N01   1 <#FROWN:N01\><p_><quote_>"That is him,"<quote/> P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez 
N01   2 said. <quote_>"He wants to talk with you about a serious business 
N01   3 deal."<quote/><p/>
N01   4 <p_>Fenton laughed, then jumped into the conversation. <quote_>"Now 
N01   5 ain't that too bad. That herd is already-"<quote/><p/>
N01   6 <p_><quote_>"Shut your mouth, Dan!"<quote/> Zach barked.<p/>
N01   7 <p_>Fenton frowned. <quote_>"What the hell's the matter with you, 
N01   8 Zach?"<quote/><p/>
N01   9 <p_><quote_>"You got a bad habit of talking first and thinking 
N01  10 second,"<quote/> Zach said. <quote_>"That's how come I ramrod this 
N01  11 outfit."<quote/><p/>
N01  12 <p_>Fenton, embarrassed, shut up and treated himself to a drink. 
N01  13 <quote_>"Sure, Zach."<quote/><p/>
N01  14 <p_><quote_>"So your boss is inter'sted in them cattle, 
N01  15 hey?"<quote/> Zach asked P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez.<p/>
N01  16 <p_><quote_>"He has noted them and wants to find out more, that's 
N01  17 all,"<quote/> P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez said. <quote_>" If things look 
N01  18 acceptable to him, he might make an offer."<quote/> Like his 
N01  19 employer, he wanted as little to do with gringos as possible. 
N01  20 <quote_>"I told him I didn't think it worth the effort."<quote/> He 
N01  21 added the last statement to make the bargaining easier for his 
N01  22 boss.<p/>
N01  23 <p_>But Zach wasn't buying that. <quote_>"Is that why he's come up 
N01  24 here all this way, dragging a big ol' tent and enough men to start 
N01  25 a revolution?"<quote/> He toyed with his glass. <quote_>"I got my 
N01  26 boys out keeping an eye on things, P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez."<quote/><p/>
N01  27 <p_>P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez's face remained stony. <quote_>"Don Diego 
N01  28 Mendoza wants to talk to you."<quote/><p/>
N01  29 <p_><quote_>"He's waiting for me, is he?"<quote/> Zach inquired as 
N01  30 he poured another drink.<p/>
N01  31 <p_><quote_>"He has instructed me to take you directly to 
N01  32 him,"<quote/> P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez said.<p/>
N01  33 <p_><quote_>"I reckon I could do that,"<quote/> Zach said. 
N01  34 <quote_>"When does he want to see me?"<quote/><p/>
N01  35 <p_><quote_>"I can take you there now,"<quote/> P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez 
N01  36 said.<p/>
N01  37 <p_><quote_>"I never seen a Mexican in such an all-fire 
N01  38 hurry,"<quote/> Zach said grinning. <quote_>"This must be real 
N01  39 important to him."<quote/><p/>
N01  40 <p_><quote_>"Don Diego don't like to be this close to the border 
N01  41 for long,"<quote/> P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez said. <quote_>"He want to 
N01  42 talk with you, then go back to Rancho Cielo Mexicano."<quote/><p/>
N01  43 <p_><quote_>"I can't fault him that,"<quote/> Zach said getting up. 
N01  44 <quote_>"I reckon if I had me a big ol' ranch with a grand house on 
N01  45 it, I'd want to stay close to home too. And I'll bet he's got a 
N01  46 perty woman to dally with and an ugly wife, like all them rich 
N01  47 Mexicans, huh, P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez?"<quote/><p/>
N01  48 <p_>P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez ignored the remark. <quote_>"Let us 
N01  49 go."<quote/><p/>
N01  50 <p_>Zach pointed to Fenton. <quote_>"Dan's coming with 
N01  51 me."<quote/><p/>
N01  52 <p_><quote_>"That's fine. But one man only with you,"<quote/> 
N01  53 P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez said.<p/>
N01  54 <p_><quote_>"That there Don Diego must be a nervous sort,"<quote/> 
N01  55 Zach said laughing.<p/>
N01  56 <p_>P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez didn't crack as much as a smile. 
N01  57 <quote_>"He is a wise and careful man."<quote/> He turned and 
N01  58 walked toward the door. <quote_>"Come! We go there now."<quote/><p/>
N01  59 <p_>Zach and Fenton followed the Mexican out to the street where 
N01  60 all three mounted up. P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez led the way out of town, 
N01  61 taking them down the south road and past the Rancho Cielo Mexicano 
N01  62 guards who carefully watched Don Diego's camp. The short trip ended 
N01  63 in front of the large tent.<p/>
N01  64 <p_><quote_>"Wait here,"<quote/> P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez said. He went 
N01  65 inside the canvas domicile. After a couple of minutes he emerged. 
N01  66 <quote_>"Come in."<quote/> He pointed to Zach. <quote_>"Only you. 
N01  67 Don Diego waits for you."<quote/><p/>
N01  68 <p_><quote_>"Keep an eye open, Dan,"<quote/> Zach said to Fenton. 
N01  69 Then he grinned. <quote_>"O'course there ain't much you can do if 
N01  70 all these Mexicans decide to jump us, is there?"<quote/><p/>
N01  71 <p_><quote_>"I can do plenty,"<quote/> Fenton boasted.<p/>
N01  72 <p_><quote|>"Good," Zach said. <quote_>"You just keep thinking that 
N01  73 way."<quote/> He followed P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez inside the tent.<p/>
N01  74 <p_>P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez announced their names for each other. 
N01  75 <quote_>"Don Diego Mendoza. Zach Medford."<quote/> Then he walked 
N01  76 to a nearby chair and sat down.<p/>
N01  77 <p_>Don Diego Mendoza was a tall, gaunt man with a large gray 
N01  78 mustache, His skin was as white as any European's, making it easy 
N01  79 to see that the Mendoza family had bred the Indian out of their 
N01  80 bloodline. He sat at the table where a bottle of tequila, a bowl of 
N01  81 salt, and slices of lemon on a saucer had been set. <quote_>"Sit 
N01  82 down,"<quote/> the wealthy rancher invited.<p/>
N01  83 <p_><quote_>"Sure, Don Diego,"<quote/> Zach said. <quote_>"That's 
N01  84 right neighborly of you and I don't mind if'n I do."<quote/><p/>
N01  85 <p_><quote_>"Help yourself,"<quote/> Don Diego said gesturing to 
N01  86 the refreshments.<p/>
N01  87 <p_><quote_>"You rich Mexicans got style,"<quote/> Zach said. 
N01  88 <quote_>"I'll say that for you."<quote/> He poured himself a glass 
N01  89 of tequila, then licked the top of his left hand between the thumb 
N01  90 and forefinger. Taking some salt from the bowl, he sprinkled it on 
N01  91 the wet spot then licked it up. After downing the glass of tequila 
N01  92 in one quick swallow, he grabbed a hunk of lemon and sucked on 
N01  93 it.<p/>
N01  94 <p_><quote_>"You have some twenty-five head of cattle,"<quote/> Don 
N01  95 Diego said. <quote_>"Are they for sale?"<quote/><p/>
N01  96 <p_><quote_>"They was,"<quote/> Zach said. <quote_>"But I already 
N01  97 sold them."<quote/><p/>
N01  98 <p_>Don Diego smiled slightly knowing the kind of man he was 
N01  99 dealing with. <quote_>"That is too bad. I was 
N01 100 interested."<quote/><p/>
N01 101 <p_><quote_>"How interested?"<quote/><p/>
N01 102 <p_><quote_>"I will give you two thousand dollars worth of silver 
N01 103 pesos,"<quote/> Don Diego said.<p/>
N01 104 <p_><quote_>"My buyer gimme three thousand in Yankee 
N01 105 dollars,"<quote/> Zach said.<p/>
N01 106 <p_><quote_>"I will give you two thousand dollars worth of silver 
N01 107 pesos,"<quote/> Don Diego repeated.<p/>
N01 108 <p_><quote_>"You're supposed to bargain up, not stay the 
N01 109 same,"<quote/> Zach said.<p/>
N01 110 <p_>Don Diego spoke bluntly. <quote_>"I am not going to bargain. I 
N01 111 do not believe you were given three thousand dollars. Therefore, I 
N01 112 have made my offer. Do you take it?"<quote/><p/>
N01 113 <p_>Zach liked the idea of silver coins rather than the paper money 
N01 114 that Squint Tallislaw would pay him with. Particularly at double 
N01 115 the amount. <quote|>"Sure." He looked around. <quote_>"You got it 
N01 116 here?"<quote/><p/>
N01 117 <p_><quote_>"Don't worry about that,"<quote/> Don Diego said. 
N01 118 <quote_>"If we make a bargain, I can get it."<quote/><p/>
N01 119 <p_><quote_>"I hope it's close,"<quote/> Zach said. <quote_>"I'm in 
N01 120 a real hurry to wrap up this deal."<quote/><p/>
N01 121 <p_><quote_>"It is close enough,"<quote/> Don Diego said. 
N01 122 <quote_>"What is the matter? Does the first buyer represent danger 
N01 123 to you?"<quote/><p/>
N01 124 <p_><quote_>"I can handle him, don't you worry none about 
N01 125 that,"<quote/> Zach said. <quote_>"But it's important to know when 
N01 126 I got to make any necessary moves. The longer I dally around here 
N01 127 with that herd, the sooner the other feller is gonna find out 
N01 128 things."<quote/><p/>
N01 129 <p_><quote_>"I can take over the herd now, if you wish,"<quote/> 
N01 130 Don Diego said. <quote_>"I have enough men."<quote/><p/>
N01 131 <p_><quote_>"You get them silver pesos to me first,"<quote/> Zach 
N01 132 said testily. <quote_>"Then you and your boys can move them cattle. 
N01 133 And not a minute before."<quote/><p/>
N01 134 <p_><quote_>"Of course,"<quote/> Don Diego said. <quote_>"I will 
N01 135 give you the full amount day after tomorrow."<quote/><p/>
N01 136 <p_><quote_>"Do you have some boys bringing it up from your 
N01 137 ranch?"<quote/> Zach asked.<p/>
N01 138 <p_><quote_>"The method of transportation is no concern of 
N01 139 yours,"<quote/> Don Diego said coldly. <quote_>"Nor the time of its 
N01 140 arrival. You need worry about nothing except the hour it will be 
N01 141 given you. P<*_>e-acute<*/>rez will fetch you when you are to be 
N01 142 paid."<quote/><p/>
N01 143 <p_><quote_>"Sure, Don Diego,"<quote/> Zach said. <quote_>"That's 
N01 144 good enough for me."<quote/> He stood up. <quote_>"So we got a 
N01 145 deal. Shake on it?"<quote/> He offered his hand.<p/>
N01 146 <p_><quote_>"I am sure you shook hands with the first 
N01 147 buyer,"<quote/> Don Diego said disdainfully. <quote_>"That shows 
N01 148 the value of the trust that can be put into you. Do not trouble 
N01 149 yourself with me. I will not be impressed nor fooled by your 
N01 150 insincerity."<quote/><p/>
N01 151 <p_>Zach laughed. <quote_>"By God, Don Diego! You're a caution. 
N01 152 You're the kind o' man I like to do business with."<quote/><p/>
N01 153 <p_><quote_>"Good day, 
N01 154 <tf|><}_><-|>s<*_>e-tilde<*/>nor<+|>se<*_>n-tilde<*/>or<}/> 
N01 155 Medford."<quote/><p/>
N01 156 <p_>Zach left the tent and joined Dan Fenton who had waited with 
N01 157 their horses. <quote_>"Let's get back to town."<quote/><p/>
N01 158 <p_>As they rode out of the Mexican camp, Fenton's curiosity got 
N01 159 the better of him. <quote_>"What went on in there? And how come 
N01 160 you're grinning like a shit-eating pig?"<quote/><p/>
N01 161 <p_><quote_>"We got a good deal for them cattle from that 
N01 162 Mexican,"<quote/> Zach said.<p/>
N01 163 <p_><quote_>"That's good, Zach!"<quote/> Then suddenly Fenton 
N01 164 frowned in puzzlement. <quote_>"But you already sold that herd to 
N01 165 Squint."<quote/><p/>
N01 166 <p_><quote_>"Well, I'm just gonna <tf_>un<tf/>sell it,"<quote/> 
N01 167 Zach said.<p/>
N01 168 <p_><quote_>"Squint ain't gonna be real happy about that,"<quote/> 
N01 169 Fenton warned him.<p/>
N01 170 <p_><quote_>"There ain't nobody with Squint but them two boys of 
N01 171 his, is there?"<quote/> Zach said. <quote_>"We'll get George out at 
N01 172 the herd to go with us. The three of us will let Squint know the 
N01 173 deal is off."<quote/><p/>
N01 174 <p_><quote_>"Squint don't do business that way."<quote/><p/>
N01 175 <p_><quote_>"Then we'll make sure he don't give us an 
N01 176 argument,"<quote/> Zach said <quote_>"He won't even be able to bat 
N01 177 an eye over the situation."<quote/><p/>
N01 178 <p_>Fenton laughed. <quote_>"He ain't got but one eye to bat, 
N01 179 Zach!"<quote/> Zach chuckled. <quote_>"That's pretty good, Dan. Did 
N01 180 you think o' that all by yourself?"<quote/><p/>
N01 181 <p_><quote_>"I did,"<quote/> Fenton said proudly. Then he became 
N01 182 serious again. <quote_>"Them two <foreign|>pistoleros with Squint 
N01 183 is good. Maybe we should get Ed and Bill to come in 
N01 184 too."<quote/><p/>
N01 185 <p_><quote_>"Somebody's got to watch the cattle,"<quote/> Zach 
N01 186 said. <quote_>"And don't worry. We ain't gonna engage Squint and 
N01 187 his boys in a lot o' conversation. When I give the word, you and 
N01 188 George get them two gunmen. I'll take care o' Squint."<quote/><p/>
N01 189 <p_><quote_>"That's like the last cards in seven-card stud - down 
N01 190 and dirty, Zach,"<quote/> Fenton said.<p/>
N01 191 <p_><quote_>"Yeah. It sure as hell is."<quote/> He laughed. 
N01 192 <quote_>"And we're gonna deal a hand to Squint where we know what 
N01 193 cards he's got."<quote/><p/>
N01 194 <p_>The two skirted Junto and went out to the west of the town to a 
N01 195 wide-open range. Hundreds of cattle, all stolen, grazed under the 
N01 196 eyes of various rustler gangs who jealously guarded their living, 
N01 197 breathing loot, while the rustler chiefs worked hard at making 
N01 198 deals in Junto. Many of their business associates were law-abiding 
N01 199 citizens up in Texas or over in Louisiana. But once in Mexico, they 
N01 200 left their moral standards behind them.<p/>
N01 201 <p_>Zach and Fenton rode over to their own herd. When they came to 
N01 202 a halt, the outlaw leader cast an appreciative eye over the 
N01 203 longhorns they'd murdered for. <quote_>"Damn fine 
N01 204 cattle."<quote/><p/>
N01 205 <p_>George Capper, Ed Maring, and Bill Draper joined the two. 
N01 206 Capper gestured at the herd with a nod of his head. <quote_>"We got 
N01 207 them cows sold yet? Me and the boys is tired o' playing nursemaid 
N01 208 to 'em."<quote/><p/>
N01 209 <p_>Ed Maring laughed. <quote_>"Yeah. It's honest work. Something I 
N01 210 ain't real fond of."<quote/><p/>
N01 211 <p_><quote_>"We got a better price from a Mexican,"<quote/> Zach 
N01 212 said. <quote_>"So we're taking that one."<quote/><p/>
N01 213 <p_><quote_>"What about Squint?"<quote/> Capper asked.<p/>
N01 214 <p_><quote_>"You're going into town with me and Dan to take care o' 
N01 215 that matter,"<quote/> Zach said. <quote_>"Squint and his gunmen 
N01 216 will be in the saloon by the time we get there."<quote/><p/>
N01 217 <p_><quote_>"How're we gonna do this, Zach?"<quote/> Fenton 
N01 218 nervously asked.<p/>
N01 219 <p_><quote_>"Listen up. I'll go in first, then you two follow. As 
N01 220 soon as you're inside and ready, say something about the 
N01 221 weather."<quote/><p/>
N01 222 <p_><quote_>"What should we say, Zach?"<quote/> Fenton asked.<p/>
N01 223 <p_><quote_>"Any goddamn thing you want to,"<quote/> Zach said. He 
N01 224 shook his head in exasperation.<quote_>"Just say that it looks like 
N01 225 rain."<quote/><p/>
N01 226 <p_>Fenton looked up at the sky. <quote_>"It don't look like rain, 
N01 227 Zach."<quote/><p/>
N01 228 <p_><quote_>"That don't mean nothing, you dumb 
N01 229 sonofabitch!"<quote/> Zach almost yelled out loud. <quote_>"Just 
N01 230 say that. As soon as it's out of your mouth, we all draw and start 
N01 231 firing. I'll take Squint. Dan you take whatever <tf|>pistolero is 
N01 232 on the left. George, get the feller on the right. Can you do 
N01 233 that?"<quote/><p/>
N01 234 <p_><quote|>"Sure,"<quote/> Capper said. <quote_>"Don't worry none, 
N01 235 Zach."<quote/><p/>
N01 236 <p_><quote_>"Then let's ride on into Junto,"<quote/> Zach said. He 
N01 237 nodded to Ed Maring and Bill Draper. <quote_>"You two keep an eye 
N01 238 on them cattle."<quote/><p/>
N01 239 <p_><quote_>"That's all we been doing anyhow,"<quote/> Maring 
N01 240 said.<p/>
N01 241 <p_>The three traveled the short distance into Junto. All were a 
N01 242 bit edgy about the double-dealing and killing they were about to 
N01 243 undertake. When they reached the saloon, Zach said, <quote_>"Wait 
N01 244 here. I'll peek inside and see if Squint and his boys is 
N01 245 there."<quote/> He walked up to the door and took a quick look. He 
N01 246 came back. <quote_>"Yeah. They're at that back table. Now wait 
N01 247 a<&|>sic! half a minute before you come in behind me. Act casual, 
N01 248 but be ready to shoot fast when you get through saying it looks 
N01 249 like rain."<quote/><p/>
N01 250 <p_><quote_>"We're ready,"<quote/> Fenton said. There was a tone of 
N01 251 determination in his voice.<p/>
N01 252 <p_><quote_>"Yeah. Let's do it,"<quote/> Capper said, echoing the 
N01 253 feeling.<p/>
N01 254 <p_>Zach went back to the door, this time going inside. 
N01 255 <quote_>"Howdy, Tom<*_>a-acute<*/>s,"<quote/> he said to the 
N01 256 bartender. Then he feigned surprise at seeing Squint Tallislaw and 
N01 257 his men.
N01 258 
N02   1 <#FROWN:N02\><p_><quote_>"Get some boys and drag him to the jail. 
N02   2 Log him in for murder."<quote/>
N02   3 <quote_>"You'll not get away with this, Tom,"<quote/> a BS rider 
N02   4 said. <quote_>"Bull will not see no man of his on the 
N02   5 gallows."<quote/>
N02   6 Tom ignored that. <quote_>"Van, Parley, take down the names of all 
N02   7 these men who witnessed the shooting in the saloon. After that's 
N02   8 done, you boys ride back to the Flyin' BS and stay the hell 
N02   9 there."<quote/> He turned his back to them and faced the Carlin 
N02  10 House. <quote_>"You men clear out. Right now. Get the hell to the 
N02  11 JC range and cool down."<quote/>
N02  12 <quote_>"You murderin' scum!"<quote/> a woman yelled from the 
N02  13 Carlin side of town. <quote_>"Goddamn trash, all of you!"<quote/>
N02  14 Sam and Matt stared at the woman. Maybe twenty-one or so, and 
N02  15 definitely cute. But with a voice that would put a steam whistle to 
N02  16 shame.
N02  17 <quote_>"Petunia Carlin,"<quote/> a shopkeeper spoke from the door 
N02  18 of his business. <quote_>"She's just getting wound up."<quote/>
N02  19 The young woman then started letting the invectives fly, shouting 
N02  20 the curses across the street.
N02  21 <quote_>"My word!"<quote/> Sam said.
N02  22 <quote_>"I told you,"<quote/> the shopkeeper said.
N02  23 <quote|>"Petunia!" Tom Riley yelled. <quote_>"Close that nasty 
N02  24 mouth of yours and get on back into the dress shop. Move, 
N02  25 girl!"<quote/>
N02  26 Petunia stared at the marshal, stamped her little foot in anger, 
N02  27 then gave Tom a very obscene gesture. She stomped back into the 
N02  28 shop.
N02  29 A young man stepped away from the crowd and yelled, <quote_>"You 
N02  30 don't talk to my sister like that, Riley!"<quote/>
N02  31 <quote_>"Pete Carlin,"<quote/> the shopkeeper said. 
N02  32 <quote_>"Petunia's twin brother. Crazy <}_><-|> mean <+|>man<}/>."
N02  33 <quote_>"Why are you talking to us?"<quote/> Matt asked, twisting 
N02  34 on the bench to look at the man. <quote_>"No one else in town 
N02  35 will."<quote/>
N02  36 <quote_>"Shut up, Pete!"<quote/> Tom told the young man. 
N02  37 <quote_>"Before your butt overloads your mouth."<quote/>
N02  38 <quote_>"Aw, I figure you boys is all right,"<quote/> the 
N02  39 shopkeeper said. <quote_>"You just rode into a bad situation and 
N02  40 don't have the good sense to ride out."<quote/> He turned and 
N02  41 walked back into the shop.
N02  42 <quote_>"There is some truth in his words,"<quote/> Sam said.
N02  43 <quote_>"You don't tell me what to do either, Tom,"<quote/> Pete 
N02  44 yelled. <quote_>"My pa will skin you and nail your hide to the barn 
N02  45 door."<quote/>
N02  46 Petunia stuck her bonneted head out of the dress shop. 
N02  47 <quote_>"Pete! Shut your damn mouth and get off the boardwalk. You 
N02  48 know what Pa said. Move."<quote/>
N02  49 Pete muttered something and stepped back into the Carlin House.
N02  50 The body of the dead A.T. puncher was toted off, and the BS rider 
N02  51 was dragged off to jail. Matt and Sam had not left the bench during 
N02  52 the entire episode. Tom walked slowly over to them.
N02  53 <quote_>"That gunny who squatted down and talked to you boys, who 
N02  54 is he?"<quote/>
N02  55 <quote_>"Bob Coody,"<quote/> Matt told him. <quote/>"From Texas 
N02  56 way. He doesn't like me very much."<quote/>
N02  57 <quote|>"Why?"
N02  58 <quote_>"He claims I killed a friend of his down along the 
N02  59 Pecos."<quote/>
N02  60 <quote/>"Did you?"<quote/>
N02  61 Matt shrugged. <quote_>"It's a possibility.'"<quote/>
N02  62 <quote_>"The lid is going to blow off this boilin' pot 
N02  63 now,"<quote/> Tom said, removing his hat and wiping first his 
N02  64 forehead and then the inside band with a handkerchief. <quote_>"I 
N02  65 expect to see the whole kit-and-caboodle of them come stormin' 
N02  66 in."<quote/>
N02  67 <quote_>"Petunia appears to be a very nice young lady,"<quote/> Sam 
N02  68 said with a straight face.
N02  69 Tom looked at him, astonished. Then he smiled. <quote_>"Yes. Oh, 
N02  70 my, yes. Very feminine. And what you saw today was only the tip if 
N02  71 the iceberg, so to speak. Not that I've ever seen an iceberg. You 
N02  72 boys really are stayin' out of this mess, aren't you?"<quote/>
N02  73 <quote_>"We would have backed you if anybody had made a 
N02  74 move,"<quote/> Sam told him.
N02  75 <quote_>"I appreciate that. See you boys."<quote/>
N02  76 The brothers sat and watched the BS and most of the JC riders leave 
N02  77 town, galloping their horses and yelling. Pete and Petunia and a 
N02  78 few of their hands remained. Matt and Sam sat and watched Petunia 
N02  79 and her brother meet on the boardwalk and start up toward the 
N02  80 hotel. They were going to pass right by the brothers.
N02  81 <quote_>"You know any of the hands with them?"<quote/> Sam asked.
N02  82 <quote_>"Not a one. I think they're regular punchers, but just 
N02  83 remember they ride for the brand."<quote/>
N02  84 When the brother and sister and entourage got within hearing 
N02  85 distance, Pete and Petunia started whispering and giggling and 
N02  86 pointing at Matt and Sam.
N02  87 <quote|>"Lars," Petunia said. <quote_>"Do something about removing 
N02  88 that greasy Injun from my sight, will you?"<quote/>
N02  89 <quote_>"It'll be my pleasure, Miss Petunia,"<quote/> Lars said.
N02  90 <quote_>"Here we go,"<quote/> Sam spoke softly.
N02  91 Lars swaggered up and said, <quote_>"On your feet, Injun. Get off 
N02  92 the street so's decent women can pass."<quote/>
N02  93 <quote_>"I'm very comfortable right where I am,"<quote/> Sam said, 
N02  94 and then kicked him right in the nuts with the point of a boot. 
N02  95 Lars sank to his knees, his face drained of color, his mouth 
N02  96 working open and closed without a sound coming out. Sam put a boot 
N02  97 on the man's chest and shoved him off the boardwalk. He landed with 
N02  98 a plop and a small cloud of dust.
N02  99 <quote_>"You may safely pass by, Miss Petunia,"<quote/> Sam said. 
N02 100 <quote_>"I assure you, this Indian has never molested a white woman 
N02 101 nor taken a scalp in his life."<quote/>
N02 102 <quote|>"Ooohhhh," Lars moaned.
N02 103 <quote_>"You trash!"<quote/> Petunia hissed at Sam.
N02 104 <quote_>"This foul-mouthed wench is calling me trash,"<quote/> Sam 
N02 105 said to Matt. <quote_>"Since you're my brother, I guess that tars 
N02 106 you with the same brush."<quote/>
N02 107 <quote_>"Foul-mouthed wench!"<quote/> Pete yelled. <quote_>"Git up 
N02 108 on your feet, Injun, and take your lickin' like a white man. Dave, 
N02 109 Batty, watch Bodine."<quote/>
N02 110 Sam slowly stood up and then uncorked a right that knocked Pete 
N02 111 clean off the boardwalk and into the street. Matt left the bench in 
N02 112 a rush and slugged Dave hard, knocking the puncher back into Batty. 
N02 113 Batty fell off the high boardwalk and landed in a horse trough, his 
N02 114 head banging against the side of the trough. He sat there, addled, 
N02 115 water up to his neck, and with a stupid smile on his face.
N02 116 <quote_>"Why you son of a..."<quote/> Dave never got to finish it. 
N02 117 Matt plowed in, both fists swinging. One punch caught Dave on the 
N02 118 nose, and the other slammed into his jaw. Matt followed in quickly, 
N02 119 with a left to the wind and an uppercut that clicked Dave's teeth 
N02 120 together and crossed his eyes. Matt measured the man and busted him 
N02 121 square on the side of the jaw. Dave wilted on the boardwalk.
N02 122 Sam had punched Pete silly. The young man stood swaying in the 
N02 123 swirling dust of the street, blood leaking from his nose and mouth 
N02 124 and from a cut on his cheek. Matt checked Lars. Lars was in no 
N02 125 shape to do anything except moan.
N02 126 <quote_>"Finish him,"<quote/> Matt said. <quote_>"Quit playin' 
N02 127 around, Sam."<quote/>
N02 128 <quote_>"He's got a head like a rock!"<quote/> Sam said. 
N02 129 <quote_>"He won't go down."<quote/>
N02 130 Pete chose that time to smack Sam in the mouth and knock him 
N02 131 sprawling on his butt. Matt laughed and applauded. His laugh was 
N02 132 cut off short as Batty climbed out of the horse trough and slopped 
N02 133 over to him and hit him on the back of the head with a 
N02 134 work-hardened fist. Matt went to his knees and shook his head to 
N02 135 clear the birdies from it.
N02 136 Matt rolled and came up to his boots, facing the big and angry 
N02 137 puncher. <quote_>"I'm gonna tear your meathouse down, 
N02 138 Bodine,"<quote/> Batty said.
N02 139 A large crowd had gathered, encircling the fighters. Even Tom Riley 
N02 140 was there with his deputies. They seemed to be enjoying the show.
N02 141 <quote_>"Knock his teeth down his damn throat, Sam!"<quote/> a man 
N02 142 yelled.
N02 143 <quote_>"Who said that?"<quote/> Pete shouted, looking around him.
N02 144 Sam decked him, and the young man landed hard on his butt.
N02 145 Batty swung, Matt ducked, and drove his right fist just as hard as 
N02 146 he could into the puncher's belly. Batty doubled over, gasping for 
N02 147 air, and Matt hit him with a left that caught the man directly on 
N02 148 the ear. Batty staggered to one side in time to catch a punch on 
N02 149 the other ear. Batty was in a temporary world of silence, except 
N02 150 for the roaring in his head.
N02 151 <quote_>"What happened?"<quote/> he questioned.
N02 152 Matt gave him a reply in the form of a fist to the mouth. Batty's 
N02 153 feet flew out from under him, and he hit the street and didn't move.
N02 154 Sam had literally beaten Pete's face into a pulp, and still he 
N02 155 wouldn't go down. Sam finally spun him around, grabbed the young 
N02 156 man by the shirt collar and the seat of his britches and drove him 
N02 157 headfirst into a hitchrail post. Pete sighed and sank to the 
N02 158 ground, his head resting momentarily on a fresh pile of horse shit. 
N02 159 His face slowly sank out of sight.
N02 160 <quote_>"Hold that pose!"<quote/> Ralph Masters hollered, running 
N02 161 up with all his cumbersome camera gear.
N02 162 Sam and Matt leaned against a hitch rail and panted while Ralph got 
N02 163 several pictures of the scene, laughing and chuckling all the while.
N02 164 Petunia stood on the boardwalk, her face white with anger and 
N02 165 shock. Nobody did this to a Carlin. Nobody. Ever. Not and get away 
N02 166 with it.
N02 167 <quote_>"You sons of bitches!"<quote/> Petunia squalled, just as 
N02 168 Lars was sticking his head over the rim of the boardwalk. Petunia 
N02 169 reached into her purse and hauled out a short-barreled hogleg. She 
N02 170 jacked the hammer back just as the crowd began running in all 
N02 171 directions.
N02 172 Her finger slipped off the hammer, and she blew Lars's hat off his 
N02 173 head. Lars fainted with a prayer on his lips, sure he was mortally 
N02 174 wounded.
N02 175 Matt and Sam crawled under the high boardwalk just as Petunia 
N02 176 started letting the lead fly. Her mother had probably stood by her 
N02 177 husband's side, helping John fight off Indians and outlaws in the 
N02 178 early days, but Petunia was no hand with a pistol. She shot out one 
N02 179 window of the general store, fractured the striped pole outside the 
N02 180 barber shop, blew the saddle horn off of a hitched horse on the 
N02 181 other side of the street, sending the frightened animal racing up 
N02 182 the road, drilled a wooden Indian outside the tabacco and gun shop 
N02 183 right between the eyes, and sent the sixth shot rocketing toward 
N02 184 space. Dave was just getting to his feet when Petunia hurled the 
N02 185 empty gun in frustration. The pistol caught the back of his head 
N02 186 and sent him sprawling back into the street, out cold.
N02 187 Tom and his deputies rushed out form cover, and he told a lady to 
N02 188 grab Petunia before she could get her hands on another gun. The 
N02 189 ample lady grabbed the girl, and Petunia tore away and socked her 
N02 190 on the jaw. The lady rared back and gave Petunia double what she 
N02 191 had received. Petunia went down on her bustle with a busted lip and 
N02 192 commenced to squalling at the top of her lungs.
N02 193 Tom ran over and not-too-gently jerked Petunia up and marched her 
N02 194 toward the jail. <quote_>"Thank you, Mrs. Jackson,"<quote/> he said 
N02 195 to the lady.
N02 196 <quote_>"You're sure welcome, Tom. It was worth a bruised 
N02 197 jaw."<quote/>
N02 198 Petunia stuck out her tongue at the woman and cussed her.
N02 199 <quote|>"Pitiful," Mrs. Jackson said, as Tom marched the young 
N02 200 woman up the boardwalk.
N02 201 <quote_>"Where the hell do you think you're taking me, you 
N02 202 jackass?"<quote/> Petunia bellered.
N02 203 <quote_>"To jail, Petunia,"<quote/> Tom informed her. <quote_>"And 
N02 204 you'd best shut that big mouth of yours before I forget that you're 
N02 205 a female and turn you over my knee, take off my belt, and give you 
N02 206 what your daddy should have given you years back."<quote/>
N02 207 <quote_>"Unhand me, you brute!"<quote/>
N02 208 Van and Nate were dragging the unconscious Pete Carlin up the 
N02 209 center of the street. Ralph Masters was working frantically, taking 
N02 210 pictures of the event.
N02 211 Lars opened his eyes and gingerly felt his head. <quote_>"Am I 
N02 212 dead?"<quote/> he asked.
N02 213 <quote|>"No," Parley told him. <quote_>"Just under arrest."<quote/>
N02 214 <quote_>"That ain't good, but it's better than dead,"<quote/> Lars 
N02 215 replied.
N02 216 And a lone figure slipped out the back of the Carlin House, made 
N02 217 his way to the livery, and lit a shuck for home range. John Carlin 
N02 218 was going to hit the ceiling when he learned of this.
N02 219 Matt and Sam crawled out from under the high boardwalk.
N02 220 
N03   1 <#FROWN:N03\><p_><quote_>"Why, Mr. Chaney, everyone has to be 
N03   2 somewhere,"<quote/> Lily answered.<p/>
N03   3 <p_><quote_>"I agree,"<quote/> Buck said. <quote_>"But that doesn't 
N03   4 sound like a Texas drawl to me. I'd say it was more Mississippi or 
N03   5 Alabama."<quote/><p/>
N03   6 <p_>For just an instant, the sparkle died in Lily's eyes, and 
N03   7 though the smile never left her face, Buck could see way down, deep 
N03   8 inside, and he regretted making the comment.<p/>
N03   9 <p_><quote_>"I'm sorry, ma'am, I've already said too much,"<quote/> 
N03  10 Buck apologized. <quote_>"I reckon we all have things we'd as soon 
N03  11 not remember."<quote/><p/>
N03  12 <p_>Fred, who had been talking to the young girl at the end of the 
N03  13 bar, came back to speak to Lily.<p/>
N03  14 <p_><quote_>"It's Ann, Miss Lily. She says one of her customers is 
N03  15 getting a little rough with her. He sent her down for a bottle of 
N03  16 whiskey, but she's afraid to go back up."<quote/><p/>
N03  17 <p_><quote_>"He hit me, Miss Lily,"<quote/> Ann said, and Buck 
N03  18 noticed then that there was fresh red swelling on her cheek. 
N03  19 <quote_>"Do I have go to back?"<quote/><p/>
N03  20 <p_><quote_>"No, of course you don't have to go back up,"<quote/> 
N03  21 Lily said. <quote_>"How much did he pay you?"<quote/><p/>
N03  22 <p_><quote_>"He gave me a copper chit worth two dollars,"<quote/> 
N03  23 the girl answered in a soft voice.<p/>
N03  24 <p_><quote_>"Fred, give me two dollars from the till,"<quote/> Lily 
N03  25 ordered.<p/>
N03  26 <p_>Fred opened the cash drawer and gave Lily two dollars. She 
N03  27 clinked the coins together in her hand, then started for the 
N03  28 stairs. At about the time she reached the foot of the stairs a man, 
N03  29 wearing only trousers, appeared at the railing on the upper 
N03  30 balcony.<p/>
N03  31 <p_><quote_>"Hey, you girl!"<quote/> he shouted down at Ann. 
N03  32 <quote_>"I sent you down there to get me a bottle of whiskey, not 
N03  33 have a quilting bee. You've been down there long enough! Get back 
N03  34 up here!"<quote/><p/>
N03  35 <p_><quote_>"I'm not coming back,"<quote/> Ann said.<p/>
N03  36 <p_><quote_>"What? The hell you ain't. You better get back up here 
N03  37 now, if you know what's good for you."<quote/><p/>
N03  38 <p_><quote_>"I told her she doesn't have to come back up,"<quote/> 
N03  39 Lily said.<p/>
N03  40 <p_><quote_>"Say, isn't that -"<quote/> Lance started, but Buck 
N03  41 answered before the question was even asked.<p/>
N03  42 <p_><quote_>"Yeah,"<quote/> he said. <quote_>"That's Jack Wiggins, 
N03  43 the same son of a bitch I threw off the train."<quote/><p/>
N03  44 <p_><quote_>"He gets around, doesn't he?"<quote/><p/>
N03  45 <p_><quote_>"What do you mean she's not comin' back up?"<quote/> 
N03  46 Wiggins demanded. <quote_>"I paid for her, by God. She belongs to 
N03  47 me."<quote/><p/>
N03  48 <p_><quote_>"I have your money here,"<quote/> Lily said, holding up 
N03  49 the silver so he could see it. <quote_>"I'll be happy to return it 
N03  50 to you as soon as you get dressed and leave."<quote/><p/>
N03  51 <p_><quote_>"By God, I ain't goin' nowhere!"<quote/> Wiggins 
N03  52 shouted. It wasn't until that moment that anyone realized he was 
N03  53 holding a gun. He raised the pistol and pointed it toward Lily. 
N03  54 <quote_>"Now, you tell that slut to get back up here,"<quote/> he 
N03  55 said menacingly. <quote_>"Otherwise, I'm going to put a bullet in 
N03  56 that pretty face of yours."<quote/><p/>
N03  57 <p_><quote_>"Wiggins,"<quote/> Buck shouted up to him. <quote_>"Put 
N03  58 the gun down."<quote/><p/>
N03  59 <p_>Wiggins looked toward Buck, then recognized him. His face 
N03  60 contorted with rage.<p/>
N03  61 <p_><quote|>"You!" he shouted. He swung his gun toward Buck and 
N03  62 fired. The bullet slammed into the bar between Buck and Lance. In 
N03  63 one motion, Buck had his own gun out and he fired back just as 
N03  64 Wiggins loosed a second shot.<p/>
N03  65 <p_>Wiggins's second shot smashed into the mirror behind the bar, 
N03  66 sending shards of glass all over the place but doing no further 
N03  67 damage. He never got a third, because Buck made his only shot 
N03  68 count.<p/>
N03  69 <p_>Wiggins dropped his gun over the rail and it fell to the bar 
N03  70 floor twelve feet below. He grabbed his neck and stood there, 
N03  71 stupidly, for a moment, clutching his throat as bright red blood 
N03  72 spilled between his fingers. Then his eyes rolled up in his head 
N03  73 and he crashed through the railing, turned over once in midair, and 
N03  74 landed heavily on his back alongside his dropped gun. He lay 
N03  75 motionless on the floor with open but sightless eyes staring toward 
N03  76 the ceiling. The saloon patrons who had scattered when the first 
N03  77 shot was fired, began to edge toward the body. Up on the second 
N03  78 floor landing a half-dozen girls and their customers, in various 
N03  79 stages of dress and undress, moved to the smashed railing to look 
N03  80 down on the scene.<p/>
N03  81 <p_>Gunsmoke from the three charges had merged by now, and it 
N03  82 formed a large, acrid-bitter cloud which drifted slowly toward the 
N03  83 door. Beams of sunlight became visible as they stabbed through the 
N03  84 cloud. There were rapid and heavy footfalls on the wooden sidewalk 
N03  85 outside as more people began coming in through the swinging doors. 
N03  86 One of the first ones in was a white-haired, heavyset man with a 
N03  87 tired, defeated look to his eyes. As he passed through the sun 
N03  88 bars, there was a flash of light from the star on his chest.<p/>
N03  89 <p_><quote_>"What's the trouble here?"<quote/> he asked, looking 
N03  90 around the room.<p/>
N03  91 <p_>One of the eyewitnesses chuckled.<p/>
N03  92 <p_><quote_>"Ain't no trouble now, Marshal Chism. As usual, you're 
N03  93 about a day late and a dollar short. This here fellow done took 
N03  94 care of it."<quote/><p/>
N03  95 <p_><quote_>"You the one who did the shootin'?"<quote/> the marshal 
N03  96 asked.<p/>
N03  97 <p_><quote|>"Yes," Buck answered easily.<p/>
N03  98 <p_><quote_>"Then you're under arrest, mister."<quote/><p/>
N03  99 <p_><quote_>"What? Marshal Chism, have you lost what few brains you 
N03 100 have? What are you arresting him for?"<quote/><p/>
N03 101 <p_><quote_>"For the murder of Jack Wiggins."<quote/><p/>
N03 102 <p_><quote_>"Hold on there, Marshal,"<quote/> Fred said. 
N03 103 <quote_>"You're making an awful big mistake here. This man had no 
N03 104 choice. Wiggins commenced to shootin' first."<quote/><p/>
N03 105 <p_><quote_>That's the size of it, Marshal,"<quote/> one of the 
N03 106 others agreed. <quote_>"Fact is, he shot twice before this fellow 
N03 107 shot once."<quote/><p/>
N03 108 <p_><quote_>"That's right,"<quote/> still another confirmed.<p/>
N03 109 <p_><quote_>"You arrest him, you're goin' to have every one of us 
N03 110 as witnesses for the defense,"<quote/> still another patron put 
N03 111 in.<p/>
N03 112 <p_><quote_>"They're telling the truth, Marshal,"<quote/> Lily 
N03 113 said.<p/>
N03 114 <p_>Marshal Chism sighed, then slipped his pistol back into his 
N03 115 holster. He looked down toward the body. <quote_>"I don't 
N03 116 know,"<quote/> he said. <quote_>"I'm not much lookin' forward to 
N03 117 tellin' the Colonel that one of his men got himself kilt, and I 
N03 118 didn't do nothin' about it."<quote/><p/>
N03 119 <p_><quote_>"Try telling him it was self-defense,"<quote/> Lily 
N03 120 suggested.<p/>
N03 121 <p_><quote_>"I'll try. I don't know that it'll do much good, but 
N03 122 I'll try."<quote/> The marshal looked up at the crowd. A couple of 
N03 123 the more curious had even squatted beside Wiggins's body to get a 
N03 124 closer look at it.<p/>
N03 125 <p_><quote_>"Where you reckon all his silver is?"<quote/> one of 
N03 126 them asked.<p/>
N03 127 <p_><quote_>"More than likely, up in the girl's room,"<quote/> 
N03 128 another said.<p/>
N03 129 <p_><quote_>"Marshal, I'll have Fred get his boots and belt buckle. 
N03 130 If he has any family anywhere, it ought to go to them."<quote/><p/>
N03 131 <p_><quote_>"All right,"<quote/> Chism said. He pointed to a couple 
N03 132 of the men. <quote_>"You two, get him over to Peterson's hardware 
N03 133 store so Pete can get started on a coffin."<quote/><p/>
N03 134 <p_><quote_>"You know the first question Peterson's goin' to ask, 
N03 135 don't you, Marshal? He's goin' to want to know who's payin' for the 
N03 136 buryin'."<quote/><p/>
N03 137 <p_><quote_>"I'm goin' out to Gold Dust now. I reckon the Colonel 
N03 138 will take care of his buryin'."<quote/><p/>
N03 139 <p_>The two men Chism assigned to the job picked up the body, one 
N03 140 under the shoulders, the other at the feet. Wiggins sagged badly in 
N03 141 the middle and they had to struggle to carry him. A couple of the 
N03 142 other patrons held open the swinging doors while the two men 
N03 143 carried him out into the street.<p/>
N03 144 <p_><quote_>"Miss Lily, I ... I don't want to go back into my room 
N03 145 till all his things is gone,"<quote/> Ann said.<p/>
N03 146 <p_><quote_>"I'll get it taken care of,"<quote/> Lily offered. 
N03 147 <quote_>"Why don't you go on up to my room and lie down for a 
N03 148 while?"<quote/><p/>
N03 149 <p_><quote|>"Thanks," Ann said.<p/>
N03 150 <p_>With the body gone, most of the customers returned to their own 
N03 151 tables to discuss the shooting. It was played and replayed a dozen 
N03 152 times over during the next few minutes, and though a couple of the 
N03 153 men made some small comment to Buck, most left him alone. For that 
N03 154 Buck was grateful. He had only Lance and Lily for company, and that 
N03 155 was the way he wanted it.<p/>
N03 156 <p_>A few minutes later Jess Langdon came into the saloon, and he 
N03 157 walked right up to the bar and shook Buck's hand.<p/>
N03 158 <p_><quote_>"I just heard what happened. You make quite an entrance 
N03 159 into town, young man,"<quote/> he said. He put out his hand toward 
N03 160 the bar without even looking, knowing that his drink would be there 
N03 161 and, indeed, Fred had begun pouring it the moment he saw Jess come 
N03 162 through the door. It was there, just as Fred knew it would be.<p/>
N03 163 <p_><quote_>"This isn't exactly the entrance I would have chosen to 
N03 164 make,"<quote/> Buck said. <quote_>"But that fellow had a burr under 
N03 165 his saddle and there was just no getting rid of it."<quote/><p/>
N03 166 <p_><quote_>"It's just as well it happened the way it did,"<quote/> 
N03 167 Jess said. <quote_>"Jack Wiggins is the kind who would've waylaid 
N03 168 you without so much as a second thought."<quote/> Langdon saw that 
N03 169 they were standing with Lily. <quote_>"I see you met my 
N03 170 Lily."<quote/><p/>
N03 171 <p_><quote_>"Your Lily?"<quote/> Lance asked.<p/>
N03 172 <p_><quote|>"Yes," Jess said. He smiled and put his arm around her. 
N03 173 <quote_>"She's like a daughter to me. But if I were thirty years 
N03 174 younger ... hell, even if I were ten years younger I might 
N03 175 ..."<quote/> He let the sentence trail off. <quote_>"Believe me, 
N03 176 the man who does lay claim to her will have to answer to me 
N03 177 first,"<quote/> he went on.<p/>
N03 178 <p_><quote_>"Don't worry, Jess,"<quote/> Lily laughed. 
N03 179 <quote_>"I'll see to it that you approve."<quote/><p/>
N03 180 <p_>Jess smiled proudly, then looked back at the two brothers. 
N03 181 <quote_>"Where will you fellows be staying?"<quote/><p/>
N03 182 <p_><quote_>"To be honest, we haven't given that much of a 
N03 183 thought,"<quote/> Lance answered.<p/>
N03 184 <p_><quote_>"Will you be looking for work?"<quote/><p/>
N03 185 <p_><quote|>"Yes."<p/>
N03 186 <p_><quote_>"Have you ever worked as a ranch hand?"<quote/><p/>
N03 187 <p_><quote_>"Of course."<quote/><p/>
N03 188 <p_><quote_>"Well, it's all settled then. You can work for me. Come 
N03 189 on out to the place today. I pay top dollar, I've got a really nice 
N03 190 bunkhouse for my hands and there's plenty of room. Besides, I want 
N03 191 you to come to a meeting tonight."<quote/><p/>
N03 192 <p_><quote_>"A meeting?"<quote/> Lily asked. <quote_>"Jess, what's 
N03 193 up?"<quote/><p/>
N03 194 <p_><quote_>"I think you can guess, Lily,"<quote/> Jess answered. 
N03 195 <quote_>"I've invited all the other ranchers ... that is, the ones 
N03 196 who are still around ... to come over tonight to discuss what we 
N03 197 can do about Barlow. Seems he's just closed up another creek. 
N03 198 That'll about do in the Hayes' place."<quote/><p/>
N03 199 <p_><quote_>"We might be interested in coming to this meeting at 
N03 200 that,"<quote/> Buck said. <quote_>"Is Barlow going to be 
N03 201 there?"<quote/><p/>
N03 202 <p_>Jess chuckled. <quote_>"I hardly think so."<quote/><p/>
N03 203 <p_><quote_>"Too bad. I'm really anxious to meet that 
N03 204 fellow,"<quote/> Buck said.<p/>
N03 205 <p_><quote|>"Yes," Jess said. He rubbed the stubble on his cheek 
N03 206 and peered at Buck and Lance through narrowed eyes, as if trying to 
N03 207 size them up. <quote_>"Now that I think of it, you two boys was 
N03 208 askin' questions about him in Brenham. You even described him. Do 
N03 209 you know him from somewhere?"<quote/><p/>
N03 210 <p_><quote_>"If his name really is Barlow, we don't know 
N03 211 him,"<quote/> Buck said.<p/>
N03 212 <p_><quote_>"You mean you don't think that's his name."<quote/><p/>
N03 213 <p_><quote|>"No."<p/>
N03 214 <p_><quote_>"Well, we aren't that particular about folks' names out 
N03 215 here,"<quote/> Jess explained. <quote_>"Unless they give us reason 
N03 216 to be particular. And I must confess, Barlow is giving us more and 
N03 217 more reason to be curious."<quote/><p/>
N03 218 <p_><quote_>"Who do you think Barlow is?"<quote/> Lily asked.<p/>
N03 219 <p_><quote_>"If he is who I think he might be, his name isn't 
N03 220 Barlow. It's Armstrong,"<quote/> Buck said. <quote_>"Samuel 
N03 221 Armstrong."<quote/><p/>
N03 222 <p_><quote_>"Actually, it is Samuel Barlow Armstrong,"<quote/> Lily 
N03 223 said quietly.<p/>
N03 224 <p_><quote|>"What?" Langdon said, looking at Lily in surprise. 
N03 225 <quote_>"See here, Lily. You mean you know this man? I mean, from 
N03 226 somewhere else?"<quote/><p/>
N03 227 <p_><quote|>"Yes," Lily said. <quote_>"I knew him a long time 
N03 228 ago."<quote/><p/>
N03 229 <p_><quote_>"Why have you never said anything about it?"<quote/><p/>
N03 230 <p_><quote_>"He knows me, too,"<quote/> Lily said. <quote_>"I guess 
N03 231 we both wanted to leave our past behind. Whatever he's done out 
N03 232 here, I didn't figure his past had anything to do with 
N03 233 it."<quote/><p/>
N03 234 <p_>Jess looked at Buck and Lance. <quote_>"But his past has 
N03 235 something to do with what you want him for, right?"<quote/><p/>
N03 236 <p_><quote_>"You might say that,"<quote/> Lance said.<p/>
N03 237 <p_><quote_>"Wait a minute!"<quote/> Jess suddenly said, holding up 
N03 238 his finger in sudden recognition of the name. <quote_>"Armstrong, 
N03 239 you say? Samuel Armstrong?
N03 240 
N04   1 <#FROWN:N04\><quote_>"That's the way they are,"<quote/> O'Brien's 
N04   2 son replied on cue.<p/>
N04   3 <p_><quote_>"Does no one remember the Halahan family? Has their 
N04   4 murder been forgotten and unavenged? Bartender, give us another 
N04   5 round!"<quote/><p/>
N04   6 <p_><quote_>"Sure, we remember,"<quote/> the son answered 
N04   7 loudly.<p/>
N04   8 <p_><quote_>"Does no one remember poor widow Duncan asettin' in her 
N04   9 rockin' chair, and how they split her poor gray head just for a 
N04  10 handful of silver?"<quote/><p/>
N04  11 <p_><quote_>"Sure. She never hurt anybody."<quote/><p/>
N04  12 <p_><quote_>"And the Halahans, the poor young couple finally 
N04  13 finding freedom from the English tyrants only to see them coming 
N04  14 with their sabers and iron bars. Give them credit, they went down 
N04  15 fighting, but the wee babes, all the three of them, murdered in 
N04  16 their beds, God rest their sweet souls."<quote/><p/>
N04  17 <p_><quote_>"Who did it?"<quote/> a puncher growled. <quote_>"We 
N04  18 don't allow things like that where I come from."<quote/><p/>
N04  19 <p_><quote_>"The pair locked up in the jail did it. Can you believe 
N04  20 the sheriff would've turned them loose hadn't I made such a 
N04  21 fuss!"<quote/><p/>
N04  22 <p_>O'Brien was becoming so involved in his drama that he commenced 
N04  23 to make his story fit the way he felt no matter how far he strayed 
N04  24 from the truth.<p/>
N04  25 <p_><quote_>"There they were with the plunder, the horses, the 
N04  26 silver, and blood on their hands! And that sheriff said he had to 
N04  27 protect their rights!"<quote/><p/>
N04  28 <p_><quote_>"What about the rights of the widow Duncan!"<quote/><p/>
N04  29 <p_><quote_>"What about the rights of the Halahans!"<quote/><p/>
N04  30 <p_><quote_>"What about simple plain ordinary American 
N04  31 justice!"<quote/><p/>
N04  32 <p_><quote_>"Hurrah! <foreign_>Erin go bragh!<foreign/>"<quote/> 
N04  33 O'Brien's son at the end of the bar roared.<p/>
N04  34 <p_><quote_>"I tell you, those babes' blood cries out for 
N04  35 justice!"<quote/><p/>
N04  36 <p_><quote_>"Git 'em!"<quote/><p/>
N04  37 <p_><quote_>"I've got the rope!"<quote/> O'Brien yelled.<p/>
N04  38 <p_><quote_>"Up the rope they go!"<quote/><p/>
N04  39 <p_><quote_>"Necktie party! Bring the whiskey!"<quote/><p/>
N04  40 <p_>Lost in fury, the mob of punchers, townsmen, and drummers 
N04  41 poured out into the street.<p/>
N04  42 <p_>Led by the cock sparrow O'Brien, who cradled his two-bore 
N04  43 sawed-off goose gun in his left arm, and sided by his son, who wore 
N04  44 his six-gun low, they advanced to the jail, where they encountered 
N04  45 the old sheriff and a man wearing a strange badge on his vest.<p/>
N04  46 <p_><quote_>"Hold it there, O'Brien,"<quote/> the sheriff yelled, 
N04  47 raising up his old Dragoon, <quote_>"you ain't taking my 
N04  48 prisoners."<quote/><p/>
N04  49 <p_>But the pressure of the mob was too much, and O'Brien was 
N04  50 pushed up close to the sheriff.<p/>
N04  51 <p_><quote_>"Give us the keys, Sheriff, and then you can take the 
N04  52 night off,"<quote/> O'Brien commanded.<p/>
N04  53 <p_><quote_>"I'm givin' you nothing, O'Brien, but I'm going to 
N04  54 arrest you when your mob strays away and sobers up."<quote/><p/>
N04  55 <p_>Inexorably the hooting and hollering lynch mob crowded 
N04  56 forward.<p/>
N04  57 <p_><quote_>"Stop it!"<quote/> the man in the brown peaked hat 
N04  58 yelled, drawing his six-shooter. <quote/>"I'm a U.S. marshal, and 
N04  59 I'll count three before I start shooting off the 
N04  60 leaders."<quote/><p/>
N04  61 <p_>Hardly had he spoken than young O'Brien blindsided him with the 
N04  62 barrel of his Colt, dropping him like a rock down a well.<p/>
N04  63 <p_>That was enough for Sheriff Cook.<p/>
N04  64 <p_><quote_>"Don't hurt me, boys, I'm just trying to do my 
N04  65 job,"<quote/> he whined.<p/>
N04  66 <p_><quote_>"The keys!"<quote/><p/>
N04  67 <p_><quote_>"On the nail behind the desk."<quote/><p/>
N04  68 <p_>In went the elder O'Brien with his son coming close behind.<p/>
N04  69 <p_>O'Brien took the key ring hanging on the wall and held it high. 
