THE
WISH
Prologue:
Books
of Shadow
Books are odd things.
Sometimes touted as the greatest expression
of human achievement, their reputation is also mired by the fact that no stain
on civilization can be forgotten so long as it is recorded in the pages of a
book. A book is a different thing to different people,
it can expand the mind to boundaries beyond comprehension or seal it off
irrevocably through content and dogma. Throughout the ages, there seemed to be
some mythology associated with paper for books were made no other way. There
was a permanence in seeing ink, no matter what its
substance, seeping into the rough surface, etching itself into the mind with as
much totality as it did into paper.
There are also books that are held
sacred and hidden in dark places where none may consult who do not know the
proper ritual to access what is contained in its yellowed pages. Through time
and possession, these are kept secreted away from men by its authors, for
reasons inexplicable to all but themselves. Such books contain secrets best
forgotten by all and yet from time to time, they seem to surface in order to
fall into the hands of those who have no idea what it is they have stumbled
upon.
Such books are usually called Books
of Shadow.
Sometimes known as Grimoires, the secrets contained within speak of things
incredible and yet terrifying. They are not merely recordings of past times but
are instead gateways to the worlds that is hidden
within the mists, known only to the select few who are able to cross the
threshold. They exists as windows to all forbidden knowledge, best forgotten by
those who are unable to appreciate that reality bends as easily as light might
do so on a sheet of glass. It takes skill to understand what is contained
within a Grimoire. Certainly, its authors understood
that and riddled their writings with cryptic and fanciful words, designed to
addle the minds of the uniformed and yet accessible to those who knew the
craft.
The Grimoire
that travelled from the old continent to the
For most of its existence in the new
world, it was considered little more than a family heirloom, an oddity to be
kept in a box in someone's attic, never considered further beyond the knowledge
of its being. It sat inside its confines, a benign power awaiting release by
those who had no idea of what its pages contained, what those words written in
old script was meant to signify. It was not to say that it never reached the
hands of those who knew exactly what it was and exploited the forbidden
writings trapped within its pages. In those occasions, there were usually
terrible consequences for those who sought to dabble in the arcane especially
when non-believers, usually puritanical Christians, learnt of these attempts.
Death and destruction usually followed, leaving a stain of violence that left
neither side unscathed. Eventually, the Grimoire fell
into the hands of a pastor who knew what it was but could never bring himself
to destroy it.
The book knew how to protect itself.
Being a man of the cloth who felt it
a mortal sin to even possess such a thing, he could never understand why the
resolve to rid himself of it never came and so it remained locked in trunk,
forgotten. It remained in the pastor's keeping who never told anyone of its
existence and the trunk continued to gather dust over the years, keeping its
greatest secret locked inside its wooden confines. It remained anonymous as
long as the house was occupied by the pastor's kin, unseen and lost as the
generations continued to thrive with the years until finally one day, a widow
wishing to make a new start in a new place, chose to sell up and move away.
The woman, who was in herself as
unique a specimen as the Grimoire she unknowing had
in her possession, had surveyed the attic where the trunk had been secreted for
so long and at last noticed this relic from her family's history. With a girl
child beside her, both that managed to pries open the rusted lock that kept the
box sealed and released air that had been locked away for more than a century.
The woman, scholarly that she was,
saw it as a book of spells from a time where people were foolish enough to
believe in such superstition. She examined it without much scrutiny, her
fascination lasting no longer than the realization that it had been in her
family's possession for a long time and that she would not be the one to
discard it. It was an oddity to her at best and she tucked it away with the
rest of the possessions that would make the exodus with her into a new life.
However, the girl child found the
book to be more than just a bit of curiosity. As her small fingers scanned the
pages before her, she found her mind expanding to the idea that nothing was as
set in stone as she believed. Her mother had always said that the world was an
arena of unlimited possibilities and until she read the first lines in the Grimoire, had no idea how true that could be.
She scoured its pages with youthful
eagerness, unaware of that what she was learning had power to change her
irrevocably, caring only that a new world had opened up for her and it was a
world through which only she had passage. Her mother saw no reason to
discourage her, making an attempt to explain that what was in those old pages
of faded ink were not real and merely a collection of old wives tales. Never
one to impede her child's desire to learn anything, she allowed the girl child
freedom to explore this interest. However she was mindful of how the more
Christian members of the community might react to this and offered the child a
hint of warning regarding to whom she should exposed this new hobby. Besides,
she had greater things to concern herself with at the present time then to
concern herself with her child's extra curricular interests.
With a husband not long into the
ground and the town that they resided offering nothing but sad memories of a
life now gone forever, she had made the decision that it was time to leave.
Finding a position in her line of work had never been difficult but finding a
place had been. She was not a conventional woman in any sense of the word. She
loved life and she loved living it to its fullest, her husband understood that
and until the fever took him away forever, she had never thought any reason to
think she would ever have to evaluate how she lived. Her husband had
accommodated her eccentricities just as she now tolerated her young daughter's
fascination with the strange book she had found. However, while he had always
played the stabilizing influence in their family, she found it disconcerting
that the role now fell to her and the decision to leave was based much on that
reason.
It was no easy thing leaving behind
all she knew but then nothing ever was. As the winter arrived, it was a
symbolic ending not only to the year that had been but also to the life she had
lived in a town that was quickly sliding into the shadows of yesteryear. As
everything treasured that would make the journey with them was loaded into
their wagon, she and her daughter left their entire world behind and embarked
on a journey into the unknown.
Almost as unknown as what was
contained in the Grimoire that went with them.
Part
One
Seasons
Greetings
It was usually in the morning that
Chris Larabee had most difficulty remembering that he
was married again.
He would wake up in Mary's bed,
cursing himself at staying the entire night when he should have been gone hours
ago. Sometimes, if the delusion persisted, Chris would even remain there in the
cool sheets, with her warmth next to his, wondering how he could sneak out in
daylight without everyone knowing that he was sharing her bed. Only after a
minute or so, when he had looked around and noticed that some of his things
appeared to have taken positions of permanence within the room, would it all
come back to him. With almost jarring realization, Chris would remember that he
had married Mary and there was no need for him to sneak out of her home like a
thief in the night.
