Slowly, people began filling the streets around the sheriff’s house. News that something was happening spread quickly. As if on cue, men and women started streaming in from every direction. They were of all kinds—young and old. Some of the guests, like Daniel and Jasper, also approached, stepping forward hesitantly. When they glanced at Daniel and Jasper, they began to chuckle quietly. To them, this was part of the performance. It was the same for Daniel and Jasper, though both still felt a slight unease.


    If there was one thing undeniably real, about which they had no doubt, it was the sun scorching Daniel’s skin. It was a cloudless day, and the skin on his face had started to burn from all the waiting. The thirst was killing him.


    Jake and Billy stood off to the side, waiting for everyone to gather. Billy kept grinning, which irritated Daniel the most. Judging by Jasper’s expression, he seemed no less annoyed. Only Patrick stood calmly, enjoying himself.


    “Do you see any of your people among the robots, Patrick?”


    “Yes.”


    “Who are they?”


    “Nice try. You know I won’t tell you.”


    “When we talked to Jan, he said he didn’t know the others. Except for Mia.”


    “He didn’t lie to you. The ones we’ve planted among the robots don’t know each other. Well, except for Mia and Jan. But there, it couldn’t be helped if they’d kept their pants on.”


    “They could’ve just satisfied each other in the stables with Jan. Why were they at Violet’s brothel?” Not that it mattered much to him, but he hoped Patrick might slip up.


    “Oh, Daniel. They did it there plenty of times. In the house, in the stables. They knew we could see them, but they didn’t care. Their mistake was doing it in the rooms above the bar. They’re young, they wanted to experiment. But at least it made things more interesting.”


    “Was it part of your plan for us to find out?”


    “Yes and no. We had options prepared for both scenarios. But the park is a living organism. Every action changes the story. So we just gave you the pencils, and you’re the ones drawing.”


    “What are they going to do to us now?”


    “I told you you’re impatient. Look, Jasper’s calmer.”


    Calmness and Jasper should never be in the same sentence, so Daniel tried to get inside his friend’s head. He couldn’t figure out why Jasper was so quiet. Whether he’d made peace with the situation, Daniel didn’t know.


    By now, there were over fifty people in front of them. Daniel spotted Ava, the blonde woman he’d talked to at the bar the other day. Sam Hayes wasn’t with her. Sam Hayes was next to Violet, who was also present but stood off to the side.


    Ava waved at him and smiled. In reality, in a situation like this, he’d hope people would cry for him, not smile. He tried to scan the crowd one by one. Maybe that was it. The guests here would smile—they knew none of this was real. The locals, though, would be more worried.


    But even that didn’t hold up. Many of the locals craved days like this. They wanted to see death, not caring who was guilty.


    Voices rose from the back of the crowd. People began parting to the sides until a path cleared.


    And down that path came Reed. Mounted on his horse, proudly holding the reins. He looked upward, casting fleeting glances at them. Behind him were two more horses. One was ridden by Mia, one of his daughters, and the other by Aria, his other daughter. In front of Aria sat her daughter, Tyler. Reed stopped in front of Billy and Jake, waiting for his daughters. He eyed the two men with disdain, not speaking to them. He didn’t even glance at Patrick.


    Mia and Aria slowed their horses as they passed Daniel and Jasper. Daniel caught Mia’s gaze as she rode by Patrick. She should’ve known him. She tried to look serious, but Daniel could see a hint of surprise in her eyes. Maybe he was imagining it, but if he didn’t know she was real, would he have noticed those looks?


    “She seems to recognize you,” he said quietly to Patrick.


    “Of course. She knows me from the company. And she knows I’m not supposed to be here.”


    “So the story’s getting more interesting for her too right now.”


    “Absolutely, Daniel. That’s what I was telling you earlier.”


    Aria glanced at them too, but specifically at Jasper. She kept shifting her gaze forward, then back to him. Jasper was restless. Daniel knew him too well—he wanted to snap at her.


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    “Come on, girls,” Reed called, and they continued. They stopped behind their father. Aria dismounted first, followed by Mia. Aria’s child was helped down last.


    The girls stayed off to the side with the crowd, while the three men—Jake, Billy, and Reed—slowly moved in front of the three accused, positioning themselves between them and the people. They turned to face the crowd first.


    “We all make mistakes,” Reed began, as if looking at every single person who’d come to watch. “Even your beloved Sheriff Jake.” Reed glanced at the sheriff. Jake lowered his head. “Appointing two of these people, whom you might know, was his decision. A decision that was wrong.” Reed turned to them. He spoke deliberately and slowly. Everyone listened. “And if these people had quietly followed my orders and your sheriff’s to surrender, maybe today they’d walk out of jail free and continue living among you.”


    “Quite a speech. Did you write it?” Daniel turned to Patrick.


    “Probably someone from the creative team. They promised they’d put effort into this day.” Patrick had a smile on his face.


