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Victor
One of Victor’s childhood friends, Thomas Builds-the-Fire has the gift of storytelling, and his stories often seem to be visions of the past or the future. However, Thomas is described as “always talking to himself… [he] was a storyteller that nobody wanted to listen to.” Victor says that he has “never been very good” to Thomas, but that Thomas has “always” been good to him. When they are older, Thomas accompanies Victor to Phoenix in order to collect Victor’s father’s ashes. During their trip, the two reconcile, and Thomas forgives Victor his abuses in exchange for the promise that Victor will, just once, stop and listen to one of the many stories Thomas tells. After Thomas offends a member of the tribal council, he’s brought to trial, and ultimately indicts himself in crimes he may or may not have actually committed—crimes that may just have been stories he felt compelled to tell.
Thomas Builds-the-Fire Quotes in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
The The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven quotes below are all either spoken by Thomas Builds-the-Fire or refer to Thomas Builds-the-Fire. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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A Drug Called Tradition
Quotes
Your past is a skeleton walking one step behind you, and your future is a skeleton walking one step in front of you... Indians never need to wear a watch because your skeletons will always remind you about the time. See, it is always now. That’s what Indian time is. The past, the future, all of it is wrapped up in the now. That’s how it is. We are trapped in the now.”
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This is What it Means to Say Phoenix
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The fireworks were small, hardly more than a few bottle rockets and a fountain. But it was enough for two Indian boys. Years later, they would need much more.
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“Wait,” Thomas yelled from his porch. “I just got to ask one favor.”
Victor stopped the pickup, leaned out the window, and shouted back. “What do you want?”
“Just one time when I’m telling a story somewhere, why don’t you stop and listen?” Thomas asked.
“Just once?”
“Just once.”
Victor waved his arms to let Thomas know that the deal was good. It was a fair trade, and that was all Victor had ever wanted from his whole life.
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The Trial of Thomas Builds-the-Fire
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Your honor, if I may continue, there is much more I need to say. There are so many more stories to tell.
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Last night I dreamed about television. I woke up crying.
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Thomas Builds-the-Fire Quotes in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
The The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven quotes below are all either spoken by Thomas Builds-the-Fire or refer to Thomas Builds-the-Fire. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
A Drug Called Tradition
Quotes
Your past is a skeleton walking one step behind you, and your future is a skeleton walking one step in front of you... Indians never need to wear a watch because your skeletons will always remind you about the time. See, it is always now. That’s what Indian time is. The past, the future, all of it is wrapped up in the now. That’s how it is. We are trapped in the now.”
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This is What it Means to Say Phoenix
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The fireworks were small, hardly more than a few bottle rockets and a fountain. But it was enough for two Indian boys. Years later, they would need much more.
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“Wait,” Thomas yelled from his porch. “I just got to ask one favor.”
Victor stopped the pickup, leaned out the window, and shouted back. “What do you want?”
“Just one time when I’m telling a story somewhere, why don’t you stop and listen?” Thomas asked.
“Just once?”
“Just once.”
Victor waved his arms to let Thomas know that the deal was good. It was a fair trade, and that was all Victor had ever wanted from his whole life.
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The Trial of Thomas Builds-the-Fire
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Your honor, if I may continue, there is much more I need to say. There are so many more stories to tell.
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Distances
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Last night I dreamed about television. I woke up crying.
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