N04  70 <quote_>"Let's go, boys!"<quote/><p/>
N04  71 <p_>Inside the cell, Thomas Lamb saw the choleric Irishman 
N04  72 advancing and said, <quote_>"Maybe you better start shooting, 
N04  73 Sam."<quote/><p/>
N04  74 <p_><quote_>"I thought you was against killing."<quote/><p/>
N04  75 <p_><quote_>"That I am, especially when it comes to somebody 
N04  76 killing me."<quote/><p/>
N04  77 <p_><quote_>"We've got to get him close enough to get the 
N04  78 keys,"<quote/> Sam said.<p/>
N04  79 <p_><quote_>"You're always thinking ahead. Quite proper, 
N04  80 Sam."<quote/><p/>
N04  81 <p_><quote_>"Out you go, you murderin' scuts!"<quote/> O'Brien 
N04  82 yelled, holding the goose gun in his right hand now, aimed at Sam's 
N04  83 head, the keys dangling in his left hand.<p/>
N04  84 <p_><quote_>"Put the gun down, O'Brien, or I'll kill you!"<quote/> 
N04  85 Sam came back strongly.<p/>
N04  86 <p_><quote_>"Oh, what brave talk from the murderer of babes! I 
N04  87 might just blow your head off right now had I not promised the boys 
N04  88 a party."<quote/><p/>
N04  89 <p_><quote_>"I'm not playing party games, mister."<quote/><p/>
N04  90 <p_><quote_>"Then you're mine, and the boys can have the 
N04  91 Englishman."<quote/> O'Brien grinned and slowly pressed the 
N04  92 trigger.<p/>
N04  93 <p_><quote|>"Down!" Sam snapped, and dropping to the floor, he 
N04  94 pulled the .45 and shot upward into the pigeon breast of the 
N04  95 red-eyed Irishman.<p/>
N04  96 <p_>He grunted like a pig kicked in the butt, his fiery eyes 
N04  97 bulging blankly. The goose gun rose and went off, sending its 
N04  98 charge into the ceiling. O'Brien fell in a tormented heap.<p/>
N04  99 <p_><quote_>"The keys!"<quote/> Sam called to Thomas as he aimed 
N04 100 the revolver at the younger O'Brien, who, instead of going to the 
N04 101 aid of his father, was going for his gun.<p/>
N04 102 <p_>Sam shot him in the chest, the heavy lead ball slamming him 
N04 103 backward into the arms of the men behind.<p/>
N04 104 <p_>Thomas had the bloody keys in his hand and opened the iron 
N04 105 barred door without coming into Sam's line of fire.<p/>
N04 106 <p_><quote_>"Boys, you done made a big mistake, going against the 
N04 107 law,"<quote/>Sam said levelly. <quote_>"These two were wrong, 
N04 108 mule-headed wrong about us, and now they're damned dead wrong. You 
N04 109 all just back out of here and we'll join you in the Elephant for a 
N04 110 drink in a minute."<quote/><p/>
N04 111 <p_>The men in the hall spoke tersely to those behind them, and the 
N04 112 mob moved like a wave, backward instead of forward.<p/>
N04 113 <p_>In the street there was a scramble to get out of harm's way, 
N04 114 which panicked those in front, as they felt deserted and 
N04 115 betrayed.<p/>
N04 116 <p_><quote_>"Hey, wait!"<quote/><p/>
N04 117 <p_><quote_>"Where you goin?"<quote/><p/>
N04 118 <p_>Suddenly, it wasn't a retreat, it was a rout, as even those in 
N04 119 front had smelled the stench of fresh blood and knew they had no 
N04 120 business being where they were. At any moment another bullet might 
N04 121 come blasting out of that six-gun and the angel of death would 
N04 122 sweep up another cowboy caught in his own loop.<p/>
N04 123 <p_>They fell over themselves, scrambling to get out of the hall, 
N04 124 and in a moment the way was clear except for the two bodies lying 
N04 125 in a common puddle of blood already glazing over and turning 
N04 126 black.<p/>
N04 127 <p_><quote_>"Quick, friend,"<quote/> Sam said, grabbing from the 
N04 128 wall his gun belt with its Remington .44 still loaded, then moving 
N04 129 quietly to the back door.<p/>
N04 130 <p_><quote_>"Here goes,"<quote/> he said, feeling like he was in a 
N04 131 leaky boat ready to go over a waterfall.<p/>
N04 132 <p_>Slowly opening the door, he looked out into the gloom and saw 
N04 133 the steel-dust and the bay, fully rigged.<p/>
N04 134 <p_>Still expecting a trick or an ambush, Sam sidled outside, 
N04 135 keeping away from the light and watching for any movement.<p/>
N04 136 <p_>There was nothing. The steel-dust stamped impatiently.<p/>
N04 137 <p_>Sam swiftly mounted. In a second Thomas was beside him on the 
N04 138 bay.<p/>
N04 139 <p_><quote_>"We go slow,"<quote/> Sam whispered, holding up his 
N04 140 hand, putting the steel-dust into an easy trot.<p/>
N04 141 <p_>Staying in the alleys, they left the west side of town 
N04 142 undetected as the mob slowly returned, a man at a time, slightly 
N04 143 crestfallen or lying like jack mules that never stop braying.<p/>
N04 144 <p_>They'd not expected the prisoners to buy a drink in the Blue 
N04 145 Elephant, but it sounded like a good excuse to go on back there and 
N04 146 let things settle down.<p/>
N04 147 <p_><quote_>"Those damn O'Briens, always stirring up 
N04 148 trouble."<quote/><p/>
N04 149 <p_><quote_>"Finally paid for it."<quote/><p/>
N04 150 <p_><quote_>"Gutshot<sic!> the old pouter pigeon."<quote/><p/>
N04 151 <p_><quote_>"Gave him a slimmin' lesson he won't 
N04 152 forget."<quote/><p/>
N04 153 <p_><quote_>"I popped a lot of caps, but them fellers had the 
N04 154 devil's own luck."<quote/><p/>
N04 155 <p_><quote_>"S'pose we ought to go after them?"<quote/><p/>
N04 156 <p_>The group stared at the speaker silently until he turned away 
N04 157 and said to the bartender, <quote_>"I reckon I'll have 
N04 158 another."<quote/><p/>
N04 159 <p_>The sheriff had his hands full reviving the U.S. marshal 
N04 160 without worrying about the two bodies lying in his hallway.<p/>
N04 161 <p_>- Damned O'Briens, always carrying a chip on their shoulder. I 
N04 162 told 'em, told 'em, and told 'em, but no, they got to show the 
N04 163 world they're so tough. So tough they can take a ball in the belly 
N04 164 and spit it back. Oh yes, told 'em plenty times, don't mess in my 
N04 165 business, you goin' to get hurt.<p/>
N04 166 <p_>Frank Taylor, the marshal, groaned and felt the lump on his 
N04 167 head, looked at his fingers for a sign of blood, and nodded.<p/>
N04 168 <p_><quote_>"Hat broke the blow,"<quote/> the sheriff said, helping 
N04 169 the marshal to his feet.<p/>
N04 170 <p_><quote_>"I'll see that sonofabitch in a federal pen,"<quote/> 
N04 171 the stocky marshal rasped.<p/>
N04 172 <p_><quote_>"He's dead,"<quote/> the sheriff said. <quote_>"His pa, 
N04 173 too. Somehow the cowboy got a gun."<quote/> The sheriff eyed the 
N04 174 marshal's left holster, which was empty.<p/>
N04 175 <p_><quote_>"If he hadn't had the gun, two innocent men would have 
N04 176 been hanging, and the guilty ones would be back on their farms 
N04 177 bustin' sod."<quote/><p/>
N04 178 <p_><quote_>"I didn't say anything,"<quote/> the sheriff said. 
N04 179 <quote_>"I just live a day at a time and try to stay out of harm's 
N04 180 way."<quote/><p/>
N04 181 <p_>The marshal strode to the back door of the jail and looked out 
N04 182 to see the horses gone.<p/>
N04 183 <p_><quote_>"They made it,"<quote/> he said.<p/>
N04 184 <p_><quote_>"You goin' after them? Want me to raise up a 
N04 185 posse?"<quote/><p/>
N04 186 <p_><quote_>"Better you clean up your mess and then play 
N04 187 mumblety-peg with yourself,"<quote/> the marshal rasped, and strode 
N04 188 out into the night.<p/>
N04 189 <p_><quote_>"We never got to the barbershop,"<quote/> Sam said, 
N04 190 scratching at the stubble on his jaw.<p/>
N04 191 <p_><quote_>"I'm just thankful we're free,"<quote/> Tomas said.<p/>
N04 192 <p_><quote_>"I reckon you're about as gritty as eggs rolled in 
N04 193 sand. Good having you along,"<quote/> Sam said.<p/>
N04 194 <p_><quote_>"British pluck!"<quote/> Thomas Lamb laughed at himself 
N04 195 as he noticed he was feeling overly proud. <quote_>"All I did was 
N04 196 fetch the key."<quote/><p/>
N04 197 <p_><quote_>"You coulda dropped it."<quote/> Sam smiled in the 
N04 198 darkness and wondered if the sheriff was coming after them with a 
N04 199 posse.<p/>
N04 200 <p_>Didn't seem likely, the way the old man was washed out. Might 
N04 201 have been a hell driver once, but he'd started worrying about his 
N04 202 old age, and that had damped his powder. Better to just give your 
N04 203 best run, and if you starve to death or freeze to death when you 
N04 204 can't keep yourself no more, so much the better.<p/>
N04 205 <p_>Don't give me too long a life, he asked the stars, just enough 
N04 206 to keep me occupied and looking for more.<p/>
N04 207 <p_>Salina was dark when they passed through. A couple of dogs ran 
N04 208 out and challenged them, but they retreated once they'd said their 
N04 209 piece.<p/>
N04 210 <p_><quote_>"The prairie never stops,"<quote/> Thomas said, longing 
N04 211 for a soft bed.<p/>
N04 212 <p_><quote_>"We ought to come into Lincoln about dawn. We'll shake 
N04 213 down there."<quote/><p/>
N04 214 <p_>The trail west ran along the Kaw River, and an occasional small 
N04 215 settlement would be situated along its banks in the places where 
N04 216 the water could be directed into a mill wheel. Shady Bend, 
N04 217 Tranquillity, Luther's Mill, none of which showed a light, being 
N04 218 only lonely beginnings of dreams, and yet there was a sort of magic 
N04 219 about the dark, solid buildings where people slept and made love 
N04 220 and dreamed and died.<p/>
N04 221 <p_>It worked both ways, Sam knew. The solitary family on the 
N04 222 prairie could be exterminated by the dregs of humanity wandering 
N04 223 loose, or a traveler could ask for a room for the night, and he 
N04 224 would end up bashed in the head and et<sic!> by the hogs with all 
N04 225 his valuables hid under a rock in the hearth.<p/>
N04 226 <p_>Such was the recent scandal of the Bender family down by 
N04 227 Coffeyville, who had rented their spare room to eight different 
N04 228 travelers before searchers found the remains of the bodies buried 
N04 229 in the orchard. It was said that Kate Bender, who did the killing, 
N04 230 was a believer in witchcraft. They all left before the law arrived 
N04 231 and were never caught.<p/>
N04 232 <p_>Travelers were both risky and at risk on the lawless 
N04 233 frontier.<p/>
N04 234 <p_>As they came up a low rise to a view of the Kaw valley in the 
N04 235 coolness of the dawn, they saw that Lincoln had its own Main Street 
N04 236 planted to alfalfa and a few buildings on either side.<p/>
N04 237 <p_>At the end of the street they found the Windsor Hotel, where 
N04 238 Mrs. Lewis, an early riser, greeted them, and seeing the grim marks 
N04 239 of exhaustion on their faces showed them to clean beds, where they 
N04 240 shucked their boots and hats and fell asleep before they hit the 
N04 241 blankets.<p/>
N04 242 <p_>When they awakened a little before noon, they discovered that 
N04 243 Mrs. Lewis had seen that their horses were fed and grained and that 
N04 244 she'd held off cooking dinner until the men first at their 
N04 245 breakfast of grits, fried bacon and eggs with ponhaus and fried 
N04 246 potatoes, and a piece of cream pie.<p/>
N04 247 
N04 248 
N05   1 <#FROWN:N05\>How could anyone believe that a bird would understand 
N05   2 a man's thoughts?<p/>
N05   3 <p_>Free lowered his arms and heeled his roan forward. I looked up 
N05   4 at the hawk, certain that the half-breed's behavior was madness. 
N05   5 The bird beat its powerful wings above us, then I heard a 
N05   6 fluttering sound as the hawk changed its direction, flying high 
N05   7 above the canyon floor on a westerly course.<p/>
N05   8 <p_><quote|>"Impossible," I told myself, watching the hawk lead us 
N05   9 down the canyon. <quote_>"It would have flown that direction 
N05  10 anyway."<quote/><p/>
N05  11 <p_>We changed horses a mile farther into the canyon. I cinched my 
N05  12 saddle to the Palouse as Sam swung aboard his dun. Free was riding 
N05  13 the bay we'd taken from the cattle rustlers as he led us away from 
N05  14 the river, atop his high-withered blue roan. The hawk had gone on 
N05  15 without us, proving the spirits wanted nothing to do with our 
N05  16 advance upon the Comanche village. Evidently, Free's magic wasn't 
N05  17 strong enough to convince the hawk to help us.<p/>
N05  18 <p_>My untrained eye found no hoofprints, yet now and then Free 
N05  19 would drop off his horse to trace his finger over the rocks. Then, 
N05  20 without uttering a word, he would continue on as if he were sure of 
N05  21 our destination. I rode along in silence, sleeving sweat from my 
N05  22 eyes to see the canyon rim, wondering how long it would be before 
N05  23 we sighted the first Kwahadies and heard their shrill war cries. I 
N05  24 wondered, too, if I would survive my first month as Sam Ault's 
N05  25 deputy. I was beginning to understand why the other raw recruits at 
N05  26 Fort Smith wanted no part of the assignment in Indian Territory. 
N05  27 They had known something I hadn't about serving with Marshal 
N05  28 Ault.<p/>
N05  29 <p_>Rounding a bend in the river, my Palouse snorted, pricking its 
N05  30 ears forward. Free had already jerked his bay to a halt, standing 
N05  31 in his stirrups, shading his eyes.<p/>
N05  32 <p_><quote_>"Here they come,"<quote/> I said to myself, feeling my 
N05  33 heart pound inside my shirt. I couldn't see any Indians, but I knew 
N05  34 they were coming just the same.<p/>
N05  35 <p_><quote|>"Comanches," Sam said, looking over his shoulder at me. 
N05  36 <quote_>"Remember what I told you before. Keep your hand away from 
N05  37 your gun."<quote/><p/>
N05  38 <p_>My hands had begun to shake, so I cupped them on my saddlehorn. 
N05  39 We still couldn't see Indians, but my horse sensed something, 
N05  40 pawing the ground with a forefoot. We waited in the eerie silence, 
N05  41 straining our ears to hear the sound of approaching hooves.<p/>
N05  42 <p_>A movement caught my eye on the rim above us. A Comanche stood 
N05  43 near the edge of the cliff, cradling a rifle. Free had seen him, 
N05  44 too. The half-breed spoke in sign language, with his face turned 
N05  45 toward the rim.<p/>
N05  46 <p_>The Indian gave some sort of answer, then Free turned to Sam. 
N05  47 <quote_>"I go. You stay,"<quote/> he said.<p/>
N05  48 <p_>Sam shook his head. <quote_>"Take the tintype. Show it to 
N05  49 Buffalo Hump and Quannah. Tell him to name his price."<quote/><p/>
N05  50 <p_>Free took the tintype that Sam dug from his saddlebags. I saw 
N05  51 them exchange glances, as if the looks had special meaning. Then 
N05  52 Free wheeled his bay and trotted off down the canyon.<p/>
N05  53 <p_><quote_>"Will he double-cross us?"<quote/> I asked softly, 
N05  54 swallowing away the dryness in my throat.<p/>
N05  55 <p_><quote|>"Maybe," Sam replied, fidgeting in his saddle.<p/>
N05  56 <p_>Suddenly, half a mile down the river, I saw horsemen appear 
N05  57 around a bend. I counted them quickly, halting the count when I 
N05  58 noticed something unusual about them. I squinted to see them 
N05  59 clearly in the heat waves arising from the rocks blinking and 
N05  60 fingering the sweat from my eyes. The Indian who rode at the front 
N05  61 of the group resembled a buffalo. The Comanche wore a bulky 
N05  62 headdress fashioned from the skull of a buffalo. A pair of short 
N05  63 curved horns glistened from his furry skullcap, making him look as 
N05  64 if he were half man, half animal. He carried a long lance decorated 
N05  65 with feathers and other ornaments. A gust of wind rustled past him 
N05  66 and then I knew the ornaments dangling from his lance were human 
N05  67 scalps, tossed about by the wind.<p/>
N05  68 <p_><quote|>"Jesus," I whispered hoarsely. I was having difficulty 
N05  69 when I took my next breath. <quote_>"Those are scalps."<quote/><p/>
N05  70 <p_><quote_>"Keep quiet,"<quote/> Sam warned as the warriors rode 
N05  71 closer.<p/>
N05  72 <p_>My insides had begun to dance. Several more of the Comanches 
N05  73 wore the strange buffalo skulls, giving them the same sinister 
N05  74 silhouettes as they rode toward us. I saw the gleam of rifles in 
N05  75 the sun, decorated with windblown eagle feathers. More feathers 
N05  76 hung form their ponies' foretops, dancing with the gait of the 
N05  77 animals. I took a deep breath and gripped my saddlehorn, awaiting 
N05  78 the first chilling scream.<p/>
N05  79 <p_>Free halted his horse when he reached the line of warriors. I 
N05  80 saw him begin sign language with the leader of the band. None of 
N05  81 the Comanches' rifles were aimed at Free ... for the moment. I 
N05  82 forced myself to sit still while the sign talk continued, listening 
N05  83 to the beat of my heart.<p/>
N05  84 <p_>The talk ended abruptly. Free wheeled his horse away and struck 
N05  85 a trot in our direction. Sam's sun-browned cheeks were pale as Free 
N05  86 advanced across the rocks.<p/>
N05  87 <p_><quote_>"Stay, Starman,"<quote/> Free grunted when his horse 
N05  88 stopped in front of us. <quote_>"I make talk with Buffalo Hump. 
N05  89 Talk trade. <tf_>Tosi Tivo<tf/> woman maybeso here."<quote/><p/>
N05  90 <p_>Sam seemed to relax, but I didn't find it quite so easy. 
N05  91 <quote_>"Tell Buffalo Hump we give many horses,"<quote/> Sam said, 
N05  92 accompanying his words with sign. <quote_>"Tell him my words are 
N05  93 true words."<quote/><p/>
N05  94 <p_>Free rode off at a trot. I let out the breath I was holding and 
N05  95 turned to Sam.<p/>
N05  96 <p_><quote_>"Can you tell if Free intends to betray us?"<quote/> I 
N05  97 asked.<p/>
N05  98 <p_>Sam watched the Comanches wheel their ponies before he gave me 
N05  99 an answer. <quote_>"Not yet. Free stands to gain from the trade, so 
N05 100 he won't sell us out unless the bargain falls through. I reckon 
N05 101 we'll have to wait and see."<quote/><p/>
N05 102 <p_><quote_>"Why weren't we allowed to go along, so we can identify 
N05 103 Melissa Grumann?"<quote/><p/>
N05 104 <p_>Sam shook his head. <quote_>"They're too smart to let us see 
N05 105 where they've hidden their village. We could lead a troop of 
N05 106 cavalry to 'em, and they're being careful. If they've got the right 
N05 107 girl, they'll show her to us if Buffalo Hump wants a trade. Horses 
N05 108 are the same as money to a Comanche. The price will be high, but 
N05 109 they'll prove to us that they have her."<quote/><p/>
N05 110 <p_>We watched the Comanches disappear around the bend. I looked up 
N05 111 at the rim where the Indian had been standing. Now there was only 
N05 112 barren rock. The warrior was gone.<p/>
N05 113 <p_><quote_>"What are we supposed to do?"<quote/> I asked.<p/>
N05 114 <p_><quote_>"We wait for Free, and we keep our eyes open,"<quote/> 
N05 115 Sam explained, reining his dun toward a rock ledge beneath a cliff 
N05 116 on the north side of the river.<p/>
N05 117 <p_>We rode across the shallows, to a meager patch of grass where 
N05 118 Sam swung down.<p/>
N05 119 <p_><quote_>"Hobble the horses,"<quote/> he said, pulling the cinch 
N05 120 on his saddle as he studied the lay of things. <quote_>"Build a 
N05 121 fire, so they can see our smoke."<quote/><p/>
N05 122 <p_>Sam uncorked a pint of whiskey and took a deep swallow, then he 
N05 123 offered the bottle. <quote_>"You'll need it before this is 
N05 124 over,"<quote/> he remarked. <quote_>" Steadies your nerves for the 
N05 125 waiting."<quote/><p/>
N05 126 <p_>I stripped the saddle off the Palouse and fitted the hobbles on 
N05 127 our spare horses. Sam laid his Winchester beside a rock. I put my 
N05 128 Sharps against the rock face, then I set out to build a fire. I 
N05 129 kept looking up the rim, watching for the lone Comanche to reappear 
N05 130 as I made coffee over the flames. Sam's whiskey was starting to 
N05 131 take effect by the time our coffee was done. I could feel my brains 
N05 132 swim.<p/>
N05 133 <p_><quote_>"I saw fish when we crossed the river,"<quote/> I said. 
N05 134 <quote_>"With time on our hands, I suppose I could catch some for 
N05 135 our supper."<quote/><p/>
N05 136 <p_>Sam shrugged. <quote_>"I ain't got much appetite just now, Mr. 
N05 137 Dudley, but if you've a hankering to catch fish, you might as well 
N05 138 give it a try."<quote/><p/>
N05 139 <p_>To pass some time, I dug a string and a hook from my gear that 
N05 140 I'd brought along from Mississippi. If I did anything better than I 
N05 141 could shoot, it was to catch fish, so I hunted down a grasshopper 
N05 142 and walked to the river. I tossed my line in the water and settled 
N05 143 against a rock, but to tell the truth, my mind wasn't on fishing 
N05 144 just then. I kept seeing Comanches at the far end of the canyon 
N05 145 when I stared at the shimmering heat waves.<p/>
N05 146 <p_>Dark was the worst time of all. I fried up the fish I'd caught, 
N05 147 but only nibbled around the edges. Sam drank whiskey until the 
N05 148 first bottle was empty, then he started on another.<p/>
N05 149 <p_><quote_>"Sure is quiet,"<quote/> I said, listening to a coyote 
N05 150 bark.<p/>
N05 151 <p_>Sam didn't answer me, he was staring up at the stars.<p/>
N05 152 <p_><quote_>"How long do you reckon it'll take to get our 
N05 153 answer?"<quote/> I asked.<p/>
N05 154 <p_><quote_>"Hard to say,"<quote/> Sam sighed, fingering his 
N05 155 rifle.<p/>
N05 156 <p_><quote_>"It sure is quiet out here,"<quote/> I said again, 
N05 157 glancing up at the rim. The sky was filled with twinkling stars. A 
N05 158 pale half-moon hung above the horizon, lighting up the rocks around 
N05 159 us with its silvery glow.<p/>
N05 160 <p_>I wanted conversation, frightened as I was.<p/>
N05 161 <p_><quote_>"What's it like to be married to a woman?"<quote/> I 
N05 162 asked, making small talk when my thoughts drifted to the girl. I 
N05 163 wasn't thinking about marrying Sue Hawkins, but I wondered what it 
N05 164 would be like to have a wife when I was ready for the idea.<p/>
N05 165 <p_><quote_>"I reckon it's like everything else, Mr. Dudley. 
N05 166 There's a good side and a bad. A woman has an opinion about most 
N05 167 anything a man does with himself, whether he wants to hear it of if 
N05 168 he don't. A married man gets tired of hearing opinions. Then 
N05 169 there's the good side: having the comfort of a soft woman in your 
N05 170 bed at night. And someone to talk to. It gets lonely bein' by 
N05 171 yourself. Having a woman helps with the loneliness."<quote/><p/>
N05 172 <p_>I considered Sam's answer, until he startled me with his next 
N05 173 remark. <quote_>"You thinkin' about marrying the girl back at 
N05 174 Silverton?"<quote/> he asked.<p/>
N05 175 <p_><quote_>"No. I was just askin', is all. I've been wondering 
N05 176 what it was like."<p/>
N05 177 <p_>Sam stared across the river. <quote_>"I suppose it's better 
N05 178 than being alone,"<quote/> he said after some thought. He took a 
N05 179 sip of whiskey and handed me the pint. <quote_>"I figure you've got 
N05 180 little Missy Hawkins on your mind,"<quote/> he said. 
N05 181 <quote_>"This'll help. Right now you'd better think about stayin' 
N05 182 alive."<quote/><p/>
N05 183 <p_>I took a swallow of the bitter whiskey. I'd never developed a 
N05 184 taste for the stuff, but it helped when my nerves were on edge. 
N05 185 Soon I settled back against my saddle, trying to find a comfortable 
N05 186 spot. I watched Sam's face across the flames. His eyes darted from 
N05 187 one shadow to the next, and when a mesquite knot popped in the 
N05 188 fire, he flinched. The whiskey wasn't doing much to relax him. He 
N05 189 seemed more skittish than ever.<p/>
N05 190 <p_><quote_>"What is it about a Comanche that makes 'em worse than 
N05 191 another kind?"<quote/> I asked, seeking an explanation for Sam's 
N05 192 fear. The marshal wasn't afraid of a saloon full of hardcases with 
N05 193 guns and knives, but when we entered the domain of the Kwahadies, 
N05 194 he was as jumpy as a sinner at a Sunday sermon.<p/>
N05 195 <p_>Sam closed his eyes briefly, as if he was remembering 
N05 196 something. <quote_>"I've seen what they do to their 
N05 197 enemies,"<quote/> he said, talking in a strained voice. 
N05 198 <quote_>"They take pride in the ways they've found to kill a man 
N05 199 slow. They carve up an enemy so he'll live for days, screamin' his 
N05 200 head off until the pain drives him mad. It ain't enough that they 
N05 201 kill him. It's the way they get it done."<quote/><p/>
N05 202 <p_>Just then I wished I hadn't asked. I reached for the pint and 
N05 203 took a bigger swallow. An owl hooted once, making my scalp crawl 
N05 204 inside my hat.<p/>
N05 205 <h|>10
N05 206 <p_>I spent the longest night of my life around that fire, jumping 
N05 207 at every sound, peering into the dark. 
N05 208 
N06   1 <#FROWN:N06\>Unlike so many other Overland employees, he did not 
N06   2 hail from Texas or one of the slave states farther east. Pretty 
N06   3 thin ice to walk on, but Lonaker was short on option.<p/>
N06   4 <p_>The night dragged on endlessly. Lonaker endured two hours on 
N06   5 the bunk, and when he couldn't stand another minute, cat footed 
N06   6 into the common room.<p/>
N06   7 <p_>Sancho kept a pot of coffee on the stove at all times. The fire 
N06   8 in the woodburner's black iron belly had died down to a bed of 
N06   9 orange embers, but the coffee was still plenty warm. Lonaker poured 
N06  10 himself a cup, lit a cheroot, and took a seat a the long trestle 
N06  11 table, staring into the darkness.<p/>
N06  12 <p_>An hour later he stepped outside, rifle in hand, to find Huck 
N06  13 sitting with his back against the adobe wall of the station. The 
N06  14 moon was about to set. A glance at the stars told Lonaker it was 
N06  15 close to midnight. He turned to the brawny reinsman and nodded at 
N06  16 the station house door.<p/>
N06  17 <p_><quote_>"Get some shut-eye. I'll take over."<quote/><p/>
N06  18 <p_>Huck got to his feet, stretched, and growled at cramped, 
N06  19 complaining muscles. He looked like a grizzly bear getting up on 
N06  20 its hind legs, ready to attack. Lonaker felt another stab of keen 
N06  21 regret as he watched the ex-prizefighter. Huck had been a good 
N06  22 friend. The troubleshooter was sorry for the tribulation he knew 
N06  23 was going to descend on this man.<p/>
N06  24 <p_><quote_>"How's the arm?"<quote/> asked Huck.<p/>
N06  25 <p_><quote_>"Hurts like hell."<quote/><p/>
N06  26 <p_>The reinsman stepped to the door, paused on the threshold, brow 
N06  27 furrowed.<p/>
N06  28 <p_><quote_>"The Overland's in big trouble, isn't it?"<quote/><p/>
N06  29 <p_>Lonaker nodded, his eyes probing the desert night.<p/>
N06  30 <p_>Huck slapped the bullwhip against his thigh. <quote_>"Well, I 
N06  31 don't think they've invented the trouble we can't handle, Mr. 
N06  32 Lonaker."<quote/><p/>
N06  33 <p_><quote_>"Just watch your back,"<quote/> advised Lonaker. 
N06  34 <quote_>"Remember, you can't trust anybody. He might be a 
N06  35 Copper<?_>-<?/>head."<quote/><p/>
N06  36 <p_><quote_>"You're not. I trust you. See you in the morning. I'm 
N06  37 going to get some of that sleep 'that knits up the raveled sleeve 
N06  38 of care.' Shakespeare."<quote/><p/>
N06  39 <p_>Lonaker turned slowly and watched Huck disappear into the black 
N06  40 womb of the station.<p/>
N06  41 <p_>He waited a half-hour before moving, silent as shadow, to the 
N06  42 open window of the sleeping room. Huck's distinctive, wall-shaking 
N06  43 snore was drowning out Coffman. Lonaker crossed the hardpack to the 
N06  44 Concord, retrieved the saddlebags filled with the Army payroll, and 
N06  45 headed for the corral.<p/>
N06  46 <p_>The Reno Kid's saddle and bridle were in a shed which served as 
N06  47 tack room. Lonaker draped the saddle and the saddlebags on the 
N06  48 corral's top pole and climbed over to move slowly through the 
N06  49 fourteen horses in the pen. He murmured sweet nothings to keep them 
N06  50 calm. He caught up the blazed sorrel without undue trouble, and 
N06  51 slipped the bridle over its head. The horse balked some accepting 
N06  52 the bit. Lonaker twisted its ear and kept matters under control.<p/>
N06  53 <p_>Leading the horse over to the saddle, he noticed Sancho 
N06  54 standing on the other side of the corral fence. The station agent 
N06  55 was watching him impassively.<p/>
N06  56 <p_><quote_>"Been expecting you,"<quote/> said the troubleshooter. 
N06  57 <quote_>"You sleep light."<quote/><p/>
N06  58 <p_><quote_>"<foreign_>Si, Se<*_>n-tilde<*/>or<foreign/> 
N06  59 Lonaker."<quote/> Sancho shrugged. <quote_>"Pistoleros and Apache 
N06  60 broncos have been trying to sneak up on me all my life.<p/>
N06  61 <p_>Lonaker draped the saddle over the horse and cinched up.<p/>
N06  62 <p_><quote_>"What's the best way to fight an Apache, 
N06  63 Sancho?"<quote/><p/>
N06  64 <p_>Sancho was an authority on the subject. <quote_>"Only one way, 
N06  65 if you want to live. You must think like an Apache. Move like an 
N06  66 Apache. Fight like an Apache. If you don't, you will surely 
N06  67 die."<quote/><p/>
N06  68 <p_>Lonaker nodded. <quote_>"I'm not fighting Apaches this time. 
N06  69 But the men I'm up against are just as cunning. I figure my only 
N06  70 chance against them is to be more cunning than they are."<quote/> 
N06  71 He tied off the latigo over the front rigging ring, dropped the 
N06  72 fender and turned to the station agent. <quote_>"I have a big favor 
N06  73 to ask of you."<quote/><p/>
N06  74 <p_><quote|>"Anything."<p/>
N06  75 <p_>Lonaker gave him the letter addressed to Huck. <quote_>"I want 
N06  76 you to make sure Huck gets this. But don't give it to him in the 
N06  77 morning. I reckon he'll go on to Yuma, with Coffman. Wait until the 
N06  78 next day, then ride after him."<quote/><p/>
N06  79 <p_>Sancho took the letter. <quote_>"I will do as you 
N06  80 ask."<quote/><p/>
N06  81 <p_><quote_>"The kid can watch this place while you're gone. 
N06  82 Whatever you do, don't let anyone but Huck get that 
N06  83 letter."<quote/> As he fitted boot to stirrup he had a thought. 
N06  84 <quote_>"Wait. If you can't find Huck in town, try the army post. 
N06  85 If he's there, or if you can't find him, you can give up the letter 
N06  86 to Colonel Dahlgren."<quote/><p/>
N06  87 <p_>Sancho nodded. Lonaker swung into the saddle. The station agent 
N06  88 lowered the gate pole.<p/>
N06  89 <p_><quote_>"<foreign_>Buena suerte<foreign/>, Se<*_>n-tilde<*/>or 
N06  90 Lonaker."<quote/><p/>
N06  91 <p_><quote|>"Thanks," said Lonaker as he rode by. <quote_>"I'll 
N06  92 need all the luck I can get."<quote/><p/>
N06  93 <p_>Sancho watched him go until the night swallowed him up.<p/>
N06  94 <h_><p_>Chapter Thirteen<p/><h/>
N06  95 <p_>The town of Yuma had grown to maturity under the protective 
N06  96 wing of the federal fort, where the mighty Colorado plunged out of 
N06  97 the mountains and twisted like a gigantic brown serpent through the 
N06  98 malpais on its way to the border.<p/>
N06  99 <p_>The fort, and orderly arrangement of stone and adobe buildings, 
N06 100 stood on high ground overlooking the settlement. Standing grim and 
N06 101 alone a mile out on the flat was the hulking eyesore of the 
N06 102 territorial prison.<p/>
N06 103 <p_>With the Army post, the prison and the Oxbow Route, Yuma 
N06 104 flourished. It was a rough and ready town, providing recreation for 
N06 105 soldiers, prison guards and the lusty men who worked the mining and 
N06 106 lumber camps in the mountains to the north.<p/>
N06 107 <p_>As he rode into town at the head of a five-man detail - one 
N06 108 sergeant and four troopers - Colonel Eric Dahlgren cast a jaundiced 
N06 109 <}><-|>eyed<+|>eye<}/> upon the place. Afternoon heat shimmered off 
N06 110 the hardpack of the wide street, deeply scored by wagon and 
N06 111 <tf|>carreta wheels.<p/>
N06 112 <p_>A man could break both legs trying to walk across a Yuma 
N06 113 street, reflected Dahlgren. And on the infrequent occasions when it 
N06 114 rained, these same streets became treacherous quagmires of 
N06 115 rust-colored mud. A whiskey peddler, drunk on his own snakehead, 
N06 116 had drowned in that alley over there, one stormy night last 
N06 117 year.<p/>
N06 118 <p_>A perfect example of poetic justice, mused the colonel, a 
N06 119 career soldier who held civilians generally in low esteem. He was 
N06 120 willing to concede that there were a few worth their salt. But he 
N06 121 didn't think any of them resided in Yuma.<p/>
N06 122 <p_>Dahlgren fished a handkerchief out of a pocket of the white 
N06 123 linen duster he wore to protect his uniform, and mopped the sweat 
N06 124 off his face. His features were hawkish. His eyes, the cloudy green 
N06 125 color of the fjords in his native Scandinavia, could cut through a 
N06 126 man like a saber stroke.<p/>
N06 127 <p_>The colonel was a highly intelligent, impeccably honest, and 
N06 128 well-educated man. As a naive youth he had believed the poets and 
N06 129 philosophers when they waxed eloquent about mankind's limitless 
N06 130 potential for greatness. A lifetime of experience since then had 
N06 131 plucked the scales from his eyes. He couldn't abide rapacity or 
N06 132 stupidity in others. And Yuma was full to the brim with ignorant, 
N06 133 greedy people.<p/>
N06 134 <p_>He saw them now, in the open windows and doorways and in the 
N06 135 scant shade on both sides of the street. Cardsharps, prostitutes, 
N06 136 drummers, merchants. All of them preyed on his soldiers. Worse, 
N06 137 they held the Army in ill-disguised contempt. It was better to 
N06 138 receive a compliment rather than a curse from the thief who picked 
N06 139 your pocket.<p/>
N06 140 <p_>But these civilians scorned and slighted Dahlgren's soldiers. 
N06 141 Until there was danger - until the Apaches embarked on a bloody 
N06 142 raid, or bandit gangs started raising hell along the border, or 
N06 143 prisoners broke out of the prison. Then the civilians howled for 
N06 144 protection from the garrison.<p/>
N06 145 <p_>I may not have much of a garrison left, thought Dahlgren, when 
N06 146 my men learn that six months of pay in arrears has been stolen.<p/>
N06 147 <p_>But the Army got what it deserved, in his opinion, when it 
N06 148 placed its affairs in the hands of civilians.<p/>
N06 149 <p_>The colonel reined his horse around a corner at the 
N06 150 intersection of the garrison road with Yuma's main street. The 
N06 151 detail trailed along behind. Now Dahlgren could see the crowd 
N06 152 congregated in front of the adobe structure housing the Overland's 
N06 153 office - between twenty and thirty men, peeking through the front 
N06 154 windows, filling the boardwalk, spilling out into the street.<p/>
N06 155 <p_>They all seemed to be talking at once, and irritating babble, 
N06 156 but every man fell silent as Dahlgren steered his mount to a 
N06 157 tie-rail in front of the Overland office. They knew better than to 
N06 158 fire a lot of tiresome questions at the Fort Yuma commanding 
N06 159 officer. Dahlgren was better known for his temper than his 
N06 160 tolerance.<p/>
N06 161 <p_>Like the Red Sea parting, they made a path for him as he 
N06 162 crossed the boardwalk. At the door, he turned to peruse the crowd 
N06 163 with stern disfavor, then glanced at the sergeant who, with the 
N06 164 four troopers, was still mounted.<p/>
N06 165 <p_><quote|>"Macready."<p/>
N06 166 <p_><quote_>"Yes, sir."<quote/><p/>
N06 167 <p_><quote_>"Move them."<quote/><p/>
N06 168 <p_><quote_>"Yes, sir!"<quote/><p/>
N06 169 <p_>The three-striper dismounted with alacrity and bulled his way 
N06 170 through the throng with exuberance. The civilians tried to get out 
N06 171 of his way, but the burly Irish noncom would not be denied his fun. 
N06 172 He knocked one man aside with an elbow. <quote_>"Excuse me, 
N06 173 sir,"<quote/> he said, smiling like a leprechaun. He sent a second 
N06 174 man staggering with another cheery apology.<p/>
N06 175 <p_>Gaining the boardwalk, Macready turned to block the door 
N06 176 through which the colonel had just passed. The sergeant planted big 
N06 177 fists on his hips and slowly scanned the crowd.<p/>
N06 178 <p_><quote_>"Now gentlemen,"<quote/> he said, rolling the words 
N06 179 with a thick brogue. <quote_>"I know ye must have better things to 
N06 180 do than to be lollygaggin' out here in the hot sun. So I must ask 
N06 181 ye to be on your way."<quote/><p/>
N06 182 <p_>No one moved. Macready breathed a melodramatic sigh, whipped 
N06 183 the pistol out of the flap holster at his side, and fired a round 
N06 184 into the sky.<p/>
N06 185 <p_>The civilians scattered like quail.<p/>
N06 186 <p_>Macready watched their flight with profound gratification.<p/>
N06 187 <p_><quote_>"Flamin' rabble,"<quote/> he murmured.<p/>
N06 188 <p_>Dahlgren was met in the front room by a lanky, sandy-haired man 
N06 189 wearing a tin star on his vest.<p/>
N06 190 <p_><quote_>"Afternoon, Colonel. I sent word up to the fort soon as 
N06 191 ..."<quote/><p/>
N06 192 <p_><quote_>"Where are they, Sheriff?"<quote/><p/>
N06 193 <p_><quote_>"Back room."<quote/><p/>
N06 194 <p_>Dahlgren passed through the swinging gate of a counter, through 
N06 195 another door. Long benches lined the walls to left and right. 
N06 196 Across the room was a door leading outside. The doorway was filled 
N06 197 by the bulk of the town's deputy sheriff. He was tilted against the 
N06 198 frame, a shotgun cradled in his arms.<p/>
N06 199 <p_>Through a window in the rear wall Dahlgren could see the 
N06 200 Overland 'yard', encircled by a high adobe wall. Half of the yard 
N06 201 was a corral, where two dozen horses were bunched around a water 
N06 202 trough in the shade of an old oak. The only decent shade, mused the 
N06 203 colonel, for twenty square miles. In the other half of the yard 
N06 204 stood a mud wagon and, closer to the back door, a dust-covered 
N06 205 Concord coach.<p/>
N06 206 <p_>As Dahlgren entered, one of two men sitting on the bench to the 
N06 207 colonel's left jumped up.<p/>
N06 208 <p_><quote_>"Colonel, I'm Phil Coffman. I ..."<quote/><p/>
N06 209 <p_><quote_>"I know."<quote/> Dahlgren spared him the merest glance 
N06 210 and turned to the other man. <quote_>"You're Lonaker's driver, 
N06 211 aren't you?"<quote/><p/>
N06 212 <p_>Huck Odom sat leaning forward with his head down and hands 
N06 213 clasped between his knees. He didn't look up.<p/>
N06 214 <p_><quote_>"That's right. Huck Odom."<quote/><p/>
N06 215 <p_><quote_>"Where is he?"<quote/><p/>
N06 216 <p_><quote_>"I don't know."<quote/><p/>
N06 217 <p_><quote_>"I can't believe it,"<quote/> declared Coffman. 
N06 218 <quote_>"I never thought John Lonaker would turn bad. Colonel, I 
N06 219 promise you the Overland will do everything in its power to 
N06 220 ..."<quote/><p/>
N06 221 <p_>Dahlgren impatiently raised a hand to cut Coffman short. 
N06 222 <quote_>"Mr. Odom, am I to believe you were unaware of Lonaker's 
N06 223 intentions?"<quote/><p/>
N06 224 <p_>Tight-lipped, Huck slowly raised his head. He met Dahlgren's 
N06 225 steely gaze without flinching.<p/>
N06 226 <p_><quote_>"I'm still unaware of his intentions,"<quote/> said the 
N06 227 reinsman, his tone as flat as the bottom of a frying pan.<p/>
N06 228 <p_><quote_>"They should be obvious ot you. They certainly are to 
N06 229 me."<quote/><p/>
N06 230 <p_>Hand clasped behind his back, the colonel began to pace 
N06 231 restlessly, spurs ringing against the floor. He paused once to peer 
N06 232 curiously at the bullwhip looped over the deputy sheriff's 
N06 233 shoulder.<p/>
N06 234 
N07   1 <#FROWN:N07\>That's in case you'd want to get down to the marshal's 
N07   2 office."<quote/><p/>
N07   3 <p_><quote_>"Yeah, thanks,"<quote/> Lance said.<p/>
N07   4 <p_><quote_>"'Course, bein' as you brought in a prisoner last 
N07   5 night, I don't reckon you'd really have to go."<quote/><p/>
N07   6 <p_><quote_>"I reckon not,"<quote/> Lance said. He strapped on his 
N07   7 gun belt, then reached for his hat.<p/>
N07   8 <p_><quote_>"But I figured you'd be wantin' to,"<quote/> Sam 
N07   9 added.<p/>
N07  10 <p_><quote_>"I reckon so,"<quote/> Lance said. He closed the door 
N07  11 to his room behind him, then followed Sam down the hall toward the 
N07  12 stairs.<p/>
N07  13 <p_><quote|>"Lance?"<p/>
N07  14 <p_>Lance turned toward the sound of the woman's voice and saw Lily 
N07  15 Montgomery standing in her door at the far end of the hall. Lily 
N07  16 owned the saloon.<p/>
N07  17 <p_><quote_>"'Morning, Lily,"<quote/> Lance said, touching the brim 
N07  18 of his hat.<p/>
N07  19 <p_><quote_>"What is it? What's all the commotion?"<quote/><p/>
N07  20 <p_><quote_>"The stage was held up, Miss Lily,"<quote/> Sam said, 
N07  21 answering before Lance could. <quote_>"There was a shootin' too, 
N07  22 when the coach come in, the driver was layin' out on top an' the 
N07  23 shotgun guard, why, he was inside."<quote/><p/>
N07  24 <p_><quote_>"Oh, the poor men,"<quote/> Lily said. <quote_>"Lance, 
N07  25 be careful."<quote/><p/>
N07  26 <p_>Lance smiled. <quote_>"You know me, Lily,"<quote/> he said. 
N07  27 <quote_>"Careful is my middle name."<quote/><p/>
N07  28 <p_>Lance left the saloon then hurried across the street toward the 
N07  29 gathering crowd. Nearly everyone in town had been drawn to the 
N07  30 stage by the curious nature of its arrival. By now the driver and 
N07  31 the guard had been taken from the coach and were stretched out on 
N07  32 the boardwalk in front of the marshal's office. Doc Presnell was 
N07  33 kneeling down beside the guard, feeling for a pulse in his neck. He 
N07  34 wasn't wasting his time with the driver. With his eyes open and 
N07  35 opaque, and a big, black hole in his cheek, it didn't require a 
N07  36 doctor to see that Andy McGinnis was very obviously dead.<p/>
N07  37 <p_><quote_>"'Mornin', Lance,"<quote/> Marshal Dan Efrem said. 
N07  38 <quote_>"I see you found Lattimore. Good job."<quote/><p/>
N07  39 <p_><quote_>"It was easy enough, seeing as he was right where you 
N07  40 said he would be,"<quote/> Lance answered. <quote_>"What do you 
N07  41 know about this?"<quote/> he asked, indicating the two men Doctor 
N07  42 Presnell was working on.<p/>
N07  43 <p_><quote_>"Not much, I'm afraid,"<quote/> Dan said. <quote_>"Like 
N07  44 you, I just got here."<quote/> The marshal was standing just 
N07  45 outside his office with his arms folded across his chest, watching 
N07  46 the doctor at work.<p/>
N07  47 <p_><quote_>"Can I use your door, Dan?"<quote/> Doc Presnell asked, 
N07  48 looking up at the marshal. <quote_>"We've got to get Seth over to 
N07  49 my place and we're goin' to need something to carry him 
N07  50 on."<quote/><p/>
N07  51 <p_><quote_>"Yes, of course,"<quote/> Dan replied, and he nodded 
N07  52 toward two other men who, quickly, began to take the door to the 
N07  53 marshal's office off its hinges, so it could be used a as carrying 
N07  54 board. <quote_>"Is Seth going to make it, Doc?"<quote/><p/>
N07  55 <p_><quote_>"I don't know,"<quote/> Doc Presnell said. 
N07  56 <quote_>"He's got a chance. The bullet went through him high enough 
N07  57 that it missed all his vitals, but you never can tell with gunshot 
N07  58 wounds."<quote/><p/>
N07  59 <p_><quote_>"Let me know how he's doin', will you, Doc?"<quote/> 
N07  60 Dan asked.<p/>
N07  61 <p_><quote_>"Sure thing, Marshal."<quote/><p/>
N07  62 <p_>Dan looked back at Lance.<p/>
N07  63 <p_><quote_>"What time did you get in with Lattimore?"<quote/><p/>
N07  64 <p_><quote_>"About five-thirty or six."<quote/><p/>
N07  65 <p_><quote_>"Pretty short night for you, wasn't it?"<quote/><p/>
N07  66 <p_><quote_>"I suppose so, but I'll be all right after a cup of 
N07  67 coffee."<quote/><p/>
N07  68 <p_><quote_>"There's a pot on the stove,"<quote/> Dan offered.<p/>
N07  69 <p_><quote_>"I'll get some directly,"<quote/> Lance replied. 
N07  70 <quote_>"Soon as we get a handle on things."<quote/><p/>
N07  71 <p_>Dan looked over at the gambler. <quote_>"Johnny, you want to 
N07  72 tell us what happened?"<quote/><p/>
N07  73 <p_><quote_>"It was Rufus Blanton,"<quote/> Johnny said.<p/>
N07  74 <p_><quote_>"Ruthless? Are you sure?"<quote/> Dan asked.<p/>
N07  75 <p_><quote_>"Yeah, I'm sure. I've seen him a couple of times 
N07  76 before."<quote/><p/>
N07  77 <p_><quote_>"What about you two?"<quote/> Dan asked. <quote_>"You 
N07  78 go along with that?"<quote/><p/>
N07  79 <p_><quote_>"I've never seen him for real,"<quote/> the rancher 
N07  80 replied. <quote_>"But I've seen dodgers on him and I'd say that's 
N07  81 who it was. Besides, I heard Seth call out his name, just before he 
N07  82 was shot."<quote/><p/>
N07  83 <p_><quote_>"It was him, all right,"<quote/> the clerk said. 
N07  84 <quote_>"You've seen him before, have you?"<quote/> Dan asked.<p/>
N07  85 <p_><quote_>"Well, uh, no,"<quote/> the clerk admitted. 
N07  86 <quote_>"But I have heard him described. And this was him, all 
N07  87 right. I don't have the slightest doubt about it."<quote/><p/>
N07  88 <p_>The undertaker's wagon arrived. The driver halted the team and 
N07  89 set the brake, then looked over at Dan.<p/>
N07  90 <p_><quote_>"If you're through with the body, Marshal, I'll take it 
N07  91 now,"<quote/> the driver said. He was wearing a long, black coat 
N07  92 and a pair of striped pants.<p/>
N07  93 <p_><quote_>"Sure thing, Mr. Albritton, but maybe you'd better hold 
N07  94 off on doin' anything more with it 'til we hear from the 
N07  95 widow,"<quote/> Dan suggested. <quote_>"I reckon Mrs. McGinnis will 
N07  96 be wantin' him brought back home."<quote/><p/>
N07  97 <p_><quote_>"I've no doubt that she will. I'll just get in touch 
N07  98 with my colleague over in Risco and keep him on ice until I get 
N07  99 further instructions,"<quote/> Albritton explained.<p/>
N07 100 <p_>Dan turned his attention back to the three passengers. 
N07 101 <quote_>"I'll tell you folks what has me puzzled. What I don't 
N07 102 understand is, why someone like Rufus Blanton would want to hold up 
N07 103 the stage between Risco and Barlow in the first place. Why, there 
N07 104 couldn't have been more'n ten or fifteen dollars between everybody 
N07 105 on board, could there? I mean this stage doesn't even carry a 
N07 106 strongbox."<quote/><p/>
N07 107 <p_><quote_>"The money wasn't in a strongbox, it was in a 
N07 108 valise,"<quote/> Karpo said.<p/>
N07 109 <p_><quote_>"The money? What money?"<quote/><p/>
N07 110 <p_><quote_>"A little over three thousand dollars. This fella here, 
N07 111 was carrying it."<quote/><p/>
N07 112 <p_><quote_>"What were you doing with so much money?"<quote/> Lance 
N07 113 asked.<p/>
N07 114 <p_>The bank clerk pulled himself up importantly. <quote_>"My name 
N07 115 is C. D. Adams, Marshal,"<quote/> he explained. <quote_>"I work for 
N07 116 the Bank of Risco and I was overseeing a species transfer to the 
N07 117 Bank of Barlow."<quote/><p/>
N07 118 <p_><quote|>"Damn," Lance said. <quote_>"Someone slipped up 
N07 119 somewhere. Those transfers are supposed to be kept secret. I wonder 
N07 120 how Ruthless found out."<quote/><p/>
N07 121 <p_><quote_>"I ... I really don't know,"<quote/> Adams 
N07 122 stammered.<p/>
N07 123 <p_><quote_>"The hell you don't,"<quote/> Karpo replied. 
N07 124 <quote_>"You were spoutin' it off all over the restaurant at supper 
N07 125 last night. Everybody heard you. They were talking about it down at 
N07 126 the saloon."<quote/><p/>
N07 127 <p_><quote|>"Yeah," Bates said. <quote_>"I even heard about it down 
N07 128 at the feeder lot."<quote/><p/>
N07 129 <p_><quote_>"Is that true?"<quote/><p/>
N07 130 <p_><quote_>"I ... I suppose so,"<quote/> Adams replied.<p/>
N07 131 <p_><quote_>"What the hell? Why didn't you just take out an ad in 
N07 132 the newspapers?"<quote/> Lance asked.<p/>
N07 133 <p_><quote_>"I ... I didn't think it would do any harm,"<quote/> 
N07 134 Adams insisted. <quote_>"I was just trying to make an impression on 
N07 135 Miss Kirby."<quote/><p/>
N07 136 <p_><quote_>"Miss Kirby?"<quote/><p/>
N07 137 <p_><quote_>"She's the waitress at the City Pig Cafe,"<quote/> 
N07 138 Adams explained.<p/>
N07 139 <p_><quote_>"So, because you were trying to make an impression on a 
N07 140 waitress, you babbled all over the place that you would be carrying 
N07 141 a lot of money between banks,"<quote/> Dan said scornfully. 
N07 142 <quote_>"And as a result, one man was killed and another may die. 
N07 143 In addition to that, you lost all your employer's 
N07 144 money."<quote/><p/>
N07 145 <p_><quote_>"I didn't know anything like this would 
N07 146 happen,"<quote/> Adams whined. <quote_>"Honest I 
N07 147 didn't."<quote/><p/>
N07 148 <p_><quote_>"Yeah, well, I'm not the one you have to answer 
N07 149 to,"<quote/> Dan said. <quote_>"If I were you I'd get myself down 
N07 150 to the bank and start making explanations there."<quote/><p/>
N07 151 <p_><quote_>"You need me anymore, Dan?"<quote/> Karpo asked.<p/>
N07 152 <p_><quote_>"No, I guess not. You can go too, Bates,"<quote/> Dan 
N07 153 replied. <quote_>"And thanks for bringing in the stage ... you did 
N07 154 a good job."<quote/><p/>
N07 155 <p_><quote_>"By the way, Lance, when is your brother going to get 
N07 156 back?"<quote/> Karpo asked. <quote_>"We've got a few more hands of 
N07 157 poker to play."<quote/><p/>
N07 158 <p_><quote_>"Your guess as to when Buck will get back is as good as 
N07 159 mine,"<quote/> Lance answered with a little laugh. <quote_>"You 
N07 160 know how he is. There's always another town to see, another 
N07 161 hole-card to draw to, and another bar girl to spark."<quote/><p/>
N07 162 <p_>Karpo chuckled. <quote_>"That's Buck, all right. It's sure hard 
N07 163 to pin him down. I swear, I never in my life saw any two brothers 
N07 164 as different as you two. To begin with, you don't even look alike; 
N07 165 you're three inches taller and fifty pounds heavier. You're dark, 
N07 166 he's light, you're settled, he's wild, the only thing alike is that 
N07 167 a man with good sense wouldn't want to get on the bad side of 
N07 168 either one of you. Anyway, next time you see Buck, tell him he owes 
N07 169 me a couple of games so I can get even."<quote/><p/>
N07 170 <p_><quote_>"I'll tell him,"<quote/> Lance promised.<p/>
N07 171 <p_><quote_>"Come on in, Lance,"<quote/> Dan invited. <quote_>"You 
N07 172 can drink your coffee while I'm gettin' ready."<quote/><p/>
N07 173 <p_><quote_>"Getting ready? Getting ready for what?"<quote/><p/>
N07 174 <p_><quote_>"I'm goin' after him."<quote/><p/>
N07 175 <p_><quote_>"There's no call to do that, Dan,"<quote/> Lance said. 
N07 176 <quote_>"The fact is, you don't really even have the authority to 
N07 177 go after him. The town council hired you to keep the peace here in 
N07 178 Barlow, not go running through the countryside chasing road 
N07 179 agents."<quote/><p/>
N07 180 <p_><quote_>"I know why I was hired, Lance. But I got a special 
N07 181 want for this fella,"<quote/> Dan replied. He looked over at Lance. 
