M7 Fic: Drunk Anarchy - Chapter 3 (of 4)
Rolling down the whiskey spiral into Chapter 3...
CHAPTER THREE: BILLY RUFUS SEES HIS END
Hank managed to reset the door on its hinges, shutting out most of the wind and snow, and was looking for something to fix the holes in the shutters when Billy emerged from the back room. His brother sighed happily, pulling the rope tight around his waist to secure his pants. He grinned at Hank and tapped his beer belly.
"Feel better?" Hank asked, putting down a shard of wood from a broken chair.
"Million times, million times. Best pee I've ever had in my life, I kid you not. I was able to write my whole name in the snow, middle name n' all! Sobered me up some, too." He clapped his hands together. "I'm already for round two!"
Hank sighed. "Perhaps, instead of drinking, you might think about helpin' me to close off some of these drafts. It's mighty cold in here."
"Oh! I can help with that. Hang on." He disappeared again, and Hank sighed, looking up at the windows again. He really needed a hammer and some nails, maybe he could borrow some off of…
"Here we go! Wrap yerself up in this."
Hank turned around to see Billy holding up two near white capes, both looking like they were lined with deer hide. When he made no move to take on, Billy stomped over and tossed one at him.
"They're warm as anythin'. Just wrap it 'round ya, and the cold'll be nuthin'." He wrapped his around his shoulders, and it went clear down to the floor. "Been usin' em on my bed at night, fer blankets. Real nice. Snug as a bug, I tells ya."
Hank was still staring at his, unsure what to make of it. On one side, it was basically just a thick white sheet, with deer hides sewn, rather poorly, on the other. Still…. With a shrug, he put it over his shoulders and followed Billy back to the bar. Fairly quickly, he started to feel warmer.
"Where'd you get these?" They definitely were not normal Billy Rufus's style. Also, they were clean. He couldn’t have had them long.
"Left behind. Must've been part of their plan, but they never got to use 'em." Billy was pouring fresh glasses. Hank hesitated before taking his, resolving to just sip. After all, he still had to get the provisions, and then drive the cart the two hours home before it got too dark. Adeliza would kill him if he came home drunk again.
Then what Billy said sank in. "Plan?" he said. "What do you mean, these blankets were part of their plan? Whose plan?"
"Before I went to pee," Billy said, sitting down on his chair at the bar and guzzling his shot in one go. "Remember? I saids they'd had a plan? Jerkface's moustache was wiggling all over the place, didn't I say?"
Hank nodded. "I guess. But with her son dead, I'd've thought Maddie-"
"So did we all," Billy agreed somberly. "So. Did. We. All. Well, mostly me. But turns out it did the opposite. She wanted to go more than ever." He poured himself another drink, but didn't start drinking immediately. He picked the glass up and peered at it, as if trying to see through it.
"Ever notice," he said then, "how hard it is to see anything red through a glass of whiskey?"
Hank frowned, but dutifully lifted his own drink, and tried to see through it. Sure enough, the reddish flag hanging off the bar's smashed mirror blended neatly, so you could only see its outline.
"Yeah," he acknowledged, putting his glass back down. "So?"
"So, before the Captain's army churned all the snow outside into gray mush, there was a pretty thick coat of it on the ground, having been snowing most of this week. It was snowing when we came back into town, even. Just light, but definitely snowing."
Hank blinked. "So? It's winter. It always snows up here. Hell, even snows in the summer sometimes. What's that gotta do with anything?"
Billy just snorted. "Okay, okay. I'll back up." He drank from his glass. "See, whats I didn't know when we went out with the coffin, was that Cardsharp wasn't just recuperating. He went to Isabel and bought yards of white cloth, that cloth yer wearin'. Told her, his coat'd been ruined in the fight, and wanted to make a new one. She said, 'course, that she could do it for him, but he said he wanted something thicker fer the snow, 'cause of the cold. And then he went to Will Adelin and got the pelts, for the linin'. And what yer wearing, that's what he made."
"But I thought you said, he'd wanted to make a jacket." Hank shifted his up a little higher. "This is more like a cape."
"Yeah. And he bought enough yards o' white for four people's capes."
"I don't-"
"Neither did anyone else. No one even batted an eye. Funny, eh?" He grinned and finished his second shot. "Man had a silver tongue, that one."
