u/ProofPlant7651

Hi everyone, we have new neighbours who moved in to the house behind us about 6 weeks ago. Their garden backs on to ours. Their dog is constantly barking, it’s not just when the dog is left unattended. They’ve been out throwing balls for it and playing with it at 11pm which sets off the barking. It was our barking at 3am on Saturday night and has been barking since 6am this morning. I’m not sure that they can do anything, it just seems to be a very barky dog but it is now really affecting my quality of life. They are aware of the barking since they are often there when it barks and my husband doesn’t want me to speak to them because he doesn’t want to make things awkward. What can we do?

Hello and welcome to the first discussion in this sequel to the brilliant Trail of Lightning, part of Rebecca Roanhorse’s Sixth World series.

Please read on for the chapter summaries and don’t forget to come back next week for the second round of discussions on this book.

Chapter 1

Hastiin and the Thirsty Boys arrive at Maggie’s with guns, they want her help with something near Lake Asááyi. It should be her day off but she agrees to help in exchange for some help collecting wood for Tah to build a new hogan.

Tah is disappointed not to be able to go until tomorrow but accepts the need to wait. He reminisces about when Kai brought them coffee and sugar and suggests that they might both stop their moping when Kai returns.

Chapter 2

Maggie and Hastiin make their way to the lake. 2 of the Thirsty Boys follow on bikes, one rides in the back. Maggie quickly realises that it’s actually a girl and learns that the girl is the daughter of Hastiin’s cousin. Maggie is surprised that Hastiin has let a girl join them and he explains that she is the best tracker in Dinétah. Maggie also learns that they are hoping to catch the White Locust.

Chapter 3

Hastiin explains that they are looking for the White Locust who leads a group called the Swarm. In the story of the Emergence, the insect people were forced to flee the First World because of a storm so they sent scouts to find a new place to live. Kai has caused a huge cloud to gather so the White Locust has claimed that it is his job to lead the people of Dinétah to a new land after the Big Water which he believes was some kind of moral punishment.

Hastiin reveals that the White Locust has been buying up all the explosives he can get his hands on so the Tribal Council decided to have a sit down with him, the sent a representative to speak with him, that representative never returned. The Tribal Council have paid the Thirsty Boys to find out what happened to the representative.

Ben, the girl who travelled with them to the lake, explains that she tracked one of his followers to a cave on the top ridge of the mesa. She reveals that she has clan powers which make her an exceptional trackers on the mountain trails.

The plan is for Ben to go up to the ridge first to track the representative, Hastiin and Maggie will follow and the other two will loop around the other side of the ridge. Maggie wonders what has Hastiin so worked up about a seemingly simple mission. He reveals he’s been having strange dreams but not what he’s been dreaming about. He then reveals that there is a rumour that the White Locust can fly.

The White Locust has been converting people to his group and warning them of the four sacred mountains being overcome by a wave, warning them that a punishment is coming.

Chapter 4

On their approach to the cave Hastiin asks Maggie to look out for Ben if anything were to happen to him, he believes she needs a woman to guide her, not the Thirsty Boys. As they reach the cave Ben hears a song, the locust mating song. Hastiin and Maggie call her back but it is too late, as Hastiin pulls her away he is hit by two arrows and is killed.

Chapter 5

Maggie’s clan powers kick in and she races up the mountain where she finds a Navajo woman shooting arrows. She has wings and can fly and also has a song she can sing which seems to be somehow weaponised. Maggie incapacitates her but does not kill after a promise she made to Kai to try to kill less. After speaking to Marvin Atcitty and instructing him to bind the locust woman, she goes to inspect the cave in an effort to delay having to deal with Ben.

Chapter 6

Upon her inspection of the cave Maggie finds that people have certainly been living there but seem to have left. She finds maps and weapons lists and finds the Tribal Council representative dead.

Meanwhile, she reflects on the promise she made Hastiin, she owed him for the kindness he showed her after what happened at Black Mesa and prepares to make good on her promise.