N07 182 <quote_>"You, of all people, should understand that."<quote/><p/>
N07 183 <p_><quote|>"Yeah," Lance replied as he took a swallow of coffee 
N07 184 and studied Dan over the rim of his cup. <quote_>"Yeah, I guess I 
N07 185 do."<quote/><p/>
N07 186 <p_>The 'understanding' Dan mentioned, referred to the fact that 
N07 187 Lance Chaney and his brother Buck had arrived in Barlow, Texas a 
N07 188 little over a year earlier, hard on the trail of the men who had 
N07 189 raped and killed their sister. They had started on their quest from 
N07 190 opposite sides, for Lance had been a captain in the Union Army, 
N07 191 while Buck was a lieutenant in the Confederacy. However, their past 
N07 192 differences were put aside long enough for them to settle the score 
N07 193 with their sister's killers, though it ultimately took a range war 
N07 194 to get that accomplished.<p/>
N07 195 <p_>The range war was over now, but there were still enough 
N07 196 gunfighters, holdup men, gamblers, prospectors, cowboys and wild 
N07 197 women to keep the place jumping, and to keep the Chaney boys 
N07 198 interested. To the two brothers, Barlow meant two different things. 
N07 199 Buck, being younger, quicker-tempered, and faster with a gun, 
N07 200 rather enjoyed the excitement of the town. He hung around to take 
N07 201 maximum advantage of all the experiences a place like Barlow had to 
N07 202 offer, supporting himself by his wits ... gambling mostly, though 
N07 203 he had done a little bartending and had even hired himself out as a 
N07 204 shotgun guard on a few occasions. Buck was friendly with all the 
N07 205 women, but so far he had managed to avoid getting too close to any 
N07 206 woman in particular.<p/>
N07 207 <p_>Lance was the more settled of the two and he stayed around 
N07 208 Barlow because, as he said, <quote_>"Everyone has to be 
N07 209 somewhere."<quote/> There were those, however, who suggested that 
N07 210 Lance stayed in Barlow because of Lily Montgomery, the owner of the 
N07 211 Easy Pickin's saloon. Actually, there was a great deal of truth to 
N07 212 that suggestion. Lily was a beautiful woman and not at all like the 
N07 213 average sporting house madam.<p/>
N07 214 <p_>Lily could remember the days when she was the daughter of a 
N07 215 wealthy Mississippi planter and the 'Belle of the County.' She 
N07 216 still had the airs of a fine lady and cowboys who were visiting the 
N07 217 saloon for the first time and who knew nothing of Lily's 
N07 218 background, seemed to sense that, and react to it.<p/>
N07 219 <p_>Lance and Lily had an understanding of sorts, though the 
N07 220 parameters of that understanding had not been fully explored. Lance 
N07 221 certainly wasn't ready to discuss marriage and he didn't consider 
N07 222 himself engaged. Also, since their relationship had never actually 
N07 223 been articulated they were free, technically, to see others. It was 
N07 224 obvious to everyone, however, that while Lily ran a bar and 
N07 225 sporting house and served drinks and a smile to men, she was 
N07 226 interested only in Lance Chaney. It was just as obvious that Lance, 
N07 227 who had a polite smile for all the working girls of the Easy 
N07 228 Pickin's Saloon, was really interested in sharing his table and 
N07 229 drinks only with Lily.<p/>
N07 230 <p_>When the job was offered to him, Lance pinned on the star of 
N07 231 deputy marshal. The new marshal, Dan Efrem, needed a deputy, and 
N07 232 Lance Chaney needed work. What made the situation somewhat unusual 
N07 233 was that Lance was one of those responsible for getting Efrem to 
N07 234 come to Barlow in the first place.<p/>
N07 235 <p_>Dan Efrem was a well-known and highly-respected law officer, a 
N07 236 former Texas Ranger and United States Marshal.
N07 237 
N08   1 <#FROWN:N08\><p_>The word had spread. When Pettigrew limped into 
N08   2 the Rosita Mercantile, pants leg bloody, needing a shave, he drew 
N08   3 stares from everyone in sight. But the store owner wasted no time 
N08   4 asking questions until after he'd measured a yard of muslin and 
N08   5 found a pair of the new Levi's pants, size thirty-three by 
N08   6 thirty-three. Pettigrew would have to turn up the cuffs. There were 
N08   7 four other customers in the store, but no one spoke. They only 
N08   8 stared.<p/>
N08   9 <p_>Then, <quote_>"You're the one that rode in with that woman, 
N08  10 ain't you? Is she really the one that was kidnapped up at 
N08  11 Pueblo?"<quote/><p/>
N08  12 <p_><quote|>"Yeah," Pettigrew answered, wearily. <quote_>"Got any 
N08  13 crackers or anything? Maybe some sardines?"<quote/><p/>
N08  14 <p_><quote_>"What happened?"<quote/><p/>
N08  15 <p_><quote_>"There was some shooting. She's all right 
N08  16 now."<quote/><p/>
N08  17 <p_><quote_>"Who got shot?"<quote/><p/>
N08  18 <p_><quote_>"Some hardcases. Listen, I don't remember when I ate 
N08  19 last or slept last. Got anything to eat?"<quote/><p/>
N08  20 <p_>Back in the hotel room, he rewrapped his wounds, made a meal of 
N08  21 sardines and crackers and flopped down on the narrow bed.<p/>
N08  22 <p_>Lem Pettigrew slept like a dead man himself, lying on the bed 
N08  23 wearing only his shirt, shorts and socks. His dreams were deep and 
N08  24 vague and kept shifting scenes. There was the doctor with no name 
N08  25 at Hardscrabble, Charles B. Atkinson, his old boss Sheriff Popejoy 
N08  26 at Johnson County in West Texas, his childhood in the small town of 
N08  27 Johnsonville, his work for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, 
N08  28 and John 'Beans' Gipson. And there the dream dwelled for a time. It 
N08  29 was a disturbing dream.<p/>
N08  30 <p_>He'd been a deputy sheriff for four years, and resigned when 
N08  31 his boss completed his term and didn't run for re-election. It was 
N08  32 Sheriff Popejoy who suggested he work for the Pinkertons, and it 
N08  33 was the glowing recommendation from the sheriff that got him the 
N08  34 job. That, and the fact that he'd done enough work on the cow 
N08  35 outfits in West Texas that he could hold down a job as a cowboy. 
N08  36 Plus the fact that the JS Ranch in south Texas was losing cattle 
N08  37 and needed some undercover detective work done.<p/>
N08  38 <p_>Plus, the Pinkertons had no agent who looked at all like a 
N08  39 cowboy.<p/>
N08  40 <p_>It was an easy assignment. Once Lem Pettigrew got acquainted 
N08  41 with a good-looking young cowboy nick-named Beans it didn't take 
N08  42 long to figure out what was happening.<p/>
N08  43 <p_>Beans and an older man named Newt Waltham were stealing a few 
N08  44 cattle at a time and hazing them into a corral hidden in the 
N08  45 mesquites that grew along the Rio Grande. A crew of 
N08  46 <foreign|>vaqueros drove the cattle from there across the river, 
N08  47 delivering them to a Mexican rancher who had two hundred thousand 
N08  48 acres to hide them in. The <foreign|>ranchero paid Beans and Newt 
N08  49 about half the market price.<p/>
N08  50 <p_>Pettigrew got suspicious when Beans ran out of dollars in town 
N08  51 one day and couldn't talk a bartender into taking pesos. 
N08  52 <quote_>"God damn Mex money won't buy a piece of ass this side of 
N08  53 the border,"<quote/> he'd complained. He shut up like a trap when 
N08  54 Pettigrew asked where he got the pesos. Then Newt suffered a broken 
N08  55 leg when a horse turned over on him, and Beans needed a new 
N08  56 partner. Pettigrew had let it be known that he wouldn't mind raking 
N08  57 in more than cowboy wages if he could do it without killing anyone. 
N08  58 Beans had found his new partner.<p/>
N08  59 <p_>One theft of twenty-five cows was all it took to gather enough 
N08  60 evidence. But Pettigrew's work wasn't done. The worst part was yet 
N08  61 to come. He had to testify in court.<p/>
N08  62 <p_>In his dreams Pettigrew often saw Beans' face when he said, 
N08  63 <quote_>"I never believed you'd rat on me, Lem. I thought we was 
N08  64 friends. I never believed you'd -"<quote/><p/>
N08  65 <p_>It was a knocking on the door that woke him.<p/>
N08  66 <p_><quote|>"Huh," Pettigrew snorted, jerking upright on the bed. 
N08  67 For a long moment he couldn't remember where he was. The knocking 
N08  68 persisted. Finally, <quote_>"Yeah? Who's there?"<quote/><p/>
N08  69 <p_>A muffled voice came through the door, <quote_>"The proprietor, 
N08  70 Mr. Pettigrew. I've got a message."<quote/><p/>
N08  71 <p_><quote_>"All right, all right. Give me a minute."<quote/> 
N08  72 Bedsprings squeaked when he got up. He pulled on his new pants and 
N08  73 went to the door in his sock feet. The clerk with the handlebar 
N08  74 moustache stood there.<p/>
N08  75 <p_>He said, <quote_>"Mrs. Atkinson asked me to tell you that she 
N08  76 would like to meet you downstairs."<quote/><p/>
N08  77 <p_><quote_>"All right, thanks."<quote/><p/>
N08  78 <p_>He washed his face in cold water, ran his fingers through his 
N08  79 brown hair, and wished he had a comb. He knew his face bristled 
N08  80 with several days' growth of whiskers, but he had no razor with 
N08  81 him. His boots thumped on the stair steps.<p/>
N08  82 <p_>She looked some better, sitting in the lobby, although she 
N08  83 needed clean clothes. She even managed a small smile. Two young 
N08  84 faces were pressed against the window pane from outside, looking in 
N08  85 at her. The proprietor went to the open door and hollered, 
N08  86 <quote_>"Now you kids get away from here."<quote/><p/>
N08  87 <p_><quote_>"I hope you got some rest, Mrs. Atkinson,"<quote/> 
N08  88 Pettigrew said as he sat in one of four wooden chairs in the 
N08  89 lobby.<p/>
N08  90 <p_><quote_>"Yes. I had a bath and a nap. I was wondering, Mr. 
N08  91 Pettigrew, whether you've talked to the officers of the law 
N08  92 here."<quote/><p/>
N08  93 <p_><quote_>"A deputy sheriff. He ought to be gone after the dead 
N08  94 bodies now."<quote/><p/>
N08  95 <p_><quote_>"Good. I'm sure he will want a statement of some kind 
N08  96 from me too. I'm so weary I hope we can get this over with so I can 
N08  97 get back to Pueblo."<quote/><p/>
N08  98 <p_><quote_>"I told him you have to get back as fast as possible. 
N08  99 He said a stage leaves every morning going east. I might have to 
N08 100 stay a day or two."<quote/><p/>
N08 101 <p_><quote_>"Oh, I hope not. I need your company."<quote/><p/>
N08 102 <p_><quote_>"I hope not too, but ..."<quote/> He shrugged. 
N08 103 <quote_>"I've been an officer of the law myself, and I know certain 
N08 104 matters have to be settled."<quote/><p/>
N08 105 <p_><quote_>"Do you suppose we could have dinner together? I feel 
N08 106 so ... so embarrassed all alone."<quote/><p/>
N08 107 <p_><quote_>"Sure. You bet. I'll buy a razor and try to make myself 
N08 108 fit to be seen with a lady."<quote/><p/>
N08 109 <p_>Seated at a table for four in the Home Cafe next door, they had 
N08 110 roast beef, mashed potatoes and brown gravy. She ate only half of 
N08 111 what was on her plate. Pettigrew cleaned his plate and ordered a 
N08 112 slab of pie made of dried apples. They ate silently. She seemed to 
N08 113 be deep in thought, and he didn't want to intrude.<p/>
N08 114 <p_>They went to their separate rooms after dinner. Pettigrew took 
N08 115 a 'whore's bath' out of the wash pan, and wished he'd had enough 
N08 116 money to buy some clean shorts and socks. With only a few dollars 
N08 117 in his wallet, he'd have to sell his bay horse to get stage and 
N08 118 train fare, but once he got back to Pueblo, he'd collect his reward 
N08 119 and be rich. Well, working-man rich.<p/>
N08 120 <p_><quote|>"Uh-oh," he said aloud when the thought hit him. What 
N08 121 if Charles B. Atkinson was dead? Would he get the reward he'd 
N08 122 earned? Surely, the widow would see that he did. Everybody in 
N08 123 Southern Colorado knew a reward had been promised. He sat on the 
N08 124 bed thinking. Yeah, sure. Of course I'll get the reward.<p/>
N08 125 <p_>Deputy Mulhay got back after dark. Pettigrew lit a coal oil 
N08 126 lamp, pulled on his pants and again went to the door in his sock 
N08 127 feet. His big toe on the right foot had worn a hole in the sock, 
N08 128 but, oh well, the deputy had seen holes in socks before.<p/>
N08 129 <p_><quote_>"We got 'em down and layed 'em out."<quote/> Deputy 
N08 130 Mulhay said, <quote_>"and I just talked to Mrs. Atkinson and got 
N08 131 her story. It checks exactly with what you said."<quote/><p/>
N08 132 <p_><quote|>"Uh-huh." Pettigrew sat on the bed and motioned the 
N08 133 deputy to the one chair.<p/>
N08 134 <p_><quote_>"What I need now,"<quote/> the deputy said, shifting 
N08 135 his gun<?_>-<?/>belt and sitting, <quote_>"is to get a jury 
N08 136 together. Say, oh ... four or five good men that can read and 
N08 137 write, however many I can find, and tell 'em all about it. You'll 
N08 138 have to be there, but I told Mrs. Atkinson she could leave on the 
N08 139 stage in the mornin'."<quote/><p/>
N08 140 <p_><quote_>"I know she appreciates that."<quote/><p/>
N08 141 <p_><quote_>"Yeah, poor woman. She's had hell. I sure ain't gonna 
N08 142 give 'er no more trouble."<quote/><p/>
N08 143 <p_><quote_>"But I guess I'll have to stick around 
N08 144 tomorrow."<quote/><p/>
N08 145 <p_><quote_>"Yup. Can't be helped. What Mrs. Atkinson tells me is 
N08 146 you saved her life more'n once."<quote/><p/>
N08 147 <p_>Shrugging, Pettigrew said, <quote_>"I wasn't trying to be a 
N08 148 hero. There's a reward."<quote/><p/>
N08 149 <p_><quote_>"Yup. I heered about that reward. What Mrs. Atkinson 
N08 150 tells me is you surely earned it."<quote/><p/>
N08 151 <p_><quote_>"When can you hold this inquest?"<quote/><p/>
N08 152 <p_><quote_>"Not 'til mornin'. Wish we had a telegraph here. The 
N08 153 sheriff's gone down to New Mexico Territory to eyeball a horse 
N08 154 thief they arrested down there, and I wish I could telegraph 'im to 
N08 155 get back up here. But we ain't and I cain't, so I'll do the best I 
N08 156 know how."<quote/><p/>
N08 157 <p_>Pettigrew almost told about having been a deputy sheriff 
N08 158 himself, but he decided he didn't want to get into a conversation 
N08 159 about that. Instead, he said, <quote_>"Know where I can sell a good 
N08 160 horse? I don't care to ride back over those mountains."<quote/><p/>
N08 161 <p_><quote_>"Sammy buys and sells horses, mules, jackasses, wagons 
N08 162 and just about ever'thing else. How much he pays depends on how 
N08 163 hard up you are."<quote/><p/>
N08 164 <p_>Pettigrew managed a small grin. <quote_>"I'll try to put on a 
N08 165 good act."<quote/><p/>
N08 166 <p_>He saw the stage off with Mrs. Atkinson and three other 
N08 167 passengers in it. The woman carried the saddlebags full of money. 
N08 168 It occurred to Pettigrew to ask for an advance against the reward, 
N08 169 but he didn't want to admit that he was broke. Sammy turned out to 
N08 170 be a short, wide man with a nearly new brown hat and baggy wool 
N08 171 pants. Pettigrew asked for forty dollars for the bay gelding, but 
N08 172 settled for thirty-five. That gave him plenty of money to get to 
N08 173 Pueblo, where he would collect his reward.<p/>
N08 174 <p_>The town of Rosita had no coroner, but Deputy Mulhay called the 
N08 175 gathering of five citizens a coroner's jury anyway. The hearing, in 
N08 176 the combination sheriff's office and one-cell jail should have been 
N08 177 short, but each juror had questions, mainly to satisfy their 
N08 178 private curiosities. They didn't even leave the room to reach a 
N08 179 verdict:<p/>
N08 180 <p_><tf_>The two unnamed men met their deaths at the hands of one 
N08 181 Lemual Pettigrew of Fremont County, state of Colorado. Mr. 
N08 182 Pettigrew shot them in the defense of a kidnap victim, one Mrs. 
N08 183 Cynthia Atkinson of Pueblo County. Therefore, it is the verdict of 
N08 184 this coroner's jury that Mr. Pettigrew violated no laws of the 
N08 185 state of Colorado.<tf/><p/>
N08 186 <p_><quote_>"You understand, Mr. Pettigrew,"<quote/> a well-dressed 
N08 187 juror said, <quote_>"that this was not a trial, and if at some time 
N08 188 the sheriff or the prosecutor decides to file charges against you 
N08 189 it would not constitute double jeopardy."<quote/><p/>
N08 190 <p_><quote_>"I understand."<quote/><p/>
N08 191 <p_><quote_>"You're free to go on about your business."<quote/><p/>
N08 192 <p_>Pettigrew bought a new shirt to go with the new pants. The new 
N08 193 Levi's denim pants were cut full to allow for shrinkage, and they 
N08 194 were baggy and stiff. He wished he'd bought another kind. He had a 
N08 195 good breakfast under his belt, and a beer would have tasted good. 
N08 196 But he didn't want to have to answer questions about the woman and 
N08 197 her kidnappers, so he stayed out of the saloons. Now was the time 
N08 198 to follow the advice of the doctor with no name and give his sore 
N08 199 leg a rest.<p/>
N08 200 <p_>He was dozing lightly in his room when a knock on the door 
N08 201 brought him to his feet. <quote_>"Who's there?"<quote/><p/>
N08 202 <p_>A barely audible voice came through the door, <quote_>"The 
N08 203 sheriff."<quote/><p/>
N08 204 <p_>It wasn't the right answer. Pettigrew drew the Colt .45, and 
N08 205 when he opened the door he didn't stand in front of it. Instead, he 
N08 206 stepped back, partially behind it.<p/>
N08 207 <p_>The man who rushed in had a sixgun in his hand too, and he 
N08 208 wasn't Deputy Mulhay.<p/>
N08 209 <h_><p_>Chapter Fifteen<p/><h/>
N08 210 <p_>In an instant, Pettigrew recognized the man. He fired as the 
N08 211 man was turning toward him, then immediately dove for the floor, 
N08 212 rolled onto his back and fired at the second man in the doorway.
N08 213 
N09   1 <#FROWN:N09\>Listen to me, people. I know Smoke Jensen. He probably 
N09   2 don't remember me, but I <tf|>damn sure remember him. Let me name 
N09   3 you some men who had the bad judgment to brace him. Slick Finger 
N09   4 Bob, Terry Smith, Tom Ritter, One-Eye Slim, Warner Frigo, Canning, 
N09   5 Felter, Kid Austin, Grisson and Clark, Curly Rodgers, Curt Holt, Ed 
N09   6 Malone, Boots Pierson, Harry Jennings, Blackjack Simpson. Richards, 
N09   7 Potter, Stratton. Smoke Jensen killed <tf|>nineteen men by himself 
N09   8 in a ghost town over in Idaho. Then there's Greeny, Lebert, and 
N09   9 Augie. There was Dickerson, Brown, and Necker. Joiner and Wilson 
N09  10 and Casey. There was Jack Waters and his three brothers. Then there 
N09  11 was Lanny Ball and four of his friends. I think their names was 
N09  12 Woody, Dalton, Lodi, and Sutton. Dad Estes had himself and his 
N09  13 whole gang wiped out by Jensen. Cat Jennings and Barton and Mills 
N09  14 and no-'count George Victor. Utah slim - <tf|>everybody's heard of 
N09  15 him - faced Smoke one day. That was the last thing he ever did. 
N09  16 Pig-Face Phillips and a gunhand named Carson called Jensen out. 
N09  17 They died in the dirt. You want me to name some more? Hell, I ain't 
N09  18 even scratched the surface yet!"<quote/><p/>
N09  19 <p_>Club Bowers walked the floor, eyeballing each man there. 
N09  20 <quote_>"People, understand something: Smoke Jensen was raised by 
N09  21 mountain men. He don't fight like nobody you or me know. And when 
N09  22 you get Smoke Jensen riled - and I've seen him riled - he's like 
N09  23 ... well, a whole room full of grizzly bears. He's ..."<quote/><p/>
N09  24 <p_>Jack Biggers waved him silent. <quote_>"You're lettin' your 
N09  25 imagination run away with you, Club. Jensen is a tough man. We all 
N09  26 saw that when he fought Mule. But he's still just a man. He ain't 
N09  27 got no supernatural powers."<quote/><p/>
N09  28 <p_><quote_>"Injuns say he does,"<quote/> Fat Fosburn said. 
N09  29 <quote_>"I used to have some Injuns ridin' with me in my gang, both 
N09  30 breeds and full redskin. They were all scared slap to death of 
N09  31 Smoke Jensen. You see, Smoke was sort of raised up by a mountain 
N09  32 man called Preacher."<quote/><p/>
N09  33 <p_>That got everybody's attention.<p/>
N09  34 <p_><quote|>"Yeah," Fat said with a smile. <quote_>"Preacher 
N09  35 hisself. The most famous mountain man of them all. Mean as a snake 
N09  36 and tough as an oak tree. And he brought Smoke Jensen up to be just 
N09  37 like him. And done a damn good job of it, too. Now you know why 
N09  38 he's so damn mean. Club's right about Jensen to some degree. What 
N09  39 we got to do, I'm thinkin', is get us a good back-shooter in 
N09  40 here."<quote/><p/>
N09  41 <p_><quote_>"You know one?"<quote/> Major asked.<p/>
N09  42 <p_>Fat smiled. <quote_>"I've already sent for him."<quote/><p/>
N09  43 <p_>The man Fat had contacted despised Smoke Jensen with a hatred 
N09  44 that bordered insanity. Preacher had killed his father with a knife 
N09  45 back in the mid-fifties, after he'd caught the man trying to steal 
N09  46 one of his horses. Peter Hankins had been a boy in his teens when 
N09  47 it had happened. A boy who was already an accomplished thief, liar, 
N09  48 pickpocket, murderer, and just about anything else evil he was big 
N09  49 enough to be. Trappers had brought the elder Hankins back to the 
N09  50 trading post and dumped him at Peter's feet, telling him what had 
N09  51 happened.<p/>
N09  52 <p_><quote_>"Out here, boy,"<quote/> a mountain man told him. 
N09  53 <quote_>"You don't steal a man's horse. A lot of times, that's like 
N09  54 givin' a man the death sentence. Your pa got what he deserved. Let 
N09  55 it lie. You go after Preacher, and he'll kill you."<quote/><p/>
N09  56 <p_>Peter Hankins drifted East and joined the Union Army at the 
N09  57 start of the War Between the States. He had always been expert with 
N09  58 a rifle, and he was made a sniper. He loved it. He loved to kill 
N09  59 from a distance. He especially loved to kill Southerners. He'd won 
N09  60 medals for it. When the war ended, he drifted back West, joined a 
N09  61 gang of scum and ne'er-do-wells, and a few years later was caught 
N09  62 up in a completely unexpected fight with Preacher and a young man 
N09  63 named Smoke Jensen. Smoke got lead into him, although Peter doubted 
N09  64 the young man knew it at the time. His hip still bothered him 
N09  65 because of that fight. So after that, he shared his hatred of 
N09  66 Preacher with hatred of Smoke Jensen.<p/>
N09  67 <p_>Now he had a chance to kill him and make a couple thousand 
N09  68 dollars in the process. It was too good to pass up.<p/>
N09  69 <p_>As soon as he received the wire, he bought a train ticket and 
N09  70 was on his way, sleeping in the car with his horse and his Sharps 
N09  71 'English Model' 1877 .45-caliber rifle. Peter hand-loaded his own 
N09  72 ammunition (2.6-inch casing) and knew almost to the inch what 
N09  73 distance they would carry, and they would carry accurately for more 
N09  74 than fifteen hundred yards, providing the wind was not kicking 
N09  75 up.<p/>
N09  76 <p_>Peter would kill man, woman, or child. He made no distinction. 
N09  77 He was a man utterly without morals. And he was looking forward to 
N09  78 this job.<p/>
N09  79 <p_>Smoke stepped out of the house for a breath of night air after 
N09  80 another of Sally and Jenny's excellent suppers. The men had 
N09  81 staggered off to the bunkhouse, all of them full as ticks. Three 
N09  82 days after the fight, and his hands were no longer sore or swollen. 
N09  83 There had been no trouble from Biggers, Cosgrove, or Fat. Smoke was 
N09  84 not expecting any from Club Bowers. Scoundrel that he was, he was 
N09  85 also a man who had been around and could read signs. Smoke had him 
N09  86 a hunch that Club would pull out of this fight given just the 
N09  87 slightest opportunity.<p/>
N09  88 <p_>Van Horn walked up and stood silent for a moment, rolling a 
N09  89 cigarette. <quote_>"When you figure they're gonna hit us, and how 
N09  90 do you figure it?"<quote/><p/>
N09  91 <p_><quote_>"Just as soon as they get everyone in here that's 
N09  92 coming in."<quote/><p/>
N09  93 <p_><quote_>"You know of a person name of Peter 
N09  94 Hankins?"<quote/><p/>
N09  95 <p_><quote_>"Peter Hankins?"<quote/> Smoke mused. <quote_>"Yes. I 
N09  96 do. He's a long-distance shooter. He uses a special made Sharps 
N09  97 .45. Sharps made the rifle for about a year, I think. Made it for 
N09  98 target shooters. It had something to do with English marksmanship 
N09  99 rules, I believe. I've never seen one. Hankins, huh? My mentor 
N09 100 killed Hankins' father. Preacher caught him stealing horses and 
N09 101 carved him up. That was years before I knew Preacher. I've known 
N09 102 for a long time that Hankins hates me."<quote/><p/>
N09 103 <p_><quote_>"How old a man would he be?"<quote/><p/>
N09 104 <p_><quote_>"Probably in his early to mid-forties. He was a 
N09 105 teenager when Preacher killed his father back in '55 or so. I have 
N09 106 no idea what he looks like or where he lives. He's a loner. He 
N09 107 comes in, bodies fall, he leaves. Usually without anyone ever 
N09 108 seeing him. How'd you find out about him coming in?"<quote/><p/>
N09 109 <p_>Van Horn smiled. <quote_>"Oh, those sources of mine I told you 
N09 110 about."<quote/><p/>
N09 111 <p_>Smoke chuckled. <quote_>"You mean the girls at the Golden 
N09 112 Cherry, don't you?"<quote/><p/>
N09 113 <p_>Van Horn laughed quietly. <quote_>"Not much gets by you, does 
N09 114 it, Smoke?"<quote/><p/>
N09 115 <p_><quote_>"I can't afford to let much by me, Van. I have too many 
N09 116 people who want to see me dead."<quote/><p/>
N09 117 <p_><quote_>"I do know the feelin',"<quote/> the old gunfighter 
N09 118 said. <quote_>"But if they attack this ranch, they're gonna be in 
N09 119 for a tough fight of it. That's a salty bunch yonder in the 
N09 120 bunkhouse."<quote/><p/>
N09 121 <p_><quote_>"They'll attack. It's coming. That's why I sold off 
N09 122 most of the cattle, except for the good breeding stock, and had you 
N09 123 bunch the rest in that box. Will the girls tell you when Hankins 
N09 124 gets into town?"<quote/><p/>
N09 125 <p_><quote_>"Within the hour."<quote/><p/>
N09 126 <p_><quote_>"Let me know. Tomorrow we all work close to the ranch. 
N09 127 We've got to get ready for anything that might come our 
N09 128 way."<quote/><p/>
N09 129 <p_><quote_>"See you in the morning."<quote/><p/>
N09 130 <p_>Smoke was up before dawn, as usual, and with coffee in hand, 
N09 131 stepped outside to meet the dawning, about a half hour away. Wolf 
N09 132 Parcell had been waiting on him.<p/>
N09 133 <p_><quote_>"What's on your mind, Wolf?"<quote/><p/>
N09 134 <p_><quote_>"Let's take the fight to them. Kill them all,"<quote/> 
N09 135 the old mountain man said coldly and bluntly. <quote_>"End it. Then 
N09 136 the girl-child can live in peace."<quote/><p/>
N09 137 <p_>Smoke smiled in the darkness. Mountain men were not known for 
N09 138 their gentle loving nature toward anyone who had openly declared 
N09 139 themselves an enemy. And for the most part, that philosophy was 
N09 140 shared by Smoke. But he had learned to temper his baser urgings ... 
N09 141 to a degree. <quote_>"Those days are just about gone, Wolf. 
N09 142 Besides, we've got to keep public sentiment on our 
N09 143 side."<quote/><p/>
N09 144 <p_>The old man <tf|>harrumped at that but said nothing in rebuttal 
N09 145 for the moment. He drained his coffee cup and stuffed a wad of 
N09 146 chewing tobacco into his mouth. He chomped and chewed and spat and 
N09 147 finally said, <quote_>"Two Injun friends of mine come of the 
N09 148 bunkhouse last night. Told me a whole passel of gunslingers rode 
N09 149 into town 'bout ten o'clock."<quote/><p/>
N09 150 <p_><quote_>"I thought I heard something about one."<quote/><p/>
N09 151 <p_><quote_>"Figured you would. Injuns asked about you. I told 'em 
N09 152 you wasn't near 'bouts ugly as Preacher, and you was sizable bigger 
N09 153 and somewhat smarter."<quote/><p/>
N09 154 <p_>Smoke chuckled. And waited. He knew Wolf had more on his mind 
N09 155 and would get to it in his own good time.<p/>
N09 156 <p_><quote_>"Said they was a double handful of the 
N09 157 gunslingers,"<quote/> Wolf said, after he spat. <quote_>"They 
N09 158 didn't know no names."<quote/><p/>
N09 159 <p_><quote_>"The odds are getting longer, aren't they?"<quote/><p/>
N09 160 <p_><quote_>"Yep. But we can handle them come the time. You'll cut 
N09 161 your puma loose soon enough I reckon. And we'll be right there with 
N09 162 you."<quote/><p/>
N09 163 <p_><quote_>"You're looking forward to this, aren't 
N09 164 you?"<quote/><p/>
N09 165 <p_><quote_>"I'd be lyin' if I said I wasn't. That's a good girl in 
N09 166 yonder. I like her. I ain't got no use for people who'd hurt a girl 
N09 167 like that. Riles me up considerable. I take it personal. Bad Dog 
N09 168 feels the same way. So's the rest of the fellers. When they come, 
N09 169 Smoke, I ain't offerin' no quarter to none of them. I just want you 
N09 170 to know that. I'm speakin' for me, Pasco, and Bad Dog. Cain't talk 
N09 171 for none of the others."<quote/><p/>
N09 172 <p_><quote_>"Try not to take scalps,"<quote/> Smoke said drily.<p/>
N09 173 <p_><quote_>"I'll think about it."<quote/> The old mountain man got 
N09 174 up as silently as a stalking cat and moved into the darkness. He 
N09 175 stopped and turned around. Smoke could see the faint smile on his 
N09 176 lips. <quote_>"You're a fine one to tell me not to take scalps, 
N09 177 Smoke."<quote/><p/>
N09 178 <p_><quote_>"That was a long time ago, Wolf."<quote/><p/>
N09 179 <p_>Wolf chuckled. <quote_>"You ain't old enough for it to be that 
N09 180 long ago, boy. You got more of Preacher in you than you think. And 
N09 181 I think this here fight's gonna turn real interestin'. For a fact I 
N09 182 do."<quote/><p/>
N09 183 <h|>Fourteen
N09 184 <p_>Smoke saddled up, secured his bedroll, and rode out alone, 
N09 185 taking a couple of sandwiches with him. He had told Sally, 
N09 186 <quote_>"I'll be back."<quote/><p/>
N09 187 <p_>She did not question him. He might be back by noon, or he might 
N09 188 return the next day. He might be back in three or four days. Sally 
N09 189 knew they were in a fight to the death now, for her husband never 
N09 190 tried to shield her from the truth. Hired guns were riding in from 
N09 191 all over a three-state and territory area. By stage, by train, by 
N09 192 horse. They were coming to Red Light to accept the fighting wages 
N09 193 of Biggers, Fosburn, and Cosgrove. They were coming in to attempt 
N09 194 to kill Smoke Jensen.<p/>
N09 195 <p_>And this teenage girl, Sally added, cutting her eyes to the 
N09 196 young girl standing at the kitchen counter, kneading dough for 
N09 197 bread. They have no right to do that, Sally mused, her thoughts 
N09 198 turning savage. She has harmed no one. She has a right to live on 
N09 199 the ranch her mother left her, and to live in peace. Damn those men 
N09 200 who would harm a child ...<p/>
N09 201 <p_><quote_>"When you finish with that, Jenny,"<quote/> Sally said, 
N09 202 <quote_>"get your guns. We're going to practice awhile."<quote/><p/>
N09 203 <p_><quote_>"Yes ma'am. Won't Uncle Smoke be alarmed at the 
N09 204 gunfire?"<quote/><p/>
N09 205 <p_><quote_>"No. I told him about it."<quote/> Sally went to the 
N09 206 front door and looked for Van Horn. The old gunfighter was by the 
N09 207 corral, Wolf Parcell and Bad Dog with him. She walked down to him. 
N09 208 He turned at her approach, taking off his hat.<p/>
N09 209 
N10   1 <#FROWN:N10\><h|>30
N10   2 <p_>The Air France Concorde touched down at Dulles Airport and 
N10   3 taxied up to an unmarked U.S. government hangar near the cargo 
N10   4 terminals. The sky was overcast, but the runway was dry and showed 
N10   5 no sign of rain. Still clutching his backpack as if it was part of 
N10   6 him, Gunn exited the sleek aircraft almost immediately and hurried 
N10   7 down the mobile stairway to a waiting black Ford sedan driven by 
N10   8 uniformed capital police. With flashing lights and screaming siren, 
N10   9 he was whisked toward the NUMA headquarters building in the 
N10  10 nation's capital.<p/>
N10  11 <p_>Gunn felt like a captured felon, riding in the backseat of the 
N10  12 speeding police car. He noticed that the Potomac River looked 
N10  13 unusually green and leaden as they shot over the Rochambeau 
N10  14 Memorial Bridge. The blur of pedestrians was too immune to 
N10  15 revolving lights and sirens to bother looking up as the Ford shot 
N10  16 past.<p/>
N10  17 <p_>The driver did not pull up at the main entrance but swung 
N10  18 around the west corner of the NUMA building, tires squealing, and 
N10  19 flew down a ramp leading to a garage beneath the lobby floor. The 
N10  20 Ford came to an abrupt stop in front of an elevator. Two security 
N10  21 guards stepped forward, opened the door, and escorted Gunn into the 
N10  22 elevator and up to the agency's fourth floor. A short distance down 
N10  23 the hallway they stood back and opened the door to the NUMA's vast 
N10  24 conference room with its sophisticated visual displays.<p/>
N10  25 <p_>Several men and women were seated around a long mahogany table, 
N10  26 their attention focused on Dr. Chapman, who was lecturing in front 
N10  27 of a screen that depicted the middle Atlantic Ocean along the 
N10  28 equator off West Africa.<p/>
N10  29 <p_>The room abruptly hushed as Gunn walked in. Admiral Sandecker 
N10  30 rose out of his chair, rushed forward, and greeted Gunn like a 
N10  31 brother who had survived a liver transplant.<p/>
N10  32 <p_><quote_>"Thank God, you got through,"<quote/> he said with 
N10  33 unaccustomed emotion. <quote_>"How was your flight from 
N10  34 Paris?"<quote/><p/>
N10  35 <p_><quote_>"Felt like an outcast sitting in a Concorde all by 
N10  36 myself."<quote/><p/>
N10  37 <p_><quote_>"No military planes were immediately available. 
N10  38 Chartering a Concorde was the only expedient means of getting you 
N10  39 here fast."<quote/><p/>
N10  40 <p_><quote_>"Nice, so long as the taxpayers don't find 
N10  41 out."<quote/><p/>
N10  42 <p_><quote_>"If they knew their very existence was at stake, I 
N10  43 doubt if they'd complain."<quote/><p/>
N10  44 <p_>Sandecker introduced Gunn around the conference table.<p/>
N10  45 <p_><quote_>"With three exceptions I think you know most everyone 
N10  46 here."<quote/><p/>
N10  47 <p_>Dr. Chapman and Hiram Yaeger came over and shook hands, showing 
N10  48 their obvious pleasure at seeing him. He was introduced to Dr. 
N10  49 Muriel Hoag, NUMA's director of marine biology, and Dr. Evan 
N10  50 Holland, the agency's environmental expert.<p/>
N10  51 <p_>Muriel Hoag was quite tall and built like a starving fashion 
N10  52 model. Her jet-black hair was brushed back in a neat bun and her 
N10  53 brown eyes peered through round spectacles. She wore no makeup, 
N10  54 which was just as well, Gunn thought. A complete makeover by 
N10  55 Beverly Hills' top beauty salon would have been a wasted effort.<p/>
N10  56 <p_>Evan Holland was an environmental chemist and looked like a 
N10  57 basset hound contemplating a frog in his dish. His ears were two 
N10  58 sizes too large for his head, and he had a long nose that rounded 
N10  59 at the tip. His eyes stared at the world as if they were soaked in 
N10  60 melancholy. Holland's appearance was deceiving. He was one of the 
N10  61 most astute pollution investigators in the business.<p/>
N10  62 <p_>The other two men, Chip Webster, satellite analyst for NUMA, 
N10  63 and Keith Hodge, the agency's chief oceanographer, Gunn already 
N10  64 knew.<p/>
N10  65 <p_>He turned to Sandecker. <quote_>"Someone went to a lot of 
N10  66 trouble to evacuate me out of Mali,"<quote/><p/>
N10  67 <p_><quote_>"Hala Kamil personally gave her authorization to use a 
N10  68 UN tactical team."<quote/><p/>
N10  69 <p_><quote_>"The officer in charge of the operation, a Colonel 
N10  70 Levant, acted none too happy to greet me."<quote/><p/>
N10  71 <p_><quote_>"General Bock, his superior, and Colonel Levant both 
N10  72 took a bit of persuading,"<quote/> Sandecker admitted. <quote_>"But 
N10  73 when they realized the urgency of your data they gave their full 
N10  74 cooperation."<quote/><p/>
N10  75 <p_><quote_>"They masterminded a very smooth operation,"<quote/> 
N10  76 Gunn said. <quote_>"Incredible they could plan and carry it through 
N10  77 overnight."<quote/><p/>
N10  78 <p_>If Gunn thought Sandecker would fill him in on the details, he 
N10  79 was to be disappointed. Impatience was etched in every crease in 
N10  80 the Admiral's face. There was a tray with coffee and sweet rolls, 
N10  81 but he didn't offer Gunn any. He grabbed him by one arm and hustled 
N10  82 him to a chair at one end of the long conference table.<p/>
N10  83 <p_><quote_>"Let's get to it,"<quote/> the Admiral said brusquely. 
N10  84 <quote_>"Everyone is anxious to hear about your discovery of the 
N10  85 compound causing the red tide explosion."<quote/><p/>
N10  86 <p_>Gunn sat down at the table, opened his knapsack, and began 
N10  87 retrieving the contents. Very carefully, he unwrapped the glass 
N10  88 vials of water samples and laid them on a cloth. Next he unpacked 
N10  89 the data disks and set them to one side. Then he looked up.<p/>
N10  90 <p_><quote_>"Here are the water samples and results as interpreted 
N10  91 by my on-board instruments and computers. Through a bit of luck I 
N10  92 was able to identify the stimulator of the red tide as a most 
N10  93 unusual organometallic compound, a combination of a synthetic amino 
N10  94 acid and cobalt. I also found traces of radiation in the water, but 
N10  95 I do not believe it has any direct relation to the contaminant's 
N10  96 impact on the red tide."<quote/><p/>
N10  97 <p_><quote_>"Considering the hardships and obstacles thrown in your 
N10  98 path by the West Africans,"<quote/> said Chapman, <quote_>"it's a 
N10  99 miracle you were able to get a grip on the cause."<quote/><p/>
N10 100 <p_><quote_>"Fortunately, none of my instruments were damaged after 
N10 101 our run-in with the Benin navy."<quote/><p/>
N10 102 <p_><quote_>"I received an inquiry from the CIA,"<quote/> said 
N10 103 Sandecker with a tight smile, <quote_>"asking if we knew anything 
N10 104 about a maverick operation in Mali after you destroyed half the 
N10 105 Benin navy and a helicopter."<quote/><p/>
N10 106 <p_><quote_>"What did you tell them?"<quote/><p/>
N10 107 <p_><quote_>"I lied. Please go on."<quote/><p/>
N10 108 <p_><quote_>"Fire from one Benin gunboat did, however, manage to 
N10 109 destroy our data transmission system,"<quote/> Gunn continued, 
N10 110 <quote_>"making it impossible to telemeter my results to Hiram 
N10 111 Yaeger's computer network."<quote/><p/>
N10 112 <p_><quote_>"I'd like to retest your water samples while Hiram 
N10 113 verifies your analysis data,"<quote/> said Chapman.<p/>
N10 114 <p_>Yaeger stepped next to Gunn and tenderly picked up the computer 
N10 115 disks. <quote_>"Not much I can contribute to this meeting, so I'll 
N10 116 get to work."<quote/><p/>
N10 117 <p_>As soon as the computer wizard had left the room, Gunn stared 
N10 118 at Chapman. <quote_>"I double- and triple-checked my results. I'm 
N10 119 confident your lab and Hiram will confirm my findings."<quote/><p/>
N10 120 <p_>Chapman sensed the tension in Gunn's tone. <quote_>"Believe me 
N10 121 when I say I don't question your procedures or data for a minute. 
N10 122 You, Pitt, and Giordino did one hell of a job. Thanks to your 
N10 123 efforts we now know what we're dealing with. Now the President can 
N10 124 use his clout to lean on Mali to shut off the contaminant at the 
N10 125 sourse. This will buy us time to formulate ways to neutralize its 
N10 126 effects and stop further expansion of the red tides."<quote/><p/>
N10 127 <p_><quote_>"Don't break out the cake and ice cream just 
N10 128 yet,"<quote/> Gunn warned seriously. <quote_>"Though we tracked the 
N10 129 compound to its entry point into the river and identified its 
N10 130 properties, we were unable to discover the location of its 
N10 131 source."<quote/><p/>
N10 132 <p_>Sandecker drummed his fingers on the table. <quote_>"Pitt gave 
N10 133 me the bad news before he was cut off. I apologize for not passing 
N10 134 along the information, but I was counting on a satellite survey to 
N10 135 fill in the missing piece."<quote/><p/>
N10 136 <p_>Muriel Hoag looked directly into Gunn's eyes. <quote_>"I don't 
N10 137 understand how you successfully pursued the compound through 1000 
N10 138 kilometers of water and then lost it on land."<quote/><p/>
N10 139 <p_><quote_>"It was easy,"<quote/> Gunn shrugged wearily. 
N10 140 <quote_>"After we sailed beyond the point of highest concentration, 
N10 141 our contaminant readings dropped off and the instruments began 
N10 142 showing water with commonly known pollutants. We made several runs 
N10 143 back and forth to confirm. We also took visual sightings in every 
N10 144 direction. No hazardous waste dump site, no chemical storage or 
N10 145 manufacturing facilities were visible along the river or inland. No 
N10 146 buildings or construction, nothing. Only barren desert."<quote/><p/>
N10 147 <p_><quote_>"Could a dump site have been buried over at some time 
N10 148 in the past?"<quote/> suggested Holland.<p/>
N10 149 <p_><quote_>"We observed no evidence of excavation,"<quote/> 
N10 150 replied Gunn.<p/>
N10 151 <p_><quote_>"Any chance the toxin was brewed by mother 
N10 152 nature?"<quote/> asked Chip Webster.<p/>
N10 153 <p_>Muriel Hoag smiled. <quote_>"If tests bear out Mr. Gunn's 
N10 154 analysis of a synthetic amino acid, it must have been produced by a 
N10 155 biotech laboratory. Not mother nature. And somewhere, somehow, it 
N10 156 was discarded along with chemicals containing cobalt. Not the first 
N10 157 time accidental integration of chemicals produced a previously 
N10 158 unknown compound."<quote/><p/>
N10 159 <p_><quote_>"How in God's name could such an exotic compound 
N10 160 suddenly appear in the middle of the Sahara?"<quote/> wondered Chip 
N10 161 Webster.<p/>
N10 162 <p_><quote_>"And reach the ocean where it acts as steroids to 
N10 163 dinoflagellates,"<quote/> added Holland.<p/>
N10 164 <p_>Sandecker looked at Keith Hodge. <quote_>"What's the latest 
N10 165 report on the spread of the red tide?"<quote/><p/>
N10 166 <p_>The oceanographer was in his sixties. Unblinking dark brown 
N10 167 eyes gazed from a continually fixed expression on a lean, 
N10 168 high-cheekboned face. With the correctly dated clothing he could 
N10 169 have stepped from an eighteenth-century portrait.<p/>
N10 170 <p_><quote_>"The spread has increased 30 percent in the past four 
N10 171 days. I fear the growth rate is exceeding our most dire 
N10 172 projections."<quote/><p/>
N10 173 <p_><quote_>"But if Dr. Chapman can develop a compound to 
N10 174 neutralize the contamination, and we find and cut it off at the 
N10 175 source, can't we then control the tide's expansion?"<quote/><p/>
N10 176 <p_><quote_>"Better make it soon,"<quote/> answered Hodge. 
N10 177 <quote_>"At the rate it's proliferating, another month and we 
N10 178 should see the first evidence of it beginning to feed off itself 
N10 179 without stimulation flowing from the Niger."<quote/><p/>
N10 180 <p_><quote_>"That's three months early!"<quote/> Muriel Hoag said 
N10 181 sharply.<p/>
N10 182 <p_>Hodge gave a helpless shrug. <quote_>"When you're dealing with 
N10 183 an unknown the only sure commodity is uncertainty."<quote/><p/>
N10 184 <p_>Sandecker swung sideways in his chair and gazed at the blown-up 
N10 185 satellite photo of Mali projected on one wall. <quote_>"Where does 
N10 186 the compound enter the river?"<quote/> he asked Gunn.<p/>
N10 187 <p_>Gunn stood and walked over to the enlarged photo. He picked up 
N10 188 a grease pencil and circled a small area of the Niger River above 
N10 189 Gao on the white backdrop reflecting the projection. <quote_>"Right 
N10 190 about here, off an old riverbed that once flowed into the 
N10 191 Niger."<quote/><p/>
N10 192 <p_>Chip Webster pressed the buttons of a small console sitting on 
N10 193 the table, and enlarged the area around Gunn's marking. <quote_>"No 
N10 194 structures visible. No indication of population. Nor do I make out 
N10 195 any sign of excavated dirt or a mound that would have to be in 
N10 196 evidence if any type of trench was dug to bury hazardous 
N10 197 materials."<quote/><p/>
N10 198 <p_><quote_>"This is an enigma, all right,"<quote/> muttered 
N10 199 Chapman. <quote_>"Where in the devil can the rotten stuff come 
N10 200 from?"<quote/><p/>
N10 201 <p_><quote_>"Pitt and Giordino are still out there searching for 
N10 202 it,"<quote/> Gunn reminded them.<p/>
N10 203 <p_><quote_>"Any late word of their condition or 
N10 204 whereabouts?"<quote/> asked Hodge.<p/>
N10 205 <p_><quote_>"Nothing since Pitt's call aboard Yves Massarde's 
N10 206 boat,"<quote/> replied Sandecker.<p/>
N10 207 <p_>Hodge looked up from his notepad. <quote_>"Yves Massarde? God, 
N10 208 not that pond slime."<quote/><p/>
N10 209 <p_><quote_>"You know him?"<quote/><p/>
N10 210 <p_>Hodge nodded. <quote_>"I crossed paths with him after a bad 
N10 211 chemical spill in the Med off Spain four years ago. One of his 
N10 212 ships that was carrying waste carcinogenic chemicals known as PCBs 
N10 213 for disposal in Algeria broke up and sank in a storm. I personally 
N10 214 think the ship was scuttled in a combination insurance scam and 
N10 215 illegal dump. As it turned out, Algerian officials never had any 
N10 216 intention of accepting the waste for disposal. Then Massarde lied 
N10 217 and cheated and pulled every legal dodge on the books to evade 
N10 218 responsibility for cleaning up the mess. You shake hands with that 
N10 219 guy and you better count your fingers when you walk 
N10 220 away."<quote/><p/>
N10 221 <p_>Gunn turned to Webster, <quote_>"Intelligence-gathering 
N10 222 satellites can read newspapers from space. Why can't we orbit one 
N10 223 over the desert north of Gao in search of Pitt and 
N10 224 Giordino?"<quote/><p/>
N10 225 <p_>Webster shook his head. <quote_>"Negaitve. My contacts at the 
N10 226 National Security Agency have their best eyes in the sky keeping 
N10 227 tabs on the new Chinese rocket firings, the civil war going on in 
N10 228 the Uraine, and the border slashes with Syria and Iraq. They're not 
N10 229 about to spare us time from their intelligence scans to find 
N10 230 civilians in the Sahara Desert. I can go with the latest-model 
N10 231 GeoSat. But it's questionable whether it can distinguis human forms 
N10 232 against the uneven terrain of a desert like the Sahara."<quote/><p/>
N10 233 
N11   1 <#FROWN:N11\><h_><p_>VII<p/>
N11   2 <p_><tf|>(ONE)<p/>
N11   3 <p_>FERDINAND SIX<p/>
N11   4 <p_>BUKA, SOLOMON ISLANDS<p/>
N11   5 <p_>0605 HOURS 7 SEPTEMBER 1942<p/><h/>
N11   6 <p_>Sergeant Steven M. Koffler, USMC, woke suddenly and sat up, 
N11   7 frightened. His guts were knotted and he had a clammy sweat.<p/>
N11   8 <p_>It was from a nightmare, he concluded after a moment, although 
N11   9 he couldn't remember any of it.<p/>
N11  10 <p_>The feeling of foreboding did not go away. Something was wrong. 
N11  11 There was enough light in the hut for him to see that Patience was 
N11  12 gone. That was not unusual. Since she had moved in with him, she 
N11  13 habitually rose before he did and was out of the hut before he 
N11  14 woke.<p/>
N11  15 <p_>But then, slowly, it came to him, what was wrong. He heard no 
N11  16 noise. There was always noise, the squealing of pigs, the crying of 
N11  17 children, the crackling of a fire, even hymn singing.<p/>
N11  18 <p_>That image sent his mind wandering. <tf_>They don't sing hymns 
N11  19 here, like in church. It has nothing to do with God. It's just that 
N11  20 'Rock of Ages' and 'Faith of Our Fathers' and 'God Save the King' 
N11  21 and 'Onward Christian Soldiers' and the other ones are the only 
N11  22 music these people have ever heard.<tf/> He corrected himself: 
N11  23 <tf_>Plus the Marine Hymn, which of course me and Lieutenant Howard 
N11  24 taught them.<p/>
N11  25 <p_>Why can't I hear anything?<tf/><p/>
N11  26 <p_>He felt another wave of fear and reached for the Thompson. He 
N11  27 checked the action and then stuck his feet in his boondockers and 
N11  28 stood up.<p/>
N11  29 <p_>He went to the door of the hut and looked out. No one was in 
N11  30 sight.<p/>
N11  31 <p_><tf_>Where the fuck is everybody?<tf/><p/>
N11  32 <p_>With his finger on the Thompson's trigger, he left the hut, 
N11  33 took one quick look to confirm that no one was visible, then ran 
N11  34 into the jungle behind the hut. He moved ten feet inside it, enough 
N11  35 for concealment, and then he moved laterally until he found a 
N11  36 position where he could observe the other huts.<p/>
N11  37 <p_>There was no one there. The fires had gone out.<p/>
N11  38 <p_><tf_>Even the fucking pigs are gone!<p/>
N11  39 <p_>The sonsofbitches ran off on me!<p/>
N11  40 <p_>Well, what the hell do you expect?<tf/> he asked himself. 
N11  41 <tf_>If I wasn't here, they're just a bunch of fucking cannibals; 
N11  42 the Japs don't give a shit about cannibals unless they're causing 
N11  43 trouble. The worst thing the Japs would do would be to put them to 
N11  44 work.<p/>
N11  45 <p_>With me here, they're the fucking enemy. The Japs would kill 
N11  46 them, slowly, to show they're pissed off. And they'll do it so it 
N11  47 hurts, to teach the other cannibals it's not smart to help the 
N11  48 White Man. Like cutting off their arms and legs, not just their 
N11  49 heads, and leaving the parts laying around.<tf/><p/>
N11  50 <p_>A chill replaced the clammy sweat.<p/>
N11  51 <p_><tf_>What the fuck am I going to do now?<tf/><p/>
N11  52 <p_>He was suddenly, without warning, sick to his stomach. When 
N11  53 that passed, he had an equally irresistible urge to move his 
N11  54 bowels.<p/>
N11  55 <p_>He moved another fifteen yards through the jungle and watched 
N11  56 the camp for another five minutes. Finally he walked out of the 
N11  57 jungle and started looking in the huts.<p/>
N11  58 <p_>The radio was still there.<p/>
N11  59 <p_><tf_>Why not? What the hell would they do with the 
N11  60 radio?<tf/><p/>
N11  61 <p_>And he found some baked sweet potatoes, or whatever the hell 
N11  62 they were, and some of the smoked pig.<p/>
N11  63 <p_><tf_>A farewell present? Merry Christmas, Sergeant Koffler? How 
N11  64 the fuck long are those sweet potatoes and five, ten pounds of 
N11  65 smoked pig going to last me?<p/>
N11  66 <p_>Oh, shit!<tf/><p/>
N11  67 <p_>There came the sound of aircraft engines, a dull roar far 
N11  68 off.<p/>
N11  69 <p_><tf_>Fuck 'em! What the fuck do I care if the whole Japanese 
N11  70 Air Corps is headed for Guadalcanal?<tf/><p/>
N11  71 <p_>He walked to the tree house. They'd left him the knotted rope, 
N11  72 he found to his surprise. He used it to walk up the trunk.<p/>
N11  73 <p_><quote_>"Good morning, Steven,"<quote/> Patience Witherspoon 
N11  74 said. She was sitting on the floor of the platform, wearing an 
N11  75 expression that said she expected to be kicked.<p/>
N11  76 <p_>Ian Bruce was leaning against the trunk.<p/>
N11  77 <p_><quote_>"You heard the engines, Sergeant Koffler?"<quote/><p/>
N11  78 <p_><quote_>"Fuck the engines, where the hell is 
N11  79 everybody?"<quote/><p/>
N11  80 <p_><quote_>"The men went to seek Lieutenant Reeves,"<quote/> Ian 
N11  81 said. <quote_>"The women have gone away from here."<quote/><p/>
N11  82 <p_><quote_>"Gone where?"<quote/><p/>
N11  83 <p_><quote_>"You would not know where they have gone,"<quote/> Ian 
N11  84 said with irrefutable logic. <quote|>"<tf|>Away."<p/>
N11  85 <p_><quote|>"Why?"<p/>
N11  86 <p_><quote_>"If it has not gone well with Lieutenant Reeves, the 
N11  87 Japanese will come looking for us. If they find this place, with 
N11  88 the radio, they may believe there were no other white men. You will 
N11  89 come with us to where the women are making a camp. We may be able 
N11  90 to hide you."<quote/><p/>
N11  91 <p_><quote_>"You think something fucked up, went wrong, don't 
N11  92 you?"<quote/><p/>
N11  93 <p_><quote_>"I think something has fucked up. Otherwise Lieutenant 
N11  94 Reeves would have returned when he said he would 
N11  95 return."<quote/><p/>
N11  96 <p_><quote_>"Why wasn't I told?"<quote/><p/>
N11  97 <p_><quote_>"Because I knew you would forbid it,"<quote/> Ian Bruce 
N11  98 said. <quote_>"Lieutenant Reeves left you in charge; he told me I 
N11  99 was to take your orders as if they had come from him."<quote/><p/>
N11 100 <p_><quote_>"What are you doing up here, then?"<quote/> Steve 
N11 101 asked.<p/>
N11 102 <p_><quote_>"Watching for the Japanese aircraft,"<quote/> Ian said. 
