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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 3155356" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter 188, “Cowboy Trials”, Monday, March 27th, 1882, 6:15 AM Nanuet wakes just before the sun and begins his humble prayers trying not to wake Minerva.  Minerva is awakened by the warmth of the sun on her skin. She lies still and watches Nanuet as he prays. "It is not a dream." she thinks as her heart fills once again with joy. She quietly stands and packs up her bedroll as she waits for him to finish.Nanuet finishes his prayers and heads over to Minerva. "Good morning Priestess" he says with a smile and a tender kiss "I hope you slept well. We should find something to eat and then hopefully Kajika will meet with us again.""Si, I slept like a little bambina in your arms." she says returning the kiss "You know I really like this!" She says as she lowers her lips to his again. "I am starving. We ate very little yesterday." Looking around she wonders. " What has happened to Luna and Maska? I hope that their new friend did not eat her for dinner." she jokes. And as she says this Luna flies over the hill to greet her.Nanuet says, "Ah, there is Luna now, and I am sure Maska sleeps. She would not let herself go hungry so I reason that she spent the night hunting. Come let us hunt down our own breakfast." Nanuet and Minerva make there way among the Apache and find some food. Nanuet offers to pay for their meal. They are both ravenous and scarf the food down hungrily. After the meal they seek Kajika.Kajika spends the morning teaching both Nanuet and Minerva about the ways of the Apache and of some spells that neither of them had attempted to cast before. He apologizes to Minerva that he can only show her part of what she needs, as she will also need guidance from somebody of her own faith. He adds "The night that Storm Goldeneye left this realm she approached me and told me of how your path and Nanuet’s would be as one. She also said that a mentor for you would be drawn to here just as Nanuet and I were drawn together."Nanuet replies "Thank you again for imparting your wisdom upon us. I miss Storm greatly and still regret her loss. I am honored that she continued to take interest in me even after it was my lust for revenge that cost her her life."“Si, Storm Goldeneye was a brave and true friend. She returned to this realm since than to help us find Nanuet when he was in trouble and said something similar. A mentor? for me? I had thought that Nanuet would teach me the ways of your gods as I would teach him our ways. Do you know who it is? But we must be going soon. Will I meet this mentor before we depart?"Kajika replies, "I have no idea who this mentor will be, but they will be someone from your own religion, probably a High Priest or High Priestess, with the skills and experience to teach you how to better be a priest of your faith. My suggestion would be for you to speak to your gods about this individual, it is through their will that you will be drawn together."When Sonoma woke it was still early in the day even though she had gotten in late at night and was used to not sleeping well and getting up to care for the livestock at dawn. She headed downstairs to the kitchen where Dorita pushed a breakfast sandwich into her hand and stated “You go see your mentor!  The deputy was stabbed last night and is there it is time for you to do what you suppose to do. He is almost dead you go fix it!  Now go.”In the morning Ruby stretches her long arms and legs as she slowly wakes from her slumber. Jake seemed to be sleeping, even though he was normally up at this time, although his breathing indicated he would awaken soon. Instead of wrapping her arms and legs around him she exits the bed and starts preparing for the day. She looks at herself in the mirror, naked except for the shiny ruby and diamond ring on her finger and the green olive leaf hanging around her neck. She smiles as she runs her fingers lightly over the pendant. She puts on her underclothes then sits at her vanity, slowly brushing her hair, letting the warmth f the rays of sun peeking through the windows caress her. Finally she walks back over to the bed and sits, staring at him. Finally she lays next to Jake, so her face is close to his. She gently pokes him. "Do you still love me today?" she asks with a soft smile.He opens his eyes and yawns. "Yup." Stretching his arms over his head he says, "It's nice waking up to look at the prettiest sight in Promise City." He yawns again. "I'm hungry. We should have breakfast before we have to save the world or kill more Cowboys or whatever. I hate shooting people before I've had my coffee."  