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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 2108041" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter 103,  “Grandfatherly Advice”, January 11th, 1882"Oh damn, I'd forgotten about that." Kate turned Meribel back. "Flint, how am I supposed to carry that body out of here? And then, where am I going to put him? Get him a room at the El Parador?"  She turned to Jake. "There's a bounty hunter staying at the Long Branch. Do you think there's any chance he would pay us 75% of the bounty and take him to Texas for us? Is it worth losing the 25% to avoid making the trip?"Jake replies, "Bounties are something I've never dealt with. Do we even reliably know how much the bounty is and where in Texas?"  She says, "As far as I know, the only way to find out is to go to Texas, and if we have to do that we might as well take him ourselves."   Jake says, "I've got a few business items to clear up in town, we ought to be heading back." Jake mentions to Katherine. "It wasn't my idea about Curly Bill, your other friends dragged him out. One of us can go try and make a deal tonight I suppose."She says, “Why don't you head back then, if you have things to do. As you said, this isn't your problem."  Kate tied the reins to one of the posts near the cave entrance. "Flint, you must have some tunnels you and Pete dug that we can stuff him in until I can get him moved. It's almost three hundred miles to El Paso, I can't see having time to make the trip. I'll talk to the bounty hunter tonight and see what I can get for him."Jake takes off his hat and runs a hand through his hair. "Perhaps I deserved that for my insensitivity." He takes a moment to put the hat back on his head. "So before my bluntness does any more damage today, can I say that I am worried to let you ride back by yourself. We seemed to be swimming in folks shooting at us." He looks around the ranch imagining it's potential and fails.She says, "I doubt anyone's actually shooting at me. I'm not much of a threat. " She put her hands in front of her face and rubbed her forehead for a moment. "Listen, I'm sorry. Let's just get this guy moved so he can stop fouling up Flint's cave and get back to town, okay?" The three of them manage to move Curly Bill's body into a tunnel and roll a large stone in front of the entrance to keep any animals out. Once that was done, Kate took the deed from Flint.  Kate says, "I'll have Mr. Berg look at this, and I'll be back tomorrow to either get rid of Curly Bill or bury him. I'll see you then."   Kate untied Meribel and swung up. "I'm ready, let's go." Flint thanks them for their help and welcomes them to the neighborhood.As they head back into town they ride for a bit without speaking. After a short while Jake breaks the silence. "You know, maybe you are right about not being shot at. It's probably me. You ought to consider that seriously." Before Katherine can respond Jake continues, "I need to go see Berg when I get back, If you'd like I can drop it off and ask him to look it over. You're certainly welcome to see him yourself, whatever you think is best."She says, "Thank you, I'd appreciate that. I'm sorry I snapped you. I'm just, well, a little overwhelmed. There's a lot going on and I don't seem to know what's what anymore. But at least I'm tired enough that I don't have to get drunk to fall asleep anymore," she said in a failed attempt at humor. You'll be fine." Jake smiles at her reassuringly. "You just needed to get active again." They get back to town and they figure they have about an hour and a half before meeting the others for dinner. They split up, Jake heading over to the lawyer Berg's office.   Jake stops in to see Mitchell Berg. "Thanks for all your help, you did good. I have a deed here from Flint the prospector outside of town. We were talking and, well take a look yourself. It seems that Mr. Fisk helped him out. Can you look it over and see if he has any legal recourse over the slippery deal that was done to him, and of course does he really have ownership of that property. Katherine Kale or I will come back tomorrow to find out what you advise." "Secondly, I need a boiler plate contract for transportation between myself and Morand." Jake explains the details and where to leave it open for the final negotiations and pricing.   He replies "Easy enough, since I've just written up the same thing for the Fisk-Seawell Gold Mining Company."  Jake says, "Oh and I have a small bit of personal business you can do for me. I figure that if I have a will giving my mine rights to someone in case of my demise I would be less of a target for someone looking to cash in on confusion in that unlikely occurrence." He replies "Makes sense. That was the one thing that surprised me about Fisk's deeds with the miners, although I'm sure he did that just to keep them from killing each other." Jake gives him a wry smile. Jake and the lawyer sit down to assemble the necessary document. "Beneficiary's last name is Cooke." Mitchell says as he passes the document to Jake for signature. "I assume she is related?"   "Yes, it would stand up in court." Jake signs the document and asks for a copy to be made that he can put in a lock box and for Berg to keep the other. Jake shakes Berg's hand, thanks him and is on his way.   