N11 103 <quote_>"We will need the binoculars."<quote/><p/>
N11 104 <p_><quote_>"They're in my hut,"<quote/> Steve replied 
N11 105 automatically.<p/>
N11 106 <p_><quote_>"I will get them,"<quote/> Patience said, and quickly 
N11 107 got to her feet and started down the knotted rope.<p/>
N11 108 <p_><quote_>"If we're going to hide in the goddamned 
N11 109 jungle,"<quote/> Steve asked, <quote_>"why are be bothering with 
N11 110 this shit, anyway?"<quote/><p/>
N11 111 <p_><quote|>"Because," Ian Bruce said, again with irrefutable 
N11 112 logic, <quote_>"we do not know that Lieutenant Reeves is dead. We 
N11 113 only believe he is. Until we know for sure, or until the Japanese 
N11 114 come, we will do what he wishes us to do."<quote/><p/>
N11 115 <p_><quote_>"Semper Fi, right?"<quote/><p/>
N11 116 <p_><quote_>"I do not understand."<quote/><p/>
N11 117 <p_><quote_>"Yeah, you do,"<quote/> Steve said.<p/>
N11 118 <p_><quote_>"Is that English?"<quote/><p/>
N11 119 <p_><quote_>"It's Marine,"<quote/> Steve said. <quote_>"It means 
N11 120 ... you do what you're expected to do, I guess. Or try, 
N11 121 anyway."<quote/><p/>
N11 122 <p_><quote_>"I see,"<quote/> Ian Bruce said solemnly.<p/>
N11 123 <h_><p_><tf|>(TWO)<p/>
N11 124 <p_>USMC REPLACEMENT DEPOT<p/>
N11 125 <p_>PARRIS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA<p/>
N11 126 <p_>2250 HOURS 7 SEPTEMBER 1942<p/><h/>
N11 127 <p_>Because he was on a routine check of the guard posts, the 
N11 128 officer of the day happened to be at the main gate when the 1939 
N11 129 LaSalle convertible pulled up to the guard and stopped. It had been 
N11 130 a long and dull evening and showed little prospect of getting more 
N11 131 interesting.<p/>
N11 132 <p_><quote_>"Hold it a minute,"<quote/> the OD said to his jeep 
N11 133 driver.<p/>
N11 134 <p_><quote_>"Aye, aye, Sir,"<quote/> the driver said and stopped 
N11 135 the jeep.<p/>
N11 136 <p_>The OD got out and walked toward the LaSalle. The driver was 
N11 137 apparently showing his orders to the guard, for the beam of the 
N11 138 guard's flashlight illuminated the interior. The OD saw that the 
N11 139 car held two lieutenants, neither of whom was wearing his cover.<p/>
N11 140 <p_><tf_>But what the hell, it's almost eleven o'clock.<tf/><p/>
N11 141 <p_><quote_>"Welcome to sand flea heaven,"<quote/> the OD said. 
N11 142 <quote_>"Reporting in?"<quote/><p/>
N11 143 <p_><quote_>"Just visiting,"<quote/> McCoy replied.<p/>
N11 144 <p_>He was a first lieutenant, the OD saw, not any older than he 
N11 145 himself was. But he was wearing a double row of ribbons, including 
N11 146 the Bronze Star and what looked like the Purple Heart with two 
N11 147 clusters on it. The other one was a second lieutenant, and he too  
N11 148 was wearing ribbons signifying that he had been wounded and 
N11 149 decorated for valor.<p/>
N11 150 <p_><tf_>Am I being a suspicious prick, or just doing my job?<tf/> 
N11 151 the OD wondered as he reached to take the orders from the guard.<p/>
N11 152 <p_>The orders were obviously genuine. They were issued by 
N11 153 Headquarters, USMC, and ordered First Lieutenant K. R. McCoy to 
N11 154 proceed by military or civilian road, rail, or air transportation, 
N11 155 or at his election, by privately owned vehicle, to Philadelphia, 
N11 156 Penna., Parris Island, S.C., and such other destinations as he 
N11 157 deemed necessary in the carrying out of his mission for the USMC 
N11 158 Office of Management Analysis.<p/>
N11 159 <p_><tf_>What the hell is the Office of Management 
N11 160 Analysis?<tf/><p/>
N11 161 <p_><quote_>"Well, as I said,"<quote/> the OD said, smiling, 
N11 162 <quote_>"welcome to sand flea heaven."<quote/><p/>
N11 163 <p_><quote_>"I know all about the sand fleas,"<quote/> McCoy said, 
N11 164 smiling. <quote_>"But how do I find the BOQ?"<quote/><p/>
N11 165 <p_><quote_>"How do you know about the sand fleas and not the 
N11 166 BOQ?"<quote/> the OD asked, and immediately felt like a fool as the 
N11 167 answer came to him: This guy was a Mustang. He had gone through 
N11 168 Parris Island as an enlisted man before getting a commission. He 
N11 169 knew about sand fleas. But marine boots do not know where bachelor 
N11 170 officers rest their weary heads.<p/>
N11 171 <p_><quote_>"Follow the signs to the Officer's Club,"<quote/> the 
N11 172 OD said. <quote_>"Drive past it. Look to your right. Two-story 
N11 173 frame building on your right."<quote/><p/>
N11 174 <p_><quote_>"Thank you,"<quote/> McCoy said.<p/>
N11 175 <p_>The guard saluted. McCoy returned it. McCoy drove past the 
N11 176 barrier.<p/>
N11 177 <p_><quote|>"Interesting," the OD said to the guard. <quote_>"Did 
N11 178 you see the ribbons on those officers?"<quote/><p/>
N11 179 <p_><quote_>"Yes, Sir. And one of them had a cane, too."<quote/><p/>
N11 180 <p_><quote_>"I wonder what the hell the Office of Management 
N11 181 Analysis is?"<quote/> the OD asked, not expecting an answer.<p/>
N11 182 <p_><quote_>"I'll tell you something else interesting, 
N11 183 Sir,"<quote/> the guard said. <quote_>"The sergeant major is 
N11 184 looking for them. At least for Lieutenant McCoy. He passed the word 
N11 185 through the sergeant of the guard we was to call him, no matter 
N11 186 when he came aboard."<quote/><p/>
N11 187 <p_><quote_>"Him? Not the OD? Or the General's aide?"<quote/><p/>
N11 188 <p_><quote_>"Him, Sir."<quote/><p/>
N11 189 <p_><quote_>"Well, in that case, Corporal, I would suggest you get 
N11 190 on the horn to the sergeant major. Hell hath no fury, as you might 
N11 191 have heard."<quote/><p/>
N11 192 <p_><quote_>"Aye, aye, Sir."<quote/><p/>
N11 193 <p_><quote_>"Does this place fill you with fond memories?"<quote/> 
N11 194 McCoy asked as they drove through the Main Post, an area of brick 
N11 195 buildings looking not unlike the campus of a small college.<p/>
N11 196 <p_><quote_>"I would rather go back to Guadalcanal than go through 
N11 197 here again,"<quote/> Moore said.<p/>
N11 198 <p_><quote_>"How's your legs?"<quote/><p/>
N11 199 <p_><quote_>"I won't mind lying down."<quote/><p/>
N11 200 <p_><quote_>"Well, you wanted to come."<quote/><p/>
N11 201 <p_><quote_>"And I'm grateful that you brought me. I was going stir 
N11 202 crazy in the hospital."<quote/><p/>
N11 203 <p_><quote_>"I think what you need, pal, is a piece of ass. I also 
N11 204 think you're out of luck here."<quote/><p/>
N11 205 <p_><quote_>"Says he, the Croesus of Carnal Wealth,"<quote/> Moore 
N11 206 replied.<p/>
N11 207 <p_><quote|>"What?"<p/>
N11 208 <p_><quote_>"Says he, who doesn't have that problem."<quote/><p/>
N11 209 <p_><quote_>"What Ernie and I have is something special,"<quote/> 
N11 210 McCoy said coldly.<p/>
N11 211 <p_><quote_>"Hell, I realized that the first time I saw you two 
N11 212 looking at each other in San Diego,"<quote/> Moore said. 
N11 213 <quote_>"My reaction then, and now, is profound admiration, coupled 
N11 214 with enormous jealousy."<quote/><p/>
N11 215 <p_><quote_>"Your lady really did a job on you, huh?"<quote/><p/>
N11 216 <p_><quote_>"When I got her letter, in Melbourne, I was fantasizing 
N11 217 about getting to be an officer and marching into the 
N11 218 Bellvue-Stratford in my officer's uniform with her on my arm ... 
N11 219 'Dear John,' the letter said."<quote/><p/>
N11 220 <p_><quote_>"Hell, your name <tf|>is John,"<quote/> McCoy said. 
N11 221 <quote_>"And you have your officer's uniform, three sets of khakis, 
N11 222 anyway ..."<quote/><p/>
N11 223 <p_><quote_>"And thank you for that, too. I wouldn't have known 
N11 224 where to go to buy them."<quote/><p/>
N11 225 <p_><quote_>"Horstmann Uniform has been selling uniforms to The 
N11 226 Corps since Christ was a corporal,"<quote/> McCoy said. 
N11 227 <quote_>"And as I was saying, your Dear John letter lady is not the 
N11 228 only female in the world."<quote/><p/>
N11 229 <p_><quote_>"So I keep telling myself,"<quote/> Moore said.<p/>
N11 230 <p_><quote_>"Well, there's the club, and it looks like it's still 
N11 231 open. Would you like a drink?"<quote/><p/>
N11 232 <p_><quote_>"I'll pass, thank you,"<quote/> Moore said. 
N11 233 <quote_>"But go ahead if you want to."<quote/><p/>
N11 234 <p_><quote_>"I've got a couple of pints in my bag,"<quote/> McCoy 
N11 235 said. <quote_>"I didn't really want to go in there anyway."<quote/> 
N11 236 A moment later he said, <quote_>"That must be it."<quote/><p/>
N11 237 <p_>Moore looked up and saw a two-story frame building. McCoy drove 
N11 238 around behind it and parked the car. Since he'd packed Moore's two 
N11 239 spare khaki uniforms in his own bag, there was only one to 
N11 240 carry.<p/>
N11 241 <p_>A corporal was on duty in the lobby of the Bachelor Officer's 
N11 242 Quarters.<p/>
N11 243 <p_>McCoy told him they were transients and needed rooms; and the 
N11 244 corporal gave them a register to sign, then handed each of them a 
N11 245 key.<p/>
N11 246 <p_><quote_>"End of the corridor to the right, Sir. Number 
N11 247 twelve."<quote/><p/>
N11 248 <p_><quote_>"Thank you,"<quote/> McCoy said and walked up the 
N11 249 stairs.<p/>
N11 250 <p_>Halfway down the corridor he swore bitterly: <quote_>"Shit! 
N11 251 Sonofa<tf|>bitch!"<quote/><p/>
N11 252 <p_>Moore saw the source of his anger. A neatly lettered sign was 
N11 253 thumb-tacked to one of the doors. It read, RESERVED FOR KILLER 
N11 254 MCCOY.<p/>
N11 255 <p_>He walked quickly to the sign and ripped it down. He started to 
N11 256 put his key to the lock in the door, but it opened before he could 
N11 257 reach it.<p/>
N11 258 
N12   1 <#FROWN:N12\><h|>EIGHT
N12   2 <p_>FOR DILLON in the Mini-Cooper, the run from London went easily 
N12   3 enough. Although there was a light covering of snow on the fields 
N12   4 and hedgerows, the roads were perfectly clear and not particularly 
N12   5 busy. He was in Dorking within half an hour. He passed straight 
N12   6 through and continued toward Horsham, finally pulling into a petrol 
N12   7 station about five miles outside.<p/>
N12   8 <p_>As the attendant was topping up the tank Dillon got his road 
N12   9 map out. <quote_>"Place called Doxley, you know it?"<quote/><p/>
N12  10 <p_><quote_>"Half a mile up the road on your right a signpost says 
N12  11 Grimethorpe. That's the airfield, but before you get there you'll 
N12  12 see a sign to Doxley."<quote/><p/>
N12  13 <p_><quote_>"So it's not far from here?"<quote/><p/>
N12  14 <p_><quote_>"Three miles maybe, but it might as well be the end of 
N12  15 the world."<quote/> The attendant chuckled as he took the notes 
N12  16 Dillon gave him. <quote_>"Not much there, mister."<quote/><p/>
N12  17 <p_><quote_>"Thought I'd take a look. Friend told me there might be 
N12  18 a weekend cottage going."<quote/><p/>
N12  19 <p_><quote_>"If there is, I haven't heard of it."<quote/><p/>
N12  20 <p_>Dillon drove away, came to the Grimethorpe sign within a few 
N12  21 minutes, followed the narrow road and found the Doxley sign as the 
N12  22 garage man had indicated. The road was even narrower, high banks 
N12  23 blocking the view until he came to the brow of a small hill and 
N12  24 looked across a desolate landscape, powdered with snow. There was 
N12  25 the occasional small wood, a scattering of hedged fields and then 
N12  26 flat marshland drifting toward a river, which had to be the Arun. 
N12  27 Beside it, perhaps a mile away, he saw houses twelve or fifteen, 
N12  28 with red pantiled roofs, and there was a small church, obviously 
N12  29 Doxley. He started down the hill to the wooded valley below and as 
N12  30 he came to it, saw a five-barred gate standing open and a decaying 
N12  31 wooden sign with the legend Cadge End Farm.<p/>
N12  32 <p_>The track led through the wood and brought him almost at once 
N12  33 to a farm complex. There were a few chickens running here and 
N12  34 there, a house and two large barns linked to it so that the whole 
N12  35 enclosed a courtyard. It looked incredibly run down, as if nothing 
N12  36 had been done to it for years, but then, as Dillon knew, many 
N12  37 country people preferred to live like that. He got out of the Mini 
N12  38 and crossed to the front door, knocked and tried to open it. It was 
N12  39 locked. He turned and went to the first barn. Its old wooden doors 
N12  40 stood open. There was a Morris van in there and a Ford car jacked 
N12  41 up on bricks, no wheels, agricultural implements all over the 
N12  42 place.<p/>
N12  43 <p_>Dillon took out a cigarette. As he lit it in cupped hands, a 
N12  44 voice behind said, <quote_>"Who are you? What do you 
N12  45 want?"<quote/><p/>
N12  46 <p_>He turned and found a girl in the doorway. She wore baggy 
N12  47 trousers tucked into a pair of rubber boots, a heavy roll-neck 
N12  48 sweater under an old anorak and a knitted beret like a Tam 
N12  49 o'Shanter, the kind of thing you found in fishing villages on the 
N12  50 West Coast of Ireland. She was holding a double-barreled shotgun 
N12  51 threateningly. As he took a step toward her, she thumbed back the 
N12  52 hammer.<p/>
N12  53 <p_><quote_>"You stay there."<quote/> The Irish accent was very 
N12  54 pronounced.<p/>
N12  55 <p_><quote_>"You'll be the one they call Angel Fahy?"<quote/> he 
N12  56 said.<p/>
N12  57 <p_><quote_>"Angela, if it's any of your business."<quote/><p/>
N12  58 <p_>Tania's man had been right. She did look like a little peasant. 
N12  59 Broad cheekbone, upturned nose and a kind of fierceness there. 
N12  60 <quote_>"Would you really shoot with that thing?"<quote/><p/>
N12  61 <p_><quote_>"If I had to."<quote/><p/>
N12  62 <p_><quote_>"A pity that, and me only wanting to meet my father's 
N12  63 cousin, once removed, Danny Fahy."<quote/><p/>
N12  64 <p_>She frowned. <quote_>"And who in the hell might you be, 
N12  65 mister?"<quote/><p/>
N12  66 <p_><quote_>"Dillon's the name. Sean Dillon."<quote/><p/>
N12  67 <p_>She laughed harshly. <quote_>"That's a damn lie. You're not 
N12  68 even Irish and Sean Dillon is dead, everyone knows 
N12  69 that."<quote/><p/>
N12  70 <p_>Dillon dropped into the hard distinctive accent of Belfast. 
N12  71 <quote_>"To steal a great man's line, girl dear, all I can say is, 
N12  72 reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."<quote/><p/>
N12  73 <p_>The gun went slack in her hands. <quote_>"Mother Mary, are you 
N12  74 Sean Dillon?"<quote/><p/>
N12  75 <p_><quote_>"As ever was. Appearances can be deceiving."<quote/><p/>
N12  76 <p_><quote_>"Oh, God,"<quote/> she said. <quote_>"Uncle Danny talks 
N12  77 about you all the time, but it was always like stories, nothing 
N12  78 real to it at all and here you are."<quote/><p/>
N12  79 <p_><quote_>"Where is he?"<quote/><p/>
N12  80 <p_><quote_>"He did a repair on a car for the landlord of the local 
N12  81 pub, took it down there an hour ago. Said he'd walk back, but he'll 
N12  82 be there a while yet drinking, I shouldn't wonder."<quote/><p/>
N12  83 <p_><quote_>"At this time? Isn't the pub closed until evening?<p/>
N12  84 <p_><quote_>"That might be the law, Mr. Dillon, but not in Doxley. 
N12  85 They never close."<quote/><p/>
N12  86 <p_><quote_>"Let's go and get him, then."<quote/><p/>
N12  87 <p_>She left the shot gun on a bench and got into the Mini beside 
N12  88 him. As they drove away, he said, <quote_>"What's your story 
N12  89 then?"<quote/><p/>
N12  90 <p_><quote_>"I was raised on a farm in Galway. My da was Danny's 
N12  91 nephew, Michael. He died six years ago when I was fourteen. After a 
N12  92 year, my mother married again."<quote/><p/>
N12  93 <p_><quote_>"Let me guess,"<quote/> Dillon said. <quote_>"You 
N12  94 didn't like your stepfather and he didn't like you?"<quote/><p/>
N12  95 <p_><quote_>"Something like that. Uncle Danny came over for my 
N12  96 father's funeral, so I'd met him and liked him. When things got too 
N12  97 heavy, I left home and came here. He was great about it. Wrote to 
N12  98 my mother and she agreed I could stay. Glad to get rid of 
N12  99 me."<quote/><p/>
N12 100 <p_>There was no self-pity at all and Dillon warmed to her. 
N12 101 <quote_>"They always say some good comes out of 
N12 102 everything."<quote/><p/>
N12 103 <p_><quote_>"I've been working it out,"<quote/> she said. 
N12 104 <quote_>"If you're Danny's second cousin and I'm his great-niece, 
N12 105 then you and I are blood related, isn't that a fact?"<quote/><p/>
N12 106 <p_>Dillon laughed. <quote_>"In a manner of speaking."<quote/><p/>
N12 107 <p_>She looked ecstatic as she leaned back. <quote_>"Me, Angel 
N12 108 Fahy, related to the greatest gunman the Provisional IRA ever 
N12 109 had."<quote/><p/>
N12 110 <p_><quote_>"Well, now, there would be some who would argue about 
N12 111 that,"<quote/> he said as they reached the village and pulled up 
N12 112 outside the pub.<p/>
N12 113 <p_>It was a small, desolate sort of place, no more than fifteen 
N12 114 rather dilapidated cottages and a Norman church with a tower and an 
N12 115 overgrown graveyard. The pub was called the <tf_>Green Man<tf/> and 
N12 116 even Dillon had to duck to enter the door. The ceiling was very low 
N12 117 and beamed. The floor was constructed of heavy stone flags worn 
N12 118 with the years, the walls were whitewashed. The man behind the bar 
N12 119 in his shirt sleeves was at least eighty.<p/>
N12 120 <p_>He glanced up and Angel said, <quote_>"Is he here, Mr. 
N12 121 Dalton?"<quote/><p/>
N12 122 <p_><quote_>"By the fire, having a beer,"<quote/> the old man 
N12 123 said.<p/>
N12 124 <p_>A fire burned in a wide stone hearth and there was a wooden 
N12 125 bench and a table in front of it. Danny Fahy sat there reading the 
N12 126 paper, a glass in front of him. He was sixty-five, with an untidy, 
N12 127 grizzled beard, and wore a cloth cap and an old Harris Tweed 
N12 128 suit.<p/>
N12 129 <p_>Angel said, <quote_>"I've brought someone to see you, Uncle 
N12 130 Danny."<quote/><p/>
N12 131 <p_>He looked up at her and then at Dillon, puzzlement on his face. 
N12 132 <quote_>"And what can I do for you, sir?"<quote/><p/>
N12 133 <p_><quote_>"Dillon removed his glasses. <quote_>"God bless all 
N12 134 here!"<quote/> he said in his Belfast accent. <quote_>"And 
N12 135 particularly you, you old bastard."<quote/><p/>
N12 136 <p_>Fahy turned very pale, the shock was so intense. <quote_>"God 
N12 137 save us, is that you, Sean, and me thinking you were in your box 
N12 138 long ago?"<quote/><p/>
N12 139 <p_><quote_>"Well, I'm not and I'm here."<quote/> Dillon took a 
N12 140 five-pound note from his wallet and gave it to Angel. <quote_>"A 
N12 141 couple of whiskys, Irish for preference."<quote/><p/>
N12 142 <p_>She went back to the bar and Dillon turned. Danny Fahy actually 
N12 143 had tears in his eyes and he flung his arms around him. 
N12 144 <quote_>"Dear God, Sean, but I can't tell you how good it is to see 
N12 145 you."<quote/><p/>
N12 146 <p_>The sitting room at the farm was untidy and cluttered, the 
N12 147 furniture very old. Dillon sat on a sofa while Fahy built up the 
N12 148 fire. Angel was in the kitchen cooking a meal. It was open to the 
N12 149 sitting room and Dillon could see her moving around.<p/>
N12 150 <p_><quote_>"And how's life been treating you, Sean?"<quote/> Fahy 
N12 151 stuffed a pipe and lit it. <quote_>"Ten years since you raised Cain 
N12 152 in London town. By God, boy, you gave the Brits something to think 
N12 153 about."<quote/><p/>
N12 154 <p_><quote_>"I couldn't have done it without you, 
N12 155 Danny."<quote/><p/>
N12 156 <p_><quote_>"Great days. And what happened after?"<quote/><p/>
N12 157 <p_><quote_>"Europe, the Middle East. I kept on the move. Did a lot 
N12 158 for the PLO. Even learned to fly."<quote/><p/>
N12 159 <p_><quote_>"Is that a fact?"<quote/><p/>
N12 160 <p_>Angel came and put plates of bacon and eggs on the table. 
N12 161 <quote_>"Get it while it's hot."<quote/> She turned with a tray 
N12 162 laden with teapot and milk, three mugs and a plate piled high with 
N12 163 bread and butter. <quote_>"I'm sorry there's nothing fancier, but 
N12 164 we weren't expecting company."<quote/><p/>
N12 165 <p_><quote_>"It looks good to me,"<quote/> Dillon told her and 
N12 166 tucked in.<p/>
N12 167 <p_><quote_>"So now you're here, Sean, and dressed like an English 
N12 168 gentleman."<quote/> Fahy turned to Angel. <quote_>"Didn't I tell 
N12 169 you the actor this man was? They never could put a glove on him in 
N12 170 all these years, not once."<quote/><p/>
N12 171 <p_>She nodded eagerly, smiling at Dillon, and her personality had 
N12 172 changed with the excitement. <quote_>"Are you on a job now, Mr. 
N12 173 Dillon, for the IRA, I mean?"<quote/><p/>
N12 174 <p_><quote_>"It would be a cold day in hell before I put myself on 
N12 175 the line for that bunch of old washer women,"<quote/> Dillon 
N12 176 said.<p/>
N12 177 <p_><quote_>"But you are working on something, Sean?"<quote/> Fahy 
N12 178 said. <quote_>"I can tell. Come on, let's in on it."<quote/><p/>
N12 179 <p_>Dillon lit a cigarette. <quote_>"What if I told you I was 
N12 180 working for the Arabs, Danny, for Saddam Hussein 
N12 181 himself?"<quote/><p/>
N12 182 <p_><quote_>"Jesus, Sean, and why not? And what is it he wants you 
N12 183 to do?"<quote/><p/>
N12 184 <p_><quote_> "He wants something now - a coup. Something big. 
N12 185 America's too far away. That leaves the Brits."<quote/><p/>
N12 186 <p_><quote_> "What could be better?"<quote/> Fahy's eyes were 
N12 187 gleaming.<p/>
N12 188 <p_><quote_>"Thatcher was in France the other day seeing Mitterand. 
N12 189 I had plans for her on the way to her plane. Perfect set-up, quiet 
N12 190 country road and then someone I trusted let me down."<quote/><p/>
N12 191 <p_><quote_>"And isn't that always the way?"<quote/> Fahy said. 
N12 192 <quote_>"So you're looking for another target? Who, 
N12 193 Sean?"<quote/><p/>
N12 194 <p_><quote_>"I was thinking of John Major."<quote/><p/>
N12 195 <p_><quote_>"The new Prime Minister?"<quote/> Angel said in awe. 
N12 196 <quote_>"You wouldn't dare."<quote/><p/>
N12 197 <p_><quote_>"Sure and why wouldn't he? Didn't the boys nearly get 
N12 198 the whole bloody British Government at Brighton?"<quote/> Danny 
N12 199 Fahy told her. <quote_>"Go on, Sean, what's your plan?"<quote/><p/>
N12 200 <p_><quote_>"I haven't got one, Danny, that's the trouble, but 
N12 201 there would be a pay day for this like you wouldn't 
N12 202 believe."<quote/><p/>
N12 203 <p_><quote_>"And that's as good a reason to make it work as any. So 
N12 204 you've come to Uncle Danny looking for help?"<quote/> Fahy went to 
N12 205 a cupboard, came back with a bottle of Bushmills and two glasses 
N12 206 and filled them. <quote_>"Have you any ideas at all?"<quote/><p/>
N12 207 <p_><quote_>"Not yet, Danny. Do you still work for the 
N12 208 movement?"<quote/><p/>
N12 209 <p_><quote_>"Stay in deep cover, that was the order from Belfast so 
N12 210 many years ago I've forgotten. Since then not a word and me bored 
N12 211 out of my socks, so I moved down here. It suits me. I like the 
N12 212 countryside here, I like the people. They keep to themselves. I've 
N12 213 built up a fair business repairing agricultural machinery and I run 
N12 214 a few sheep. We're happy here, Angel and me."<quote/><p/>
N12 215 <p_><quote_>"And still bored out of your socks. Do you remember 
N12 216 Martin Brosnan, by the way?"<quote/><p/>
N12 217 <p_><quote_>"I do so. You were bad friends with that 
N12 218 one."<quote/><p/>
N12 219 <p_><quote_>"I had a run-in with him in Paris recently. He'll 
N12 220 probably turn up in London looking for me. He'll be working for 
N12 221 Brit intelligence."<quote/><p/>
N12 222 <p_><quote_>"The bastard."<quote/> Fahy frowned as he refilled his 
N12 223 pipe. <quote_> "Didn't I hear some fanciful talk of how Brosnan got 
N12 224 into Ten Downing Street as a waiter years ago and didn't do 
N12 225 anything about it?"<quote/><p/>
N12 226 <p_><quote_>"I heard that story too. A flight of fancy and no one 
N12 227 would get in these days as a waiter or anything else. You know 
N12 228 they've blocked the street off? The place is a fortress. No way in 
N12 229 there, Danny."<quote/><p/>
N12 230 <p_><quote_>"Oh, there's always a way, Sean. I was reading in a 
N12 231 magazine the other day how a lot of French Resistance people in the 
N12 232 Second World War were held at some Gestapo headquarters.
N12 233 
N13   1 <#FROWN:N13\>When I was a boy we had in our home a clay figure of 
N13   2 the earth goddess, and she was a delightful fat little woman 
N13   3 smiling and making the land fruitful with her blessing. Whenever we 
N13   4 looked at her we felt good, and I can think of no primitive gods 
N13   5 that were gentler than those of Toledo. I know of few civilizations 
N13   6 that came so close to providing an ideal life for their people.<p/>
N13   7 <p_>Carved hieroglyphics have been recovered outlining Ixmiq's code 
N13   8 of laws, and although it is likely that we are misreading some of 
N13   9 them, it is not conceivable that we have misunderstood them all. In 
N13  10 Toledo, in the year 650, a woman whose husband had died leaving her 
N13  11 with children not yet old enough to work was given a share of the 
N13  12 produce of land owned by families with grown sons. On the other 
N13  13 hand, a woman who committed adultery once was publicly shamed; on 
N13  14 the second offense she was killed. It was conspicuous in the law of 
N13  15 Ixmiq that priests had nothing to do with the execution of 
N13  16 criminals; this was carried out by civil officials. In fact, in the 
N13  17 entire history of these six centuries there is no record of priests 
N13  18 being other than the spiritual heads of the community. They lived 
N13  19 intimately with the gods and advised the populace of decisions made 
N13  20 in heaven.<p/>
N13  21 <p_>We have one old stone, dug out of the pyramid in the 1950s, 
N13  22 which shows a dignified leader who might have been Ixmiq. He is 
N13  23 depicted as a stocky man with a long, straight nose, high 
N13  24 cheekbones, Oriental eyes and powerful arms. He wore a towering 
N13  25 headdress, probably ornamented in gold and silver, that must have 
N13  26 stood about two feet high and that had feathers and flowers 
N13  27 streaming from it in profusion. He carried a scepter topped by an 
N13  28 animal's head, a ceremonial robe of cotton and feathers, and a 
N13  29 bunch of flowers. He was naked to the waist, but wore a kind of 
N13  30 sarong and sandals.<p/>
N13  31 <p_>Ixmiq certainly was in touch with the Mayas to the far south 
N13  32 and with the nondescript tribes that flourished to the southeast 
N13  33 around what is now Mexico City, for he had a zoo in which he kept 
N13  34 animals from distant areas and in it were birds from the seacoast 
N13  35 areas controlled by the Mayas. But he seems to have been ignorant 
N13  36 of the dreadful Altomec and Aztec tribes that were gathering 
N13  37 strength in their caves to the north.<p/>
N13  38 <p_>It is impossible to guess how large City-of-the-Pyramid was in 
N13  39 those early days, but my father once estimated that it would have 
N13  40 required no fewer than fifteen hundred men to work constantly for 
N13  41 forty years to build the first pyramid, and he guessed that each 
N13  42 man would have to be served by three others who quarried and 
N13  43 transported the building blocks. This would mean about six thousand 
N13  44 men, or a total population of somewhere around twenty thousand 
N13  45 people. We know from excavations undertaken at the time of the 
N13  46 building of the cathedral and the aqueduct that these people, 
N13  47 whatever their number, lived in a sprawling Indian city built of 
N13  48 mud and wood and located around the plaza that now serves as the 
N13  49 center of modern Toledo.<p/>
N13  50 <p_>I stress these matters because throughout my adult life I have 
N13  51 been irritated by people who glibly suppose that Spaniards brought 
N13  52 civilization to Mexican people who had previously been barbarians, 
N13  53 when this was clearly not the case.<p/>
N13  54 <p_>In the year 600 the civilizations of Spain and Mexico were 
N13  55 roughly comparable, except for the fact that the former had 
N13  56 profited from the invention of the wheel, the development of the 
N13  57 alphabet and the knowledge of how to smelt hard metals. In any 
N13  58 event I choose to measure advances in civilization by noting such 
N13  59 things as soundness in the organization of the state, the 
N13  60 humaneness of the religion, the care given to the indigent, the 
N13  61 protection of trade, the advances in sciences such as astronomy, 
N13  62 and the cultivation of music, dancing, poetry and other arts. In 
N13  63 these vital respects my ancestors in City-of-the-Pyramid were just 
N13  64 about even with my ancestors in Spain and infinitely far ahead of 
N13  65 all who shivered in caves in what would become Virginia.<p/>
N13  66 <p_>In the matter of astronomy, Ixmiq was incredible. He calculated 
N13  67 the orbits of the planets and based his century on the movements of 
N13  68 Venus, whose behavior he had calculated within an error of only a 
N13  69 few days. Unaided, so far as we know, by a single hint from Europe 
N13  70 or Asia, Ixmiq solved most of the major problems of keeping time 
N13  71 and had even discovered that in the year of 365 days that he had 
N13  72 devised, even if he added four days every thirteen years, at the 
N13  73 end of his fifty-two-year cycle he would still be one day short of 
N13  74 the world's exact movement, so for that time he added an extra day. 
N13  75 It is possible that he may have borrowed his major concepts from 
N13  76 the Mayas, but everything he took he perfected.<p/>
N13  77 <p_>I have mentioned the portrait believed to be that of Ixmiq; 
N13  78 there is another - but some argue that it is not Ixmiq - which 
N13  79 shows a man as I like to think he must have been. He is seated in 
N13  80 the center of a huge stone carving and about him are flutes, 
N13  81 trumpets, drums made of snakeskin, and shell horns; pitch pine from 
N13  82 the forest serves as a torch. The ground seems to be covered with 
N13  83 woven mats and ambassadors are waiting to talk with him.<p/>
N13  84 <p_>Ixmiq had fifteen or twenty wives and from one of these sprang 
N13  85 the line that ruled City-of-the-Pyramid for nearly half a 
N13  86 millennium. Around the year 900 one of these descendants known as 
N13  87 Nopiltz<*_>i-acute<*/>n inherited the kingdom, which was now 
N13  88 somewhat changed from the days of Ixmiq. For one thing, the pyramid 
N13  89 had been rebuilt twice in the interim and was now approaching its 
N13  90 present size. The enlargements had been accomplished by the simple 
N13  91 process of resurfacing the entire structure with two or three 
N13  92 layers of new rocks quarried from the original site. Just when 
N13  93 these resurfacings took place we do not know, but each probably 
N13  94 occupied the community for fifteen or twenty years, for with any 
N13  95 enlargement the number of blocks required to cover the structure 
N13  96 increased considerably. Thus in 900, when Nopiltz<*_>i-acute<*/>n 
N13  97 took command, each side of the huge edifice was five hundred feet 
N13  98 long with a height of about two hundred feet, producing an enormous 
N13  99 flat top for the various wooden temples that now crowded the 
N13 100 platform.<p/>
N13 101 <p_>The effectiveness of the pyramid as a religious edifice had 
N13 102 also been enhanced by a simple improvement. Ixmiq's original 
N13 103 structure had resembled an Egyptian pyramid, with straight, 
N13 104 unbroken edges running from the ground to the platform above, but 
N13 105 in subsequent rebuildings four huge setbacks had been constructed, 
N13 106 yielding four spacious terraces on which religious celebrations 
N13 107 could be held. Furthermore, to provide a series of terraces, the 
N13 108 angle of incline between the various terraces varied sharply, with 
N13 109 the result that a worshiper standing at the base of the pyramid and 
N13 110 looking upward could see only so far as the edge of the first 
N13 111 terrace; the great temples at the top were no longer visible and 
N13 112 the pyramid seemed to soar into the clouds.<p/>
N13 113 <p_>Up the southern face led a steep flight of steps, which paused 
N13 114 four times at the terraces, and it must have been one of the most 
N13 115 exciting experiences in Mexico to climb these steps, not knowing 
N13 116 what one was to find at the topmost level; at the apex one came 
N13 117 upon a broad platform, now larger than in the days of Ixmiq, 
N13 118 containing four temples to the rain god, the gods of earth and sun, 
N13 119 and the mysterious serpent god that protected all things of beauty. 
N13 120 There had still, in the days of Nopiltz<*_>i-acute<*/>n, been no 
N13 121 man sacrificed to these gods, although turkeys, flowers, musical 
N13 122 instruments and cakes were regularly offered at the four altars.<p/>
N13 123 <p_>It is difficult for me to write of what happened next, because 
N13 124 it shows my Indians in a poor light, and this provides fuel for 
N13 125 Christian apologists who preach that when Hern<*_>a-acute<*/>n 
N13 126 Cort<*_>e-acute<*/>s invaded Mexico in 1519 he found it occupied by 
N13 127 barbarians to whom he brought both civilization and Christianity. 
N13 128 Even in 900 Nopiltz<*_>i-acute<*/>n's people were not barbarians, 
N13 129 but they became so lax in guarding their marvelous civilization 
N13 130 that they allowed real barbarians to overrun them.<p/>
N13 131 <p_>The events I am about to discuss are genuinely historic, for 
N13 132 they derive from records uncovered by archaeologists. Such records, 
N13 133 of course, were written in hieroglyphics and not in words, for our 
N13 134 Indians had no alphabet, but they are at least as substantial as 
N13 135 many related to Europe's Middle Ages. But in the reign of 
N13 136 Nopiltz<*_>i-acute<*/>n, when the building of pyramids had long 
N13 137 since stopped, the civilization of the high valley fell into a 
N13 138 curious state of apathy. When wars ceased there was nothing to 
N13 139 excite the passions of the citizens; when building halted, there 
N13 140 was nothing to engage their energies.<p/>
N13 141 <p_>Some years ago I helped excavate an ancient quarry site that 
N13 142 proved, by carbon dating, that no significant activity had occurred 
N13 143 there for a period of three hundred years. How did the team of 
N13 144 which I was the reporter know this? Because at the site we 
N13 145 unearthed much pottery from the early Ixmiq age and each subsequent 
N13 146 period down to 900. Then for three hundred years, through the 
N13 147 1100s, we found no local pottery of any kind, and when I asked the 
N13 148 leader of our dig what this signified he explained: <quote_>"We 
N13 149 often see this phenomenon in Near East digs. It means the locals 
N13 150 had acquired enough wealth that they could stop making things for 
N13 151 themselves and import them from other regions in which workmen 
N13 152 remained at their kilns."<quote/> But at the upper edge of this 
N13 153 dead period comes a flood of Altomec pottery that can be positively 
N13 154 dated to about 1200. The record was as clear to us as if work 
N13 155 sheets had been kept at the site.<p/>
N13 156 <p_>Worship of the old gods seems also to have diminished and a 
N13 157 tradition arose that the flowered serpent had left the area to 
N13 158 return at some future date. Because the high valley was not plagued 
N13 159 by droughts, the god of rain was taken more or less for granted. 
N13 160 The sun god lost his fury, and the goddess of earth grew prettier 
N13 161 and less motherly in her pottery representations. Peaceful trade 
N13 162 relations to the east, south and west had reached their maximum 
N13 163 advantage, and practically every good thing known to Mexico at 
N13 164 large was now available in City-of-the-Pyramid.<p/>
N13 165 <p_>In the year 900, during the reign of Nopiltz<*_>i-acute<*/>n, 
N13 166 life was probably as good in the high valley as it was anywhere on 
N13 167 earth, but some of the older priests, led by their superior, 
N13 168 Ixbalanque, eighty years old and clothed with wisdom and power, 
N13 169 questioned the status quo. Their view was ably voiced by a fiery 
N13 170 younger prelate: <quote_>"Our citizens are growing soft. They pay 
N13 171 no attention to the old virtues. The king ought to launch some 
N13 172 significant project to enlist his people's energies."<quote/> When 
N13 173 his companions agreed, it fell to High Priest Ixbalanque to present 
N13 174 their concern to the king.<p/>
N13 175 <p_>It's not easy, at this distance from the year 900, to define 
N13 176 the relationship between the old priest Ixbalanque and the young 
N13 177 king Nopiltz<*_>i-acute<*/>n, but it is possible to gain some idea 
N13 178 of the story from what the old murals show and what the 
N13 179 archaeologists have been able to uncover. Power and responsibility 
N13 180 among the Builders was cunningly divided: the king controlled 
N13 181 short-term decisions, the high priest those of which the long-term 
N13 182 welfare of the people depended. The king could declare war and 
N13 183 prosecute it; the high priest determined the terms of peace, but 
N13 184 since no wars occurred for long periods, these powers remained in 
N13 185 limbo. The king could collect taxes, but the priest decided how the 
N13 186 money should be spent for the welfare of the people.
N13 187 
N14   1 <#FROWN:N14\>There hadn't been any mention in the dream of what it 
N14   2 was that Wren's presence was supposed to accomplish. Maybe it would 
N14   3 take another vision to find out.<p/>
N14   4 <p_>She grinned at her own impudence and was pulling on her boots 
N14   5 when the grin abruptly faded.<p/>
N14   6 <p_>What if the importance of her return was that she carried with 
N14   7 her the Elfstones? What if she was expected to use the Stones as a 
N14   8 weapon against the demons?<p/>
N14   9 <p_>She went cold with the thought, remembering anew how she had 
N14  10 been forced to use them twice now despite her reluctance to do so, 
N14  11 remembering the feeling of power as the magic coursed through her, 
N14  12 liquid fire that burned and exhilarated at the same time. She was 
N14  13 aware of their addictive effect on her, of the bonding that took 
N14  14 place each time they were employed, and of how they seemed so much 
N14  15 a part of her. She kept saying she would not use them, then found 
N14  16 herself forced to do so anyway - or persuaded, perhaps. She shook 
N14  17 her head. The choice of words didn't matter; the results were the 
N14  18 same. Each time she used the magic, she drifted a little farther 
N14  19 from who and what she was and a little closer to being someone she 
N14  20 didn't know. She lost power over herself by using the power of the 
N14  21 magic.<p/>
N14  22 <p_>She jammed her feet into the boots and stood up. Her thinking 
N14  23 was wrong. It couldn't be the Elfstones that were important. 
N14  24 Otherwise, why hadn't Ellenroh simply kept them here instead of 
N14  25 giving them to Alleyne? Why hadn't the Stones been used against the 
N14  26 demons long ago if they could really make a difference?<p/>
N14  27 <p_>She hesitated, then reached over to her sleeping gown and 
N14  28 extracted the Elfstones from the pocket in which she had placed 
N14  29 them the night before. They lay glittering in her hand, their magic 
N14  30 dormant, harmless, and invisible. She studied them intently, 
N14  31 wondering at the circumstances that had placed them in her care, 
N14  32 wishing anew that Ellenroh had agreed last night to take them back. 
N14  33 The she brushed aside the bad feelings that thinking of the 
N14  34 Elfstones conjured up and shoved the troublesome talismans deep 
N14  35 into her tunic pocket. After slipping a long knife into her belt, 
N14  36 she straightened confidently and walked from the room.<p/>
N14  37 <p_>An Elven Hunter had been posted outside her door, and after 
N14  38 pausing to summon Garth, the sentry escorted them downstairs to the 
N14  39 dining hall and breakfast. They ate alone at a long, polished oak 
N14  40 table covered in white linen and decorated with flowers, seated in 
N14  41 a cavernous room with an arched ceiling and stained-glass windows 
N14  42 that filtered the sunlight in prismatic colors. A serving girl 
N14  43 stood ready to wait upon them, making the self-sufficient Wren feel 
N14  44 more than a little uncomfortable. She ate in silence, Garth seated 
N14  45 across from her, wondering what she was supposed to do when she was 
N14  46 finished.<p/>
N14  47 <p_>There was no sign of the queen.<p/>
N14  48 <p_>Nevertheless, as the meal was being completed, the Owl 
N14  49 appeared. Aurin Striate looked as gaunt and faded now as he had in 
N14  50 the shadows and darkness of the lava fields without, his angular 
N14  51 body loose and disjointed as he moved, nothing working quite as it 
N14  52 should. He was wearing clean clothes and the stocking cap was gone, 
N14  53 but he still managed to look somewhat creased and rumpled - it 
N14  54 seemed that was normal for him. He came up to the dining table and 
N14  55 took a seat, slouching forward comfortably.<p/>
N14  56 <p_><quote_>"You look a whole lot better than you did last 
N14  57 night,"<quote/> he ventured with a half smile. <quote_>"Clean 
N14  58 clothes and a bath make you a pretty girl indeed, Wren. Rest well, 
N14  59 did you?"<quote/><p/>
N14  60 <p_>She smiled back at him. She liked the Owl. <quote_>"Well 
N14  61 enough, thanks. And thanks again for getting us safely inside. We 
N14  62 wouldn't have made it without you."<quote/><p/>
N14  63 <p_>The Owl pursed his lips, glanced meaningfully at Garth, and 
N14  64 shrugged. <quote_>"Maybe so. But we both know that you were the one 
N14  65 who really saved us."<quote/> He paused, stopped short of 
N14  66 mentioning the Elfstones, and settled back in his chair. His aging 
N14  67 Elven features narrowed puckishly. <quote_>"Want to take a look 
N14  68 around when you're done? See a little of what's out there? Your 
N14  69 grandmother has put me at your disposal for a time."<quote/><p/>
N14  70 <p_>Minutes later, they left the palace grounds, passing through 
N14  71 the front gates this time, and went down into the city. The palace 
N14  72 was settled on a knoll at the center of Arborlon, deep in the 
N14  73 sheltering forests, with the cottages and shops of the city all 
N14  74 around. The city was alive in daylight, the Elves busy at their 
N14  75 work, the streets bustling with activity. As the three edged their 
N14  76 way through the crowds, glances were directed toward them from 
N14  77 every quarter - not at the Owl or Wren, but at Garth, who was much 
N14  78 bigger than the Elves and clearly not one of them. Garth, in 
N14  79 typical fashion, seemed oblivious. Wren craned her neck to see 
N14  80 everything. Sunlight brightened the greens of the trees and 
N14  81 grasses, the colors  of the buildings, and the flowers that 
N14  82 bordered the walkways; it was as if the vog and fire without the 
N14  83 walls did not exist. There was a trace of ash and sulfur in the 
N14  84 air, and the shadow of Killeshan was a dark smudge against the sky 
N14  85 east where the city backed into the mountain, but the magic kept 
N14  86 the world within sheltered and protected. The Elves were going 
N14  87 about their business as if everything were normal, as if nothing 
N14  88 threatened, and as if Morrowindl outside the city might be exactly 
N14  89 the same as within.<p/>
N14  90 <p_>After a time they passed through the screen of the forest and 
N14  91 came in sight of the outer wall. In daylight, the wall looked 
N14  92 different. The glow of the magic had subsided to a faint glimmer 
N14  93 that turned the world beyond to a soft, hazy watercolor washed of 
N14  94 its brightness. Morrowindl - its mountains, Killeshan's maw, the 
N14  95 mix of lava rock and stunted forest, the fissures in the earth with 
N14  96 their geysers of ash and steam - was misted almost to the point of 
N14  97 invisibility. Elven soldiers patroled the ramparts, but there were 
N14  98 not battles being fought now, the demons having slipped away to 
N14  99 rest until nightfall. The world outside had gone sullen and empty, 
N14 100 and the only audible sounds came from the voices and movement of 
N14 101 the people within.<p/>
N14 102 <p_>As they neared the closest bridgehead, Wren turned to the Owl 
N14 103 and asked, <quote_>"Why is there a moat inside the 
N14 104 wall?"<quote/><p/>
N14 105 <p_>The Owl glanced over at her, then away again. <quote_>"It 
N14 106 separates the city from the Keel. Do you know about the 
N14 107 Keel?"<quote/><p/>
N14 108 <p_>He gestured toward the wall. Wren remembered the name now. 
N14 109 Stresa had been the first to use it, saying that the Elves were in 
N14 110 trouble because its magic was weakening.<p/>
N14 111 <p_><quote_>"It was built of the magic in the time of Ellenroh's 
N14 112 father, when the demons first came into being. It protects against 
N14 113 them, keeps the city just as it has always been. Everything is the 
N14 114 same as it was when Arborlon was brought to Morrowindl over a 
N14 115 hundred years ago."<quote/><p/>
N14 116 <p_>Wren was still mulling over what Stresa had said about the 
N14 117 magic growing weaker. She was about to ask Aurin Striate if it was 
N14 118 so when she realized what he had just said.<p/>
N14 119 <p_><quote_>"Owl, did you say when Arborlon was <tf|>brought to 
N14 120 Morrowindl? You mean when it was built, don't you?<quote/><p/>
N14 121 <p_><quote_>"I mean what I said."<quote/><p/>
N14 122 <p_><quote_>"That the buildings were brought? Or are you talking 
N14 123 about the Ellcrys? The Ellcrys is here, isn't it, inside the 
N14 124 city?"<quote/><p/>
N14 125 <p_><quote_>"Back there."<quote/> He gestured vaguely, his seamed 
N14 126 face clouded. <quote_>"Behind the palace."<quote/><p/>
N14 127 <p_><quote_>"So you mean -"<quote/><p/>
N14 128 <p_>The Owl cut her short. <quote_>"The city, Wren. The whole of it 
N14 129 and all of the Elves that live in it. That's what I 
N14 130 mean."<quote/><p/>
N14 131 <p_>Wren stared. <quote_>"But ... It was rebuilt, you mean from 
N14 132 timbers the Elves ferried here ..."<quote/><p/>
N14 133 <p_>He was shaking his head. <quote_>"Wren, has no one told you of 
N14 134 the Loden? Didn't the queen tell you how the Elves came to 
N14 135 Morrowindl?"<quote/><p/>
N14 136 <p_>He was leaning close to her now, his sharp eyes fixed on her. 
N14 137 She hesitated, saying finally, <quote_>"She said that it was 
N14 138 decided to migrate out of the Westland because the Federation 
N14 139 -"<quote/><p/>
N14 140 <p_><quote|>"No," he cut her short once more. <quote_>"That's not 
N14 141 what I mean."<quote/><p/>
N14 142 <p_>He looked away a moment, then took her by the arm and walked 
N14 143 her to a stone abutment at the foot of the bridge where they could 
N14 144 sit. Garth trailed after them, his dark face expressionless, taking 
N14 145 up a position across from them where he could see them speak.<p/>
N14 146 <p_><quote_>"This isn't something I had planned on having to tell 
N14 147 you, girl,"<quote/> the Owl began when they were settled. 
N14 148 <quote_>"Others could do the job better. But we won't have much to 
N14 149 talk about if I don't explain. And besides, if you're Ellenroh 
N14 150 Elessedil's grandchild and the one she's been waiting for, the one 
N14 151 in Eowen Cerise's vision, then you have a right to 
N14 152 know."<quote/><p/>
N14 153 <p_>He folded his angular arms comfortably. <quote_>"But you're not 
N14 154 going to believe it. I'm not sure I do."<quote/><p/>
N14 155 <p_>Wren smiled, a trifle uncomfortable with the prospect. 
N14 156 <quote_>"Tell me anyway, Owl."<quote/><p/>
N14 157 <p_>Aurin Striate nodded. <quote_>"This is what I've been told, 
N14 158 then - not what I necessarily know. The Elves recovered some part 
N14 159 of their faerie magic more than a hundred years back, before 
N14 160 Morrowindl, while they were still living in the Westland. I don't 
N14 161 know how they did it; I don't really suppose I care. What's 
N14 162 important to know is that when they made the decision to migrate, 
N14 163 they supposedly channeled what there was of the magic into an 
N14 164 Elfstone called the Loden. The Loden, I think, had always been 
N14 165 there, hidden away, kept secret for the time when it would be 
N14 166 needed. That time didn't come for hundreds of years - not in all 
N14 167 the time that passed after the Great Wars. But the Elessedils had 
N14 168 it put away, or they found it again, or something, and when the 
N14 169 decision was made to migrate, they put it to use."<quote/><p/>
N14 170 <p_>He took a steadying breath and tightened his lips. 
N14 171 <quote_>"This Elfstone, like all of them, I'm told, draws its 
N14 172 strength from the user. Except in this case, there wasn't just a 
N14 173 single user but an entire race. The whole of the strength of the 
N14 174 Elven nation went into invoking the Loden's magic."<quote/> He 
N14 175 cleared his throat. <quote_>"When it was done, all of Arborlon had 
N14 176 been picked up like ... like a scoop of earth, shrunk down to 
N14 177 nothing, and sealed within the Stone. And that's what I mean when I 
N14 178 say Arborlon was brought to Morrowindl. It was sealed inside the 
N14 179 Loden along with most of its people and carried by just a handful 
N14 180 of caretakers to this island. Once a site for the city was found, 
N14 181 the process was reversed and Arborlon was restored. Men, women, 
N14 182 children, dogs, cats, birds, animals, houses and shops, trees, 
N14 183 flowers, grass - everything. The Ellcrys, too. All of 
N14 184 it."<quote/><p/>
N14 185 <p_>He sat back and the sharp eyes narrowed. <quote_>"So now what 
N14 186 do you say?"<quote/><p/>
N14 187 <p_>Wren was stunned. <quote_>"I say you're right, Owl. I don't 
N14 188 believe it. I can't conceive of how the Elves were able to recover 
N14 189 something that had been lost for thousands of years that fast. 
N14 190 Where did it come from? They hadn't any magic at all in the time of 
N14 191 Brin and Jair Ohmsford - only their healing powers!"<quote/><p/>
N14 192 <p_>The Owl shrugged. <quote_>"I don't pretend to know how they did 
N14 193 any of it, Wren. It was long before my time. The queen might know - 
N14 194 but she's never said a word about it to me. I only know what I was 
N14 195 told, and I'm not sure if I believe that. The city and its people 
N14 196 were carried here in Loden. That's the story. And that's how the 
N14 197 keel was built, too. Well, it was actually constructed of stone by 
N14 198 hand labor first, but the magic that protects it came out of the 
N14 199 Loden. I was a boy then, but I remember the old king using the Ruhk 
N14 200 Staff.
N14 201 
N15   1 <#FROWN:N15\><p_><quote_>"I'm going to fight,"<quote/> he told Sara 
N15   2 the following Sunday. He had been nervous all day about telling 
N15   3 her, and as he stood next to her while she prepared a salad he 
N15   4 suddenly blurted out the news.<p/>
N15   5 <p_>She paused and looked at him. <quote_>"You're going to 
N15   6 box?"<quote/><p/>
N15   7 <p_><quote_>"Yes. In a few weeks."<quote/><p/>
N15   8 <p_><quote_>"But why?"<quote/><p/>
N15   9 <p_>He told her about Dominic's offer. She listened, but in the end 
N15  10 shook her head. <quote_>"I feel like Lucinda,"<quote/> she said, 
N15  11 <quote_>"I just don't like it. Isn't there another way? Maybe I 
N15  12 could go to Mr. Johnson -"<quote/><p/>
N15  13 <p_><quote_>"No, Mam<*_>a-acute<*/>! I don't want you to have to 
N15  14 beg from that man. If he knows, he won't say anything. Look, it's 
N15  15 just one fight."<quote/><p/>
N15  16 <p_>She knew how much he had suffered when Junior died, and how 
N15  17 hard it was for him to go back into the ring, and it was natural 
N15  18 for him to want to know his father. But she didn't like his being 
N15  19 mixed up with the attorney who was so rich and always in the 
N15  20 papers. Being mixed up with the rich could only bring trouble. She 
N15  21 didn't like it, but for her son she would bear it without 
N15  22 complaint.<p/>
N15  23 <p_><quote_>"Go and get Lucinda, I'll finish here,"<quote/> she 
N15  24 said calmly. He handed her the vegetables he had cut, and washed 
N15  25 his hands.<p/>
N15  26 <p_><quote_>"It's going to be all right, <foreign|>jefita. It's 
N15  27 something I have to do."<quote/> He kissed her.<p/>
N15  28 <p_><quote_>"I know, I know,"<quote/> she answered. <quote_>"Go on, 
N15  29 the enchiladas will be ready when you return."<quote/><p/>
N15  30 <p_>He drove to Lucinda's. She was radiant in a white summer dress. 