Ruby eyes twinkle at Jake's affirmation and she smiles. "Yes, breakfast sounds good. What do you have to do today? I have to see the judge, maybe take a fencing lesson and visit Jane." She pulls herself to the edge of the bed and sits up, feet swinging. She glances at her new ring and her smile grows larger."Nice ring. Look at that baby shine." Jake smirks, "Somebody must love you.  What to do today. Hmmmm.... I think I'll get a shave at Johnson’s, just to poke around. We need a new lawyer, our old one changed careers. I'll talk to Berg about what he thinks of that new guy. El-ooh-whoo or what ever his name is. What else, hmmm... need to clean my pistols, hang around being lazy... I'm covering for Job tonight." Jake rubs his eyes. "Coffee. I need some good old Arbuckle’s.""Yes, someone does loves me, and he really means it. And this time I love him in return." She looks at Jake over her shoulder lovingly.  "I like the being lazy part. I don't know why I woke up so early today. Maybe we can meet up for baths and naps later." She thinks for a moment, "Do you want to meet Jane?"  "Baths and naps are good." Jake stretches again and sits up. "I do want to meet Jane, but not yet. I need to finish thinking about what you told me first." He gives a last big yawn before standing. "Monday. No Maria. I guess we go out for breakfast. Promise City Hotel today?""Best breakfast in town, right?" she smiles. Jake and Ruby get ready for the day, then head over to the Promise City Hotel for breakfast.  Ruby asks, "What do you have to think about?" Jake gives her a funny look and she continues, "About Jane and what I told you?""You know me, I need time to sort through things. It troubles me that folks might not be able to make their own decisions. Maybe Priestess Jane means well overall. She seems to let you make your own choices and feel a kindred way towards you. But what about everyone else? You gave me a lot to think about last night. I need to put that all together. Just because I believe that you would never use any of this in a way that was bad for me doesn't mean I trust anyone else that way." Jake shrugs and grins. "Sort of like Gonzalez. Just because he takes care of you, doesn't mean he takes care of everyone. You know what I mean?"   "Not make their own decisions?" Ruby furrows her brows for a moment, then relaxes her face, eating a forkful of eggs. "I know what you mean, but I don't know what you mean. Yes, Mr. Gonzales takes care of me, in a way. But he doesn't force me to do anything and Jane won't either. Even my dream, you know which one, I had a choice to make. But I made it and things have been great, well, great in regard to that anyway." Ruby shrugs. "You don't have to meet her, that's fine. I'm sure you have LOTS to think about after yesterday." She looks down at her plate. "This was a good breakfast, I didn't realize how hungry I was, especially now that it's gone. You help me work up a good appetite Mr. Cook, especially after last night..."As Jake and Ruby head outside from the Promise City Hotel, on the northeastern corner of Allen and South, they see that a crowd has gathered outside of the building on the northwestern corner of the intersection, the Arizona Territorial Office.  They walk over and ask someone in the crowd, "What's going on?"  Don Wainwright, a regular player at Jake's table, replies to Ruby "Judge is about to open up for trial. Couple of the cowboy gang, heard they tried to simultaneously kill all three of the Deputy Marshals last night. They say that Rodriguez guy is close to death."Ruby looks shocked, "That's horrible!" Ruby pushes her way to the front, desperately looking for Chester.  Ruby sees Chumbley arriving. She grabs Jake's hand and pushes her way through the crowd to him. "Oh Chumbley, do you know what happened?" she asks, very worried.  The Halfling replies, "Trial in a few minutes Ruby. The Marshall arrested two of the Cowboys last night when they tried to kill Deputy Martin. Another two tried for Deputy Barker, but she got the drop on them. Those guys are over in Lester's Funeral Parlor right now. Two more went after Deputy Rodriguez. Left him for dead, but word is he's still clinging to life, that elf's a tough one. Heard that the Cowboys also robbed the gun shop too! And the Marshall's ordered the Indian Head Saloon closed until further notice. Guess we'll find out more in a few minutes, should be a quick trial what with the lawmen getting attacked. Isby hasn't got patience at all for things like that.""Is Chester alright? Where is he now? Where is Rodriquez? How can I get in to see the judge before the trial, it's important?" she asks quickly.  