Jake looks to find Seawell to arrange that meeting with the miners and Morand to arrange a time to discuss the contract for hauling the ore. Morand suggests that they meet later that evening at the Drover's Hotel and Saloon.Katherine slipped through the quiet Cantina and up to her room, thankful no one tried to speak to her. Tomorrow morning she would return to the land office and visit Mr. Berg. Today there was still the arrival of President de Sucre and the box of jewels to worry about. Jake was right that she felt they didn't belong to them, but as something that came out of the caves, she didn't have the only say. The matter of the bounty hunter was more troubling. In the back of her mind was the thought that once he had the body in hand, he might just take it. But a trip to Texas with a decaying corpse was out of the question. If she at least had any idea what the bounty should be she could cover the cost of the Apache's supplies herself and just bury the man. She could talk to Conrad Booth at dinner and see if he could give her any advice. He already knew one of her secrets, she might as well share another.  Kate sat down in the rocker by the window to think things over, but before she got far she had fallen asleep in the chair.Ruby wake ups after her nap still feeling good. She walks over to Kelly's Dry Goods at 5:00 so they would still be open. She tries on her dresses and Mary makes a few adjustments on the spot. Ruby thanks her and makes her way back to the El Parador. She puts her dresses away and goes back to the main room for a drink and then dinner. Once dusk arrives, Chester rides back to town, and checks at the front desk of the El Parador for messages. He sees Ruby in the common room. "Evening, Ruby. Can I join you for dinner?""Mr. Martin, you don't even need to ask. Please have a seat." Ruby smiles at him as he sits. "It's about time we had a chance to talk. Have you found a job yet?"  He replies, "Thank you. Please, call me Chester or Chet if you want. I've got a couple things I could do. One is being a guard at the same bank as Mr. Cook. The other is doing security work for his mine. From what I've seen so far, he needs the help protecting those miners. The bank actually has been a quieter job, if you can believe that. How have you been? You seemed upset yesterday, even before Mr. Cook and Nanuet went looking for the guys who shot at us."Nanuet reaches the El Parador and before entering composes himself. He remembers how he left things and wonders nervously about the reception he will receive. When he enters he notices Ruby and Chester having a conversation. He realizes he must be filthy after the lumber work so he washes up before asking Ruby if she has seen Sonoma lately or if she knows of her plans for the evening. "Will she be working at the Lone Star again tonight?"Ruby says, "Well, Chet, sounds like Mr. Cook is keeping you busy. You might want to be careful what you get yourself into with him, that is if you want to stay out of trouble," she says with a wink. "Yes, I think you'd make a good security guard." She looks him over for a second, "You have a trustworthy look about you." She pauses to flip her hair over her shoulder, "and from what I've seen you're a good shot."  He replies, "Why, thank you very much. I haven't been able to avoid trouble, so I might as well share it." Ruby says, "As for being upset, yesterday wasn't a very good day for me. Besides starting my day on a runaway stagecoach, that Mr. Adair really seems to have it out for me now that I turned down working at his Saloon. That and we have probably been taking business away from the Palace. Him spreading nasty lies was just the start of it I'm afraid. I have been trying to think of a solution to the problem so the Lone Star doesn't get burnt to the ground. I have an idea but it's not the best and I think it may be too late for it anyway." "What's your idea? It can't be any worse than knocking a fella out and dumping him in a pigsty." Chester grins, then gets a serious look on his face. "Can't the Marshall do something?" Ruby raises her eyebrows. "My idea is nothing for you to get involved in, believe me." She pauses, then adds with a smile, "I like you too much. I doubt the Marshall would do anything, even if we had some concrete proof." Ruby gets lost in thought for a moment. "But, let's just say that my day ended much better than it began," she says with a knowing smile. She waves Dorita over to make their order. "So what did you do before you came to Promise City?" "Well right before I came down to the Territory, I was doing odd jobs in Dodge City, Kansas. But it was getting boring so I thought I could come down here. Little did I know how much excitement waited in Promise City." At that moment Nanuet approaches them. She smiles up at Nanuet. "No, I haven't seen her recently. To answer your question, I do believe that Sonoma will be working again at the Lone Star tonight. Why don't you join Chester and I for dinner while you wait for her? He was just going to entertain me with stories about what he did before coming to Promise City to meet us.""OK, I can join you for dinner, and I can always listen to a good tale. I am sure she will show up sooner or later. I just sort of created a situation before that I need to talk to her about sometime, but I have to be honest and say that I am not exactly in a rush." As his faces reddens slightly Nanuet pulls a chair over and sits himself at the table with the saloon girl and ex-soldier and says "So what's on the menu this evening?" Sonoma comes up behind Nanuet "Rabbit stew, fresh flat bread, cornmeal stuffing and mixed greens"Nanuet's face turns even redder. He stands and spins around to see the young wood elf. "Hi Sonoma. We need to uh, talk." He smiles as he remembers what the kiss from earlier in the day felt like. "Do you have time before you go to the Lone Star tonight?"  