For the first new mornings after he
and Mary settled permanently into their new life together, Chris had
experienced such disorientation. However, as it was with all things when it
came to him, Chris was highly adaptable and soon, he was waking up in the
mornings wondering how he could ever imagine Mary never being there at all.
Sometimes, they did not always wake up straightaway and their lovemaking seemed
all the more sweeter when Chris did not have to get up and leave for fear of
scandal or gossip. These days, the only thing that they had to worry about was
Billy walking in on them but then as Mary had explained, there was a good
reason why she and Stephen had opted to put their son in the bedroom at the far
end of the corridor.
If someone had told Chris two years
ago that he would one day be sitting at a breakfast table, enjoying bacon and
eggs with a wife who was cleaning up and a son who was somewhat absorbed by a
carving he was making, Chris would have told them they were insane. Yet here he
was doing just that, watching Billy with interest as the young boy carved
something out of wood in the method Chris had taught him when they had first
met. He shifted his gaze to Mary who clearing their empty plates from the
table, wondering how he was lucky enough to stumble into this piece of paradise
twice in his life. When he lost Sarah and Adam, Chris had never believed he
would live like this again but the days since he and Mary had entered wedded
bliss had been just that, bliss.
"More coffee?" Mary asked
Chris, snapping out of his reverie.
Chris glanced at his empty cup and
was about to answer when Billy pushed out of his chair and announced. "I'm
going now ma." The young boy seemed in a hurry to make tracks somewhere
although neither Chris nor Mary was overly curious as to where he was going.
"Where are you going
Billy?" Mary asked, still cautious enough about her son's life following
the incidents of danger that seemed to follow them both, to be slightly
overprotective.
"Me
and Lily are going to see Julia." The boy said enthusiastically and Mary
did not honestly know whom he was more eager to see, the Emporium owner and one
of her closest friends or Lily King, the young daughter of
"Well remember," Mary
offered a note of motherly advice, as it was her prerogative to do, thank you
very much. "Don't take advantage of Julia's hospitality, the woman does
have a business to run." She met Chris' gaze with a faint smile and hoped
for Ezra's sake, the gambler had no plans with Julia today because Billy tended
to monopolize her time.
"I won't. Bye ma, bye
Chris," he said cheerily and swept out of the kitchen before either could
say a word to stop him.
"You know," Mary sighed as
she continued clearing the table. "I figure I'd have a few years before he
started chasing after reputable and wealthy women in town."
"Anything that drives Ezra
crazy can't be all that bad," Chris chuckled, taking great enjoyment in
seeing Ezra fighting Billy for Julia's affections some times.
"So are we agreed on having everyone
here for Christmas?" Mary asked as she paused in her tidying up for a
moment. She had a dozen different things to do today and wanted an answer on
this point so she could make the necessary arrangements.
"I guess." Chris shrugged,
not really having a preference on this subject actually. Any Christmas where he
was not in a saloon somewhere getting completely plastered was a good thing in
his opinion. "Whatever you like."
"Good," Mary smiled. For
some reason, this was the first Christmas she would have with Billy at home
permanently and Chris in her life as her husband, she wanted to celebrate the
occasion and wanted her friends and his to share it with them.
"You know," Chris met her
gaze with a wry smile. "It's going to be hard for me to keep my bad
element reputation with all this clean living. You're making me soft,
woman."
"Well," Mary laughed
turning back to her cleaning. "You're a tough guy, you can handle
it."
He rose out of his chair and slid
his arms around Mary, holding her close and savouring
the scent of her skin so close to his. Chris pressed his lips against Mary's
neck, taking special delight in the taste of her skin. With Billy gone for at
least awhile, he was not going to waste this chance for some real quality time
alone. Brushing the fine strands of gold from her neck, he kissed her
luminescent skin with soft and tender kisses, eliciting a soft whimper of
pleasure as she stopped what she was doing and leaned back into his mouth.
Immediately, Chris slid his hands over her waist, his palms savouring
the feel of her curves even through the fabric of her dress.
"Mr. Larabee,
whatever are you doing?" She whispered as his lips travelled up and down
the length of her neck with sensual rhythm and each time she felt his tongue
make contact with her skin, Mary found herself pushing further into him, until
she could feel his hard muscled chest against her back.
"What do you think, Mrs. Larabee?" He grinned, liking how that sounded and even
more so because it was true. He loved being her husband and being able to take
such wicked liberties with her, even if it was early morning and she was meant
to be clearing the breakfast.
He cupped her breast in his palm and
squeezed gently, hearing her breath catch as she reveled in the sensation of him
kneading the soft ripe flesh to complete distraction. Her body squirmed against
his, reacting inevitably to the feel of his hand as it drew such exquisite
sensation that she was powerless to do nothing but yield. Chris' other hand
shifted to the top of her dress, pulling the fabric away to reveal the curve of
her shoulder. The instant it was exposed, Chris renewed his devastating attack
on her body, sliding his sensuous lips against the flesh that quivered as his
mouth touched her skin.
Mary could feel herself melting
inside in that familiar way that she had come to know, every time he touched
her. She closed her eyes and let herself enjoy his tender ministrations,
gasping each time his fingers brushed against the hard erectness that was her
nipple. Even through the material of her dress, his fingers felt heavenly
against that tight contraction of tissue. Eventually, he grew impatient of not
being able to touch skin and his hand drifted upwards, to find the edge of her
neckline. Sliding his hand past the layers of cotton and silk, he navigated
expertly in his downward descent. Mary heard him groan softly as he touched her
bare skin and felt a certain satisfaction in knowing that the experience was as
good for him as it was for her.
Through the folds of her dress, she
could feel the hard ridge of muscle that was pressing up against her from
behind and gasped at how it would be when he impaled her with it. Just the
thought of his hands on her body as he slid into her was enough to make her rub
against his hardening cock and when the quiet shudder of pleasure of that
action escaped him, she found herself joining his soft grunts with a languid
whimper. When his fingers closed in around her nipple and started teasing the
tiny nub of flesh without mercy, Mary felt herself grow even more wanton with
desire.
"Now Chris." She muttered
almost dreamily. "Take me now."
