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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 2998804" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter 153, “Reactions and Introductions”, Friday, March 24th, 1882, 9:30 A.M.Kate grabbed onto the arm of an irate Conrad Booth and pulled with all the strength she had. "Conrad Booth! Don't be a fool. He hasn't touched me, and if you'd stop and listen I can explain was really did happen."   She prayed he would listen to her and stop, but just in case she mentally prepared herself to use a charm spell. They were still far enough in the trees that she could use it unobserved.Conrad stops, turns, and looks at her, his facial expressions alternating between anger and confusion.  "Please," she said gently, guiding him back toward the clearing in the grove.  "I began this badly. I was so worried about telling you that I did it all wrong. I should have explained first. You remember the strange weather we had last January, and then again last Saturday night?"  He just nods.She continues, “Both times, powerful earth magics were being used. The first time it was to allow a friend, Storm Goldeneye, to be present with us even though she had died a few weeks before. She had a task to complete before she went to her rest.  Saturday it was also to allow someone who died before their time to complete one last task. I said good-bye to Tom that night. It was his spirit that was in the room with me, but powerful magic was used to make his spirit flesh. Someone was grateful to both Tom and I, for different reasons, and they gave us that gift of time. And the gift of the child I thought we would never have." She squeezed his arm. "Mr. Gonzales doesn't have that kind of power. It's not the kind of magic he knows and uses. The only thing he has to do with this is believing me when I told him what had happened."   A look of deep regret and sadness comes across her face. "I know, it's a fantastic story. If you believe nothing else, believe my teacher has never touched me in such a way. But I hope you know, as outlandish as it may sound, I would not lie to you."Conrad stands there for what seems to an eternity without speaking. She can normally read his emotional state but right now he is a blank slate.  He finally says, "Katherine, I believe that you believe what you have just told me. As far as you know that is the truth. But magic can be used to alter a person's thoughts. Can you tell me for a fact that Gonzales does not have that type of magic available to him? Katherine, he is a lonely old man. That demonstration we just saw shows how he wishes himself to be and act young again. You've spent much time alone with him....."For just a moment Kate considered the Dust of Forgetfulness she had been given by the wizard in New Orleans. But if she used it, she would just have to go through this again.  Kate allowed herself to sink to her knees, head hanging down. "I don't know how to convince you," she said looking up. "You could ask Ruby, Nanuet, or Sonoma about Storm Goldeneye, they can tell you the truth of the odd weather and it's cause. I spoke to Tom. We talked about how his spirit had been trapped. First by his friend Colby Tucker, then me, then by Morgan Earp's guilt. He couldn't move on because we held him here. When Morgan Earp died he was finally released. I know the exact moment Morgan Earp died, it was the same moment Tom left me, the moment that lightning strike fell around the El Parador. Besides, Mr. Gonzales was gone with Arcade's Gang when Tom was with me. And I already know I'm carrying a child, even though it's not even been a week. Most women wouldn't know for a month or more. I know because I was told. Do you really think he could craft a spell to give me a memory of a man he's never seen, speaking of things he wouldn't know, and be certain I would become pregnant? And know it will be a boy? Fertility magic is not an arcane art.   Oh, and Ruby saw Tom the night before! She came here to the grove, looking for some way to find out if Nanuet and Chester were still alive. Storm answered her question, and Tom was with her. They meant to give me a warning, so I would know that Tom was coming to me the next night, but Ruby was so excited to learn our friends were still alive that she ran off before they could tell her."Conrad is quiet for a very long time. He then says, "This is a lot to absorb. Katherine......I.....I don't know what you want or expect me to say. Most of what you are saying is counter to what I believe....I....I can't accept the premise that your husband's ghost made you pregnant. If you told....if you tell that to other people they will probably have you committed to an institution for the insane."  He pauses again and asks "Does Dorita know?"Kate replies, "Dorita knows.  I didn't tell you this because I expect anything of you. The only thing I wanted was to avoid causing you pain, which I knew wasn't possible, and for you to know that I didn't lie to you when I said I wasn't ready. I have no intention of telling the town who fathered this child. They will draw their own conclusions, and I think you know what they will be." Kate dropped her eyes, blinking to clear her eyes of the tears shimmering in them. "I wanted to tell you now so you could... It's still very early, and you have enough rumors following you. I don't want to bring more trouble to your door. I'll understand if you want to keep away from me from now on. Perhaps it will be long enough before they discover it that you can escape the rumors." Kate's voice broke and tears were falling freely now.   "I hope that won't be your choice, but I'll understand."Conrad says, "I...I need to think. I'm going back to my home for now." He turns and begins to walk away.   "Conrad, I.... I understand. I'm sorry, so sorry." She let him leave, there was nothing more to say. He walked away to the sounds of rustling leaves, songbirds in the trees, and a woman's tears. Kate stayed there in grove for a long while after the tears finally stopped. She wasn't the kind of woman who could cry and still look pretty, her eyes would be swollen and her face a patchy red. Still, she had to go back. She had to go to the Lucky Lady this afternoon.  She had done this all wrong, let her own fears get the better of her instead of thinking. She thought again of the Dust of Forgetfulness, but how could she stand to be near him, see him smile as if nothing happened and not feel doubly guilty?   