Chapter 7

Maggie leaves the cave to find the woman tied up ready to be killed. Ben begs her to kill the woman ti avenge Hastiin’s death. Maggie refuses but Ben tells her that she has to, the Hastiin said she would.

Maggie uses the opportunity to try to gather information from the woman. She instructs Atcitty to break her wing, the woman won’t tell them the whereabouts of the White Locust but she says he has gone to call for a reckoning, to cleanse the world of ‘unworthy’ people. Ben steps in and tells the woman that Maggie is the Monsterslayer and recounts how Maggie attacked the monsters/gods from the previous book. The woman called her Godslayer. Ben attacks the woman and Maggie pulls her away. Ben believes that she has killed the woman and Maggie leads her down the mountain.

Chapter 8

Maggie takes Ben home with her, Tah looks after Ben before speaking with Maggie. Maggie tells Tah that Hastiin asked her to look after Ben.

Chapter 9

Maggie awakens to the sound of her dogs and people speaking. Clive and Rissa have come to see Maggie. The first thing she asks is whether or not Kai is with them and is unable to hide her disappointment when she learns that he has not.

The twins say that they have come in peace despite the fact that last time they saw one another Rissa threatened to kill Maggie if she ever saw her again. Maggie expects Rissa to apologise, she doesn’t but Clive reveals that Kai is in trouble.

Maggie allows them inside and after removing their weapons asks what has happened. They reveal that Kai and their brother Caleb are missing. They are obviously holding something back and want to take Maggie back with them to show her something. Tah interrupts them and says that Maggie will help them.

Chapter 10

Maggie packs to go searching for Kai, she takes Neizghání’s sword. Ben asks where she is going and whether she can come too. Maggie initially says no, that she doesn’t owe Ben anything but Ben reveals that she knew about Hastiin’s request. Maggie asks about her clan power and realises that Ben is able to use it at will, not just when she is in danger and it occurs to her that the power might be useful in her search for Kai. She agrees to Ben going with them.

Chapter 11

Maggie tells the twins about Ben, Rissa is reluctant to let her come but eventually agrees. Tah wishes Maggie goodbye.

Chapter 12

They arrive at Grace’s All American. At the gatehouse Maggie notices lots of blood and stops to take a look around. She can’t work out what weapon might have caused this type of blood spray but takes some flakes of blood with her.

She also notices 3 sets of footprints belonging to Kai, Caleb and someone unknown, these are bare footprints and she can’t work out why anyone would walk around in the heat barefoot.

Maggie asks Rissa whether they have CCTV. She says that they do but that it just shows Kai switching it off. Rissa reveals that it has been 72 hours since they disappeared. She says that on the morning they disappeared they came out to have coffee and that the two of them were friends. When the realised they had gone they followed the trail but it stopped in Tse Bonito and no one had seen anything. After a second day of searching Grace suggested that they ask Maggie for help.

Maggie asks to see the tape and Rissa says that at the end of the tape she could hear someone singing.

Chapter 13

Rissa sets up the CCTV recording for Maggie to watch. Before she leaves, she reveals that Grace is not well, that she believes that Caleb is dead. Maggie tries to reassure Rissa that Caleb can’t be dead since he is with Kai and that Kai wouldn’t allow anything to happen.

Maggie watches the video. Sheila sees a vehicle approach the gatehouse and Caleb says something. Maggie hears a man and a woman speaking but they don’t appear on the screen, she also hears Kai talking, using his clan powers of persuasion but they don’t appear to work on the woman. Maggie hears a beautiful singing and then sees Kai switch off the video feed, as he is doing so he mouths something at the camera. Maggie can’t work out what he is saying but she knows who has them. After watching for a fourth time, she works out what he is saying ‘I love you. Don’t follow me.’

Maggie and Ben share a soda and Maggie plays the singing to Ben. Ben agrees that it’s the same singing they heard on the mountain. Ben wants Maggie’s reassurance that they are going to kill the White Locust. Before she can answer, a dust storm hits the All American. They hear banging and are about to investigate when Clive barges in and informs them that it’s locusts, not a dust storm but a locust swarm.