Chris paused what he was doing upon
hearing that lusty plea, his cock becoming so erect with that one statement
that it almost choked the sense of out of him with the totality of its hunger.
The fever that took him was beyond thought or emotion. He wanted her so badly
at that point he could not imagine any other thing beyond his utter demand for
satisfaction. Fumbling through the folds of her dress and not even bothering to
turn her around to face him, Chris sought the bare flesh of her thigh as he
fought his way through her clothes. What he could not pull down, he ripped away
and she moaned each time, she heard fabric tear as if the ruthless discard of what
kept him from her was almost as arousing as his hard body pressing into her
with complete need.
When Chris grasped the soft flesh of
her thigh, he felt his cock hardening again, until he could barely stand to
remain confined in his tight black pants any longer. He groped through the
material, searching desperately for the moistness in between her legs and
groaned softly when the bristle of golden hair wet with moisture touched his
finger tips. With no hesitation, he plunged his fingers deep into her and
reveled in the feel of her hot muscles clenching around him.
"God." He whispered a
small smile on his lips as his fingers sank deep into the well of her heat.
"Oh Chris," Mary moaned as
she pushed herself into his torturing fingers, unable to resist what those
wonderful hands were doing to her insides and feeling another gush of wetness
at the thought of what his cock could do in the same place.
She was so incredibly wet, Chris
wanted to gasp. However, all he could manage was to undo the buckle of his own
pants with one hand because he could not bear to remove his fingers from her
when she was thrusting against him. Mary was riding his hand in a slow sensual
rhythm and promising exquisite pleasure in each sensual push of her hips
against him. His mouth was still on her neck, reluctant to leave any part of
her while he pushed down his pants with almost feverish desire.
With his other hand free at last, he
pushed up the rest of the material of her dress, clearing a path that exposed
the round curve of her bottom. Mary leaned further over the kitchen counter,
tilting herself at just enough angle so that he could not only see the creamy
white globe of her rear but also the pink delight of her sex, moist and waiting
for him.
He placed his hands on her hips and
pulled her against him. This was no gentle coupling where sonnets described
love making as some sensual journey. This was a lust, pure and simple. They
could make love later, now as he plunged deep into her, feeling the wet heat of
her inside tense around him upon entry, Chris knew that both he and Mary wanted
good hard sex. His hips ground against her bottom as he slid all the way in and
the resounding moan of ecstasy that escaped them both upon that union was more
sensual than any he had known in his life. There was something about this
stolen moment of forbidden pleasure that had fired them both and it was driving
them to heights of unimaginable passion.
Chris began thrusting immediately,
knowing that Mary wanted it as rough as he did. Her back arched in that
magnificent way it did when she was at peak pleasure, her hands digging into
the counter top as he continued pounding into her body. Each time he slid into
her, Chris saw Mary's fingers tense as she moved into rhythm with him. Pushing
against him as he slid into her, what was achieved in their symbiosis was more
than either could stand and Mary yielded first.
"Chris!" She cried out,
her hair flung back against her back, golden cascade shimmering as they rocked
against each other. She sang his name as he continued thrusting into her, his
fingers digging into her hips with such force that he actually considered that
he might be hurting her but it was so hard to keep any control with Mary. It
always was. Chris bit down hard, trying to contain his own pleasure in the loud
grunts he made each time, he felt he could slide no deeper into her. It wanted
to escape him, demanded release in a cry of unbidden ecstasy but Chris knew
when he succumbed, it would be only when she was ready for him to stop.
The pull in his groin had become a
fiery heat and his legs were weakening from the assault on his senses but he
was compelled to pump harder into her, feeling the muscles around his hungry
cock so tight that it almost felt virginal in its intensity. The thought of a
Mary untouched by anyone made him so incredibly aroused that he grew impossibly
harder while he was still surrounded by the delicious warmth of her inner
passage.
Sweet Jesus, how did she manage to
feel so damn good every single time? Suddenly, he felt her let out a final cry
as it started sweeping over her. Chris braced himself for the fury of her
orgasm, knowing that in its pleasure, it would also take him on the same wave
of ecstasy that would soon carry her away on a tide of raw sensation. The familiar
tension around him returned, crushing his cock so completely with its tight
pressure that Chris could only react by allowing that long pent up groan to
escape him.
"Jesus!" He cried out, not
caring who heard as her taut muscles around his cock wrenched free the
explosion of his own climax. He emptied into her hard, feeling it surge like a
jet of fire, wetting her insides with its slick heat. He was still pumping hard
into her body when they both started coming down from the frenzied fever of
passion and he felt its final ripples shudder through Mary's body. Her lusty
cries of his name had dwindled into soft, laboured
breaths of satisfied pleasure. Chris let himself slump against her, breathing in
the scent of her hair as he stayed where he was for a moment, trying to catch
his breath from the incredible experience his body had just endured.
"You know Chris," she said
after a moment, her voice was soft and almost coquettish. "A simple yes to
coffee would have done."
************
"Have you got it all?" The
young girl asked.
Billy nodded, bringing forward the
collection of items he had been instructed to locate and then 'borrow' for the
ritual that was to be performed in the quiet of the attic he now found himself
within. "I brought the horse Chris made for me," Billy announced as
he produced the cache from almost two days of hard work. Unwrapping the large
scarf he had used to carry all of it in, he lay the bundle onto the floor for
her inspection.
"Are you sure this is all
theirs?" Lily King asked again, her young face frowning with concentration
as she questioned her new friend on this particular point.
"I'm sure," Billy nodded,
wanting desperately to begin. Ever since he had met Lily a few weeks ago, the young
girl had astonished with amazing stories about places and people that he knew
most people had no idea existed. He found her fascinating as she spoke of scary
things like spells and magic although she did not claim to be a witch. When he
had confessed to not knowing what he would buy for Julia Pemberton because he
wanted his gift to the lady to be special, Lily had presented him with the
perfect idea for a gift, even if the acquiring of it was rather unusual.
When she explained it to him, Billy
became convinced that he did not simply have to use the gift for Julia alone,
he could use it on everyone. With one magic spell as Lily put it, he could give
everyone he cared about the best Christmas of their lives. Of course, it had
not been a simple matter of just paying for it with the money he had saved up.
