Wizards, Whiskey and Wonderful Things - Concluded

[Silver Moon]

Chapter 197, “Learning New Things“, Tuesday, March 28th, 1882, 7:30 AM

Ruby wakes and a smile comes to her face when she sees Jake sleepily staring at her. “Morning baby, do you still love me today?” Ruby asks softly, her first words of the day husky. “Of course,” Jake replies, kissing her forehead before letting his eyes fall shut again. Ruby lays content in his arms for a while but finally she decides to get up.

She prepares for the day quietly so she doesn’t wake Jake. She puts on a light white top and skirt, not sure what she should wear for her lessons. She messily pulls half her hair back as usual before placing the olive leaf pendant back on. She doesn’t waste thoughts on the days events which come back to her when she puts the necklace on. She leaves a note for Jake, then kisses her sleeping companion before heading downstairs.

Grabbing some breakfast on the way out, Ruby casually meanders her way to the former Trail Dust Saloon while eating a muffin. She notices as she walks that the air still feels heavy and it seems everywhere she goes people’s emotions are exaggerated, passionate discussions and arguments being heard everywhere.

She knocks on the door and Kevin is waiting for her. “Morning Miss West, how are you today?” She gives him a bright smile, “Very well, thank you. And you may call me Ruby.” He replies, “And you can call me Kevin then, it’s only fair.” “Agreed,” Ruby responds. “So, where do we practice?” “We need somewhere with space, I was thinking that we could ride out of town. Might feel good to get away.” Ruby agrees and Kevin gathers up the equipment while she wanders around the old saloon. “Where is the Judge?” she asks curiously. “Breakfast,” he answers.

The head to the El Parador where they take Ruby and Jake’s horses out. They find an area not too far out of town and Kevin unpacks the gear. “I wasn’t sure what to wear,” Ruby laughs, “Hope this is ok.” “Should be fine, you won’t have any restrictions with that outfit,” he laughs with a raised eyebrow. Ruby has a brief moment of embarrassment but it quickly passes when Kevin hands her a rapier. Ruby looks at it quizzically, “This is a REAL sword, not a fencing thingies..” He laughs, “You mean a foil? No it’s not. It’s easier, although maybe not as safe, to learn with the real thing. Besides, I have a feeling you know how to handle dangerous situations, and perhaps what you really want to learn is this,” he says swinging the rapier through the air with a swoosh, “And not how to fence.”

Kevin begins by giving Ruby a brief history of the ‘Art of Defense’ but he can see she grows bored quickly. He then launches into teaching her how to hold the rapier, the tactics of advancing and retreating, and the position of on guard and how to properly lunge. He takes particular care to make sure her feet are positioned properly which makes Ruby laugh. "If I really get into a swordfight I'm going to be worried about getting stabbed, not my feet!" Kevin proceeds to explain the importance of positioning again.

Ruby picks the sport up quickly but Kevin is still in no danger as it is obvious he is extremely good, easily blocking and dodging out of the way. They spar until sweat forms on them and Ruby finally tires. They chat for a while while having some beverages before deciding to head back to town. They return the horses to the stables and Ruby thanks Kevin for the lesson. “You still have much to learn Miss West, so I expect to see you again soon for more lessons.” Ruby squeezes his arm, “I will see you tomorrow then. Thank you!” With that she bounces off, back to the Lucky Lady.

Ruby finds Jake, who is impatiently waiting for her return. "Got your note, how was your lesson?" Jake asks. "Let's just say you shouldn't piss me off when I have a sword in my hand," Ruby giggles. "It was fine. I need more lessons and Kevin is willing to give them so I think I'll be seeing him tomorrow." Jake nods. "I thought we could do some shooting practice and I had Maria make us some lunch to bring with us. You feel up to it or are you too worn out from your lesson?" Ruby smiles and moves her hair from one shoulder to the other with a flip of her head, "I'm never too worn out to spend time with you. Let's go."

They ride out to their normal spot where they spend a few hours practicing, chatting lightly, eating then being lazy in the sun. Jake notes that Ruby's skin is starting to brown rather than burn, which seems odd given her fair complexion. They ride back to town slowly, both seemingly slightly more relaxed than they have been of late. Ruby spends the afternoon practicing new songs and dancing and chatting with Hoover about ideas for the festival.

She also spends some time making signs to hang around town. The signs read: "Come be a part of the festival! All types of entertainers needed and welcome. Please see Ruby West at the Lucky Lady Thursday afternoon between the hours of 1-4pm." When she is finished making them Harry offers to hang them around town. Jake spends the afternoon lazily watching Ruby.

Kate was very quiet the next morning, going about her business and hoping to keep from being noticed. Dorita served her another large breakfast which she ate without complaint before going upstairs to spend a few hours with her mentor. Ginnie was quiet as well, but she was absorbed in the books with more fervor than before, if that was possible.

Afterward Kate spent the morning finalizing her plans for the children's activates at the festival. A visit with Mr. Winston at the land office confirmed that she could set up anywhere on the land just behind the last plots in town. She decided on the area they usually rode through to get the ranch, since she was familiar with it. She dropped a copy of her plans off at Miss Florencia's boarding house, then went over to the newspaper office.

"Good morning, Mr. Chumbley. I thought you might be interested in this for your paper, although you may want to wait to run it until you have all the events." The halfling looked it over quickly. "Thank you, Mrs. Kale!" he said with only a bit less than his usual excitement. "I've been worried about getting a schedule out before the festival. We want to make sure everyone knows what's happening, and I'll probably be able to get a twelve pager covering everything beside the papers I'll print for sale during! It's so exciting, isn't it?"

"Yes, of course. I'll see you at the next Merchant's Association meeting. I'm sure you'll be covering it, and I must begin to pay my dues. I'd like to have some influence if the town incorporates. You understand." "Yes, indeed I do, Mrs. Kale." "In fact, I wonder if you might have some back issues of your Tombstone papers with stories about the meetings? I would be interested in seeing some of what they've done in the past." "I might have a few, I can look them up for you if you want to stop by again in a few days." "Thank you. I'll see you again soon, I'm sure," Kate said quickly before Chumbley could go on. "I must go. Thank you."

When Kate returned to the El Parador, Dorita sat her down with a generous lunch and said, "You eat that, then you come to kitchen. Your house almost ready, I can't make sure you eat always. You asked to learn to cook, so you come learn." Kate smiled despite herself. Making messes in the kitchen would be better than trying not to think, and Dorita was a delight. She managed to get most of the food down, then followed orders.

The first thing Dorita did when she entered the kitchen was to tie a large apron around her. "You will make mess. Apprentices always do. Now we cook." Over the next two hours Kate learned some of the very basics of breakfast. Hard-boiling eggs, frying bacon, and toasting bread without burning it. Once it was clear Kate had the aptitude for cooking if not the experience, they moved on to scrambled eggs and omelets with cheese and vegetables.

"I wish I could stay here tonight instead of going to the Lady," Kate said after a while. "Why you say that? You play piano there, always make you happy to play." "Usually it would, but.... well, Ruby and I had a disagreement and I'd rather not worry about it today. But I suppose I must go."
Dorita watched her with a sharp eye all through the lesson. After it was over the elven woman said, "Now, you go up to your room and rest. You need plenty of rest."

"I'm really not tired, Dorita." Kate lifted her hand with the ring on it. "This helps keep me from getting tired and sick." "Hmph. Grandfather not woman. He think that ring fix everything, but you still have to take care of yourself. And sometimes head need rest too. I check on you in a little while and you better be resting." "Yes Dorita," Kate said and kissed the woman on the cheek before she went up to her room to take Dorita's 'advice.'

A few minutes after Kate retired to her room Dorita strode into the Lucky Lady and right up to Ruby where she was sitting with Jake sharing a whiskey. "You come to El Parador now," she said bluntly. "Kate sad today and needs her friend. She say you disagree, but I know when it more than disagreement. When she no want to come here, it more than disagreement. We go now and fix."

"Dorita, I'm not sure that's a good idea right..." Ruby hasn't finished her statement when Dorita grabs her by the arm and starts pulling her out of her chair, "Hey..." she protests but Dorita insists, "You two foolish, like children. You two fix. I no see sad faces around here. Kate sad face, you sad face, everyone sad face," she said pulling her towards the door, "You fix NOW."

Ruby looks over her shoulder desperately at Jake who just shrugs and chuckles as Dorita pulls her away. Dorita continues to drag Ruby through the streets and to the El Parador, up the stairs and right to Kate's room. She doesn't knock she just opens the door and pushes Ruby in. She sticks her head in. "You two fix, you no come out until you fix." The door slams behind Ruby hitting her in the butt as it does. She turns to the door and tries the knob but it is locked. Ruby shakes her head and the corners of her lips rise. Dorita is just like the mother I never had. Not sure if that is a good thing or not.

Ruby rubs her butt as she walks slowly into the room and sits on the edge of the bed. She glances at Kate, who has a look of shock on her face at the intrusion. "I think we are stuck in here for a while." Kate shuffled herself on the bed until she was sitting up against the headboard. She had been half-asleep when Dorita pushed Ruby through the door. She blinked a few times and said, "I suppose we are." Silence stretched between them as Kate tried to figure out what to say.

Ruby continues to sit, looking around the cramped room. It had been a while since she was here and it looked different with the addition of Ginnie's belongings. Finally Ruby stands and walks to the window. She looks down to the street. I could climb out, she thinks, but it might look funny being daylight... No, she knew she was stuck. Dorita would only come and get her anyway. The uncomfortable silence continues to hang in the air until Ruby speaks, still looking out the window.
"Where's Ginnie?"

"In Mr. Gonzales' room. She's been quiet since we came back from Greece to talk to the High Priest. Something's on her mind but she doesn't seem ready to talk yet." The silence stretched again until Kate could barely stand it. "I know you don't want to talk about it, but no one explained very well about the influence in town yesterday. Maybe because we don't truly understand it ourselves. But one thing I know is you are different. Aphrodite asked you to make a choice. You made it, and you've found happiness in it. We could all do with accepting more love in our life. I think you are not touched, or at least touched lightly by the influence because you have voluntarily given yourself to the goddess. There is no need.

I don't believe there is any malice intended by Aphrodite's priestess. She is zealous in a good cause, but it cannot be right to unknowingly and unwillingly move people away from the gods they revere and toward another. I felt two things out at the ranch with Jake yesterday. You already know what one was. The other, buried underneath it was absolute terror. Just yesterday morning I found out what could be happening, and I will not be controlled by servants of the gods, not again! Not ever again," she added quietly.

“Greece? When did you go to Greece?” Ruby looks back over her shoulder at Kate. “Look, I don’t see the point in saying things over and over. You’re right, I AM different. But I don’t feel any different like everyone else keeps saying they feel. It seems like everyone around me is going crazy. Minerva telling me I’m repulsive, Minerva and Nanuet falling for each other so quickly, you and… what happened. I just don’t know how you and Jake could do that to me, Kate. You really hurt me because I trust you. I never trust anyone for this exact reason. And even if I want to trust both of you, how can I?”

Ruby flops back in the chair near the window and pulls her feet up underneath herself. Then she stares right at Kate, “It’s not like you, I realize that.” Ruby is quiet for a long moment. “But where is the proof of this priestess interfering with other people’s gods? Everyone places blame on her, but what is she doing? How does everyone know it’s her?

"We don't," Kate said simply. "We have only what we have seen and heard. The Priestess is a theory, but it is our only lead. It could be wrong, but we won't know unless we try to find out. And if we don't try and it is right.... it could be too late. This is what I have seen. In Mr. Gonzales rooms and in Mother Jimenez’s house, I felt very different, as if my head had been stuffed with wool until I walked in. All these turbulent emotions I'd been having calmed. They were still there, but they no longer interfered with my ability to think.

I have seen that while I was wearing the pendant, Conrad has bouts of jealousy so bad I was afraid of him. I did not have it yesterday, and he was himself. I had to trick Sonoma into leaving the ranch. She tried to run away from Mother Jimenez’s house, and the woman is her mentor. Even being in town seemed almost painful to her. That stopped once she got to Mr. Gonzalez's rooms, and she now has a bracelet from the Priest of Zeus that will stop any gods unwanted influence, and she has been herself since.

We don't know that it's the work of Aphrodite's priestess. But heightened emotions, increased feelings of desire, jealously, these are all Aphrodite's area of influence. It is the logical place to start looking. As for the incident with Jake... I may not be very experienced but I spent plenty of time flirting with men. One thing I know, telling them it's strange and wrong to be attracted to them is not a way to attract them. Neither is immediately trying to figure out what in the world could be so drastically wrong to make you want him when you never would have considered it before. Nanuet said Jake was wearing your pendant. I think when worn by you it works as it should. Perhaps on someone it wasn't made for, it goes a little crazy. I don't know."

Ruby fingers the pendant around her neck as Kate speaks. She is quiet, thinking over all Kate has told her. "I haven't felt any of that. I haven't seen any of that, except for Minerva, but how well do we really know her anyway? She should be the expert on all this god stuff. She's the one who led the ceremony that gave us these pendants. She says it was her wearing her pendant that made her go nuts."

"But I'll tell you, I'm not about to go pissing off a goddess, especially one that has given me what I want after all this time. You don't understand, I've had no family, I've been so lonely, always alone, my whole life. That is all different now. Jake loves me and I love him. I have friends, people who care about me..." her voice trails off and she shakes her head, looking out the window again. "And I'll do what I have to, to make sure it doesn't change."

Ruby sighs, "And no matter what the reason is, it still hurts me to hear you say you... hear you say what you are saying about Jake. And you're wrong about what you just said to me, some men are very attracted to a woman saying it's wrong to want them. So all the rest of you think this is true. What are you... we... supposed to do about it then?"

Kate answers, "No one's saying you should stop honoring Aphrodite. Ruby, I would honor her just for making you so happy, and I have.... doubts... about gods. And I'm not asking you not to feel hurt, you should feel what you feel. I only ask that you remember that I do love you, and I wouldn't never try to hurt you that way. I would leave Promise City first. And I wouldn't want a man who thought it was attractive that I was disturbed by my feelings," Kate finished with a shudder.

"To be honest, I don't know what we should, or what we can do about it. But I do think we must be aware. The priests of the other gods, except for the Norse priest, have all been returned to their right minds. Hopefully they will tend their congregations again. It should help." Ruby kept quiet about her involvement with the priestess. She wasn't sure who she could trust with it, she wasn't even sure she could trust Jake at this point. Ruby starts tugging at her hair, "You said earlier something about being controlled by the servants of the gods... what does that mean?"

Kate closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "I... It was a long time ago." Kate was quiet again for a minute. "When I was a little girl my father went to the war. My mother is French, and she attended church only because it made my father happy. After he left she kept taking us, but more and more she was uncomfortable and after a few months she stopped.

Then the priests started visiting. Maman would cry after they left, and we all came to hate them. They would talk to Henry and I and tell us that our mother was a wicked woman, how we were abominations in the eyes of the gods, how Papa would be punished for marrying a wizard woman. Maman doesn't know the first thing about magic, but being French was enough to condemn her in their eyes. It just kept getting worse. I doubt they would have cared if Papa had not been influential, but we were a known family and I think they were very concerned we 'set a good example.'

One day they walked into the nursery where Henry and I were playing. This horrible woman had my baby brother in her arms and Maman was in the door, screaming at them. Henry got in front of me in the corner, trying to keep them away. One of them pushed him and grabbed me... They would have taken us away." Kate stopped and swallowed as her voice went hoarse. "We had already lost our Papa, barely old enough to understand he might not come home, and then they wanted to take our Mother away from us too."

She blinked and tears fell from her eyes. "Matthias, our butler, and a friend of the family came in then, both armed. They threatened the priests, I really think they would have shot them if they had tried to take us out of the house. I don't remember much after that. Just clinging to Henry and to Maman, and crying. Screaming nightmares for weeks. They tried to control us, not with magic, but nonetheless they tried to make us do their will. And I won't let anyone do that to me again, Ruby." She choked back a sob. "I just can't."

Ruby comes over and sits next to Kate on the bed, letting her friend rest her head on her shoulder. "Don't worry Kate, we won't let anyone control us, not clerics or wizards or mentors or friends or lovers. We are not meant to be used like that," she says, stroking Kate's long brown hair.

Ruby sits quietly and lets Kate cry it out. Now she knew why Kate had hated the gods and it was certainly a good reason. She must have been struggling with this all day yesterday... thinks Ruby.
"I don't know what to do either. It's hard for me because I don't feel it like the rest of you do. Maybe she is forgetting about me again," Ruby tries to act lighthearted but Kate senses it isn't a joke. "I'll keep my eyes open when I can."

Kate pulled back a bit so she could look in Ruby's eyes. "Exactly the opposite, Ruby. She has not forgotten you, how could she?" She stopped to push a bit of hair out of Ruby's face. "That you don't feel it is a mark of how special you are, how confident she if of you. You don't need a nudge to do her work, you do it as naturally as you breathe. Keep our eyes open is all any of us can really do. I'll do the same."

She took a handkerchief off the bedside table and wiped her eyes. "There's something else I'd like to tell you, of a personal nature, but you must not tell Jake. If you don't want to keep secrets from him I'll keep it to myself. But don't worry, it's not about Jake, I just don't want him to know just now. Not Nanuet or Chester either. It's rather a woman thing."

Ruby looks away from Kate, and she starts tugging on her hair again before looking down at the ring on her finger. "I want to be here for you Kate, I really do, but I just can't lie to Jake, I can't. We can't have any secrets between us. I don't have to tell him whatever you tell me but if he asks me..." Ruby's voice trails off and she turns her gaze back to Kate. "What could it be that you don't want Jake to know, anyway? If it's woman stuff he probably won't want to know."

Kate states, “'Ruby, if Jake manages to ask you about this, he deserves to know," Kate laughed. "Now especially you probably think it was very strange for me to be wanting to honor a god at all, but for whatever reasons Diana looked kindly on me. I got to say goodbye to Tom, something I needed very much. But there was something more.

Diana is the goddess of the moon, the hunt," Kate paused, flushing a bit. "And fertility. Thanks to her, come December I'll be giving birth to Tom's son." Ruby sat in stunned silence. A million thoughts ran through her head and tried to escape her lips but she kept all the thoughts inside, trying to straighten them out. Finally she said, "That's horrible news, Kate. I'm so sorry."

 

[Silver Moon]

Chapter 198, “Together for Dinner“, Monday, March 27th, 1882, 8:00 PM

The zeppelin arrives at the outskirts of San Carlos just after sundown. Waiting for Chester and the others are a few men wearing badges. On Schmidt's orders sandbags are tied to the aircraft, holding it down on the ground. Berg, Schmidt, Chester, and the prisoners exit. An older man with a mustache walks over to the group. "Which one of you is Marshall Berg? I'm Captain Burt Mossman of the Arizona Rangers."

Berg comes forward and shakes hands with the man. "I'm Mitchell Berg. This is my deputy, Chester Martin and our pilot, Hans Schmidt. And these are the prisoners, Riff 'Alabama' McNally and Ambrose Gamlin. Here's the paperwork from Judge Isby." Mossman looks over the pages, "Everything looks to be in order. Let's get these guys to the jail for the night. Follow me, gentlemen." Chester and Berg take the arms of Riff and Ambrose. The Rangers surround them, weapons drawn, and escort them to the town jail. Once they drop off the prisoners, the Rangers show the men from Promise City the hotel they'll be staying at for the night. Schmidt explains, "I cannot fly when it is dark. Landmarks would be too hard to see. We'll get aloft early tomorrow morning." The group retires to a nearby saloon to swap stories and to give advice to Berg and Chester.