N15  31 She kissed him and whispered, <quote_>"<foreign_>T<*_>u-acute<*/> 
N15  32 eres t<*_>u-acute<*/>.<foreign/> You're all I want."<quote/><p/>
N15  33 <p_>Sara had prepared red chile enchiladas, beans, and tortillas. 
N15  34 For dessert she served sopa, a sweet bread pudding topped with 
N15  35 melted cheese. It felt good to have Lucinda in her home. This was 
N15  36 what Abr<*_>a-acute<*/>n needed, not the boxing and not the running 
N15  37 around and making deals with the big-shot lawyer.<p/>
N15  38 <p_>Time was the most valuable ingredient in life, and for Sara it 
N15  39 was to be enjoyed with family and friends. She sipped wine and 
N15  40 enjoyed the warmth of their company as they ate. Lucinda talked 
N15  41 about her life in the mountain village of C<*_>o-acute<*/>rdova. 
N15  42 Sara had asked her about her family. <foreign_><*_>initial question 
N15  43 mark<*/>Qui<*_>e-acute<*/>n es tu familia?<foreign/> was one of the 
N15  44 first questions that was always asked. One was known by one's 
N15  45 family.<p/>
N15  46 <p_>Lucinda told about her father and how he came to be a 
N15  47 <foreign|>santero, and she told them about her mother and many of 
N15  48 the old customs in the isolated villages of the Sangre de Cristo. 
N15  49 She wanted Abr<*_>a-acute<*/>n to visit her family, she said with a 
N15  50 glance at Sara. <quote_>"That would be good for 
N15  51 Abr<*_>a-acute<*/>n,"<quote/> Sara agreed. <quote_>"He's a city 
N15  52 boy. He needs to see the villages."<quote/><p/>
N15  53 <p_><quote_>"How about the training?"<quote/> Lucinda asked.<p/>
N15  54 <p_><quote_>"I can jog up and down the mountain,"<quote/> 
N15  55 Abr<*_>a-acute<*/>n said. <quote_>"We'll go on Good Friday, come 
N15  56 back after Easter. The doctor gave me a physical, and I'm in great 
N15  57 shape."<quote/><p/>
N15  58 <p_><quote_>"I knew that,"<quote/> Lucinda teased him.<p/>
N15  59 <p_><quote_>"He is in good shape,"<quote/> Sara said as she cleaned 
N15  60 up the dishes. <quote_>"He runs every day, he doesn't smoke, but he 
N15  61 drinks beer,"<quote/> she said with a mock frown. 
N15  62 <quote_>"<foreign|>Bueno, let's go in the living room. Lucinda, 
N15  63 help me get the coffee and sopa. Then I want Abr<*_>a-acute<*/>n to 
N15  64 read the beautiful story Cynthia wrote. She was not only an artist, 
N15  65 she could write like a poet."<quote/><p/>
N15  66 <p_>They gathered in the front room for dessert. 
N15  67 Abr<*_>a-acute<*/>n flipped through Cynthia's diary. <quote_>"This 
N15  68 is an old entry, and it's as close as she comes to describing my 
N15  69 father. They went to a matanza in the South Valley, near Los 
N15  70 Padillas. It was the day they discovered the bower where we buried 
N15  71 her ashes. She never mentions his name. She refers to him only as 
N15  72 <foreign_>'mi <*_>a-acute<*/>rabe.'<foreign/>"<quote/><p/>
N15  73 <p_><quote_>"So he is dark,"<quote/> Sara said. A dark and handsome 
N15  74 Mexicano was her son's father, an indio like Ramiro, a dark, 
N15  75 curly-haired <*_>a-acute<*/>rabe. She looked at her son and admired 
N15  76 him. Yes, he would find his father, it was best to believe that. He 
N15  77 had been bound by destiny long enough, now he had to break those 
N15  78 old ropes and create his own future.<p/>
N15  79 <p_>Abr<*_>a-acute<*/>n smiled at his mother. <quote_>"Yes. 
N15  80 <foreign_>Bueno, aqu<*_>i-acute<*/> 
N15  81 'st<*_>a-acute<*/>.<foreign/>"<quote/><p/>
N15  82 <p_>He read Cynthia's <foreign_>'la matanza,'<foreign/> the entry 
N15  83 that described the killing of the hogs for winter meat:<p/>
N15  84 <p_><tf_>It was in the fiestas of the people that I discovered the 
N15  85 essence of my people, the Mexican heritage of my mother. Other 
N15  86 painters had concentrated on the Indians; I went to the small, 
N15  87 out-of-the-way family fiestas of the Mexicanos. There is a 
N15  88 chronicle of life in the fiestas, beginning with baptism. 
N15  89 <foreign_>La fiesta de bautismo<foreign/>. I painted the 
N15  90 <foreign|>padrinos at church as they held the baby over the font 
N15  91 for the priest to bless <foreign_>el ni<*_>n-tilde<*/>o<foreign/> 
N15  92 with holy water. In the faces of the <foreign|>padrino and 
N15  93 <foreign|>madrina I saw and understood the godparents' role. The 
N15  94 <foreign|>padrinos would become the child's second parents, and the 
N15  95 familial kinship in the village or in the barrio would be extended. 
N15  96 La familia would grow. I painted a scene where the baby was 
N15  97 returned from church by the <foreign|>padrinos, the joy of the 
N15  98 parents, the song of <foreign|>entriego, the return of the child, 
N15  99 the food and drink, the hopeful, gay faces of family and 
N15 100 neighbors.<p/>
N15 101 <p_>And I painted wedding scenes. Gloria has my favorite. She has 
N15 102 the painting that captures the moment when two of the groom's 
N15 103 friends grab the bride and stand ready to spirit her away. The 
N15 104 bridegroom is caught off-guard, someone is pouring him a glass of 
N15 105 champagne. The fiddler is leaning low, playing away, his eyes 
N15 106 laughing. The other <foreign_>m<*_>u-acute<*/>sicos<foreign/> join 
N15 107 in the polka, drawing attention away from the traditional 'stealing 
N15 108 of the bride.'<p/>
N15 109 <p_>Fiestas, I loved the fiestas. There is a series: 'Spring 
N15 110 Planting,' 'Cleaning the <foreign|>Acequias,' <foreign_>'Misa del 
N15 111 Gallo,<foreign/>' '<foreign_>Los Matachines.<foreign/>' I did the 
N15 112 Bernalillo <foreign|>Matachines, although my favorite were the 
N15 113 J<*_>e-acute<*/>mez Pueblo <foreign|>Matachines. I painted 
N15 114 <foreign_>los hermanos penitentes<foreign/> on Good Friday, the 
N15 115 holy communion of Easter Sunday, the little-known dances of Los 
N15 116 Abuelos and Los Comanches. I painted a triptych of Los Pastores at 
N15 117 the Trampas church one Christmas. And the Christmas Posadas. All 
N15 118 the fiestas of life that might die as the <foreign|>viejitos 
N15 119 die.<p/>
N15 120 <p_>I painted the fiestas of the R<*_>i-acute<*/>o Grande, the 
N15 121 fiestas of your people, <foreign_>mi amor<foreign/>, the fiestas my 
N15 122 mother used to tell me about when I was a child, because if life 
N15 123 had not been so cruel, we would have shared these fiestas.<p/>
N15 124 <p_>Do you remember la Matanza in Los Padillas, <foreign_>mi 
N15 125 <*_>a-acute<*/>rabe moreno<foreign/>? We were invited by your 
N15 126 friend Isidro. His family was having a <foreign|>matanza. We had 
N15 127 fallen in love that summer, and suddenly it was October, a more 
N15 128 brilliant October I never saw again. The entire river was golden, 
N15 129 the <foreign|><*_>a-acute<*/>lamos had turned the color of fire. 
N15 130 Long strings of geese flew south and filled the valley with their 
N15 131 call, and we, too, drove south along Isleta. Farmers lined the 
N15 132 road, their trucks filled with bushels of green chile, red chile 
N15 133 <foreign|>ristras, corn and pumpkins, apples. It was autumn, and 
N15 134 the fiesta of the harvest drew people together.<p/>
N15 135 <p_>It was my first trip into the South Valley. I was a 
N15 136 <foreign|>gringita from the Country Club; I had been protected from 
N15 137 the world. But the valley was to become my valley. I would visit 
N15 138 the villages of the R<*_>i-acute<*/>o Grande again and again, until 
N15 139 the old residents got to know well the sunburned <foreign|>gringa 
N15 140 who tramped around with easel, paint, and brushes. I earned their 
N15 141 respect. They invited me into their homes, and later they invited 
N15 142 me to their fiestas. Their acceptance kept me alive.<p/>
N15 143 <p_>The night had been cold, and the thin ice of morning cracked 
N15 144 like a fresh apple bitten. The sun rising over Tijeras Canyon 
N15 145 melted the frost. Gloria helped, as usual. She picked me up. I told 
N15 146 my parents I was spending the day with her. Without her help we 
N15 147 could never have had time together. Why did she marry F? What a 
N15 148 pity.<p/>
N15 149 <p_>The colors of autumn were like a bright <foreign|>colcha, a 
N15 150 warm and timeless beauty covering the earth. The sounds carried in 
N15 151 the morning air, and all was vibrant with life before the cold of 
N15 152 winter. Oh, if we had only known that the wrath of parents can 
N15 153 kill!<p/>
N15 154 <p_>The <foreign|>matanza was beginning when we arrived. Cars and 
N15 155 trucks filled the gravel driveway. Family, friends, and neighbors 
N15 156 filled the backyards of the old adobe home. Isidro greeted us.<p/>
N15 157 <p_><quote_>"Just in time,"<quote/> he said and we followed him to 
N15 158 the back where the women were serving breakfast. They had set a 
N15 159 board over barrels to use as a table, and on it rested the steaming 
N15 160 plates of eggs, bacon, potatoes, chile stew, hot tortillas, and 
N15 161 coffee. The men were stuffing down the food. Somebody had already 
N15 162 called for the first pig to be brought out of the pen. Whiskey 
N15 163 bottles were passed around; those who had gotten up early to help 
N15 164 the women start the fires and heat the huge vats of lye-water had 
N15 165 been drinking for hours.<p/>
N15 166 <p_>A very handsome, but very troubled, young man held a rifle in 
N15 167 one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other. Remember Marcos? I 
N15 168 will never forget him; he learned a lesson that day. We all did. At 
N15 169 the pigpen the frightened sow was being roped and wrestled out.<p/>
N15 170 <p_>The women watched; they goaded the men. My mother was a woman 
N15 171 of great strength, I always knew, and I saw that same strength in 
N15 172 those women of the valley.<p/>
N15 173 <p_><quote_>"<foreign_>Ya no pueden,<foreign/>"<quote/> they teased 
N15 174 the men wrestling with the sow. The worst thing to tell a macho, 
N15 175 especially when he's drinking and doing the 'bringing the meat 
N15 176 home' business. But it was a fiesta, and the teasing was part of 
N15 177 it.<p/>
N15 178 <p_><quote_>"<foreign_><*_>initial exclamation mark<*/>Andale! 
N15 179 <*_>initial exclamation mark<*/>Con ganas!"<quote/><p/>
N15 180 <p_><quote_>"<*_>initial exclamation mark<*/>Qu<*_>e-acute<*/> 
N15 181 ganas, con huevos! <foreign/>"<quote/><p/>
N15 182 <p_>They laughed; the men cursed and grunted as they lassoed the 
N15 183 pig.<p/>
N15 184 <p_><quote_>"Don't shoot yourself, Marcos!"<quote/><p/>
N15 185 <p_><quote_>"Don't stab yourself, Jerry!"<quote/> they said to the 
N15 186 young man who held the knife.<p/>
N15 187 <p_>Isidro told us that Marcos was an attorney in town and Jerry 
N15 188 was a computer man at Sandia Labs. Like other young men who had 
N15 189 left the valley for a middle-class life in the city, they only 
N15 190 returned once in a while to visit the parents and grandparents. Or 
N15 191 they returned for the fiestas. They had almost forgotten the old 
N15 192 ways, and so the older aunts teased them.<p/>
N15 193 <p_>Who remembered the old ways? The old men standing along the 
N15 194 adobe wall warming themselves in the morning sun. With them stood 
N15 195 don Pedro, Isidro's grandfather, the old patriarch of the clan. 
N15 196 These were the <foreign|>vecinos, the neighbors who had worked 
N15 197 together all their lives. Men from Los Padillas and Pajarito and 
N15 198 Isleta Pueblo. Now they were too old to kill the pigs, so they had 
N15 199 handed over the task to their grandsons. They warmed their bones in 
N15 200 the morning sun and watched as the young men drank and strutted 
N15 201 about in their new shirts and Levi's. Those old men knew the old 
N15 202 ways. Maybe it was that day that I vowed to paint them, to preserve 
N15 203 their faces and their way of life for posterity. They would all die 
N15 204 soon.<p/>
N15 205 <p_>'Hispano Gothic,' I called the painting I did of those old men. 
N15 206 The last patriarchs of the valley. And their women, <foreign_>las 
N15 207 viejitas, las jefitas<foreign/> of the large families, stood next 
N15 208 to their men and watched. These old men and women remembered the 
N15 209 proper way of the fiestas, and so they watched with great patience 
N15 210 as their uprooted grandsons struggled to prove their manhood. What 
N15 211 a chorus of wisdom and strength shone in their eyes. What will 
N15 212 happen to our people when those <foreign|>viejitos are gone? Will 
N15 213 our ceremonies disappear from the face of the earth? Is that what 
N15 214 drives me to paint them with such urgency?<p/>
N15 215 <p_>Time has been like a wind swirling around me, my love, since I 
N15 216 last touched you.
N15 217 
N16   1 <#FROWN:N16\><h_><p_>I<p/>
N16   2 <p_><tf_>San Francisco, December 1895<tf/><p/><h/>
N16   3 <p_><quote_>"What do you mean you won't come to my Christmas 
N16   4 dinner?"<quote/> Rosebay Ware fixed a piercing blue gaze on her 
N16   5 employer. <quote_>"I've had it all planned for a month 
N16   6 now."<quote/> Her lower lip quivered. <quote_>"It was goin' to be 
N16   7 so nice."<quote/> A trace of her Appalachian accent, a remnant of 
N16   8 her girlhood, could be detected under the more refined San 
N16   9 Francisco overlay.<p/>
N16  10 <p_>Tim Holt cast around for some explanation. <quote_>"I have to 
N16  11 take my grandmother to Washington for the holidays. She's much too 
N16  12 old to travel alone."<quote/><p/>
N16  13 <p_><quote|>"Stuff." Rosebay pulled off her eyeshade and slapped it 
N16  14 down on her desk, whapping<&|>sic! it solidly on a stack of 
N16  15 ledgers. <quote_>"Peter's going east, and she's his granny, too. 
N16  16 There's not one reason why you have to go."<quote/><p/>
N16  17 <p_><quote_>"Well, my family's all there."<quote/><p/>
N16  18 <p_><quote_>"And you should've thought of that a month ago when you 
N16  19 told me you'd come. Hugo's been counting on it."<quote/><p/>
N16  20 <p_>Tim cast an apprehensive glance down the <tf|>Clarion's hallway 
N16  21 toward the newsroom. Rosebay's husband, Hugo, was supposedly out on 
N16  22 assignment, but you never knew. <quote_>"Rosebay, I just couldn't 
N16  23 face it,"<quote/> he said desperately.<p/>
N16  24 <p_><quote_>"Well, you just got to,"<quote/> Rosebay said. 
N16  25 <quote_>"We made our bed, Tim, and we're going to have to lie in 
N16  26 it."<quote/><p/>
N16  27 <p_>Tim winced. It was <tf|>too appropriate an expression, but 
N16  28 Rosebay would not appreciate his pointing that out. She was a 
N16  29 literal-minded soul; puns left her puzzled. She had used the 
N16  30 expression in its usual sense. Any reference to the bed that the 
N16  31 two of them had once made - or unmade - together would not be a 
N16  32 good idea.<p/>
N16  33 <p_>Tim looked at her despairingly. Rosebay was a little thing, 
N16  34 pale and graceful with a lily-stalk slenderness that he knew 
N16  35 covered an interior as tough as gristle. Her hair was so blond it 
N16  36 was nearly white, and it framed her beautiful face in a pale 
N16  37 aureole that not even a green eyeshade could make ugly. Rosebay 
N16  38 Ware was self-taught, and she had a natural gift for mathematics. 
N16  39 In a fit of inspiration, Tim's cousin Peter Blake had installed her 
N16  40 as the <tf|>Clarion's business manager. She had the <tf|>Clarion in 
N16  41 the black now, and Tim was fiercely proud of her, particularly in 
N16  42 the face of predictions of disaster from the rival <tf|>Chronicle's 
N16  43 accounting office. If the unconventionality of a female accountant 
N16  44 was all that troubled him about Rosebay Ware he would be a happy 
N16  45 man. Tim hunched his muscular shoulders and dug his fists into the 
N16  46 pockets of his frock coat.<p/>
N16  47 <p_><quote_>"Don't do that,"<quote/> Rosebay said. <quote_>"It 
N16  48 makes you look like a tough. And it'll spoil your coat."<quote/><p/>
N16  49 <p_>Tim took his fists out of his pockets and ran his fingers 
N16  50 through his thick sandy hair, then over his face. In accordance 
N16  51 with prevailing fashion, he had recently shaved off his handlebar 
N16  52 mustache and couldn't rid himself of feeling that he had lost some 
N16  53 privacy. He stuck his hands back in his pockets, but he didn't ball 
N16  54 them into fists.<p/>
N16  55 <p_><quote_>"It's my coat,"<quote/> he said mildly. 
N16  56 <quote_>"Rosebay, I can't come to dinner. I can't stand it. We 
N16  57 agreed we'd have to go on as if nothing had happened between us, 
N16  58 but seeing you across Hugo's table, carving up Hugo's turkey, is 
N16  59 more than I can take."<quote/><p/>
N16  60 <p_>When Hugo had proposed to Rosebay, Tim, totally unaware that 
N16  61 she was in love with <tf|>him, had cheered her on to marry Hugo. 
N16  62 Only after it was too late to do either of them any good had Tim 
N16  63 managed to fall in love with her.<p/>
N16  64 <p_><quote_>"You're going to spoil my table,"<quote/> Rosebay said. 
N16  65 <quote_>"Now I'm going to be one man short."<quote/><p/>
N16  66 <p_><quote_>"Then you'll have to find her another dinner 
N16  67 partner,"<quote/> Tim said. <quote_>"I can't take any more of that, 
N16  68 either."<quote/><p/>
N16  69 <p_><quote_>"Tim Holt, I've never done anything but introduce you 
N16  70 to nice girls when one happens to be staying with me."<quote/> 
N16  71 Tears filled her eyes. <quote_>"I was just trying to 
N16  72 help."<quote/><p/>
N16  73 <p_>Rosebay took in boarders in the big old house she and Hugo 
N16  74 owned at the foot of Telegraph Hill. Altruistically, she introduced 
N16  75 Tim to the pretty ones.<p/>
N16  76 <p_><quote_>"That isn't going to help,"<quote/> Tim said. 
N16  77 <quote_>"Just take my word for it. I'm sorry to bow out so late, 
N16  78 but I've got to. Gran's expecting me."<quote/> <tf_>Thank God for 
N16  79 Gran<tf/>, he thought.<p/>
N16  80 <p_><quote_>"What about Peter?"<quote/><p/>
N16  81 <p_><quote_>"Peter's going direct from here. He's got two big 
N16  82 buyers for his motorcars lined up within a week of each other - one 
N16  83 here and one in Washington. He hasn't got time to detour through 
N16  84 Oregon and pick up Gran."<quote/><p/>
N16  85 <p_>Rosebay snorted. It was a ladylike snort, but it indicated 
N16  86 derision and disbelief.<p/>
N16  87 <p_><quote_>"I can handle being your boss in the office."<quote/> 
N16  88 Tim said with finality, <quote_>"but don't expect me to socialize 
N16  89 or try to be pals."<quote/><p/>
N16  90 <p_><quote_>"I thought we <tf|>were pals,"<quote/> Rosebay said 
N16  91 sadly. <quote_>"It hurts too much to be pals!"<quote/> Tim 
N16  92 discovered he was yelling and lowered his voice. He came closer to 
N16  93 the desk and leaned over her. <quote_>"Being friends works fine for 
N16  94 you. You've got Hugo, who worships you, and you've got me on a 
N16  95 string, too, to see whenever you feel like it. But it doesn't work 
N16  96 out so well for me. I haven't even got what you might call half a 
N16  97 loaf."<quote/><p/>
N16  98 <p_><quote_>"What about Hugo?"<quote/> Rosebay demanded. 
N16  99 <quote_>"You going to disappoint him, too?"<quote/><p/>
N16 100 <p_><quote_>"He's just going to have to stand up to it,"<quote/> 
N16 101 Tim said sarcastically. He snatched up his hat - he had 
N16 102 deliberately chosen to confront Rosebay on his way <tf|>out of the 
N16 103 <tf|>Clarion building. That way he knew he could cut and run as 
N16 104 soon as it was over. <quote_>"Rosebay, I am not going to be your 
N16 105 tame beau forever, and I am <tf|>not coming to Christmas 
N16 106 dinner!"<quote/><p/>
N16 107 <p_>He jammed the tall hat down on his head and marched out, 
N16 108 avoiding both the newsroom and his own office, where some 
N16 109 unfortunate soul might have his head bitten off for the crime of 
N16 110 needing to talk with the boss.<p/>
N16 111 <p_>Outside the weather was cold and dank - one of those gray, 
N16 112 miserable San Francisco days when the cold saltwater seemed to come 
N16 113 out of the bay and wrap itself around buildings and citizens until 
N16 114 everyone felt chilled to the bone and pickled in brine. Even the 
N16 115 gargoyle above the <tf|>Clarion's main door on Kearny Street looked 
N16 116 cold and disgruntled. A pigeon landed on the pencil behind the 
N16 117 gargoyle's ear and, after fluffing its feathers for warmth, turned 
N16 118 itself into a ball. Tim wound his muffler around his throat. There 
N16 119 were days when he hated to leave San Francisco. This wasn't one of 
N16 120 them.<p/>
N16 121 <h|>Maryland
N16 122 <p_><quote|>"Sir!" Tim's cousin Frank Blake, aged seventeen, 
N16 123 saluted General Wallace (Retired), commanding officer of Hargreaves 
N16 124 Academy. Frank's polished boot heels were aligned precisely in the 
N16 125 center of the general's carpet, his spine was ramrod straight, and 
N16 126 his right arm was cocked at precisely the proper angle. His blue 
N16 127 uniform jacket, without a bulge or a crease, was buttoned to the 
N16 128 chin.<p/>
N16 129 <p_><quote_>"At ease, Blake."<quote/> The general's gruff 
N16 130 expression would have struck terror into a stranger, but Frank 
N16 131 recognized it as the general's smile. <quote_>"So you're going home 
N16 132 to Alexandria for the holidays."<quote/><p/>
N16 133 <p_><quote_>"Yes, sir. My bags are waiting outside for the station 
N16 134 hack."<quote/><p/>
N16 135 <p_><quote_>"Be certain to give my regards to your father. A fine 
N16 136 man. You do him credit. I've seen your mid<?_>-<?/>year 
N16 137 marks."<quote/><p/>
N16 138 <p_><quote_>"Thank you, sir."<quote/> Frank was immensely proud of 
N16 139 those midyear marks.<p/>
N16 140 <p_><quote_>"You might be pleased to know, Blake, that they are not 
N16 141 only the highest of any cadet's this year, they are the highest in 
N16 142 the past twenty-six years of the school's history. I have a letter, 
N16 143 which I wish you to deliver to Colonel Blake, apprising him of the 
N16 144 fact."<quote/><p/>
N16 145 <p_><quote_>"Thank you, sir."<quote/><p/>
N16 146 <p_>The general's gray marble eyes were steely and unblinking 
N16 147 beneath a hedgerow of bushy eyebrows. <quote_>"Have you made any 
N16 148 decision about your future, Blake?"<quote/><p/>
N16 149 <p_><quote_>"Yes, sir, I'm hoping to go to West Point if they'll 
N16 150 have me."<quote/><p/>
N16 151 <p_><quote_>"They'll have you,"<quote/> the general said. 
N16 152 <quote_>"An excellent choice. Your father will be pleased. Did I 
N16 153 ever tell you, I knew your grandfather?"<quote/><p/>
N16 154 <p_><quote_>"I believe you mentioned it, sir."<quote/><p/>
N16 155 <p_>Frank's grandfather, General Leland Blake, had been a soldier 
N16 156 of distinction all his life. Frank's father, Henry, was acquiring 
N16 157 much the same reputation. The general viewed Frank with relief. It 
N16 158 was gratifying to be able to present to Colonel Henry Blake a son 
N16 159 who was so obviously qualified to wear the family mantle - 
N16 160 particularly since Frank's elder half brother, Peter, had been 
N16 161 asked politely to withdraw from Hargreaves.<p/>
N16 162 <p_>The general managed to smile. Francis Leland Blake was the 
N16 163 perfect cadet. Even at his young age he had his father's height and 
N16 164 bulk - tall, dashing, muscular, and handsome. He cut an imposing 
N16 165 figure, from his thick sandy hair, close<?_>-<?/>cropped now in a 
N16 166 proper military cut, to the size<?_>-<?/>twelve boots, which this 
N16 167 year had looked more in proportion with the rest of his frame. In 
N16 168 the past he had looked like a huge-footed puppy.<p/>
N16 169 <p_>The general presented him with the letter, and Frank snapped a 
N16 170 salute.<p/>
N16 171 <p_><quote_>"Go along now, Blake. Rest and enjoy yourself. Dance 
N16 172 with all the girls. We've work to do in January."<quote/><p/>
N16 173 <p_><quote_>"Yes, sir!"<quote/> Frank saluted again, pivoted in the 
N16 174 prescribed patterns, then marched through the general's oiled 
N16 175 mahogany door. Outside in the corridor he let out a whoop and threw 
N16 176 his cap in the air.<p/>
N16 177 <h_><p_>Alexandria, Virginia<p/><h/>
N16 178 <p_>Tim found himself lulled by the warmth of the room into a kind 
N16 179 of somnolent watchfulness as he observed the workings of his clan's 
N16 180 interlocking family machinery. It seemed to him that the farther 
N16 181 away the children moved and the older they got, the more their 
N16 182 parents yearned to collect them all in one place on holidays. His 
N16 183 aunt, Cindy Blake, looked with vast contentment down the length of 
N16 184 her dining table and with a kind of happy wriggle settled deeper in 
N16 185 her chair. The servants had put all three extension leaves in the 
N16 186 table, so that it stretched the length of the dining room and into 
N16 187 the entrance foyer.<p/>
N16 188 <p_>Tim looked through the window. Outside it was snowing, which it 
N16 189 so rarely did at Christmas in Alexandria that everyone considered 
N16 190 it a present. The old cobbled streets were covered with snow, and 
N16 191 it muted the sound of harness bells and the shrieking of children 
N16 192 turned loose from Christmas dinner.<p/>
N16 193 <p_>The Blakes and the Holts were still feasting, halfway into a 
N16 194 pair of roasted geese and a Virginia ham. Between Cindy and her 
N16 195 husband, Henry, at opposite ends of the table, were Tim's parents, 
N16 196 Toby and Alexandra, who had driven across the river from their 
N16 197 house in the District; Toby and Cindy's mother, Eulalia, dutifully 
N16 198 delivered from Oregon by Tim; and all the children. Tim's brother, 
N16 199 Mike, and his new wife, Eden, and Tim's sister Janessa, and her 
N16 200 husband, Charley Lawrence, had all come from New York, the 
N16 201 Lawrences with twins to show off.<p/>
N16 202 <p_>Peter had arrived from San Francisco, as had Frank, looking 
N16 203 proud and grown-up in his dress uniform. The table was rounded out 
N16 204 by Cindy's Midge and Toby's Sally, trying to look grown-up, too, 
N16 205 but, being ten and twelve years old respectively, lapsing into 
N16 206 Christmas silliness and the giggles.<p/>
N16 207 <p_>When was the last time they had all been together? Tim 
N16 208 wondered. Probably Grandpa Lee Blake's funeral - not a happy 
N16 209 occasion. Eulalia, twice widowed, seemed increasingly frail to Tim, 
N16 210 although she had withstood the railway trip well, all the way from 
N16 211 Madrona, the Holt home ranch in Oregon. Cindy and Toby, and then 
N16 212 Toby's children, had all grown up on that ranch but were firmly 
N16 213 rooted elsewhere now. Selling it was unthinkable, and the family 
N16 214 joke that Sally had to grow up and marry an Oregon boy wasn't very 
N16 215 far from the truth. Toby or Cindy might go back to the Madrona one 
N16 216 day, but not so long as Henry was with the army and Toby was in the 
N16 217 State Department.<p/>
N16 218 <p_>Tim eyed his father, aware that that appointment could change 
N16 219 with the next presidential election, only a year away. Grover 
N16 220 Cleveland wouldn't run again, Tim mused.
N16 221 
N17   1 <#FROWN:N17\><h_><p_>ONE<p/>
N17   2 <p_>Virginia<p/>
N17   3 <p_>October 1864<p/><h/>
N17   4 <p_>The pain had come to life again.<p/>
N17   5 <p_>The seed planted in torn flesh spread its roots and thrust 
N17   6 tendrils of thorns through the leg of the tall, gaunt man who 
N17   7 limped along the dusty road at the edge of the battered column of 
N17   8 Confederate prisoners.<p/>
N17   9 <p_>Isom Prentice Olive, First Texas Volunteers, Hood's Brigade, 
N17  10 Confederate States of America, tried to ignore the pain along with 
N17  11 the bite of autumn wind through the remnants of faded butternut 
N17  12 cloth that once had been a uniform. The rough material scraped 
N17  13 against ridged scars on his right shoulder and upper back, the 
N17  14 legacy of a canister shell in the desperate battle for the place 
N17  15 called Gettysburg. The musket ball that seeded the pain in his left 
N17  16 thigh was a souvenir of The Wilderness.<p/>
N17  17 <p_>It was getting to the point, he thought, where a man could 
N17  18 follow the course of the war just by counting the scars on Print 
N17  19 Olive's body. <tf_>At least, by God<tf/>, he told himself, <tf_>we 
N17  20 dealt out more than we took and we took a hell of a lot; the First 
N17  21 Texas never quit a fight -<tf/><p/>
N17  22 <p_>A sudden stab of new pain shattered the thought.<p/>
N17  23 <p_>Print spun to face the Union soldier who had jabbed his rifle 
N17  24 muzzle into Print's still-sore shoulder. <quote_>"Move along, 
N17  25 Reb."<quote/> The guard's thumb rested on the hammer of the 
N17  26 Springfield. His thin mouth twisted in a sneer. A flare of rage 
N17  27 pushed away Print's pain. He lunged forward, slapped away the 
N17  28 muzzle of the rifle and cocked a clubbed fist. A hand clamped onto 
N17  29 his arm before he could swing.<p/>
N17  30 <p_><quote_>"Easy, Print,"<quote/> Deacon Scrugg's voice near his 
N17  31 ear said, <quote_>"don't give the blueleg an excuse. We've been 
N17  32 through too much together to get killed now."<quote/><p/>
N17  33 <p_>The Union guard stumbled back a step, shaken by the unexpected 
N17  34 attack.<p/>
N17  35 <p_><quote_>"You Yankee sonofabitch."<quote/> Print's voice was 
N17  36 low, hard and cold. <quote_>"You come at me again and I'll stick 
N17  37 that rifle up your ass and pull the trigger."<quote/><p/>
N17  38 <p_>The guard recovered from the shock, sputtered in outrage and 
N17  39 thumbed back the hammer of the rifle. A Union sergeant sprinted to 
N17  40 the guard and shoved the rifle aside. <quote_>"Back off, Private! 
N17  41 Show these men the respect they deserve! We're here to swap 
N17  42 prisoners, not to shoot them!"<quote/><p/>
N17  43 <p_>Deacon's grip was still firm on Print's arm. <quote_>"Let it 
N17  44 go, Print. It's not worth it."<quote/><p/>
N17  45 <p_>The Union sergeant turned to Print. <quote_>"Your friend's 
N17  46 right, soldier,"<quote/> he said. <quote_>"This war's nearly over. 
N17  47 There's no sense in getting killed now, for nothing."<quote/><p/>
N17  48 <p_>Print willed his muscles to relax. His anger was checked more 
N17  49 by weakness and exhaustion than by reason. Thirty months of war, 
N17  50 almost constant hunger, cold and heat, two wounds, and half a year 
N17  51 in a Union prison camp had taken the edge from his body, if not his 
N17  52 temper. He fixed a steady glare on the young private. <quote_>"The 
N17  53 next time we meet I'll kill you,"<quote/> he said. <quote_>"And if 
N17  54 it's not in this war, by God, you have my personal invitation to 
N17  55 come to Williamson County, Texas, to settle up. Just ask for Print 
N17  56 Olive whenever you get tired of living."<quote/><p/>
N17  57 <p_>The restraining hand fell away from Print's arm. <quote_>"Come 
N17  58 on, Print, let it slide."<quote/><p/>
N17  59 <p_>Print sighed, turned from the Union soldier and let Deacon 
N17  60 Scruggs set the pace as they rejoined the ranks of Confederate 
N17  61 prisoners. Deacon was almost a head shorter than Print but packed a 
N17  62 lot of muscle into a short frame. He had the powerful arms and 
N17  63 hands of a blacksmith, a barrel chest and legs that seemed stubby 
N17  64 beneath his massive trunk. A bandage crusted with dried blood 
N17  65 covered his left eye.<p/>
N17  66 <p_>Deacon twisted his head to look at Print with his remaining 
N17  67 eye. <quote_>"I reckon that sergeant's right, Print,"<quote/> he 
N17  68 said. There was sadness in his words. <quote_>"The Yankees are 
N17  69 likely gonna win this war. But we give'em a helluva scrap along the 
N17  70 way."<quote/><p/>
N17  71 <p_>Print grunted an agreement, still struggling to contain his 
N17  72 anger, and walked in silence for a hundred yards. Then he glanced 
N17  73 at his companion. <quote|>"Deacon," he said, <quote_>"I'm tired, 
N17  74 I'm hungry, and I'm hurting. But I'll promise you this right now. 
N17  75 No man is ever again going to tell me when I'm whipped. I've been 
N17  76 pushed around and ordered around for the last time. And they'll 
N17  77 have to kill me before they take my guns away again."<quote/><p/>
N17  78 <h_><p_>TWO<p/>
N17  79 <p_>Williamson County, Texas<p/>
N17  80 <p_>August 1865<p/><h/>
N17  81 <p_>A gentle southwest breeze flattened the gray-white smoke from 
N17  82 the open charcoal pits where slabs of beef, quartered pigs and 
N17  83 whole chickens dripped juices onto the smoldering embers below. The 
N17  84 scent set Jim Olive's mouth watering as he looked over the growing 
N17  85 crowd.<p/>
N17  86 <p_>Jim sometimes had trouble accepting the idea that more than 
N17  87 twenty years had passed since he, his wife Julia and their two 
N17  88 children, Elizabeth and Print, had settled at the Lawrence Chapel 
N17  89 community on Brushy Creek. <tf_>It just doesn't seem that time can 
N17  90 get away from a man that fast,<tf/> he thought. But it had.<p/>
N17  91 <p_>Overall, it had been a good twenty years, Jim had to admit. The 
N17  92 store he had founded in Lawrence Chapel was doing well. His 
N17  93 holdings in land and cattle were sufficient to feed his wife and 
N17  94 their nine children. In fact, Jim Olive was a wealthy man, at least 
N17  95 in cash-strapped Texas terms. The land and the store were paid for, 
N17  96 free and clear, and he had hard cash in the bank. Not a lot, but 
N17  97 enough. And enough was a lot more than most of the state's 
N17  98 merchants and farmers had.<p/>
N17  99 <p_>Now, Print, the eldest son, was twenty-five and a grown man, 
N17 100 home safe from the war. He had almost recovered from his wounds and 
N17 101 his six-foot frame had fleshed out to its normal hundred-ninety 
N17 102 solid pounds. This gathering served a twofold purpose, both on 
N17 103 Print's behalf; to celebrate his return and to welcome his bride, 
N17 104 Louise, into the family.<p/>
N17 105 <p_>Jim's gaze drifted over the crowd. As was usual with a 
N17 106 gathering hosted by the Olives, almost half the Williamson County 
N17 107 populace was on hand. Not all of them were friends or even 
N17 108 acquaintances. Some came just for the food and drink. Jim didn't 
N17 109 mind feeding a hungry stranger and his family once in a while.<p/>
N17 110 <p_>No one would have any trouble picking the Olive boys out in the 
N17 111 crowd, he thought. Print, Jay, Marion and even young Bob carried 
N17 112 their mother's stamp. Julia Ann Brashear Olive couldn't deny them. 
N17 113 They all favored the dark-skinned, dark<?_>-<?/>eyed and handsome 
N17 114 part Cherokee woman who had helped Jim Olive build a comfortable 
N17 115 living from the loamy soil, thick brush and timber of central 
N17 116 Texas. <tf_>If I never did anything else right in my life,<tf/> Jim 
N17 117 thought, <tf_>at least I picked the best woman any man could want 
N17 118 to share a life with.<tf/><p/>
N17 119 <p_>He wasn't so sure about Print's new wife. His eyes narrowed as 
N17 120 he watched Print and Louise greet the latest arrivals. Louise was 
N17 121 barely five feet tall, slender, delicate almost to the point of 
N17 122 appearing frail. She looked as though she might break in a sudden 
N17 123 gust of wind. Her eyes frequently held the look of a frightened 
N17 124 doe. Jim knew her life hadn't been an easy one. Orphaned as a young 
N17 125 girl and raised by her widower grandfather on a 
N17 126 hard<?_>-<?/>scrabble farm a few miles from town, Louise had known 
N17 127 little but want during her young life. If dowries still mattered, 
N17 128 Jim thought, she would have been out of luck. A couple of 
N17 129 home<?_>-<?/>made housedresses and one Sunday church outfit 
N17 130 wouldn't buy a girl much of a man. Now she had her man. But Jim 
N17 131 wasn't sure she was strong enough to survive Print Olive.<p/>
N17 132 <p_>Print had always been wild, even as a young boy. Print's quick 
N17 133 temper and a stubborn streak wider than Brushy Creek in the rainy 
N17 134 season had landed him more than a few stroppings behind the 
N17 135 woodpile. <tf_>There should have been more trips to that 
N17 136 woodpile,<tf/> Jim thought; <tf_>maybe I could have beaten some 
N17 137 sense into Print if I'd set my mind to it.<tf/> Even as the thought 
N17 138 formed, Jim Olive dismissed it. He'd done the best he could, what 
N17 139 with Julia always taking up for Print, trying to keep the boy's 
N17 140 misdeeds hidden from Jim as much as possible. Print had always been 
N17 141 her favorite. In the mother's eyes her eldest son could do no 
N17 142 wrong. <quote_>"He has spirit,"<quote/> was her dismissal for 
N17 143 Print's transgressions.<p/>
N17 144 <p_>That spirit had led Print, at age ten, to beat a boy two years 
N17 145 older and fifteen pounds heavier to a bleeding wreck in the dust of 
N17 146 the churchyard over some insult. The older boy never fully regained 
N17 147 the sight in one eye. Jim had thrashed Print, more for fighting on 
N17 148 the Lord's land than for the fight itself. Eventually, Jim came to 
N17 149 realize that punishment seemed only to make the boy more headstrong 
N17 150 and moody. He gave up on the trips to the woodpile.<p/>
N17 151 <p_>Jim had hoped the passing years would tone down Print's temper. 
N17 152 They hadn't. Neither had the war. If anything, the War Between the 
N17 153 States had sharpened that temper to a razor edge. A man did well 
N17 154 these days to walk soft around Print Olive.<p/>
N17 155 <p_>Most young men returning from battle bought a new pair of boots 
N17 156 or a new hat as soon as they hit Texas soil. Print's first purchase 
N17 157 had been a Remington New Model Army forty-four handgun, the second 
N17 158 a Henry repeating rifle and the third a bottle of whiskey. It was 
N17 159 not, Jim knew, a good sign.<p/>
N17 160 <p_><quote_>"God give you strength, Louise Olive,"<quote/> Jim 
N17 161 whispered toward the small auburn-haired woman standing beside 
N17 162 Print, <quote_>"because I fear you're going to need it with my 
N17 163 son."<quote/><p/>
N17 164 <p_>The clanging of the cook's triangle put an end to Jim Olive's 
N17 165 musings. The crowd surged toward the cooking pits and nearby tables 
N17 166 covered with fresh vegetables, steaming bread, pies, cakes and 
N17 167 fruit. Jim rejoined his guests, pausing frequently to shake the 
N17 168 hand of a new arrival. For now it was enough to enjoy good company 
N17 169 and good food. Tomorrow would be soon enough for a talk with Print 
N17 170 ...<p/>
N17 171 <p_>Isom Prentice Olive leaned against the corral gate, his gaze 
N17 172 drifting over the handful of saddle horses as they squealed, bit 
N17 173 and kicked at each other over grain in the feed troughs. He glanced 
N17 174 up and nodded a greeting as Jim Olive stepped alongside and propped 
N17 175 a foot on the lower rail of the gate.<p/>
N17 176 <p_>The two men stood in silence for a moment, watching the horses 
N17 177 sort out the pecking order for feeding time. It was a ritual that 
N17 178 had been followed through the ages since the first domestication of 
N17 179 the animal. Print dug a tobacco pouch from a shirt pocket, rolled a 
N17 180 cigarette and fired it with a match scratched across a fence rail. 
N17 181 <quote_>"You wanted to talk, Pa?"<quote/> he said.<p/>
N17 182 <p_><quote_>"Yes, son. I'd like to know what your plans are now 
N17 183 that you've a wife to look after."<quote/><p/>
N17 184 <p_>Print turned to his father, squinting through the cigarette 
N17 185 smoke. <quote_>"Simple enough, Pa. I'm going to get 
N17 186 rich."<quote/><p/>
N17 187 <p_>Jim stared at his son for a moment, startled by the simple 
N17 188 declaration. There was no sign of excitement or indecision in 
N17 189 Print's black eyes, just a calm, deep confidence.<p/>
N17 190 <p_><quote_>"Well, Print,"<quote/> Jim said, <quote_>"I always have 
N17 191 admired ambition in a man. But we've got plenty-"<quote/><p/>
N17 192 <p_><quote|>"Pa," Print interrupted, <quote_>"you may be satisfied 
N17 193 with what we've got. Satisfied with a good farm, a half section of 
N17 194 grass, and trading flour and sugar for pennies. It's not enough for 
N17 195 me. I want to see the day come that when Print Olive talks, people 
N17 196 listen."<quote/><p/>
N17 197 <p_>Jim Olive reached for his battered pipe. <quote_>"I suppose 
N17 198 you've got this all worked out? Getting rich doesn't just happen to 
N17 199 a man, you know."<quote/><p/>
N17 200 <p_>Print stubbed his cigarette butt against a corner post. 
N17 201 <quote|>"Cattle," he said. <quote_>"I've talked some with Dudley 
N17 202 and J. W. Snyder. They know cattle. They trailed many a beef from 
N17 203 Williamson County to the Confederacy during the war."<quote/><p/>
N17 204 
N17 205 
N18   1 <#FROWN:N18\><h|>ONE
N18   2 <p_>The two men presented an unlikely appearance: a Catholic priest 
N18   3 on his first trip into the West and an Unkpapa Sioux man, returning 
N18   4 to his home for the first time in seventeen years. They stood in 
N18   5 the aisle of a New Year's Day train running west from Council 
N18   6 Bluffs, Iowa, each insisting the other have the privilege of the 
N18   7 window seat.<p/>
N18   8 <p_>They stood nearly the same medium height, both slim, yet 
N18   9 sturdily built. The priest's deep blue eyes and reddish-blond hair 
N18  10 contrasted sharply with his black Jesuit cassock. The conductor 
N18  11 called <quote_>"All aboard!"<quote/> for the last time, and the 
N18  12 train lurched into motion. The Sioux man sat down in the aisle 
N18  13 seat, and the priest sat down next to the window.<p/>
N18  14 <p_>The train was filled with westbound passengers eager to view 
N18  15 the solar eclipse expected later in the morning. Although the Sioux 
N18  16 man was dressed neatly, no one had wanted to sit next to him. The 
N18  17 priest, being the last aboard, had found the aisle seat next to the 
N18  18 Sioux the only seat left unoccupied. The Sioux man had risen to 
N18  19 offer his choice seat out of respect.<p/>
N18  20 <p_>Startled by the articulate insistence from one in braids and 
N18  21 buckskin, the priest stared at the Sioux man. <quote_>"I'll be able 
N18  22 to see the eclipse just fine,"<quote/> he said. <quote_>"Is that 
N18  23 why you're being so kind?"<quote/><p/>
N18  24 <p_><quote_>"You don't want to look at the eclipse,"<quote/> the 
N18  25 Sioux man said. <quote_>"It will make you blind."<quote/><p/>
N18  26 <p_><quote_>"Yes, I suppose you are right,"<quote/> the priest 
N18  27 acknowledged with a laugh. <quote_>"So why were you so 
N18  28 persistent?"<quote/><p/>
N18  29 <p_><quote_>"I felt that if I were kind to you, maybe they wouldn't 
N18  30 make me ride back in the luggage car."<quote/><p/>
N18  31 <p_><quote_>"Oh, I see,"<quote/> the priest said.<p/>
N18  32 <p_><quote_>"Yes they do that,"<quote/> the Sioux man continued. 
N18  33 <quote_>"When they crossed our lands, the railroad said we could 
N18  34 ride the Iron Horse for free. They just didn't tell us where we 
N18  35 would be put."<quote/><p/>
N18  36 <p_><quote_>"That isn't quite fair, is it?"<quote/><p/>
N18  37 <p_><quote_>"Not many things in life are fair"<quote/>, the Sioux 
N18  38 said. <quote_>"But now I won't have to worry about my 
N18  39 death."<quote/> He looked at the priest, a smile beaming from his 
N18  40 dark eyes. <quote_>"I've heard that those who are good and follow 
N18  41 the Black Robes' medicine are to be favored in the next 
N18  42 life."<quote/><p/>
N18  43 <p_>The priest raised an eyebrow. <quote_>"I've never heard it put 
N18  44 that way before."<quote/><p/>
N18  45 <p_><quote_>"Isn't that the idea, though?"<quote/><p/>
N18  46 <p_><quote_>"Is that what you believe?"<quote/><p/>
N18  47 <p_><quote_>"That's why I gave you the seat."<quote/><p/>
N18  48 <p_>The priest laughed and extended his hand in introduction. 
N18  49 <quote_>"My name is Father Mark Thomas. I'll do what I can for you, 
N18  50 but don't expect any miracles."<quote/><p/>
N18  51 <p_><quote_>"I am Shining Horse, and I've received my share of 
N18  52 miracles already,"<quote/> the Sioux man said. <quote_>"So I won't 
N18  53 expect you to perform any in my behalf. But for my people ... well, 
N18  54 that's another matter."<quote/><p/>
N18  55 <p_><quote_>"What do you mean?"<quote/> Father Thomas asked.<p/>
N18  56 <p_><quote_>"It's going to take a great many miracles to keep my 
N18  57 people from losing everything they have,"<quote/> Shining Horse 
N18  58 said. <quote_>"It is a very trying time. Everything is changing, 
N18  59 and not for the better. So maybe you're right. Maybe you haven't 
N18  60 got the right connections to be of much help to my people. I'm not 
N18  61 certain that the white man's god cares that much."<quote/><p/>
N18  62 <p_><quote_>"There is only one God,"<quote/> Father Thomas said. 
N18  63 <quote_>"He represents all races."<quote/><p/>
N18  64 <p_><quote_>"I noticed you said <tf|>represents and not 
N18  65 <tf|>serves,"<quote/> Shining Horse said. <quote_>"I am of the 
N18  66 opinion that the white race pushes into line first, and if there's 
N18  67 anything left, everyone else must fight for it."<quote/><p/>
N18  68 <p_>Father Thomas studied him without comment.<p/>
N18  69 <p_><quote_>"Are you shocked by my words?"<quote/> Shining Horse 
N18  70 asked. <quote_>"Does it surprise you that I can tell you these 
N18  71 things so well in your own tongue?"<quote/><p/>
N18  72 <p_><quote_>"I would be lying if I said otherwise,"<quote/> Father 
N18  73 Thomas admitted. <quote_>"I have no doubt that you are well 
N18  74 educated."<quote/><p/>
N18  75 <p_><quote_>"I was taken when I was eight and sent to school at 
N18  76 Carlisle. I didn't know anything about Pennsylvania or any of the 
N18  77 lands east of my home. A rich family wanted to make me into a 
N18  78 <foreign|>Wasichu, a white man, and decided I should be James 
N18  79 Williams. I was James Williams while I lived back there and went to 
N18  80 their schools. Now I'm Shining Horse once again, and on my way back 
N18  81 home to my people."<quote/><p/>
N18  82 <p_><quote_>"You are very articulate, Shining Horse. What made you 
N18  83 decide to come back out here?"<quote/><p/>
N18  84 <p_><quote_>"No matter how well I speak the <foreign|>Wasichu 
N18  85 tongue, I will always be of red skin. The two worlds are very 
N18  86 different. I don't know if they will ever be one. Certainly not in 
N18  87 my lifetime."<quote/><p/>
N18  88 <p_><quote_>"Won't coming back be a bigger change for you than when 
N18  89 you left as a child?"<quote/><p/>
N18  90 <p_><quote_>"It might be so,"<quote/> Shining Horse acknowledged. 
N18  91 <quote_>"I just hope I can remember my own tongue. You don't speak 
N18  92 Lakota, do you?"<quote/><p/>
N18  93 <p_>Father Thomas chuckled. <quote_>"I must admit that I know very 
N18  94 little about your race. But that is all going to change. Very 
N18  95 soon."<quote/><p/>
N18  96 <p_><quote_>"I would bet that you're being sent to a 
N18  97 mission."<quote/><p/>
N18  98 <p_><quote_>"Yes, as a matter of fact,"<quote/> Father Thomas said, 
N18  99 <quote_>"I'm going to St. Francis Mission on the Rosebud to learn 
N18 100 from the priests already there."<quote/> He pulled a letter from 
N18 101 his pocket. <quote_>"I have orders from my new Provincial, in St. 
N18 102 Louis, to bring the word of God to your people."<quote/><p/>
N18 103 <p_><quote_>"I know it is an honor among Black Robes to go on 
N18 104 missions,"<quote/> Shining Horse said, <quote_>"but do you really 
N18 105 know what you are in for?"<quote/><p/>
N18 106 <p_><quote_>"What do you mean?"<quote/><p/>
N18 107 <p_><quote_>"My people already know about the Black Robes. They 
N18 108 have seen your kind and heard your words. Those who have not 
N18 109 welcomed you never will."<quote/><p/>
N18 110 <p_><quote_>"Yes, but that is why I wanted to come out 
N18 111 here,"<quote/> Father Thomas said. <quote_>"I believe I can reach 
N18 112 those among your people who have shunned others."<quote/> He opened 
N18 113 the letter. <quote_>"In fact, my orders state that I am 'to bring 
N18 114 the word of Jesus Christ to those on the Sioux reservation who are 
N18 115 the farthest away from God.'"<quote/><p/>
N18 116 <p_><quote_>"There are many who will not embrace the 
N18 117 <foreign|>Wasichu god,"<quote/> Shining Horse said. <quote_>"A 
N18 118 great many."<quote/><p/>
N18 119 <p_><quote_>"Where are they living?"<quote/> Father Thomas 
N18 120 asked.<p/>
N18 121 <p_>Shining Horse shrugged. <quote_>"All over the 
N18 122 reservation."<quote/><p/>
N18 123 <p_><quote_>"But who are the farthest from God?"<quote/><p/>
N18 124 <p_><quote_>"Maybe the Minneconjou on Cheyenne River. Yes, Kicking 
N18 125 Bear and his people on Cherry Creek do not have a mission. Sitanka, 
N18 126 the one they call Big Foot, he asked for a mission. But Kicking 
N18 127 Bear does not want anything to do with the <foreign|>Wasichu 
N18 128 god."<quote/><p/>
N18 129 <p_><quote_>"It sounds to me like your people are divided,"<quote/> 
N18 130 Father Thomas said. <quote_>"They don't all hold the same 
N18 131 views?"<quote/><p/>
N18 132 <p_><quote_>"There is a lot of bitterness among my people 
N18 133 now,"<quote/> Shining Horse replied. <quote_>"Your government has 
N18 134 decided to pick the men among our leaders who best suit its needs 
N18 135 and to give them the power to speak and sign papers for the entire 
N18 136 Lakota nation. That does not sit well with the older leaders. They 
N18 137 are the ones who are keeping the old ways alive. This has caused 
N18 138 infighting among my people."<quote/><p/>
N18 139 <p_><quote_>"But that is not the fault of spiritual people, such as 
N18 140 myself,"<quote/> Father Thomas said.<p/>
N18 141 <p_>Shining Horse chuckled. <quote_>"They don't tell you much 
N18 142 before you come out here, do they? You men of the <foreign|>Wasichu 
N18 143 god have your own wars."<quote/><p/>
N18 144 <p_><quote_>"What do you mean?"<quote/> Father Thomas asked 
N18 145 again.<p/>
N18 146 <p_><quote_>"The Catholics and the Episcopals have a war going 
N18 147 between themselves,"<quote/> Shining Horse said. <quote_>"They both 
N18 148 want the exclusive rights to force the <foreign|>Wasichu god on my 
N18 149 people. I know about that. Too many different speakers for the same 
N18 150 white man's god."<quote/><p/>
N18 151 <p_><quote_>"How do you know so much about what's going on out 
N18 152 here?"<quote/> Father Thomas asked. <quote_>"I thought you told me 
N18 153 you haven't been back since you were a child."<quote/><p/>
N18 154 <p_><quote_>"I made it a point to talk to the delegations who have 
N18 155 traveled to the eastern lands over the years,"<quote/> Shining 
N18 156 Horse explained. <quote_>"There have been a number of them, from 
N18 157 many different tribes. They come to try to settle some legal 
N18 158 dispute, usually a treaty that has been broken. I know what's 
N18 159 happening out here."<quote/><p/>
N18 160 <p_><quote_>"I'm afraid I don't know enough about the 
N18 161 situation,"<quote/> Father Thomas said. <quote_>"With God's help, I 
N18 162 will do as much good as I can."<quote/><p/>
N18 163 <p_><quote_>"You had better have your god teach you the ways of a 
N18 164 warrior,"<quote/> Shining Horse told him. <quote_>"You won't do any 
N18 165 good at Cheyenne River unless you learn how my people 
N18 166 think."<quote/><p/>
N18 167 <p_><quote_>"I'm sure I'll be learning more of what you've talked 
N18 168 about,"<quote/> Father Thomas said. <quote_>"I will be given a lot 
N18 169 of instruction at St. Francis."<quote/><p/>
N18 170 <p_>Both men looked out the window as a long shadow began moving 
N18 171 across the landscape. Slowly the shadow grew longer as the moon's 
N18 172 path took it closer to the sun. Everyone on the train began talking 
N18 173 excitedly. Everyone except Shining Horse.<p/>
N18 174 <p_><quote_>"The eclipse has begun,"<quote/> Father Thomas said. 