Chapter 14

The swarm awakens Honágháahnii which enables Maggie to see each individual locust. They lose Ben in their rush from the bar. She reaches for Neizgháni’s sword hoping to draw the power of lightning but it doesn’t work, despite this the power of the weapon helps her make a path through the swarm to get to Ben.

They make their way into the house. Rissa and Grace rush to clear them of locusts and work to barricade the door. Maggie tells them that they won’t be able to keep the locusts out, they aren’t natural locusts and they know where they are. Grace suggests that they use the tunnels to get away.

Grace explains that the tunnels were built to get bootleg booze from the wall to the All American. They make a plan to go through the tunnel to the garage where there are motorbikes that will be able to outrun the locusts. Maggie, Ben, Clive and Rissa will go in search of Caleb and Kai whilst Grace goes to stay with Tah for a while.

Maggie tells them all that she believes that the White Locust has taken Caleb and Kai and has sent the swarm. She believes that the swarm will follow them. While they are talking the locusts make their way in, everyone dashes through the trapdoor and Maggie sees a figure of a man, she swings the sword and cleaves the man in two only for him to reform, he seems to be formed from locusts. He calls Maggie ‘Godslayer’. Maggie dives into the tunnel and Clive bolts it shut.

The get to the garage to find that Grace and Rissa have already left. Maggie, Clive and Ben head off towards Tse Bonito.

Chapter 15

They stop in a parking lot in Tse Bonito, Clive explains that this is where the trail ended and expects that this is where Rissa will come to find them.

Maggie speaks to Ben. She shows her the flakes of blood and asks her if she can use this to track Caleb and Kai. Ben says she can but seems scared to use her clan powers in front of Maggie and in public. They go into an alley where Ben takes the flakes and licks them. This awakens her clan powers and she is now able to follow the trail anywhere.

They get some food at a small café except that the waitress refuses to serve Maggie. Ben suggests that they need to head south but Clive is unconvinced, he says there is nothing but empty desert in that direction until you reach Lupton which just leads to the Wall. This reminds Maggie of a map she saw at the mountain which had highlighted a route to Lupton. Lupton is a refugee post at the southern entrance into Dinétah. The wonder whether they will need to leave Dinétah.

The waitress at the café overhears and tells them about Route 66, she has a pawnshop full of maps and memorabilia of Route 66. Maggie says that it looks like they are headed that way, would the waitress share any of this with them. She says should be willing to give them everything for a price. The waitress, it turns out, is the shape-shifting cat Mósi.

Chapter 16

Mósi shows them the map and says they can have it if she can go with them. Maggie explains that if she comes she will have to be part of the team like everyone else. After some discussion Mósi agrees to share her map, her aid and her knowledge in return for protection on Route 66 - the Mother Road - to a destination of her choice. After some persuasion from Clive, Maggie agrees.

Maggie is still dubious about the deal, she doesn’t believe that Mósi or any of the gods can be trusted. Ben hears the locusts approaching and they decide to head off before the swarm arrives, they don’t have time to wait for Rissa. Mósi tells them to lead the locusts out of town, to protect it from the swarm.

Chapter 17

As they approach Lupton they see the refugee camp but find that it is completely empty. Maggie reaches the assumption that everyone has left to follow the White Locust.

They see that the gates are open and see a body hanging above the gate. Maggie and Clive soon see that the body is Caleb.

Welcome to the second check in of this book.

Last week u/tomesandtea led us through the beginning of this work and asked that we be mindful of language in or discussion. I would like to reiterate those points and hope that they won’t mind that I have copied and pasted their guidance below as a reminder:

‘A note to promote respectful discussion:

The book often incorporates outdated and derogatory terms for Black people. Please do not type out the racist terms completely. You can refer to these terms when needed by typing “N-word” or “n***er”.

For other terms, you can quote or paraphrase Malcolm's own terms such as Negro where applicable. If you are connecting the text to today's world, the current terms in use in the US are Black or African-American (both capitalized).

