The lingering tension left behind by the confrontation at the farmhouse made sleep slow in coming for Bryan Lee. For a few hours, the Ranger spent time in his room at the Patron House paging through the books that he had taken from the decaying home, as well as the stack of correspondence that Albert Cooper had discovered.

Lee was able to surmise that Elliot Blair, the owner of the home, had originally researched magic associated with the British Isles; England, Ireland, and Scotland, with the intent to make the crops in the Rio Bonito valley especially fertile. Notes in some of the books that Lee examined suggest that Blair was aware that much of the New Mexico territory was made up of desert and he held the conviction that the most be made of the area’s land that was viable for farming.

The letters Cooper collected were at least a decade old and involved numerous correspondents. But, in essence, Blair spent a great deal of effort trying to attract others to the valley, claiming that his research would help make it a center for food production in the Southwest. He was frequently deceptive, depicting his researches as being based on science, as opposed to magic, but clearly believed that he would ultimately achieve lasting results for New Mexico and the surrounding area. Among the individuals he reached out to was one Lawrence G. Murphy.

At some point, Blair became frustrated with his lack of spectacular results, and his efforts took a darker turn. Some of the texts Lee perused were clearly not benign, emphasizing the idea of coercing the natural world to bend to one’s will, as opposed to partnering with the spirits of nature. Some of the rituals that Lee stumbled across at the close of his readings were clearly devoted to alien powers best left undisturbed. Blair’s notes in these last tomes are more erratic, his comments more and more nonsensical.

---

Renata Montaño is waiting for Lee at the foot of the stairs when he descends for the morning meal. She smiles at him warmly, taking one of his hands in both of her own. ”I have much to thank you for. And we have much to discuss,” she says, ”But you have a visitor. He came a few minutes ago and is...anxious to make your acquaintance. I will ensure breakfast is ready for you when you are done. I will have Patricia bring you a cup of coffee in the meantime.”

She gestures to the front sitting room. Approaching the entrance, Lee sees a heavyset man in a dark colored suit standing in the room. His hair is thick and he has a full mustache, both of which are liberally sprinkled with gray. He is staring out the window at the street beyond, clutching a pale colored hat in both hands. Lee notices a silver star pinned to the lapel of his jacket.

Lee gave a smile and a few quiet words of thanks to Renata, but promptly afterward moved toward the sitting room where the man waited for him.

He extended a hand in the man's direction and gave him a friendly smile.

"If I haven't missed my guess from that silver star you've got on your jacket, I'm guessing you're Sheriff Brady. I'm Bryan Lee, of the Texas Rangers. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I was going to come pay you a visit this morning."

He wanted very much for the locals to be wrong about Brady, and for him to be either misunderstood, incompetent, or under pressure from local powers that he was unable to resist. No one wanted to meet a man without a conscience who would abide the kidnapping of children for any purpose, least of all one who held an office that was supposed to dispense justice.

Brady extends his hand and smiles, an expression that strikes Lee as genuine. “Mr. Lee I’m really the one who should pay you the courtesy of a visit. We don’t often have the privilege of hosting a Texas Ranger here in Lincoln.”

“You are correct, sir. I am William Brady, Sheriff of the county. I hope it does not seem too forward of me to ask, but are you here at the behest of the Governor?”

He shook his hand, and then gestured to the seats in the sitting room that they could be seated.

"You've guessed correctly. I am indeed here at the behest of the Governor, who is concerned that there is some potential for a range war in the wake of John Tunstall's murder. I've been charged with investigation of potential sources of conflagration in the area to ensure a climate of stability and personal safety of the citizens of Lincoln County, as he's concerned that innocents may be caught up in the crossfire, as they often are," he said.

"Truth be told, I've just arrived yesterday, but there's almost a palpable tension here that I can already feel. How goes the investigation into the Tunstall murder? I can help, if you need it. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes will do a world o' wonder."

Brady sits, turning his hat in his hands as he listens to Lee. He nods. ”I’d be beholden to you, sir, if you would. It’s shameful for me to confess it, but I’m afraid that the situation has largely passed out of my control.”

“If you’re aware of the tension here, then it’s likely that you already know that there was an ongoing dispute between the interests of the late Mr. Tunstall and Mr. L.G. Murphy and his associate, Mr. James Dolan. One would have to be a fool not to suspect that someone with a tie to Mr. Murphy had something to do with Mr. Tunstall’s murder. Unfortunately, none of Mr. Murphy’s employees have been willing to provide myself or my deputies with anything but general information. No one that is linked to Mr. Murphy’s business interests here is open to the idea of speaking out against him.”