This was a gift that had to be bought with strange objects, not money. Lily had
told him what to collect and over the course of a few days, he had been
diligent in retrieving personal items from everyone he held close to his heart.
One of his ma's hairpins were in the
collection, as well as the carving that Chris had made for him once. It had
been difficult acquiring the personal effects of the others but somehow he had
managed it. He had a deck of cards from Ezra, a pen from Doctor Styles office,
a book that belonged to Josiah, a stolen instrument from Nathan's infirmary as
well as a novel belonging to J.D. Buck had given him a pocketknife some time
ago and he had a handkerchief from Inez, not to mention an earing
that Billy was ashamed to admit had come from Julia's house without her
knowledge. All of it had been wrapped up tidily in one of Vin's
numerous scarves.
Still, Billy had been troubled
whether or not dabbling in such magic was a good idea after all, his Sunday
school teacher often said witches were bad and evil. Billy did not want to be
evil. He just wanted to give all his friends something nice and if it could be
achieved using a little magic, what was the harm in that? However, just to make
sure, he had consulted Josiah about the ethical uses of magic. The preacher did
not seem to believe that there was anything wrong in spells and superstition,
provided Billy knew them for what they were.
Billy had the impression that Josiah
did not really believe in magic but the preacher had told him that it was a sin
only if he believed he was doing something wrong. Billy did not think he was
behaving improperly by making a wish for those in his life that could only
bring them happiness. Thus, if he believe he was not wrong about what he was
doing, then it could hardly be a sin, could it?
"Okay," Lily replied eager
to begin as she opened the trunk and brought out the book that would make Billy
Travis' Christmas wish come true. "We're ready to begin."
************
Vin Tanner was
not having a good day.
When Chris Larabee
had asked him to deliver a prisoner to Sweet Water, it had been a straight
forward enough request. It did not appear to be any more than a one man job and
the prisoner, whose crimes involved bank fraud, appeared to be relatively
docile. The trip to Sweet Water had been uneventful with the prisoner, who went
by the name of Wayne Ellis, spending most of the journey trying to explain to Vin why he committed the crimes he had. Vin
listened patiently, not really absorbing much but hearing enough to know that
the man better luck with the ladies then Vin himself
did, possessing not only a wife but also a mistress for which he had been
forced to steal to support.
They had set out early, venturing
reluctantly into the early morning frost since winter had well and truly
arrived. Although it was not snowing, the air had chilled considerably with a
grey pall that had settled over much of the landscape. The sun seemed to have
disappeared behind a canvas of clouds that seemed ready to storm at a moment's
notice and the terrain appeared as gloomy as it looked for a time of year that
should have been one of celebration. Everyone was expecting to see snow at some
point because the winter had so far promised enough chills to indicate that the
weather was not going to warm any time soon.
Vin preferred
spring himself. He liked the warmth that came with the thaw and the land no
matter how stark it would be for the rest of the year, would attain a momentary
beauty as things came to life beneath it. In summer, it was just too hot and
things started to brown and while the golden colour
across the landscape was enticing in its own way, it did not have the
resplendent beauty of spring greenery. He supposed seasons were a necessary
part of life and the past year had been one of many changes. It was astonishing
how much in life could be altered in such a short space of time but it had
happened.
It was not long ago that he was just
another lone drifter with a price on his head. Now he was a lawman with friends
that would die for him and he in turn for them, as well as a woman who loved
him enough to wear his ring on her finger.
Sometimes, Vin
had trouble believing that any of this was real and that he was not going to
wake up one day and find himself alone in the hills, having driven himself mad
from his imposed exile.
It was early afternoon when they
finally arrived at Sweet Water, Vin had enough time
to get some food, allow Peso a rest and peruse the shopping list given to him
by Alex. As much as he loved Alex, this was one chore he absolutely hated doing
for her or anyone for that matter. Unfortunately, the time of year meant that
he would required to do some shopping himself and while he could have saved
himself the bother by doing most of it in the Emporium, Vin
preferred some privacy to suffer this particular ordeal. Besides, he was not a
very good shopper and anticipated he would need the help of store clerks.
It was not that he did not have the
money for gift buying, far from it actually. Since becoming engaged, Vin realized how important it was to have something tucked
away in a bank since the traditional part of him felt that he should at least
have a penny to his name when he and Alex did decide to finally get married.
Thus when things were slow in
Vin studied the
list Alex had given him after he had deposited Ellis with the local sheriff and
groaned at the discovery that most of the items on it were personal things,
like linen and a length of fabric that she had ordered a week ago. The concept
that he would have to go into any store to pick up material for a dress was so
horrifying that Vin cursed himself for not taking a
closer look at the list before agreeing to run this errand for her. It was bad
enough that he would have to muddle through buying Christmas presents, not only
for Alex but for the rest of his friends, but it now looked like he would have
to go browsing in a ladies shop
Steady there Tanner, he told
himself. He could do this. He had tracked ruthless killers across the
countryside, through every terrain imaginable and had some how managed to
survive. This could not be any worse than that. Besides, how bad could it be?
He asked himself while studying the list as he made his way down the boardwalk
that flanked the main street that ran through the large community. Sweet Water
was much larger than
Thanks to his improvement in his
literary skills, Vin was able to decipher most of
what Alex had asked for on her list and wondered why she had asked him to
merely hand over the piece of paper to the clerk and come back for the parcels
later. She was probably trying not to embarrass him by having him attempt to
read out the contents to the shop clerk. While he was grateful for the
consideration, Vin could not help feeling slightly
annoyed in thinking that he was not capable of reading one simple piece of
paper. After all, he had been secretly practising his
reading skills and Mary was still helping him on occasion to improve on what he
had already learnt.
Vin knew his
way around Sweet Water after numerous visits to the town but it was the first
time he had ventured any further beyond the livery, the jail house or the
saloon for that matter. Vin had never reason to do so
until now and felt like a stranger as he wandered through the streets, looking
for the particular store that Alex had wanted him to visit. How was it that he
could track a man across four states but could get completely lost trying to
follow a woman's supposedly simple directions? After half an hour trying to
discern the difference between one ladies clothing shop from another and coming
to the firm conclusion that they were all the same, Vin
finally found the place he had been searching with growing chagrin.