Hank grimaced. "I'm still not following. What were these for?"
"Right. So, here's the thing. After we came back from seeing Scruffy n' Benny take them kid to be buried, Maddie, the Jerk and Scary, they went upstairs. Place was quiet as a tomb. After what happened with the kid, no one even came inside. Not at first anyway. A few came and paid their respects, but most everyone else stayed away that day. Kinda pissed me off, actually. I mean, this is my business, you know? But the place was empty -- I didn't see anyone but Cardsharp downstairs most o' the day, and he was just readin' in the corner."
"Not even that sickly boy, Eustace? I thought he practically lived here?"
"Nope." Billy shrugged. "I spent most of that day just cleaning up the mess from the fight with Robbie. Or, at least, pushing the worst of it off to the side." He looked around the saloon, as if remembering the state it was in now. "Fat lotta good that did, eh?"
"Get back to the capes."
"Right. So…" Billy was starting to slur again, as he poured himself another whiskey. "It was all quiet, then, suddenly, soon as the sun went down, that all changed. It started with Maddie coming down with Scary, n' the two of them going to the hotel for dinner. It was like a dam breakin', her leaving my place. Jerkface came down soon after, stopped and asked me where the ladies were, if you get my meanin', and I pointed him down to Martita's. He left. Finally, Cardsharp stopped reading, since the sunlight was gone, and demanded to know where all the card players were hiding. I tolds him that they's usually here, but with the death n' all….He said he thought that was rep..reppy…that it was not a problem n' left. A little whiles later, he was back, and I swears, he had the whole damn town council with him. Even the sheriff and the mayor! He played with them all night, and, 'cause they were here, more came, to watch, to bet, you know what I mean. And, meanwhiles, the Jerk came back with some girls from Martita's-went upstairs with some of 'em, others hung out down here-and then, I swears, he came down with different girls! They jes' kept comin' and going. I was thinkin', damn - thazz was one hell of a Ladies' Man. Never known anyone with that kinda stamina."
Hank was frowning now. "Didn't the noise bother Maddie? I mean, she was in mourning."
"Not that I could tell. Not at the time, anyway. I didn't even see 'em come back from dinner. I only know she n' Scary did return 'cause, at one point, she came down n' asked for a pitcher of water. She was still wearing her black get-up with the veil, so I couldn't see her face, but she didn't sound anything but tired and kinda sad. I didn't ask why she needed a whole pitcher, I mean, with all the snow, it was easy enough to melt as much as she wanted, but I did think it strange. Still, by then, the place was so full of people that I had Robbie take it to her so I could keep watchin' the front. The Cardsharp's game was a real draw, did I say that? Man was like a king over there-never seen so many people interested in a game of cards. Then Martita came by, and I just pointed her upstairs to Jerk's room. She nodded and went up. I never seen her leave her place, but, honestly, it was like the whole brothel was here by then."
Hank just huffed a laugh, trying to imagine it. Billy was shaking his head, as if he couldn't believe it himself.
"It didn't quiet down 'til dawn broke, which is when the game finally broke up. Cardsharp bid everyone good night, and, funny thing, they all seemed happy. Weird, considering. I'd 'spected him to clean 'em all out, but sounded like most left with something in their pocket."
"So, not so sharp, then?"
"Sharper than I thought that night, turned out. Wicked sharp. Just not sharp enough to factor in the crazy."
"Huh?"
"Stay with me, Henry Beau. So, all next day, when it was snowing heavily, again, while the sun was up, I don't sees no ones, but by evening, it's happened again. There's tons of people here, and women just every which where. Cardsharp n' the Jerk are so loud n' bright that I didn't even notice that, other than Maddie comin' down with a lunch n' dinner order, I hadn't seen Scary since the night befores."
"You hadn't?"
"Nope. And, I realized later, that, 'cause of the veil…I hadn't actually seen Maddie either."
"But you jest said-"
"I saws a woman in a veil, talking softly. I never saw her face."
Hank's eyes started to widen. "You mean…?"