He looks up at Lee, his expression pensive. ”I wonder, sir, if I might tell you something in strictest confidence?”

"I can imagine that yours is a difficult position, Sheriff. Places like Lincoln often get wrapped up in situations in which lawmen must needs tread carefully to execute the duties of their offices, given the various powers that can be at play. I suppose the good news is that I'm here to help to the best of my abilities. Not being from here, I have some freedom to operate in a manner that would certainly be more difficult for you and your deputies."

He nodded solemnly at the request. "Please, do go on, Sheriff Brady. I can keep a confidence."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:23, Mon 16 July 2018.

A look of embarrassment crosses Brady’s face. ”Ranger Lee, a sheriff such as myself, I am beholden to certain extent to the residents of the county. Those that possess money and...influence can place a great deal of pressure on my activities. On how easily I can pursue...certain matters.”

“It’s been made plain to me that looking too deeply into Mr. Tunstall’s murder, or certain other problems that have beset Lincoln County, is something that will be frowned upon by those that hold sway here. Frowned upon enough that I would find myself quickly removed from office were I to defy them. I feel sure you know who I am referring to. So, I have had to try to make inquiries secretively. But, efforts made in such a fashion are of...limited effectiveness.”

He shakes his head. ”Some children from the town went missing not long ago. And by some miracle, last night, they were returned to their families. One of my deputies, he felt he had some idea of where they might have been held. So I gave him permission to go out to this location he suspected, to look for them.” He looks at the floor. ”He never returned. I do not know what became of him.”

“I understand that you may hold a harsh view of me, Ranger, for bending to the will of those that hold power here. But I have tried to hold this office for what I believe to be honest reasons. Were I removed, I feel that I would only be replaced by one who protected Mr. Murphy’s interests without question.”

It was exactly the sort of predicament he imagined that Brady might have been in. The other most likely alternative was being in Murphy's pocket.

"It wasn't a miracle, Sheriff. I secured the release of those children from where they were being held. They were being guarded by a man that was in the employ of one Jesse Evans," he said, rendering a short physical description of El Pendejo to see if Brady could identify him.  Lee avoided mentioning the posse he had formed to protect them from retribution when word got back to Murphy.

"The man feared retribution for his failure if he returned, didn't think he could come back to town. He said it would be a mercy to put a bullet in his head, but I didn't think he deserved mercy. I imagine he'd be inclined to get outta Dodge, so to speak."

He shook his head at Brady's last sentences, and hoped to use his own words to add a sense of purpose and inspiration to the lawman's current mood. "I'm not here to pass judgment on you, Sheriff. Like I said earlier, I understand the tenuous position a local lawman can be in. It's a harder position in many ways than being a Ranger; I get to skip town when this is all over, while you have to pick up the pieces and deal with what's left. The Governor told me that you served honorably in the war and were cited for heroism. Standing firm in your position is an act of heroism in its own way. You're probably serving Lincoln best by remaining in your office and attempting to maintain some control over the situation rather than ceding it all to those with the most power and influence."

"Even if you can't act openly yourself, you could aid my own investigation into things here by providing me with information now and later, even if it's through back channels. Do you have deputies you can trust, besides the man you lost who tried to save the children?"

Brady smiles, an expression of relief crossing his face, not unlike a man who has just unburdened his soul at confession. He considers Lee’s question and nods. ”Yes, but...only one that I would trust without reservation. Lena Bauer. She’s been with me the shortest amount of time, actually. Only a year. Came from the Arizona Territory. But...she has no ties here. No existing loyalties to any part of Lincoln...or New Mexico. She has an especially low opinion of bullies.”

Bryan smiled as well, equally relieved. No matter what he might have hoped this meeting would be like, he had in truth expected to find a man who was fully in Murphy's pocket, ready and willing to use the long arm of the local law to stymie his investigations and hold back justice. It was much better to have a man here that was simply outgunned. It was harder to bring a man of poor conscience around, but with the right application of force, you could turn a man with his heart in the right place to your cause.