It did not help matters that as soon
as he passed through the door, with its bell ringing noisily to let the store
owner know someone had entered, every woman in the place was eying him with a
mixture of suspicion and curiosity. Vin had felt more
at ease walking into a gun fight then he did walking into their midst, feeling
for a moment as if he had crossed into forbidden territory that men as a whole
were not allowed to breach. Feeling all eyes on him as he proceeded to the
counter, Vin found his movements almost stealthy as
he attempted to fade into the background and realized that unless he had a
skirt on, there was not much chance of that happening. Trying not to feel as
intimidated as he looked, the tracker walked passed the curious gazes of women
who were wondering what this rough and tumble character was doing here when he
was so out of place for reasons that were obvious for more than just his
gender.
"Can I help you?" A rather
dour faced woman regarded him with a raised brow.
"I'm here for a lady," Vin declared, feeling some inexplicable need to establish
this point most firmly because any further communication could continue.
"Obviously." The woman
retorted, telling Vin that one word that he could
just forget about salvaging his dignity.
"She gave me this." He
mumbled, pushing the scrap of paper that Alex was adamant he did not lose for
he would be able to collect nothing for her if he had.
The woman unfolded the receipt and
recognized the purchaser and the order. "This is for Doctor Styles,"
she remarked and then let her eyes move up and down Vin
with an expression in her eyes that showed she did not at all approve.
"Wait here." She said after a moment having decided that she had no
reason to refuse the request since he had all the correct papers to make the
collection.
Vin was
starting to get annoyed not just by her suspicious look but also the way the
other women were trying not to stare at the tracker as they went about their
business, purchasing clothes, hats and other pieces of feminine apparel. As the
shop assistant went away to fill his order, Vin found
himself taking a closer look of his surroundings, having never been in one of
these establishments before. It certainly did not look like a store where he
bought his clothes which was usually in the general store where men's clothes
and the farming equipment were separated by one aisle and most of the time, no
one saw any difference in the utilitarian function of either.
This place might have as well been a
different world. He supposed it never occurred to him how much actual work it
took to look the way women did. Hats and bonnets, dresses and skirts, blouses
and waist shirts, it all seemed terribly restrictive, not to mention the
undergarments he spied on mannequins like corsets and chemises. Those were just
the clothes, he saw other accessories like hair pins, earrings and shoes, lots
of shoes and suddenly, realized it was a good thing Alex had an inheritance
because if she did not have any money to her name, she would have to be naked.
Perhaps it was not all that bad
after all, he thought with a smile.
He had came to the small counter
that acted as the shop's perfumery and decided that he had after all, not
bought her a Christmas present yet. He spied some rose water sitting in a small
decorative bottle and decided that would do. Vin
whose sense of smell was keen was able to tell that this was Alex's scent from
the numerous times he had breathed it on her skin. Picking up the bottle in his
hands, he decided that it was not a bad selection and turned around suddenly
into the path of a large matron who was built like a brick outhouse. Her weight
as she impacted against him did not give the small bottle he was holding the
least chance of escape as it broke. Fortunately Vin
was wearing his buckskins as the bottle was crushed between them and the
fragments did him little damage against the strength of its leather. However,
the jacket was soaked completely in rose water.
And so was he.
"Really Sir," the matron
bellowed. "You should watch where you're going!"
"Where I'm going?" Vin retorted, exceedingly annoyed because he smelled like
something Buck would end up trying to bed tonight, not to mention he had to
ride back to Four Corners like this. Peso was going to be really pissed.
"What's going on?" The
shop clerk demanded as she appeared from the back of the premises, having been
drawn out by the slight altercation that was forming between Vin and one of her customers.
"This ruffian ran into
me!" The matron declared first.
"Ruffian?"" Vin looked at her, starting to think that it would be worth
another five hundred dollars on his head if he could just shoot her.
"I think it would be best if
you just collect your order and leave." The clerk said glaring at Vin like this was all his fault.
Deciding that the situation was bad
enough as it was, Vin decided that perhaps a tactful
withdrawal was in order. He was even willing to brave the Emporium in
Vin was
practically seething as he stormed out of the store, smelling like rose water
and carrying a length of floral material clearly exposed for all to see. As he
took the fastest route to the livery and Peso, Vin
saw the looks people were giving him as their nose twitched in reaction to his
passing by. Some men had started grinning while women were tittering softly. He
did not know which they found funnier. Vin who hated
to be noticed by anyone was ready to shoot the next people who smiled as they
came across him.
"Hey sweetheart," he heard
someone say behind him and Vin decided whoever it
was, was about to die.
"You got something to say
Mister?" Vin turned around and dropped whatever
was in his hands when he realized he was standing before two men who had not
come across him by chance. He recognized both of them as bounty hunters from
back in the days when he was active in the trade. They were tough as they were
dangerous.
"I knew I was right about the
talk." The first one, called McGillis who was a
hulk of a man glared at Vin with nothing but menace
in his face as Vin's hand slowly move to his gun. McGillis was a loudmouth who liked to talk and posture.
That gave Vin enough of a distraction to act.
"I heard that you'd been hiding
out behind Larabee's shadow, I just didn't know
why." He took a step towards Vin and pretended
to take in a deep breath before meeting the young tracker's eyes with a
suggestive sneer. "Now I know why."
As the full implication of what the
man meant sunk in, he and his companion began to laugh and Vin
felt the fragments of a so far annoying day reach boiling point. Reacting when
he should have been thinking, Vin threw a punch into
the man's jaw before he had any idea that it was coming. As he staggered from
the blow, his companion went for his gun only to have Vin jam the
With his grip still firm on his own
weapon, Vin swung his arm over his shoulder faster
than he had ever done before and pulled the trigger.
McGillis' six
shooter flew out of his hand and landed on the ground, causing screams of
fright from the women who were watching the altercation. However, he was still
determined to attack. With his second bullet discharged, both men stood on
equal footing. Vin knew exactly why McGillis had come after the bounty on his head. He had
mistaken the sharpshooter was easy prey and Vin had
every intention of showing him that he was going to earn every penny of the
$500 on Vin Tanner's head.