Chumbley says, "I Heard that Rodriquez was with some elvan witch doctor. I think the other lawmen are with the prisoners. Don't think anybody will get into the Office Building until the open it up to the public. The Judge is inside now talking to Brower and Jaquet."Ruby sighs in relief, "So Chester must be ok then." She looks around nervously, "I have some information, it might be important, I don't know." Ruby pushes her way to the door and knocks as loud as she can, guessing it won't be heard with all the ruckus going on.  She sees Isby inside talking to Al and Pierre. Kevin Tomlinson is near the door and notices Ruby. He shakes his head "no" at her.She makes a motion with her hand, indicating writing.   Chumbley had followed her and Jake up to the door and she grabs the notepad from the halfling. She quickly scrawls a note, makes sure Kevin is watching and indicates she is putting it under the door. After sliding it under the door she waits and hopes Kevin will give it to the Judge.  Tomlinson picks up the note, reads it, then brings it over to the Judge.  Ruby nods at him after he reads it. "I really hope Rodriquez is ok. We should stop over there and check on him. Maybe bring him some food or something, for when he wakes up. He's been pretty nice to us." Ruby is talking out loud but not really to anyone in particular. "And that takes care of both of our first chores for the day." She stands and waits with the rest of the crowd until the doors are opened.The doors to the Arizona Territorial Office finally open and the crowd pours in. Chumbley asks Ruby for his notebook back. The chairs all fill up, Ruby grabbing two for her and Jake. Another dozen people stand in the back. Tomlinson goes to the door and wait. Shortly thereafter the man named Ambrose is escorted in by Marshall Berg along with his attorney Elihu Upton. Ruby almost doesn't recognize the man as Ambrose is now wearing an ill-fitting two-piece suit over a new dress shirt and tie. His long red beard has been shaved off and his hair has been cut short. Clean-shaven she estimates that he is probably much younger than he looked before, probably only late teens or very early twenties.Ruby leans closer to Jake. "That's the attorney you wanted to hire? I guess it would have been too obvious for Fisk to take the case himself." She is quiet for a few moments. "I can't wait for this to get started so I can find out what happened."Hamilton Fisk arrives a few minutes later, handing a note to Tomlinson. The clerk reads it and then brings the note to Isby. The black-robed Judge reads it and nods to Tomlinson who calls the court to order. Isby begins "Mr. Fisk. Your complaint is noted and now on record. This court stands by my earlier ruling. Your client Mr. McNally may not be present during Mr. Gamlin's trial. Last night he was clearly intimidating Mr. Gamlin, urging him not to speak. It is the opinion of this court that such behavior would continue. Furthermore, while you are welcome to sit during this trial, but as an agent for Mr. McNally you are so ordered not to speak or be held for contempt of court." Fisk justs nods in response. He walks over to an occupied chair and the man sitting in it gets up and gives Fisk the seat."That explains about the lawyer," Ruby says quietly to Jake. "If anyone is going to talk, it's this guy. He's the one who was talking last night, but I don't know how much he knows."   Isby says, "Mr. Upton, are you prepared to speak for your client?" The lawyer stands and says "Yes sir. Mr. Ambrose Gamlin is a rancher, originally from Plano, Texas. When the rancher he had been working for decided to sell the farm he and his companion Mr. Riff Alabama McNally headed west in search of new employment. In early February they arrived in the Arizona Territory at the town of Galeyville, where they had the misfortune of running into Johnny Ringo. They were hired to herd cattle, originally thinking them to be owned by Ringo but later discovered that they had been rustled. Mr. Gamlin was clearly intimated by the men and feared the consequences of attempting to leave their employ. As grounds for this concern I will draw the court's attention to the recent situation involving another who attempted to leave Mr. Ringo's employ, one Lane Gifford." "So noted," Isby states. Upton continues "On Friday Ringo convinced Mr. Gamlin, Mr. McNally d four other members of the Gang to come here to Promise City where they were to meet up with a Mr. Thaddeus Gromley who had been left in the town on surveillance detail." Isby says "And the names of these other four people were?" Upton quickly confers with his client and then states "Roy Carroll, Rudolph Foote, John Bell and Sherwin Allen." "Please continue," the Judge states. Upton says, "They spent both Friday and Saturday