Please think over your comments with an eye on ensuring that all participants feel respected and included in the conversation. If you don't know or understand something about US racial history or current events, ask questions instead of making assumptions. Thank you for your efforts to make this a productive conversation and learning experience!’

Please find my summaries below but feel free to skip ahead to the discussion.

A note on my summaries: I have summarised from my own reading notes but have used AI to proof read before posting.

Chapter 5: Harlemite

The war had taken many men away from railroad jobs, leaving plenty of vacancies for people like Malcolm. Ella got him the job, eager to get him away from Boston and Sophia. Malcolm was pleased because it gave him the chance to see New York City. Everything about New York excited him.

Unbeknownst to Ella, he continued to see Sophia. Whenever he returned from New York, she would make time to see him. She did not want him to take the railroad job, but because she believed he was old enough to be drafted, she was relieved he was avoiding that possibility. Shorty, meanwhile, was deeply worried about being drafted and was taking “some stuff” that would make his heart sound defective during a medical examination.

Malcolm got a job as a fourth cook — essentially a pot washer. His first posting took him to Washington, D.C., where he witnessed the poverty many Black residents lived in only a short distance from the White House.

On his first trip to New York, he was spellbound by Harlem and immediately felt that this was where he belonged. He took every opportunity to experience all that New York — and Harlem in particular — had to offer. Before long, famous musicians counted among his friends and were recommending barbershops to him. Bartenders at Small’s soon poured him drinks without him even asking because he had become such a regular.

Harlem soon began to influence Malcolm. He admitted he had become more uncouth and even received a warning from his employers for cursing at a customer. Eventually, his behaviour led to his dismissal from the railroad job, and he decided to return home to visit his family. His Zoot suit and Conk caused quite a stir in Lansing, especially at a school dance.

He later returned to New York and resumed railroad work until he was offered a job at Small’s Paradise.
While working there, he learned about Harlem’s history: how it had evolved from a Dutch settlement into a predominantly Black neighbourhood shaped by segregation and poverty. He also learned various hustles from customers, ranging from confidence tricks to armed robbery.

Chapter 6: Detroit Red

Malcolm got a job at Small’s Paradise, where he met some of Harlem’s most notorious hustlers. He describes many of the major hustles taking place in New York at the time.

He recounts the colourful characters he met at Small’s, from Cadillac Drake to Jumpsteady. These were men who had broken countless laws in order to survive, and their ability to do so made them some of the most respected figures in the bar.

After leaving the railroad, Malcolm moved into a building where he was one of the few men living there. Surrounded by sex workers, he claimed he learned more about women there than anywhere else.

Sophia visited him from time to time, and people were mesmerised by her. She gave him as much status in Harlem as she had in Boston. Malcolm reflects on the fascination some Black men had with White women, while also arguing that many White people were equally fascinated by Black culture and identity.

He tells a story about a White “hipster” who insisted he saw no racial differences and lived with two Black women. One night, Malcolm and Sophia encountered him, and when he found himself alone with Sophia, he asked what a woman like her was doing with a Black man like Malcolm.

Eventually, Sophia married a White man, though she did not intend this to change her relationship with Malcolm. Sammy had prepared Malcolm for this possibility, claiming that White women were “practical”: they would marry White men for stability while continuing relationships with Black men out of desire.

Over time, Malcolm became known as “Detroit Red” to distinguish him from the other Reds — St. Louis Red, an armed robber, and Chicago Red, a nightclub comedian.

One afternoon, while Malcolm was working at Small’s, a Black serviceman came in looking miserable. Malcolm asked if he wanted a girl and gave him a phone number. The man turned out to be a military investigator. Malcolm was arrested, but many officers knew him from Small’s and recognised that he had not accepted any money. Joe Baker, a plainclothes detective, agreed simply to frighten him as a warning. Although Malcolm avoided a criminal record, he was fired and barred from Small’s.

Sammy then helped him to begin selling marijuana.
Malcolm had many contacts among musicians, giving him a strong market for drugs. Some customers were also interested in harder narcotics. He was soon selling so much that he barely had time to sleep and was earning $50–60 a day — a fortune for a young Black man at the time. Because he knew many of his clients personally, he would often smoke with them.

