Kate relaxed only slightly, letting her carbine go to low ready.  "Ya done found her."

"Come join us, Mr. French," he said, gesturing to a nearby chair.

As Kate began her story, Dr. Wayland set about finalizing his choices from the offered foods.  Cantaloupe, oatmeal, biscuits and preserves.  Each is carefully arranged on the plate.  There is effort put into making sure each portion is the same size....by some sort of calculus meaningful to him.  The main thing that would be noticed, if any bothered to notice the eccentric inventor, is that he carefully pared down the biscuits and cantaloupe to achieve the right balance with the oatmeal.  Which he then had to redo upon the realization that the preserves would actually be eaten /with/ the biscuits and thus change the volume of that portion of the plate.  It took a meticulous while.  He was really only just achieving his coffee when Mr. French entered.

Once it was clear that no shooting would begin right then, Wayland finished pouring the coffee and made his way to the table as well.  Once seated, he drew a small notebook and pencil out of his vest pocket, jotting a few quick notes.

Taking Lee’s cue, French makes his way to the offered seat. Sitting down stiffly, he looks to Kate. ”Tom, he would’ve come himself, but had to get ridin’ south. So he asked me to find you.”

“Said you were wantin’ to locate Buckshot Roberts.”

Albert slipped his weapon back into its holster when he saw who it was. He put his right index finger to the brim of his hat in salute to fellow cowboy. "Vive la révolution." It had become something of his standard greeting to French, though had taken on deeper meaning in recent days.

Albert finished the last of his food then turned his gaze toward the newcomer. He nodded at the question, though allowed Kate to provide any additional details she thought necessary.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:02, Thu 25 July 2019.

Cooper was disappointed (or perhaps not).  When she didn't have a long, complex story with important details to tell, she was usually fairly spare and laconic.

"Yep."

Buckshot Roberts.  The hell kind of name was that?

”Roberts stays away from town...from people, most of the time. But he knows some of the folks at Blazer’s Mill. Gets along with ‘em real well. So usually, when he turns up, it’s there,” French says.

”Mrs. McSween sent a couple of hands over to Blazer’s Mill yesterday to get some lumber to patch up one of the line shacks. They saw Roberts there. Mentioned it when they got back to the ranch.”

“Thing is, Billy Bonney and the rest of the Regulators were there. They’d passed the night at the bunkhouse. Charlie Bowdre, he heard the talk about Roberts.”

French shrugs. ”One of the warrants Judge Wilson issued for John Tunstall’s killin’ was for Roberts. There’s a fair number of people that are certain that he, and a couple of other names on that list, didn’t have nothin’ to do with the murder. But the way the Kid figures it, if there’s a suspicion someone had a hand in it, that’s good enough for him.”

“‘Bout half an hour ago, the Regulators lit out for Blazer’s Mill to serve the warrant on Roberts. Which, knowin’ Billy, means they’ll bring him back to Lincoln in a pine box. That bounty hunter’s a tough one, but there’s no way he’ll take all those boys alone. They’ll cut him down.”

"Where the hell is Blazer's Mill?"  Kate asked, taking the very last sip of whiskey, and cycling the carbine to let it rest on an empty chamber.

Albert frowned at the information from French, then looked over to Kate at her question. "Southwest of here. Though if they're all ridin'..."

He looked over to French. "Them regulators all ridin'?" Coop slurped down a sizable gulp of coffee right after he asked the question, as if he might have to leave the remainder behind.

Kate likewise was already headed back to the bar, though she was paying attention to the question and hopefully the answer.

”I can’t say it was all of ‘em, but most. Billy. Doc Scurlock. Jose. Charlie Bowdre. John Scroggins. Fella Billy recruited a little while back named Dave Rudabaugh,” French replies. ”O’Folliard rode after ‘em, hopin’ to talk some sense to Billy.”

He pauses, considering. ”They might’ve left Frank McNab and Steve at the ranch. Billy usually has one or two stay back, in case Mrs. McSween has any trouble.”

"Damn, it'd be a good time ta hit them over there then, if'n they's down ta one or two."  Kansas Kate responded, grabbing a couple bottles of hooch.