N18 175 <quote_>"Aren't you interested in things scientific?"<quote/><p/>
N18 176 <p_><quote_>"I have already seen a great many things 
N18 177 scientific,"<quote/> Shining Horse replied. <quote_>"Including the 
N18 178 Iron Horse, which destroyed the buffalo hunting grounds. I do not 
N18 179 feel that this event we are now watching should be classified as 
N18 180 scientific."<quote/><p/>
N18 181 <p_><quote_>"You are a hard man to please,"<quote/> Father Thomas 
N18 182 said. <quote_>"Very hard, indeed."<quote/><p/>
N18 183 <p_><quote_>"You will see that I am pretty open-minded compared to 
N18 184 the others,"<quote/> Shining Horse said. <quote_>"When you reach 
N18 185 Cherry Creek, you ask Kicking Bear and his people what they thought 
N18 186 of the sun turning black. I'm certain they will not call it a 
N18 187 scientific event. They will call it a bad time, a time when the sun 
N18 188 deserted them. Some will be angry, some will be sad. All of them 
N18 189 will be changed, and <tf|>that is what you will have to deal 
N18 190 with."<quote/><p/>
N18 191 <p_><foreign_>Mako sica<foreign/>, the Badlands, locked in frozen 
N18 192 white, showed no signs of life but for a lone Minneconjou Sioux 
N18 193 woman riding horseback through the lower reaches of Big White 
N18 194 River. Those who knew Fawn-That-Goes-Dancing were not surprised at 
N18 195 her taking off alone in the dead of winter, having no fear of 
N18 196 either the elements or the prospect of not eating until she reached 
N18 197 her destination. But many found surprise in the reason for her 
N18 198 journey.<p/>
N18 199 <p_>Fawn was torn. She had received a letter from the Holy Rosary 
N18 200 Mission at Pine Ridge, written and signed by a Black Robe, 
N18 201 announcing that her mother, along with another woman, was to be 
N18 202 married on the third day of January in front of the 
N18 203 <foreign|>Wasichu god. Fawn had spent a day in the hills shedding 
N18 204 bitter tears. It had been hard enough to see her mother leave the 
N18 205 summer before to live with an Oglala man at Pine Ridge; but Fawn 
N18 206 had never dreamed that Sees-the-Bull-Rolling would make her mother 
N18 207 travel the White Man's Road.<p/>
N18 208 <p_>Fawn dismounted at a small spring, her face turned against a 
N18 209 sharp northerly breeze. She rubbed her hands together briskly, 
N18 210 working the circulation through numbed fingers. After dislodging a 
N18 211 large, pointed rock from the hillside, she slammed it through the 
N18 212 brittle ice at the mouth of the spring, then stepped back while 
N18 213 Jumper, her red pinto pony, sucked noisily from the thin flow, his 
N18 214 nostrils flaring in the cold.<p/>
N18 215 <p_>Fawn pulled the remnants of a tattered woolen blanket closer 
N18 216 around her shoulders. Underneath, she wore an old, loosely fitted 
N18 217 deerskin dress given to her by her mother on the eve of her first 
N18 218 marriage. Her legs and feet were covered with cowhide leggins and 
N18 219 moccasins, her feet wrapped in rags for added measure against the 
N18 220 cold.<p/>
N18 221 <p_>Maybe she was getting too old for this. Maybe she should have 
N18 222 stayed back in the village at Cherry Creek and not risked the trek 
N18 223 across  <foreign_>Mako sica<foreign/> alone. Her younger brother, 
N18 224 Catches Lance, had said he would ride with her and bring his 
N18 225 closest friend, a warrior of mixed Sioux and Negro blood named 
N18 226 Tangled Hair. Though Tangled Hair had argued they should go, 
N18 227 Catches Lance had changed his mind and unsaddled his pony at the 
N18 228 last minute.<p/>
N18 229 <p_>Nothing, aside from death itself, would have stopped Fawn from 
N18 230 going to Pine Ridge. She did not want her mother to think she no 
N18 231 longer cared for her, even though her mother had decided to travel 
N18 232 the White Man's Road and leave her old customs behind.
N18 233 
N18 234 
N19   1 <#FROWN:N19\><h_><p_>NORMAN MANEA<p/>
N19   2 <p_>Proust's Tea<p/><h/>
N19   3 <p_>The people crowding outside the big, heavy, wooden doors, 
N19   4 curious about the spectacle, were perhaps themselves travelers, or 
N19   5 their companions, or loiterers of the sort often found in train 
N19   6 stations, but on that afternoon not one of them was allowed into 
N19   7 the waiting room. Nor could they see what was going on inside. The 
N19   8 windows were too high, the rectangular glass panes in the doors too 
N19   9 dirty and clouded with steam.<p/>
N19  10 <p_>The waiting room was immense; it was hard to imagine anything 
N19  11 bringing it to life; everything got lost, swallowed up in it. 
N19  12 Crouched over their bundles, people in rags were huddling one on 
N19  13 top of the other in clusters from the walls all the way to the 
N19  14 center, filling up the room. The din was unending.<p/>
N19  15 <p_>Shrill and desperate voices, hoarse voices, sometimes deep 
N19  16 moans, grew suddenly louder when the nurses came by. The white 
N19  17 uniforms barely managed to squeeze through the tangle of legs and 
N19  18 bodies. Hands rose up all around to grab hold of the hems, the 
N19  19 sleeves, even the shoulders, necks, and arms of these fine ladies. 
N19  20 People were screaming, begging, groaning, cursing. Some were 
N19  21 crying, especially those who were too far away and had lost all 
N19  22 hope of getting a packet of food and a cup.<p/>
N19  23 <p_>Those crowded on the other side of the wood and thick glass 
N19  24 doors would have tried in vain to guess ages and sexes from the 
N19  25 faces on the mass of skeletons, dressed in rags tied with string, 
N19  26 that crammed into the waiting room. The women all looked like old, 
N19  27 wretched convicts, and children with oversized skulls popped up all 
N19  28 around them like apocalyptic men, compressed, stunted, as if an 
N19  29 instrument of torture had shrunk them all.<p/>
N19  30 <p_>The nurses knew, of course, that there were no men in the 
N19  31 waiting room, nor young women. Had they understood the cries and 
N19  32 the wailing around them, they would have realized that it was this 
N19  33 very absence that aggravated the panic: the rescued did not 
N19  34 understand, nor did they want to accept, that they had been saved. 
N19  35 They suspected that this was a new ruse, even more diabolical, that 
N19  36 would undoubtedly lead to new tortures, perhaps even to the end. 
N19  37 Why else had the men and able-bodied young women been left behind? 
N19  38 To bring them here later, on another train? Because there hadn't 
N19  39 been enough room? Perhaps someone had objected to piling them on 
N19  40 top of one another?<p/>
N19  41 <p_>They could have done without those big, luxurious railway cars 
N19  42 that swayed like imperial barges... They wouldn't have mined 
N19  43 traveling in carts, walking for miles and miles, so long as they'd 
N19  44 been allowed to stay together, husbands, wives, sisters, sons and 
N19  45 daughters, the old and the children, all of them.<p/>
N19  46 <p_>Shorn like the others, her head covered by some sort of burlap 
N19  47 hood, the woman before whom the nurse had stopped was ageless like 
N19  48 the rest. She made no sound. She had not said a word when the 
N19  49 person next to her had taken from her hands a piece of blanket and 
N19  50 covered herself with it. She didn't flinch when the old woman on 
N19  51 her left, sensing in her silence a confirmation of her own 
N19  52 foreboding, became excited, raising her arms to the sky. Finally 
N19  53 she lifted her head: a face shrunken, withered, old, like a 
N19  54 Phoenician mask. But she didn't move, not even when the nurse 
N19  55 passed by. She just kept watching, intense, like the midget resting 
N19  56 its small yellowish head on her bare shoulder.<p/>
N19  57 <p_>The air in the room quivered with heat. The continuous pulsing 
N19  58 rumble of the mass lowered the ceiling and pulled the walls in 
N19  59 closer. The hall had shrunk. Everything was happening close to the 
N19  60 ground, at the height of the crowd. Only when you threw your head 
N19  61 back and looked up did the ceiling recede, like a soaring, ever 
N19  62 more unreachable sky. From the heights, the noise lagged, distant, 
N19  63 weak, somewhere down below. Those who remained on the ground were 
N19  64 deafened by it, drained by fear, oblivious to everything.<p/>
N19  65 <p_>She, too, couldn't stop thinking about what might be happening 
N19  66 on the train that never arrived. She couldn't have been allowed on 
N19  67 board, she knew all too well that she looked like an old woman, no 
N19  68 one would have believed that she was not yet thirty. But then she 
N19  69 would have had no reason to want to be on the train for men and 
N19  70 young women. Surely she too had seen how they had clung to each 
N19  71 other without shame- my father and my cousin- the moment they left 
N19  72 the lineup. She did not look at them, but without a doubt she had 
N19  73 seen everything. Disciplined, she had joined her column, holding in 
N19  74 her limp hand the hand of the midget trailing behind her. She 
N19  75 didn't even yank at his arm as she helped him climb the high steps 
N19  76 onto the train. She saw that the child, when he reached the top of 
N19  77 the steps, had turned his wrinkled face toward the two who were 
N19  78 left on the platform, sitting on the bench too close to each other. 
N19  79 But the woman had not said a word; she sat down on the seat in the 
N19  80 train and closed her eyes, exhausted.<p/>
N19  81 <p_>Perhaps the commotion of so many confused voices coming from 
N19  82 down below overwhelmed her, allowed her to forget, but suddenly she 
N19  83 had turned around, pushing against the little midget's scrawny neck 
N19  84 and dislodging him from his nest. In any event, her bony, dampish 
N19  85 shoulder could not replace, even in the child's memory or dreams, 
N19  86 the plump, fresh cheeks of the pillow he craved.<p/>
N19  87 <p_>The hands that touched the neck and the matchstick arms of the 
N19  88 little savage were those of the lady in the white uniform. The lady 
N19  89 was smiling at the little midget, bending over him, the red cross 
N19  90 on her forehead shining, coming nearer. She held out the bag of 
N19  91 biscuits and the tin cup.<p/>
N19  92 <p_>The cup was hot. The little beast's cheeks bent over the 
N19  93 yellowish, liquid circle, into the fragrant steam. A pleasure that 
N19  94 could not last; a pleasure one should not dare prolong, no matter 
N19  95 what happiness one felt. An impossible pleasure, but real, because 
N19  96 the hall was real too, and buzzing, and he heard the bag being 
N19  97 ripped open over his head, and his hand filled with biscuits.<p/>
N19  98 <p_>The boy sipped, numb with pleasure, frightened. He understood 
N19  99 that everything was real and, therefore, that it would end; it was 
N19 100 he, giddy with delight, who impatiently hastened its end. The cup 
N19 101 was half emptied. He stopped drinking and looked at the stubby, fat 
N19 102 biscuits in the palm of his hand. He began to nibble, patiently, on 
N19 103 one of the grainy, sweet, scallop-edged shells. Only then did he 
N19 104 feel hunger. He grabbed the bag with one hand. In the other he held 
N19 105 the cup. He shoved a fistful of biscuits into his mouth. A little 
N19 106 midget who inspired tenderness however ghastly he looked, and so 
N19 107 the lady put an extra bag in his mother's hand.<p/>
N19 108 <p_><quote_>"Drink the tea also. Drink, while it's still 
N19 109 hot."<quote/><p/>
N19 110 <p_>Perhaps the souls of those we've lost do indeed take refuge in 
N19 111 inanimate objects. They remain absent until the moment they feel 
N19 112 our presence nearby and call out to us for recognition, to free 
N19 113 them from death. Perhaps, indeed, the past cannot be brought back 
N19 114 on command, but is resurrected only by that strange, spontaneous 
N19 115 sensation we feel when unexpectedly we come across the smell, the 
N19 116 taste, the flavor of some inert accessory from the past.<p/>
N19 117 <p_>But the aroma of that heavenly drink could not be reminiscent 
N19 118 of anything; he had never experienced such pleasure. This magic 
N19 119 potion could not, by any stretch of the imagination, be called 
N19 120 'tea.'<p/>
N19 121 <p_>So it was necessary to look up toward the sky of dirty stone, 
N19 122 where black clouds of flies swarmed, and where he expected 
N19 123 Grandfather to appear, the only person who would have had an 
N19 124 answer.<p/>
N19 125 <p_>They had gathered, as usual, around him, everyone was holding 
N19 126 his hot cup of greenish water infused with local herbs picked in 
N19 127 those alien places, to which Grandfather would add, whenever he 
N19 128 found them, acacia blossoms.<p/>
N19 129 <p_>High up on the arched ceiling of the waiting room, where the 
N19 130 light bulbs attracted billows of insects, Grandfather appeared as 
N19 131 if on a round screen, and Grandmother, and his parents, and his 
N19 132 aunt. They were warming their hands on the steaming cups, all of 
N19 133 them staring at the same point high above, in front of them. Anda 
N19 134 was there, too, of course. She took part, humble, submissive, but 
N19 135 shameless enough, nevertheless, not to miss the tea ritual to which 
N19 136 Grandfather summoned everybody, sometimes looking at each person a 
N19 137 long time, letting them know that he knew everything about 
N19 138 everybody, even about his son-in-law and this beautiful and guilty 
N19 139 granddaughter.<p/>
N19 140 <p_>Grandfather did not take his eyes off the little white cube of 
N19 141 sugar that hung, as usual, from the ceiling lamp. They all had to 
N19 142 stare at it intensely for some minutes before sipping the hot 
N19 143 water. Those who remembered the taste of sugar, those, that is, who 
N19 144 had the time, before the disaster, to accustom their palates to the 
N19 145 sweetness of the little white lumps, gradually felt their lips 
N19 146 become wet and sticky. The brackish green drink became sweet, good, 
N19 147 'real tea,' as Grandfather would say.<p/>
N19 148 <p_>The ceremony was repeated almost every afternoon, presided over 
N19 149 sternly yet not without a touch of humor by the old man, his 
N19 150 unkempt beard mottled in black. He was convinced that he would 
N19 151 return home, and he conserved as a symbol of that world, and for 
N19 152 that world, a dirty sugar cube. While the boiling water was being 
N19 153 poured, no one was allowed to look anywhere but in his own cup, and 
N19 154 one waited to hear the water splash and bubble in the neighboring 
N19 155 cup, until one by one all of them were filled. Then everyone raised 
N19 156 his eyes toward the lamp from which a tiny parallelepiped of almost 
N19 157 white sugar hung on a string. They had to stare at it patiently for 
N19 158 a long time, and had to sip the tea slowly, until everyone felt his 
N19 159 lips, tongue, mouth, his entire being refreshed, mellowed by the 
N19 160 memory of a world they must not give up, because, Grandfather 
N19 161 firmly believed, it had not given them up and could not do without 
N19 162 them. The tea steamed in the cups; everyone was silent, all 
N19 163 concentrating, as they had been told to, on a small, dirty cube of 
N19 164 sugar that Grandfather had had the idea to save and hang up in 
N19 165 front of them every day.<p/>
N19 166 <p_>Up there, above the din in which the poor wretches tried, 
N19 167 uselessly, to return to another life, up there, in an open space, 
N19 168 isolated from the huge waiting room, Grandfather, confident in a 
N19 169 return that would not come pass, could have assured them that the 
N19 170 magic potion was indeed proof that the world had welcomed them 
N19 171 back. But even this strange drink did not remotely resemble 'real 
N19 172 tea.'<p/>
N19 173 <p_><quote_>"Dunk the biscuits in the tea. Drink it while it's 
N19 174 hot."<quote/><p/>
N19 175 <p_><quote_>"Drink while it's hot,"<quote/> repeated now one woman, 
N19 176 now another.<p/>
N19 177 <p_>Dunked in the tea, the plump, round biscuits had the very 
N19 178 flavor of happiness- had there been time for surrender, utter 
N19 179 abandon, a dizzying fullness of feeling, the priceless gifts that 
N19 180 only a chosen few can hope to deserve, and that some day must be 
N19 181 returned in a miraculous exchange.<p/>
N19 182 <p_>The biscuits tasted like soap, mud, rust, burnt skin, snow, 
N19 183 leaves, rain, bones, sand, mold, wet wool, sponges, mice, rotting 
N19 184 wood, fish, the unique flavor of hunger. <p/>
N19 185 <p_>There are, then, certain gifts whose only quality and only flaw 
N19 186 is that they cannot be exchanged for anything else. Such gifts 
N19 187 cannot, at some later time, be recalled, repossessed, or 
N19 188 returned.<p/>
N19 189 <p_>If, later, I lost anything, it was precisely the cruelty of 
N19 190 indifference. But only later, and with difficulty. Because, much 
N19 191 later, I became what is called... a feeling being.<p/>
N19 192 
N20   1 <#FROWN:N20\><h_><p_>The Strange Affair of the Spirit Cats<p/>
N20   2 <p_>Douglas Kaufman<p/><h/>
N20   3 <p_>It was a gloomy night in Khartoum. The Pharaoh's artificial sun 
N20   4 had set over an hour ago. The faint glimmer of evening stars was 
N20   5 obscured behind an ominous layer of black clouds.<p/>
N20   6 <p_>In the alleyway, three shapes floated like ghosts through the 
N20   7 darkness and evening mist. Given the state of Earth since the 
N20   8 invasion of realities, the chance that they were in fact ghosts 
N20   9 could not be dismissed lightly. One of the larger shapes, thinking 
N20  10 upon just that likelihood, harrumphed and fumbled about in its 
N20  11 waistcoat pocket, as if looking for a lost bit of change.<p/>
N20  12 <p_><quote|>"G'dam," it muttered. <quote_>"Jacques, did I give you 
N20  13 that Pharaoh's Curse Lucky Charm? What have I done with 
N20  14 it?"<quote/> As he spoke, the third shape approached the other two 
N20  15 ... slowly ... ominously. The large shape now turned out his 
N20  16 pockets in measured, slightly frantic, haste.<p/>
N20  17 <p_><quote_>"Ex - excuse me,"<quote/> trilled a pretty, young voice 
N20  18 from out of the darkness. <quote_>"I can't see you very well, but - 
N20  19 you wouldn't by some chance be the man known as Lord 
N20  20 Cunningham?"<quote/><p/>
N20  21 <p_><quote|>"Goodness!" exclaimed the large waistcoated shape. 
N20  22 <quote_>"Either you're not supernatural or my reputation is such 
N20  23 that even the spectres know me!"<quote/><p/>
N20  24 <p_><quote_>"Am I a spectre, then?"<quote/> A flame was struck from 
N20  25 a match, held in the hand of the owner of the pretty young voice. 
N20  26 It was, in the vernacular, a Pretty Young Thing who held the match 
N20  27 in a white-gloved hand. A small hat stood atop an exquisitely 
N20  28 formed face piled high with auburn hair, and green eyes glowed 
N20  29 faintly in the red firelight. The small pouting lips, also shining 
N20  30 in the match light, held an expression of mock insult. She regarded 
N20  31 the waistcoated man steadily, as the match burned down nearly to 
N20  32 her fingertips.<p/>
N20  33 <p_>Behind Lord Cunningham, the third shape growled low in his 
N20  34 throat.<p/>
N20  35 <p_><quote_>"Jacques reminds us that in this part of town, it's 
N20  36 best not to call attention to oneself,"<quote/> said Cunningham, 
N20  37 revealed in the matchglow as an immensely fat man with a huge white 
N20  38 mustache. He was dressed in the height of fashion and was 
N20  39 impeccably groomed - except for an egg stain on the left side of 
N20  40 the coat covering his amazing paunch. <quote_>"There's a dear; just 
N20  41 put out the flame and we'll make our way to the club. I assume you 
N20  42 are here for the club dinner?"<quote/> He adjusted the monocle he 
N20  43 wore as he spoke, as if to get a better view of the lady.<p/>
N20  44 <p_><quote_>"Yes indeed,"<quote/> she said from out the dark, but 
N20  45 the flush on her cheeks was audible. <quote_>"The Explorer's Club 
N20  46 dinner! How thrilling!"<quote/><p/>
N20  47 <p_><quote|>"Quite," drawled Cunnigham. <quote_>"Have you an 
N20  48 invitation?"<quote/> There was a rustle of paper, and something 
N20  49 passed from white-gloved to meaty hand.<p/>
N20  50 <p_><quote_>"Can't very well read it here, can I?"<quote/> muttered 
N20  51 Cunningham. <quote_>"Know I had a light of my own somewhere about 
N20  52 here ... damn pockets ... like the Caves of Orion ... Oh, 
N20  53 fine,"<quote/> he said aloud. <quote_>"Come along. I'm sure 
N20  54 everything's in order."<quote/> And without further ado he took her 
N20  55 arm unerringly in the dark, and whisked her toward a blank wall. 
N20  56 The one called Jacques followed, vigilantly scanning the darkness 
N20  57 behind them for signs of unwanted intruders.<p/>
N20  58 <p_>At the wall, Cunningham rapped lightly on the third brick up, 
N20  59 fifth brick over from the left, and called softly, <quote_>"Remmy, 
N20  60 Moxis, Attun!"<quote/> The wall slid back and to the side, 
N20  61 accompanied by the sound of sandpaper on stone.<p/>
N20  62 <p_><quote|>"Oh!" exclaimed the lady.<p/>
N20  63 <p_>The three passed within, and wall slid shut behind them. The 
N20  64 darkness was then disturbed only by the plaintive meowing of a 
N20  65 small alley cat.<p/>
N20  66 <p_>***<p/>
N20  67 <p_><quote_>"And now for a proper introduction,"<quote/> said the 
N20  68 huge man. In the light of the gas lamps within the club, his girth, 
N20  69 florid face, and mustache made him look like nothing so much as a 
N20  70 surprised walrus rearing up on its hind flippers. He doffed a pith 
N20  71 helmet, graciously took the lady's hat, and handed both to a nearby 
N20  72 servant.<p/>
N20  73 <p_><quote|>"I," he announced as the servant moved silently away, 
N20  74 <quote_>"am Lord Cunningham, one of the founding members of the 
N20  75 Explorer's Club. We are a band of adventurers, dedicated to the 
N20  76 overthrow of the Pharaoh, otherwise known to us as ..."<quote/><p/>
N20  77 <p_><quote|>"Mobius," she whispered, eyes wide. There was a moment 
N20  78 of silent fear as she pronounced the name of their greatest enemy 
N20  79 out loud. A hush fell over the club. Several heartbeats passed. 
N20  80 Then the hum of conversation resumed within the dark oak and 
N20  81 mahogany confines of the room.<p/>
N20  82 <p_><quote_>"We'll not rest,"<quote/> said Cunningham, obviously 
N20  83 quoting something or someone, <quote_>"until the scourge of Mobius 
N20  84 is lifted from the land. And who do I have the pleasure of 
N20  85 addressing, my dear?"<quote/><p/>
N20  86 <p_><quote_>"I am the Lady Tria,"<quote/> the pretty young thing 
N20  87 replied, giving a slight curtsey. <quote_>"I was invited by Mr. 
N20  88 William Quest, who unfortunately could not be here 
N20  89 tonight."<quote/><p/>
N20  90 <p_><quote_>"Old Billy-Q?"<quote/> roared Cunningham. <quote_>"That 
N20  91 goat! Where did he come across such a treasure as you?"<quote/><p/>
N20  92 <p_><quote_>"I am his niece,"<quote/> she replied, a little 
N20  93 uncertain, but still smiling.<p/>
N20  94 <p_><quote_>"Oh. Quite."<quote/> Cunningham blew out on his 
N20  95 mustache, nonplussed. <quote_>"And that invitation? Perhaps I 
N20  96 should look at it now?"<quote/><p/>
N20  97 <p_><quote_>"I gave it to you, Lord Cunningham,"<quote/> she said. 
N20  98 <quote_>"Outside, in the alley,"<quote/> she added helpfully.<p/>
N20  99 <p_><quote|>"Oh?" He fumbled again at various pockets. <quote_>"I 
N20 100 seem to have dropped it or misplaced - Jacques! Have you seen Lady 
N20 101 Tria's paper?"<quote/><p/>
N20 102 <p_>The one called Jacques, mostly hidden behind Cunningham's great 
N20 103 bulk, made no reply. Lady Tria moved slightly to her left, to try 
N20 104 to get a little better look at the silent man.<p/>
N20 105 <p_><quote_>"Ah, well,"<quote/> sighed Cunningham, making a last 
N20 106 ineffectual pat at his sides. <quote_>"You obviously belong here. 
N20 107 Come, you may sit at my table this evening."<quote/><p/>
N20 108 <p_><quote_>"Thank you,"<quote/> she replied daintily. <quote_>"I - 
N20 109 oh!"<quote/><p/>
N20 110 <p_>At that moment she rounded Cunningham's prodigious left hip, 
N20 111 and stared full into the eyes of the man called Jacques - and was 
N20 112 instantly lost within the dark confines of his eyes.<p/>
N20 113 <p_>The square jaw, dark hair, dark skin, perfect nose, devilish 
N20 114 brows and perfect teeth all smiled at her, knowingly. She sighed 
N20 115 for all the lost years of her life. <quote_>"Hello, sir,"<quote/> 
N20 116 she managed, squeaking slightly on the upstroke. The faint 
N20 117 glistening of a teardrop was visible in one eye.<p/>
N20 118 <p_><quote_>"My dear, let me present my good friend 
N20 119 Jacques,"<quote/> said Cunningham, seemingly oblivious to the 
N20 120 smoldering looks that were passing between the two younger people. 
N20 121 <quote_>"Jacques is an apprentice member of the Club, and 
N20 122 accompanies me on many of my adventures."<quote/><p/>
N20 123 <p_><quote_>"What an exciting wife - er, life,"<quote/> Lady Tria 
N20 124 said. From somewhere she produced a feathered fan and began 
N20 125 vigorously cooling herself, staring all the while into the molten 
N20 126 pools of Jacques' eyes.<p/>
N20 127 <p_><quote_>"It is a bit warm, isn't it?"<quote/> said Cunningham. 
N20 128 <quote_>"Shall I get you a drink?"<quote/> Without waiting for a 
N20 129 reply, he bustled off, leaving a swirl of displaced air in his 
N20 130 considerable wake. The lady breathed silent thanks and lowered her 
N20 131 eyes, raising them coquettishly to meet a fiery look from 
N20 132 Jacques.<p/>
N20 133 <p_>Neither spoke for a long time. Finally, impatience winning over 
N20 134 social grace, Lady Tria said, <quote_>"Sir ... Jacques ... I'm 
N20 135 afraid I don't know your full name. I trust that, as you are a 
N20 136 member here, I will meet you again in the near future, when my 
N20 137 patron Mr. Quest brings me again to visit. I look forward to 
N20 138 it."<quote/> She held her breath in anticipation of his reply.<p/>
N20 139 <p_>Jacques bowed, then opened his mouth as if to speak. Time 
N20 140 seemed to stand still. Various tunes and marches played within the 
N20 141 lady's mind. <p/>
N20 142 <p_><quote_>"Here we are!"<quote/> bellowed Cunningham, bustling 
N20 143 between them like a bull in stampede. <quote_>"And how are you two 
N20 144 getting along?"<quote/> He handed the lady an unwanted drink.<p/>
N20 145 <p_><quote_>"Quite well, thank you,"<quote/> the lady replied 
N20 146 icily. Jacques said nothing, the merest hint of an amused smile on 
N20 147 his lips the only indication of his feelings. The lady continued, 
N20 148 <quote_>"Jacques is -"<quote/><p/>
N20 149 <p_><quote_>"Certainly a mysterious fellow, isn't he?"<quote/> 
N20 150 Cunningham said jovially, throwing a thick arm around Jacques' 
N20 151 perfectly shaped shoulders. <quote_>"Doesn't need to say 
N20 152 much!"<quote/><p/>
N20 153 <p_><quote_>"Oh, I don't know,"<quote/> Lady Tria said. She mounted 
N20 154 a new attack, trying to sidestep Cunningham and get back next to 
N20 155 the man of her dreams. <quote_>"Do you mean to tell me, Jacques, 
N20 156 that you have a reputation for being the strong, silent 
N20 157 type?"<quote/><p/>
N20 158 <p_><quote_>"He certainly does,"<quote/> cried Cunningham, before 
N20 159 Jacques' lips could even part for a reply. <quote_>"By Jove, I 
N20 160 remember Jacques facing down a horde of villainous minions of 
N20 161 Mobius. They taunted him until their faces turned blue, but he 
N20 162 never said a word. Never lost that slight, sardonic smile of his. 
N20 163 Eh, Jacques?"<quote/> Jacques smiled sardonically, and said 
N20 164 nothing.<p/>
N20 165 <p_><quote_>"Minions of Mobius! Dear me!"<quote/> The lady fanned 
N20 166 herself prettily. <quote_>"And Jacques, how did you come to be 
N20 167 facing a horde of Mobius' minions?"<quote/><p/>
N20 168 <p_>Jacques drew in a breath (as did the lady Tria).<p/>
N20 169 <p_><quote_>"By god, that's our mission here in the Explorer's 
N20 170 Club!"<quote/> cried Cunningham. <quote_>"We dedicate ourselves to 
N20 171 the overthrow of Mobius. We have chosen to oppose him by denying 
N20 172 access to the artifacts he so craves. You've heard of Natatiri, his 
N20 173 minion in Khartoum? And you heard the rumors a while back, of a 
N20 174 mind<?_>-<?/>transfer device that she was using? Well, the fact 
N20 175 that you've heard no stories <tf|>recently is solely due to the 
N20 176 efforts of the Explorer's Club. Without them, that device might 
N20 177 still be terrorizing innocent citizens."<quote/> Cunningham held 
N20 178 his own drink in both hands, warming both to the brandy and to his 
N20 179 subject.<p/>
N20 180 <p_><quote_>"The Explorers are all archaeologists 
N20 181 extraordinaire,"<quote/> he said. <quote_>"Adventurers of the 
N20 182 highest caliber, men who are not afraid to venture into the unknown 
N20 183 and face unspeakable dangers, implacable foes, and nearly 
N20 184 unbeatable odds!"<quote/> Cunningham was getting positively red in 
N20 185 the face as he went on. <quote|>"Jacques," he finished 
N20 186 breathlessly, <quote_>"is one such man."<quote/><p/>
N20 187 <p_><quote_>"I see,"<quote/> the lady said impatiently. 
N20 188 <quote_>"And <tf|>Jacques."<quote/> She emphasized the word 
N20 189 strongly, to make sure there could be no misunderstanding 
N20 190 concerning to whom she was talking. <quote_>"Is your line 
N20 191 archaeology?"<quote/><p/>
N20 192 <p_><quote_>"He's actually more of an explorer,"<quote/> Cunningham 
N20 193 interrupted, and Lady Tria made a low growling sound very far down 
N20 194 in her throat. <quote_>"He's strong and brave, and has protected me 
N20 195 from harm on many of our adventures."<quote/><p/>
N20 196 <p_>There was no way around the man, literally or figuratively. The 
N20 197 lady sighed forlornly. It was either be socially unspeakable, or 
N20 198 speak with Cunningham. As an absent member's guest, she couldn't 
N20 199 afford to be rude without taking a chance on being thrown out.<p/>
N20 200 <p_><quote_>"Lord Cunningham,"<quote/> she said, almost hoping that 
N20 201 if directly addressed he would not answer. <quote|>"..." She had a 
N20 202 sudden brainstorm. <quote_>"How is it that you and Jacques 
N20 203 met?"<quote/><p/>
N20 204 <p_><quote_>"Ah, now there's a tale!"<quote/> Cunningham 
N20 205 bellowed.<p/>
N20 206 <p_>***<p/>
N20 207 <p_>Said Cunningham: On a mission, I was, for the Explorer's Club. 
N20 208 Well nigh unto eight months ago, in the very depths of this 
N20 209 benighted continent. I was posing as a big-game hunter, hot on the 
N20 210 trail of a mysterious talisman said to possess the power to bind 
N20 211 spirits and ghosts to the will of the wielder. Well, given the 
N20 212 prevalence of sundered spirits, as well as ghosts and other 
N20 213 supernatural entities all over the planet, it was deemed High 
N20 214 Priority that Mobius not recover this item.<p/>
N20 215 <p_>So there I was, Cunningham the 'great white hunter', with my 
N20 216 squad of Askaris (that's soldiers to you, my dear), guides and 
N20 217 bearers, following an ancient map, recently discovered, whose 
N20 218 mystic runes I had deciphered myself.<p/>
N20 219 <p_>We were on the veldt, nearing the entrance to an area where, 
N20 220 according to the map, the talisman lay resting in a lost temple 
N20 221 deep within the jungle. My group was getting edgy, but I knew we 
N20 222 had to press on. It was on a day just like all the others - hot, 
N20 223 uncomfortable, and fly-ridden - that a maddened rhino suddenly 
N20 224 attacked the camp! A rare black rhino, it was, and to this day I 
N20 225 suspect that black magic was what made it charge us.<p/>
N20 226 <p_>At any rate, I picked up my rifle and calmly shot the beast 
N20 227 once in the shoulder - but astoundingly, it barely faltered in its 
N20 228 strides as it bore down on us like a runaway freight train.
N20 229 
N21   1 <#FROWN:N21\><h_><p_>Devils Highway<p/><h/>
N21   2 <p_>Cross should have filled the water bottle at the liquor store 
N21   3 in Clifton, just across the line in Arizona, but a dazed-looking 
N21   4 Indian slammed through the door and stood muttering behind him 
N21   5 while he paid for the bourbon. He left quickly and went to the pay 
N21   6 phone in the parking lot. He called his wife to tell her he would 
N21   7 not be near a telephone that night. No way hed stay in that town. 
N21   8 She replied with words of sympathy, almost sounding like she meant 
N21   9 them.<p/>
N21  10 <p_>It was accepted between them that she became angry when he 
N21  11 traveled. He was free on the road; she was trapped at home. He 
N21  12 hadnt the kids to care for, no drudgery of laundry and dishes, no 
N21  13 whining over every snack and meal. For him, space and time were 
N21  14 open: his schedule was his own. He failed to convince her that 
N21  15 travel wore him down, that the motels were bad and the food worse, 
N21  16 that like it or not, the days on the road were part of his job and 
N21  17 paid the bills.<p/>
N21  18 <p_>A tractor rig roared by, gears clashing. He shouted into the 
N21  19 phone: <quote_>"There's an old rancher I've got to see in Show Low 
N21  20 tomorrow. Probably I'll camp up the road a ways and get there in 
N21  21 the afternoon."<quote/> Her faint good-bye had just a trace of 
N21  22 edge.<p/>
N21  23 <p_>By then it was dark. From Clifton the road rose to Morenci, 
N21  24 then climbed beside the rim of the Phelps Dodge pit, where a 
N21  25 mountain of copper once stood. He drove for miles, the pit gaping 
N21  26 beside him. There were no other cars. He pulled off the road three 
N21  27 times to gaze into the void. Far below, the lights of heavy 
N21  28 equipment flickered through clouds of dust, and the growl of 
N21  29 engines gusted with the wind.<p/>
N21  30 <p_>There was a hole like that in his dream. He slept in the back 
N21  31 of the Bronco with the seat folded down and dreamt of falling into 
N21  32 a void. The empty darkness pulled him and he wanted to surrender to 
N21  33 it, but a cyclone fence, like the fence around the Phelps Dodge 
N21  34 pit, held him back. In his dream he searched for a hole in the 
N21  35 wire, so that he could be pulled through and fall forever. But the 
N21  36 seamless fence held firm, and he found no passage to the welcoming, 
N21  37 irresistible abyss.<p/>
N21  38 <p_>Awaking from the dream, he felt his wifes anger like a 
N21  39 presence beside him. He knew one day she would do something extreme 
N21  40 - go crazy or just go away - he wasnt sure what. He feared for the 
N21  41 boy and the girl, whose guileless affection still surprised him. 
N21  42 Would she take them or leave them behind?<p/>
N21  43 <p_>It was cold. The whiskey hed drunk before turning in had made 
N21  44 him thirsty, but he didnt want to stir from his cocoon. He pulled 
N21  45 the purple sleeping bag around him and gazed at stars through the 
N21  46 window of the Bronco. He wondered if his wife ever wakened in the 
N21  47 night, sick with worry for him.<p/>
N21  48 <p_>He awoke again at first light, with a headache from the 
N21  49 bourbon. He was in an empty Forest Service campground where 
N21  50 slick-barked trees arched above concrete tables. One cup of coffee 
N21  51 would make him well. Two cups, and he would write up his notes from 
N21  52 yesterday and take his time getting on the road. He fetched the 
N21  53 Nescaf<*_>e-acute<*/> and campstove from his provisions, then went 
N21  54 to fill the bottle. He found spigots but no water. The campground 
N21  55 was still shut down for winter.<p/>
N21  56 <p_>He had to pin his hopes on finding a cafe in Alpine, by the map 
N21  57 no more than forty miles away. He stuffed the sleeping bag in its 
N21  58 sack and stowed it with his other gear. Then he put the Bronco on 
N21  59 the two-lane headed north.<p/>
N21  60 <p_>The road cut into a mountainside of bare rock, prickly pear, 
N21  61 and scrub. It rose and fell without rhythm, twisting in hairpins. 
N21  62 He never touched fourth gear and kept downshifting into second. On 
N21  63 his right was the mountain. On his left, the land fell away in 
N21  64 cliffs. Canyons and mesas, which the map said belonged to the San 
N21  65 Carlos Apaches, stretched to the horizon. He stopped and got out 
N21  66 once to take in the view, but a cold wind drove him back to the 
N21  67 truck and soon he drove on.<p/>
N21  68 <p_>Coffee might have smoothed the rough edges and eased the 
N21  69 headache. Without it, he felt disassembled, as though parts of him 
N21  70 had elected to go separately through the day and refused to merge. 
N21  71 Distractedly he talked to himself as he drove and heard himself 
N21  72 repeat his own name, <quote_>George Cross, George Cross,<quote/> 
N21  73 in the tone of someone trying to remember an acquaintance.<p/>
N21  74 <p_>He surveyed the infinity of canyons stretching westward and 
N21  75 heard himself speak again. <quote_>You couldnt justify fifty an 
N21  76 acre for that. No timber to cut, too rough to graze without losing 
N21  77 cows, too remote for recreation. All you pay for,<quote/> this was 
N21  78 Pearces favorite line, <quote_>is to keep hell from shining 
N21  79 through.<quote/><p/>
N21  80 <p_>As an appraiser for the Bureau of Land Management, Cross saw a 
N21  81 lot of property like that. Working for the government and valuing 
N21  82 land for exchanges and rights-of-way wasnt the stuff of high 
N21  83 drama, least of all by his wifes standards, but he earned a fair 
N21  84 living and, as Pearce his supervisor put it, <quote_>Were the 
N21  85 ones who deal with whats real - with actual values, not with 
N21  86 expectation.<quote/><p/>
N21  87 <p_>After half an hour, Cross had driven a dozen miles, no more. He 
N21  88 was rounding a hairpin, climbing slowly in second, when two 
N21  89 grizzled men leaped in front of his truck.<p/>
N21  90 <p_><quote|>Bandits! he thought. He had to stop or hit them.<p/>
N21  91 <p_>Then: <quote_>Not bandits. Apaches.<quote/> He was almost 
N21  92 stopped. <quote_>Maybe prospectors<quote/> - they had a weathered 
N21  93 look.<p/>
N21  94 <p_>The men waved their arms. Grins - or grimaces, it was hard to 
N21  95 tell - split their ragged beards. They were brown and very small, 
N21  96 their skin sun-baked, the original color indeterminable. Their 
N21  97 dingy coats hid layers of shirts that puffed them out, making their 
N21  98 arms look as useless as a ticks.<p/>
N21  99 <p_>When Cross stopped, the men hurried to the side of the road and 
N21 100 scooped up a clutch of day packs and plastic shopping bags. Then 
N21 101 one came running to the truck; the other shuffled behind.<p/>
N21 102 <p_>Cross realized with fear and disappointment he would have to 
N21 103 pick them up. The road was empty. They were needy. They were dark 
N21 104 enough to be Apache, and hard luck enough as well. He prayed they 
N21 105 were as harmless as they looked.<p/>
N21 106 <p_>Cross got out and unlocked the back of the Bronco. 
N21 107 <quote_>Thank you, man,<quote/> said the one who had run. 
N21 108 <quote|><tf|>Gracias, said the other, out of breath, and Cross 
N21 109 realized they were not Apache, but Hispano. <quote_>This is one 
N21 110 bad deserted road, man. We could of waited here 
N21 111 forever.<quote/><p/>
N21 112 <p_>The two wizened men, each a foot shorter than he, climbed into 
N21 113 the space that last night served as a camper. He told them to make 
N21 114 room for themselves, and they shoved aside his duffel, the cooler, 
N21 115 the shovel he carried for off-road trouble, and the cardboard box 
N21 116 that held his sleeping bag and other gear.<p/>
N21 117 <p_>Cross closed the cargo door. As he climbed back in the drivers 
N21 118 seat, the reek of unwashed clothes and bodies assaulted him. It was 
N21 119 the smell of crowded rooms and shantytowns, and it made him think, 
N21 120 <quote_>A person who is desperate will do anything.<quote/> Again 
N21 121 he felt a surge of fear.<p/>
N21 122 <p_>He wondered if they could smell him too, apprehensive as he 
N21 123 was. Did they have a gun in one of those bags or the pocket of an 
N21 124 overcoat? Stealing glances in the rearview mirror, he put the truck 
N21 125 in gear and resumed the slalom of the highway.<p/>
N21 126 <p_>He could see one but not the other. The one who had run now sat 
N21 127 directly behind him, out of view, but the other, leaning against 
N21 128 the cargo box, coughed some, then seemed to drop into a trance, 
N21 129 eyes unfocused, face impassive. He was too weathered for Cross to 
N21 130 tell his age. He could have been seventy and young<?_>-<?/>looking. 
N21 131 He could have been thirty and old before his time.<p/>
N21 132 <p_><quote_>Where are you headed?<quote/> asked Cross.<p/>
N21 133 <p_><quote|>Springerville, came the voice behind him. The one who 
N21 134 had run. He pronounced it <tf|>Sprin-ger-ville, with the <tf|>g 
N21 135 hard. It was not an accent Cross could place but seemed oddly 
N21 136 familiar just the same.<p/>
N21 137 <p_><quote_>I can take you as far as Alpine.<quote/><p/>
N21 138 <p_><quote_>Okay, thats good. Thank you very much.<quote/><p/>
N21 139 <p_><quote_>Youre on a lonely road.<quote/><p/>
N21 140 <p_><quote_>Yah, we could of freezed last night.<quote/><p/>
N21 141 <p_><quote_>You slept out?<quote/><p/>
N21 142 <p_><quote_>Yah, we had a ride to Morenci yesterday. Then we 
N21 143 walked up the mountain from there. Musta been twenty miles. Thats 
N21 144 a steep mountain too, we had to rest every coupla miles. When it 
N21 145 was dark, we just made a fire and laid down. But I was afraid it 
N21 146 was gonna rain, and we could of freezed if it did.<quote/><p/>
N21 147 <p_>Cross looked in the mirror. The other rider smiled, and coughed 
N21 148 again.<p/>
N21 149 <p_><quote|>See? said the voice behind him. <quote_>My partners 
N21 150 sick. Its too hard for him to travel like this. He was already 
N21 151 sick when we left Ju<*_>a-acute<*/>rez. That was April nine. What 
N21 152 day is it now?<quote/><p/>
N21 153 <p_><quote_>The twenty-third,<quote/> Cross said, and added, 
N21 154 <quote_>I think.<quote/> But he knew very well it was the 
N21 155 twenty-third. The <tf_>I think<tf/> was about his growing 
N21 156 uncertainty. They were wetbacks. He shouldnt be transporting 
N21 157 wetbacks. And what about their story? All that time to come as far 
N21 158 as most people would drive in a day? And sleeping on the cold 
N21 159 ground in the mountains in April - just lying down?<p/>
N21 160 <p_><quote_>See? That makes two weeks from Jua<*_>unch<*/>ez to 
N21 161 here, no?<quote/><p/>
N21 162 <p_><quote_>Yeah, I guess,<quote/> Cross agreed.<p/>
N21 163 <p_><quote_>And he been sick all along. He has to get home to 
N21 164 Cortez in Colorado. He has a wife there, see? But he had to go down 
N21 165 to Zacatecas, where he was born, to get some certain papers. 
N21 166 Certificates from the church and things like that. They dont give 
N21 167 a green card without those papers.<quote/><p/>
N21 168 <p_><quote_>Did he get them?<quote/><p/>
N21 169 <p_><quote_>Oh, sure.<quote/> Cross heard the crackle of flimsy 
N21 170 plastic as the man dug around among the bags theyd brought. Then a 
N21 171 white K mart sack was thrust forward. It didnt seem to contain 
N21 172 much. <quote_>With these papers in here,<quote/> the man 
N21 173 continued. <quote_>Jes<*_>u-acute<*/>s can stay legal as long as 
N21 174 he wants. They got an amnesty goin now, see. All you got to do is 
N21 175 show your papers by the deadline.<quote/><p/>
N21 176 <p_><quote_>Thats good,<quote/> said Cross. Hed heard about the 
N21 177 amnesty program. The newspapers said lawyers everywhere were making 
N21 178 bundles with the filings. <quote_>How about you? Are you from down 
N21 179 in Mexico too?<quote/><p/>
N21 180 <p_><quote_>No, I come from Espa<*_>n-tilde<*/>ola. Over there in 
N21 181 New Mexico.<quote/><p/>
N21 182 <p_><quote|>Yeah? Now Cross recognized the accent. 
N21 183 Espa<*_>n-tilde<*/>ola was practically next door. He said, 
N21 184 <quote_>I live in Santa Fe.<quote/><p/>
N21 185 <p_><quote_>I got an uncle, I think he been working at the capitol 
N21 186 for many years. Albert Moya, you know him?<quote/><p/>
N21 187 <p_>Cross thought a moment to show politeness. He knew some people 
N21 188 at the capitol but surely not a relative of this man. <quote_>No, 
N21 189 I guess not. Whats he do?<quote/><p/>
N21 190 <p_><quote_>I donno. Maybe just sweeping up. I aint been back 
N21 191 there in a long time. Probably hes dead now.<quote/><p/>
N21 192 <p_>Cross adjusted the mirror so he could see the nephew of Albert 
N21 193 Moya. <quote_>Is your name Moya, too?<quote/><p/>
N21 194 <p_><quote_>No, Trujillo. Antonio Trujillo. Call me Tony.<quote/> 
N21 195 Tony Trujillos eyebrows were black and bushy, his beard gray. He 
N21 196 wore a baseball cap that said <quote_>Montevista Feeds.<quote/> 
N21 197 Tony Trujillo stretched out a thin brown hand. Cross reached back 
N21 198 over his shoulder and shook it. It was as dry as a leaf.<p/>
N21 199 <p_><quote_>Im George Cross.<quote/><p/>
N21 200 <p_><quote_>And my partner here is Jes<*_>u-acute</>s Zuniga. He 
N21 201 dont speak English.<quote/> Then another brown hand appeared over 
N21 202 his shoulder. It too felt leaflike, but warm, a leaf in the sun.<p/>
N21 203 <p_>Cross said, <quote_><foreign_>Mucho gusto<foreign/>,<quote/> 
N21 204 which was about all the Spanish he knew.<p/>
N21 205 <p_>Jes<*_>u-acute<*/>s Zuniga answered in Spanish, going on for a 
N21 206 minute or more.
N21 207 
N22   1 <#FROWN:N22\><h_><p_>Bees Bees Bees<p/>
N22   2 <p_>Joanna Scott<p/><h/>
N22   3 <p_><tf_>Francis is fifteen years old, ill with a fever. He is 
N22   4 asleep, dreaming, and in his dream he is crawling on hands and 
N22   5 knees across a narrow bridge. When he reaches the middle of the 
N22   6 bridge he stops and pokes his head over the side, expecting to see 
N22   7 his own shadow floating on the creek below. Instead he sees a man's 
N22   8 hand and part of the arm stretching toward him - the rest of the 
N22   9 body is a formless white mass in the murky water. As the hand 
N22  10 glides beneath the bridge the boy is suddenly afraid that it will 
N22  11 rise up from the other side and pull him off the bridge and drown 
N22  12 him. He squeezes his eyes shut, waiting for the worst. Nothing 
N22  13 happens. After a minute or so he blinks and peeks out at the water, 
N22  14 only to discover that he is back in his own bed, his nurse Nanette 
N22  15 is mumbling to herself, and the sky outside the window is the flat 
N22  16 gray of another November afternoon.<p/>
N22  17 <p_>Just then, to his delight, the gray fills with snow, as though 
N22  18 someone standing below the window had broken open seedpods and 
N22  19 tossed up fistfuls of white puffs. It is snowing. He is not going 
N22  20 to drown. It is snowing in swirls and waves. When he closes his 
N22  21 eyes again he sees the snow in his mind. When he opens his eyes a 
N22  22 second later he sees nothing.<tf/><p/>
N22  23 <p_>Bees are the souls of the dead. They are the tears of Christ. 
N22  24 They are the offspring of the nymph Melissa, who was transformed by 
N22  25 Zeus into a queen bee. If a bee brushes against an infant's lips he 
N22  26 will grow up with the gift of song. Bees are spontaneously 
N22  27 generated in a bull-calf's crooked horn. Bees are good luck. Bees 
N22  28 are bad luck. Bees were sent straight from Paradise by God to 
N22  29 provide the wax for church candles. During the winter bees neither 
N22  30 hibernate nor die - they fly to Barbary and sing the captured Moors 
N22  31 to sleep.<p/>
N22  32 <p_><quote_>"Francis, where are you, Francis? Nanette is not 
N22  33 amused. Not in the least is Nanette amused. Come out now, Nanette 
N22  34 has something for you. Aha! You wicked boy, you thought you could 
N22  35 hide from your old nurse, such a foolish child. You think Nanette 
N22  36 can't see you crouching beneath that chair? Sweet pig, here's a 
N22  37 pinch for all the trouble you put me through, here's a pinch for 
N22  38 mussing your clothes, and here's a good sharp pinch as a 
N22  39 warning.<p/>
N22  40 <p_>"Oh, darling pipkin, don't cry. Nanette doesn't like to see you 
N22  41 cry. Here, Francis, here's a special treat for you today, so wipe 
N22  42 the tears from your face and be a soldier like your papa. My little 
N22  43 rabbit, there's so much you don't know yet, including how ugly your 
N22  44 Nanette is growing as she grows old, a good thing you're still a 
N22  45 baby and too young to care. You won't despise me when you're a man, 
N22  46 you won't ever despise me, will you, Francis? A five-year-old boy 
N22  47 can do as he pleases but Nanette will never have a choice, no, 
N22  48 Nanette is first and foremost your loyal servant, she's born with 
N22  49 an instinct and will never waver, for better or worse, all her life 
N22  50 long. Now there's a prince, no more sobs, and Nanette will give you 
N22  51 a reward. Close your eyes, go on, now open your mouth, open wide, 
N22  52 and prepare to taste a miracle.<p/>
N22  53 <p_>"Well? You can't tell me you've ever tasted anything so 
N22  54 marvelous. Do you want another taste? You don't even have to say 
N22  55 please, your smile says enough. For such a smile you will have 
N22  56 another taste, and another, two more splendid tastes! Ah, you'd 
N22  57 finish the whole jar if you had your way. But Nanette is in charge, 
N22  58 she decides how much is good for you, and three spoonfuls, she 
N22  59 declares, is quite enough.<p/>
N22  60 <p_>"But you are confused. How could you know what you've tasted if 
N22  61 you've never tasted anything like it before? You, dear Francis, 
N22  62 have just tasted the nectar of bees. You'll never forget the taste, 
N22  63 will you? I'm sorry to say this first taste will never be matched, 
N22  64 no matter how wonderful it tastes in the future. My unfortunate 
N22  65 boy. From now on you'll want more and more, yet no matter how much 
N22  66 you get you'll never have enough. Like the taste of woman. Just 
N22  67 like the taste of woman. You can blame old Nanette for the 
N22  68 introduction!"<quote/><p/>
N22  69 <p_>Francis Huber was born in Switzerland in 1750. When he was 
N22  70 fifteen years old he suffered from an infection of the eye, which 
N22  71 left him blind. When he was seventeen his parents moved permanently 
N22  72 to their country estate outside Lausanne and hired a tutor to 
N22  73 instruct him in various subjects that might be useful later in 
N22  74 life: philosophy, theology, Latin. The tutor found the boy rather 
N22  75 an indifferent student and soon grew bored with their daily 
N22  76 lessons. For amusement he went fishing for trout at night.<p/>
N22  77 <p_>One night Francis secretly followed the tutor. Even though he 
N22  78 had been totally blind for two years, he had spent every summer of 
N22  79 his life at the estate and knew the countryside intimately. He felt 
N22  80 his way along a path about thirty yards behind the tutor, trailing 
N22  81 after him up the rocky slope of a hill and back down into a creek 
N22  82 bed. He hid behind a boulder while the tutor slipped off his 
N22  83 buckled shoes and walked straight into the icy torrent.<p/>
N22  84 <p_>A few days later the tutor told him to recite in Latin. 
N22  85 <quote_>"What should I recite?"<quote/> Francis asked. 