"It was Friday mornin' when it happened, two days after the boy'd died and the last day that Maddie could get her claim. Round four a.m., everyone leaves again, though a bit less happy-Cardsharp had cleaned up this time-and I sees him go tap the Jerk's shoulder. Says, 'time to go, just gonna gets the stuff.' I was thinkin', odd that. Time to go where? But he goes upstairs, and the Jerk's saying goodbye to Allison Pill-she's one a Martita's girls, real pretty-when Bang! The door is smashed open!" He pointed it. "That's why it's off its hinges and…hey…" He tilted his head. "Did you put it back up?"
"It was cold."
Billy smiled genuinely. "I'd thought it was too warped. Sweet! Still fits!"
"'Course. But who smashed it down?"
"Oh, right? Where was I?"
"Bang!"
"Yes! Bang! Door's off its hinges and suddenly there's like fifty soldiers in my saloon. Allison's screaming, Robbie, who'd been cleaning in the back, tried to run but got caught and dragged into the front here, and I'm jest trying to unnerstand what's happening. The Jerk's got his hands up, and they're takin' his guns. Then I can hear shoutin' from upstairs. Next thing you see, Cardsharp's being shoved down the stairs, wearin' nothing but his britches. He's sporting bruises on his face and the bandage on his arm's all thick with blood, so much that it's dripping down, real messy like. Next thing I know, we's all being dragged outside--"
"In the dark?"
"Yep. But you'd a never known it. Whole town's lit cause there's at least two dozen o' Captain Crazy's soldiers holding torches and, I swears, I thought they was goin' burn the town down. Captain's shouting, and soldiers are goin' into all the houses, dragging people's outside. I realized, after a bit, that they was looking for Maddie."
"But…wasn't she with you?"
"That's the thing. She weren't. She weren't anywhere."
"How?"
Billy Rufus grinned, and the glass of whiskey he'd been ignoring in his hand got downed in one big shot. He wiped his hand cross his chin and said, "Capes."
Hank just blinked. "Whut?"
"The same night-that Wednesday night-after her boy'd been killed, whiles Cardsharp and the Jerk were providing all that distraction for the town, Maddie n' Scary? They left. No one saw 'em. Used my sheets, reckon to cover theirs clothes, then used the capes they made for warmth n' camo…camo-flageyness." He poured another drink while he was talking, his eyes lit with mirth now, and threw it back before continuing. "Nears as I could figure it out, they had to've climbed out the window, so neither me nor Robbie'd see 'em, and then just got outta here. Must've kept low n' with all the snow on the ground-no one saw 'em. And I reckon they had to've crossed through the river on foot, since the soldiers were all..bridges, and they just slipped on through, like a knife through utter…butter. Knife through butter. Hot butter. Partially melted. Like on a hot day."
"Damn?" Hank drank down his whiskey, his mind spinning a little. "Like butter."
"Hot butter." Billy nodded, and poured another drink, emptying the bottle. "Turned out, Martita was in on it, had agreed to let Allison n' Brenda, cause they were 'bout the same size n' shape as Maddie, to pretend to be her, so folks didn't know Maddie'd left. I also finds out later that the Jerk weren't sleeping with the others of Martita's girls. He had 'em sewing up there. Sewing these capes. Four of 'em, two of which they'd finished that firs' night fer Scary n' Maddie. And they's didn't say a thing, so no one knew. After all, whose better at keeping secrets than whores? And with two pro…with two of her protectors still here, the whole rests of the town was fooled."
"Shoot," Hank said, nodding, his eyes wide. "Wow. Wearing white to hide in the snow--clever. Never would've thought."
"N' that's how I figured out why Cardsharp didn't play so hot first night. 'Cause he wanted 'em all back the second night. Sharp, like I said." He tapped his noggin, and then poured another drink. He didn't drink it, though. He just sort of looked at it, his face falling. "But, like I said, he didn't factor in the Crazy."
Hank just frowned now, looking round the saloon and trying to imagine the chaos of that morning.
"Nears as I could guess," Billy said, still staring at his drink, "I thinks Cardsharp and the Jerk meant to leave right 'bout the time Captain Crazy comes stormin' in. To sneak outs the way the others had, in the early mornin' dark. But, somehow, Stevie and Crazy got wind that Maddie'd made it to Leadstown. Stevie, I guess, took off to try n' stop her before it was too late. Captain Crazy, though, he…I guess he decided that town needed to pay for helping."
"But you didn't-"
Billy gave him a dark look. "You ever try to argue with a Crazy? Reason don't count for nuthin'."