The next morning, Berg, Chester, and Schmidt say their goodbyes to Mossman and the other rangers. Chester says, "Glad that the prisoner transfer went without a hitch. But I'll be glad to get back to town, just the same." Berg says, "Yep. I hope the cowboys haven't caused too much trouble for Helen while we were gone. Mr. Schmidt, are you ready to cast off?" "Ja, Herr Marshall." He calls out to the rangers, "Please release the lines now. Danke."

Back in Promise City, Kate has just told Ruby about her condition and Ruby has given her condolences stating, “That's horrible news, Kate. I'm so sorry." "I'm not," Kate said stoutly. "For five years all I wanted was a child. I've been so afraid that I wasn't... that I couldn't. I want this baby, Ruby, despite all the hardships that will come with him."

Ruby exclaims, "Kate, think about this for a minute. You're not living the pampered life of an easterner anymore. This is the West and maybe you haven't considered all the hardships that can come with this. How are you going to make money taking care of a child? How are you going to protect this child? Especially with all the dangers we have been facing." Ruby stands and moves over to the window again. "Unless you are planning to move back east, which may be your only option."

Kate answers, "I've been thinking about it for a week now. I have partners at the ranch who can help take up the slack. The school will be a difficulty, but there's no reason I can't teach for the next few months at least. Once it becomes obvious, well.... Let's say my reputation will likely suffer. Mr. Gonzales has given me some help with the protection. A ring that protects the baby from harm, and keeps me from getting very tired or having morning sickness. In fact, I think the ring might have saved me yesterday. The Cowboys shot my horse out from under me, but I think they might have been aiming for me. And there is ah... another option."

"Katherine Kale," Ruby spins to face Kate again, "If you really want this child like you say you do, you won't rely on a ring for protection. What if it fails to work? No one can guarantee that it will forever or even that it will when you really need it! And if something happened you'd never forgive yourself." Ruby stops her little rant. "What do you mean, there is another option? If you are pregnant like you say you are the only option for you is to have it."

Kate answers, "You're right, I can't depend on only the ring. But I also can't depend on being able to walk up to Johnny Ringo and say 'Please can you wait to carry out your insane grudge until I've given birth?' The best way to protect him is to make the threat stop. And I'm not abandoning all of you, that's not an option. The other option.... Last week I told Conrad. I thought he should have the chance to start staying away from me, to avoid the suspicion of having fathered my baby. Yesterday we went out to talk things over, and he asked me to marry him."

Ruby again sits in the chair, slowly. "This news just gets worse and worse. You're not going to tell me you're dying too, are you?" Ruby graps the sides of the chair with a tight grip. "You're not going to marry him, are you? I mean, that's a horrible reason to get married. You'll regret it, Kate. Unless..." Ruby pauses, "No, forget it."

"Listen, marrying Conrad might make things easier for you in some ways but why would you want to do that to yourself? You were free and now you are tying yourself down, to a baby... a husband... this town. Conrad seems like a nice guy and all... but.. but.. I can't even believe that you believe any of this for a minute. It's not like the sensible Katherine Kale."

Kate walked over and knelt on the floor next to the chair. "Ruby, I'm not like you, fond of going from place to place, moving along when you get tired. I came here to live and be a part of this place. I welcome those ties. I haven't made any decisions about Conrad yet, except to go with him to the costume ball at the festival.

It has been strange, believing it so easily. Perhaps because Storm told me I was pregnant, and I trust her. Perhaps because Dorita believes it and she seems to have a talent for knowing. I'm just barely beginning to feel a little different, but I'll know for certain in a few days. I admit, I haven't felt very sensible lately."

"It was only a week ago, wasn't it? It would be way too early to feel different." Ruby looks down at Kate and sighs. "However this whole thing came to be doesn't matter. If it really is true, well, I'm sure you'll find a way to deal with it. You might be better off staying here and letting Dorita take care of you." Ruby places her hand on Kate's. "Jake and I will do what we can, which I doubt is really much." She laughs, "At least we won't be the center of the Vigilance Committee's anger anymore. Well, if you don't marry Conrad that is. I suppose that was very gentlemanly of him to ask. Of course, you'll have to stop working at the Lucky Lady but I'm sure you planned on that anyway."

Kate says, "The only thing you and Jake need to do is keep on being my friends. I won't ask you to baby sit, I promise. I'm not sure how gentlemanly of Conrad it was to ask. I know him well enough to know he has his own motives. His mother wasn't married when she had him, and he knows how hard it can be to grow up with the stigma. But he also told me he loves me yesterday, I'm sure he's not blind to the advantages of making me off limits to any other man while he tries to win me. I'm sure I don't know what he sees in me, but he sees something. And why would I have to stop working? Well, after he comes, yes, but I'll be fine for many months yet."

"I think having a big fat baby belly is enough to keep most men off limits Kate." Ruby said without a hint of humor in her voice. "Well, I don't know what Conrad is up to either, I don't know him well at all except that he is a gambler and most gamblers are absolute scoundrels." Ruby smiles and shrugs. "You're going to have to figure that one out on your own. Maybe he really does love you. More importantly the question you have to figure out is if you love him."

"You haven't been around too many pregnant people, have you? The time will soon come where you won't want to be standing on your feet at 1 AM serving drinks. Trust me, I know. Mommies don't work in saloons for a reason." "Oh, and you could ask all you want. I don't baby sit and I don't kid sit either. That's just bad news for me and the kid."

"Ruby dear, I love you but there was a reason I wasn't going to ask you," she said suddenly laughing. "I'll deal with this one day at a time. For now just don't say anything to the boys. We need them focused on the Cowboy Gang. A lot of the people in the El Parador know because they knew what this ring meant. Otherwise just Conrad and Miss Florencia know. I wouldn't have told her, but she guessed on her own."

Ruby says, "Yes, Miss Florencia seems to be very observant. Don't forget Kate, if Jake asks me I can't and won't lie to him. Seems that they are going to find out soon enough anyway. You only have about 4 months of freedom left before everyone figures it out." Ruby starts to stand and offers Kate a hand to help her off the floor. "Now, think Dorita will let us out of here? I'm starving. Unless you have more news for me..."

"No, no more news. Thank goodness. Like I said, if Jake thinks to ask I'll be surprised, and I won't blame you for answering honestly. I'll bet if we try it Dorita has already opened it. I wouldn't be surprised if she was outside the door listening," she laughed. "I'm hungry too. Always lately, but I think that's more from starving myself for months than anything else."

"You did get pretty skinny there for a while. Eating is good. And fun. But not as fun as drinking. Let's go get some dinner." Ruby grabs Kate by the arm and starts dragging her out. The door is, as suspected, now open. They make their way over to the Lucky Lady .

Earlier, while Ruby was getting yelled at by Dorita, Jake made another stop at Pierre's gun shop. He makes some friendly conversation before he says, "Listen, I was thinking about what you said yesterday and it comes to my mind that this thing with Ringo is coming to a head, probably here in Promise City. I know I said it yesterday but I want to say it again. Is there any way to get through Ringo‘s magical protection?” Pierre replies, “Well yes, those stolen Henry rifle shells would have done exactly that."

Jake says, “If there is any way you can get more of that special ammunition of yours, well, some of folks would be mighty appreciative. Folks lives might actually depend on it. So the faster you could acquire more, and the more you can acquire, the better. Could you make any?"

Pierre says, "You'd have to ask a more powerful wizard that I. I'm afraid that I am very specialized in my abilities, basically magical ammunition, and only the simple ones at that. I've heard that some wizards can enchant clothing, essentially create magical armor not unlike those used by the knights of old. That might be your best option."

“Any chance you could get some?” Jake asks, Pierre nods in understanding. "Not any time soon. I am working on it Mr. Cook, but these things take time. Magical items are illegal in the United States and I cannot just send a letter or telegram to connections in Mexico or France without risk of being discovered. There's a guy down in Mexico who specializes in those, in fact, he's the man who made that Hand Cannon for Curly Bill. Your employee Jeff Mills knows him. But that's over 300 miles away and most of it across open desert. It would take you the better part of a week to travel there each way." "Good, keep doing what you can," Jake replies, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I'll stop by later in the week to see how that is coming along then."

Tuesday started early with Nanuet. He did some work in the grove as the sun rose to greet him. He noticed Ruby at the stables with the newcomer who had been with the judge. Tomlinson I think I heard someone say his name was he thought. He didn't think much about it but made a mental note. He spent the rest of the day helping Minerva with festival chores. Once his hunger pangs got the best of him he and Minerva headed to the Lucky Lady for dinner and to see their friends.

The zeppelin makes it back to its home before darkness falls. Chester and Berg ride back to the office. Helen Barker is sitting behind the desk. "Evening Mitch, Chester. How was the trip?" Berg says, "It went smoothly. Arcade's zeppelin was a great help. We had no problems with the cowboys. Riff and Ambrose should be on the way to Prescott now. I guess things were quiet around here?"

Helen replies, "You guess right. Not a peep. Eduardo is still at Mother Jimenez's. Not much change there." Berg says, "I'll go see him later. Go home and get some rest, you too, Chester. I'll hold down the fort tonight. Chester, go to the Promise City hotel and get some dinner for me, please." "Sure thing, Mitch. Goodnight Helen." "Goodnight, gents." Chester gets the food for Berg, then heads to his room and changes. Then goes down to the main room for dinner.

Kate and Ruby arrive at the Lucky Lady where they find Jake, Nanuet, Minerva and Chester all waiting for them. Chester says, "Evening, you two. How've you been? Me and Berg got the prisoners over to the Arizona Rangers, so they should be at the prison by now." Nanuet says, "That is pretty quick Chet. Guess there was no trouble?" He replies, "Nope. None at all."

Kate interjects, "Well, it's good to hear something went smoothly for you Marshals. You've been having a rough time of it." He replies, "Yeah, we have. Does anyone know how Eduardo is?" Kate says, "I haven't heard specifically, but he is under the care of two priests. I think if he weren't going to pull though, we would have heard already. Likely he just needs some time to rest." "I'm going to visit him tomorrow. He is at Mother Jiminez's House. Someone said she was a witch!" Ruby fakes acting shocked. Chester says, ""A witch? Here in Promise City. Unbelievable." "She's a druid actually," Kate said, smiling at Ruby's silliness. "Just another kind of priestess really. And Sonoma's mentor. She is very wise, but of course she has her own way of looking at things." He shakes his head.

Nanuet states, "Yes, we had druids among my people. Please let me know when you are going tomorrow, I would like to go with you and see if there is anything I can do to be of assistance." "I will. I have a busy day, meetings with a few people, but I'll try to find you before I leave." Ruby rolls her eyes, "Hey, it's hard having such a full social calendar!" Chester adds, “I'll go see Eduardo tomorrow, then. Let him get rest. And all that for a distraction. I'd love to get Ringo in my sights."

Nanuet is happy to see his friends arrive at the Lucky Lady as he was concerned when he and Minerva arrived and they weren't around. "Come, sit with us and have dinner" Nanuet says with a wide grin. "Maria is making chicken tonight and biscuits. I love her biscuits" he says as he stuffs one in his mouth, crumbs falling to the floor around him. Ruby laughs at Nanuet and shakes her head. "We can't take you anywhere!" Nanuet continues to eat heartily as he talks. He however abstains from alcohol and is instead drinking iced tea.

Ruby asks, "Has anyone gotten their costumes yet for the ball?" Nanuet's face turns red as he answers Ruby's question. "Hmm... knew I forgot something. I think I might be going as an Indian, I have that costume already." Kate says, "I'll have mine in a few days. Conrad telegraphed the theater where is mother works. They are sending a few things to choose from." Ruby says, "There you go, Nanuet, maybe Conrad has a costume for you."

"Nanuet could go as a member of the Vigilance Committee," Kate teased. "I'm sure we could find you a dull suit. You could look down your nose at everyone and decry their debauchery." “Hmmm... well it would certainly be out of character for me. I am still itching from borrowing Mr. Jake's suit!" Ruby laughs hysterically. "But I'm quite sure Minerva appreciated the effort."

Nanuet then says, "Yes, I guess I will have to see what Conrad has. Do you have any idea what costume you are wearing Minerva?" Minerva who has been listening intently smiles and winks. "It's a secret!" she says. "Secret, secret! We'll see if our men can reconize us in our costumes!"
Jake replies, "Darling, if I can see your eyes or your...," he lets his eyes wander, "Ahem, other assets, I'll know it's you." Ruby giggles. "We'll see."

Ruby then exclaims, "Chet! It's good to see you! Glad the transfer went well. Oh before I forget!" Ruby jumps up from the table and runs upstairs. Once she returns she offers Chester a fine cigar. "We forgot, Jake and I bought this for you in Tombstone, as a congrats for making Marshal." Chester says, "Thanks, Ruby. You too, Jake. It smells nice. I'll save this for after dinner." Maria brings their dinners out to the table and everyone starts eating heartily.

Kate says, "Oh, Chester, you weren't hear yesterday to get caught up on everyone's news. Conrad and I, Nanuet and Minerva had some trouble with the Cowboy Gang yesterday." Kate went on to describe to Chester what had happened as briefly as she could without leaving out anything of importance. Chester says, "I hope Conrad's OK. You got really lucky out there. I don't know how they found you, though."

After a few moments Kate began to notice Jeff Mills standing a bit behind the table, listening intently. When she finished explaining she turned and said, "Jeff, is something wrong?" "Mrs. K... Kate," he began, looking uncomfortable. "I saw you getting in the carriage yesterday, and after it pulled away, I saw Deputy Sheriff Hunter follow you out of town. So I followed him. He took off after he realized you were just having a picnic, and I headed back for town another way. I should have warned you, or at least stayed around and kept a watch. I'm sorry." "Jeff, there's nothing to be sorry for," Kate said quietly. "You thought the danger was past, and if you had been seen I'm sure there would have been questions. Everything came out all right in the end."

Chester says, "I need to stop by the lumberyard soon. Neil is fixing up my blueprints for the stage and giving me an idea on how much wood we'll need." Minerva exclaims, "You haven't started yet? The stage is an important part of the festival." "I know, Minerva. It'll get done. Hey Jeff, are you free to help me build this thing? Nanuet, can you help me too?" Chester says, "I wouldn't have it any other way Chet. Just let me know where to be and I'll be there."

"Yes, Jeff, don't feel too badly, everyone is ok." Ruby quickly changes the subject. "Oh! I need to see Neil too! You know, to negotiate the lumber... Ah, so much to do..." Ruby shakes her head. She avoids the glance Jake gives her when she mentions seeing Neil. "Alright, enough chit chat. Some of us have jobs to do," she rolls her eyes. "Come on, honey," she pulls Jake up. "The rest of you feel free to stay and hear me sing. Or you can leave your money with Jake if you'd prefer," she winks.

Nanuet states, "Never did get the hang of poker, I think I just take my usual spot and keep an eye on things." Chester says, "Well, deal me in there, Jake." "Of course, Chet. Come on and have a seat." Jake amicably greets all his players for the evening. Again, Jake takes it pretty easy on Job's players, not wanting to scare anyone away in his absence. Nanuet finds himself drawn to the table and Jake has to warn him about standing over players while there are cards in play. He sits with Minerva where he can see the room and watch Ruby perform.

Ruby sings her little heart out, and in a romantic gesture, she sings the song she taught Nanuet while Kate plays the piano, so Nanuet and Minerva can dance. Surprisingly a few other couples join them on the dance floor so Ruby continues with more love songs for a bit. It seemed people heard the melodies and even came in off the street to hear the tales of love and passion.

Nanuet looks around him seeing the unusual amount of couples joining he and Minerva on the dance floor. His dancing has improved a bit since the drunken spin he took on this same floor with a different partner not that long ago. Nanuet winks at Ruby as they pass her by and Minerva has a blissful look in her eyes.

Nanuet chuckles a bit then says to Minerva, "Well that song is ruined now that you have heard it sung by the best voice in Promise City. I can't hold up to that, but at least we know that we can hear it whenever we come here." Minerva smiles back at Nanuet and replies "It never sounded better to me than the first time I heard it from you, because I know it came from the heart." The two finish their dance and head to the bar for drinks. Ruby continues to sing while Jake plays. Clarisse also sings a set and while she does Ruby heads out to the porch to gaze at the stars. Kate joins her and they sit in comfortable silence.

Chester wins a couple hands, but soon realizes he is outclassed by the others at the table. After losing $10, he folds for the night. "Thanks for the game, Jake. But I'm going to have practice more. Goodnight, gentlemen." Chester walks over to the bar to get a beer. He lights his cigar and breathes deeply. "Mmm. That's nice." Nanuet and Minerva pull up stools besides him. "Having fun?"

"Absolutely. I have fun when I am among friends, companions and the people that I love" he says glancing at Minerva. "I just hope we get to have many more nights like this one. I worry about the events that may unfold soon." Nanuet says, his voice becoming solemn. "Yeah. But the gods will protect us with this festival coming up. If not we have guns." Chester chuckles.

The night at the Lucky Lady passes uneventfully. Nanuet and Minerva escort Kate home at the end of the evening. Chester walks Clarisse home, also taking his time. He says, "I've missed you these past couple days, Clarisse." She says, "Where have you been? You just vanished. I was dreadfully worried that the cowboys had gotten you." "Well, you can see that I'm safe and sound. I had to do some Marshall business. Couple of prisoners needed escorting to prison. It was very hush-hush, so I couldn't tell you." He kisses her passionately. After a while, they part. "Please be careful, Chet. Mr. Tomlinson was telling me stories about what happened to some of the lawmen he knew. Their poor families." "He did, did he? I'm sure he was telling tall tales."

Ruby heads upstairs while Jake helps Jeff lock up. By the time Jake arrives upstairs Ruby is already attired in his shirt, standing at the window letting the cool air wash over her. She turns to face Jake and after he pulls off his shirt she asks, “Will you dance with me?”

Jake smiles, “How could anyone turn down a beautiful woman such as yourself?” Ruby giggles and falls into his arms. They dance around the room acting goofy and laughing, with Jake sweeping Ruby around, dipping and twirling her, until she wraps her arms around his neck tightly and won’t let go. “I’m so happy baby,” Ruby says to him before kissing him passionately. Jake scoops her up by the thighs and she wraps her long legs around him. He stands holding them up, swaying back and forth gently while she continues kissing him. “Take me to bed, Mr. Cook,” Ruby demands quietly and Jake happily complies.

 

[Silver Moon]

Chapter 199, “Ruby’s Wednesday“, Wednesday, March 29th, 1882, 10:00 AM

The next morning Ruby sleeps in a bit later. Again she meets with Kevin after breakfast and they ride out as they did the previous day. He goes over with her what she learned from the day before and adds learning the passing step. They continue to practice and again Ruby seems improved in her technique. Kevin asks Ruby about Clarisse and Ruby gives him what little information she knows. After lessons she agrees to continue meeting Kevin when she can.

Next Ruby heads over to Mary Kelly’s store. She notices the store is busier then usual. “Oh yes,” Mary explains, “Between the festival and the fencing outfits everyone wants I’m very busy!” Ruby looks concerned, “Did you manage to finish my costume for the ball?” Mary laughs, “Of course Miss West, you are one of my best customers! Ginnie’s been helping too.” Ruby breathes a sigh of relief as Mary fetches her costume. Ruby’s breath is then taken away when she sees it and she claps her hands together in excitement, “Oh it looks so wonderfully perfect! Just the way I imagined it!” She scoops Mary into a big hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“There is something else,” Mary says. “You see, I had an idea for a gown and well, I want you to see it.” Ruby furrows her brows, “A gown, for me?” “Yes,” Mary responds, “For you. As I said, you are one of my best customers but it also benefits me. It looks good when you wear the gowns I create and I think I know your preferred style by now. Come, let me show it to you.”