She replies, “A little what do you want to talk about? let me get us all something to eat and we can talk are you hungry? everybody want plates?”Ruby raises her eyebrow at the exchange between Nanuet and Sonoma. Nanuet was on the spot now, she thinks as she tries to hold in a laugh.  "Sonoma, can you join us for dinner too? I believe we'll all have plates. This is turning out to be a very nice dinner!" Sonoma heads towards the kitchen after dropping a pitcher of beer at the table.  Ruby notices Mr. Gonzalas sitting at a table watching the interchange at the table he lifts a glass to her as he catches her eye and winks.Nanuet says, "Hmmm, I had kinda thought about us talking in private, but then again there should be no secrets among friends. Get the food and we can all talk."  Sonoma heads towards the kitchen after dropping a pitcher of beer at the table.  Sonoma stepped away, but was back in a flash with all of the items she has mentioned before from the menu. There were plates for everyone and everything looked delicious. The companions were eager to eat and talk. Nanuet helped her clean up the spilled beer and then spoke. "Well, I said I wanted to talk so I guess I will start. Sonoma, I just wanted to talk about us. As you know, I have grown very fond of you lately and before anyone's feelings get hurt I want to know how you feel. I also want to be sure your family is OK with... well with us. I am a bit older than you, not that it should matter, but you are close with your family and they are kind people. I don't want to upset them." Nanuet scanned the room and found all the eyes were on him even people who had been in the kitchen or out in the yard or behind the bar, as well as his friends, especially Sonoma's. He pauses for only a moment and then continues. "Tomorrow I plan on riding to see the Apache again, I need to see my mentor. When I do, I want to seek his blessing on the matter of pursuing you further in courtship. How do you feel about that?"Before Sonoma can even open her mouth Mr. Gonzalas clears his throat and in a voice that covers the distance from his table to the group's table.  In a clear booming voice, strong enough for every person in the cantina to hear he says, "I see that you have taken an interest in one of my little birds.  You will now come to talk with me" at that he stands up and begins to head to his room with a quick stride not looking back. Sonoma pulls Nanuet up and pushes him in the direction that her great grandfather went "Well go! And quick he doesn't like to wait in matters like this. Move!"  She then sits back down at the table staring straight into her stew bowl a smile and blush on her face.  Ruby glances at Chester while waiting for Sonoma’s reply. Chester looks confusedly from Ruby to Sonoma to the slowly moving Nanuet. "Is there something I should know about?"  He takes a bite of the stew, "Mmm. This is very good."Nanuet looks startled and a little bit confused, especially when being pushed in Mr. Gonzalez's direction. He continues to walk in that direction, looking back at Sonoma briefly and then hurrying his strides and following the man up the stairs. Manuel Gonzales leads Nanuet to his room. Once inside the door shuts and locks even though neither man is near it.  Gonzales says to him "I have been watching you and my great-granddaughter. Every indication that I have been given about you is that you are an honorable man, one who is compassionate, intelligent and loyal to your friends. Those are fine characteristics.” He pauses and then continues, “However, you should know that Sonoma is very young.  Just a few years back she celebrated one-century of earth-rotations, which for a wood elf would make her the human equivalent of around sixteen.  Her mother has always been very protective of her and has shielded her from many of the evils of the world. But in this time and place, and with her having physically developed into a beautiful young woman, it was unlikely that such innocence would be retained for much longer. I do not oppose you seeking a relationship with her, but you are both from very different worlds. You need to be sensitive of that fact. That is all that I wanted to say to you."  He opens the door for Nanuet to leave. Just as the Nanuet is about is about to depart the older wood elf says "Oh, and one last thing. If you hurt her you will live to regret it.....but not for long."</blockquote>

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