Hank frowned deeply, resting his head on the top of the bar, since it had started to feel very heavy. Billy joined him. Hank reached over and patted the side of Billy's head.
"So what happened?"
"Bad. Things. Bad things." Billy shut his eyes. "Didn't seem real at first." He sniffed. "Outside, it's still night, yeah? N' it's cold n' dark n' scary. They took Robbie n' me onto boardwalk, and tied us to hitchin' posts in front. Allison was tied to the post n' front of the Merc, and I saw Martita tied up with her later. I think they locked Sheriff and his deputies in the jail, 'cause I think they was shoutin' from in there. Cardsharp and the Jerk….oooh, that was the worst. Capn' Crazy'd made nooses, threw 'em over a couple of long branches on either sides of the big tree and then…and then had those two fellers stand on stools, but Crazy had one of the legs broken off o' each stool. So, nooses r' tight round their necks, they're both jes trying to keep their balance, n'…just not good."
Hank rubbed at his neck in sympathy. Billy opened his eyes, and lifted his head off the bar.
"So, Captain says, then, to everyones, 'fer aidin' n' abettin' Maddie and Cardsharp n' the Jerk, the soldiers are going to take everyones' valu-bulls.' Says, 'since Stevie won't be gettin' the mine, he won't be able to pay 'em all, so the town would pay for their services instead.' Called it…something. Retro…something. --Bution. That's it. Retribution. They planned to wreck the town, starting with my saloon." He looked around, frowning. "Which they did."
Hank reached over and grabbed his brother's clammy hand. "I'll help you rebuild."
Billy just shrugged. "S'okay. It weren't nothing since, after they did that, Crazy said, he was gonna kill those of use that'd helped-includin' me."
Hank sat straight up then. "What?"
Billy ignored him, turning the now empty bottle 'round in a circle on the bar. "So, after that, soldiers just start ransackin'. They're goin' house to house, getting jewels, money, gold…stuffin' it into sacks and dumpin' them in the middle of the street in front a' Cardsharp n' the Jerk. You know what I figger? I don't think, I think they weren't really soldiers, no, but jes' thugs n' bandits that the Captain must've picked up somewheres. And, in the meantimes, there I was, sitting 'gainst that post, thinkin' this was my end o' days, you know? I was gonna meet my maker. God was gonna be judgin' little o' me soon, and what would I say?"
Hank couldn't stop staring. They were going to kill him? "Billy…"
"And I wasn't the only one worried. Robbie's praying. Allison's wailing, and Martita was shouting in Italian. Pretty language that, even when I was pretty sures she was cussin'. And over by the big tree, the Jerk and…Ezra! That was Cardsharp's name! Oh, man, how could I forget that? 'Bout n' hour after the soldiers're ransackin' n' lootin', the Jerk starts calling to the Cardsharp where they were both strung up: 'Ezra, don't fall asleep! Ezra, Stay awake! You gotta stay awake, Ezra! Keep yer eyes open, Ezra!" See, Ezra the Cardsharp, he wasn't doin' so hot, what with the cold n' no shirt or coat, n' the bleedin n' the beatin' he took. An hour after they'd been strung up, his head was down, barely with it, his stool wobblin' like it's gonna go any second. But if he lost it and his stool fell, he'd've been dead. So the Jerk's yellin' at him to stay awake, to hold on. Calling his name. I think it was keeping the Jerk focused too. Though, at the time, I just figured he was postponin' the inevitable. We was alls gonna die. I mean, who was gonna stop Crazy?"
Hank was wide awake now, gripping another empty bottle to his chest, as if it could protect him from the fact that someone almost killed his brother. Billy Rufus was an idiot, but he was a good idiot, and Hank loved him. Not that he'd ever tell 'im out loud, of course, but he did.
"But…" Hank said, his voice breaking slightly. "Yer not dead."
And Billy smiled, quick and a little wanly. "No," he said, "No, I'm not. "
"How?"
"Honestly? I'm not really sure?" He said it like a question. "I think..." He paused. "I think it might've been…" He frowned. "It was the black man, he did it." He nodded.
Hank tilted his head. "A black man? From where?" There weren't any living around here.
"No idea, but he came." Billy's gaze narrowed. "He came with two others, and…and he kinda saved everyone."
