Indra was too broad in the beam to squeeze through the shortcut's narrow spot, so John took the main road. Fortunately, the white buffalo's speed more than made up for the extra distance. In truth, John was glad to have an excuse to avoid revisiting the plateau. In some ways, he would have liked a chance for a final farewell to Houston, but was afraid it would hurt too much. Obeying the chief's simple directions, he followed a wide, well-maintained path that meandered a bit as if it