She guides Ruby into the back room where she pulls the sheet off a mannequin. Ruby’s eyes nearly pop out of her head when she sees the vision. “You made that for me?” “Try it on dear, let’s see how it fits.” Ruby gladly tries the gown on and it fits as if it were a second skin. Mary ohhs and aahhsss over it, tugging and pulling until she finally steps back. “It needs nothing my dear. You are gorgeous and now you have a gown that is worthy of your beauty.” “Jake is going to LOVE this,” Ruby smiles, looking at herself in the mirror, turning this way and that. “I’ll take it.” Mary tries to not accept any money for the gown but Ruby isn’t having it. She accidentally leaves a $20 bill on the counter when she leaves with her new gown and costume.

She heads back to the Lucky Lady to meet Jake for lunch. She makes sure to sneak in and hide her costume and new dress in the back of the closet so Jake won’t sneak an early peek. While eating lunch Eddie Palmer enters the Lucky Lady looking for Jake. He leaves a letter with Jake and Ruby notices a slight expression of surprise momentarily cross Jake’s face. “What is it,” she asks, “Is it from Mattie?” “No, it’s from Philadelphia.” Ruby’s eyes widen and she hurries over to lean on his back to look over his shoulder.

Jake opens the letter and finds it written in the familiar script of his mother.

Mr. Jacob Alistair Cooke
Promise City, Arizona Territory

Dear Son,

I thank the gods that they continue to watch over you and that you are well. I imagine your father is pleased that you are doing honest work and that his long hours of training with you in the family business was not wasted. I have read each of your letters to him, but he refuses to talk about you.

At this time our health is good, though your father had the cough this past winter and it took several weeks for it to pass. Your brothers are both working in the business and are doing well, the business flourishes with their hard work.

Virginia finally married three years ago.

At this point in the letter, right in the middle of a paragraph Jake notices the slow and deliberate script is replaced by a more hurried one. Still clearly his mother's hand though.

Her husband is a newly graduated lawyer from Massachusetts by the name of James George Maguire. Just a month prior to your last letter arriving they departed for California to make their fortune. In my next letter to them I will forward your current address. It will be some time, we do not yet know where they will decide to make their home.

Jacob, it is your father's wish that I do not answer your letters. I write this in secret. I am certain he will find out eventually and be angry. Stay in good health and write again when you may.

You are in my prayers,
Edna Ruth Cooke

"Seems like that really could have been Virginia in Los Angeles." Is all Jake says. “Yes, it really does. Maggie said she had a kid with her.” Ruby stops in thought. “You think your father might harm your mother because of this letter?" Ruby asks with some concern.

"Father hit mother? It would never happen. Oh, sure he'll holler or not speak to her or make her life miserable for a few days but that would be the extent of it." Jake replies without any concern in his voice. To Ruby's unasked question he replies, "I owe my mother the courtesy of writing periodically. That is all." “I understand. Seems like she is grateful for it.” Ruby gives Jake a big hug. “You ok?” “Sure, it’s good to know they’re alright.” Ruby nods then lets it go.

After lunch Ruby spends some time with Madge over at the Gay Lady. She sits with her mentor and the girls, deciding which songs to sing. They practice the songs and some dancing, and try on their costumes for the show so the girls can make alterations. Ruby also spends some private time with Madge, who shows her the intricacies of the Enthrall spell that Mr. Gonzales had taught her a few days earlier.

Madge thoroughly enjoys the two hours that she spends teaching her the spell, . When they are done Madge says, "It is so great to be able to cast that again. That Enchantment is one of the most wonderful feelings, to be able to communicate with your audience with such purity. An artist always wishes to be able to convey exactly what they feel and with this particular spell it is possible. They know what you want them to know and feel what you want them to feel. I employed it to great effect in New Orleans. I have truly missed being able to use it here. With this upcoming festival I will finally get to use it again."

Ruby asks, "Is there a reason why you haven't used it since?" Madge laughs and says "Yeah, a damned good reason! The Gay Lady makes most of its money from gambling. If I were caught using any type of enchantment spell in the place we'd all be out of a job. Spells like Charm, Detect Thoughs and Entrall directly influence behavior. It is way too risky to ever attempt such a spell when gambling is going on.

Hell, you're one of the Lucky Lady's owners, as are two of its gamblers. If you get caught doing one of those spells there everyone will assume that all of the games are crooked. That saloon and all of its gamblers would be permanently finished in this town." Ruby smiles michieviously, "Then best to not get caught, eh? Yes, it will be fun to use the spell. Will anything special happen when we do it together?"

Madge replies, "Only if we practice together, then we can focus on either doing some of the same elements simultaneously or in alternating sections. What exactly did you have in mind?" Ruby answers, "Oh, I don't know. You mentioned using it during the festival. I guess I thought we would use it for our little set together. What did you mean?"

Madge says, "Well, first of all, we need to figure out when and where we will be doing our singing from. Right now there's still no concensus about exactly what will take place when. Each saloon is planning its own thing, but the Gay Lady is no longer available for me on Saturday night as that acting company from Tombstone has rented it out that night, it having a larger stage than the Palace, Comique and Lucky Lady."

"This is getting silly. We're supposed to be having all this on the stage in the middle of town, not in the individual saloons. The point is to bring the town together, not separate them. Miss Floriencia has done a poor job making this clear. I'm going to have to take care of this somehow."

"Did you say the acting company from Tombstone! Oh that's great! Josie decided to take me up on my offer. How exciting. Look, I'm going to get this set up so all the acts are on the one stage in the middle of town. That's what I've been planning on anyway. So much work to be done..." Ruby excuses herself from Madge and heads right over to Lacey's. She enters his store and calls out, "Mr. Lacey, are you in?"

She hears Laurie Gilson's voice yell out "We're over here Ruby". She heads to the right side of the room and sees that he and Laurie Gilson are sitting at a desk with diagrams of the town and various pages of notes written out. "Good afternoon. I see you two are hard at work with festival plans. That is what I am here to talk to you about. It seems there is some confusion about the plans for the festival. We are having this to bring the town together and from what I hear we are just separating everyone."

"I have been working on the entertainment. Madge and her girls, and perhaps Clarisse Townsend will be singing and dancing for a set. I asked the acting troupe from Tombstone to come and it seems that have agreed. I also asked the band from the El Parador to play for the ball. They assure me they know many types of music. Tomorrow I asked for an open call for people with any kind of talents to come and sign up for entertainment. I am hoping to have some kid appropriate during the day and more adult entertainment at night, during the costume ball. But the problem is I have figured this will all be occurring on the main stage in the middle of town. This is very important to the success of the festival. What plans do you have currently?"

He looks up at her and says, "Well, I'm just as confused about this whole thing as you are. Personally, I'm kinda hoping things will take place on the town stage, since I can't go into any saloons. Clarisse had a pretty good schedule all worked, which would have had things at the Main Street saloons and restaurants during the first part of the night and all of the other saloons for the second part, but Priestess Florencia vetoed it. I know that she's met with all of the saloon owners and they've all got their own Saturday night events now lined up for the whole evening instead with her blessing.

We'd better get this straightened out soon, as that Chumbley guy's paper is going to press Friday saying what everyone is doing on their own. Seemed pretty chaotic to me, but then again, Dionysus is a chaotic Deity."

Ruby states, "I don't think there is much to work out. We should be having everyone out on the main stage. Saloons are not the right place for children and people who don't choose to go in to one. Minerva told me that we are in charge, since it's own town. I would like to hear Clarisse's schedule but the Ball should be outside and run late. Why do we need to have events at the saloons? Why don't we just have the entire festival outside on the streets?"

Lacey replies, "Hold on, am I talking to the Lucky Lady owner or a member of the Vigilance Committee? The saloon owners want events at their saloons to make money! You cut that out, they cut their support, and you're back to having an empty stage while everybody is off watching the boxing matches instead."

Ruby rolls her eyes. "I THOUGHT the point of this festival was to bring this city together. I'm wrong about that? I didn't say not to find a way for the saloons to make money." Ruby shrugs. "Fine. Do it your way. I'll tell Miss Floriencia to take care of the entertainment herself."

Lacey says, "Hold on Miss West! I'm not saying that this disorganized chaos won't work, seems to me up until now we've just had too many Chiefs and not enough Indians." Laurie says, "Actually, more the opposite from my point of view, we're still waiting for a Chief to step up and take charge. Ruby, is that you?"

"I think you've been inhaling too much scented bath water Ms. Gilson." Then she laughs, thinking about Nanuet referring to Jake as the Chief of their little tribe. "No one is going to listen to me about this. But this chaos isn't working. And we don't have much time to get this all finished."
Ruby taps her lips, "I suppose I could think of an idea to make it work better but like I said, I doubt anyone would listen."

"We understand," Lacey replies. He says, "Clarisse wanted to end the Children's events at 8:00 PM Saturday and have babysitting arranged for them, but Priestess Florencia didn't like that idea either. Right now we're just planning out the afternoon events. We're trying to make that part of the day like a country fair, minus the livestock judging, as cow manure isn't exactly the ambiance we're trying for."

Ruby replies, "Let me think about it. I'll try to come up with something for the evening. 8PM is late, the children's events should stop by 7. I'll see who comes by tomorrow and hopefully there will be something for the kids that can be played on the main stage during the day. I'll try to let you know by tomorrow night."

Late afternoon Ruby is practicing on stage when she sees the petite, primly dressed priestess enter the Lucky Lady. Ruby waves her over. “Good afternoon,” Ruby says climbing off the stage, “Can I get you anything Jane?” Jane smiles and nods her head. “Yes, actually, what I want is you.”
Ruby raises an eyebrow and is about to speak when Jane continues, “… to help me convince the Cooks this afternoon to renew their vows at the festival.”

“Aahhhh, I see,” Ruby says, returning Jane’s smile. “I will help you. But as you can see, I’m going to have to change.” Ruby excuses herself to get changed and she grumbles as she puts on her pale peach skirt and stuffy white shirt. She meets Jane downstairs and they head over to the Cooks.

Jeb and Helen are both home and they invite Ruby and Jane inside, offering them each a lemonade. Ruby lets Jane do the talking, paying very careful attention to what she is doing. Jane tries to convince them to renew their vows to show the community how wonderful and rewarding it is to be in love and what a good example they set for the community. They tell Jane that they will consider it and get back to her later in the day if she will stop by. After they exit Jane says to Ruby, “I think I convinced them. If so, we are all set!”

“Jane,” Ruby says stopping in the street. “I want to know about the ceremony. Tell me about it.”
She answers, “So many questions, Sister. Let the goddess lead you.” “I am,” Ruby smiles at Jane, “I’m asking about you.” Jane looks at Ruby, then laughs. “Perhaps tomorrow I will tell you about it.” Then she starts walking again. “Come now, I have a duet to practice.” “He said yes?” The surprise was evident on Ruby’s face. “Of course he did, darling.” Ruby lets Jane drop her off at the Lucky Lady while Jane continues on to the bank to meet with Mr. Condon.

Right before dinner Ruby finds Nanuet and they decide to make their visit now. Ruby asks Maria to make up a basket of easy to eat food, heavy on the sweet stuff. They bring it to Mother Jiminez’s house to call on Marshal Rodriquez but the old druid says that he’s not up to visitors just yet but she’ll give him the basket. Ruby and Nanuet return to the Lucky Lady for dinner. At dinner they discuss the days newspaper. Ruby notes with satisfaction that Chumbley's article about Sunday's events does not include any sensitive information, like he said it wouldn't.

The other main story in the paper concerns the previous week's shootout between Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy Gang at Iron Springs. The story reads:

Wyatt and his men were going to make camp at the springs. They had started relaxing, getting ready to make camp. Wyatt dismounted with loosened gunbelt, when something warned him of danger. He had his shotgun in hand and leading his horse as he moves forward; the other men, still mounted, were to the rear.

The springs consists of a hollow and as Wyatt moves into sight it becomes obvious that they had walked into an ambush with men springing up from behind rocks. The rustlers, except for their leader Billy Clanton, merge into the cottonwoods to start firing. Wyatt squeezes off both triggers of his shotgun and cuts Billy nearly in half. One of Wyatt's men, Texas Jack, has his horse shot out from under him and the rest of the men are startled. Warren Earp orders a retreat, assuming that his brother will agree and follow.

Meanwhile with loosened gunbelt falling around his thighs, Wyatt has trouble remounting and is under a barrage a fire. Miraculously he isn't hit by any of the shots being fired at him as he wanders into the stream between him and the cottonwoods. He continues to fire off shot after shot, leaving Cowboy Gang members Johnny Barnes, Jim Crane, Harry Head and Bill Leonard deal alongside their leader Clanton.

When news of the incident reached Tombstone of Billy Clanton's death his brother Phineas Clanton posted a $ 10,000 reward for Wyatt Earp and his band. That offer has prompted dozen of men to join Sheriff Johnny Behan's posse. [/B]

They also admire the ad that Niles had placed for the Lucky Lady. For the first time it includes the information about the private party / poker room they have for rent. That reminds Ruby she needs to discuss an idea with Niles so she excuses herself momentarily. She explains the concept of 'pay one price' and giving the customer all they can drink for that price. "It might be a good way to get people in at the festival, plus for the Saturday night boxing matches too." Niles says he will think it over, needing to come up with the right price if the idea is to be successful.

Ruby and Jake spend Wednesday night singing and playing poker and it's blissfully uneventful. Ruby considers playing poker with Hamilton Fisk but Jake decides he doesn't want he doing that just yet. At the end of the night they help clean the place up and head to bed early.

Ginnie spent as much time these days as she could pouring over the books and making her own copies of what she thought might be important for her later. After all she really wasn't sure how long she would be able to access the books with the situation that Mrs. Kale had put herself in.
When she wasn't reading and copying the books she was sewing and making lace for the festival. Ginnie was stashing every penny she could away and this was the best sales she would likely make for the next year. Right now the shop was as busy as could be but that was because everyone wanted something special for the ball. There would be a lull because of all the new clothing that had been made.

She also started a lunch delivery service from the cantina for the workers that couldn't get away from their jobs long enough to wait for a meal to be cooked and served. The tips weren't great but it was free money although the beer pails were a little heavy no one else had thought of it yet so if someone wanted lunch delivered they came to her. She's make it work hopefully by the time the baby came she'd have enough knowledge money and supplies that she could go back on her own comfortably and be able to actually rent a room somewhere instead of going back onto the streets.

Wednesday came and Katherine was still in a fog of thought. Ruby's reaction to her news had been disappointing, but she should have expected it. As much as she loved Ruby, the two of them were very different. Things that Kate very much wanted would seem a prison to her friend. For Kate Ruby's version of freedom was nothing more than being lost. Katherine needed roots before she could feel free.

She felt the need to be doing something about the Cowboy Gang, but it wasn't time yet. The others hadn't all gotten their information yet. At least now they knew they were being watched. All they had to do was send one or two out toward the mountains and set up an ambush of their own. So for today there was some time. She spent her first couple hours with Mr. Gonzales and Ginnie as she had been trying to do every day. A talk with Ginnie was definitely in order. She had not really said anything about the baby when Kate tried to talk to her about it, and she wasn't sure how to go about it again.

Later she had Estaban walk her over to the hardware store. "Good morning," Kate said pleasantly to Sandra Wainwright as she came in. "Any new music lately?" "Katherine, it's been weeks since we saw you last," Sandra said, coming out to give Kate a quick hug. "Stop and have tea with me."
"If you like. I'm sorry I haven't been by. The last few weeks have been busy." "With school planning I imagine. That's a big undertaking." Kate sighed a bit. "More than I could imagine. Then this festival coming up...."

The ladies left Estaban to browse the music selections and shared a cup of tea. Kate mostly talked about her school and her work, and Sandra talked about the store and how her husband had been extra-attentive lately. A development she found particularly pleasing. "There was a fire in the kitchen over at the Rio Grande yesterday that did some damage," Sandra added as an afterthought. "That's a shame. Any idea how it started?"

Sandra shrugged. "It's a kitchen, they tend to catch fire now and then. There are some who think the Cowboy Gang might have had a hand in it, but what benefit would there be for them? I say the simplest solution is probably truth. We do need a fire company in this town though. Seems something is always burning." Kate nodded her agreement. "I should go. I don't want to keep Estaban waiting. I'll try to stop in again in a day or two. Thank you for the tea." "Anytime Katherine. It's always nice to see you."

Kate had another cooking lesson in the afternoon, and spent the rest of her time with Mr. Gonzales. She returned from work at the Lucky Lady at a reasonable hour, early enough that Ginnie had not yet come to bed.

Katherine changed into her nightdress, then opened the window and let the moonlight stream into the room. She carefully unpacked a small parcel she had gotten from Lacey's store. Sitting on the floor, she put the two small cones of incense on her lap desk in front of her along with a small bowl of water and a candle. She hummed as she unbound her hair and brushed it until it hung loose and shining.

When she was ready, Kate cast a cantrip and lit the candle and the incense. She took a few deep breaths and concentrated on feeling the light of the moon on her face. After the air was sweet with the incense, Kate repeated the words Minerva had spoken in their ritual.

"Diana, goddess of the moon who shines her light upon us in our darkest hours, goddess of fertility, nurturer of life, we acknowledge you and pay you tribute. Grant us the ability to nurture one another without the need for understanding, as does a mother to her child. Shine your light upon our path. Guide and protect the love which grows within each of us."

Her ring still being with Mother Jimenez, Kate slipped a necklace Tom had given her into the water. "Diana, I have not been a woman of great faith. Words don't seem enough to express my gratitude, but I have not learned how to open my heart to the gods. Our priestess said if I talk, you will listen, and if I listen you may speak. Forgive me my misteps as I learn to open myself to you. Shine your light upon my path, as I am in need of guidance."

Kate sat in silence and watched the moonlight reflect off the water until the incense burned away. She pinched the candle out and wrapped herself in her soft robe to go fetch her too studious daughter.

 

[Silver Moon]

Chapter 200, “Thursday Morning“, Thursday, March 30th, 1882, 8:00 AM

Like every morning since the picnic, Kate woke with her mind in a cloud of confusion. Even in her dreams she seemed to be turning over the possibilities in her mind, and each time she thought she'd made a choice, the other choice suddenly seemed to be the right one. She would have to see Conrad today, if only to find out if he had gone out to get the carriage back, or if he waited for someone from the ranch to go with him. But he always slept late and she had a few hours before he would be downstairs.

Kate got herself dressed, leaving her hair loose and went into her teacher's rooms. She didn't see him immediately but found Ginnie easily enough, hunched over a book. Ginnie's eyes still looked tired, and she was starting to get circles under them. Kate slipped over to her and gave her a hug. "You're working too hard, Ginnie," she said. "You need to rest more." Then she turned to the door where Mr. Gonzales was just coming in and said, "Good morning. I'm not too early for you, I hope." "Not too early, but I am on my way out. I'm going to talk to Judge Lacey about the fencing competition. I'll see you girls this afternoon," he said with a twinkle then headed humming for the door.

Jake wakes early and watches Ruby sleeping for a while before deciding to get up. Hearing him move about the room she stirs and wakes. "Good morning Ruby," Jake says cheerily. "What are your big plans for today? Will there be more lessons with the sword today?" Ruby stretches with a yawn, "First you have to tell me you love me, then I'll answer your questions..." she says with a sleepy smile. "I love you, princess."

Ruby smiles and sits up slowly, stretching again. "If I have time I'll take more sword lessons. I think I'm getting pretty good. You should see me! And I'm going to practice for the festival with Madge. And after lunch, if you remember, I had Harry put up those signs for people to come by to audition for the festival. 1-4 I think I said. That should be fun, if you want to keep me company." "I may, depends on how my morning goes. I have a few errands to do this morning, if you will be around for lunch I'll let you know how they went." They make small talk while Jake finishes dressing, strapping on both revolvers and pulling on his duster. He kisses her and heads out.