_______________________________________________________________
To Be Concluded in Chapter 4
CHAPTER THREE: BILLY RUFUS SEES HIS END
Hank managed to reset the door on its hinges, shutting out most of the wind and snow, and was looking for something to fix the holes in the shutters when Billy emerged from the back room. His brother sighed happily, pulling the rope tight around his waist to secure his pants. He grinned at Hank and tapped his beer belly.
"Feel better?" Hank asked, putting down a shard of wood from a broken chair.
"Million times, million times. Best pee I've ever had in my life, I kid you not. I was able to write my whole name in the snow, middle name n' all! Sobered me up some, too." He clapped his hands together. "I'm already for round two!"
Hank sighed. "Perhaps, instead of drinking, you might think about helpin' me to close off some of these drafts. It's mighty cold in here."
"Oh! I can help with that. Hang on." He disappeared again, and Hank sighed, looking up at the windows again. He really needed a hammer and some nails, maybe he could borrow some off of…
"Here we go! Wrap yerself up in this."
Hank turned around to see Billy holding up two near white capes, both looking like they were lined with deer hide. When he made no move to take on, Billy stomped over and tossed one at him.
"They're warm as anythin'. Just wrap it 'round ya, and the cold'll be nuthin'." He wrapped his around his shoulders, and it went clear down to the floor. "Been usin' em on my bed at night, fer blankets. Real nice. Snug as a bug, I tells ya."
Hank was still staring at his, unsure what to make of it. On one side, it was basically just a thick white sheet, with deer hides sewn, rather poorly, on the other. Still…. With a shrug, he put it over his shoulders and followed Billy back to the bar. Fairly quickly, he started to feel warmer.
"Where'd you get these?" They definitely were not normal Billy Rufus's style. Also, they were clean. He couldn’t have had them long.
"Left behind. Must've been part of their plan, but they never got to use 'em." Billy was pouring fresh glasses. Hank hesitated before taking his, resolving to just sip. After all, he still had to get the provisions, and then drive the cart the two hours home before it got too dark. Adeliza would kill him if he came home drunk again.
Then what Billy said sank in. "Plan?" he said. "What do you mean, these blankets were part of their plan? Whose plan?"
"Before I went to pee," Billy said, sitting down on his chair at the bar and guzzling his shot in one go. "Remember? I saids they'd had a plan? Jerkface's moustache was wiggling all over the place, didn't I say?"
Hank nodded. "I guess. But with her son dead, I'd've thought Maddie-"
"So did we all," Billy agreed somberly. "So. Did. We. All. Well, mostly me. But turns out it did the opposite. She wanted to go more than ever." He poured himself another drink, but didn't start drinking immediately. He picked the glass up and peered at it, as if trying to see through it.
"Ever notice," he said then, "how hard it is to see anything red through a glass of whiskey?"
Hank frowned, but dutifully lifted his own drink, and tried to see through it. Sure enough, the reddish flag hanging off the bar's smashed mirror blended neatly, so you could only see its outline.
"Yeah," he acknowledged, putting his glass back down. "So?"
"So, before the Captain's army churned all the snow outside into gray mush, there was a pretty thick coat of it on the ground, having been snowing most of this week. It was snowing when we came back into town, even. Just light, but definitely snowing."
Hank blinked. "So? It's winter. It always snows up here. Hell, even snows in the summer sometimes. What's that gotta do with anything?"
Billy just snorted. "Okay, okay. I'll back up." He drank from his glass. "See, whats I didn't know when we went out with the coffin, was that Cardsharp wasn't just recuperating. He went to Isabel and bought yards of white cloth, that cloth yer wearin'. Told her, his coat'd been ruined in the fight, and wanted to make a new one. She said, 'course, that she could do it for him, but he said he wanted something thicker fer the snow, 'cause of the cold. And then he went to Will Adelin and got the pelts, for the linin'. And what yer wearing, that's what he made."
"But I thought you said, he'd wanted to make a jacket." Hank shifted his up a little higher. "This is more like a cape."
"Yeah. And he bought enough yards o' white for four people's capes."
"I don't-"
"Neither did anyone else. No one even batted an eye. Funny, eh?" He grinned and finished his second shot. "Man had a silver tongue, that one."
Hank grimaced. "I'm still not following. What were these for?"