Albert stood up and tipped his hat to the proprietor. “Thank you for the food, ma’am. Half an hour is a bit to make up but ain’t no reason to give em more of a lead. Anyone with a horse is welcome ta join. I’ma try ta catch them regulators. Talk some sense inta ‘em.”  Brandy was well-rested and ready to go.

He’d also had the same thought as Kate and was glad she’d brought it up. Someone should head that way as well.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:10, Mon 29 July 2019.

Dr. Wayland seemed to really only be getting started.  In that he ate...slowly.  In fact, he seemed to chew things beyond any reasonable amount of chewing necessary.  After each of the few pieces he had successfully masticated to whatever he defined as the perfect amount, he made another note in his notebook.  He looked up from his very deliberate meal as he caught the last of the discussion.  The bite of fruit remained  poised on the fork, but he turned to offer, "Ah, Mr. Coopah would you care for my accompaniment?  All I know of Mistah Robahts is to the good and Ah would be glad to assist in his defense.  Or..."  He trailed off and shifted to look to Kate, "Or perhaps you would prefah my help?  Ah admit, the details of this whole affair are...sketchy...  But, Ranger Lee assures me it is all to the cause of justice."  He paused again, eyeing Kate a bit more inquisitively, "And...  Perhaps Ah could offer you a disguise.  Being that you were left for dead and assumed to be so by some very wicked folk.  It might make things easiah for you?"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:58, Mon 29 July 2019.

Kansas Kate stopped for a moment, because that might be of use.  The more confused they could keep the other side for as long as possible, well it could only possibly help right?

"Ah'm lis'nin."

"Sounds like Judge Wilson went wild, issuing warrants on anybody and everybody. May need to have a word with him before this is all over if I get a chance to. But if the Regulators manage to finish off Roberts, that's a valuable source of information that'll be lost in an effort to head off these...demonic activities, so to speak."

He had been leaning against the wall, but stood up from his position.

"The details are indeed a bit sketchy, Dr. Wayland. It's Roberts who we need to clear them up, I think, and so beyond the ordinary good in saving a man from an unjust execution, there's a larger one at stake here as well. I think we'll be glad for your accompaniment."

When Kate seemed amenable to the idea, the inventor got a bit excited.  It wasn't everyday that someone might willingly be part of experimentation.  He set his forked cantaloupe back down and turned more towards the whisky-soaked gunfighter, "Ah have developed a device which can genahrate perfect recreations of faces.  Ah have quite a catalogue of "casts" or faces I have copied from volunteeahs.  Ah am certain Ah could find something fitting to you."  As Lee offered his recommendation, Dr. Wayland gave him a quick nod, "Of couahse.  Though, as Mr. Coopah pointed out they are riding fast and my mule, Lightning, may be an efficient mode of travel...  Well...  The name does not come from his speed.  And, if Ah could remain, Ah could help Kate....rather /Kansas/ Kate ...yasaythewholething...."  His voice dropped softer at the last bit, mumbling his way through the half-remembered admonition.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 06:59, Mon 29 July 2019.

"If you're ridin', I'm ridin'," she said to Cooper, downing the last of her coffee.  "Ain't keen on letting an innocent man die just because some uppity judge has a grudge against 'em, or whatever the motivation.  Like Lee said, Roberts has answers we need, so can't let him be gunned down before we get 'em, either."

"For what it is worth, I don't think we should go splittin' up again.  If I'd been caught out alone with McDaniels, he would have killed me like he did countless others.  We survived 'cause all of us were together in that fight, some holding back the dead, others dealing with McDaniels.  By the grace of God we survived.  Bad things happen 'round here for those that don't have anyone watchin' their backs."  She threw a pointed look at Kate.

Kansas Kate listened to the doctor's words, and wasn't sure she understood, but it sounded like it might be the trick they needed to keep the ruse up a bit.  She asked the room the more pressing question however, since he made an excellent point about logistics.

"Ah has a borried hoss, might be we has ta borry some more or a coach or somethin'."  She didn't say steal, she actually did mean borrow, just... aggressively.