N22  86 <quote|>"Anything," the tutor said. <quote_>"Make up a 
N22  87 story."<quote/> So Francis began a story in Latin about a man who 
N22  88 went fishing at night with a lantern and club, but after a few 
N22  89 words he slipped back into French. The tutor didn't correct him. He 
N22  90 described the round globe attached to a tube of metal three feet 
N22  91 long, explained with remarkable precision how the man placed a 
N22  92 candle inside the sealed globe and used the lantern to illuminate 
N22  93 the river bottom. The trout, fascinated by the light, followed the 
N22  94 globe when the man submerged it in the water and rose as he lifted 
N22  95 the lantern. When the trout appeared at the surface the man struck 
N22  96 them with the club.<p/>
N22  97 <p_>All the names and purposes of things Francis knew from his 
N22  98 nurse Nanette. She was an inexhaustible source. But his tutor 
N22  99 concluded that he was either a seventeen-year-old charlatan who had 
N22 100 been feigning blindness, or a genius. After much probing and 
N22 101 testing, he decided that Francis was a genius and for the next few 
N22 102 years he served as an important ally, convincing the boy's parents, 
N22 103 despite Nanette's warnings, to indulge him in whatever he 
N22 104 wished.<p/>
N22 105 <p_>When Francis was eighteen he was given his first strawkeep of 
N22 106 bees. By the following summer he had three separate colonies. After 
N22 107 long years of patient study he became an expert, and with the help 
N22 108 of a servant named Burnens he carried out a series of experiments 
N22 109 that laid the foundations of our scientific knowledge of the life 
N22 110 history of the honeybee.<p/>
N22 111 <p_>His nurse Nanette grew senile before his reputation was widely 
N22 112 established. He was sorry for that. She had been, however 
N22 113 unintentionally, his inspiration through his youth. It was Nanette 
N22 114 who had nurtured his curiosity in the world - he had her to thank 
N22 115 for his expertise.<p/>
N22 116 <p_>If a girl leads her lover past a beehive and the bees rush out 
N22 117 to sting him, she knows that he has been unfaithful. If a man 
N22 118 carries the bill of a woodpecker in his pocket he will never be 
N22 119 stung. When a swarm passes a front door it means a stranger will 
N22 120 arrive the next day. If a swarm lands on the house, the owner will 
N22 121 become rich. If a swarm lands on a rotten branch, it will bring 
N22 122 misfortune. And if a man cuts down a tree filled with bees, there 
N22 123 will be a death in the family.<p/>
N22 124 <p_>Honeybees are skilled in astronomy and long anticipated 
N22 125 Copernicus's diagrams in the patterns of their dances. Honeybees 
N22 126 can predict rain. Honeybees can even suck their young, completely 
N22 127 formed, from flowers.<p/>
N22 128 <p_>In general, the eighteenth century had been a dull century for 
N22 129 science so far, in Francis Huber's opinion. In the face of the 
N22 130 controversy over the source of life, van Leeuwenhoek's compound 
N22 131 microscope was consulted with increasing determination, and now 
N22 132 that minute structures could be observed directly, scientists set 
N22 133 out to describe the particular functions of individual organs, 
N22 134 believing that the microscope, in time, would expose the true 
N22 135 nature of life. So science was concerned primarily with descriptive 
N22 136 work, and the question of a special vital animating spirit was left 
N22 137 hanging, like the conclusion of a novel. Vitalists and mechanists 
N22 138 alike simply kept on reading and charting the world - they'd find 
N22 139 the answer eventually, if they were patient and persistent.<p/>
N22 140 <p_>While other men made taffeta pants for toads to collect 
N22 141 specimens of toad semen, Francis Huber was exploring the complex 
N22 142 system inside the beehive. From the beginning of history, honeybees 
N22 143 had been a rich source of metaphorical illumination, used by 
N22 144 writers to reveal fundamental aspects of human nature. Francis 
N22 145 Huber decided that if philosophers could make so many useful and 
N22 146 expansive comparisons, he could do the same under the guise of 
N22 147 science - eventually his research would be used to heal the human 
N22 148 body, as truth is used to heal the soul.<p/>
N22 149 <p_>He had learned from his nurse Nanette the importance of 
N22 150 developing his five senses when he was a young boy. She had taught 
N22 151 him how to roll a chestnut between the sole of his shoe and the 
N22 152 ground and then to peel it with a penknife. She had fed him honey, 
N22 153 chocolate, and milk laced with kirschwasser. She had pinched and 
N22 154 petted and bathed him and combed his hair until it was as smooth as 
N22 155 silk. Thanks to her, Francis was more alive - if life is measured 
N22 156 by awareness - than most of us, even after he'd lost the faculty of 
N22 157 sight. Each new sensation of touch, taste, sound, and smell had its 
N22 158 analogue in a memory that he was quick to retrieve; each new 
N22 159 experience evoked a vivid d<*_>e-acute<*/>j<*_>a-grave<*/> vu, and 
N22 160 often he felt as though he were repeating his life. Because he 
N22 161 seemed able to remember whatever he'd experienced, Francis 
N22 162 convinced those around him that he knew everything about 
N22 163 everything. His grandeur grew as his experiences accumulated - his 
N22 164 parents, his servant, and later his wife considered him the genius 
N22 165 that his tutor had announced him to be when he was seventeen years 
N22 166 old.<p/>
N22 167 <p_>With such sensitivity to sensation, it was natural that he 
N22 168 cultivated the parallel faculty: imagination. With remarkable 
N22 169 accuracy he could imagine the experiences of others; he had watched 
N22 170 attentively for fifteen years, and now with a few sensory clues he 
N22 171 could follow people in his mind almost as though he were observing 
N22 172 them. The cook seasoning stew, the gardener pulling weeds, children 
N22 173 ice-skating, his parents sipping wine - he experienced these in the 
N22 174 richest detail. Perhaps <tf|>empathy rather than imagination would 
N22 175 more accurately describe this skill. But whatever it might be 
N22 176 called, it was a skill that turned this ordinary man into an 
N22 177 extraordinary scientist. His knowledge of bees, tested and 
N22 178 confirmed by his servant's observations, went unsurpassed for 
N22 179 decades.<p/>
N22 180 <p_>A genius? No, he was too steady to be a genius, too content, 
N22 181 too appreciative. He had no capacity for a genius's agony. Each 
N22 182 little discovery delighted him, sometimes even made him laugh 
N22 183 aloud, and opened up possibilities of new discoveries. He spent his 
N22 184 days imagining the life of bees and with the help of Burnens 
N22 185 comparing his imagination with the facts, facts that were like 
N22 186 sweet tastes, like spoonfuls of honey, satisfying and enticing. 
N22 187 Somewhere deep inside him was buried a sorrow, perhaps with a tinge 
N22 188 of bitterness, over the great loss of his sight. But life to him 
N22 189 was too full of pleasant surprises to dwell on what he'd lost.
N22 190 
N23   1 <FROWN:N23\><h_><p_>Crocodilopolis<p/>
N23   2 <p_>Matt Forbeck<p/><h/>
N23   3 <p_>There I was, nursing my lunch at a corner table in Rick's 
N23   4 American Cafe and wondering - amongst other things - how I could 
N23   5 talk Afif into shutting off the elevator music streaming out of his 
N23   6 damned juke<?_>-<?/>box, when all hell broke loose. The front door 
N23   7 of the joint suddenly smashed flat down on the floor. It narrowly 
N23   8 missed crushing the bouncer sitting on the bar stool beside the now 
N23   9 empty doorway.<p/>
N23  10 <p_>Now, I've never been overly fond of that man - I mean the 
N23  11 bouncer, whose name I can never seem to remember - but I winced 
N23  12 when the first of Wu Han's shocktroopers stomped into the saloon 
N23  13 and shot what's-his-name down in cold blood. Immediately after 
N23  14 which, of course, I grabbed my beer, turned over the table in front 
N23  15 of me and sat down behind it.<p/>
N23  16 <p_>I was scrabbled around behind the table. I set down my beer and 
N23  17 drew my gun, making sure it was loaded. The rest of the Pharaoh's 
N23  18 boys in bronze skin tones waltzed into the place and gunned down 
N23  19 everything that was standing. Luckily, the rest of Rick's patrons 
N23  20 had taken their cue from the falling door and had quickly found 
N23  21 shelter from the hail of lead falling in their general directions. 
N23  22 No one else died. <p/>
N23  23 <p_>Old joke: Why is Mobius so desperate for cash? So he can afford 
N23  24 to buy shirts for his soldiers. Okay, so I only heard it a few 
N23  25 weeks ago, but I've been told it's been around for a while.<p/>
N23  26 <p_>The bullets hit other things, though. The bottles lining the 
N23  27 back wall of the bar burst into sparkling shards of alcohol-covered 
N23  28 glass. Light fixtures shattered, half-finished meals spattered off 
N23  29 tables and holes pocked the walls. Providentially, a bullet shot 
N23  30 right <}_><-|>though<+|>through<}/> the front of the jukebox and 
N23  31 cut short 'The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B' in the middle 
N23  32 of its twenty-second playing of the day. Long live rock and 
N23  33 roll.<p/>
N23  34 <p_>No matter what you may read in your favorite pulp magazine, 
N23  35 discretion <tf|>is the better part of valor. I didn't see any sense 
N23  36 in wasting my precious hide by capping one of the uninvented guests 
N23  37 with my Peacemaker just to be repaid by being knocked six feet 
N23  38 under by a burst from a KK81. So I just sat back, sipped the head 
N23  39 off of my beer and wondered where the hell those so-called Mystery 
N23  40 Men were when you needed them? The old radio-show Shadow might 
N23  41 know, but these real-life downs couldn't find their own shoelaces 
N23  42 without directions. Eventually, the racket let up.<p/>
N23  43 <p_>Then I heard a voice shout out something in Arabic. Although I 
N23  44 never admit it in public, I do have a rudimentary grasp of the 
N23  45 language. It comes in handy in my line of work. People say the 
N23  46 damnedest things right in front of you when they think you can't 
N23  47 understand them. But this was Terran Arabic, Mobius' language, the 
N23  48 Arabic of the invaders, and it still gives me problems from time to 
N23  49 time. But I did catch the man dropping my name.<p/>
N23  50 <p_>Nobody had to tell me that when a squad of shocktroopers beats 
N23  51 down the door of your favorite speakeasy and starts slinging lead 
N23  52 before even asking your name, it's time to skedaddle. There was a 
N23  53 back door near my table. No coincidence - I had planned it that 
N23  54 way. Before the guys in the white skirts and way out-of-style 
N23  55 headgear could punctuate their question with another round of 
N23  56 gunplay, I was gone, lost in the winding, narrow streets and 
N23  57 alleyways of Cairo.<p/>
N23  58 <p_>This was not the Cairo I had visited in the more carefree days 
N23  59 of my youth. It had been changed with the coming of the invaders 
N23  60 and now resembled something more out of an Indiana Jones flick than 
N23  61 any city ever seen on this earth. Even stranger, the Pharaoh's 
N23  62 artificial sun burned overhead, perpetually in the high noon 
N23  63 position, adding its heat to the already sweltering Egyptian day. 
N23  64 Still, one sun or two, I knew where I was going and how to get 
N23  65 there, and I arrived soon enough.<p/>
N23  66 <p_>Omar had given me a key to his bar in case of just such a 
N23  67 situation as this one. Rumrunners weren't exactly popular with Wu 
N23  68 Han right now, and you never knew when you were going to need a 
N23  69 safe place to hide. At that point in my life, I was thankful to 
N23  70 have a safehouse to run to.<p/>
N23  71 <p_>Particularly since smuggling liquor was just a cover for what I 
N23  72 was actually doing. I mean, sure, I brought booze into the Nile 
N23  73 Empire, but that was only to help pay the bills. It was what I 
N23  74 bought out of the country that was important: guns.<p/>
N23  75 <p_>To all people in Egypt, I was nothing more than a small time 
N23  76 rumrunner. To Omar, my contact with the Egyptian resistance 
N23  77 movement, and Pilar, my contact with the Israeli-NATO forces, I was 
N23  78 a godsend. The weapons Omar and his people supplied me with went 
N23  79 straight to Pilar and her people, who distributed them to the 
N23  80 multinational armed forces stationed in Israel.<p/>
N23  81 <p_>The soldiers were able to use the Terran weapons throughout the 
N23  82 Nile Empire, where their own armament was useless. Thus, Omar, 
N23  83 Pilar and myself were able to do some good for our own version of 
N23  84 reality and turn a tidy profit for our efforts. Not that any of us 
N23  85 cared about the money, though. This had to do with honor. We'd have 
N23  86 done the same for nothing at all.<p/>
N23  87 <p_>Omar's was virtually empty when I sneaked into it through the 
N23  88 back door. The place was in the same state as Rick's had been when 
N23  89 I'd left it. The joint's owner and namesake was busily sweeping up 
N23  90 when I walked out of the back room and into the saloon. He was the 
N23  91 only one there - unless you counted the odd body or two on the 
N23  92 floor.<p/>
N23  93 <p_>Omar looked up and dropped his broom when I entered. A look of 
N23  94 surprise crossed his dark-bearded face, then a smile. 
N23  95 <quote_>"Angel, my friend! I'm so happy to see that you are not 
N23  96 dead."<quote/> We embraced quickly, and then I asked him what had 
N23  97 happened.<p/>
N23  98 <p_><quote_>"You old Spaniard, are your ears stuffed with wax? Wu 
N23  99 Han has declared war on illegal liquor, the kind that you bring 
N23 100 into this fair city. My establishment is simply the latest casualty 
N23 101 in this battle."<quote/> The burly Egyptian picked up his broom and 
N23 102 resumed sweeping.<p/>
N23 103 <p_>I checked the faces on the bodies. One of them belonged to 
N23 104 Basaam, a bartender who had always served me liberally strong 
N23 105 drinks. The others were not familiar. As I stood over the 
N23 106 bartender, staring at him, Omar stopped sweeping for a moment and 
N23 107 said with great intent, <quote_>"My friend, they were looking for 
N23 108 you."<quote/><p/>
N23 109 <p_>I stopped feeling sorry for the dead and decided to concentrate 
N23 110 on the living instead. <quote_>"They asked for me by 
N23 111 name?"<quote/><p/>
N23 112 <p_><quote_>"Yes, just before they shot Basaam. You look 
N23 113 troubled."<quote/> Concern showed clearly on Omar's 
N23 114 well<?_>-<?/>tanned face.<p/>
N23 115 <p_>I explained to him that a similar thing had just happened to me 
N23 116 in Rick's Cafe just minutes ago while I'd been waiting to meet 
N23 117 Pilar. Omar's concerned look turned suddenly to one of surprise 
N23 118 mixed with fear. <quote_>"Then she is not with you?"<quote/><p/>
N23 119 <p_><quote_>"What? No, I told you I was waiting to meet her. 
N23 120 Why?"<quote/><p/>
N23 121 <p_><quote_>"The shocktroopers, my friend, they left you a message, 
N23 122 one I did not believe could be true."<quote/><p/>
N23 123 <p_>Omar was scaring me now. I grabbed him by the shoulders and 
N23 124 held him firmly at arm's length, staring hard into his saddened 
N23 125 eyes. <quote_>"What message? What did they say?"<quote/><p/>
N23 126 <p_><quote_>"The leader, he told me that they have her captive. 
N23 127 That they are now holding Pilar, but that they want you. If you do 
N23 128 not come forward soon, she will die."<quote/><p/>
N23 129 <p_>I pushed Omar away and tried to absorb what he had said. 
N23 130 Failing that, I dashed out through the front door of the cool, dark 
N23 131 saloon and into the hot, sunlit street. I leaped over a grey-haired 
N23 132 old drunk in filthy robes who was lying outside the doorway.<p/>
N23 133 <p_>By the time I made it to my apartment, my heart was pounding 
N23 134 against my rib cage like it wanted out. I was almost out of breath. 
N23 135 Shouting Pilar's name, I burst into the loft over the corner 
N23 136 grocery store, only to trip over a small stool that had been tossed 
N23 137 in front of the doorway. Even as I was falling and grumbling to 
N23 138 myself about someone's poor choice in rearranging the furniture, 
N23 139 shots rang out, and two bullets pierced the air where my head had 
N23 140 been.<p/>
N23 141 <p_>Lucky.<p/>
N23 142 <p_>As I hit the floor, I rolled to my left and took cover behind a 
N23 143 high-backed couch that was there. Then I pulled out my gun and took 
N23 144 a deep breath. The shots had come from near the window on the other 
N23 145 side of the room.<p/>
N23 146 <p_>I counted three and then popped up on my knees, saw two 
N23 147 soldiers looking in my direction and drew a bead on the man holding 
N23 148 the smoking gun. After pumping three bullets into the 
N23 149 shocktrooper's bare chest, I realized that I probably should've 
N23 150 shot his pal first. He had the Tommy gun.<p/>
N23 151 <p_>I ducked back down, hugged the floor and wormed my way 
N23 152 underneath the seat of the couch while a burst from the submachine 
N23 153 gun stitched a deadly design across its back. Using the barrel of 
N23 154 my revolver to poke aside the fringe that hung from the couch to 
N23 155 the floor, I saw the soldier glaring nervously at his handiwork. He 
N23 156 was probably wondering whether or not it was safe to look behind 
N23 157 it.<p/>
N23 158 <p_>My first shot tagged him in his right arm, and he dropped his 
N23 159 gun. Then he turned and ran for the balcony. I started to crawl out 
N23 160 from under the couch, but halfway out I realized that he'd be long 
N23 161 gone before I'd make it.<p/>
N23 162 <p_>Just as the shocktrooper made it outside, my second shot caught 
N23 163 him in his right shoulder-blade, spinning him around against the 
N23 164 railing. Pain and fear warred across his face. My last shot pierced 
N23 165 his forehead and knocked off his headdress, sending him crashing to 
N23 166 the street below.<p/>
N23 167 <p_>Crawling out from beneath the couch, I ran to the balcony and 
N23 168 looked down. A crowd was already beginning to form around the 
N23 169 fallen soldier. More of Wu Han's men would be here soon.<p/>
N23 170 <p_>The apartment had been ransacked, torn to pieces, presumably by 
N23 171 the two recently deceased men. Could they have been looking for a 
N23 172 clue as to the location of Abdul's warehouse? Did these idiots 
N23 173 think I'd leave a map to the place lying around?<p/>
N23 174 <p_>I kept the location to that place secret, even the fact that I 
N23 175 knew where it was. That kind of knowledge can be dangerous to its 
N23 176 possessors. As such, I had told nobody that I knew where it was, 
N23 177 not even Pilar. In fact, I don't think even Abdul himself was aware 
N23 178 of my knowledge, and I wasn't about to tell him.<p/>
N23 179 <p_>The man who'd let me in on the whereabouts of Abdul's hideout 
N23 180 had apparently been a bit too free with that information for his 
N23 181 own good. My favorite English drinking companion, old George Howe, 
N23 182 the independently wealthy ex-actor, had stumbled onto the place 
N23 183 during one of his infamous binges. Within the week, his body was 
N23 184 found in a Chinatown alley. His tongue was missing.<p/>
N23 185 <p_>He'd been crawling over the moonlit rooftops of the city in an 
N23 186 effort to evade the soldiers that had chased him out of King Tut's, 
N23 187 where he'd started a brawl with one of Mobius' men over how silly 
N23 188 he thought grown men looked in skirts. A quick fist fight and a 
N23 189 dash up a back stairwell later, George found himself leaping from 
N23 190 one Cairo rooftop to another, leaving his pursuers vainly hunting 
N23 191 for him in the labyrinth of alleyways behind the bar. It was during 
N23 192 his escape that George made the discovery that would change his 
N23 193 life and mine.<p/>
N23 194 <p_>As he was strolling along across one particularly large 
N23 195 rooftop, George noticed a patch of brightness streaming out through 
N23 196 a skylight before him.
N23 197 
N24   1 <#FROWN:N24\><h_><p_>VERY OLD BONES<p/>
N24   2 <p_>fire and brimstone so tortured peter phelan that he had to 
N24   3 paint them to get rid of them<p/>
N24   4 <p_>fiction<p/>
N24   5 <p_>By WILLIAM KENNEDY<p/><h/>
N24   6 <p_>IN EARLY childhood Peter Phelan had heard the Malachi events 
N24   7 spoken of in cryptic bits by his mother, later heard more from his 
N24   8 brother Francis, who was seven when it happened, and in time heard 
N24   9 it garbled by street-corner wags who repeated the mocking rhyme:<p/>
N24  10 <p_><tf_>If you happen to be a Neighbor,<p/>
N24  11 <p_>If you happen to be a witch.<p/>
N24  12 <p_>Stay the hell away from Malachi,<p/>
N24  13 <p_>That loony son of a bitch.<tf/><p/>
N24  14 <p_>When the story took him over, Peter moved out of portrait 
N24  15 sketching into scenes of dynamic action and surreal drama that in 
N24  16 their early stages emerged as homage to Goya's <tf_>Caprichos, 
N24  17 Disparates<tf/> and <tf_>Los desastres de la guerra.<tf/> But in 
N24  18 his extended revelation of the Malachi and Lizzie tragedy (and 
N24  19 mindful of Goya's credo that the painter selected from the universe 
N24  20 whatever seemed appropriate, that he chose features from many 
N24  21 individuals and their acts, and combined them so ingeniously that 
N24  22 he earned the title of inventor and not servile copyist), Peter 
N24  23 imposed his own original vision on scandalous history, creating a 
N24  24 body of work that owed only an invisible inspiration to Goya.<p/>
N24  25 <p_>He reconstituted the faces and corpora of Lizzie and Malachi 
N24  26 and others, the principal room and hearth of the McIlhenny 
N24  27 three-room cottage, the rushing waters of the Staatskill that 
N24  28 flowed past it, the dark foreboding of the sycamore grove where 
N24  29 dwelled the Good Neighbors, as Crip Devlin arcanely called those 
N24  30 binate creatures whose diabolical myths brought on that terrible 
N24  31 night in June of 1887.<p/>
N24  32 <p_>His first completed painting, <tf_>The Dance<tf/>, was of 
N24  33 Lizzie by the sycamores, her bare legs and feet visible to 
N24  34 mid-thigh in a forward step, or leap or kick, her left hand hiking 
N24  35 the hem of her skirt to free her legs for the dance. But is it a 
N24  36 dance? In the background of the painting is the stand of trees that 
N24  37 played such a major role in Lizzie's life, and to the left of her 
N24  38 looms a shadow of a man, or perhaps it is a half-visible tree in 
N24  39 the dusky light. If it is a tree, it is beckoning to Lizzie. If it 
N24  40 is a man, perhaps he is about to dance with her.<p/>
N24  41 <p_>But is that a dance she is doing, or is it, as one who saw her 
N24  42 there said of it, an invitation to her thighs?<p/>
N24  43 <p_>In the painting, it is a dance, and it is an invitation.<p/>
N24  44 <p_>Why would Lizzie McIlhenny, a plain beauty of divine form and 
N24  45 pale brown hair to the middle of her back, choose to dance with a 
N24  46 tree, or a shadow, or a man (if man it ever was or could be) at the 
N24  47 edge of a meadow, just as a summer night began its starry course? 
N24  48 Aged 26, married ten years to Malachi McIlhenny, a man of 
N24  49 formidable girth whose chief skill was his strength, a man of ill 
N24  50 luck and no prospects, Lizzie (nee Elizabeth Cronin) had within her 
N24  51 the spirit of a sensuous bird.<p/>
N24  52 <p_>Malachi imposed no limits of space on their marriage, and so 
N24  53 she came and went like a woman without a husband, dutiful to their 
N24  54 childless home, ever faithful to Malachi and, when the bad luck 
N24  55 came to him, his canny helpmate: first trapping yellow birds in the 
N24  56 meadow and selling them to friends for 50 cents each, but leaving 
N24  57 that when she found that fashioning rag birds out of colored cloth, 
N24  58 yarn, thread, feathers and quills was far more profitable; that she 
N24  59 could sell them for a dollar, or two, depending on their size and 
N24  60 beauty, to the John G. Myers dry-goods and fancy-goods store which, 
N24  61 in turn, would sell them for four and five dollars as fast as 
N24  62 Lizzie could make them.<p/>
N24  63 <p_>At the end of a week in early June, she made and sold 16 birds, 
N24  64 all of a different hue, and earned 27 dollars, more money than 
N24  65 Malachi had ever earned from wages in any two weeks, sometimes 
N24  66 three. The money so excited Lizzie that, when crossing the meadow 
N24  67 on her way home from the store, she kicked off her shoes, threw 
N24  68 herself into the air and into the wind, danced until breath left 
N24  69 her, and then collapsed into the tall grass at the edge of the 
N24  70 sycamore grove, a breathless victim of jubilation.<p/>
N24  71 <p_>When she regained her breath and sat up, brushing bits of grass 
N24  72 from her eyelashes, she thought she saw a man's form in the shadowy 
N24  73 interior of the grove, saw him reach his hand toward her, as if to 
N24  74 help her stand. Perhaps it was only the rustling of the leaves or 
N24  75 the sibilance of the night wind, but Lizzie thought she heard the 
N24  76 words <quote_>"the force of a gray horse,"<quote/> or so it was 
N24  77 later said of her. Then, when she pulled herself erect, she was 
N24  78 gripping not the hand of a man but the low<?_>-<?/>growing branch 
N24  79 of a sycamore.<p/>
N24  80 <p_>Malachi's troubles crystallized in a new way when he lost his 
N24  81 only cow to a Swedish cardsharp named Lindqvist, a recently arrived 
N24  82 lumber handler who joined the regular stud poker game at Black Jack 
N24  83 McCall's Lumber District Saloon, and who bested Malachi in a game 
N24  84 that saw jacks fall before kings. Lindqvist came to the cow shed 
N24  85 behind Malachi's cottage and, with notable lack of regret, led 
N24  86 Malachi's only cow into a territorial future beyond the reach of 
N24  87 all McIlhennys.<p/>
N24  88 <p_>The lost cow seemed to confirm to Malachi that his life would 
N24  89 always be a tissue of misfortune. At the urging of his older 
N24  90 brother, Matty, who had come to Albany in 1868 and found work on a 
N24  91 lumber barge, Malachi, at the age of 17, had sold all that the 
N24  92 family owned and left Ireland in 1870, along with his ten-year-old 
N24  93 sister, Kathryn, and their ailing father, Eamon, who anticipated 
N24  94 good health and prosperity in the new world. In Albany the three 
N24  95 penniless greenhorns settled in with Matty at his Tivoli Hollow 
N24  96 shanty on the edge of Arbor Hill. Within six months Matty was in 
N24  97 jail on a seven-year sentence for beating a man to death in a 
N24  98 saloon fight. Within a year he was dead himself, cause officially 
N24  99 unknown, the unofficial word being that a guard, brother of the man 
N24 100 Matty killed, broke Matty's head with an iron pipe when the 
N24 101 opportunity arose; and then, within two years, Eamon McIlhenny was 
N24 102 dead at 59 of ruined lungs. These dreadful events, coming so soon 
N24 103 after the family's arrival in the land of promise and plenty, 
N24 104 seemed to <}_><-|>forbode<+|>forebode<}/> a dark baggage, a burden 
N24 105 as fateful as the one the McIlhennys tried to leave behind in 
N24 106 County Monaghan.<p/>
N24 107 <p_>Malachi did not yield to any fate. He labored ferociously and 
N24 108 saved his money. And, as he approached marriage, he bought a small 
N24 109 plot of country land on Staats Lane, a narrow and little-used road 
N24 110 that formed a northern boundary of the vast Fitzgibbon (formerly 
N24 111 Staats) estate, and built on it, with his own hands, the three-room 
N24 112 cottage that measured seven long paced deep by nine long paces 
N24 113 wide, the size of a devil's matchbox. In 1882 Malachi moved into 
N24 114 the cottage with his bride, the sweet and fair Lizzie Cronin, a 
N24 115 first-generational child of Albany.<p/>
N24 116 <p_>After five years the marriage was still childless, and Lizzie 
N24 117 slowly taught herself to be a seamstress as a way of occupying her 
N24 118 time, making clothing for herself and Malachi. But, with so few 
N24 119 neighbors, she found other sewing work scarce and her days remained 
N24 120 half empty, with Malachi working long and erratic hours. And so 
N24 121 Lizzie looked for her pleasure to the birds, the trees, the meadows 
N24 122 of the Fitzgibbon estate and the Staatskill, a creek with a 
N24 123 panoramic cascade, churning waters and placid pools. Malachi saw 
N24 124 his wife developing into a fey creature of the open air, an elfin 
N24 125 figure given to the sudden eruption off her tongue of melodies that 
N24 126 Malachi did not recognize. She began to seem like an otherworldly 
N24 127 being to Malachi.<p/>
N24 128 <p_>In the spring of 1887, two days after Malachi lost his cow, the 
N24 129 waters of the Hudson River, as usual, spilled over their banks and 
N24 130 rose into the lumber mills, storage sheds and piles of logs that 
N24 131 were the elemental architecture of Sage's lumberyard, where Malachi 
N24 132 worked as a handler. One log slipped its berth in the rising 
N24 133 waters, knocked Malachi down, and pinned his left shoulder against 
N24 134 a pile of lumber, paralyzing his left arm and reducing the strength 
N24 135 in his torso by half, perhaps more. So weakened was he that he 
N24 136 could no longer work as a handler, that useless left arm an 
N24 137 enduring enemy.<p/>
N24 138 <p_>He found work one-handedly sickling field grass on the 
N24 139 Fitzgibbon land, work that provided none of the fellowship that 
N24 140 prevailed among the lumber handlers. He worked alone, came home 
N24 141 alone, brooded alone until the arrival of his wife, who grew more 
N24 142 peculiar with every moment of Malachi's increasing solitude. He 
N24 143 topped her at morning, again at evening after she returned from her 
N24 144 communion with the birds of the field, and he failed to create 
N24 145 either new life in Lizzie or invincible erectness in himself.<p/>
N24 146 <p_>To test himself against nature, he sought out the woman known 
N24 147 to the canallers and lumber handlers as the Whore of Limerick, her 
N24 148 reputation as an overused fuckboat appealing to Malachi's 
N24 149 free-floating concupiscence. After several iniquitous successes 
N24 150 that proved the problem existed wholly in Lizzie, Malachi abandoned 
N24 151 the fuckboat and sought solace again in Lizzie's embrace, which 
N24 152 cuddled his passion and put it to sleep. He entered heavily into 
N24 153 the drink then, not only the ale that so relieved and enlivened 
N24 154 him, but also the potsheen that Crip Devlin brewed in his shed.<p/>
N24 155 <p_>Drink in such quantity, a departure for Malachi, moved him to 
N24 156 exotic behavior. He lay on his marriage bed and contemplated the 
N24 157 encunted life. Cunt <tf|>was life, he decided. Lizzie came to him 
N24 158 as he entered into a spermatic frenzy, naked before her and God, 
N24 159 ready to ride forever into the moist black depths of venery, indeed 
N24 160 even now riding the newly arrived body of a woman he had never 
N24 161 seen, whose cunt changed color and shape with every nuance of the 
N24 162 light, whose lewd postures brimmed his vessel. Ah love, ah fuckery, 
N24 163 how you enhance the imperial power of sin! When he was done with 
N24 164 her, she begged for another ride, and he rode her with new frenzy; 
N24 165 and when he was done again, she begged again and he did her again, 
N24 166 and then a fourth ride and a fifth; and, as he gave her all the 
N24 167 lift and pull that was left to him, his member grew bloody in his 
N24 168 hand. When the woman saw this, she vanished, and Lizzie wept.<p/>
N24 169 <p_>The following morning when he awoke, Malachi found not only his 
N24 170 wife already gone from the house, he also found himself bereft of 
N24 171 his privities, all facets of them, the groin of his stomach and 
N24 172 thighs as hairless, seamless and flat as those groins on the 
N24 173 heavenly angels that adorned the walls of Sacred Heart church. Here 
N24 174 was a curse on a man, if ever a curse was. God was down on Malachi 
N24 175 - God or the Devil, one.<p/>
N24 176 <p_>Malachi clothed himself, drained half a jug of potsheen, all he 
N24 177 had, then pulled the bedcovers over his head. He would hide himself 
N24 178 while he considered what manner of force would deprive a man not 
N24 179 only of his blood kin, his strength, his labor and his cow, but 
N24 180 now, also, his only privities. He would hide himself and 
N24 181 contemplate how a man was to about living without privities; more 
N24 182 important, he would think about ways of launching a counterattack 
N24 183 on God, or the Devil, or whoever had taken them, and he would fight 
N24 184 that thief of life with all his strength to put those privities 
N24 185 back where they belonged.<p/>
N24 186 <p_>In the painting he called <tf_>The Conspiracy<tf/>, Malachi's 
N24 187 nephew, Peter Phelan, created the faces of Malachi and Crip Devlin 
N24 188 as they sat in Malachi's primitive kitchen with their noses a foot 
N24 189 apart, the condiments and implements of their plan on the table in 
N24 190 front of them, or on the floor, or hanging over the fireplace.
N24 191 
N25   1 <#FROWN:N25\><h_><p_>The Land Below<p/>
N25   2 <p_>Stewart Wieck<p/><h/>
N25   3 <p_>Field Report #083<p/>
N25   4 <p_>To: Overgovernor Red Hand<p/>
N25   5 <p_>Message Origin: The Land of the Dead<p/>
N25   6 <p_>After almost three months of searching and reporting, Field 
N25   7 Major Hopten-Ra is confident that we are in the correct region of 
N25   8 the Land of the Dead. Soon we embark upon the mission you wisely 
N25   9 bade us to pursue. Hopten-Ra has declared a two day stop to rest 
N25  10 and prepare for the fantastic journey that is before us.<p/>
N25  11 <p_>It is almost humorous where this search has brought us. 
N25  12 Following everyone's expectations, we began looking in remote 
N25  13 regions of the Land of the Dead, as cited in my earlier reports. It 
N25  14 seems that the prize has been under our noses for quite some time. 
N25  15 We will begin our descent from a region almost overflowing with 
N25  16 mining operations.<p/>
N25  17 <p_>When we referred to the diagrams and cross-sectional maps 
N25  18 provided by the Operations Office, we immediately noticed a handful 
N25  19 of unexplored caverns. Finally, only this morning, a search partly 
N25  20 led by Dr. Nasca Belar returned with news of a perpendicular tunnel 
N25  21 the scientist feels is our answer. While I questioned your 
N25  22 appointment of a scientist such as Nasca Belar to this mission, 
N25  23 your wisdom, as always, has been borne out. My magic suggests Nasca 
N25  24 Belar's hypothesis is well-founded and thus Hopten-Ra's decision to 
N25  25 descend.<p/>
N25  26 <p_>Unless this is not the tunnel we are searching for, this will 
N25  27 be my last report until we return. I anticipate news of a wondrous 
N25  28 discovery that may well allow Pharaoh Mobius to gain an edge over 
N25  29 the other High Lords. <p/>
N25  30 <p_>Your Loyal Servant,<p/>
N25  31 <p_>Engineer Takken Soth<p/>
N25  32 <p_>***<p/>
N25  33 <p_>Kord stood tensed in the center of the small clearing, his 
N25  34 powerful, tall frame ready to respond the slightest signal of 
N25  35 danger. The sabertooth tiger stalking him was somewhere in the 
N25  36 overgrown brush at the edge of the clearing, but the animal was too 
N25  37 quiet to be heard. Too crafty for Kord to see it. So Kord spun 
N25  38 every few seconds in a short arc in a random direction. Left. Left. 
N25  39 Right. Left. Right.<p/>
N25  40 <p_>Then Kord realized that he was simply tiring himself as the big 
N25  41 cat waited patiently somewhere nearby. So he tried a strategy he 
N25  42 had taught himself in the months past. Still tensed for action, 
N25  43 Kord fixed his stance and kept his eyes forward. He flexed his 
N25  44 nostrils to make a show of searching for a scent, but he couldn't 
N25  45 sniff out the well-groomed and clean tiger.<p/>
N25  46 <p_>If he remained poised like this for long enough, the tiger 
N25  47 could try a surprise assault from behind, even if he suspected a 
N25  48 trap. It was a trap, and a good one.<p/>
N25  49 <p_>The slightly luminous glow emitted from the south that 
N25  50 illuminated the world was at Kord's back. Kord carefully scanned 
N25  51 the ground in front of him.<p/>
N25  52 <p_>There it was. A four-legged shadow flashed onto the ground and 
N25  53 hurtled toward Kord's own shadow. The almost naked man quickly 
N25  54 dropped to a prone position. A well muscled, giant tiger sailed 
N25  55 over Kord. The beast's tawny hide was taut over working muscles. A 
N25  56 paw raked down at Kord, but the man evaded the tiger.<p/>
N25  57 <p_>Snarling, the tiger landed gracefully, the muscles of his 
N25  58 forelegs bunching to absorb the impact of the large frame.<p/>
N25  59 <p_>Kord couldn't match such a foe, but all he needed to do was 
N25  60 evade the beast. Kord did a quick backward somersault. He made 
N25  61 ready to dash into the underbrush, but a growl from the tiger 
N25  62 brought him short. The sabertooth had already spun around and was 
N25  63 facing Kord. If Kord turned his back to flee, the tiger could sink 
N25  64 his long curving canines deeply into white, hairless flesh.<p/>
N25  65 <p_>Kord smiled as he settled into a ready-stance and prepared for 
N25  66 the next assault.<p/>
N25  67 <p_>The tiger did not wait long. He sprang and slashed out with a 
N25  68 huge paw. Kord sidestepped the blow with reflexes born of survival 
N25  69 instinct. The blow went wide.<p/>
N25  70 <p_>Already unbalanced from the poor strike, the tiger quickly 
N25  71 tried to recover. However, Kord didn't give the animal the chance. 
N25  72 He swept a foot at the tiger's other front leg and kicked it from 
N25  73 the ground. Now unbalanced, the tiger fell to his side with the 
N25  74 help a hard nudge from Kord.<p/>
N25  75 <p_>The surprised tiger twisted his body to complete the roll and 
N25  76 came up on his feet, but the clearing was empty. Only a slight 
N25  77 wavering in the heavy brush told the tiger where Kord had broken 
N25  78 through.<p/>
N25  79 <p_>The tiger exploded into a run. The same brush which once gave 
N25  80 the tiger the advantage of cover, now hindered him more than the 
N25  81 long-legged and acrobatic man who bounced and hopped quickly over 
N25  82 any large obstructions. The tiger's body was built for ambushing, 
N25  83 not high-speed chases.<p/>
N25  84 <p_>Kord didn't dare glance over his shoulder. The temptation was 
N25  85 tremendous, but when the tiger drew close enough to pounce then he 
N25  86 would be able to hear the crashing of the animal's movements.<p/>
N25  87 <p_>Moments later, when Kord was halfway to the falls, he knew that 
N25  88 he had won. He had escaped. Or so he thought. Ahead, Kord spied the 
N25  89 shadow of long, curving teeth. A few steps more, before he had time 
N25  90 to slow, Kord was able to make out the animal entirely. He chuckled 
N25  91 to himself. It was only Sharsa.<p/>
N25  92 <p_>The female sabertooth continued to rest on the jungle floor as 
N25  93 she watched Kord flip through the air over her. Kord landed on the 
N25  94 run and left a soft 'mew' floating in the air behind him.<p/>
N25  95 <p_>Kord wished he could see the reproaching look Sharsa was sure 
N25  96 to give the pursuing Shakart. The strong male tiger would be 
N25  97 embarrassed for some time over the incident. After all, Sharsa was 
N25  98 a young female yet without a mate.<p/>
N25  99 <p_>Soon, Kord reached the falls. Where the water dropped off the 
N25 100 river was only as wide as three times his own height, but that was 
N25 101 too dangerous and probably too far for the bulky sabertooth to 
N25 102 leap. Kord could make it easily with the help of a vine that 
N25 103 conveniently hung over the center of the precipice.<p/>
N25 104 <p_>Expecting the vine to be there, Kord did not slacken his pace. 
N25 105 As he drew near he succumbed and glanced over his shoulder to see 
N25 106 if Shakart would witness his triumphant escape. The tiger was 
N25 107 within sight for the foliage became less thick near the falls.<p/>
N25 108 <p_>When Kord redirected his attention on the nearby falls, he 
N25 109 startled in surprise. His vine was gone! It was too late to stop. 
N25 110 He would slide over the edge and plummet into the churning waters 
N25 111 below if he tried. When his toes lipped over the edge of the earth, 
N25 112 Kord leaped with all his might. His arms spun in circles in mid-air 
N25 113 and he crash landed on the other side.<p/>
N25 114 <p_>Kord sprang to his feet, enraged. Shakart growled with 
N25 115 pleasure, the vine dangling from a crooked paw. Kord couldn't help 
N25 116 but smile too. Kord may have won the game, but the sabertooth tiger 
N25 117 had earned the last word.<p/>
N25 118 <p_><quote_>"Very good, my friend,"<quote/> chuckled Kord. With 
N25 119 quick motions of his hands he told the cat the trick was a bit too 
N25 120 dangerous.<p/>
N25 121 <p_>***<p/>
N25 122 <p_>A bare-chested, muscular man kicked sand onto the backs of the 
N25 123 sleeping soldiers. <quote_>"Up, swine,"<quote/> he commanded. 
N25 124 <quote_>"It is time to serve your master, Pharaoh 
N25 125 Mobius."<quote/><p/>
N25 126 <p_>The squad of ten Egyptian soldiers roused themselves amidst 
N25 127 mutters of how well they had served during the past three months of 
N25 128 tromping through jungles and deserts. Field Major Hopten-Ra 
N25 129 returned to his own tent to prepare for the day's descent.<p/>
N25 130 <p_><quote_>"Get your equipment together, Nasca Belar. I will not 
N25 131 suffer delay because you cannot find an all-important 
N25 132 transducer,"<quote/> Hopten-Ra continued.<p/>
N25 133 <p_>Hopten-Ra hurled the command in the direction of a wizened 
N25 134 crone. She sat hunched in the sand over a pile of wires, metal 
N25 135 bits, and other seemingly useless equipment. Nasca Belar looked up 
N25 136 and squinted into the rising sun. She could make out the confident 
N25 137 stride of Hopten-Ra, one of Red Hand's most able commanders and 
N25 138 therefore the perfect commission for this quest. Besides, he had 
N25 139 helped Pharaoh Mobius conquer several worlds before this one called 
N25 140 Earth. Her deft hands continued their work of collecting the pile 
N25 141 of supplies even when her attention was diverted. Those hands could 
N25 142 perform scientific miracles, so such a simple task was taken for 
N25 143 granted.<p/>
N25 144 <p_>Nasca Belar watched as Engineer Takken Soth hurried to the 
N25 145 entrance of Hopten-Ra's tent. The scientist knew that Takken Soth 
N25 146 distrusted her. She did not desire for the attention or 
N25 147 appreciation of such an obsequious beast, especially one that was 
N25 148 an engineer. But the honor that Red Hand had bestowed upon her, 
N25 149 with instructions from Mobius himself, was certainly reason enough 
N25 150 to endure the young man's unending genuflecting.<p/>
N25 151 <p_>Takken Soth's long robes flowed around him as he stopped at the 
N25 152 tent. <quote_>"Hopten-Ra, I am ready to depart. We must begin our 
N25 153 journey at once."<quote/><p/>
N25 154 <p_><quote_>"I knew you were ready, Takken Soth. That's why I did 
N25 155 not command you to prepare,"<quote/> came the harsh reply from 
N25 156 inside the tent.<p/>
N25 157 <p_>Nasca Belar smiled at Hopten-Ra's quick response. The Field 
N25 158 Major was impressed by kowtowing. She liked that in him. If she 
N25 159 served Mobius well and was rewarded by permission to draw energy 
N25 160 from the Pharaoh's Idol, his Darkness Device. She would youthen her 
N25 161 tired, old body and let the Major know just how much she 
N25 162 appreciated him.<p/>
N25 163 <p_>Hopten-Ra stepped out of the tent, now fully dressed in his 
N25 164 officer's regalia: a gold-plated headdress, a large medallion of Ra 
N25 165 on a thong around his neck, a revolver in a holster strapped to his 
N25 166 chest, and a strong steel saber at his waist. He shouted to the 
N25 167 soldiers, <quote_>"Break this tent down."<quote/> Hopten-Ra's 
N25 168 spiked beard stuck angrily in the direction of the still waking 
N25 169 soldiers.<p/>
N25 170 <p_>However, three of the soldiers were quick to respond. Their 
N25 171 headdresses swirled about their faces as they made quick work of 
N25 172 the simple task. They packed the tent into separate bundles, 
N25 173 strapping them to the backs of two soldiers who did not move 
N25 174 quickly enough to help break the tent down. The two soldiers had to 
N25 175 carry these packs plus the climbing gear that already burdened 
N25 176 them.<p/>
N25 177 <p_>The first gust of wind of the new day blew the sand into the 
N25 178 faces of the Egyptians as they began the short trip to the nearby 
N25 179 slave mines. Hopten-Ra had insisted that he spend his last night 
N25 180 above ground in sight of the glorious heavens. Takken Soth, of 
N25 181 course, commended him for such dedication, but Nasca Belar knew the 
N25 182 Major simply wanted fresh air.<p/>
N25 183 <p_>Ten minutes later, the group arrived at the entrance to the 
N25 184 gold mines. Slaves, taken mostly from the nearby Israeli front, 
N25 185 worked the mines in shift. Most of those who entered the mines 
N25 186 spent their lives inside. Only the ones charged with the favored 
N25 187 job of pushing carts laden with ore-filled rocks had the pleasure 
N25 188 of ever seeing the brilliant golden disk of the sun. They had to 
N25 189 shield their eyes whenever they left the mines. The guards told 
N25 190 them that it was the forgiving eye of Pharaoh Mobius watching over 
N25 191 them, though they knew it was the god Ra watching over everyone.<p/>
N25 192 <p_>Hopten-Ra despised the additional delay. The rigid command 
N25 193 structure of the Tenth Empire demanded that he deal with Chufu, the 
N25 194 bureaucrat in charge of the slave mines. Unfortunately, Chufu was 
N25 195 waiting for him, as scheduled, near the mouth of the mine. 
N25 196 Hopten-Ra would rather have honored the agreement by stopping, but 
N25 197 not waiting for the fat, underworked man to arrive.<p/>
N25 198 <p_><quote_>"Field Major,"<quote/> Chufu shouted gleefully, 
N25 199 clapping his hands in greeting. A half dozen soldiers stood behind 
N25 200 where they restrained two Israeli men.<p/>
N25 201 <p_><quote_>"We are departing, Chufu,"<quote/> Hopten-Ra explained. 
N25 202 <quote_>"Please accept this as your official notification of our 
N25 203 departure time."<quote/><p/>
N25 204 <p_><quote_>"Yes, of course. I understand that your mission is of 
N25 205 great importance. I hear it even has the approval of the Pharaoh 
N25 206 himself."<quote/> Chufu winked at Hopten-Ra for some sort of 
N25 207 verification of the last bit of news, but the Field Major did not 
N25 208 bite.<p/>
N25 209 
N25 210 
N25 211 
N26   1 <#FROWN:N26\><h_><p_>No Pardon For McAlester's <quote_>"Mad 
N26   2 Artist"<quote/><p/>
N26   3 <p_>By GLENN SHIRLEY<p/><h/>
N26   4 <p_>Conrad Maas was one of the strangest, if not the most 
N26   5 unfriendly, characters on the Oklahoma Territory frontier. He was 
N26   6 contemptuous of others, taciturn, square<?_>-<?/>jawed, beak-nosed, 
N26   7 and had dark blue, brooding eyes and a long bushy beard. Maas was 
N26   8 thirty years old in 1897 when he came from his native Germany to 
N26   9 Blaine County - a part of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian 
N26  10 reservation opened to homestead settlement by the land run of April 
N26  11 19, 1892.<p/>
N26  12 <p_>Though sparsely settled, the county was blessed with fertile, 
N26  13 sandy loam soil, scenic beauty, and plenty of water - bounded on 
N26  14 the northeast by the Cimarron River, traversed in the center by the 
N26  15 North Canadian, and bound on the south by the South Canadian. It 
N26  16 boasted immense crops of wheat, corn, and cotton, and prospects for 
N26  17 the next year's crops could not have been better when Conrad Maas 
N26  18 appeared in the county seat of Watonga with considerable money and 
N26  19 his eighteen-year-old wife, Martha, a buxom blonde woman with 
N26  20 sparkling eyes.<p/>
N26  21 <p_>The couple took a claim in the most remote of the rural 
N26  22 districts, four miles west of Bridgeport - a crossing on the South 
N26  23 Canadian to the Wichita-Caddo reservation where cattlemen still 
N26  24 grazed large herds under lease agreements with the Indians. In the 
N26  25 side of a hill, Maas constructed and furnished a two-room dugout, 
N26  26 roofed and lined it with split logs, and equipped it with a 
N26  27 fireplace for winter. The following spring, he planted corn and 
N26  28 grain sorghums.<p/>
N26  29 <p_>Maas worked hard in his primitive surroundings but had 
N26  30 difficulty adjusting to the democratic ways of his scattered 
N26  31 neighbors. He was especially hostile to the Indians and cowboys 
N26  32 south of the river. When he did speak it was with a guttural, 
N26  33 almost unintelligible accent that carried a haughty insolence. His 
N26  34 saving graces were his unflagging industry and obvious love for his 
N26  35 pretty wife. They were often seen in the fields together and walked 
N26  36 hand-in-hand on the streets when shopping in Watonga.<p/>
N26  37 <p_>Martha adored her husband, and his attitude toward others 
N26  38 seemed not to embarrass her. She spoke English better than Maas, 
N26  39 and laughed and chatted with the townswomen. She invited some of 
N26  40 them to her dugout home to see the heirlooms and artifacts her 
N26  41 husband had brought from Europe, but few accepted. Maas's 
N26  42 ill-tempered glances made it clear he did not care for visitors.<p/>
N26  43 <p_>Many thought he just wanted to keep his young bride to himself; 
N26  44 that he liked the country but wanted no truck with the people who 
N26  45 lived there. They reckoned he had a right to be left alone.<p/>
N26  46 <p_>Watonga's early frame buildings were being replaced by stone 
N26  47 and brick structures, and Maas occasionally worked in town as a 
N26  48 bricklayer. On the job he squabbled with fellow workers and ate 
N26  49 away from them. At night he walked the streets restlessly. He 
N26  50 carried himself strictly erect, with squared shoulders and a 
N26  51 precise tread that led many to believe he had served in the German 
N26  52 army before coming to America.<p/>
N26  53 <p_>Such speculation gained credence when he began receiving 
N26  54 letters from the old country. Some of them, as Watonga's postmaster 
N26  55 revealed, bore return addresses of a Count von Maas and a Count von 
N26  56 Hohenstein. One bore the imperial stamp of the Kaiser in Berlin. A 
N26  57 German storekeeper in Watonga suggested quietly that Conrad Maas 
N26  58 was a high-born member of the Hohenzollerns, Prussia's ruling 
N26  59 dynasty.<p/>
N26  60 <p_>Maas remained tight-lipped, and Blaine County citizens asked no 
N26  61 questions.<p/>
N26  62 <p_>As the months passed, Maas grew sullen and brooding. Simple 
N26  63 farm life became more and more distateful. He quit his brick-laying 
N26  64 job and only appeared in Watonga to make some minor purchase. 
N26  65 Martha Maas no longer accompanied him. She complained to Bridgeport 
N26  66 neighbor Nancy Banks that her husband spent all of his time 
N26  67 examining his old military papers and relics. He was to be restored 
N26  68 to the command of his battalion in the German army, which angered 
N26  69 her - she had deserted her home and country for love of him and did 
N26  70 not wish to return. They quarreled frequently.<p/>
N26  71 <p_>On a bitterly cold day - Monday, December 5, 1898 - Maas drove 
N26  72 into a Watonga livery stable, saying he would like to board his 
N26  73 team while away on urgent business. He carried a suitcase and 
N26  74 seemed anxious to catch the train for Kansas City.<p/>
N26  75 <p_>Asked about his wife, Maas said, <quote_>"It iss<&|>sic! not 
N26  76 possible for her to go -"<quote/> He hesitated, then confided to 
N26  77 the surprised attendant, <quote_>"She iss<&|>sic! going to 'ave a 
N26  78 baby. I didn't vant<&|>sic! to burden her with care of the animals. 
N26  79 But I am vorried<&|>sic! about her safety in this country 
N26  80 vile<&|>sic! I am gone."<quote/><p/>
N26  81 <p_><quote_>"Can she use a gun?"<quote/> the attendant inquired.<p/>
N26  82 <p_><quote_>"Martha has a shotgun and iss<&|>sic! a good 
N26  83 marksman,"<quote/> Maas replied.<p/>
N26  84 <p_><quote_>"She'll be all right then, if you won't be gone 
N26  85 long,"<quote/> the attendant assured him.<p/>
N26  86 <p_><quote_>"I vill<&|>sic! be gone a veek<&|>sic! - maybe 
N26  87 longer,"<quote/> Maas said.<p/>
N26  88 <p_>Word soon spread of the German's departure and his wife's 
N26  89 delicate condition. Snow began falling that evening and continued 
N26  90 two days. When the weather broke the morning of December 8, Nancy 
N26  91 Banks decided to look in on the woman, and drove to the Maas 
N26  92 farm.<p/>
N26  93 <p_>The place seemed deserted. No smoke came from the chimney and 
N26  94 there were no tracks in the snow that had drifted across the 
N26  95 doorstep. Mrs. Banks pounded on the locked door but got no answer. 
N26  96 Puzzled and alarmed, she returned to her buggy and made a hard 
N26  97 drive to Sheriff J.K. Kenney's office at Watonga.<p/>
N26  98 <p_>Sheriff Kenney and Deputy J.D. Marion rode to the dugout at 
N26  99 once. Unable to rouse anyone, they broke in and found a scene of 
N26 100 horror.<p/>
N26 101 <p_>It appeared that Martha Maas had just finished breakfast when 
N26 102 an intruder surprised her. She had attempted to defend herself with 
N26 103 a double-barreled shotgun, which the attacker seized, emptying both 
N26 104 barrels at her. The weapon lay in a pool of dried blood under the 
N26 105 table. The woman had left a trail of gore from the kitchen into the 
N26 106 bedroom, where her body lay on the floor, <quote_>"clothing badly 
N26 107 torn and a large gunshot wound in the left side."<quote/> The 
N26 108 second blast had <quote_>"blown her head almost entirely 
N26 109 off."<quote/> Stray pellets were imbedded in the kitchen ceiling 
N26 110 and walls. Portions of her flesh were <quote_>"distributed about 
N26 111 both rooms, having been torn away and mutilated by 
N26 112 rats."<quote/><p/>
N26 113 <p_>The dugout had not been pilfered, and the lawmen discounted 
N26 114 robbery as a motive. The killer had locked the door as he fled, the 
N26 115 officers theorized, to discourage early discovery of his crime by a 
N26 116 passerby.<p/>
N26 117 <p_>While Kenney proceeded with the investigation, Marion 
N26 118 hightailed back to town for the undertaker and coroner. By 
N26 119 nightfall, the coroner had made a cursory examination, and the body 
N26 120 was removed to Watonga. More than a score of angry citizens joined 
N26 121 Kenney and Marion during the night in an effort to pick up the 
N26 122 killer's trail or a clue to his identity.<p/>
N26 123 <p_><quote_>"It is a case of cold, cowardly murder,"<quote/> 
N26 124 observed the Watonga <tf|>Republican. <quote_>"The demon who 
N26 125 committed it should be punished to the full extent of the 
N26 126 law."<quote/><p/>
N26 127 <p_>The hunters, like Kenney and Marion, directed their suspicions 
N26 128 first toward the enemies of the dead woman's husband. Maas had made 
N26 129 many Blaine County people hate him, but most thought it a dirty 
N26 130 shame that someone had taken it out on his wife. A few mentioned 
N26 131 the trouble he'd had with the Wichita-Caddo reservation cowboys 
N26 132 passing through the farm looking for stray cattle; some pointed to 
N26 133 the <quote|>"bad" Indians that hung out drunk in the South Canadian 
N26 134 bottoms, none of whom were beyond attacking a lone woman when full 
N26 135 of forbidden <quote|>"firewater."<p/>
N26 136 <p_>There was also concern for the introverted German himself. The 
N26 137 death of his beloved Martha would only aggravate his sullenness.<p/>
N26 138 <p_>The investigation might have gone off on a dozen tangents, 
N26 139 except for two things. A final examination of the woman's body 
N26 140 revealed she was <tf|>not pregnant, and that she was already dead 
N26 141 the day Maas left town.<p/>
N26 142 <p_>Kenney and Marion made another search of the dugout. They 
N26 143 discovered that Maas had taken his military relics and nearly all 
N26 144 his clothes, indicating he had no intention of returning. What he 
N26 145 did leave were several letters he had received from Germany. He had 
N26 146 cached them behind a loose stone in the fireplace and apparently 
N26 147 forgotten them in the haste of departure.<p/>
N26 148 <p_>The officers took the letters to the German storekeeper in 
N26 149 Watonga. <quote_>"Can you tell us what they say?"<quote/> asked 
N26 150 Kenney.<p/>
N26 151 <p_>The grocer scanned the writings and his brow knitted.<p/>
N26 152 <p_><quote_>"Maas was in the army, all right,"<quote/> he said. 