"Right. So, here's the thing. After we came back from seeing Scruffy n' Benny take them kid to be buried, Maddie, the Jerk and Scary, they went upstairs. Place was quiet as a tomb. After what happened with the kid, no one even came inside. Not at first anyway. A few came and paid their respects, but most everyone else stayed away that day. Kinda pissed me off, actually. I mean, this is my business, you know? But the place was empty -- I didn't see anyone but Cardsharp downstairs most o' the day, and he was just readin' in the corner."
"Not even that sickly boy, Eustace? I thought he practically lived here?"
"Nope." Billy shrugged. "I spent most of that day just cleaning up the mess from the fight with Robbie. Or, at least, pushing the worst of it off to the side." He looked around the saloon, as if remembering the state it was in now. "Fat lotta good that did, eh?"
"Get back to the capes."
"Right. So…" Billy was starting to slur again, as he poured himself another whiskey. "It was all quiet, then, suddenly, soon as the sun went down, that all changed. It started with Maddie coming down with Scary, n' the two of them going to the hotel for dinner. It was like a dam breakin', her leaving my place. Jerkface came down soon after, stopped and asked me where the ladies were, if you get my meanin', and I pointed him down to Martita's. He left. Finally, Cardsharp stopped reading, since the sunlight was gone, and demanded to know where all the card players were hiding. I tolds him that they's usually here, but with the death n' all….He said he thought that was rep..reppy…that it was not a problem n' left. A little whiles later, he was back, and I swears, he had the whole damn town council with him. Even the sheriff and the mayor! He played with them all night, and, 'cause they were here, more came, to watch, to bet, you know what I mean. And, meanwhiles, the Jerk came back with some girls from Martita's-went upstairs with some of 'em, others hung out down here-and then, I swears, he came down with different girls! They jes' kept comin' and going. I was thinkin', damn - thazz was one hell of a Ladies' Man. Never known anyone with that kinda stamina."
Hank was frowning now. "Didn't the noise bother Maddie? I mean, she was in mourning."
"Not that I could tell. Not at the time, anyway. I didn't even see 'em come back from dinner. I only know she n' Scary did return 'cause, at one point, she came down n' asked for a pitcher of water. She was still wearing her black get-up with the veil, so I couldn't see her face, but she didn't sound anything but tired and kinda sad. I didn't ask why she needed a whole pitcher, I mean, with all the snow, it was easy enough to melt as much as she wanted, but I did think it strange. Still, by then, the place was so full of people that I had Robbie take it to her so I could keep watchin' the front. The Cardsharp's game was a real draw, did I say that? Man was like a king over there-never seen so many people interested in a game of cards. Then Martita came by, and I just pointed her upstairs to Jerk's room. She nodded and went up. I never seen her leave her place, but, honestly, it was like the whole brothel was here by then."
Hank just huffed a laugh, trying to imagine it. Billy was shaking his head, as if he couldn't believe it himself.
"It didn't quiet down 'til dawn broke, which is when the game finally broke up. Cardsharp bid everyone good night, and, funny thing, they all seemed happy. Weird, considering. I'd 'spected him to clean 'em all out, but sounded like most left with something in their pocket."
"So, not so sharp, then?"
"Sharper than I thought that night, turned out. Wicked sharp. Just not sharp enough to factor in the crazy."
"Huh?"
"Stay with me, Henry Beau. So, all next day, when it was snowing heavily, again, while the sun was up, I don't sees no ones, but by evening, it's happened again. There's tons of people here, and women just every which where. Cardsharp n' the Jerk are so loud n' bright that I didn't even notice that, other than Maddie comin' down with a lunch n' dinner order, I hadn't seen Scary since the night befores."
"You hadn't?"
"Nope. And, I realized later, that, 'cause of the veil…I hadn't actually seen Maddie either."
"But you jest said-"
"I saws a woman in a veil, talking softly. I never saw her face."
Hank's eyes started to widen. "You mean…?"
"It was Friday mornin' when it happened, two days after the boy'd died and the last day that Maddie could get her claim. Round four a.m., everyone leaves again, though a bit less happy-Cardsharp had cleaned up this time-and I sees him go tap the Jerk's shoulder. Says, 'time to go, just gonna gets the stuff.' I was thinkin', odd that. Time to go where? But he goes upstairs, and the Jerk's saying goodbye to Allison Pill-she's one a Martita's girls, real pretty-when Bang! The door is smashed open!" He pointed it. "That's why it's off its hinges and…hey…" He tilted his head. "Did you put it back up?"