Jake's first stop is to see Minerva Florencia. She says jokingly, "Is it noon already Senor?" "No, Senorita, it is not noon yet. Your eyes do not deceive you. I sometimes rise early." Jake coughs, "Though not often. Por Favor, I do have a favor to ask of you." Minerva eyes him warily. "Not the kind of favor you were asking of me behind the saloon I hope."

"Ah, that." Jake rubs his hand against the cheek the priestess had so ably scratched. "You misunderstood my intentions, Senorita. I thought that there was about to be a fight in the Lucky Lady between you and Ruby and tried to get you out side quickly so I could ask you about the pendant I was wearing. I thought I had little time before Ruby came out and was unbuttoning my shirt to show you the pendant and ask you a question about it." Jake shrugs. "I suppose I should apologize. You have little to worry, you defended yourself quite effectively."

Minerva tries to hide her smile. "Si, I am quite able to take care of myself, Senor. Now how may I assist you this morning?" "Do you have a religious book with paintings of the deities that I may borrow for a while?" Jake asks. "Si, I do. I will go and get them. Please make yourself at home. I will be right back. " She goes to her room and retrieves the book from her chest. What could he possibly want with this? She returns smiling and hands him the book. "Are you going to commission a statue for our new church, Senor Jake?"

Jake was slouching in a chair when she came back down the stairs. He rises and accepts the book. He flips throught the pages and nods to himself, apparently satisfied with what he sees. "A statue for the church?" Jake raises his eyebrows. "No, not a statue, Priestess. Something suitable though. You are very perceptive." He closes the book and looks her in the eyes. "Statue makers do not seem to be common in this area. I am going to have something made, I would perfer to keep it discrete right now. Also, I do not wish my gift to be at the whims of the viligance committee. Before I give it, I will make some arrangements to make certain it is displayed properly. If you have control of the church then that will be easy."

Minerva nods approvingly. "I am sure that the gods will look favorably upon your contribution. I shall keep your confidence for as long as you wish. Let me know if I may help in any way. " she says walking him to the door. "You may return the book at your leisure." "Gracias, Senorita."

Jake takes the religious book he has borrowed from Priestess Florencia and goes to see the family that Pedro recommended as being particularly talented with mosiac tile. "Buenes diaz" Jake greets the Martinez family and explains that he is looking for mosiac tile art and asks to see some examples of their work. Jose and Sophina show him a number of small mosaics in their small home. Pleased with what he is shown, he opens the page from the book with a copy of a painting of Hermes, complete with hat, winged sandals and staff. "This is what I want." He says simply. "Except this high," he says stretching his hand over his head.

Jake chats with them for a while, getting a lesson in mosiacs and letting them proudly show more of their work. Eventually Jake brings the conversation around to the price and amount of time needed to make the tiles. "Sooner is better, but take the time that is necessary to do the best work." The couple leave the room and speak to each other quietly before returning and offer to do the work for a $100. This is a good price, Jake thinks, I couldn't get this done for double that price on east coast. Knowing he could negotiate further, he chooses not to. "It is a deal." Jake gives them $20 to get started. "Let me know when you think it can be completed."

After leaving the Martinez home Jake makes his way to the Marshall's office. "Good morning Marshall Berg." Jake greets him cheerily. "Since it appears you can't continue to fulfill all your duties as a lawyer for your clients I was wondering if you would share your opinion of Mr Upton with me? If for some reason I need to go in front of Judge Isby I certainly won't be selecting Mr Fisk to help me." Berg replies, "Can't really say, he hasn't done much yet. He's planning to specialize in insurance rather than litigation, but I think he's waiting until after this Cowboy Gang situation blows over before starting, too much of a high-risk venture otherwise. I hope you continue to come to me for legal paperwork, I'm still allowed to do that on the side." Jake says, "You've done a good job, I'll will if I can."

After listening to Berg's assessment of Elihu Upton, Jake asks him, "Chester said that you were with him at the Palace last Saturday night. Were they pretending that was some kind of worship ceremony? I was confused by what I heard. What do you think was going on?" Berg says, "Oh that. Adair has his gals do that every week when the boxing ends to keep the patrons from leaving. Nothing religious about it, she may have made some comments about Venus, but basically all she did was an elaborate strip tease. Started with a dress made of silk handkerchiefs and ended with only a belt, necklace and bracelet and I can assure you, the jewelry wasn't what people were looking at."

Jake asks, "Do you know much about an entertainer there? Jane I believe her name was." Berg replies, "Yes, Jane Boag. She came into town last September with two other Palace workers, Fannie Mitchum and Leslie Hutton. They had worked together in Kansas City brothel that Boag's mother ran. I only know this because they had me notorize some legal documents for them when Boag received inheritance money from the estate of Boag's mother.” They finishing chatting and Jake heads back to the Lucky Lady in plenty of time before lunch with Ruby.

After Ruby drags herself out of bed she heads over to Kevin's once again. They ride to the same spot as before. Today's lesson consists of learning the 4 primary guard positions. Ruby asks Kevin, "So, have you worked long with the Judge? He says you met up where his other office is."

Kevin replies, "Not long, a little over a week. But I've helped him out before in Wilcox. I started there in 1880 as a clerk for one of the mines but it went bust late last year. Been trying to scrape out a living since then doing a variety of part-time jobs. This is a great opportunity, the Judge says that if I give him a year he'll recommend me for an Executive Secretary position at the Territorial Legislature. And Isby is one guy that the Governor listens to, so that promise is as good as gold."

She replies, "I know that he really depends on you Kevin. I'm sure you'll get what you want. The Judge is in a bad spot right now and he needs your help. Anyway, we should get back, I have lots to do today and preparations for the festival. I somehow let myself get suckered into that," she shakes her head. They head back to town and Ruby meets Jake for lunch at the Lucky Lady.

"Guess what?" Ruby says walking into the saloon, "I forgot to ask you," she says walking up to Jake, "I want you to take me out to dinner on Friday night. Someplace nice...Will you?" She cocks her head to the side while flipping her hair. "Please baby..." Laughing Jake replies, "Sure, let me take you out. What is the occasion?" Ruby takes Jake's hand and leads him to a table. "Do we need an occasion?"

"Not at all." They ask Maria to make them some lunch. When she heads off Jake says "Just before coming back I stopped in to see Mitchell Berg. I asked him about the lawyer Elihu Upton. He didn't know much about him except that he came here to start some insurance business. A town without fire extinguishing equipment and in the middle of a war. I hope he is a better lawyer than a business planner because if we need to go before Isby it is either him or Fisk."

"I also asked Berg about the ceremony at the Palace. Want to know what he said?" Jake keeps his expression neutral. "Sure," Ruby replies, sitting on her feet in her chair. Jake tries to give her Berg's account of the evening and what he said about Jane nearly verbatim. "Berg's a fairly level headed guy. He didn't seem to think anyone was taking it seriously as a ceremony, except maybe Jane." Jake shrugs. "That probably leaves you with more questions than answers. Oddly enough the part I thought was worth noting was the jewelry."

Ruby says, "That's one person's opinion Jake. How does Berg know that others weren't affected differently? Besides, didn't we talk about the desire part earlier... You can't tell me if you saw that dance that you wouldn't feel anything, " Ruby teases, lightly pinching his arm. "What's interesting about the jewelry?" He replies, "You tell me. A woman is doing a strip tease so why leave that particular jewelry? He didn't describe it, but wouldn't she wear something exotic, alluring, mysterious or something that drew attention somewhere? Mr. Berg referred to them almost as distractions. Especially a bracelet." Jake shrugs. "Seems out of place."

"Something has to hold the hankies on, right?" Ruby shakes her head then giggles. "And geez, I've never heard of a woman wearing a bracelet for jewelry before. It's just unheard of. You're right, there MUST be something to it." She giggles again before noticing Jake's glance of disapproval. "Alright, what are you thinking?" "Don't give me too much credit. I just thought it was odd." Jake shrugs again. "You asked my opinion before. I just thought I would ask around a bit and tell you what I found. Just being protective of my girl. You are probably right it is nothing."

Ruby's smile widens, "You did? Of course I want your opinion. I saw Jane yesterday and I think she's coming by today. She wanted to convince some Vigilance Committee members to attend the ceremony this weekend. And she wanted my help, although I really didn't do much. Convincing the two bankers to attend, and yesterday the Cooks to renew their marriage vows, so I helped, what's the harm in that?" He says, "None." She adds, "I LOVE it when you're protective of me, Mr. Cook."

Jake says, "I stopped by to see Senorita Florencia this morning. Remember the afternoon where she went a little crazy? Apparently she thought I was... that I was going to... ahem, she thought I took her out back to have my way with her." Ruby's eyes widen. "She MUST have been crazy. Doesn't she know you save that for me?"

Jake unconsciously rubs his cheek again. "That's why she beat the tar out of me. I don't know if she believes me now that I was only trying to show her the pendant I was wearing, but she was civil enough. Which leads me to the reason I visited her. I borrowed a book on the deities." Jake looks at Ruby and wags his index finger, "Don't you dare laugh at me but I'm having a mosaic of Hermes made." A genuine look of surprise crosses Ruby's face. "Really? Have you decided to start uh, speaking to him again? Did you.." she glances around making sure no one is close by, and she whispers, "Have another dream? Why are you doing it?"

"No, I haven't had another dream, thank Herm-," Jake catches himself and laughs. "No dreams. I just figured what the heck, with all this god stuff going on in this little town I would improve my odds." Jake shrugs for the third time. "I'm not entirely sure why I'm doing it. It can't hurt right?" She says, "No, it can't hurt."

Maria brings Jake and Ruby out their food, a spicy chicken dish with a side of Spanish rice and creamed corn. There are no other patrons around when Jeff Mills arrives. He has his suitcase with him, having spent the last few night's at Job Kane's house, and Job is expected back this evening. Jeff heads upstairs to his room with it. He had been to work the night before, but seemed to go out of his way to avoid Jake, Ruby and Niles. He comes down a few minutes later and asks Maria for some lunch. Jake notices Jeff and nods to Ruby. "Hey Jeff, care to join us?"

She also nods to Jeff, "Yes, Jeff, come and join us. I'll get you some lunch from Maria." Ruby hops up and rushes into the kitchen before Jeff can respond. She comes out with a plate and sets it on their table, again sitting on her feet. Jeff sits down with Ruby and Jake. He eats his food and doesn't make eye contact with them. They note that he is drinking water rather than the single mug of beer that he usually has with his mid-day meal.

Ruby states, "Jeff, I can see that you are a bit more.. quiet than usual. We need to speak about the other night. And it's time for you to tell us why you have two armies trying to hunt you down. We can't help you if we don't know what's going on. First of all, did you see what happened with the Marshal? He was attacked by the Cowboys and is clinging to life. They aren't playing by the rules. I know that I can be very convincing, but I NEVER intended for you to kill anyone."

He looks up and says, "Miss. Ruby, Yes, I suppose that I do owe you a better explanation about my background. Maybe then you'll understand my reluctance to trust folks. For the last fifteen years everybody I've trusted has then gone and then asked me betray my own personal code, just assuming that I'd follow their orders. Look Miss. Ruby, I'll tell you more and we're alone now but that won't last. Could you maybe do that trick with the candle and powder to give us some privacy?"

She says, "I appreciate your willingness to be honest. But I don't have any of what you refer to. That's Kate's thing. Perhaps we could go upstairs to our room, the office. That will be more private. What do you two think?" "Sure, that's fine," Jeff says. Jake nods yes and leads them up the stairs.

 

[Silver Moon]

Chapter 201, “Ginnie’s Assumptions“, Thursday, March 30th, 1882, 8:00 AM

Kate and Ginnie were quietly eating their Thursday lunch at the El Parador when Conrad Booth enters the building. He smiles and nods in their direction, but takes a seat at a different table. Kate's eyes followed Conrad as he sat down away from them. "Ginnie, I need to ask Mr. Booth a question, I'll be right back. I want you to stay here and eat. You've been working far too hard lately."

Kate got up and walked over to Conrad's table. "I just, ah, wanted to know if you had gone back out for the carriage, or if you were waiting for one of us to go with you." He replies, "Your partner Flint brought it to town earlier this morning. Austin Blake over at Drover's estimates the damages to it will run me between $ 10.00 and $ 20.00. Seems that in addition to the bullet holes one of the wheels got damaged on our mad dash."

Ginnie quickly eats her lunch and watches as Mrs. Kale goes over to talk to Conrad Booth. As soon as she finishes she hurries to the kitchen to pick up her food orders and grabs the shoulder carrier for the buckets of beer that she has been using for delivery. She knew that she didn't have much time for delivery before she was due at the shop and with the extra orders she'd be busy until after dark. Then it was more books until she fell asleep over them in the corner of the room or Mr. Gonzales threw her out to go to bed. The pace was grueling but she knew it wouldn't last for much longer and she needed to get as much done as she could while she had the time.

Kate says, "I'm sorry. It was rather an expensive picnic in the end, wasn't it? I'll pay for the damages, it's not your fault. What did you tell them happened?" Conrad blinks, "Expensive picnic? Given what I had to say to you I would have spent at least that on dinner at a fancy hotel if we were in a major city. I told them that we were attacked by the Cowboy Gang. Given what happened with the Deputies what was Mr. Blake going to say?

At least he got the carriage back, otherwise it would have been really expensive. Katherine, I do not expect you to pay for the damages, in fact, I will not accept any money from you for it. I also don't want to rush you into a decision on such an important matter, but circumstances do not really afford us the opportunity to wait very much longer."

Kate looked down at the floor, her hands clasped in front of her. "I know. I just... There is a little time yet. This decision will affect both of us, for a long time to come and I'm... There are more people to consider than you and I and him," she finished quietly. "We have until Sunday. Please, as soon as I know you will know." She looked around the busy Cantina and put on a smile.

She asks, "So you will let me know when those costumes get here?" He says, "Yes, I received a letter from mother. She sent them via Wells Fargo, so they should be on tonight's stagecoach. She says that most are Elizabethan garb, but they are also sending some from a play they did on the French Revolution and another on the Trojan War."

"Well, I am French, it's probably appropriate. Although the costumes from the Trojan War could be interesting. I should get back to..." Kate looked over her shoulder to the table. "Where's Ginnie?" Her head swiveled around, looking. "I asked her to stay at the table. I'm sorry, I have to go." Kate hurried over to the kitchen, where Dorita told her Ginnie had gone off on lunch deliveries. "And she moves faster than I can keep up. Well, I know where she will end up. Thank you, Dorita."

She didn't bother finding someone to walk her, although she noticed Grant Keebler fall in with her as she hurried away to Mary Kelly's. Once inside she was glad to see she had gotten there before Ginnie. "I see you're busy. I hate to rob you of Ginnie, but I will need her for a while this afternoon. Can you make sure to send her home early please? I'm going to wait here for her, but I don't want to make her leave right away."

It was a little past one when Ginnie got to the dress shop. She was tired from the lunch run and her dress smelled slightly of the beer that had splashed on the hem of her dress. One of the men she served had bumped into the pail and sloshed some beer on her. She washed her hands rinsed out the dress and headed into the shop. Kate kept her face calm as Ginnie walked in, just looking steadily at her, unconsciously imitating her mother's cool look that had always warned her she was in trouble.

"Well, that was a fine way to go off without even a good-bye. I had expected to finish lunch with you, Ginnie." The girl answers, "Mrs. Kale I realized that your friend had appeared in the cantina and you would wish to speak with him. I also had lunch runs to make and a job that was expecting me and I did not wish to interrupt your conversation. If I unintentionally disrupted your expectations of the day I am sorry."

Ginnie picks up her needle and her fingers begin to fly at her stitching as she sits in the chair in the corner. "Is that something that I can do to help you?" Kate walked over and knelt down next to Ginnie's chair so she could speak without others hearing. "I'm worried about you. You haven't called me Mrs. Kale since the day we came back from Tombstone, and now suddenly I am Mrs. Kale again. I had only one question to ask Mr. Booth, and as I said to you, I intended to come right back.

I'm not upset about my expectations, I'm worried you are working yourself too hard. You have been very quiet since our trip, and it's not like you. I want you to come home early tonight, we can have dinner together and then talk. No books until after we talk." Kate looked at Ginnie, not hiding the fear in her eyes. "I'm sorry if you've been unhappy living with me. I love you, Ginnie, if you are unhappy I want to fix it."

Ginnie searched Kate's eyes with an intensity that actually made Kate uncomfortable. There was an icy distrust to the girl's gaze that Kate hadn't see since the first day she had met her in the shed. Ginnie muttered to herself under her breath. Kate had to strain but heard it because of the amount of attention she had recently needed to pay to things going on around her "I see... no books... as I expected."

In a very polite business like tone loud enough for the conversation to be heard by others Ginnie said "As you wish Mrs. Kale, I will see you when I am released from my duties here tonight at dinner" With that she bent over her work beading a piece of lace that was meant for a costume gown for the ball coming up. "As you expected? Ginnie what is going on?"

Kate stood up and looked at Mary Kelley. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I need to speak to Ginnie privately just now. Is there someplace quiet we could go?" "There's a storage room in the back," she said. "Ginnie knows the way." "Thank you, Mrs. Kelley. Lead the way Ginnie."

Ginnie places her work on the chair and leads Kate to the back room it is tightly packed with many mostly finished garments ready for the final fitting before the ball. Ginnie turns as Kate shuts the door a needle flying in her hand creating lace from a small ball that has been tucked into her sash. "How may I help you?" The voice is impersonal and the small body reeks of hostility and stress. Every muscle of the 67 pound body is strung tight as if ready to take a blow.

"This isn't about me, Ginnie. It's about you," she said gently. "Since we came back from Athens you've been quiet. And you've started working yourself to the bone. I'm worried." Kate hesitated. "I'm sorry about the way you found out about the baby. I know it was a shock, but I had to be honest with that priest. I'm still getting used to the idea myself. Things will change, and that can be frightening. But there is something that won't change. We made a family for ourselves, and anyone else who comes along just makes it larger. Your place is yours. No one, not even a baby, can push you out of it. I haven't called you my daughter because you had a mother of your own, but in my heart you're my daughter, and every day I love you more than the day before."

Ginnie replies, “That is kind of you to say Mrs. Kale and I do believe that you believe that ...for now. However I know better. You took me on to fill a void that you had and for a while it was nice to feel that I belonged again but things have changed. You will now have your own child and I know what happens when a baby becomes part of your life. Others become unimportant and when they are not of your own blood you'll resent the fact that you took on this extra burden.

I've been through this before and know what will happen. I have been saving and should be able to move on before I become more of a burden in your life. The house has been cleaned and the room that you will want for the nursery has been prepared. I've labeled all of the cooking spices and left lists of the "special ingredients" that I have collected from your land on a shelve in the pantry at the ranch I have kept half of the ingredients as payment for labor provided.

There is no problem if I need to remove myself from the room at the cantina. I have set up a small placement in the barn and should be able to rent that space with the money I have been bringing in from the lunch runs. Is there anything else that I need to cover?”

Kate says, "You are not a burden Ginnie! And there is no reason for you to leave our room at the Cantina. Did your mother love you less when your brothers and sisters came along? Do I love my family less because I have made the Figueres part of my family? Do I no longer love my father because I see Mr. Gonzales the same way? If I were to marry again, would that mean I no longer love Tom? There is infinite room for love, Ginnie. The more people you love, your heart just grows bigger to make room. You've been a blessing, and I don't think I could bear it if you went away."

