But federal charters, treaties, and other legal actions had turned what had once been local bands and extended family groups into sovereign tribes, a purely judicial creation of convenience. Johnstone had told him to be at the Zeba Community Hall near the reservation for a 10 a.m. meeting, but the place was empty two hours before that. Denninger said, “Uh, we on like, a mission, or is this just a pleasure drive?” “There’s a difference?” She made a snorky sound. “I want to take the local temperature.” “White, red, or Martian?” “Whatever.” “Big Ned’s will be the place,” she said. “We’ll tell them we’re doing our annual animal-trap survey.” “Our what?” “Pay attention,” she said. “You might learn something.” They pulled up to Big Ned’s General Store at McComb’s Corner, three miles from the Marquette County line.