She finally stood up and walked alone back to the El Parador. In her room she laid down with a cool cloth over her eyes for a while before she checked in with Mr. Gonzales.Manuel takes one look at Kate as she enters his workshop and stops what he is working on. He walks over to her and gives her a long deep hug, which seems to last forever. He leads her back into the workshop and has her sit. He asks, "What has made my little bird so sad?""I told Conrad this morning. It had to be done, he had to know sooner rather than later. He didn't take it well. I did it all wrong.... And I mentioned magic so the first thing he thought was that you had," Kate stopped and blushed hard. "I'm not sure I convinced him otherwise, but at least he didn't come looking for you.  I told him the truth, but his belief just can't stretch that far. I hurt him very badly, and I'm afraid I've lost my friend," she finished, fighting against the tears that threatened again.Gonzales is patient and gives her reassuring comments. He has her go back and tell him the full conversation that she had with Conrad and asks where he is now.   He then gives her another long hug and says, "There is no need to cry my little bird. I can fix this problem for you."   She states, "How can you change what a person will believe? He does not believe gods exist, I didn't even try to mention Diana to him. I'm sure that extends to Earth spirits and ghostly husbands." Kate wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry, what do you suggest?"   Gonzales smiles and says "Have you forgotten where he gained his knowledge of flowers and trees? He is a student of Mother Jiminez. Students listen to their teachers, even if the subject is a different one than what they have previously studied. She knows far more about the spirits of the earth than any of us. Let her be the one to explain it to him."   She replies, "I had not forgotten. In fact, I was rather depending on his studies with her to least keep his mind a bit open. I have never seen her, and I thought you didn't trust her? I know you didn't care for Sonoma's studying with her."    He replies, "A lot has changed since then. Last week she accompanied Sonoma and myself first to California and then to Canada. Sonoma helped to establish a rapport and trust between her two teachers. I still feel that Jiminez is a powerful and dangerous woman, but I would now trust her with my life because I have.  And she has repaid that trust. The second day, after we returned Sonoma to the ranch, we went to Atlantis itself. She was instrumental in returning the vast island to the bottom of the ocean." He releases his embrace and says, "I will go to her now. I will ask her to please go and visit Mr. Booth. I will tell her that he is confused and needs knowledge of the spirits of the earth that recently visited this region."  Kate says, "Thank you. It will ease my mind to know that he can at least believe the truth. I think I can bear it better if he chooses to keep away if I at least know he isn't hurting. I have to go to the Lucky Lady this afternoon, but I will see you after, alright?"  He says, "That is fine. I will see you later." When Kate exits the El Parador a short while later she sees an interesting sight over on East Street around fifty feet diagonal from the El Parador and due east of the Great Western Boarding House. At that location are a group of three wood-and-adobe houses adjacent to each other, one of which is owned by a pair of miners, another owned by the Wong family, but the third had been empty. That appears to no longer be the case as a large family appears to now be moving in. She counts a total of nine orange-haired youngsters ranging in ages from one to seventeen and their parents, who share the same orange-colored hair. They are unloading suitcases and boxes from a wagon and she also notices a wire cage with a pair of chickens.Kate's eyes widened for a moment and says softly to herself, “The size of my school may have just doubled.”  She changed her path to take her over to the family, although she wasn't sure how to introduce herself. She went over to the woman she assumed must be the mother of this brood.  "Excuse me? I know it's terribly rude of me, but I just couldn't help coming over to introduce myself. We don't see a sight like this very often," she said with a smile. "I'm Mrs. Katherine Kale."The woman, who appears to be in her mid-thirties and in reasonably good physical shape, says in a thick Irish accent. "Hello, my name is Meghan O'Hara. We are new to town. My son Patrick"...she calls over the oldest boy.."will be working at the Breakheart Mine with my brother-in-law Shamus." She gestures to the older gentleman who Kate had assumed to be the woman's husband."How do you do?" Kate nodded at Patrick even as her throat caught at the familiar accent.  "I'm glad to see another family moving in. You'll be tired tonight, I'm sure. I live just down the street there, at the El Parador Hotel and Cantina. They have wonderful Mexican food there that I'd be glad to treat you to if you're interested." Kate looked at the busy activity around her. "I'm sorry to interrupt, let me give you a hand."Meghan appreciates Kate's help. The house they are moving into is rather small, a mere ten by fifteen feet dividing into two rooms. But several bunk beds have been put in, making enough bedding for the children. Meghan explains that the mine's owner Elton Hubbard is the building's landlord and the rent will be deduced from Patrick's pay. Patrick will actually be staying at the Cochise Boarding House with his Uncle Shamus and Shannon will as well, having found temporary employment with the Hooten family that own the Cochise. The house will therefore provide ample space for Meghan and her youngest seven children.Kate says, "You seem to have all your ducks in a row already. There are a lot of opportunities here for those willing to look for them. I am a partner in a ranch just outside town, and I'm planning to open a school soon. There's also a festival planned for next weekend. It is officially in honor of the god Dionysus, but it is also meant to bring the community together. You've come at a good time."Mrs. O’Hara says, "A school. Would you be the friend of Miss West?"  