Ginnie says, “I was very young when my mother died. I don't really remember anything other than taking care of my younger sister and working to put food on the table, just as those older than me did. So for me, yes, when a child comes into the "family" things change and not in a good way.
You do not see me as a burden now but that will change. I have done my best not to need much from you, although you seem to want to give more than I can pay. I have been saving and should be able to pay back anything that I might owe you in time.

I would not know your feelings for your father nor how you feel towards Mr. Gonzales as that is something I have had little experience with my father spent most of the time on the streets of Boston trying to pick up day labor jobs so I didn't really see him that much when he was home.
I have never been married and it is unlikely that anyone would ever want to marry me once never mind getting remarried so I really have no point of reference.

Love is a dangerous way to allow others to injure you. I expected after being told of your position that things would change and the opportunities that I had been offered would disappear and I was correct. the first thing you said was "no more books". As expected, the education that I had been offered was taken away as it had been before. The next thing will be the shelter and that is also expected and I had prepared for both of those. I know what my life is and always has been. It has been a nice reprieve Mrs. Kale, but I'm not blinding myself to the truth of my life. Thank you for the time that you have given me. I understand that I will need to move on and I'm prepared for it.”

"Ginnie you're making an awful lot of assumptions. When I said no books I meant only that we had to talk before you went back to your studying. Not that you would never go back to them at all. In fact, since we have talked now you can go straight back to them after work if that's what you want to do."

Kate stepped closer and brushed a stray bit of hair away from Ginnie's forehead. "You're more like Ruby than I'd realized. Both of you always watching for the bitter in the sweet. Expecting everyone to take with one hand while giving with the other. You owe me nothing. Any payment I needed I have received just from your presence, from being needed by someone. I will accept no money from you, no goods. What I have given, I have given freely and I will continue to do so. You will not need to move on unless you yourself wish it. I will never wish it. All I ask of you is to continue to accept what I'm willing to give, and try to also prepare for the fact that the time will never come when I want you to move on. Will you do that at least?"

A single tear slides out of the girl's eye all the muscles tighten then the girl just crumbles to the floor the tears flowing unhindered. "You say that now but it's going to change! The baby will come and your not going to want me anymore. They didn't want me in the first house after my mother died and the second one was just to take care of their kitchen and they found someone else for that too. The orphanage didn‘t want to keep me and the place they sent me to was worse than anywhere I ever want to end up being again. I can't keep getting thrown away I can't do that anymore. You say it's not going to change but it will and I can't let myself love someone and then get thrown away again. I'm just too tired."

Katherine got down on the floor and took Ginnie in her arms. She didn't speak right away, just let her cry. "If I had had your life, I wouldn't trust me either," she said finally. "As much as I want you to believe me, words are only words. Actions are what will prove the truth of them. There may be more changes very soon; let me prove to you that your place will always be here. You don't have to love me, just stay and let me love you."

Ginnie eventually pulls herself back together wipes the tears from her face and pulls back from Kate searching her face. Kate can see that the girl is waiting for the lie or to find a way to gage the price tag that staying will cost her. "I'll stay for now... but I'm not unpacking. You'll change your mind you'll see. I need to get back to work. I get paid by the piece and the work is going to be gone after the festival. I'll be at the cantina for supper." With that she pushes past Kate and opens the door to some much welcome fresh air and her chair in the corner of the shop.

Kate stayed in the back room for a few more minutes. It would be a long nine months for Ginnie, constantly waiting for the day she changed her mind. That day wouldn't come, but Ginnie would be waiting for it. She sighed and followed Ginnie out of the room.

She stopped and said good-bye to Mrs. Kelley, then kissed Ginnie on the forehead before she went back to the El Parador. She sees that sawhorses have been set up blocking off Main Street from the west side of Allen to the east side of Front. Five different carts from both Morand Cartage and Drover's Livery are busy delivering timber to that city block for construction of the stage. Neil Cassidy is supervising a team consisting of his three employees and a dozen volunteers. The wood is a mix of rough round logs and finished cut boards. He explains how they are going to lay down all of the logs east-west to make a solid elevated platform then pile dirt and sand on top to level it off. A layer of straw will then be put down followed by the finished boards placed north-south.

Kate reached the El Parador and went to Mr. Gonzales rooms. "Are you here?" she called out. "I am here, my little Sandpiper." He looked at her and immediately came over and hugged her. "Another difficult day?" "That's an understatement. I don't know what to do. Again," she said, laughing at herself. "Please, lets sit, I need to talk."

Once they were both settled with glasses of iced tea, Katherine began to talk. She told him of Ruby's reaction to her news and of Conrad's offer. Lastly she told him of the talk she'd just had with Ginnie and her fear that Ginnie was going to have a very hard time ahead, if she didn't just run off. "I have made the decision a dozen times by now. I decide to decline his offer, and then I'm sure accepting is the right thing to do. That I am fond of him and it could save my school by keeping my reputation intact. It would give my boy legitimacy in the eyes of the world.

Then I decide to accept and immediately think I should decline. Wondering what people will think of me, marrying again so soon and feeling guilty, wondering how I can live with him and not really be a wife. Wondering where we would live.... And now with Ginnie? Would she take a marriage the same way as she does the baby? Will she think I no longer want her? Or if she does accept it, perhaps she just wouldn't want to live with him. If I did marry him I might be able to prove to her that I want her in my family, or maybe it would drive her away." Kate laid her hand on his arm. "I must make my own decision, but I could use some help in clearing up my thinking. More importantly, what can I do to ease Ginnie's mind about the future?"

"Kate, Ginnie is now one of my little birds. This situation is not your problem it is our problem. She listens to me, we will work this through." As for your other decision, let me take each of your points one at a time. First, you say you are fond of him. That is good but not the basis of a marriage. If I had married every woman I was fond of...okay, maybe that's not the best example. Let's move on.

Second, you say that you could save your school by keeping your reputation intact. That's just silly, as the school hasn't even started yet. By the time anyone knows your expecting the school will or won't be established based upon itself. Third, it would give my boy legitimacy in the eyes of the world. You are one-hundred percent correct in that assessment. But if you were to leave here with your son and go where nobody knows you all you would have to say is that he is the son of your late husband and nobody would be the wiser. You could even get a priest to confirm that with a lie detection spell.

Fourth, you wonder what people will think of you, marrying again so soon. Well, they'll all think far worse things once your pregnancy is noticed, so it is by far the easier choice. Fifth, feeling guilty, wondering how you can live with him and not really be a wife. That's entirely your decision. I'm sure that he hopes that your relationship will evolve into a real one and he strikes me as enough of a gentleman to allow you the time to either reach that conclusion or file for divorce if that is not to be the case.

Sixth, wondering where you would live. Between the ranch, school building, El Parador, Lucky Lady and Conrad's house it seems that you have five possible places to live. That should be the least of your worries. It sounds like whatever you decide he is okay with separate bedrooms. Seventh, Ginnie. How she would take a marriage, if she'd see it the same way as she does the baby. Probably, but you have to make this decision based upon something other than her fears and paranoid, especially given that her concerns are ungrounded.

Eighth, Conrad himself. He is a good man who does appear to care deeply for you. He put his own life at great risk for you on Monday, something he would not have done for anybody just a few months back. He is smart, handsome, thoughtful and as we already know, able to be discreet when needed." He then grins and says "And he appears support your studying wizardry with me as long as we curtail having a romance. That presents no problem for me, as I would never get involved with one of my little birds. That may however prove difficult for you given how irresistible I am."

Kate laughed suddenly. "Don't take it too hard, Professeur aime, but I think I can resist one I think of as a father." She paused to let the laughter pass. "Thank you. I will give it some more thought; I must decide very soon. I hope we can comfort Ginnie, but we are dealing with a heart, not a head. She said she believed me, but she also believes I will change my mind. She's been terribly hurt, and I'm not sure she can believe until her heart heals. She'll be downstairs for dinner after work. Please sit with us tonight, I think we'd be rather strained alone."

Katherine took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "Now, how is the work in the scrolls coming, and what can I do to help?" He replies, "Well, I have now completed five scrolls. I want you, Ruby, Ginnie and Sonoma to each take one. We will use the fifth for practice. You and Sonoma have both cast spells from scrolls before so we should have one of the others use it. Normally I would suggest Ginnie, but given her current mental state she might perceive that as a lack of confidence in her, needing to see her and her alone try it, so we might ask Ruby instead. Ruby tends to enjoying trying out new things anyway, so I doubt she'll mind.

As for Ginnie's reaction to Conrad, I would suggest that you ask her directly. Ginnie is smart, regardless of the current paranoia. She now knows you are expecting and what that will do to an unmarried woman's reputation. Heck, I wouldn't put it past the Vigilance Committee to want you to wear a scarlet "A" on your clothing like the Nathanial Hawthorne novel. If Ginnie is explained how this is just a paper marriage to save your reputation she may very well understand and agree."

"You talk as if I'd already accepted. But Ginnie should know about the offer. I thought of it earlier, but it wasn't a good time to bring it up, obviously.” He replies, "Only in regards to the Ginnie issue, if your answer is going to be no then it is not necessary to bother the child at all." She says, “There are some definite advantages to saying yes. I wouldn't have to explain to my family. I'm not looking forward to that. But... well, we'll see.” He answers, "There are also definite advantages to saying no. You have to think this one through yourself."

She says, “Would you like me to tell Ruby to stop by tomorrow when I'm at work tonight? We should all get those scrolls in our possession. You never know when we might need them." He states, "Whenever we can assemble the four of you would be best." "I'll try to bring us all in tomorrow. I should go out to the ranch anyway so I can fetch Sonoma." Kate hugged her teacher. "Thank you for listening. Sometimes you just need to say things out loud. I will see you tomorrow."

Katherine went downstairs for another cooking lesson with Dorita, this time learning how to cut up different kinds of meats and some simple preparations. Afterwards she washed her hands very thoroughly before going upstairs to nap before heading down to dinner and then off to work for the night.

 

[Silver Moon]

Chapter 202, “Jeff’s Story“, Thursday, March 30th, 1882, 12:30 PM

Ruby, Jake and Jeff settle in to the office side of their room. Ruby plops herself down on the couch. "Have a seat Jeff, make yourself comfortable." Jeff Mills sits down in the chair. He says, "I've decided not to quit, if that's what you want to know." Jake says, "That's a good start. Look Jeff, I told you this before, if we don't know what in blue blazes is going on with you we can't help. We'll even if we can't help we don't know how to avoid trouble for you."

Jeff says, "Well, the other night I told you about growing up as the fourth generation of Erie Canal workers, my Great-Grandfather having helped build the canal back in the 1820's. He had settled on a plot of land on the canal that he bought from the canal owners. He work it for the rest of his life using mules to haul boats and barges along the canal, passing the job on to his son. My Grandfather and Father both did the same

That story I told you, back in '58, took place not long before my family got swindled. Our land was stolen from us by a bunch of crooked lawyers, they make that Fisk guy look like Mr. Honest by comparison. They came onto our land with forged deeds, claiming to have owned it and said that my Great-Grandfather's deed was a fake. Turns out they had the state politicians in their back pockets. We appealed to the Federal Government also, but those politicians had been paid off too so they also backed the thieves.

We were evicted and decided to move on out west. My Grandfather didn't survive the trip. He was healthy enough but his spirit was broken. After his passed Father blamed the Government. We settled in the Arizona Territory. When Arizona joined the Confederacy, well Father was the first to join up. He was a member of Sheord Hunter's troops. Fought here in Arizona and then moved on with Hunter to Texas. My father was with him at the battle of Brashier City, Louisiana in '64. That was a huge Confederate Victory. They captured 1,300 Union prisoners, 11 heavy siege guns and over $ 2 million dollars worth of supplies. Only lost three men, but my father was one of them. Part of me died too when I heard the news."

Jake listens intently and nods for Jeff to go on. "That's very sad Jeff." Ruby furrows her brows. "But why would that make both the armies want you?" Jeff continues, "Well, there I was, a ten-year old boy on his own, my Mom having died of illness the previous winter. Then Major General John Bankhead Magruder, who headed the Confederate States Military Department of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, send Sherod Hunter back to New Mexico and Arizona to recruit new forces for the Confederacy.

You have to understand, I shared my father's sentiment for hating the Union given what the Government had done to my family. I was proud that my father had died for a cause that he believed in, and I had no other future plans. So I signed up. I was only eleven by that time, but had sprouted up early. I was the same height and build that I am today. I lied and told them I was eighteen. They had to have known I was younger but probably figured me for fifteen or sixteen.

I fought with Hunter's Brigade for the rest of the war. Sherod Hunter became a second father to me. Always looked after me, trusted me more than any other man under his command. By then I also knew this land like the back of my hand. A special assignment came up where they needed a local scout, and he assigned me to it. Worst thing that ever happened to me. I'll come back to that in a minute.

Moving ahead, Lee surrendered to Grant in '65 and hundreds of Secessionists started escaping from Union-controlled Territory to Mexico. Colonel Hunter took it upon himself to reorganize these troops into a coherent fighting force, which would be needed if we were to be taken seriously by the Government. Hunter didn't want to reignite the war, he just wanted to create a place for those who believed in State's rights to live in peace.

The Colonel thought that President Johnson would be willing to concede The Arizona and New Mexico Territories to the Confederacy if we were to allow the United States railroads to travel through them. That was the main reason for the Gadsten Purchase to begin with, to secure land for a railroad linking Texas to California. Lincoln would never have agreed, but Johnson was willing to talk at least. Colonel Hunter crossed back into the states in '66 for a secret meeting with representatives of President Johnson but unfortunately nothing came of that meeting." Jeff stops and pours himself some of the bourbon. Ruby says, "I don't know much of historic events, I admit. Please go on, I want to know how this effects you now."

Mills continues, "Well, Ulysses S. Grant was elected president in 1868. Colonel Hunter realized that old U.S. Grant would never negotiate with him. So Colonel Hunter disbanded the unit and sent us all back to the states. But he made a point to keep in touch with each of us. When Grant left office in '77 and Rutherford Hayes took office he called us back together. Hayes had support for southern reconciliation and this would have gone a long way. Hunter started negotiations again but then silver and gold were discovered here in the territories and the Government became less inclined to deal.

That's when things got really difficult and I had a major falling out with Colonel Hunter. I left Mexico again and came back here for good. And because of what I know both the Federal Government or the New Confederate Government have been hounding me ever since. As I told Chet, I'm stuck in the middle of a damned tug of war and neither side will listen to me." He slams his fist on the table as he makes that statement.

Ruby says, "Jeff, I'm just a simple saloon singer. Was there some kind of hidden information in what you just told us? I don't understand what it is you know that they are willing to hunt you for." Jeff breathes in and sighs, "There are millions of reasons Miss. West why, and every one of them is made of gold." "Oh..." Ruby says with her eyebrows raised. "Ok, well, that explains a lot. How did you find this information?"

Jeff replies, "I was with the Confederate brigade sent to bury it. That was the special assignment. When it looked like Richmond was going to fall they shipped out the entire Confederate Treasury, valued at over two million dollars at the time. Sent a whole brigade to guard it. Went by rail through Texas and then over land from there. By the time it got to Arizona the Yankees were closing in so Colonel Hunter decided it was best to hide it.

He sent me with the brigade since I knew the area. Thing is, they were all good ole boys from the deep south, and with my New York accent more than one of them was sure I was a Yankee spy. So they didn't trust me, left me at the base camp under guard when they went up into the mountains to hide it.

That brigade then headed down into Mexico. The fool Major leading it got lost and wandered into the wrong place, ruled over by a Mexican Warlord who didn't like trespassers. A small army of wood elves ambushed them, not one human survived. That only left three people remaining with any inclination of where it had been buried, myself and two Captains who had been reassigned shortly after it had been hidden. But like me, the Captains had never left the base camp.

In March of '66 Hunter sent both of them back to Arizona disguised as prospectors to find it. Not long after that Captain James K. Powell turned up dead, his body filled with Apache arrows. Captain Jack Carter just vanished. Colonel Hunter assumed he had found the gold and made off with it, so spent the next decade trying to find the man. Carter eventually turned up, a decade later in '76, right here in Cochise County. The guy had gone insane, told some fool story of wandering into a cave and falling through a hole to the planet Mars. He kept raving about his lost Princess Dejah. I think they shipped him off to an asylum.

That's when Colonel Hunter and I had the falling out. He accused me of knowing where the gold was and hiding it from him. Seems he thought that with the money he could bribe the Government into giving him some land for his New Confederacy. I decided not to tell what I knew, and came back here.

But by then word had also reached the U.S. Military, who also applied pressure to get me to talk. I won't tell them either, so they've blackballed me, won't let me find employment with any Federal contractors. I'm the most popular guy around, except they could care less about me, all they want is the gold. Only folks who ever just accepted me for me are you guys and the Whipples."

Ruby says, "I don't understand one thing. Why don't you go GET the gold, move away and live a life of luxury? That's what I would do anyway." She meets Jeff stare. "Well, we would miss you, of course. But sometimes you have to think of yourself." Jake chuckles. "Because he doesn't know exactly where it is, only approximately. If he found the gold then there is nothing stopping both sides from taking it from him and his life wouldn't be worth two bits."

Jeff says, "Well, the thought had occurred to me, but like Jake says, I still don't know exactly where it is. But I'm pretty good at figuring out logistics. I knew where the base camp was, how many men they had, how many trunks of gold they had and how long they were gone. The men hadn't brought that much digging equipment with them so the two Captains assumed the stuff had been just hidden in a cave. But over the years I did some background checking, and one of the Lieutenants who had gone on the digging detail was the son of a New Orleans wizard, so I figure he knew some digging spells and the stuff was buried instead.

So four years back I wired Linley to come out here, he was the freed slave who worked with my family back in New York. We spent close to two years up in the mountains looking until the Deputy Sheriff showed up and started shadowing us. We then started checking out the other two local mountain ranges, where I knew the stuff wasn't but we wanted to throw him off. Not long after that this town got going. I decided to stay around and stop looking. Linley moved over to Deming, a New Mexico town around seventy-five miles east of here. Only people who would hire me then were the Whipples here at what was the Lone Star, them having strong Confederate leanings from their Texas days.

Thing is, I don't really want all of that gold, neither does Linley. We just want enough to go back to New York and buy up the family land again. Several generations of both of our families are buried on that land and we'd like to see our relatives who have died since we left brought back there for a proper burial among their kin folk."

Jake strokes his chin and looks at Jeff. "Was that Hunter that came to visit recently or one of his agents?" Jeff replies, "That was Colonel Markus Jackson, Colonel Hunter's second-in-command. They want the gold again, or at least enough information from me to look themselves.

All they know now is that it's in one of the mountain ranges in the area. The base camp was right where the town of Promise City now stands, but unlike me they don't know how far the group traveled. So as far as they know it's anywhere in the Dragoon, Dos Cabezas or Chiricahua Mountains. That's all the Government knows too since we threw off Deputy Sheriff Colin Hunter. By the way, he's Colonel Sherod Hunter's nephew. Not sure which side he's actually working for or if he's just out to find it for himself."

Ruby stays quiet in thought, tapping her lips. Finally she speaks. "Ok, now I understand why there are two armies after you. And it would probably be quite hard to get it with them always shadowing you." She looks up at Jeff. "I don't want you to think we're using you either, so I don't think I should make any suggestions about it." "How much do you need to get your land in New York back?" He replies, "Don't know. But I figure if we find it there will be more than enough. That gold was worth over two million during the war. Prices have gone up considerably since then, so it's probably now worth between three and four million.

Jake says, "Jeff, let me think about what you told me. I'll recommend as a friend that you don't tell that story to anyone else for now. Is there any more to the story?" Jeff replies, "Only one's I've ever told all that to are you two and the Whipples, oh, and Linley of course. Nothing more to the story other than the specifics about the digging detail, which no offense, but I don't tell those to anybody.” “Wise, very wise. You keep it that way." Jake says nodding.