His opponent was big but Vin was fast and it was easy enough for him to get on his
feet before McGillis could reach him. Predictably, McGillis swung hard at him and Vin
blocked the blow which in the tracker's opinion was rather sluggish. For a few
seconds, both men traded hard punches and Vin reeled
a number of times but forced himself to concentrate. Finding an opening, he
threw a succession of blows in the man's face, forcing McGillis
to stagger back with each meeting of fist against jaw. As McGillis
struggled to return Vin's attack, the tracker kicked
his knee from under him and sent him to the ground in a dusty heap.
McGillis swore as Vin dropped down on him, laying the man flat with punches
that he was now too disorientated to defend. It require little more than a two
or three blow before McGillis was out for the count.
His large head flopped to the side as he fell unconscious, blood running from a
shattered nose and various other bruises. Vin got to
his feet quickly, feeling self conscious about the people staring at him with a
mixture of fear and suspicion. Glancing over his shoulder, Vin
saw McGillis' companion lying where he had died and
decided that the best course of action was to leave immediately.
Looking down at McGillis,
Vin wiped the smear of blood running from the corner
of his lip and stared at the man with hard eyes before growling in a voice full
of murderous threat.
"Don't call me sweetheart."
************
If it was any consolation to Vin Tanner, Alexandra Styles day was no less pleasant day.
Most of the
time she was quite contented with the practice she had in
Despite her pleasure to be
practicing, she could not help feeling slightly resentful that she was pushed
into this circumstances not willingly but because there was no where else she
could have gone. With her skills, she should have been in a hospital somewhere
in the East, as a recognized surgeon of note. Instead society had decreed that
because of her gender, she would always be doomed to having to endure being
second best, even though she knew she was not.
She arrived at the jailhouse shortly
after Chris Larabee had sent for her, wondering what
the man wanted of her and guessing that it probably had to do with an injured
prisoner. Although she tried hard to hide it from herself or anyone else, she
was tired. It was already late afternoon and the sun was threatening to
disappear behind the horizon at any moment. The day it followed had been one
mundane session after another of minor cases, nothing that inspired her
professional curiosity and Alex wondered if all her days would be like this.
She knew that had she been a man, she would have be an eminent surgeon in a
glamorous city hospital, not forced to carry out surgery in the bottom floor of
her house without even the help of a nurse.
Pulling her coat around her because
the temperature had not shaken the iciness of the morning frost, Alex decided
that a warm cup of cocoa in front of a fire was in order after a day like this.
Hopefully, her business in the jailhouse would not take too long and she could
return home to do just that. For some reason today, she felt like doing nothing
but curling up in a warm place to sit out the rest of the afternoon in relative
comfort. With any luck, Vin should be back in town
soon and he might feel inclined to join her.
"Thanks for coming Alex."
Chris said as she entered the plain office of the jailhouse. Chris Larabee sat behind the desk with his feet up as always,
wearing that perpetual look of calm which indicated nothing every got under his
skin. It was infuriating just looking at him. Buck was sitting across the table
and both men were indulging in a game of cards as they shared the duty of
minding the jailhouse in the rotating roster that all seven participated.
"What's the problem?" Alex
asked wearily as she set her bag down on a nearby chair.
"Got a prisoner," Chris
said putting down his cards, the game forgotten now that business had to be
taken care of. "He's been calling for a doctor."
"What about Nathan?" Alex
inquired automatically as her gaze shifted in the direction of the narrow
corridor that led to the cells.
"He's in there already,"
Buck replied. "He can't find nothing wrong but ol'
Sid keeps saying he has this pain."
"He is a pain." Chris
growled, with uncharacteristic annoyance. "Nathan wanted you to have a
look at him, see if you can tell what's wrong with him before we decide that
he's just faking it and we can go back to ignoring him again." The
gunslinger explained.
"Sounds like a plan," Alex
said shortly, unashamed about hiding her own irritation at being summoned here.
"I'll go take a look." She sighed and brushed past the man.
"You okay?" Chris asked
with concerned, noticing that she did seem a little off colour
if not a little exhausted. Nathan had been reluctant to call Alex because the
healer knew that she worked all day whether it was an office consultation or a
house call. While her presence had manage to give Nathan more time to spend
with his law enforcement duties in Four Corners, Nathan knew that the ease on
his burden was only adding weight to her own.
"You do look kind of
piqued." Buck agreed whose observation of the fairer sex was more expert
than anyone else in the room.
"It's been a long day,"
she looked at both men, feeling a little guilty about taking out her bad mood
on them both. "I'll be fine." She said with a little smile and then
looked at Chris, "you're mellowing with marriage." She teased.
"Now you're getting
nasty." Chris retorted with a slight frown as she continued towards the
cells. He saw Buck grinning at him and had to ask. "What?"
"She's right you know,"
Buck said as they started following her. "You are mellowing."
"Drop dead Buck." The
gunslinger remarked.
"See?" Buck declared with
triumph in his voice as the two men disappeared down the length of corridor
that would bring them to cells in the jailhouse. "Before you got married,
you would have just hit me."
While Alex had never been a victim
of Sid Crawley herself, she knew several women in town who had been inflicted
by his activities. The man himself hardly seem to be the type to cause so much
consternation in town that husbands were demanding his head on a platter, while
the more vehement types required a more symbolic gesture, none of which was
legal in any state. Sid was a reedy man, painfully thin and ugly as sin. He was
the kind of man who had no redeeming physical attributes and was apparently as
stupid as he was a drunkard.
Unfortunately, when he was sober, he
had a more salacious past time which was why he was inside this room.
"Okay Sid," Nathan said as
Alex was given entry into the cell. "Tell the doctor what's wrong."
Nathan stood from the chair he was sitting positioned next to the prisoner's
bed. Sid was lying in a foetal position, moaning in
pain as Alex approached them.
"I need help." The man
said through a series of moans
"Well," Alex sighed as she
took up the chair that Nathan had vacated for him. "What are his
symptoms?" She asked the healer as Chris and Buck kept a watchful eye over
the proceedings from the door to the cell.