Kate says, "You've met Ruby? Yes, she is my friend, and a very good one. When did you meet her?"    Meghan replies, "On the stagecoach ride into town Wednesday afternoon. She spoke very highly of you. I asked her about the school, if it was a public school or required private tuition and she said the latter. I was hoping to have an opportunity to discuss that with you. I strongly desire to see that my children are educated but cannot afford to pay tuition at this point. Miss. West seemed to think that we might be able to come to some sort of arrangement. I had worked out something similar back in Ireland to provide a quality education of my four eldest children after my husband and his brothers left for work in America."Kate says, "I'm certain we can. I inquired about the possibility of a public school first, there was talk of one when I first came here, but it doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon. Apparently there is an influential woman who opposes one because her grandson lives too far away to attend it." Kate shook her head.  "There are always going to be some chores that need doing around the school. I saw you have some chickens, when I move into my own home I'm sure I'd need eggs, or perhaps a few live chicks to take out to the ranch. Why don't you tell me what you might have in trade, and how many children you'd want to enroll?"Meghan introduces her children in descending order by age as seventeen-year-old Patrick, sixteen-year-old Shannon, twin thirteen-year olds Cathleen and Colleen, twin six-year olds Mary and Caitlin, four-year-old Kellie, three-year-old Patricia and one-year-old Shamus.  She says, "My oldest four received a fine education at the University in Belfast, established by Queen Victoria in 1845. The University is well known for its college-level curriculum in engineering, agriculture, physics, music, archaeology and Irish studies. But they also teach younger students, the children of professors, university staff and immediate neighbors of the school. After my husband had left I went there and found employment with the professors in the Archaeology Department. For seven years my children received one of the finest educations they could have. Patrick and Shannon still remember most of that so will not require further education, but the twins Kathleen and Colleen have forgotten much during the six years that we have been here in America so could use more education at this point. All of the younger children lack an education other than what little I could provide them, so will be in need of the schooling."Kate replies, "I'm afraid my own education is not nearly as prestigious. I was tutored as a child in Boston, and sent to a finishing school when I was fourteen. Thankfully my father was of the mind that a good education was important, so the school taught more than etiquette, music, and languages. Still, it's likely that your two oldest could teach as well or better than I.”  Meghan says, "I am sure that they could, but I'm afraid that I need for both of them to work to support the rest of the family. My husband died last year and it has been difficult for us to get by."   "I'm very sorry," Kate said gently "My own husband passed on last October, but I was fortunate in family and friends who helped me through those first months." Kate says, “Most of the children in town will have received little to no education, and some speak Spanish as their first language. You're older twins will probably be far ahead of the others. I had planned to have a simple curriculum to begin, perhaps having a four day school week and using Fridays to teach the more advanced subjects to those students whose parents with them to get more than reading, writing, arithmetic, history and geography. But I now see what you can offer me. You have worked in a school, seen how they work. Between yourself and Patrick and Shannon, you could help me fill in the holes in my own education.   And, if your work allows it, to fill in for me on days when I cannot be there. There is always sickness, emergencies, and the unexpected to deal with and I have no one to cover for me if I can't be there."    Mrs. O'Hara replies, "Oh, don't misunderstand. I personally never received a formal education so am not qualified to teach…..well…..maybe I could be of some assistance. My Grandfather taught me to read, my Grandmother taught me all about healing herbs, and my mother taught me very good household skills. At the University I worked as a Professor's assistant doing whatever was needed, be cleaning, filing or helping the students as needed. And with my healing skills I also assisted the University's Physician as a nurse whenever there was a need for that."Kate says, "Everyone is qualified to teach something, whether it is history or arithmetic, or caring and compassion. But I think we have found the way you can help me. I don't care for the town doctor, so if I come to you first, I'd appreciate it. Plus, I admit, I never learned to keep a house. In Boston we had a household staff, and I have lived in hotels since I came to Arizona. If you could teach me those things, cooking, sewing, cleaning, I would be very grateful, and consider it an excellent trade for tuition.""Why thank you Mrs. Kale. I was hoping that we could work something out. I can now see why this community is called Promise City. I would have sent Patrick here at any rate, he needs a strong male influence like his Uncle Shamus will be able to provide. I am just glad that the rest of the family can be here with him.  Thank you for helping us get settled in. I believe that I will take you up on the suggestion of dining at that Cantina. It's that building over there isn't it?"Kate replies, "Yes. I have an appointment this afternoon, so I'm not sure when I'll return there. The food is wonderful, although different than what you're used to I'd wager. Dorita's a lovely woman, she'll take good care of you.  I should go make my appointment. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. O'Hara."   After their goodbyes, Kate walked over to the Lucky Lady. She realized half-way there that she had not gotten an escort. Jake would give her a hard time if he realized it. Well, someone could walk her back and truthfully, it was nice to be alone now and then.</blockquote>

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