XIA - One Notch and Four More Aces
The man takes a sip of coffee, then shakes his head. When he speaks, his voice still carries the same flat quality.
”I’m not passing on the word of a liar to John. Dolly Graham, and the fella she was ridin’ with, Bill Spawn, up and disappeared. So far as anyone knows, Lincoln got too dangerous for their taste, and they scooted off to California, or up north to the Sioux Nations to pan for gold. Point is, neither one of ‘em’s bodies have turned up, so anyone could make up any story they wanted to about what became of ‘em.”
“And Evans? He was killed by Mescalero Warriors. Some of the folk over there at Blazer’s Mills saw the Apache ridin’ into town and hid before the fighting started. Said Evans’ body was mutilated when they found it later. His head cut off and all, just like some of those raidin’ sorts are prone to do.”
For the first time, he turns and looks at Kansas Kate. Regarding her with dark eyes, he cocks one eyebrow. ”On the other hand, if you are who I think you are, I’ll admit you have a strange way of goin’ about things. After what you did, stomping in here, tryin‘ to start a fight with Mr. Murphy’s people, when Mr. Murphy’s likely the only one who can help you keep...,”
The curtain separating the back room of the saloon opens and a man emerges. He is dressed for the range, his dark hair hanging to the base of his neck. His beard, which shows a hint of gray, is neatly trimmed. Kansas Kate notes that his gait is odd, his left foot having turned up and inward, forcing a slide in his step. He grins, as though amused.
”You’re wasting your breath,” he tells the outlaw, ”Pony there...he’s real loyal to John Kinney. Rode with him a long time. He ain’t gonna help someone threaten his boss.”
“But I don’t work for him. For the moment, I work with the surly bastard, and I expect I’ll be seeing him in short order. So, if you want to make some speech about whatever terrible things you’re gonna do to Kinney once you meet up with him, make it to me. I’ll pass it on to him. Word for word.”
As they continue their quiet conversation, Dr. Wayland and River notice that the three armed people who were loitering on the porch have stepped inside, forming a loose line in front of the entrance. The two men appear to be watching what is transpiring inside the saloon closely, but the woman seems to be focused on monitoring Dr. Wayland and the Gatling Pistol he wears.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:57, Tue 11 Aug 2020.