nights staying at the Indian Head Saloon where arrangements had been made with the Manager Porter Norris. For the first forty-eight hours that they were in town they committed no crimes of any sort. On Sunday afternoon Johnny Ringo was said to have arrived in town although Mr. Gamlin did not see him. Ringo spoke only to Mr. Carroll and Mr. Bell. Mr. Gamlin has no direct knowledge of any crimes they were to commit, only that they were to keep any lawmen occupied and away from the city block of Main Street between Fremont and Allen Streets between the hour of 9:30 PM to 10:30 P.M. Mr. Gamlin and Mr. McNally engaged Deputy Marshall Martin in a long conversation within a saloon in town during that time. Mr. Carroll had initially joined them but then left. Mr. Gamlin has no knowledge of what Mr. Foote, Mr. Bell and Mr. Allen were doing during this time. Following their arrest by Marshall Berg Mr. Gamlin decided to cooperate. In return for this cooperation we are asking the Arizona Territory for a dismissal of charges and to provide protective custody." Isby says, "I will take that under advisement. Marshall, please return Mr. Gamlin to custody and see that Mr. McNally is brought here."Ruby narrows her eyes and grits her teeth. "So them blowing us up this time was just a distraction with pleasant benefits for Ringo," she says keeping her voice down. She takes Jake's hand then lets out a long breath. "I really can't wait to hear what Riff has to say. Especially now that his partner has given him up." Jake squeezes her hand in his and looks her in the eyes. "I don't think I need to tell you not to speak up today." Ruby nods in understanding and calms herself down. They wait for the next part of the trail to continue.McNally is soon brought in by Chester Martin and Mitchell Berg. Like Gamlin before him, Fisk does the talking for his client. He describes McNally as a decorated Confederate war hero, citing several engagements that he fought in during the war. He tells of Riff finding work after the war in Texas and then moving to Arizona. He spins a tale of woe about his client being a misinformed patsy, unaware that Ringo was anything but an honest rancher. He denies that Mr. McNally had any knowledge of wrongdoings taking place the night before. Isby says, "Thank you Mr. Fisk. I have but a single question for your client to answer." "Sir, I speak for my client," Fisk replies. Isby says, "Then your client can stay in the Arizona Territorial Prison until he has voice enough to answer my one and only question." McNally pulls on Fisk's shirt and they confer. Fisk says, "You may ask your question." Isby asks "Mr. McNally, is everything that Mr. Fisk has just stated true?" McNally enthusiastically states "Yes".  Isby says, "I have written documentation that Mr. Riff McNally of Mobile, Alabama did indeed serve in the Confederate army, but he was a deserter who saw no engagements. I therefore find the entire testimony to be unreliable.”  The judge continues, “Mr. McNally, a Deputy Marshall was nearly killed last night, attempts were made on the lives of two other Deputy Marshals and over $ 1,000 in firearms and ammunition were stolen. Those are all very serious crimes, any one of which I have previously had people hanged for. Based upon your lack of cooperation and dishonesty to this court I have no choice but to assume that you were involved in this conspiracy. I sentence you to be held in the Territorial Prison for a period of not less than fifty years. If new evidence is brought to my attention to prove your innocence I will entertain the prospect of holding another trial. Marshall, please remove this man and make arrangements to have him transferred to Prescott at the earliest opportunity." Tomlinson asks if there is any other business to be brought before the court. Hearing none, he calls the court dismissed.  Ruby leans next to Jake and whispers in his ear, "Why didn't he hang him? I don't get it." Jake shrugs. "And what about the other guy? Letting him off for cooperating?"   Ruby excuses herself from Jake for a moment and stands alone near the front of the 'court', listening to rumors and waiting to see if Judge Isby wants to speak to her.She has to wait for nearly fifteen minutes which to Ruby seems like an eternity, during which time Jake leaves the building with Al Brower. The building is eventually cleared out except for the final dozen people.  When there are only six Isby walks over to Ruby and gives her a warm embrace exclaiming "Ruby Darling!" Tomlinson uses that has his cue to usher the stragglers out the door which he then locks. Isby immediately breaks the embrace and says "That seemed to go well, the town should be buzzing in no time with the rumors of our affair."Ruby returns his embrace with a smile, "In this town, I'm quite sure it will. Rumors, particularly of affairs seem to fly around here.  