Jeff says, “My alone knowing those details are the only thing that makes me more valuable alive than dead to everyone else." Jake replies, "Fair enough Mr. Mills. I ask the YOU let ME know when trouble comes knocking so we can work it out together.

Jake says, "After this Cowboy gang problem is resolved, we can talk more about this if you would care to. Perhaps we could come up with a solution to your problem." Jake's eyes twinkle. "In the mean time just stay around the Lucky Lady with us and we'll see if we can keep both sides off your back for a little while."

Jeff says, "Thank you Mister Cook. All I ask is that you don't put me in a situation again where the Government could haul me up on charges to try to get the information out of me. As bouncer here I can do whatever is necessary to defend the place, but as I told Miss. West the other day, once those men had been disarmed and the place secured my job here was done. Anything beyond that wouldn't have ever held up in court."

Ruby interjects, "Just remember we didn't know any of that information, Jeff. We wouldn't knowingly put you or anyone else in danger. As a matter of fact it's just the opposite, although I'm not quite sure how that happened."

"I understand now why you've been hesitant to see to Mr. Cook's silver mine. But if there is a way you can help get that silver out, I'm sure Mr. Cook's generous nature would show. That has been an issue..."

Jake laughs out loud. "I've not heard that said too many times. I do need some help, or should I say the miners need some guidance on the construction. We can work that out after the festival and this damned Cowboy gang infestation. As always Jeff, I'll see to it that you are adequately rewarded for your contribution. I do wonder, now that I know more of the story, if Sheriff Hunter is involved with the Cowboy gang too or just interested in watching everyone that is close to Jeff, thinking they might lead Hunter to clues about the gold."

Ruby states, "Anyway, it's almost 1:00 and I have to get back downstairs. We might be needing you too, depending on how many people show up." The one o'clock hour comes and goes without anybody showing up at the Lucky Lady. At 2:00 PM two people arrive, a pair of plump and rather dirty brothers named Michael and Stanislov Polaski, one carrying a tuba the other with an accordion. They play her a polka and are actually rather good, although it is a type of music she isn't all that experienced with. Still, it is very danceable.

Ruby was only slightly disheartened at the turn out for entertainers, as the whole festival plans have seem to become a mess anyway. She wasn't going to worry about it too much as this all started as a favor for her friend. Then again, she had hoped to get some ideas over who could play her Romeo for the play she planned and the two dirty polka players just wouldn't fit the bill. She told the brothers they could play for the festival and she asked them to check back on Saturday for the time. Still, she would hang around and drink while she waited, hoping someone else might still turn up.

At 2:45 PM Jane Boag enters the Lucky Lady followed by an entourage of nine other women. All are wearing nice dresses but nothing too revealing. Jane make the introductions to Ruby. "My Palace coworkers Abilene Annie Lambert, Leslie Hutton, Louise Vogel, Fannie Mitchum, and Marnie Keppler; Hildy Jackson and Nancy Myers from the Long Branch; and Julia Barbeau and Fifi LaFarge from the Gay Lady." "Good afternoon, ladies, Jane." Ruby nods. "Are you all here to sign up for entertainment for the festival?"

Jane says "Yes, we are. We're all experienced entertainers and have been practicing together. We're all set with two family-friendly songs and dances for earlier in the evening and one far more suggestive number for after midnight when hopefully all little children and prudish Vigilance Committee members will have gone off to bed." Ruby smiles but keeps her suspicions to herself. "Now that sounds good!"

She offers a seat to the women and sits herself, "So what do you have planned?" Jane says, "Well, we'd show you but your stage isn't large enough for the ten of us. We will require that there be a piano at the side of the stage to provide the music, we'll bring out own pianist. Our earliest number is a medley of songs by Sir. Arthur Sullivan, with fairly conservative dance moments and we'll wear what we have on now. The Vigilance Committee will probably not object, even thought it is being performed by a group of whores. Our next number is a combination of French-Canadian and American dances and songs, where we plan to wear dresses that may show off just a little cleavage and a lot of leg. I haven't decided on the attire yet for the final number and am open to your suggestions."

Ruby says, "Ms. Duprey and myself have been practicing songs together, with the girls from the Gay Lady. That should be plenty of entertainment then. Do you have any preferences for times?" Ruby laughs, "I'm sure you know that I could care less about the members of a certain Committee. As for the later show, is that the one you would like me to help you with? I'm not very clear on that yet." "We can plan that out later, the two of us. I don't want to tie all of the other women up." Ruby replies, "Alright, I'll see you later then!" Jane turns and departs with the other women. Another lull follows.

 

[Queenie]

Carter eventually turned up, a decade later in '76, right here in Cochise County. The guy had gone insane, told some fool story of wandering into a cave and falling through a hole to the planet Mars. He kept raving about his lost Princess Dejah. I think they shipped him off to an asylum.

This is the kind of hidden stuff that makes this game / story so amazing!

 

[Silver Moon]

Yeah, I was tempted to do more with John Carter, given that "Princess of Mars" begins right around where Promise City is, but thought that might be a little too over-the-top.


Chapter 203, “Jake’s Audition“, Thursday, March 30th, 1882, 3:30 PM

Chester has gone to visit wounded Deputy Eduardo Rodriguez and asks him how he is doing. Eduardo replies, "Chet, I could be up and about now. Both Valdez and Jimenez know a lot of healing magic. I'm as good as new, a few scars, but otherwise okay. I could have been back to work yesterday, but Jimenez wouldn't let me go. Now Dorita's holding me here, and I know better than to cross her. But please tell Marshall Berg that I'll be back on duty in time for the festival, you guys are going to need me then."

Chester pats Eduardo's shoulder. "I know what you mean there about Dorita. She means business. Anyway, I'm glad to see you're doing well. We got really worried when we heard the news. I'll tell the Marshall you'll be fit for duty soon. Get some rest. Dorita won't be happy unless you do, OK?"

Chester stops in the Marshall's Office. Berg is there doing paperwork. "Hey, Mitch. I just saw Eduardo. He'll be fit for duty in time for the festival. He's itching to get back to work." Berg says, "Good, good. We'll be very busy, I imagine. Are you helping build the stage for the festival?" Chester replies, "Yep. I was just heading over there now. See you later."

Back at the Lucky Lady, while sitting around bored waiting for more 'entertainers' to arrive Jake speaks chats a while with Niles. They talk about erecting the secure storage building on the property for his liquor business. "We need to get that stuff out of the saloon so we don't have another repeat of the dynamite attack". They agree readily on this. Jake also asks Niles to tell him immediately on his next order of the Orendian Tequila. "I'm betting that is a warning sign for where the Cowboy gang is going to be meeting next."

Stanley Barker stops by the Lucky Lady. He hands Ruby a small cardboard box and says "You've tried my molasses and toll house recipes before. Today it's gingerbread cookies and sugar cookies. I would be willing to help with the entertainment at the festival if you need me. Also, I heard that there would be a pie baking contest. I was wondering if you could you please check to see if they might be willing to have a cookie baking contest too?"

"Mind if I try one now?" Ruby samples a cookie. He smiles and replies, "Help yourself, the whole box is for you. The gingerbread cookies just came out of the oven so should still be warm." "It would be a crime to not have a cookie baking contest Mr. Barker. "And I'd be grateful to have you play for a bit on the main stage. Ruby gets Stanley a lemonade. "How are things working out with your wife's new profession?" He makes a distasteful face and softly says, "I would greatly prefer that she shoot people with her camera than her Colt."

Ruby tries a gingerbread cookie. "These are so good Mr. Barker. I wonder, might you be interested in making some of these for the saloon? Think about it." "As for your wife, I know what it's like to have someone you love in the line of fire." They chat for a while then Ruby bids him good day.

Jake has been watching the rather skimpy showing of entertainers come for try outs and starts to feel bad for Ruby. When Stanley leaves, Jake approaches Ruby. "Excuse me Miss West, I read a sign somewhere that you were looking for entertainers? I could play a little piano in the early evening for some dancing if that was helpful. Would you like to hear me play? I know you need to audition me first because there is so much competition for the available time slots."

"Oh, and sign me up for some children’s entertainment. I can do some kid acceptable fun for about fifteen minutes worth that even the vigilance committee couldn't have a problem with. I'll have to practice up a bit over the next couple of days, but I should be fine." She replies, "You want to contribute? Well, I suppose if I get a private audition I'll consider it," she teases. "Of course that includes hearing you play."

"You are cruel hard Missy West." Jake says feigning his feelings are hurt. He wanders over to the piano and sits down. He starts playing softly, an old drinking song but jazzed up a bit.

"There are loads of homeless teenaged boys hanging round saloons looking for some work. And the pay?" Jake snorts a laugh. "Cash if they can get it, just room and board if they are lucky, more likely some leftover food and a bit of whiskey, and in some case just a chance to see a pretty lady." He raises his eyebrows at Ruby. "There's fierce competition for what little work there is. I had no interest in shoveling manure out of the barn, and boys who can clean and sweep are two bits a dozen. But a lad who can clean and sweep, says polite words to the customers and can play a little piano when the regular guy takes a break gets a leg up."

He stops playing, turns around and leans his elbows irreverently on the piano with a 'bring'. "I know some songs but not very many. My folks tried to have me learn the piano for real as a kid, but I just wasted their money. I had a few players show me some but mostly I watched and listened to some of the old timers who just had a knack. I learned some riffs, chords and tricks to apply to any song. Since I didn't do too many songs early on in the evening folks hardly noticed my songs often sounded similar. By the time it was late, well, folks hardly notice anything then anyway."

A cheerful laugh emerges from him and the twinkle is in his eye. "It wasn't often that I accompanied the singer, mostly I just made up stuff around a song that I mostly knew. So it made me different than the other boys, and handy to have around the saloon. Sometimes I'd get tips and drinks from the customers. Besides the ladies seemed to like the piano playing kid better than the one with the manure under his finger nails." Jake turns back to the piano and plays another lively drinking song.

Ruby sits next to him on the piano bench while he plays. "You are better then you think you are." She hums and sings along to parts and where he improvises she improvises too. Finally she asks, "Do you ever regret the ways things went for you as a kid?"

Jakes doesn't stop playing but instead changes to another tune, that sounds vaguely like a ballad Ruby knows but can't put her finger on. He plays quietly and says, "Regret? I never thought of it that way. Angry at times, sure." He plays a few more bars. "Regret." He says like he is thinking. "I guess I don't spend much time worrying that I did the wrong thing, whether I did or didn't. So not much regret. I suppose you could say I spend my time in today making it better."

"So," He turns to look at her and says cheerfully . "Do I get a spot? I was serious about the children’s entertainment too. I promise, there will be no whorehouse jokes." Jake laughs out loud long and hard. "At least not at the children’s entertainment."

Ruby cocks her head, flipping her hair in the process. She leans towards Jake and gives him a small kiss. "Not only do you get a spot in the show, you get a spot in my heart. As for the children's entertainment, I bet you'd be really good at it. I have to work on a schedule but consider yourself hired. Maybe you can show me some of your tricks later," Ruby smiles.

Ruby looks hesitant to continue but does, although slowly. "I... I don't know what to do. I don't want to worry about any of this or really, I shouldn't be worrying about any of this." She looks Jake in the eyes, "Jane that is. I can't figure what she's up to, if anything. I can't figure if I should go along. I'm confused."

"You're not getting suspicious now are you?" Jake puts his arm around her. "Treat her like anyone else that has not earned your trust. She believes she represents the goddess, but she isn't the goddess. She is just like you or me." Jake laughs then. "Well, that is improbable. If she isn't earning your trust them let her take the risk of whatever she is doing."

Ruby replies, "The thing is, I want to help with a ceremony for the goddess. But Jane won't tell me anything about it, she keeps saying later or gives no answer answers, like someone else I know," she says giving Jake a little poke in the side. "So I don't know if I should go along or not."

"You said something that made me think. If I let them entertain and they do something crazy, then I was the one in charge, right? I'll get blamed and I know you don't want to bring the Vigilance Committee down on us, or anyone else for that matter." "Mostly us," He says with a smirk. "Better not to give the Vigilance Committee any leverage like town outrage."

Ruby pouts. "It's much easier to just sing and take your clothes off then plan all this crap!" "Sometimes it is best to stick to your talents." He scratches the side of his face and says, "I didn't exactly mean that the way it sounded. This kind of thing is not exactly my expertise either. I don't mind jumping in and solving a problem here or there to help things along but it won't help matters to trade Ruby not knowing what to do to Jake not knowing what to do." He plays a little flourish on the piano. "At least if you can't figure it out you can give them a dazzling smile and ask for help."

"You're right. I shouldn't have gotten involved in any of this." Ruby walks over to the bar, exchanging her lemonade for a whiskey and a gingersnap. She shrugs as she returns to Jake, "Too late now. But if I'm going to be involved I might as well go all the way. We'll see what happens."
Ruby tries to banish any more thoughts of worry from her mind.

After four o'clock Jake and Ruby take a walk to Elihu Upton's office. "I used to keep Mitchell Berg on retainer for legal work in front of Judge Isby. It can be tough to own a saloon in this town. Would you be interested?" "Why yes, I would," he replies. Jake asks him. Ruby adds with a sweet smile, "And tell us a little about yourself and why we should want you as our lawyer over Mr. Fisk."

He replies, "Well, I do not know much about Mr. Fisk's background but I can tell you about mine. I'm a third generation lawyer, graduated seventh in my class from Yale Law School and spent three years as a junior partner with the well-known New York City law firm of Maurice, Lawrence and Kurley. I am also bonded as a Insurance Agent with the insurance department of my former law firm and have applied to the Territorial Governor to begin selling policies within Arizona. And unlike Fisk, I do not work alone, having recently hired Hatcher Meeks as a clerk and accountant to work with me."

Ruby asks, "So you're planning on staying in town long then? How did you end up here in Promise City?" He states, "Mathematical analysis. Both the New Mexico and Arizona Territories appeared on paper to be underserved by attorneys and insurance agents. I cross-referenced the populations, number of crimes, wealth, present number of lawyers and growth projections for twenty different communities and Promise City came up with the highest ratio for success. It appears that I have chosen right, given the Mr. Berg has ended most of his business."

She says, "Very interesting. I don't know much about math but we certainly need some lawyers around this place. Mr. Cook and I would like to put you on retainer, in the unlikely event of needing your services." Jake coughs in the background. "Ok, it might not be so unlikely," she shrugs. Jake approaches him with a $100 bill in his hand. "This should cover Miss West and myself," as he hands the bill to him.

Elihu Upton calls in his clerk, Mr. Meeks, from the back room. The scrawny looking man quickly arrives and asks what he can do for them. Upton hands him the $ 100 bill and says, "Please make out a receipt for Mr. Cook and Miss. West. Then run that bill over to Condon's Bank and deposit it into the firm's account." "You don't waste any time, do you? I know that you're fairly new to town. I hope you'll stop by the Lucky Lady and see our saloon firsthand. I've heard there is a wonderfully talented singer there," she giggles. He smiles and says, "I'll try to do that some time."

"I hope you'll do more than try Mr. Upton. We have the best customers and can introduce you to many fine citizens of our little city. We take the very best care of our customers and we'd do the same for you." Ruby realizes she is flirting, flashing her dazzling smile and playing with her hair. She clasps her hands behind her back and just stands there smiling, trying to stop the unconscious behavior.

Jake holds his snickering in rather well over the Ruby’s on and off flirting. They bid Upton good day and head back to the Lucky Lady. Ruby takes Jake's hand as they walk. "Minerva must be busy I haven't seen her around in a couple of days. I hope she stops by soon I need to speak to her. And Niles, we should go see him about the new construction. I hope that little kissing incident doesn't adversely affect the price of our lumber."

Ruby glances sideways at Jake, "Although it seems kind of funny talking about building more when what we have is in such danger of getting blown up. I keep feeling like I shouldn't be making any plans for the future." "Keeping making the plans we'll get through it. I won't say I'm not worried, but just sure we'll manage." Jake then says quickly in a low voice. "That reminds me; the invisible dynamite, is it still invisible? Can we figure out how they do that?"

"You really don't worry about much, do you? Ah.." she sighs, "I used to be like that when I was young and innocent." Then she laughs. "Yes, it's still invisible," she whispers back. "I don't know if we can figure out how to do that, is there something you want to tell me?" she smirks but keeps the innocent look on her face. "The possibilities are endless if we figure that out. No I don't have anything particular in mind." As they continue to walk Jake laughs abruptly, "I wonder if I was ever innocent."

"I'm sure at some point you were. Not sure what happened to you at a young age to change it though." She shrugs. "Me, I got the bad girl traits passed down from my parents. As for the other thing, I guess I could take it out of town and try to figure it out. I don't know how receptive Mr. Gonzales will be to teaching me that spell. He might realize it will be used to cause trouble." Jake says, "Heh, just don't mention my name with the idea and you'll be fine."

"As much as he may not like you, he knows you look out for me." She grips Jake's hand tighter in hers. "But I have also told him some of my past, he knows more than anyone else here in Promise City besides you." Ruby shrugs, "No one asks, I guess they don't want to know. Better that way anyway cause there isn't much to tell that would be acceptable by most of our friends standards."

"Anyway, I'll try to see him later and find out if he has time. I still need to talk to Minerva and Jane is coming back at some point so I'm pretty busy. But I always have time to get out of here for a bit to relax. Now let's go see Neil." "Sure, but I need to stop by Lacey's first before I forget. It will be quick." At Lacey's Jake purchases a number of colored neckerchiefs, four children’s balls and a cheap cloth bag to keep them in. "I'm set. Let us see Mr. Cassidy now."

They find Cassidy in the middle of Main Street, directing the workers at the stage.

"Good afternoon, well, evening, Mr. Cassidy. Jake and I are here to speak about the lumber for the Saloon." Ruby starts giving him a general idea about what they will need. "No need to get specific Ruby. Jeff stopped by and told me what you would be needing." "Oh that's wonderful!" Ruby replies.

"Yes, and I have a proposition for you." He gestures to the stage they are building. "We're going to need to do something with this lumber after the festival is over. I could give this to you, for an excellent price, to get your construction started. You can use it for the floorboards. Otherwise it's going to take a few weeks for another batch of lumber to be ready." Ruby looks to Jake, "What do you think? I don't want to wait to get started with the construction."

Nanuet, who had volunteered to help build the stage stopped his work and tried to listen in on the conversation eager to hear what Ruby and Mr. Cassidy were discussing. He had enjoyed the construction work and felt he was learning quite a bit. He was excited to have the work to keep him busy also, although helping Minerva with the festival work had filled that void the past several days. He interjects, "Sounds like a good deal to me Miss Ruby. Of course the decision is yours but no reason to waste time when this lumber will still be very useful."

Jake says, "Sounds fine to me, but you should be asking your construction foreman. What in Hades do I know about this stuff?" Grinning he says, "I've never built anything that stood before." Ruby says, "I wasn't asking your opinion on the wood, just whether we should consider the used lumber or not. But next time I'll remember not to ask your opinion," Ruby huffs.

She turns to the Indian and says, "Thank you Nanuet, an opinion I can use." When Ruby turns to speak to Nanuet he puts a hand on his hips, scrunches up his face and mouths the words silently back to her while wagging his finger. The others look at Jake but he has his hands in his pockets when she looks back.

Ruby turns to Neil. "Yes, we'll take it. Work out the details for the delivery with Nanuet please. And Jeff will let you know how much else we need after this. Of course, we know you'll take good care of us," Ruby winks at him. She bids Cassidy good evening and walks off to the side. "Thank you Nanuet for the help. I'm glad you stepped in since now you are next in charge, after Jeff Mills. This, of course, means you'll have to receive a salary. Is that acceptable to you?" Ruby asks with a grin.