"Says he has pains in the
stomach." Nathan replied, not believing for an instant that there was
anything wrong with Sid but was required in good conscience to seek a second
opinion. After all, he did not know all the doctoring in the world and if this
was cause by something he had not seen before, Nathan was unwilling to let Sid
suffer for his mistake. "I've checked him out and there don't seemed to be
any reason for it."
"Gastro problems can be
tricky," Alex had to admit as she turned to Sid who was fumbling under the
blanket, appearing as if he were clutching his stomach. "All right Mr.
Crawley," she said in a resigned voice. "Let's see what's wrong with
you."
"I'm sick!" The man
suddenly came to life and flung the blanket off him. He stood up before her,
naked from the waist down as he exposed himself to her. Wearing a wide grin on
his face that should not have been so pronounced considering how he was
endowed, he presented himself to Alex, taking delight in her shocked
expression.
"Oh Lord Sid!" Nathan said
completely mortified that he had been stupid enough to allow Sid to commit
another count of the crime which had his sorry behind thrown in jail in the
first place.
"Now I done the doctor
too!" Sid, who was better known as Sid the Flasher in town, chortled with
victory at being able to continue his favourite past
time even while he was inside this restrictive surroundings.
"Sid, you got no shame."
Buck approached the man while Chris stood at the doorway, rubbing his forehead
at the onset of a headache that was starting to form. "Pull your pants
back up!"
Alex was not in the mood for this.
She stood up and stared Sid directly in the face and said very coolly.
"You are sick Mr. Crawley," she said with a glacial tone to her
voice. "I do have a cure for your particular affliction."
All three lawmen stared at her with
surprise. "You do?" Nathan exclaimed first, because he had never
heard of a treatment for the mental sickness that allowed a man to take such
pride in this shocking behaviour.
"Yes," Alex nodded and
reached for her doctor's bag. Opening the worn leather valise, she reached
inside and produced an extremely formidable looking scalpel and turned to
Nathan and Buck. "Gentlemen, I'll need your help."
Sid's eyes widened as Buck and
Nathan caught on quick to what she was intending. Before Sid could run both men
had wrapped their arms around his and were holding him place as Alex turned to
him again. "You Mr. Crawley, come under the classification of sex
offender. Do you want to know what the penalties for sex crimes in this state
are?" She stared at him through narrowed eyes.
"You can't hurt me!" Sid looked
at Chris for help and saw the gunslinger shrugging his shoulders in
indifference, enjoying Alex's display a great deal, while trying to hide his
amusement behind a somber expression.
"Testicular removal." Alex
retorted, wearing a little smile of satisfaction seeing his fear.
"What?" Sid stammered.
"She means, they cut your balls
off Sid." Buck said helpfully.
If Sid was terrified before, having
it explained to him so succinctly sent him into waves of panic as Alex put down
the scalpel and started working on a syringe that she had every intention of
using on the man. He struggled even harder as both Nathan and Buck lost their
efforts to keep themselves from succumbing to the humour
of the situation. Even Chris was starting to find a great deal of difficulty in
keeping himself restrained, as the need to explode into peals of laughter
became overwhelming.
"You have nothing to worry
about Mr. Crawley," Alex continued. "I have anaesthetic
and when you wake up, you'll be as good as new. Naturally, there will be
symptoms. You will gain a little weight and of course there will be some pain,
actually a lot of pain. However, that will subside eventually but in the end
you will never have to worry about having these kinds of tendencies ever again.
Although," she paused and offered him a perfectly wicked gleam as she said
this. "I seriously doubt that you will ever rise to the occasion or be
capable of having normal relations with members of the opposite sex." With
that, she held up the syringe and prepared it for use by squirting fluid out of
the needle. "But judging by your activities, I gather that was never a
consideration anyway."
"You can't do this!" Sid
started to scream. "You can't just take em!"
"Well Sid," Buck found
himself adding. "You ain't doing much business
with them any how. At least when the good doctor is done with you, you won't
never have to worry about being thrown in jail either."
Alex circled the trio and pressed
the needle up against Sid's bony rear end. "So good of you to be ready for
me." She declared and penetrated the skin with little or no delicacy.
Sid cried out in pain as the syringe
emptied its contents into his body. He was still cursing and begging for this
nightmarish turn of events, seriously impeding the lawmen's attempts to curb
their laughter. By the time the sedative did its work and Sid was completely
unconscious, both Nathan and Buck were nearly in hysterics. Alex collected her
things almost dispassionately, deciding she really needed that cup of cocoa
now.
"That ought to make him more
manageable until the morning." Alex remarked as she started out the cell.
"We'll enjoy the quiet."
Chris could not help grinning. He loved this woman's sense of humour. "You sure you're okay?" He inquired,
genuinely concerned. "Vin should be back pretty
soon."
She had to admit, seeing the tracker
would go a long way to easing her bad mood and "I hope he had a better day
than I did." Alex retorted and then added. "You are mellowing."
"Thanks." Chris returned
with a look of mock offence as she left the jail. "And I was starting to
like you too."
************
"If you're not going to be any
help, get out of my kitchen!"
Ezra Standish ducked as the pot came
flying in his direction. It impacted against the wall of the kitchen inside the
saloon and left a sizeable dent as plaster and mortar crumbled from the crater
left behind. He stood up astonished at the fact that it was actually thrown at
him and stared at Inez Rosillios in amazement more
than anger as she glared at him with absolute rage in her eyes that was
completely unjustified in his opinion. He was completely mystified at what had
caused such a fiery explosion of anger when just moments ago, she had been
preparing meals for the paying customers.
"Inez, is there something
wrong?" The gambler ventured to ask, knowing that even for her this was an
unusual display of temper. Besides, the manner in which she was pacing up and
down the length of the kitchen counter, with her hands on her hips as she
considered his question was proof enough of some discourse.
"Why should there be anything
wrong!" She barked. "I am in here doing everything for this place and
if the paying customers are not getting their food quickly enough, well tell
them I'm really sorry but today I don't give a damn!"
"Inez if you need help. ."