I wasn't sure if I should try to speak to you or not," she continues in hushed tones. "Did you get my note? I was on my way to see you this morning to tell you what happened last night."   He replies, "Yes, of course. It helped to know that prior to the trial. Berg and Martin had told me most of that but you provided a few more details, they hadn't mentioned that the dynamite was magically protected. Now comes the true test, keeping Gamlin alive. Their lawyers spoke to them now but Kevin was present when Berg questioned them earlier so knows the truth of this. According to Kevin, the kid told all that he knew but his friend hasn't. Once McNally is away from Fisk's influence he's more likely to talk, especially if we can prove that we kept Gamlin from Ringo's clutches. He'll also be more inclined to talk now that he has fifty years of prison ahead of him. He's thirty-seven now so for all practical purposes he's just received a death sentence, just a very slow one." Isby sends Kevin off to the back room. He tells Ruby "Since Martin was at your saloon at the time and the other two were killed by Mrs. Barker near her home it was logical to say that they were the targets of the attack rather than your saloon and your boyfriend. That may actually be the truth, hard to say since both of those Cowboys are dead. No point in announcing to the whole town that the Lucky Lady is a Cowboy target, you'd never see any business there ever again. It looks like Rodriguez was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Berg had him watching Ike Sherman's store and corral, which is apparently where the Cowboys went right after the robbery. Rodriguez was stabbed over a dozen times so I'm not surprised they assumed he was dead. It's a wonder he pulled through."  "Poor Mr. Rodriquez," Ruby says, shaking her head, "I'm going to try to stop by later and see him. He's been pretty good to us." "Thank you for not mentioning the attack at the Lucky Lady, I appreciate it. But I fear that it won't be the last and next time we might not be so lucky. If you hadn't given me those names, well, let's just say I'm grateful.  The Cowboys seem to have a lot of magic at their disposal. It has come to our attention that Ringo is a priest of the god Ares, the god of war. Somehow he's been able to protect himself from our bullets, although my friends and I are working on ways around that. And now that they've hit the gunshop they've rearmed themselves." Ruby shudders. "This isn't going to be easy." "Good luck with getting that information from McNally. It could be something very useful, to change the tide, so to speak. I don't think I need to tell you to be careful," she says with sincerity.  As she is telling Isby to be careful Kevin returns from the back with a box of chocolates, which he hands to Isby. Isby offers them to Ruby, "These are for you, to help keep up appearances." Ruby takes them happily, "Why thank you Judge, I will enjoy every last one of them." Tomlinson then speaks to Ruby, "Sorry about the fencing lesson, with the trial it will be too crazy this morning."  "No problem," Ruby replies, "Perhaps tomorrow?" Kevin agrees and Ruby says she will stop by. Judge Isby walks her to the door when Kevin calls out, "Oh, Miss West... that uh, Clarisse, is she working tonight?"  "Yes, Mr. Tomlinson, she is singing tonight, if you want to stop by. But I should warn you, Deputy Marshal Martin is currently courting her. Stop by anyway and hear her sing, I'm sure she'd appreciate it." Ruby looks to the Judge and smiles, "Love seems to be everywhere these days!" The Judge opens the door and then takes her hand and kisses it. "Indeed," he replies. With that Ruby exits the Territorial OfficeAcross town, Ginnie went to the house and scrubbed and swept until it was sparkling clean. She removed the few things she had placed in the room she had chosen for herself expecting that Mrs. Kale would wish to turn the room into a nursery for the baby when it came.  She had been in a servant position before and she could do that again as long as there was still food on the table that she didn't have to steal and a roof that didn't leak. Her job at the dressmaker's shop brought in some money and she should be able to keep her head above water with what she had stashed away and could continue to make until she needed to move on.  She would have to study quickly before that disappeared too well it had been nice while it was happening. she'd find a way to survive, she always did.</blockquote>

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