home.

The Last Message

The Last Message A life in transmission Kidd continues his interest in printing and works on a Kiowa dictionary until his eyesight fails. His vocation joins the written word to the oral stories he has carried for decades. An unfinished commission He asks to be buried with his runner’s badge, still imagining a message whose contents he never knew. The emblem gathers his military service, news readings, and care for Cicada into one continuing metaphor.

Winter 1870, before the journey

March 1870, during the attack at Carlyle Springs

April 1870, after the Leonberger gathering

Three years after the return journey

Kidd’s advanced old age