She wasn't sure what Castillo was on about with this, but Kansas Kate responded.  "If yer not gonna saddle up and ride the hell out of here like a sane woman should, ya outta reckon this here's a war not a church congregashun meetin'.  Ya goes where yer enemy is, if'n ya can.  Though at th' moment, sounds like our enemy's mostly in one place an' they gots th' numbers.  An all ya'll need ta get a couple of fool notions out of yer head, there ain't no point in worryin' about whether it's right or wrong, the point is this Buckshot feller's got what we needs ta know.  An' they ain't no God, no good, nothin' like that, there's only people what realize how th' world truly is an' those who's lucky an' stayed innocent.  Nothin' done by a stinky, low down worthless creature like a human bein' is e'er gon' be 'good', jus' diff'rent kinds o' evil.  Satan and Hell ya can believe in though, those is real."

She turned to the messenger.  "Ya got a transpertation sitcheeashun?"

"Thanks for the information, French. Coop, I reckon you know the territory best, so you can lead us out. We got you, me, Jacinta, and maybe Kate, assumin' she's done with her lecturin'. If we can find Bauer on the way, then we can scoop her up too. I wish Kearney was still in town - she had a way about her. We'll go to Ike Ellis's place and take Sheriff Brady's horse for Wayland on my authority as a Ranger, as he won't be needing it while he's laid up. Let's get movin'. "

He didn't know if he could commandeer a horse, but he figured other people probably didn't either. He made for the door.

Albert smiled at Jacinta and nodded at her agreement to ride. Cooper raised an eyebrow and gave Kate a bit of a distressed look at the thoughts she voiced, but decided that they could discuss the finer points while they rode. The clock was ticking.

His gaze drifted over to Bryan as the ranger laid out the plan. "Sounds good, General. Let's move." The cowboy followed Bryan out the door and looked about for Brandy.

”Yes’m,” French replies to Kate, ”I rode that horse hard comin’ in, but he’s strong. He’ll get me back to the ranch just fine.”

He looks around at the various members of the gathering. ”Look, I know there’s only a couple of the Regulators there, But countin’ me, there’s another eight hands workin’ the ranch right now. We ain’t shootists, but all of us know how to handle a gun. And Mrs. McSween’s got more grit than most anyone I know. I promise, if someone from The House comes lookin’ for a fight, we’ll give ‘em hell. And more besides.”

"Mah hoss is tied up out back.  Imma get it so's ah can be ready wit' th' rest of ya's."  Kansas Kate remarked, ready to get down to this.  She walked out with two bottles of hooch, one for each saddle bag.

Dr. Wayland was, perhaps, a little saddened by Kate's not taking him up on the offer of the use of his invention.  But, obviously there were pressing needs.  Science is patient.  He did manage one more meticulous, carefully chewed bite while watching the "exchange" twixt Kate and Jacinta.  At Lee's plan, he settled the fork down and made another note was jotted in his notebook as he rose.  The almost untouched plate got a sad...longing look...  But, Wayland turned away with finality.  No sense in sentimentality right now. He adjusted his gunbelt and gave a nod, "Then...  We ride?"  He made to follow Lee in his horse requisitioning, "Ah'll just make a quick stop at the boahding house and pick up a few things.  Meet me theah with the hoss?"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:16, Tue 30 July 2019.

Ellis doesn’t question Lee’s request for William Brady’s mount, a chestnut mare, assuring the ranger that the Sheriff would want her put to good use in his absence. The horse is saddled and ready for Dr. Wayland once the bounty hunter has gathered the items he requires from the Patron House.

As the gathering begins to ride west out of town, they meet Lena Bauer coming into Lincoln from the opposite direction, a deep frown on her face. When she sights the group, recognizing that they are off on an errand, she wheels her horse about and falls into pace with them without question. As the Main Street retreats behind them, she says, ”One of ya’ll can tell me what it’s about on the way.”

At the riders’s backs, the horizon blazes orange, the bright blue coming into focus above it a herald that night has finally passed.