Mildred slipped away to go back to their cabin and check on Doc’s progress, returning with a worried look on her face. She squatted alongside Ryan, putting her mouth close to his ear, speaking fast and low.
“I think he’s about at his worst,” she said. “At least that’s what I hope. Temperature’s sky-high, but his heart and respiration are steady.”
“Conscious?”
She pulled a doubtful face. “Sort of.”
“Recognize you?”
“I think so. But he’s away on the far side of knowing where he is and what’s going on.”
“At least they won’t be making the old buzzard take part in this stupe testing.”
Mildred nodded. “No, I guess not.”
THE MEAL WAS SOON OVER, the dishes taken away by the women, the scraps devoured by the lean mongrels that scavenged around the ville.
“Testing time is nearly upon us, my beloved brothers and sisters.” After a significant pause, the leader of Hopeville added, “And outlanders.”
There was a hum of excitement around the open area that had the central fire at its heart. It seemed like the whole settlement was there, with the sec men all armed with their Hawes Montana Marshal revolvers, many of them also hefting their Winchester rifles.
Ryan suspected that the display of arms was for their benefit, not to hold off any potential attack by the Apaches who lived among the trees.
He stood and stretched, savoring the powerful scent of the surrounding pines. “We’re ready as we can be, Brother Wolfe,” he said. “Then let’s get at it.”
RYAN AND THE OTHERS stood together near the smoldering fire, feeling oddly naked without their weapons.
After the meal they’d been allowed to go back to their log cabin to clean up and get ready for the afternoon. And while there, they’d had a short but bitter conversation about what they should do.
J.B., allied to Mildred, had urged very strongly that they should cut their losses and run for it.
“Leave the blasters?” Ryan had asked in disbelief.
“Why not? Dark night, Ryan! We can always replace the weapons. Much as it hurts me. But I’m real triple unhappy about the setup here.”
“I’m not delighted with it, friend. I’m not comfortable when anyone takes away my blasters. But it seems best to just go along with the flow.”
“We can jump a guard or two. Grab their blasters. Try and retrieve our own weapons and blades and be out of here. All in ten minutes flat.” He replaced his fedora. “Less.”
Ryan shook his head against the idea. “Haven’t thought it through, J.B. Close on a hundred souls here in Hopeville. All the men are bristling with blasters, thicker than fleas on the back of a hog. No chance.”
“But it could be a trick.”
“They had us all out cold. Drugged and helpless. All they did was take our weapons off us. It would have been child’s play to butcher us there and then. One dull-edged knife and seven slit throats. If that was what they wanted to do. I don’t see that as Wolfe’s plan.” He paused and stared at the others. “But if anyone else has a different view on this, let’s hear it.” He waited, but nobody spoke. “Krysty? You got any sort of a feeling about what’s going down?”
“Not really, lover. Can’t say I like it.”
Ryan became angry. “I don’t bastard like it, either. Thought I’d said that. Talking to my fucking self! But you have to look at the way the dice lie.”
“The lice die,” Doc muttered from his crumpled bed. “Fly like a flea or flee like a fly. If I fly like a flea, then you won’t catch me.” Everybody ignored him.
After a few more bitter exchanges between Ryan and J.B., they all agreed to go for the testing and give it their best shot. And then see, that evening, how things looked.
WOLFE SLAPPED his good hand against his thigh, calling out for quiet. “Now we can begin,” he said, voice ringing out among the scattered buildings. “Will the outlanders all stand before us now?”
Ryan took Krysty by the hand, leading the others into the center of the ragged circle of men and women.