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 made it happen.
Of course, it was still a mystery to him what he had
done during that strange ceremony where Lily had chanted those odd words when
for a moment, the air had seemed to get deathly cold. Not the familiar cold of
winter, but the kind of iciness that chilled the bones. He remembered feeling a
little scared as he felt the small wind that blew at the objects he had brought
to use in the ritual. How they trembled as she chanted the words. He even tried
to ignore the strange vibration he felt in the air as the ritual came to an
end.
None of it mattered because Lily said they had done
what they had set out to do. His wish had been granted and when the moon was at
its highest tonight, it would happen. All he had to do was close his eyes and
tomorrow, he would wake up and everything he had dreamed of for his ma and
Chris and in particular, Julia would come to pass. He tried to imagine Julia's
beautiful face as she told him how special he was and promise to wait until he
got as big as Ezra so that he could marry her.
Yes, tomorrow everything would be just perfect.