"Sheriff, my main intention here is restoring the peace in Lincoln and bringing an end to this burgeoning rain war. I had initially hoped to do this in a neutral sort of manner, but from what I gather, it seems that for the most part, the transgressors are Murphy and his lot - from the murder that started this all, to the widespread reports of sabotaging farm equipment, to the kidnapped children that I found out a little ways fro here, it's hard to deny that for anyone who even dares speak against the so-called House, there's no line they won't cross. Still, I have had a few brave souls willing to speak to me in confidence about some of the things they've been up to."

He paused, considering his words. "Of course, we have the Regulators as well on the other side and the Judge who gave them somewhat of a license to do whatever they're doing. What can you tell me about that side of the conflict?"

Brady set his hat down on the table beside him. ”Judge Wilson, I believe, meant well. I think he felt that I was unable, or unwilling, to do anything with regard to Mr. Tunstall’s murder, and he thought that by deputizing a group of men who were loyal to Mr. Tunstall, justice would be served in the end.”

“Richard Brewer, Tunstall’s former foreman, who led that group at first, was interested in arresting the men responsible. Seeing them being forced to answer for what they had done in a courtroom. But he was killed. Bushwhacked from hiding, from the looks of things. Almost two weeks ago. Billy, the young man who took his place, only cares for vengeance. He wants all those who he suspects were involved killed. He’s charismatic and impulsive. A number of his fellow Regulators had trouble with the law before meeting John Tunstall. John gave them a second chance. But now, it seems they are slipping back into their old ways of approaching things.”

"In your professional opinion, what do Murphy and Dolan aspire to in this area that they can't achieve through an honest trade - and will they settle for anything less?

"That matches up with everything I've heard. The problem, as I see it from what I've gathered in my short time here, is that the Regulators will settle for no less than what they determine is justice - probably the deaths of anyone involved in the killing of Tunstall and perhaps Brewer as well, but that would be just a start. I doubt that given their history, they would have much patience with my approach to justice. The wheels of the law grind hard, but they grind slow. At least, slower than just killin' folks."

He shook his head and smiled ruefully.

"On the other hand, I doubt that I'll get much cooperation from the House, those in its employ, or the hangers-on. For that matter, even some honest folks may be too scared to help tell what they do know. And even if I do manage to gather sufficient evidence to mount a prosecution and make an arrest, I doubt that anyone will...come quietly, as the phrase goes. It'll make a local trial hard, let alone an escort to Santa Fe."

He paused, then asked a question to Brady. "Tell me something, Sheriff: suppose that you couldn't be replaced and weren't afraid of worse, what would be your first step?"

Brady pauses to consider the first of Lee’s questions. ”That question has bothered me since Mr. Tunstall first came to Lincoln. Since the first of the troubles started.”

He shrugs helplessly. ”The fact is, I don’t know. I’ve spoken about it with Michael Kibbee, the man who publishes the local newspaper. Read some of the back issues he’s stored. I even went so far as to make inquires with some of the territorial authorities the last time I was in Santa Fe. “

“No one can give me a satisfactory answer. Mr. Murphy came to New Mexico originally intending to make his living as a hunter and guide. He was part of a wagon train that met with disaster trying to cross through the Capitan Mountains. The only one to survive the trek. After that, he settled here, in the Rio Bonito Valley, where he slowly began investing in property. As best I can tell, Ranger Lee, he was well off even before he entered the cattle business.”

“But here is what bothers me the most. Not long after Mr. Tunstall established his ranch and store in Lincoln, I had occasion to speak with Captain Ayuso, commander of the barracks at Roswell. She told me that between the Confederate Army here and in Arizona, along with the rail lines such as Lone Star, there was enough of a beef market for both Mr, Murphy and Mr. Tunstall to sell every steer on their range. And to the best of my knowledge, that hasn’t changed.”

“So, in light of that, I honestly don’t know why Mr. Murphy would have wanted Mr. Tunstall killed...or driven out of Lincoln.”

He sighs, giving a regretful smile. ”If I had a free hand in this, Ranger, I think I would look into two things. Men like Jesse Evans...you know the cloth they’re cut from. They’re outlaws and they will always cleave to those same, terrible habits. It is in their nature. In time, they will make mistakes. Catching them is a matter of watching and waiting.”

“But were I looking, I would want to know more of James Dolan, Mr. Murphy’s right hand man. He handles most of Mr. Murphy’s public affairs and is clearly intimately involved in all of his businesses. Mr. Murphy is a closed book. Difficult to draw near to. Mr. Dolan, I think, is a different matter.”