Nanuet exclaims, "Me? Next in charge? A salary? I... well I don't know what to say Miss Ruby. I don't mind working for room and board but... well I guess if I am to court Miss Minerva properly then some extra money would be handy. I accept!" he says holding out his hand. Before she can shake it, he pulls it back and wipes it off before offering it again.

She looks at his still dirty hand and hesitates, but then puts her soft hand in his gently. "I know you'll do a good job for us Nanuet," she says and shakes his hand. "We can work out a fair salary later. Are you coming for dinner?" She narrows her eyes at Jake briefly. "Humph," she says with an exaggerated shoulder in the air before spinning on her heel and swinging her hips as she walks away.

"Wouldn't miss Maria's supper if I could help it. Whatever you think is fair Miss Ruby. Best be getting back to work. If you see Minerva tell her I was thinking of her." Ruby replies, "I will. I have been waiting to see her actually, we need to talk about this festival. At any rate, we'll see you for dinner." Nanuet heads back to work doing his best to work with those who seem to know what they are doing and assisting them more than just doing menial labor.

 

[Silver Moon]

Chapter 204, “Festival Events“, Thursday, March 30th, 1882, 4:30 PM

Judge Lacey runs up to Minerva when he sees her walking along South Street. He is waving a paper in his hand. "Priestess, he's Coming!" She pauses and asks, "Who is coming?" He replies, "Mark Twain! He says that he would be honored to speak at our festival. He says to expect him to arrive in town on Saturday afternoon or early evening depending upon when the stages are running. I know that Kris Wagner has arranged for a number of extra Wells Fargo stages to run from Friday to Monday to accommodate the crowds from out of town, so that shouldn't be an issue! Priestess! We can start advertising this!"

She takes a look at the telegram and it is what Lacey has paraphrased, also including the sentence "I am anxious to see the where Doc Holiday left this Earth in Tombstone and where Billy the Kid did so in Promise City." Minerva's face lights up. "This is wonderful news, Senor Lacey. I am sure the merchants will be very pleased by Senor Clemens appearance. How are the other events shaping up? I am sure that you and Senora Gilson have things well in hand."

Minerva bids Mr. Lacy good day and continues on her way to the El Parador in search of Katherine. She finds her in the kitchen, looking like the cooking is getting the best of her. Minerva hides her smile but is unable to keep the twinkle out of her eyes as she looks at her floured covered friend. "Hola, Kate. Learning to bake today?"

"I have come to see how you are doing with the Children's activities. I had an Idea that I wanted to share. Back in Spain we had a fair every year. I used to really love mutton Busting. We, the children that is, would ride the sheep and see how long we could stay on. It was great fun. What do you think? Maybe you could get some of the ranchers to help you out with that. I think that they young Senor King is in town and he did offer to help in any what that he could."


"I left you a list of activities at your boarding house, did you not get it?" Kate asked and wiped her hands on a towel. She replies, "No, I have not seen Bea today."

Kate says, "I'm sure your idea is fine, and we have quite a few sheep out at the ranch, but I must say, the poor sheep! I'm sure young Mr. King is very kind, but I had words with his mother last week so I doubt he would be willing to help me. I'll ask Chester if someone can build a temporary pen for the sheep. She replies, "I would not measure him against his Madre. I do not think that Senor King is much like his Madre. He came to visit me earlier in the week and he seems quite sincere. as for the mutton Busting, It does not hurt the sheep and it is quite a comical event. The children really love it, but some of them do develop sore bottoms as a result though." She laughs.

Speaking of help, I think I will need a person or two to help me run things for the children. I thought I would ask Mrs. O'Hara and Mrs. Wainwright to give me a hand. Let me run upstairs and get my copy of the list so you can look it over." It only took a moment for Kate to fetch the paper and come back into the kitchen. "Here it is."

Saturday beginning at 1:00 pm.

Always available--

Hopscotch
Marbles (All marbles provided by myself, children keep what they win playing)
Graces (Each child holds two sticks, they use them to throw and catch hoops.)
Battledores and Shuttlecocks (Badminton)
Jump ropes

Scheduled games:

1:30 pm
Tug-of-War

2:30 pm
Hoop rolling

3:30 pm
Foot races

4:30 pm
Lawn bowling

5:30 pm
Baseball

All games are stopped at 7:00 pm

No events scheduled for Sunday, although all games will be available to play.

"This is so Wonderful." Minerva says as she peruses the list. "The Children's games are my very favorite events. The sound of their laughter and excitement makes my heart light.” Kate replies, "It's not that I think Mr. King would be like his mother, only that he may have heard about our altercation. If so, he would not wish to upset his mother by giving me assistance."

Minerva says, “Speaking of Children, how is Ginny? I am going to ask her if she would like to display some of my tapestry work with her lace. I would pay her a commission for her sales of course." Kate says, "Ginnie is... adjusting to the idea of an addition to our family. I'm not certain what her plans for the festival are, but you can find her at Mary Kelley's just now. I'm sure she'll be glad of any opportunity."

"Gracias Kate, I will go and find her now while it is fresh in my mind. You look wonderful, by the way. "she says and hugs her friend before grabbing a hot cookie." Mmmm Not bad! Adios!" Minerva makes her way over to Kelley's and shares her proposal with Ginny.

Kate‘s cooking lesson from Dorita continued. "My cookies better than 'Not bad,'" Dorita said with a huff. "I'm sure she was just trying to give me a hard time, Dorita. She doesn't know I didn't make those." "Of course you not make those, too soon for baking for you!" Dorita waggled her finger at the plate of flour in front of Kate. "Get chicken, it not dredge itself." "Yes Dorita," she said and did as she was told. They finished her days lesson with fried chicken, then Kate went upstairs to take a nap.

Jake watches Ruby walk away with a little smirk followed by a shrug of his shoulders. "I think she needs a little time to cool off." He walks over to the Arizona Billiard Hall. "Hey there Rufus, how are you today?" "Fine Jake, doing fine. What can we do for you? Set you up with a table, I didn't think this was your game?" "I had an hour to burn, thought I would stop in." There are not many men in at this hour but Jake says, "Introduce me around, maybe somebody here wants a shot at my money."

Rufus Davis introduces Jake to the men one at a time. Jake is not a bad billiards player, but makes sure that even if he could win he manages to lose on a missed risky shot. After three games, Jake leaves and heads back to the Lucky Lady, the several dollars lost the price of the names of the men in the billiard hall.

Shortly after Ruby returns to the Lucky Lady Jane arrives again to speak to Ruby alone. Ruby takes her to a more private table in the corner of the Saloon. “So,” Ruby begins, “Are you going to tell me about the ceremony now? I want to help but I don’t know anything about it.” Jane smiles at Ruby, “Sister, you are so impatient. Answer me this question, Do you wish to please the goddess?”

Ruby doesn’t need to think of her answer, “Of course. I really want to thank her. But I have had too much unwanted trouble lately and don’t want to get myself in anymore than I already am.” “No trouble,” Jane answers, “It’s your choice.” “I know,” Ruby scrunches her nose, “But I want to make the right choice. I spoke to Jake about it. He listens but has no answers. Only that he doesn’t want to share me.” Ruby shrugs, “I can’t blame him, I don’t have any answers either.”

“The answer is simple, Sister,” Jane places her hand over Ruby’s. “The goddess is telling you what to do, you just have to do it.” “And what do you want me to do?” Jane answers, “I want you to do what you will. But if I had my way you would dance the Dance of the Veils.” Ruby’s eyes widen slightly and she tries to keep herself from looking surprised. “I thought YOU did the Dance of the Veils.”

“I do. We will both do it. You will go first.” Jane can immediately tell Ruby is wavering. She continues, “The goddess made you in her image for a reason. Your beauty and talents should not go unknown and unappreciated. You know in your heart she will be pleased if you do the dance for her. You will pass on her feelings of love and desire to all those who so desperately need and want them. For those of us who are chosen, it is easy to do. It is our duty to do so.”

“But…” Ruby next words are halted by Jane’s finger brushing her lips. “No buts. Search your heart and you will find the answer you seek.” Jane rises from the table. “I am going to plan on you doing the dance. If you decide not to, you may take a smaller role if you wish. Let me know if you change your mind.” With that Jane exits the Lucky Lady leaving a speechless Ruby behind.

As Jane is walking out, Minerva walks in. Ruby's brain was already spinning overtime about Jane's request. She waves to Minerva who smiles and approaches. Ruby asks Minerva to have a seat at their table and she gets her a whiskey. She smiles sweetly, "We need to have a discussion about the festival plans. At this late date there is still confusion about some things. Do you have time?"

Minerva recognizes the confrontational look in Ruby's eyes and responds with an equally sugary smile. "I have a few minutes. Let us sit and talk." She says and sits in a chair with a table between them. "Good," Ruby replies, wary of Minerva's smile. "I've been working on the entertainment but there seems to be some... confusion about the matter. Chester is building a big huge stage in the middle of town for everyone to gather at and that is where all this entertainment is supposed to go, but when I spoke to Judge Lacey he seemed a bit out of sorts, saying that you told him not to have it there? I didn't think that could be possible because the point of this festival was to bring this city together, not separate them. Am I correct in my thinking?"

“Senorita Townsend was planning on excluding the saloons. And, understandably, the saloon owners were up in arms because of this. I told her that she could not do so and I told them to decide what part they wanted to play and to coordinate their events with Senora Gilson. I do not know what has been decided. Senora Gilson would have all that information.” Ruby takes a sip of her whiskey before continuing. "Senora Gilson has no such information, she is just as clueless as Senor Lacey. They wanted me to figure it out and talk with you."

Ruby sits up straighter in her chair and states, "The entertainment will be held on the main stage and the ball will be held there also. Any saloon not right there can set up a tent along the way if they want and sell what they wish. That should take care of that problem." "That is muey excelente, Ruby. You should tell your idea to Senora Gilson. I am sure that the saloon owners will appreciate being closer to the activities, especially when the Ball starts. People will not want to leave in search of libation. How is the entertainment shaping up?"

"It's shaping up just fine. I am disappointed at the turnout but there should be enough entertainment for most of the day. Jake even offered to play and entertain the children for a bit." Ruby pauses, then continues slowly. "I have also planned some more 'adult' entertainment for later in the evening, which I am considering taking part in." "Oh? What is it?" "What is what? It's entertainment meant for adults," Ruby laughs. "Surely you realize the difference."

"Ruby, what part are you taking in the entertainment? What are you doing?" she says narrowing her eyes. Ruby laughs lightly, "You worry too much, Miss Florencia. I'm going to do what I do best." Ruby stops and considers her words. "I mean, second best." "And what might that be?"
A huge smile grows on Ruby's face, "Well, I suppose you'll have to either ask Jake or wait for the festival and be surprised."

Minerva sighs and rolls her eyes dramatically, "By the goddess, I know that smile! You are up to something, Ruby West." she smirks. "Talk to Jake? I may just do that!" She stands and moves around the table to lay her hand on Ruby's shoulder and says more seriously, "Por favor, be careful what you do mi Amiga, strange things are happening and I do not want you harmed."

"I realize that everyone around here has been affected by... something.." Ruby smiles, "And I've decided I'm not going to worry about it anymore. I would like to have a little fun and receive some favor in return. I do appreciate the concern though." She squeezes Minerva's hand. "Thanks for taking the time to straighten things out. Hopefully things will run more smoothly now." She glances around the saloon. "I wonder where he is?" She shakes her hair around her. "Anyway, I'm sure you're busy with your plans..."

Kate woke from her nap with time to spare before dinner. She replaited her hair and decided to go see Mrs. O'Hara. She slipped out of the El Parador with no one seeing her so for once managed to go somewhere alone. Her knock was quickly answered and she was ushered inside the busy house.
"I've come at a bad time, you're getting ready for dinner." "Nonsense," Mrs. O'Hara smiled. "There's plenty to help get the dinner on. Sit down now." In about a minute Kate was tucked into a chair with a drink.

"Thank you for the tea. And for helping Ginnie with our house, which is why I came." "'Twas nothing," Mrs. O'Hara said as her busy hands kept moving. "Your Ginnie is a good, industrious girl there. We had a nice little picnic with your basket when it came. I hoped she might come by and make friends with my girls here, but she always seems to be busy."

"Yes, I can't convince her to slow down," Kate said, concerned. "But I hope once I open the school she will get to know some of the other children. I also came to ask you a favor. I am in charge of the children's activities for the festival this weekend, and I may need another adult or two to keep things running smoothly. Since much of your family are likely to be there anyway, I hoped you might help."

"Well, Shannon will be helping Mrs. Kelley those days. But I think between myself and Patrick we should be able to give you a hand." "Thank you, it's a load off my mind. It would just be impossible to do everything at once. Plus there is likely to be horse racing, and since I'm raising horses I thought I should participate to make people aware." Kate stood up. "I should go and let you sit down to your dinner. Thank you." "You're welcome to stay Mrs. Kale," the other woman said with a friendly smile. "You're very kind, but Ginnie will be expecting me over at the Cantina. Thanks again, and for the tea," Kate said as Mrs. O'Hara escorted her to the door.

Mr. Gonzales joined Ginnie and Kate for an uncomfortable dinner, then took the young girl upstairs to her studies. Conrad had entered while they were eating but again took a seat at a different table. Kate kept her seat this time, then went upstairs for a quiet hour of reading before heading over to the Lucky Lady for work.

Jake stops on the porch of his saloon in the doorway. His duster is unbuttoned and the criss-cross of a pair of gunbelts is visible. He pushes his hat back on his head and scratches an itch on his brow. Stamping the loose dust off his boots he enters the saloon.

He sees Jeff Mills and Harry Rote busy getting ready for the evening. He can hear kitchen noises and assumes it is Maria. It appears to him that Ruby and Minerva are just finishing a conversation. Jake approaches the table the two women are at and flips a chair around to sit on it backwards, his hands holding the chair back in front of him. "Buenos trades, senoritas."

"I've changed my mind," he says looking at Ruby. "I want to go out tonight instead of Friday. Job is already working my table tonight and you need a break from this vexing festival business before you bite my poor head clean off. Be ready in an hour. I'll go over and tell Mrs. Smith to be ready for us. Anything special you want her to make?"

A look of surprise momentarily crosses Ruby's face before she smiles. "That's a great idea! But I have to take a bath... and only an hour? I'd better run." She stands from the table, her dizzy mind showing in her eyes, "I hope we're done here Minerva, I have to get ready for dinner. I'll, uh, talk to you later."

She bounces her way to the stairs where she pauses and turns back to the two of them. "Chocolate," she says grinning at Jake. "Tell her something chocolate." With that she climbs the stairs quickly. She gathers a simple skirt and shirt and heads over to Gilson's for her bath. They are just about to close but Ruby convinces them one more bath of the bath won't hurt. As Ruby bathes Laurie does some cleaning around the room on the other side of the curtain so they can chat.

Ruby explains the plan for the festival, that all the acts will be on the main stage and the saloons off of Main Street can set up tents along the way to sell their wares. She tells her the schedule for the entertainment and Laurie writes it down, saying she will pass it on to Judge Lacey.

Minerva continues to sit after Ruby bounces off. "Senor Jake, I am worried about that girl. She is up to something. something that she does 'second best'. She won't tell me what it is but did say that I should ask you about it. Is our Ruby getting into more hot water?"

"I have no doubt she is." Jake says with a smile. "That is what she does." His smile fades, "Second best? Something she does second best? I'm not sure... I wonder though....." Jake stands. "It must have something to do with the public ceremony to Aphrodite," he says and strokes his beard while looking at Minerva. "Perhaps you should plan to be there for that ceremony Senorita. I do not know what it will bring but I have an uncomfortable feeling about it. It may be that I am just overprotective. Still...." Jake shrugs yet again today. "I'm headed to the Promise City Hotel to speak with Melissa Smith for a minute, why don't you walk with me?"

She hesitates and looks toward the stairs. "Si, I will walk with you. I was hoping to talk to Ruby about another matter," she says blushing slightly, "but she is off and running again. Well, I suppose that it can wait until manyana." She allows Jake to escort her out of the saloon. "I really am concerned about her. She is the one that brought up the subject of some adult entertainment that she considering participating in, she looked so worried about it but when I tried to get specifics out of her she just laughed it off."

"You can still have that talk with her when we are through, she has an hour to get ready. I've never known a woman who prefers to get ready without the company of another woman anyway. I do have my worries about what Ruby is getting into. Who am I to get between someone and their deity? It's not like Silver Jake Cook has been a shining example of how to maintain a spiritual relationship with a god." Jake chuckles and scratches behind his ear as they walk. "Some people are meant to be a good example, I suspect I am just going to have to settle for being a frightful warning." Jake continues to laugh apparently finding that particularly humorous.

Minerva looks at him and laughs, "Mi Padre used to say something similar about me.
No it is not wise to get between a person and their god but it is important to know that it is the god's will that you are following and not that of someone else. How is your little project going? Have you found my book adequate for your need?"

"The book? Yes I believe it will be adequate for the task." Jake is quiet for a dozen footsteps before he adds, "I did consider your advise regarding the gods." He is quiet again until they near the hotel.

"I'm not so good at apologies when I don't think I have done anything wrong." Jake gives her a look and a small smile. "We just had a misunderstanding out behind the Lucky Lady. It's not that I haven't had my face slapped before for things I'd said, but I would never, you know, force myself...." Jake's small smile turns into a grin. "It is regrettable that we had that misunderstanding. I hope we can continue to be friends." He doesn't wait for her reply and bounds up the stairs.

Jake and Minerva enter the Promise City Hotel and he asks for Melissa Smith. "Mrs. Smith, Ruby West and I would like to stop in for a special dinner tonight. Do you think you could make room for us?" "Of course Mr. Cook," she replies, "but on short notice you'll have to choose from what I have in the kitchen."

Jake leans in to her and says quietly, "Melissa, what you do with food ought to be illegal, for we are all addicted to your cooking. Treat us to whatever you think is wonderful, and if you can have something chocolate for Ruby that would do ME a world of good." Melissa Smith hides her little smirk in her apron and nods yes several times to Jake. He gives her a smile with a tip of his hat and leads Minerva out the door.

They re-enter the street and Minerva turns to Jake. "Senor Jake, I too owe you an apology. I knew that you were not that kind of man, but well, "she shrugs her shoulders, "There are many strange things taking place lately. Por Favor, I want you to know that you can count on my friendship. By the way I would like to thank you for helping Nanuet dress for our date. It was quite a successful evening." she beams. "You are a good friend." she say and hugs him. "Now I must go and find Nanuet and ask him to escort me to the Ball. Do you know where I might find him?"

"He might be at the Lucky Lady, I really don't know where he is. Funny that one, he tends to be around when I need him though."

"Senorita, used es una mujer hermosa." {you are a beautiful woman}" Jake says matter of factly. "Forgive my brazenness, but it seems strange to me that given all the men in Spain that not one of them was able to win your heart in the years since your maturity. Is it the way of your vows to remain uncommitted to a man? I watch you and my Indian friend becoming, ahem, close."

Jake laughs, "You've got that poor savage following you around like one of Ruby's puppies. It would be fair for you to say that it is none of my business. Yet I worry about Nanuet. In some ways he is like a teenager just learning about girls." Jake removes his hat and runs his hand through his hair. "Damn, I don't know exactly what I'm trying to say. I just hope that the two of you are headed for the same place in your lives. If not one or both of you is going to get burned." Jake kicks some dirt with his boot. "Just say shut up Jake."