N26 153 <quote_>"Held the rank of major. He's a high-born member of the 
N26 154 Hohenzollerns, the ruling dynasty - a friend of young Wilhelm 
N26 155 himself, who is head of the <tf_>Order of Eagles<tf/>, a secret 
N26 156 society sworn to uphold and protect one another. His brother-in-law 
N26 157 is Supreme Judge Reiss of Berlin. Count von Maas is a brother and 
N26 158 Count von Hohenstein an uncle. They are urging him to return to his 
N26 159 homeland. Wilhelm has even agreed to restore his commission if he 
N26 160 gives up Martha Muller."<quote/><p/>
N26 161 <p_><quote_>"Who's Martha Muller?"<quote/> the sheriff asked.<p/>
N26 162 <p_><quote_>"Must have been his wife's maiden name. Seems he gave 
N26 163 up his army career to marry a commoner."<quote/> The storekeeper 
N26 164 flipped a page. <quote_>"Here it is - this passage, 'When this 
N26 165 ridiculous fascination has passed, you will find yourself in need 
N26 166 of your own country and your own kind. You understand, of course, 
N26 167 that the girl will never be allowed to re-enter Germany.'<p/>
N26 168 <p_>"Seems Martha Muller was the root of his trouble - caused him 
N26 169 to resign his commisssion and elope with her to America,"<quote/> 
N26 170 the storekeeper continued. <quote_>"Seems your next step, sheriff, 
N26 171 is to find Conrad Maas."<quote/><p/>
N26 172 <p_>The Watonga railroad agent looked surprised when the officers 
N26 173 questioned him. <quote_>"Why, Maas didn't go to Kansas City at 
N26 174 all,"<quote/> the agent said. <quote_>"He took a train east. By now 
N26 175 he's probably in some East Coast seaport trying to board a ship for 
N26 176 Germany."<quote/><p/>
N26 177 <p_>Kenney vowed to keep Maas from sailing if he had to 
N26 178 <quote_>"call every port from New Orleans to Boston."<quote/><p/>
N26 179 <p_>On authority of a murder warrant, issued December 9 by Blaine 
N26 180 County Attorney J.H. Campbell, the officers were compiling a list 
N26 181 of embarkation points when a telegram from Canadian County Sheriff 
N26 182 Cosby at El Reno informed Kenney, <quote_>"I think we have your 
N26 183 man."<quote/><p/>
N26 184 <p_>Kenney and Marion hurried to El Reno, and heard a startling 
N26 185 tale. According to the sheriff, Maas had wandered into his office 
N26 186 late Monday night, claiming to be a well-to-do farmer living in 
N26 187 Custer County, four miles west of Weatherford. <quote_>"He stated 
N26 188 that his wife had been murdered, and that he had come here to 
N26 189 escape a mob,"<quote/> the sheriff said. <quote_>"I telegraphed 
N26 190 Weatherford, but officers there had never heard of Maas and could 
N26 191 not establish that any woman had been found dead."<quote/><p/>
N26 192 <p_><quote_>"Maas wrote telegrams to the German consul in St. 
N26 193 Louis, which we neither sent nor could understand. Next day he said 
N26 194 he didn't know whether his wife had been killed or not, but 
N26 195 believed she had been kidnapped about Thanks<?_>-<?/>giving time. 
N26 196 He acted like an insane man, and we kept him in jail. We were 
N26 197 starting proceedings to send him to the asylum at Norman when 
N26 198 newspapers here picked up the murder story in the Watonga 
N26 199 <tf|>Republican."<quote/><p/>
N26 200 <p_>The prisoner refused to accompany Kenney and Marion back to 
N26 201 Blaine County, and they were forced to put him in handcuffs and 
N26 202 chains. County Attorney Campbell accused Maas, saying, <quote_>"You 
N26 203 were threatened with disinheritance and exile if you didn't give up 
N26 204 Martha Muller. Visions of your former wealth and splendor kept 
N26 205 recurring in your mind until it became the ruling passion of your 
N26 206 life, and you knew you could never gratify it unless you returned 
N26 207 to your homeland alone. You blamed Martha Muller for your 
N26 208 predicament and made up your mind that she would have to 
N26 209 die."<quote/><p/>
N26 210 <p_>Maas staunchly denied that he had murdered his wife. However, 
N26 211 confronted with demands for explanations of his claim of his wife's 
N26 212 pregnancy to the Watonga livery stable attendant, of his sudden 
N26 213 attempted departure from the country, and of the statements he made 
N26 214 to the Canadian County sheriff, he became confused and 
N26 215 stammering.<p/>
N26 216 
N27   1 <#FROWN:N27\><p_>What did he mean? Down at the lower level of his 
N27   2 new headquarters? Well, The Penguin supposed since he had made the 
N27   3 deal, he had to put up with Max. He never realized how much it 
N27   4 would interfere with his work here.<p/>
N27   5 <p_><quote|>"Plans," he repeated halfheartedly, <quote_>"Swell. 
N27   6 Later."<quote/><p/>
N27   7 <p_>He slammed down the phone. He'd deal with Max at the proper 
N27   8 time. For now, he had to finish off the phone books and his 
N27   9 list.<p/>
N27  10 <p_>It was a lot of work, but because of this, his final revenge 
N27  11 would be that much sweeter. He returned to matching addresses with 
N27  12 every single name.<p/>
N27  13 <p_>After all, all play and no work made a dull Penguin.<p/>
N27  14 <h_><p_>CHAPTER<p/>
N27  15 <p_>Eighteen<p/><h/>
N27  16 <p_>It was time to prowl.<p/>
N27  17 <p_>She could no longer stay in her den, even after it had been 
N27  18 transformed. Cats were meant to roam the night.<p/>
N27  19 <p_>So she roamed.<p/>
N27  20 <p_>What did we have here?<p/>
N27  21 <p_>The dirty streets of Gotham seemed to have coughed up some more 
N27  22 of their scum. And who is it today? Just your average, 
N27  23 garden-variety mugger, who had grabbed a pretty young woman and 
N27  24 dragged her back into an alley.<p/>
N27  25 <p_><quote_>"Help, Batma -"<quote/> the woman began.<p/>
N27  26 <p_>Batman? Is that all the woman could think of?<p/>
N27  27 <p_><quote_>"Now, now,"<quote/> the mugger smirked, <quote_>"pretty 
N27  28 young thing, nice and easy -"<quote/><p/>
N27  29 <p_>The victim cowered and held out her purse. <quote_>"Please. 
N27  30 Don't hurt me. I'll do anything -"<quote/><p/>
N27  31 <p_>The other woman had had quite enough of this.<p/>
N27  32 <p_>She leapt from the fire escape, landing squarely on the 
N27  33 mugger's back. He flew forward to the ground.<p/>
N27  34 <p_><quote_>"I just love a big strong man who's not afraid to show 
N27  35 it,"<quote/> she mentioned as he rolled beneath her, <quote_>"with 
N27  36 someone half her size."<quote/><p/>
N27  37 <p_>The mugger had managed to roll onto his back. He stared up at 
N27  38 her in astonishment. <quote_>"Who the -"<quote/> he began.<p/>
N27  39 <p_><quote_>"Be gentle,"<quote/> she replied. <quote_>"It's my 
N27  40 first time."<quote/><p/>
N27  41 <p_>Apparently he wasn't listening, because he leapt up with a 
N27  42 growl, intent on grabbing her.<p/>
N27  43 <p_>She darted out of the way, and gave him a savage kick. All the 
N27  44 breath left him as he staggered back.<p/>
N27  45 <p_>Hey, not bad, she thought. But before he could recover, it was 
N27  46 time for the talons.<p/>
N27  47 <p_>She jumped forward and set to work scratching up his face.<p/>
N27  48 <p_>The mugger screamed and fell to the asphalt.<p/>
N27  49 <p_><quote_>"Tic-tac-toe,"<quote/> she murmured in triumph.<p/>
N27  50 <p_>The victim rushed up to her side.<p/>
N27  51 <p_><quote_>"Thank you,"<quote/> she gushed, <quote_>"thank you. I 
N27  52 was so scared -"<quote/><p/>
N27  53 <p_>Her defender had had enough of this, too. She pushed the victim 
N27  54 back against the wall with one of her claws.<p/>
N27  55 <p_><quote_>"You make it so easy, don't you?"<quote/> she asked in 
N27  56 disgust. <quote_>"You pretty, pathetic young thing? Always waiting 
N27  57 for some Bat<tf_>man<tf/> to save you."<quote/><p/>
N27  58 <p_>The victim cringed again, quaking, expecting something even 
N27  59 worse.<p/>
N27  60 <p_>She leaned forward to whisper in the victim's ear: <quote_>"I 
N27  61 am Catwoman. Hear me roar."<quote/><p/>
N27  62 <p_>And with that, Catwoman leapt away, cartwheeling out of the 
N27  63 alley to disappear into the night.<p/>
N27  64 <h_><p_>CHAPTER<p/>
N27  65 <p_>Nineteen<p/><h/>
N27  66 <p_>With all these interruptions, The Penguin would never 
N27  67 finish!<p/>
N27  68 <p_>He looked up to see Max Shreck stepping between the members of 
N27  69 the Red Triangle Circus, past the <}_><-|>Tatooed<+|>Tattooed<}/> 
N27  70 Strongman, rippling those belly dancers he had tattooed on his 
N27  71 biceps, stopping to let one of the acrobats walk past on his hands. 
N27  72 Max grinned at The Penguin. Somehow, he seemed much too cheerful 
N27  73 for a businessman.<p/>
N27  74 <p_>Max nodded at all the performers around them.<p/>
N27  75 <p_><quote|>"Ah," he remarked, <quote_>"your - extended 
N27  76 family."<quote/><p/>
N27  77 <p_>The Penguin sighed. Max was leading up to something. His lists 
N27  78 would have to wait for the minute.<p/>
N27  79 <p_><quote_>"Come on downstairs, Oswald,"<quote/> Max urged. 
N27  80 <quote_>"I have a - surprise."<quote/><p/>
N27  81 <p_>The Penguin scowled. <quote_>"I don't like surprises."<quote/> 
N27  82 Sometimes, The Penguin still thought it was a mistake to come out 
N27  83 of those sewers.<p/>
N27  84 <p_>But Max was insistent. He waved The Penguin away from his desk 
N27  85 and toward a spiral stairs.<p/>
N27  86 <p_>Hesitantly, The Penguin walked forward. So far, Max had more 
N27  87 than held up his part of the bargain. And the businessman certainly 
N27  88 knew, should anything happen to The Penguin, his circus friends 
N27  89 were very good at revenge.<p/>
N27  90 <p_>So this had to be something good.<p/>
N27  91 <p_>Still, The Penguin thought of icy waters.<p/>
N27  92 <p_><quote_>"Don't want to spoil it!"<quote/> Max explained as he 
N27  93 tried to put his hands over the Penguin's eyes.<p/>
N27  94 <p_>The Penguin growled. Trusting people was one thing, but 
N27  95 <tf|>certain people were asking for it. Max quickly pulled his 
N27  96 hands away.<p/>
N27  97 <p_><quote_>"Then close your eyes,"<quote/> Max insisted.<p/>
N27  98 <p_>Oh, all right. The Penguin dutifully closed his eyes almost all 
N27  99 the way as Max led him down the stairs. This had <tf|>better be 
N27 100 good, or he'd let the circus gang practice on Max even earlier than 
N27 101 he had planned.<p/>
N27 102 <p_>He opened his eyes when they went from stairs to concrete.<p/>
N27 103 <p_><quote|>"Ta-da!" Max announced.<p/>
N27 104 <p_>The Penguin looked around the storefront. It had been 
N27 105 transformed from an old drugstore into something bustling and 
N27 106 cheerful, full of brand-new desks and state-of-the-art computers 
N27 107 and smiling college kids. The place had gotten a bright white coat 
N27 108 of paint, too, after which the walls had been covered with red, 
N27 109 white, and blue bunting. But the most astonishing things here were 
N27 110 the signs and posters, the biggest of which read COBBLEPOT FOR 
N27 111 MAYOR.<p/>
N27 112 <p_>As if this wasn't enough, there were posters taped all around, 
N27 113 and every one had The Penguin's picture on it, along with the words 
N27 114 OZZIE VS. THE INSIDERS!<p/>
N27 115 <p_>Everyone cheered and applauded. Max's grin got even bigger.<p/>
N27 116 <p_>The Penguin was flabbergasted.<p/>
N27 117 <p_><quote|>"But -" he began. <quote|>"What -" he added. <quote_>"I 
N27 118 - I mean -"<quote/> he tried.<p/>
N27 119 <p_>He didn't know what he meant.<p/>
N27 120 <p_>What was going on here?<p/>
N27 121 <p_><quote|>"Yes," Max said effusively, <quote_>"adulation is a 
N27 122 cross to bear. God knows I know. But someone's got to supplant our 
N27 123 standing-in-the-way-of-progress mayor, and don't deny it, Mr. 
N27 124 Cobblepot, your charisma is bigger than both of us!"<quote/><p/>
N27 125 <p_><quote|>"Mayor?" The Penguin replied.<p/>
N27 126 <p_>Max smiled and grinned. <quote|>"Mayor."<p/>
N27 127 <p_>But this didn't make any sense, even to somebody who had lived 
N27 128 most of his life in the sewers.<p/>
N27 129 <p_><quote|>"Max," he pointed out, <quote_>"elections happen in 
N27 130 November. Is this not late December?"<quote/><p/>
N27 131 <p_>Max waved a well-dressed pair forward; so well-dressed that 
N27 132 they smelled of money, and success, and power. One man and one 
N27 133 woman, both wearing appropriately dark<?_>-<?/>colored suits, both 
N27 134 smiling perfectly gleaming white smiles.<p/>
N27 135 <p_>They made The Penguin nervous.<p/>
N27 136 <p_>The man stared critically at The Penguin before his smile 
N27 137 returned.<p/>
N27 138 <p_><quote_>"Keep the umbrella!"<quote/> he announced. 
N27 139 <quote_>"Works for you! I'm Josh. Here!"<quote/> he shoved 
N27 140 something in The Penguin's mouth. <quote_>"Reclaim your 
N27 141 birthright!"<quote/><p/>
N27 142 <p_>The Penguin glared down at the new object between his lips. It 
N27 143 was a jet-black cigarette holder. The woman was circling him now. 
N27 144 The Penguin wished he were back upstairs with his yellow 
N27 145 notepads.<p/>
N27 146 <p_><quote_>"I'm Jen,"<quote/> she announced as she grabbed his 
N27 147 sleeve. <quote_>"Stand still for a second while I slip on these 
N27 148 little glove thingies -"<quote/><p/>
N27 149 <p_>Glove thingies? The Penguin glanced over at her handiwork. She 
N27 150 was rather attractive under that suit. And he would certainly like 
N27 151 to get under that suit. Her smile turned to a grimace as she 
N27 152 touched his flippers. It was, The Penguin guessed, just that 
N27 153 special way he had with women.<p/>
N27 154 <p_><quote_>"Our research tells us that voters like 
N27 155 fingers,"<quote/> Jen explained as she slipped on the deep black 
N27 156 material.<p/>
N27 157 <p_>The Penguin frowned at his new gloves. Still, if women liked 
N27 158 fingers rather than flippers -<p/>
N27 159 <p_>That Josh person, in the meantime, was fingering The Penguin's 
N27 160 coat. Now what was this guy's problem? Sure The Penguin's clothes 
N27 161 were worn, certainly they were tattered, and perhaps the fabric had 
N27 162 stood so much use that it had turned a bit shiny, but as far as The 
N27 163 Penguin was concerned, these clothes were a part of him.<p/>
N27 164 <p_><quote_>"Not a lot of reflective surfaces down in that sewer, 
N27 165 huh?"<quote/> Josh remarked.<p/>
N27 166 <p_>Reflective surfaces? Oh, he meant mirrors. Jen laughed. The 
N27 167 Penguin liked the way she laughed. He laughed, too. All the people 
N27 168 around them started to laugh as well.<p/>
N27 169 <p_><quote|>"Still," The Penguin remarked, <quote_>"it could be 
N27 170 worse. My nose could be gushing blood."<quote/><p/>
N27 171 <p_>Josh frowned at that. <quote_>"Your nose could? What do you 
N27 172 mean?"<quote/><p/>
N27 173 <p_>So The Penguin bit him, quickly, viciously, right on the nose. 
N27 174 Make fun of him, would they? Well, the penguins who had raised him 
N27 175 had shown him a trick or two!<p/>
N27 176 <p_><quote|>"Enough!" Max called, pulling the two combatants apart. 
N27 177 <quote|>"Everyone -"<p/>
N27 178 <p_>He waved them all back to work as Josh fainted to the floor. 
N27 179 The fellow had no stamina at all. Max would have to get a better 
N27 180 grade of consultant than that to keep up with The Penguin!<p/>
N27 181 <p_>Max led the short man in black over to a quiet corner.<p/>
N27 182 <p_><quote_>"You're right,"<quote/> Max admitted when they could 
N27 183 not be overheard. <quote_>"We missed the regularly scheduled 
N27 184 election. But elected officials can be recalled, impeached, given 
N27 185 the boot! Think of Nixon, Meachem, Barry -"<quote/> he paused, and 
N27 186 pointed to the great banner overhead. <quote_>"Then think of you, 
N27 187 Oswald Cobblepot, filling the void."<quote/><p/>
N27 188 <p_>But Oswald Cobblepot was still watching Jen. <quote_>"I'd like 
N27 189 to fill <tf|>her void,"<quote/> he murmured.<p/>
N27 190 <p_><quote_>"We need signatures,"<quote/> Max insisted. <quote_>"To 
N27 191 overturn the ballot. I can supply those, Oswald."<quote/><p/>
N27 192 <p_><quote_>"Teach her my 'French flipper' trick,"<quote/> The 
N27 193 Penguin continued. It was amazing, the wonderful things you could 
N27 194 learn while working for the circus.<p/>
N27 195 <p_><quote|>"Oswald," Max persevered. <quote_>"We need one more 
N27 196 thing."<quote/><p/>
N27 197 <p_>The Penguin blinked. Oh, yes. The Mayor's office; that's what 
N27 198 they were talking about, wasn't it?<p/>
N27 199 <p_><quote_>"A platform?"<quote/> he suggested. <quote_>"Let me 
N27 200 see. 'Stop Global Warming! Start Global Cooling!' Make the world a 
N27 201 giant icebox -"<quote/><p/>
N27 202 <p_><quote_>"That's fine, Oswald,"<quote/> Max agreed all too 
N27 203 readily. <quote_>"But to get the mayor recalled, we still need a 
N27 204 catalyst, a trigger, an incident."<quote/><p/>
N27 205 <p_>Yeah, The Penguin thought, <tf|>mayor. Now that he had gotten 
N27 206 used to the idea, he really liked it. He could hear them now.<p/>
N27 207 <p_><quote_>"You're doing great. Mayor Cobblepot,"<quote/> he said 
N27 208 aloud. Yeah. He liked the sound of that. And more than that. 
N27 209 <quote_>"Your table is ready, Mayor Cobblepot,"<quote/> And how 
N27 210 about women? Women like Jen? Hey, once he was a mayor, he would 
N27 211 have his pick of women! <quote_>"I need you, Oswald. I need you 
N27 212 now. That's the biggest parasol I've ever -"<quote/><p/>
N27 213 <p_><quote_>"Like the Reichstag fire,"<quote/> Max continued 
N27 214 urgently. <quote_>"The Gulf of Tonkin."<quote/><p/>
N27 215 <p_>What was Max saying? Perhaps that The Penguin wasn't mayor 
N27 216 quite yet. Okay, he would accept that. After all, he used to do 
N27 217 twelve shows a day; he could handle anything.<p/>
N27 218 <p_>But there was work to do. Dirty work. And The Penguin knew just 
N27 219 who could do it.<p/>
N27 220 <p_><quote|>"Ah," he suggested. <quote_>"You want my old friends 
N27 221 upstairs to drive the mayor into a foaming frenzy."<quote/><p/>
N27 222 <p_>Max grinned at that.<p/>
N27 223 <p_><quote|>"Precisely," he agreed. <quote_>"But they must always 
N27 224 come and go via the plumbing ducts that I've provided."<quote/><p/>
N27 225 <p_>Then Max was suggesting secret sabotage?<p/>
N27 226 <p_><quote_>"Sounds like fun,"<quote/> The Penguin agreed. 
N27 227 <quote_>"But I -"<quote/><p/>
N27 228 <p_>He hesitated. This was all happening so fast, he had almost 
N27 229 forgotten his true purpose.<p/>
N27 230 <p_>Max looked at him questioningly.<p/>
N27 231 <p_><quote_>"I mustn't get sidetracked,"<quote/> The Penguin 
N27 232 explained. <quote_>"I've got my own -"<quote/><p/>
N27 233 <p_><quote|>"Sidetracked?" Max interrupted. He threw open his arms 
N27 234 to include not only their surroundings but all of Gotham City. 
N27 235 <quote_>"Oswald, this is your chance to fulfill a destiny that your 
N27 236 parents carelessly discarded -"<quote/><p/>
N27 237 <p_>Hey. Max had a point there. What was it that obnoxious 
N27 238 pantywaist Josh had said? Oh, yeah.<p/>
N27 239 <p_><quote_>"Reclaim my birthright, you mean?"<quote/> The Penguin 
N27 240 asked. Now that he thought of it, it sounded pretty good.<p/>
N27 241 <p_>Max nodded, arms still opened wide. <quote|>"Imagine." He 
N27 242 closed one fist. <quote_>"As mayor you'll have the ear of the 
N27 243 media."<quote/> He closed the other fist. <quote_>"Access to 
N27 244 captains of industry."<quote/> He opened both hands and cupped them 
N27 245 before him. <quote_>"Unlimited poontang!"<quote/><p/>
N27 246 <p_>The Penguin was impressed. <quote_>"You drive a hard bargain, 
N27 247 Max."<quote/> He paused only long enough to realize he had made up 
N27 248 his mind. <quote_>"All right. I'll be the mayor."<quote/><p/>
N27 249 <p_>He turned away from the businessman, and walked over to the 
N27 250 windows of the storefront, which were hidden behind a heavy set of 
N27 251 blinds. Thrusting his new glove between the slats, he looked out at 
N27 252 Gotham City at night; a city that would soon be his. He could have 
N27 253 it all - the mayor's office first, and then, with the whole city at 
N27 254 his feet, he'd complete his sweet revenge.<p/>
N27 255 
N27 256 
N28   1 <#FROWN:N28\><h_><p_>The Chekhov Strain<p/>
N28   2 <p_>Christopher Kubasik<p/><h/>
N28   3 <p_>Wu Han's thoughts raced with the manic energy of a Core Earth 
N28   4 kid high on cotton candy. He was a happy man: insidious, 
N28   5 villainous, cunning, and malicious. He was an overgovernor of the 
N28   6 Empire of the Nile, an evil subordinate to the despot Dr. Mobius 
N28   7 and he was good at his job. He awoke each morning and leaped out of 
N28   8 bed knowing he would accomplish countless activities that day. He 
N28   9 felt himself a part of the universe, a force as strong as a 
N28  10 hurricane. He needed nothing and no one, for he was a part of 
N28  11 everything.<p/>
N28  12 <p_>He loved his life.<p/>
N28  13 <p_>He stalked up the length of his council chamber. The scarlet 
N28  14 dragon on the back of his silk robe danced happily as he 
N28  15 gesticulated wildly with his long-nailed hands. His long Fu-Manchu 
N28  16 mustache tightly framed his inscrutable smile. White teeth gleamed 
N28  17 against his golden flesh.<p/>
N28  18 <p_><quote_>"I need a plan!"<quote/> he exclaimed and whirled 
N28  19 around at the head of the council chamber's large table. He spoke 
N28  20 in precise English, but his speech was marred by an Oriental accent 
N28  21 that had more to do with Western stereotyping than China.<p/>
N28  22 <p_>His lieutenants, thugs and thieves from countless ethnic 
N28  23 backgrounds, grunted and nodded their heads in approval from their 
N28  24 chairs around the table. When Wu Han wanted a plan, life filled 
N28  25 with action.<p/>
N28  26 <p_><quote_>"Duuh, what are yuh thinking about boss?"<quote/> asked 
N28  27 Scourge. Scourge had a quizzical face resembling a bulldog from a 
N28  28 Warner Brother's cartoon that had just been smashed by a frying 
N28  29 pan.<p/>
N28  30 <p_><quote_>"Something very large, I believe!"<quote/> Han 
N28  31 exclaimed. A thrill ran through the hearts of his minions, for 
N28  32 never had they seen the insidious Oriental master criminal so full 
N28  33 of life. The invasion of Earth was going well. Han was inspired.<p/>
N28  34 <p_>Han's thoughts now moved like a movie projected at four times 
N28  35 normal speed. He began contemplating information he had learned 
N28  36 about Core Earth during his journeys into the native lands of the 
N28  37 planet. (Just a note: the thought of Wu Han actually taking the 
N28  38 time to contemplate was not necessarily an oxymoron, but certainly 
N28  39 stretched Han to the limits of his mind. He thought like a gymnast 
N28  40 moved, each thought flipping into the next trick in the routine. If 
N28  41 there was ever a moment's pause, he did it only to balance himself 
N28  42 for the next mental leap. He felt uncomfortable if he paused to 
N28  43 consider something for too long. The rhythm of the pulp reality 
N28  44 demanded constant motion, physical and mental, from its heroes and 
N28  45 villains. Han was happy to oblige.)<p/>
N28  46 <p_><quote_>"Another Death Maze?"<quote/> asked Achmed D'uarb, an 
N28  47 Arab assassin whose every other tooth gleamed gold.<p/>
N28  48 <p_><quote_>"Another search deep into the Egyptian desert for an 
N28  49 eternity shard?"<quote/> whispered Scar, whose ruined throat hinted 
N28  50 of the long ago splash of acid.<p/>
N28  51 <p_><quote_>"Another stelae to be planted out in Earth?"<quote/> 
N28  52 put forth Mr. Hoggs, whose immense flesh jostled as he spoke.<p/>
N28  53 <p_><quote_>"Kill another Storm Knight?"<quote/><p/>
N28  54 <p_><quote_>"Try to betray Mobius again?"<quote/><p/>
N28  55 <p_><quote_>"Agitate tribal wars in Afghanistan so we can run 
N28  56 guns?"<quote/><p/>
N28  57 <p_><quote_>"Make another stab at the diamond mines under Mrs. 
N28  58 McReady's farmlands?"<quote/><p/>
N28  59 <p_><quote|>"No" whispered Wu Han, curling his long fingers before 
N28  60 him. <quote_>"I need something unique."<quote/><p/>
N28  61 <p_>A hush fell over the room, a silence created by thrill and ... 
N28  62 fear. It was not every day that a pulp villain wanted change. The 
N28  63 results could be very profitable ... or completely disastrous and 
N28  64 unknown.<p/>
N28  65 <p_><quote_>"I want something so large, so devastating to the 
N28  66 people of Earth, that my reward from Dr. Mobius would compare even 
N28  67 with the riches of the ancient pharaohs."<quote/> The villain 
N28  68 smiled a cruel smile. It had worked. He had applied himself to 
N28  69 coming up with a fantastic and daring plan, and it had happened. 
N28  70 Possibility energy infused Wu Han's thoughts, to the villain's 
N28  71 advantage. Events tended to go his way.<p/>
N28  72 <p_><quote_>"I will poison the earth,"<quote/> he said levelly.<p/>
N28  73 <p_><quote_>"The water supply?"<quote/><p/>
N28  74 <p_><quote_>"Their food?"<quote/><p/>
N28  75 <p_><quote_>"No! You insufferable buffoons! I do not desire to kill 
N28  76 them! We need them alive so we might steal their possibility 
N28  77 energy! No, I need a creative way to poison them ... Poison their 
N28  78 behavior, make them easier to defeat ..."<quote/><p/>
N28  79 <p_><quote_>"Perhaps we could create some sort of toxic radio wave 
N28  80 transmitter?"<quote/> suggested Scar.<p/>
N28  81 <p_><quote_>"Shut up,"<quote/> said Wu Han quietly. A deep chill 
N28  82 ran through the room as his evilness permeated the souls of his 
N28  83 henchmen. Han infused them with the desire and strength to do harm. 
N28  84 <quote_>"I have an idea even more absurd. Something only someone as 
N28  85 insidious as myself could ever have come up with. 
N28  86 Gentlemen,"<quote/> he said, resting his hands on the table, 
N28  87 leering at them, <quote_>"prepare yourself<&|>sic. We make history 
N28  88 in the course of the Possibility Wars."<quote/><p/>
N28  89 <p_>He walked down the length of the chamber, ignoring the men in 
N28  90 the room completely. Then, suddenly, he placed his bony hand on 
N28  91 Scar's shoulder. Scar flinched.<p/>
N28  92 <p_><quote_>"Scar. Arrange the following. I need a library. I 
N28  93 require a library containing books and stories from the beginning 
N28  94 of this world's Western civilization."<quote/><p/>
N28  95 <p_><quote|>"Books?"<p/>
N28  96 <p_><quote_>"That's right. Books."<quote/><p/>
N28  97 <p_><quote_>"You mean like Earth's pulp stories?"<quote/><p/>
N28  98 <p_><quote_>"Well, yes, some of them, of course. A sampling of 
N28  99 everything. Their religious allegories, their tawdry parlour 
N28 100 dramas, their snail-paced English murder mysteries, their 
N28 101 existential essays disguised as novels. A whole pastiche of their 
N28 102 boring civilization. Begin."<quote/><p/>
N28 103 <p_>The sound of chairs sliding on stone filled the room as the 
N28 104 thugs sprang into action. If Wu Han wanted books, then books it 
N28 105 would be, no matter how useless the request seemed.<p/>
N28 106 <p_>As the men rushed out of the room, Wu Han smiled. His eyes were 
N28 107 distant. If he was thinking about the future outcome of the orders 
N28 108 he had just given, there was no way to tell. He was like that. He'd 
N28 109 be plotting one moment, and then plotting something else the 
N28 110 next.<p/>
N28 111 <p_>***<p/>
N28 112 <p_>Los Angeles had been deserted when the Living Land invaded. The 
N28 113 city had been reclaimed during the Miracle of California. Now it 
N28 114 struggled against the hideous reality of Tharkold. The city still 
N28 115 struggled to live. Many who stayed behind were actors and directors 
N28 116 and technicians and craftsmen of theater and film. They kept 
N28 117 working, and beleaguered citizens came to see the shows.<p/>
N28 118 <p_>A production of Anton Chekhov's <tf_>The Seagull<tf/> had just 
N28 119 opened at the Mark Tapper Forum. A rapt audience filled the large 
N28 120 theater. The play, like most of Chekhov's work, dealt with loss, 
N28 121 and the desire to keep living in the face of adversity. This 
N28 122 audience lived in a country at war with invaders who ripped reality 
N28 123 away from the conquered. The play cast a spell of truth.<p/>
N28 124 <p_>The first act of <tf_>The Seagull<tf/> takes place beside a 
N28 125 lake. The set of the Mark Tapper Forum's production showed a 
N28 126 beautiful sunset that slowly faded as the act progressed. On the 
N28 127 left side of the stage, in front of the false lake, was a stage 
N28 128 for, as it said in the play's stage notes, 'private theatricals.' 
N28 129 It was a stage on the stage. The curtain on the stage upon the 
N28 130 stage was drawn shut. It would remain shut until Konstantin, the 
N28 131 young writer in <tf_>The Seagull<tf/>, opened the curtain. He would 
N28 132 present a play he had written to his friends and family. It would 
N28 133 be a play within a play.<p/>
N28 134 <p_>Wu Han hid behind the curtain of the smaller stage, waiting for 
N28 135 the moment Konstantin revealed him to the audience and the actors. 
N28 136 Han would take them completely by surprise.<p/>
N28 137 <p_>Wu Han was bored, bored, bored.<p/>
N28 138 <p_>He had hidden himself behind the smaller stage before <tf_>The 
N28 139 Seagull<tf/> had begun. He so far had endured nearly twenty minutes 
N28 140 of the production. He could not believe that Core Earthers 
N28 141 considered such naturalist drivel entertaining. He exerted more 
N28 142 energy going to sleep than all the characters in the play used up 
N28 143 during the whole show.<p/>
N28 144 <p_>The play revolved around a dozen characters living on an estate 
N28 145 in Russia at the turn of the century. Most of them were out on the 
N28 146 stage at the moment, waiting for the play Konstantin had written to 
N28 147 begin. Some of the characters were servants, some writers, some 
N28 148 actors. Some were related by blood, some by marriage, some by love. 
N28 149 Each wanted something from another character in the play. As it was 
N28 150 a Chekhov play, they never got what they wanted.<p/>
N28 151 <p_>Konstantin told Nina, the aspiring actress and his young 
N28 152 girlfriend, to get ready to perform his play. She started toward 
N28 153 her position behind the drawn curtain of the small stage.<p/>
N28 154 <p_>Wu Han drew his K08 pistol out of his golden sleeves. Heather 
N28 155 Davis, the actress playing Nina, came around the small stage and 
N28 156 took two steps up the small ladder to the platform.<p/>
N28 157 <p_>She looked up and saw Wu Han, smiling patiently, pointing his 
N28 158 pistol at her face.<p/>
N28 159 <p_>She froze in fear.<p/>
N28 160 <p_>She was young, no more than 20, with pale skin, and straight, 
N28 161 thick black hair, a gift of her Native American ancestry. She was 
N28 162 at once vulnerable due to her small frame, but, in her eyes, owner 
N28 163 of a certain toughness. Wu Han found her charming.<p/>
N28 164 <p_>For a moment she considered turning and running. Wu Han shook 
N28 165 his head. Then, with his empty hand, he crooked his finger, 
N28 166 gesturing for her to approach.<p/>
N28 167 <p_>She finished walking up the steps. Han put his hand on her 
N28 168 shoulder and forced her to sit. He then placed the tip of his gun 
N28 169 against her head.<p/>
N28 170 <p_>He then stood quietly. He listened to the dialogue of the play 
N28 171 he had read and re-read in Egypt come to life.<p/>
N28 172 <p_>On the other side of the small stage's curtain, Arkadina, the 
N28 173 famous Russian actress, played by the actress Elaine Sanders, asked 
N28 174 her son, <quote_>"When are you going to begin, dear?"<quote/> 
N28 175 Already, only listening to her for about a quarter of an hour, Han 
N28 176 had discovered he was fond of the character's manipulative manner, 
N28 177 but could not stomach her petty aspirations. A woman of her skills 
N28 178 could easily rule a nation if she applied herself.<p/>
N28 179 <p_><quote_>"In a minute, Mother,"<quote/> replied the boy. 
N28 180 <quote_>"Please be patient."<quote/> Konstantin, Wu Han thought, 
N28 181 was a useless pup, more pathetic than Han had even expected in his 
N28 182 reading of the script. The boy craved his mother's approval on 
N28 183 everything. He could not simply write just to write, act for 
N28 184 action's sake, for the thrill of simply doing what he wanted. He 
N28 185 needed everyone around him to tell him that he was of value. He 
N28 186 craved Arkadina's affirmation that what he wanted to do he should 
N28 187 do.<p/>
N28 188 <p_>Konstantin would last no more than three minutes in the Empire 
N28 189 of the Nile.<p/>
N28 190 <p_>But that behavior, that despairing inaction, was the core of 
N28 191 what Han sought for his disease. It was so perfect he almost let 
N28 192 loose an evil laugh.<p/>
N28 193 <p_><quote_>"'Oh, Hamlet,'"<quote/> Arkadina began, quoting 
N28 194 Shakespeare's Ophelia, <quote_>"'Speak no more; Thou turn'st mine 
N28 195 eyes into my very soul; And there I see such black and grained 
N28 196 spots as will not leave their tinct.'"<quote/><p/>
N28 197 <p_>Konstantin countered,<quote_>"'Nay, but to live in the rank 
N28 198 sweat of an enseamed bed, stewed in corruption, honeying and making 
N28 199 love over the nasty sty - '"<quote/> the sound of a horn cut him 
N28 200 off. He turned to his audience: his mother, her friend Trigoran, 
N28 201 family members, servants, and hangers on. They sat on wooden 
N28 202 benches by a lake, looking toward a small stage. Konstantin stood 
N28 203 by the stage, looking back at the assembled group and said, 
N28 204 <quote_>"Ladies and gentlemen, the play is about to begin. Quiet, 
N28 205 please, quiet! I begin."<quote/><p/>
N28 206 <p_>The boy tapped a stick against the ground three times and 
N28 207 raised his voice. <quote_>"O, ye venerable old shades that hover 
N28 208 over this lake at nighttime, send us to sleep and let us dream of 
N28 209 what will be in two hundred thousand years."<quote/><p/>
N28 210 <p_>Sorin, Arkadina's brother, said with complete coolness, 
N28 211 <quote_>"There'll be nothing in two hundred thousand 
N28 212 years."<quote/> Han smiled. So weak. All they could contemplate was 
N28 213 the final demise of their world, cities, their entire race. Dr. 
N28 214 Mobius and the inhabitants of the Nile made plans for an empire 
N28 215 that would last for eternity. He fingered the trigger of the pistol 
N28 216 in his right hand and looked down at the girl.
N28 217 
N29   1 <#FROWN:N29\><h|>2
N29   2 <p_>The President of the United States, his jaw firm, his angry 
N29   3 eyes steady and penetrating, accelerated his pace along the 
N29   4 steel-gray corridor in the underground complex of the White House. 
N29   5 In seconds, he had outdistanced his entourage, his tall, lean frame 
N29   6 angled forward as if bucking a torrential wind, an impatient figure 
N29   7 wanting only to reach the storm-tossed battlements and survey the 
N29   8 bloody costs of war so as to devise a strategy and repel the 
N29   9 invading hordes assaulting his realm. He was John of Arc, his 
N29  10 racing mind building a counterattack at Orleans, a Harry Five who 
N29  11 knew the decisive Agincourt was in the immediate picture.<p/>
N29  12 <p_>At the moment, however, his immediate objective was the 
N29  13 anxiety<?_>-<?/>prone Situation Room, buried in the lowest levels 
N29  14 of the White House. He reached a door, yanked it open, and strode 
N29  15 inside as his subordinates, now trotting and breathless, followed 
N29  16 in unison.<p/>
N29  17 <p_><quote_>"All right, fellas!"<quote/> he roared. <quote_>"Let's 
N29  18 <tf|>skull!"<quote/><p/>
N29  19 <p_>A brief silence ensued, broken by the tremulous, high-pitched 
N29  20 voice of a female aide. <quote_>"I don't think in here, Mr. 
N29  21 President."<quote/><p/>
N29  22 <p_><quote_>"What? <tf|>Why?"<quote/><p/>
N29  23 <p_><quote_>"This is the men's room, sir."<quote/><p/>
N29  24 <p_><quote_>"Oh? ... What are <tf|>you doing here?"<quote/><p/>
N29  25 <p_><quote_>"Following you, sir."<quote/><p/>
N29  26 <p_><quote_>"Golly gee. Wrong turn. Sorry about that. Let's go! 
N29  27 <tf|>Out!"<quote/><p/>
N29  28 <p_>The large round table in the Situation Room glistened under the 
N29  29 wash of the indirect lighting, reflecting the shadows of the bodies 
N29  30 seated around it. These blocks of shadow on the polished wood, like 
N29  31 the bodies themselves, remained immobile as the stunned faces 
N29  32 attached to those bodies stared in astonishment at the gaunt, 
N29  33 bespectacled man who stood behind the President in front of a 
N29  34 portable blackboard, on which he had drawn numerous diagrams in 
N29  35 four different colors of chalk. The visual aids were somewhat less 
N29  36 than effective as two of the crisis management team were 
N29  37 color-blind. The bewildered expression on the youthful 
N29  38 Vice-President's face was nothing new and therefore dismissible, 
N29  39 but the growing agitation on the part of the chairman of the Joint 
N29  40 Chiefs of Staff was not so easily dismissed.<p/>
N29  41 <p_><quote_>"<tf|>Goddamn it, Washbum, I don't -"<quote/><p/>
N29  42 <p_><quote_>"That's Washburn, General."<quote/><p/>
N29  43 <p_><quote_>"That's nice. I don't follow the legal 
N29  44 line."<quote/><p/>
N29  45 <p_><quote_>"It's the orange one, sir."<quote/><p/>
N29  46 <p_><quote_>"Which one is that?"<quote/><p/>
N29  47 <p_><quote_>"I just explained, the <tf|>orange chalk."<quote/><p/>
N29  48 <p_><quote_>"Point it out."<quote/><p/>
N29  49 <p_>Heads turned; the President spoke. <quote_>"Gee whiz, Zack, 
N29  50 can't you tell?"<quote/><p/>
N29  51 <p_><quote_>"It's dark in here, Mr. President."<quote/><p/>
N29  52 <p_><quote_>"Not that dark, Zack. <tf|>I can see it 
N29  53 clearly."<quote/><p/>
N29  54 <p_><quote_>"Well, I've got a minor visual problem,"<quote/> said 
N29  55 the general, abruptly lowering his voice, 
N29  56 <quote_>"...distinguishing certain colors."<quote/><p/>
N29  57 <p_><quote_>"What, Zack?"<quote/><p/>
N29  58 <p_><quote_>"<tf|>I heard him,"<quote/> exclaimed the towheaded 
N29  59 Vice-President, seated next to the J.C. chairman. <quote_>"He's 
N29  60 <tf_>color<tf/>-blind."<quote/><p/>
N29  61 <p_><quote_>"Golly, Zack, but you're a soldier!"<quote/><p/>
N29  62 <p_><quote_>"Came on late, Mr. President."<quote/><p/>
N29  63 <p_><quote_>"It came on <tf|>early with me,"<quote/> continued the 
N29  64 excitable heir to the Oval Office. <quote_>"Actually, it's what 
N29  65 kept me out of the <tf|>real army. I would have given <tf|>anything 
N29  66 to correct the problem!"<quote/><p/>
N29  67 <p_><quote_>"Close it up, gumball,"<quote/> said the 
N29  68 swarthy-skinned director of the Central Intelligence Agency, his 
N29  69 voice low but his half-lidded, dark eyes ominous. <quote_>"The 
N29  70 friggin' campaign's over."<quote/><p/>
N29  71 <p_><quote_>"Now, really, Vincent, there's no cause for that 
N29  72 language,"<quote/> intruded the President. <quote_>"There's a lady 
N29  73 present."<quote/><p/>
N29  74 <p_><quote_>"That judgment's up for grabs, Prez. The lady in 
N29  75 question is not unfamiliar with the lingua franca, as it 
N29  76 were."<quote/> The DCI smiled grimly at the glaring female aide and 
N29  77 returned to the man named Washburn at the portable blackboard. 
N29  78 <quote_>"You, our legal expert here, what kind of ... creek are we 
N29  79 up?"<quote/><p/>
N29  80 <p_><quote_>"<tf|>That's better, Vinnie,"<quote/> added the 
N29  81 President. <quote_>"I appreciate it."<quote/><p/>
N29  82 <p_><quote_>"You're welcome ... Go on, Mr. Lawyer. What kind of 
N29  83 deep ca-ca are we really into?"<quote/><p/>
N29  84 <p_><quote_>"Very nice, Vinnie."<quote/><p/>
N29  85 <p_><quote_>"Please, Big Man, we're all a little stressed 
N29  86 here."<quote/> The director leaned forward, his apprehensive eyes 
N29  87 on the White House legal aide. <quote|>"You," he continued, 
N29  88 <quote_>"put away the chalk and let's have the news. And do me a 
N29  89 favor, don't spend a week getting there, okay?"<quote/><p/>
N29  90 <p_><quote_>"As you wish, Mr. Mangecavallo,"<quote/> said the White 
N29  91 House attorney, placing the colored chalk on the blackboard ledge. 
N29  92 <quote_>"I was merely trying to diagram the historical precedents 
N29  93 relative to the altered laws where the Indian nations were 
N29  94 concerned."<quote/><p/>
N29  95 <p_><quote_>"What <tf|>nations?"<quote/> asked the Vice-President, 
N29  96 in his voice a trace of arrogance. <quote_>"They're tribes, not 
N29  97 countries."<quote/><p/>
N29  98 <p_><quote_>"Go on,"<quote/> interrupted the director. 
N29  99 <quote_>"He's not here."<quote/><p/>
N29 100 <p_><quote_>"Well, I'm sure you all recall the information our mole 
N29 101 at the Supreme Court gave us about an obscure, impoverished Indian 
N29 102 <tf|>tribe petitioning the Court over a supposed treaty with the 
N29 103 federal government that was allegedly lost or stolen by federal 
N29 104 agents. A treaty that if ever found would restore their rights to 
N29 105 certain territories currently housing vital military 
N29 106 installations."<quote/><p/>
N29 107 <p_><quote_>"Oh, yes,"<quote/> said the President. <quote_>"We had 
N29 108 quite a laugh over that. They even sent an extremely long brief to 
N29 109 the Court that nobody wanted to read."<quote/><p/>
N29 110 <p_><quote_>"Some poor people will do anything but get a 
N29 111 job!"<quote/> joined in the Veep. <quote_>"That <tf|>is a 
N29 112 laugh."<quote/><p/>
N29 113 <p_><quote_>"Our lawyer isn't laughing,"<quote/> observed the 
N29 114 director.<p/>
N29 115 <p_><quote_>"No, I'm not, sir. Our mole sends word that there've 
N29 116 been some quiet rumors which may mean absolutely nothing, of 
N29 117 course, but apparently five or six justices of the Court were so 
N29 118 impressed by the brief that they've actually debated its merits in 
N29 119 chambers. Several feel that the lost Treaty of 1878, negotiated 
N29 120 with the Wopotami tribe and the Forty-ninth Congress, may 
N29 121 ultimately be legally binding upon the government of the United 
N29 122 States."<quote/><p/>
N29 123 <p_><quote_>"You gotta be outta your <tf|>lemon tree!"<quote/> 
N29 124 roared Mangecavallo. <quote_>"They can't <tf|>do that!"<quote/><p/>
N29 125 <p_><quote_>"Totally unacceptable,"<quote/> snapped the pinstriped, 
N29 126 acerbic Secretay of State. <quote_>"Those judicial fruitcakes will 
N29 127 never survive the polls!"<quote/><p/>
N29 128 <p_><quote_>"I don't think they have to, Warren."<quote/> The 
N29 129 President shook his head slowly. <quote_>"But I see what you mean. 
N29 130 As the great communicator frequently told me, 'Those mothers 
N29 131 couldn't get parts as extras in <tf|>Ben-Hur, not even in the 
N29 132 Colosseum scenes.'"<quote/><p/>
N29 133 <p_><quote|>"Profound," said the Vice-President, nodding his head. 
N29 134 <quote_>"That really says it. Who's Benjamin Hurr?"<quote/><p/>
N29 135 <p_><quote_>"Forget it,"<quote/> replied the balding, portly 
N29 136 Attorney General, still breathing heavily from the swift journey 
N29 137 through the underground corridors. <quote_>"The point is they don't 
N29 138 need outside employment. They're set for life, and there's nothing 
N29 139 we can <tf|>do about it."<quote/><p/>
N29 140 <p_><quote_>"Unless they're all impeached,"<quote/> offered the 
N29 141 nasal-toned Secretary of State, Warren Pease, his thin-lipped smile 
N29 142 devoid of bonhomie.<p/>
N29 143 <p_><quote_>"Forget that, too,"<quote/> rebutted the Attorney 
N29 144 General. <quote_>"They're pristine white and immaculate black, even 
N29 145 the skirt. I checked the whole spectrum when those pointy-heads 
N29 146 shoved that negative poll tax decision down our 
N29 147 throats."<quote/><p/>
N29 148 <p_><quote_>"That was simply <tf|>grotesque!"<quote/> cried the 
N29 149 Vice-President, his wide eyes searching for approval. 
N29 150 <quote_>"What's five hundred dollars for the right to 
N29 151 <tf|>vote?"<quote/><p/>
N29 152 <p_><quote_>"Too true,"<quote/> agreed the occupant of the Oval 
N29 153 Office. <quote_>"The good people could have written it off on their 
N29 154 capital gains. For instance, there was an article by a fine 
N29 155 economist, an alumnus of ours, as a matter of fact, in <tf_>The 
N29 156 Bank Street Journal<tf/>, explaining that by converting one's 
N29 157 assets in subsection C to the line item projected losses in 
N29 158 -"<quote/><p/>
N29 159 <p_><quote_>"Prez, <tf>please?"<quote/> interrupted the director of 
N29 160 the Central Intelligence Agency gently. <quote_>"That bum's doing 
N29 161 time, six to ten years for fraud, actually ... A lid, please, Big 
N29 162 Man, okay?"<quote/><p/>
N29 163 <p_><quote_>"Certainly, Vincent ... Is he really?"<quote/><p/>
N29 164 <p_><quote_>"Just remember, none of us remember him,"<quote/> 
N29 165 replied the DCI, barely above a whisper. <quote_>"You forgot his 
N29 166 line item procedures when we had him at Treasury? He put half of 
N29 167 Defense into Education, but nobody got no schools."<quote/><p/>
N29 168 <p_><quote_>"It was <tf|>great PR -"<quote/><p/>
N29 169 <p_><quote_>"Stow it, gumball -"<quote/><p/>
N29 170 <p_><quote_>"'Stow it,' Vincent? Were you in the navy? 'Stow it' is 
N29 171 a navy term."<quote/><p/>
N29 172 <p_><quote_>"Let's say I've been on a lot of small, fast boats, 
N29 173 Prez. Caribbean theater of operations, okay?"<quote/><p/>
N29 174 <p_><quote_>"<tf|>Ships, Vincent? They're always 'ships.' Were you 
N29 175 by the way of Annapolis?"<quote/><p/>
N29 176 <p_><quote_>"There was a Greek runner from the Aegean who could 
N29 177 <tf|>smell a patrol boat in pitch dark."<quote/><p/>
N29 178 <p_><quote_>"Ship, Vincent. <tf|>Ship ... Or maybe not when applied 
N29 179 to patrols -"<quote/><p/>
N29 180 <p_><quote_>"Please, Big Man."<quote/> Director Mangecavallo stared 
N29 181 at the Attorney General. <quote_>"Maybe you didn't look good enough 
N29 182 into that dirtbag character spectrum of yours, huh? On those 
N29 183 judicial fruitcakes, as our high-toned Secretary of State called 
N29 184 'em. Maybe there were omissions, right?"<quote/><p/>
N29 185 <p_><quote_>"I used the entire resources of the Federal 
N29 186 Bureau,"<quote/> replied the obese Attorney General, adjusting his 
N29 187 bulk in the inadequate chair while wiping his forehead with a 
N29 188 soiled handkerchief. <quote_>"We couldn't hang a jaywalking ticket 
N29 189 on any of them. They've all been in Sunday school since the day 
N29 190 they were born."<quote/><p/>
N29 191 <p_><quote_>"What do those FBI yo-yos know, huh? They cleared 
N29 192 <tf|>me, right? I was the holiest saint in town, 
N29 193 <tf|>right?"<quote/><p/>
N29 194 <p_><quote_>"And both the House and the Senate confirmed you with 
N29 195 rather decent majorities, Vincent. That says something about our 
N29 196 constitutional checks and balances, doesn't it?"<quote/><p/>
N29 197 <p_><quote_>"More about checks made out to 'cash' than balances, 
N29 198 Prez, but we'll let it slide, okay? ... Owl Eyes here says that 
N29 199 five or six of the big robes may be leaning the wrong way, 
N29 200 right?"<quote/><p/>
N29 201 <p_><quote_>"It could simply be minor speculation,"<quote/> added 
N29 202 Washburn. <quote_>"And completely in camera."<quote/><p/>
N29 203 <p_><quote_>"So who's takin' pictures?"<quote/><p/>
N29 204 <p_><quote_>"You misunderstand, sir. I mean the debates remain 
N29 205 secret, not a word of them leaked to the press or the public. The 
N29 206 blackout was actually self-imposed on the grounds of national 
N29 207 security, in extremis."<quote/><p/>
N29 208 <p_><quote_>"In who?"<quote/><p/>
N29 209 <p_><quote_>"Good heavens!"<quote/> cried Washburn. <quote_>"This 
N29 210 wonderful country, the nation we love, could be placed in the most 
N29 211 vulnerable military position in our history if five of those damn 
N29 212 fools vote their consciences. We could be 
N29 213 <tf|>obliterated!"<quote/><p/>
N29 214 <p_><quote_>"Okay, okay, cool it,"<quote/> said Mangecavallo, 
N29 215 staring at the others around the table, quickly passing by the eyes 
N29 216 of the President and his heir apparent. <quote_>"So we got us some 
N29 217 room by this top-secret status. And we also got five or six 
N29 218 judicial fruitcakes to work on, right? ... So, as the intelligence 
N29 219 expert at this table, I say we should make sure two or three of 
N29 220 those zucchinis stay in the vegetable patch, <tf|>right? And since 
N29 221 this sort of thing is in my personal realm of expertise, I'll go to 
N29 222 work, <foreign|>capisce?"<quote/><p/>
N29 223 <p_><quote_>"You'll have to work quickly, Mr. Director,"<quote/> 
N29 224 said the bespectacled Washburn. <quote_>"Our mole tells us that the 
N29 225 Chief Justice himself told him he was going to lift the debate 
N29 226 blackout in forty-eight hours. In his own words, Chief Justice 
N29 227 Reebock said, 'They're not the only half-assed ball game in town' - 
N29 228 that's a direct quote, Mr. President. I personally do not use such 
N29 229 language."<quote/><p/>
N29 230 <p_><quote_>"Very commendable, Washbloom -"<quote/><p/>
N29 231 <p_><quote_>"That's <tf|>Washburn, sir."<quote/><p/>
N29 232 <p_><quote_>"Him, too. Let's <tf|>skull, men - and you, too, Miss 
N29 233 ... Miss ..."<quote/><p/>
N29 234 <p_><quote_>"Trueheart, Mr. President. Teresa 
N29 235 Trueheart."<quote/><p/>
N29 236 <p_><quote_>"What do you do?"<quote/><p/>
N29 237 <p_><quote_>"I'm your Chief of Staff's personal secretary, 
N29 238 sir."<quote/><p/>
N29 239 <p_><quote_>"And then some,"<quote/> mumbled the DCI.<p/>
N29 240 <p_><quote_>"<tf|>Stow it, Vinnie."<quote/><p/>
N29 241 <p_><quote_>"My Chief of Staff ...? Gosh 'n' crackers, where 
N29 242 <tf|>is Arnold? I mean this is a <tf|>crisis, a real zing 
N29 243 doozer!"<quote/><p/>
N29 244 <p_><quote_>"He has his massage every afternoon at this hour, 
N29 245 sir,"<quote/> replied Miss Trueheart brightly.<p/>
N29 246 <p_><quote_>"Well, I don't mean to criticize, but -"<quote/><p/>
N29 247 <p_><quote_>"You have every <tf|>right to criticize, Mr. 
N29 248 President,"<quote/> interrupted the wide-eyed heir apparent.<p/>
N29 249 <p_><quote_>"On the other hand, Subagaloo's been under a great deal 
N29 250 of stress lately. The press corps call him names and he's quite 
N29 251 sensitive."<quote/><p/>
N29 252 <p_><quote_>"And there's nothing that relieves stress more than a 
N29 253 massage,"<quote/> added the Vice-President. <quote_>"Believe me, I 
N29 254 know!"<quote/><p/>
N29 255 <p_><quote_>"So where do we stand, gentlemen? Let's get a fix on 
N29 256 the compass and tighten the halyards."<quote/><p/>
N29 257 <p_><quote_>"Aye, <tf|>aye, sir!"<quote/><p/>
N29 258 <p_><quote_>"Mr. Vice-President, give us a break, huh? ... The 
N29 259 compass we're locked into, Big Man, should better be fixed on a 
N29 260 full moon, 'cause that's where we're at - looney-tune time, but 
N29 261 nobody's laughin'."<quote/><p/>
N29 262 <p_><quote_>"Speaking as your Secretary of Defense, <tf_>Mr. 
N29 263 President,<tf/>"<quote/> broke in an extremely short man whose 
N29 264 pinched face barely projected above the table and whose eyes glared 
N29 265 disapprovingly at the CIA director, <quote_>"the situation's 
N29 266 utterly preposterous. Those idiots on the Court can't be allowed to 
N29 267 even consider devastating the security of the country over an 
N29 268 obscure, long-forgotten, so-called treaty with an Indian tribe 
N29 269 nobody's ever <tf|>heard of!"<quote/><p/>
N29 270 <p_><quote_>"Oh, I've heard of the Wopotamis,"<quote/> the 
N29 271 Vice-President interrupted again. <quote_>"Of course, American 
N29 272 history wasn't my best subject, but I remember I thought it was a 
N29 273 funny name, like the Choppywaws. I thought they were slaughtered or 
N29 274 died of starvation or some dumb thing."<quote/><p/>
N29 275 
N30   1 
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