"It was cold."
Billy smiled genuinely. "I'd thought it was too warped. Sweet! Still fits!"
"'Course. But who smashed it down?"
"Oh, right? Where was I?"
"Bang!"
"Yes! Bang! Door's off its hinges and suddenly there's like fifty soldiers in my saloon. Allison's screaming, Robbie, who'd been cleaning in the back, tried to run but got caught and dragged into the front here, and I'm jest trying to unnerstand what's happening. The Jerk's got his hands up, and they're takin' his guns. Then I can hear shoutin' from upstairs. Next thing you see, Cardsharp's being shoved down the stairs, wearin' nothing but his britches. He's sporting bruises on his face and the bandage on his arm's all thick with blood, so much that it's dripping down, real messy like. Next thing I know, we's all being dragged outside--"
"In the dark?"
"Yep. But you'd a never known it. Whole town's lit cause there's at least two dozen o' Captain Crazy's soldiers holding torches and, I swears, I thought they was goin' burn the town down. Captain's shouting, and soldiers are goin' into all the houses, dragging people's outside. I realized, after a bit, that they was looking for Maddie."
"But…wasn't she with you?"
"That's the thing. She weren't. She weren't anywhere."
"How?"
Billy Rufus grinned, and the glass of whiskey he'd been ignoring in his hand got downed in one big shot. He wiped his hand cross his chin and said, "Capes."
Hank just blinked. "Whut?"
"The same night-that Wednesday night-after her boy'd been killed, whiles Cardsharp and the Jerk were providing all that distraction for the town, Maddie n' Scary? They left. No one saw 'em. Used my sheets, reckon to cover theirs clothes, then used the capes they made for warmth n' camo…camo-flageyness." He poured another drink while he was talking, his eyes lit with mirth now, and threw it back before continuing. "Nears as I could figure it out, they had to've climbed out the window, so neither me nor Robbie'd see 'em, and then just got outta here. Must've kept low n' with all the snow on the ground-no one saw 'em. And I reckon they had to've crossed through the river on foot, since the soldiers were all..bridges, and they just slipped on through, like a knife through utter…butter. Knife through butter. Hot butter. Partially melted. Like on a hot day."
"Damn?" Hank drank down his whiskey, his mind spinning a little. "Like butter."
"Hot butter." Billy nodded, and poured another drink, emptying the bottle. "Turned out, Martita was in on it, had agreed to let Allison n' Brenda, cause they were 'bout the same size n' shape as Maddie, to pretend to be her, so folks didn't know Maddie'd left. I also finds out later that the Jerk weren't sleeping with the others of Martita's girls. He had 'em sewing up there. Sewing these capes. Four of 'em, two of which they'd finished that firs' night fer Scary n' Maddie. And they's didn't say a thing, so no one knew. After all, whose better at keeping secrets than whores? And with two pro…with two of her protectors still here, the whole rests of the town was fooled."
"Shoot," Hank said, nodding, his eyes wide. "Wow. Wearing white to hide in the snow--clever. Never would've thought."
"N' that's how I figured out why Cardsharp didn't play so hot first night. 'Cause he wanted 'em all back the second night. Sharp, like I said." He tapped his noggin, and then poured another drink. He didn't drink it, though. He just sort of looked at it, his face falling. "But, like I said, he didn't factor in the Crazy."
Hank just frowned now, looking round the saloon and trying to imagine the chaos of that morning.
"Nears as I could guess," Billy said, still staring at his drink, "I thinks Cardsharp and the Jerk meant to leave right 'bout the time Captain Crazy comes stormin' in. To sneak outs the way the others had, in the early mornin' dark. But, somehow, Stevie and Crazy got wind that Maddie'd made it to Leadstown. Stevie, I guess, took off to try n' stop her before it was too late. Captain Crazy, though, he…I guess he decided that town needed to pay for helping."
"But you didn't-"
Billy gave him a dark look. "You ever try to argue with a Crazy? Reason don't count for nuthin'."