He later returned to Boston to visit Ella, catch up on news about his brothers, and see Shorty and Sophia. He told Shorty about Harlem’s hustlers, including Sammy’s method of manipulating women into dependency by stealing from them, then comforting and financially supporting them afterward.
Back in Harlem, Malcolm soon attracted the attention of narcotics detectives. He became careful about how he carried drugs so he could quickly dispose of them if he suspected he was being followed. One day, he returned home and realised someone — almost certainly detectives — had been inside, likely planting evidence. He immediately moved, began carrying a gun, and became increasingly paranoid.

Eventually, word spread that he was on the Harlem police’s “Special List.” Police frequently searched people and were widely suspected of planting evidence. Malcolm was searched regularly, and each time he loudly declared that he had nothing on him and did not want anything planted on him. This often worked because many Harlem residents deeply distrusted the police.

The police attention made it harder for him to earn money. He moved to a poorer area where more addicts recognised his methods and stole from him. Sammy eventually suggested he use his railroad ID to travel for a while until the pressure died down. Malcolm realised he could travel along the East Coast selling drugs to contacts on the way.

One day, he returned to New York and discovered that Reginald’s ship was being repaired there for a week. Malcolm showed him around Harlem, introduced him to people, and encouraged him to leave the merchant marine and join him there. Reginald agreed to consider it.

Meanwhile, the draft board caught up with Malcolm. Terrified of fighting in the war, he exaggerated his eagerness to kill people during his interview. As a result, he was referred for psychological evaluation and declared unfit for military service on medical grounds. He never heard from the draft board again.

Chapter 7: Hustler

Malcolm began playing poker in and around Grand Central Station. After pulling a gun on a dealer who tried to cheat him, police warned him never to be seen there again without a ticket. Unable to return to railroad work and too well known to narcotics officers, he turned to other hustles to survive.
For the first time, he became involved in robbery, using harder narcotics to give himself the confidence to carry out jobs. Even then, he claimed he was careful never to steal more than he needed.

Reginald eventually joined Malcolm in Harlem, and Malcolm quickly introduced him to musicians, bars, and nightclubs. They got their first apartment together, and Malcolm introduced Reginald to hustling by selling cheaply bought “seconds” as supposedly stolen goods for a large profit.

Racial tensions in Harlem were increasing. Mayor LaGuardia closed the Savoy Ballroom, and rumours spread that the real reason was to stop Black men from dancing with White women. Tensions worsened when White police officers shot a Black soldier, triggering a riot in Harlem. Afterwards, many White visitors stayed away, hurting both nightlife businesses and hustlers who depended on White customers.

Sammy also became involved in robberies. During one job, he was grazed by a bullet. One of Sammy’s girlfriends blamed Malcolm, and Malcolm struck her during the argument. Sammy then pulled a gun on Malcolm, forcing him to flee. Although they later reconciled on the surface, the incident permanently damaged their friendship, and Malcolm increasingly relied on Reginald instead.

Malcolm became involved in more hustles, including directing clients to a madam he knew, and he drifted further into hard drugs. Rumours spread that he had participated in a robbery, and some Italian gangsters were supposedly looking for him.

At the same time, Malcolm believed he had won big in the numbers racket. West Indian Archie initially paid him, but when Malcolm returned home, he learned Archie was searching for him. It soon became clear that he was in serious trouble.

Chapter 8: Trapped

West Indian Archie claimed Malcolm had not actually won the numbers game and insisted that the betting slips proved Malcolm was mistaken. He demanded the money back, but Malcolm no longer had it.
Malcolm was unsure whether Archie was deliberately trying to cheat him, whether Archie believed Malcolm had cheated him, or whether Archie had genuinely mixed up the numbers. Regardless, neither man could afford to lose face.
In response, Malcolm descended into heavy drug use, becoming so intoxicated that he lost all sense of time. After the two men eventually met at a bar, Sammy contacted Shorty, who came to collect Malcolm and take him away from New York City.