“And I would want to know more of Mr. Murphy’s terrible experience with that ill fated wagon train. Call me foolish, Ranger Lee, but I believe that is where that is where everything involving this valley began for him.”

"I appreciate your candor, Sheriff. I will definitely take your advice on both those lines of inquiry. I don't want to keep you here too long, given how it might seem with the situation on the ground, though I hope you'll humor me a couple more questions. Does Mr. Murphy make any appearances in public, or has he become a recluse since this business started?" he asked.

"Also, I'm curious about Dolan. Did he live here in town before Murphy? What's known of him?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:43, Fri 27 July 2018.

”Mr. Murphy does continue to appear in public,” the sheriff replies, ”though it is infrequently. Most of the time, he is at his residence at his ranch.”

“But, he does generally appear on holidays and other special occasions. When part of the Confederate garrison from Roswell last rode through several months back, he was here to greet them. At times, he will pay a visit to Wilson’s Saloon or the Ramseys’ restaurant. He’ll even stroll the Main Street on occasion. He’s...come the courthouse as well from time to time. I’m certain that he frequently looks in on his store here, but it’s rare that anyone sees him coming or going.”

He picks up his hat, turning it in his hands. ”Mr. Dolan is...something of a mystery, at least in terms of his background. He is certainly an educated man. And, honestly, he can be quite personable. I’m told he was born overseas. The Far East, though I’ve never been told what country.”

“Michael Kibbee seems convinced that Mr. Dolan’s parents were traders of some kind. That he traveled with them frequently. Mr. Dolan i apparently well schooled in the goings on of many different nations. I’ve heard from several sources that he learned the cattle trade while living in Brazil. And that he came out west to make his fortune ranching.”

He looks at Lee with concern. ”Be wary of him, Ranger. I have it on fairly good authority that Mr. Dolan has killed a couple of men here in the Territories. Beaten them to death with his bare hands.”

He took in the information the Sheriff provided him with eagerly, his eyes keen and attentive as he listened.

"Very interesting. I find it intriguing that despite pushing to run the town, he doesn't care to enjoy his dominion, coming out only on special occasions. It makes me wonder if perhaps he's being manipulated by other more dangerous powers, that perhaps Dolan is tangled up with, or if there's something they want on Tunstall's land," he said.

"As far as Mr. Dolan goes, I appreciate the warning. If he has done that much damage with his bare hands, it's possible he had some training on unarmed fighting styles common in my parents' homeland. My father taught me some similar moves, if it comes down to it. I hope as far as possible to avoid violence, however, though from what I've seen I'm not sure if that's possible."

He offered the Sheriff his hand with a smile. "Sheriff Brady, your help has been invaluable. I meant what I said before - your position here is unenviable, but if I'm able to help turn this situation around, your assistance in the matter and continuous operation in your position are both vital. I understand that you and I always won't have the luxury of engaging in public on these topics, but if you want to send Lena Bauer over, it's possible she can be our go between if she's willing."

Brady rises and clasps Lee’s hand. ”I’m very appreciative for your understanding and your candor, Ranger Lee. I will ask Deputy Bauer to call on you this afternoon. I’ve no doubt that she will be willing to assist you in any way that she can.”

“Should you ever need to find me and can’t reach Deputy Bauer, leave a message with the Ramseys at their restaurant. There’s usually not a day that passes that I don’t stop in there for a cup of coffee.”

Putting his hat on, he nods to the Ranger. ”I’m certain we’ll speak again soon. Good day, Ranger.”

True to her word, Renata Montaño has a warm plate of food waiting for Lee when Brady departs. ”I hope that your visit with the Sheriff was helpful,” she says, ”He does not come here often. I think that he fears he would not be welcome, which is not the case. I believe that he is...a conflicted man.”

"Señora, I don't know that I'd describe him necessarily as conflicted, at least as far as our conversation goes. He sees right from wrong, but he isn't free to act on that quite yet. It's a hard life for a local lawman in a town with powerful and wealthy interests. When men have enough money to hire enough guns to overwhelm the local law, a tin star's little better than a paper shield."

Bryan took a spoonful of the food and nodded to indicate his appreciation of it.

"I hope by the time I'm done with all this business in town, he'll be free to come by here and feel a measure of acceptance again in the town. He might not have lost it all, but I know the way he feels."

He ate a bit more, but paused before the next bite to ask her a question.