"No, You are Nanuet's friend and you are my amigo also." she says placing her hand on his. "I am honored that you can speak your mind without reservation. It is the test of a true friend to be able to do so. You ask if my vows prevent me from having a man in my life. No they do not but until recently it has been my heart that has prevented me from doing so. Do not worry for Nanuet. I will not hurt him. There can be no other beside Nanuet. I knew that when I met him. It is true that we are in love and that it all happened very quickly. But I am not afraid of what the future will bring and neither is he. Our union is blessed by the gods senor."

The gods, hmmm. Well, I wish you luck and perseverance. Will you be coming back to the Lucky Lady in search of Nanuet or Ruby?" "Si, I must find Nanuet. I will talk to Ruby in the morning." Jake offers her his arm and they walk back quietly to the saloon. "Good evening, Senorita." He says and makes his way up stairs.

Once there he washes up. He selects one of the new outfits Ruby helped him select in Tombstone, the one with the woven rose vest and plaid pants of dark brown and fine gold colored thread. He feels a bit naked without the gun belts and only the derringer. At the last minute he tucks the double action revolver in the back of his trousers and covers it with the ash grey waist coat. "I'll be glad when Johnny Ringo is in a six foot hole," he mumbles before going downstairs. Once down stairs he snaps his fingers and walks quickly over to Drovers. After some time there he comes back to the saloon to wait for Ruby and enjoy a drink.

 

[Silver Moon]

Chapter 205, “A Date to the Ball and a Wager”, Thursday, March 30th, 1882, 5:00 PM

At around 5:00 PM on Thursday evening the O'Hara's twin-thirteen year old girls, Colleen and Cathleen, see Katherine Kale on South Street near the El Parador Hotel. Colleen asks "Mrs. Kale, could we see Ginnie for a little while?" "Of course you can, if she'd back from Mrs. Kelley's. Come inside with me."

Kate led the girls into the Cantina and sat them down at a table near the window. "I'll just run upstairs and check." She hurried upstairs and checked first in their room, and then went into Mr. Gonzales' rooms where she found Ginnie. "Ginnie, can you come downstairs please? Colleen and Cathleen O'Hara are downstairs looking for you." Ginnie didn't speak, just nodded and went quietly out the door. Kate followed down to the Cantina, but let the girls alone, instead going into the kitchen to discuss dinner with Dorita.

A few blocks away, even though the rest of the men had long ago called it quits Nanuet was still hard at work on the stage. "I just want it to be perfect" he thinks to himself. The ends of these planks should be even, let me see if I can fix that." He continued to work, his rough hands battered after a long day of working with wood and tools, his clothes were soiled but not torn, a testament to the work that he put into making them. He wiped the sweat from his brow for what seemed the millionth time and tossed the long braid of dark hair over his shoulder so that it would be out of the way and he could concentrate. He quietly hummed a native song to himself as he worked, oblivious to his surroundings.

Minerva leaves the Lucky Lady and follows the sounds of nails being pounded into board. As she nears the sound stops and she can hear Nanuet talking. She is taken unawares by the sight that greets her as she rounds the corner. He is standing with his back to her, stripped to the waist and glistening with sweat in the sunlight. Her breath catches in her throat and then quickens as the familiar tangle of nerves takes over.

Unconsciously placing her hand on her belly, she steps back into the shadow of a building to compose her self and admire his sleek, work hardened body. His physique is lean and compact, the strong muscles of his back and arms are taut, sinewy tendons standing out from a day of hard labor. As she watches him wipe the sweat from his brow her mind wanders to her plan for Festival night and a rosy flush of heat creeps up her skin to her face. She shakes her head and laughs at herself as she steps out of the shadow and smiling radiantly she calls to him. “Buenos Tardes, Mi Amor!”

Nanuet is startled momentarily by the female voice. It is only a moment before he realizes who it is, but that lapse is all it takes for him to smack his thumb rather than the nail he was holding. "Meirda!" he exclaims as he drops the hammer which then lands on his foot. He hops up and down for a moment before sitting down on the edge of the stage, his throbbing thumb being held in his other hand.

"Buenos Tardes Minerva" he says in a weak voice. "Whatever that means." He then gets to his feet and makes his way over to her shaking out his injured hand. "What do you think of your stage my love? It is not done quite yet, but it is coming along nicely I think." His eyes are drawn to the cleavage that is exposed by her white peasant blouse, he then realizes what he is doing but chooses to allow his eyes to continue to wander taking in her curvy form.

Minerva is assailed by the strong masculine scent of him. she hurries over and picks up his injured hand and puts it to her lips. " 'Buenos Tardes' It is a well wish. it would translate to 'good late day' in English.. but it does not look like your having one." she says as she kisses his thumb and then then turns his hand over to kiss his palm. Nanuet allows Minerva to tend to his wounded hand and winches slightly from the kiss. "Buenos Tardes means good day, I will have to remember that. In my language good day would be eseeva epeva'e."

She glances up at him. "The stage looks muey excelente! so straight and even. Is all you do of such high quality? Would you have dinner with me this evening mi amor?" she says disregarding his sweaty chest and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I have not seen you at all this day." Nanuet chuckles, "I am just learning, but thank you for the compliment. I have watched the men and between working on this and the addition to the Lucky Lady I am learning."

"I would love to have dinner with you, but I should get washed up first. Where should we go?" "Kate was cooking fried chicken over at the El Parador today and that smelled delicious, let's eat there tonight." Nanuet grabs his tools and his vest, and escorts Minerva to the El Parador. He tells her to head inside while he gets washed up. A few moments later he meets her inside for dinner.

Minerva sits at the table waiting for Nanuet. She bites her lip and taps her foot as she ponders why he has not invited her to the Ball yet. "He seems quite happy with me. I can not imagine that he would invite another in my stead. Perhaps he doesn't want to go? Oh but I do so want to attend. It will be such a grand party." Nanuet re-enters the room and notices, Minerva lost in thought.

Nanuet makes his way across the El Parador greeting those that he knows and apologizing for not visiting more frequently. Dorita comes out of the kitchen and sees Nanuet. Immediately she begins berating him. "Who are you? Where you come from? You are stranger here, you never come by! My food no good for you? You no like my food?" she swats at him with the towel in her hand. "You had a room here, you sleep in my stables, I see you across the street in the grove, but you no come and see me."

Nanuet’s face turns red as he dodges the playful swats by Dorita. "Sorry Dorita, I promise I will come around more often if you promise to stop yelling. Dorita I heard you were giving lessons in cooking fried chicken today, any chance of getting some of that, we're starving? All this work on the festival makes a man hungry!"

Dorita laughs, "You came to right place if you hungry. I fix you big plate, be right back." Nanuet sits down across from Minerva as she stifles a giggle. "She is a great cook, I am sure the food will be wonderful. She trained Maria, the girl who cooks at the Lucky Lady. So, is everything coming together for the festival? Only one day left!"

"I believe so. Everyone seems to be quite industrious. I tried to keep my hand out of it so that others would be forced to work together. It became rather heated for a while they worked out the kinks but everyone seems to be working together rather nicely now... Although, I must admit, they are all a bit irritated with me for stepping aside. Still, the festival will be a success, they can all take the credit for it and it will have been a good lesson for them all in how to work out their differences." She smirks and shrugs her shoulders. "It is difficult to believe that it is only one day away. Will you be attending any of the events?" she says hopefully.

"Well I heard someone mention a horse race and also cattle roping. If I am not too busy helping you or the others then I suppose I would try my hand in those sporting events. I would like to take in some of the entertainment as well. What about you, did you have certain events you had your heart set on attending?" The food arrives, a heaping plate of chicken and biscuits. Nanuet eagerly digs in, forgetting his manners.

Minerva watches him devour his chicken for a moment before carefully sampling her own fare.
"I am not busy at all during the festival except for a prayer to kick it off and possibly a sermon on Sunday. I was considering participating in the fencing matches, I have had no one to practice with since my arrival, but I do not have any equipment and I sincerely doubt they will allow me to brandish my rapier!" she chuckles.

"Perhaps I can find someone willing to loan me their garb and foil for the event. Otherwise I will be content to watch. I am definitely going to make time for the children's games though. I've convinced Katherine to include Mutton Busting as an event. I always had great fun with that one as a child. I was quite good at it... and they may need someone to do a little light healing of sore little bottoms when it is over." she smirks as she raises her fork. Was there any special evening festivities that you wanted to attend?" she says hoping that he will get the hint.

"Evening festivities? Aren't we all going to the ball then? Ruby said we needed costumes. I think I finally decided on what I am going to wear. What? Is something wrong? You were going to go the ball right?" He puts the food down trying to read Minerva's face. "Did I do something wrong?" Minerva laughs with relief and puts her hand over his. "Nanuet, it is customary to ask the girl to attend with you. "She shakes her head "I think that we have much to learn about each other's customs. Would you like to attend the ball together then?"

"My apologies Minerva, I did not realize. Forgive my ignorance. Let's do this properly then and let me ask you." Nanuet pushes the food aside and takes Minerva's hand in his own. He looks into her eyes and says "I would by honored if you would accompany me to the upcoming costume ball." She states, "And I would be honored to attend with you. Tell me, what are you going to wear?"

He says, “Well, I figured a sense of irony would suit me best, so I am going to go as a cowboy. Spurs and all. How about you?" "Minerva laughs loudly. "Yes, that is quite ironic. Me, well, I would rather not say what I am wearing. I thought that it would be rather fun to see if you could find me in the crowd. Do you think that you are up to the challenge?" she says with a mischievous twinkle in her. "Perhaps we should make a wager to make it more interesting?"

"A wager? You mean like in a poker game." Nanuet replies "Well, yes, like that but I was thinking something other than money, something a bit more creative." Minerva says, batting her eyelashes "Something romantic." Nanuet scratches his head and nibbles at a biscuit. Something romantic she said, what is romantic? "How about the loser of the wager must act as servant to the other for a day, a full 24 hours? That could be romantic depending on the whims of the master." he replies with a smirk and a wink.

Minerva quickly hides her surprise at such a bold proposal and replaces it with a feline smile. "24 hours? With you as my slave?" she purrs "Si, I will wager that, since I am certain to win." she beams and holds out her hand to shake on it.

She goes on to talk about the festival including the information that Samuel Clemens will be among the invited guests. On a more serious not she says "We must talk to the others and find out what we can do to protect the festival from Johnny Ringo. Do you know what distance that powder that Kajika gave you will cover? If we could dispel the magic in the area we could save this town from both Him and the Aphrodite priestess. I am going to have to find out who she is and have a word with her. She is distracting everyone from a very dangerous situation"

"Yes, a meeting with everyone is a good idea, I am certainly nervous about Ringo's potential influence on the festival, although it does not seem to be slowing anything down! I am sure Chester will have the other lawmen on high alert. I just hope we can recognize any trouble before it starts. They appear to have mastered invisibility, turning both themselves and objects invisible. As far as the powder goes, there is not that much and the ground has to be kept wet... I don't think it would cover a very large area." "And certain to win you say? Confidence is a good trait to have, but I have spent my entire life tracking my prey, will this be any different?"

"Do you consider me prey, then?" she chuckles. "And overconfidence will be your doom," she smirks " as I will not be so easily outmaneuvered." The couple finishes their dinner with some more idle chit chat and jests at one another. The food of course is excellent and soon they are full. Nanuet asks for a basket for leftovers and is soon accommodated. "So my beautiful Spanish rose, what are your plans for this evening. I must admit I am physically weary but not wiped out yet."

She states, "I am yours for the evening. Mi amor. " Well, I should check in at the Lucky Lady and see about having the rest of the night off... then we can spend some time together. All of this festival work has kept us both quite busy. Perhaps I will show you my costume so you can help make sure it looks right before I make a fool of myself in front of the entire town.

Nanuet pays for the food and then escorts Minerva to the Lucky Lady. They sit and have a few drinks and see if Nanuet is needed for the night. Niles approaches Nanuet "Ruby and Jake are out for the night, having a late dinner I suppose, I think Clarisse is supposed to sing and Jakes table is covered. Jeff is here, why don't you take a break, I know you have been working hard. You know what they say about all work and no play."

"Thanks Niles, I think I take a bottle of..." he turns to Minerva waiting for a cue. "Whiskey" she replies. "This bottle of whiskey. See you tomorrow Niles." Nanuet takes the bottle and escorts Minerva out the front door of the Lucky Lady. "So where too now my love?"

Why don't you show me your costume." she says, figuring that it will give her an advantage to win the bet if she knows what he will be wearing to the Ball. "Then maybe we can take this bottle and go somewhere and relax. You have had a long day, mi amor.I will rub your shoulders if you wish."

"That I might like. Well since I already told you what I would be wearing I guess there is no harm in showing you. C'mon lets go take a look." Nanuet leads Minerva to his room where the costume is stored. A pair of denim jeans, cowboy boots, leather chaps with fringe, a belt with a large buckle, a red button down shirt with white trim and red kerchief along with a large wide brimmed hat are all arranged on the bed.

"There it is" he says pointing to the outfit. "Figured I would keep it nice there and since I don't usually use the bed that seemed like the best place. Still not sure what to do with my hair though. Never met too many cowboys with long hair." She replies, "Do you always sleep in the grove? You will be the most handsome cowboy in Promise City. "she says holding up the shirt. You could wear your hair tucked in the hat, or perhaps comb it out. Some cowboys have long hair and I would love to see all that beautiful hair loose about your shoulders."

"Well if I can please you that easily then consider it down, down and loose it is. To answer your other question, no, I don't always sleep in the grove. I don't sleep.” She replies, "What do you mean you don't sleep. Everybody sleeps, Nanuet." He says, "It is a gift of our people, we do not sleep. Humans sleep, the ogres sleep, animals sleep; but elves, we do not require sleep. We spend a few hours a day in meditation reliving our day and other important events of our lives. Chester tried a few times, not sure if he met with much success. More of our culture to share I guess."

He says, “I meditate every day, for about four hours." Nanuet points to a woven mat that is rolled up and placed under the bed. "I usually sit on there and make myself comfortable. Beds just end up giving me a sore back. So you've seen the costume, where to now? Our picnic spot, back where you first told me your story?" "Si, There are many stars out tonight. I would like that." Nanuet picks up a blanket and the bottle of whiskey and they walk, hand in hand, to their favorite spot.

Minerva and Nanuet make their way out to their nighttime picnic spot. Nanuet lays a blanket out and sits with his legs folded beneath him. Minerva kneels behind Nanuet and kneads his knotted shoulders and back, while rambling softly of how beautiful the night is and how she especially loves warm spring evenings like this one where she can gaze up into the heavens with her sweet Amor. He leans back into her competent hands and feels the tension of the day drain away as he listens to the soothing melody of her Spanish accent.

"Why don’t you open the whiskey, mi amor? It will help you to relax.” she says as she continues to work her magic. “I would not want to drink alone.” he says and grabbing her wrists, pulls her around and sits her on his lap. She giggles as she falls into his arms and brushes her hand over his cheek.

“I suppose that I could have a sip or two to keep you company. I do love whiskey. When I was younger, back in Spain, My friend Talia and I used to play this silly game, We would ask one another questions and if the answer was yes, we would have to take a swig from the bottle. It was a fun way to discover one another’s secrets and a good excuse to drink Papa's whiskey.” she smiles in remembrance, "we knew all of one another's secrets. I miss her terribly sometimes" she sighs. She turns in his lap. "What do you say would you like to share your secrets with me? I will let you go first”

Nanuet laughs heartily. "You and this Talia were quite a pair. Sounds like you got into a lot of trouble together, riding naked through the town and stealing all your Papa's liquor, I wonder what other trouble you got into. OK, I will begin. First question. Do you love me?" "That's not fair! You know that answer already." she kisses him gently on the lips then grabs the bottle and takes a healthy gulp. "Si, I love you Nanuet." "Ok, first real question. Do you miss home? Spain I mean, do you miss it?"

"You already had a question silly." It is my turn to ask one, but I will answer anyway. No, I do not miss Spain. I was not free there, and you know what they did to my father. I do miss the ocean though and my friend, Talia. I do miss her so very much." "My turn. Do you love me?" she teases. "Alright, I will ask a real question. Remember you must always tell the truth. Have you ever been in love before?"

"Well I will answer the first question. Yes, I do love you. The ocean, I have never seen it, it must be magnificent. No, I thought I was in love before, but now I realize it was not love. I have never felt like this before, this has to be what love feels like. Hmm, another question for you." "Nanuet it is not your turn yet. You answered two yes's that is 2 swallows for you."
Nanuet does as instructed and then asks "Did you always want to be a priestess or do you feel it was forced upon you?"

"You are cheating Nanuet. That is two questions! "she says punching him playfully in the chest. "Being a Priestess is not something that I do, it is what I am. I can not change that anymore than I can change from a woman to a man. The gods called to me long before I can remember.. So, was it forced upon me? Si, I suppose so, but I never considered any other possibility so I must answer yes to both questions." she says and takes two swigs from the bottle. She coughs as the warm liquid burns its way down her throat. "This is very good whiskey! Very smooth" she croaks. "My turn again. Do you like being with humans better than elves?"

"That is a tough question, it depends on the humans I guess. Overall I would have to say yes, since I have friends who care about me and a woman who loves me for who I really am." he says holding her tighter. "I had a different role among my people and spent much time alone. I do miss some of the culture though, the ceremony and the slower more deliberate way of life. Maska and Kajika help to fill that void though. Since I said yes I guess I owe you a swig." Nanuet takes a few small gulps from the bottle not wanting to fall behind. "Let me think... are you... ticklish?" Nanuet begins gently clawing at Minerva's ribs waiting to see her response.

"No! No! She shrieks and laughs as she squirms in his lap trying to get away. Si, Si, now stop. You, Senor are not playing fair! And I have had more of this than you have" she says and takes another swig. "Have you ever been with another woman? NO, no wait. Let me ask another question. Have you ever not been with a woman?" she says and she tries to focus on his face.

"You mean have I been with a man or something worse? No! I have been with other women yes, but not many. I did not love any of them like I said, but us elves tend to, well be frisky when we are younger." Nanuet takes a drink from the bottle to appease the fickle priestess while he thinks of another question. "You must have a drink for each one! It is only fair." she smirks and begins to giggle as she hands him the bottle. "How many women?" she says narrowing her eyes in mock anger, but she cannot hold the stern expression and starts giggling again.

"You are going to have to carry me back, I hope you are up to the task." Nanuet turns his head to shield his actions and takes several swallows, before turning back around. "There, done."
"Nanuet You do not play fair." "All is fair in love and war and this is love." he grins as he tries to dodge her playful slaps. "I have another question, will you teach me about your Gods? About Minerva and Dionysius, and all the others? I want to learn."

Her eyes widen with pleasure. "Si, Do you mean it? I was hoping that you would ask. I will teach you how to pray to them also if you wish. Will you teach me of yours also? Oh, Nanuet , together we will hold the favor of all the gods!"

"You forgot to drink, but to answer your question" taking another swig and then handing the bottle to Minerva "yes, I will teach you how I pray. My people mostly worship the Sun as I have said, and our ancestors and the other powers of Nature." By now, Minerva notices that Nanuet's voice is beginning to slur. "Enough questions for now, I want a kiss. My last question is will you give me a kiss?" he says, mixing the words together.

"Her eyes are bright with happiness and too much whiskey as she clumsily throws herself on him, knocking him over with the force of her body. "Si, I like that question very much!" she lowers her mouth to his in a passionate kiss. The bottle is empty and the two, holding one another up, make their way back to town. "Let us see what is happening at the Lucky Lady." Maybe Jake and Ruby are back. You steer" she says as she tries to focus. Nanuet puts his arms around Minerva’s waist and they stumble into the saloon.