Ezra said conceding the point that she did do most things around here and felt
some what guilty because she did look genuinely weary. Her normally glowing
skin was almost grey and she had the appearance of someone who was on the verge
of exhaustion. In fact, she had looked like this for some time now and Ezra
felt ashamed since even though he owned the minor half of the business, he was
still apart of it. It was simply that Inez always had things under control in
her duties as manager that it often required very little input from him for the
business to function.
"I don't need any help!"
She shouted at him, with almost irrational fervor. "I can do this all by
myself. I don't need you and anyone else. I CAN HANDLE THIS ON MY OWN! Now get
out of my kitchen!" She fairly roared.
Ezra was not about to argue with her
when she was in this state of mind. He paused long enough to give her a curious
look before he did as she wished, leaving the room before she really got angry
with him. As he stepped out onto the floor of the saloon, he noticed how quiet
things were as a roomful of startled faces stared at him for explanation,
obviously having heard the altercation in the kitchen.
"What did you say to her?"
Josiah Sanchez demanded when Ezra sat down at their table again, with the same
stunned expression on his face as the rest of the patrons of the Standish
saloon. After a moment, the room returned to normal and it was business as
usual except among the lawmen who knew the lady best and knew this was unusual behaviour from her. If anyone could be counted upon to keep
their equilibrium in any situation, it was Inez.
"I assure you Mr.
Sanchez," Ezra frowned, more worried about Inez that he would like the
others to know. "I merely informed her that the natives were becoming
restless."
"I don't think anyone is gonna be complaining after hearing that." J.D. Dunne
remarked as he threw a concern glance in the direction of the kitchen. "I
know I'm scared."
"She's been getting worse
lately," Josiah pointed out, wondering what was bothering Inez these past
few weeks. The lady always had a fiery temper but lately, it seemed like only
the slightest provocation could ignite her fury. It was baffling.
"Maybe it's because of
Buck." J.D. suggested.
"Could be," Josiah agreed,
aware of how precarious things had been between the two since the wedding. Buck
and Inez were no longer on speaking terms since their one time liaison and no
matter what anyone tried to say to either to rectify the situation, it seemed
nothing would breach the rift that had been created between the two.
"You're the man of the
cloth," Ezra remarked. "Perhaps you ought to try and see if the lady
will talk to you about her troubles. Since no one else is having much luck with
her."
"I'm not in that business any
more," Josiah retorted. Even though he on occasion, played the part of
preacher, it was not a role he relished with any degree. While there was a time
in his life where being a preacher was all he ever wanted, Josiah knew it was
not meant to be. As much as he tried, he could not simply sit on the sidelines
of life, allowing others to experience things while he sat in a position where
he was required to dictate to them how they ought to live. It had taken a long
time for him to come to grips that he could not be the kind of preacher he
wanted and in so realizing that, came to the conclusion that he could not live
with the facade either.
"Do you ever wish you
were?" J.D. inquired honestly interested, since Josiah rarely spoke about his
days in the ministry.
Josiah eased back into his chair and
considered the question, one he had not thought of in quite some time he had to
say. "Sometimes." He had to admit honestly. "I wonder what kind
of a preacher I might have been. My father was a fire and brimstone kind and he
believed the way to redeeming a soul was to scare them back to the flock. Me, I
always have trouble turning the other cheek. It's a sad thing to know one
cannot live up to one's dreams." Josiah replied with bittersweet feeling
as he considered with greater depth and in secret, J.D.'s question for himself.
"My mamma used to say if you
give up your dreams, you die." J.D. pointed out, not liking to think that
Josiah would consider himself a failure simply because he could not let people
get hurt while he was able to help them. As far as the young man was concerned,
that only proved that Josiah had risen above a standard set for himself and
reached one.
"She's right." Josiah
agreed. "And so I've been waiting for it to happen but the crows have so
far let me linger."
J.D. frowned, disliking even less
that Josiah was waiting to die and decided this particular subject needed a
quick change of direction. "What about you, Ezra?" He asked.
"What was your dream?"
Ezra peered up from above his cards
and noticed even Josiah paying close attention in anticipation of his answer.
"I do not waste my time on such frivolous notions." The gambler said
abruptly.
"Oh come on," J.D.
pressed, unable to believe that someone as well mannered and cultured, even
though he was a cheat and a gambler did not have some higher goal, no matter
how far fetched it was. "Everybody's got dreams. Are you telling me when
you were a kid, you had nothing you wanted to be when you grew up? Nothing at
all?"
"Mr. Dunne," Ezra shifted
uncomfortably in his seat and giving J.D. a look that said plainly to leave the
subject at rest. "I never had the affliction to be any more than what I
was. I realize this may be a difficult concept for you to grasp but it is the
truth."
"Whatever you say Ezra,"
the young man retorted, exchanging a glance with Josiah which indicated that he
did not believe a word Ezra was saying any more than Josiah did. However, it
was obvious that they were not going to pry it from Ezra any time soon. "When
I was a kid, I wanted to be the best gunslinger, Rough Rider to ever roam the
plains." J.D. grinned.
"The joys of education through
dime store novels." Ezra rolled his eyes in sarcasm.
"Oh I know its dumb now,"
J.D. replied, never one to get offended easily. It was probably why he was so
likeable by the others six men who had made themselves his unofficial guardians
and protectors. "But I learned to ride because of that and it ain't easy doing that in the city, I'll tell you.
Still," J.D. said with no hint of regret in his voice, just youthful hope
that was infectious even too more jaded personalities such as Ezra and Josiah.
"I reckon I did okay. I got out of the city and I made it here. That's
worth something to me."
"I reckon it is." Josiah
agreed with a smile while Ezra continued to say nothing.
Dreams? Ezra
Standish had no use for them and all they seemed to do was show just how much a
failure one was, when they did not come true.
Billy Travis watched the full moon in the sky outside the window of his bedroom and felt a great deal of satisfaction knowing that he was bringing happiness to the lives of all those he cared about. Most of all, he thought of how grand it would be when he woke up the next morning and told everyone how he was responsible for making all their dreams become a reality. As he prepared for bed, he envisioned how he would make the declaration in front of Chris and his ma and how thrilled they would be that their heart's desire had taken place because he m