Hank frowned deeply, resting his head on the top of the bar, since it had started to feel very heavy. Billy joined him. Hank reached over and patted the side of Billy's head.
"So what happened?"
"Bad. Things. Bad things." Billy shut his eyes. "Didn't seem real at first." He sniffed. "Outside, it's still night, yeah? N' it's cold n' dark n' scary. They took Robbie n' me onto boardwalk, and tied us to hitchin' posts in front. Allison was tied to the post n' front of the Merc, and I saw Martita tied up with her later. I think they locked Sheriff and his deputies in the jail, 'cause I think they was shoutin' from in there. Cardsharp and the Jerk….oooh, that was the worst. Capn' Crazy'd made nooses, threw 'em over a couple of long branches on either sides of the big tree and then…and then had those two fellers stand on stools, but Crazy had one of the legs broken off o' each stool. So, nooses r' tight round their necks, they're both jes trying to keep their balance, n'…just not good."
Hank rubbed at his neck in sympathy. Billy opened his eyes, and lifted his head off the bar.
"So, Captain says, then, to everyones, 'fer aidin' n' abettin' Maddie and Cardsharp n' the Jerk, the soldiers are going to take everyones' valu-bulls.' Says, 'since Stevie won't be gettin' the mine, he won't be able to pay 'em all, so the town would pay for their services instead.' Called it…something. Retro…something. --Bution. That's it. Retribution. They planned to wreck the town, starting with my saloon." He looked around, frowning. "Which they did."
Hank reached over and grabbed his brother's clammy hand. "I'll help you rebuild."
Billy just shrugged. "S'okay. It weren't nothing since, after they did that, Crazy said, he was gonna kill those of use that'd helped-includin' me."
Hank sat straight up then. "What?"
Billy ignored him, turning the now empty bottle 'round in a circle on the bar. "So, after that, soldiers just start ransackin'. They're goin' house to house, getting jewels, money, gold…stuffin' it into sacks and dumpin' them in the middle of the street in front a' Cardsharp n' the Jerk. You know what I figger? I don't think, I think they weren't really soldiers, no, but jes' thugs n' bandits that the Captain must've picked up somewheres. And, in the meantimes, there I was, sitting 'gainst that post, thinkin' this was my end o' days, you know? I was gonna meet my maker. God was gonna be judgin' little o' me soon, and what would I say?"
Hank couldn't stop staring. They were going to kill him? "Billy…"
"And I wasn't the only one worried. Robbie's praying. Allison's wailing, and Martita was shouting in Italian. Pretty language that, even when I was pretty sures she was cussin'. And over by the big tree, the Jerk and…Ezra! That was Cardsharp's name! Oh, man, how could I forget that? 'Bout n' hour after the soldiers're ransackin' n' lootin', the Jerk starts calling to the Cardsharp where they were both strung up: 'Ezra, don't fall asleep! Ezra, Stay awake! You gotta stay awake, Ezra! Keep yer eyes open, Ezra!" See, Ezra the Cardsharp, he wasn't doin' so hot, what with the cold n' no shirt or coat, n' the bleedin n' the beatin' he took. An hour after they'd been strung up, his head was down, barely with it, his stool wobblin' like it's gonna go any second. But if he lost it and his stool fell, he'd've been dead. So the Jerk's yellin' at him to stay awake, to hold on. Calling his name. I think it was keeping the Jerk focused too. Though, at the time, I just figured he was postponin' the inevitable. We was alls gonna die. I mean, who was gonna stop Crazy?"
Hank was wide awake now, gripping another empty bottle to his chest, as if it could protect him from the fact that someone almost killed his brother. Billy Rufus was an idiot, but he was a good idiot, and Hank loved him. Not that he'd ever tell 'im out loud, of course, but he did.
"But…" Hank said, his voice breaking slightly. "Yer not dead."
And Billy smiled, quick and a little wanly. "No," he said, "No, I'm not. "
"How?"
"Honestly? I'm not really sure?" He said it like a question. "I think..." He paused. "I think it might've been…" He frowned. "It was the black man, he did it." He nodded.
Hank tilted his head. "A black man? From where?" There weren't any living around here.
"No idea, but he came." Billy's gaze narrowed. "He came with two others, and…and he kinda saved everyone."
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To Be Concluded in Chapter 4