"Yesterday you mentioned that there was more to speak on regarding what's going on in and about the area, but wanted to delay that until after the children had been rescued. Well, the kids are alright, so I'm interested in hearing the rest. The Governor mentioned to me that you believe something unnatural is at work there, and possibly here as well. After what I've seen so far, I'm inclined to believe you. Could you tell me more?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:08, Wed 15 Aug 2018.

Montaño takes a seat across from Lee, folding her hands on the table in front of her. She sighs. ”You know, Ranger, you seem a man who has a very open mind. Who is willing to consider possibilities. To look at the world in a different way.”

She smiles. ”You will have to forgive me, though. I have a great deal of experience at being dismissed as a foolish, superstitious old woman. Tell me, how do you see the world, Ranger Lee? Do you believe that we need only concern ourselves with what we can see with our own eyes? That we have mastered our world with our guns, trains, and machines powered by ghost rock? Or is there more to our existence?”

"I was born in California, but my people, they're from much further west of here. So far west, they call it the Far East. There's a different tradition out there called Buddhism that I was brought up with, and it sorta gives a fella a different way of lookin' at the world than a lot of what you find out here in these parts. It's hard to get into fully, but to the point here it has both the belief that experience is the only requirement for verifying the truth, but also that ultimate truth is beyond reasoning, that it transcends logic and that we might never be able to access it fully without gaining some kinda higher awareness."

He took a sip of his coffee. "With that in mind, it's possibly what makes you consider me more open minded. I look for the truth and to verify that with my own experience; to follow the law, that's somethin' I have to do. But it comes with an understanding that there are things out there beyond my understanding. Society out here is built on a theology and philosophy where folks have come to believe they have the absolute and only answer, whereas in my perspective, the answer is still out there and I don't yet have it. Not sure anyone does."

He looked at her to see if that seemed sufficient to answer her question.

Montaño nods, her expression one of satisfaction. She picks up the cup in front of her and sips from it. ”Ranger, part of what is unfolding here in Lincoln, at least on the surface, is a story we see in many places in our part of the world. A person of strength using that power to take from those that are unable to resist. Violence brought about by greed.”

“But I believe that there is more at work than a disagreement over who holds the most cattle on their rangeland. I think that if you look closely, there is not much for Mr. Murphy to gain in terms of money, even were he to take every piece of property in this valley.”

She sets her cup down. ”My family came to the Rio Bonito generations ago, Ranger. And this land, and the mountains beside it, had been settled before people such as us ever laid eyes upon it. But there were tales, even then, of terrible things that had befallen those that lived here.”

“Ranger, I believe that what poisons Lincoln comes from the mountains. Few have ventured into them, including those of us who live here. But L.G. Murphy is one of those few.”

He nodded in agreement as he listened to her speak; indeed, part of the story was an all too familiar one. Her story aligned with what he had just heard from the Sheriff, that pecuniary gain was insufficient to explain what was going on here. The range war was likely just an incredibly effective smoke screen for something more sinister.

"I've been briefed in very broad strokes about a few of these things. I know that Mr. Murphy originally was part of a wagon train that met with disaster trying to cross through the Capitan Mountains, and that he was the only one to survive the trek. Do you know anything more of that particular incident?" he asked.

"Really anything else you could tell me, with your family's generational experience in this area, about the strange tales about the mountains would likely serve me well."

”I do know something of that terrible wagon train journey, though the truth of what occurred up in the mountains is mostly lost to us. I believe, Ranger, that it ties in to the stories that I heard when I was young, which were told to some of my family by some of the Pueblo peoples who live east of the valley.”

“They told us that even before their people came to the land, the mountains were a place of conflict. That in their heights was a place where...”

From the street outside, a trio of shots ring out in quick succession, followed by the sharp sound of a yell.

Lee sighed, and rose to his feet.

"Señora, I'm gonna have to go see to that, but I'd very much like to hear the rest of this story." Fortunately, he had cleaned his plate, so at least he didn't have to deal with whatever this was on an empty stomach.

He moved to leave, though taking care to try and assess the situation before he did so.

OOC:

Notice: 4

Squeaked by there with at least a basic success. He's going to try and see something out of a window or looked out of a cracked door if need be, and also try based on hearing to determine direction. That's the intention - I'll take whatever that roll gives me.

21:22, Today: Bryan Lee rolled 1,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max.  Notice.