    Reed kept talking:


    “But these people—” Reed pointed at them again—“these people tried to attack us. They attacked us just as we were peacefully riding down the main road to the farms. And not only did they attack and threaten us, they tried to rob us.”


    “That’s nonsense.”


    “Most likely,” Patrick replied, still smiling. “But that’s Reed. He has to be like that.”


    The crowd gasped. Some shouted for the gallows, others called for death. A few hurled insults at Reed. He tried to spot them in the crowd but couldn’t. Then he continued.


    “The third one—” Reed looked at Patrick too—“is a proven horse thief. And not for the first time, stealing from you.”


    “Proven thief?” Daniel nudged him.


    “That’s a surprise to me too. My colleagues apparently decided to make my day festive as well. And here I thought they put me in just to help.”


    “That’s why,” Reed went on, “I suggest, to spare us future headaches with them, we simply hang them.”


    Jasper and Daniel exchanged a glance. The crowd roared. Daniel looked at Ava again. She was entertained and didn’t believe it. He understood her. He’d probably feel the same from the sidelines. He glanced at the gallows. The rope was a rope, no matter which reality they were in. He was starting to worry.


    Fat Billy’s grin was so wide it could’ve wrapped around his head if it were possible. Mia stood observing, but Aria was saying something to Jake. The sheriff seemed to hear her and approached her father, whispering something no one else caught.


    Reed raised a hand, and most of the shouting stopped.


    “My friend, the sheriff, is right. He’s the sheriff, after all, and I overstepped his role. He’s right that I went a bit too far.” Reed spoke loudly. “So I’ll let him take the floor. He has another suggestion.”


    Jake stepped forward and waited for the crowd to quiet down again. He raised a hand, mimicking Reed, but the effect wasn’t the same. Still, he began speaking:


    “Since this place we live in was founded, everyone’s had a right to justice. And everyone can determine their own fate. If they can’t, they let the iron decide for them. So—” Jake rushed through his words—“we’ll give these gentlemen a second chance.”


    The crowd erupted. Reed went to him, visibly angry. Clearly, he hadn’t expected this from Jake. He held his revolver, pointing it nervously at them, then at the gallows. He waved Billy over and called him. The crowd was too loud for them to hear anything from the conversation, so they didn’t try. Jake and Reed argued, while Billy stood aside, smirking greasily. He was an empty-headed fool—not just because he was a robot. Reed shoved Jake with both hands and said something to Billy. Billy nodded and headed toward Daniel, Jasper, and Patrick.


    Billy pulled Patrick first and led him to the gallows. He left him on the wooden platform and came back for Daniel, dragging him there too.


    “Patrick?” Daniel and Patrick were the only ones on the platforms. “Are you sure the robots won’t hang us?” Daniel was genuinely starting to panic.


    “Daniel, calm down. Everything’s according to plan.”


    “Plan?”


    Before he could ask more, he heard a loud curse and a shout. Jasper had somehow freed himself from the handcuffs, grabbed the hulking Billy from behind, and wrapped the cuffs around his throat. He squeezed tight, though Daniel wasn’t sure if robots could even suffer from lack of air. Reed had already drawn his revolver and aimed it at them.


    “Will he shoot?”


    “No. And if he does, he won’t hit. Or he’ll hit Billy.” Patrick was still calm.


    “Let him go, you bastard!” Reed yelled. Jake had drawn his weapon too.


    Jasper’s whole face was red. Daniel had seen him fight in bars, but never under such pressure or with such ferocity. He didn’t catch exactly what Jasper did, but Billy ended up on the ground. Then he took two kicks to the head. The robot didn’t move.


    “Big mistake, pig,” Reed said, advancing with his gun raised. “Billy was your shield. What now?”


    Patrick was still smiling. Daniel wanted to do something but couldn’t. He was too far and tied up. He felt like a condemned man in the front row of a show.


    Sheriff Jake stood behind Reed. He’d drawn his pistol too, also aimed at Jasper. Jasper was slightly hunched, glaring fiercely and breathing heavily. He shifted his gaze between the two, like a bear choosing which one to charge.


    “Why don’t you drop your guns, you bastards? Why not come at me with bare hands?”


    “Ha!” Reed laughed. “Do we look like fools to you?” He kept advancing. When he got close, the barrel of his revolver pressed against Jasper’s forehead. Jasper didn’t look worried.


    A shot rang out across the wasteland.


    Frightened screams echoed around. Reed fell at Jasper’s feet. He wasn’t dead but clutched his shoulder, where some slime vaguely resembling blood oozed. A second shot took down Jake—just enough to wound him.


    Both struggled to shout, emitting odd snoring sounds instead.


    Daniel was among the first to see where the shots came from.


    Aria still held the rifle aimed at her father. Tears streamed down her face, and she looked ready to do it again. Little Tyler clung to her leg, sobbing loudly.


    Next to her, Violet seemed far more confident with her weapon.


    Sheriff Jake lay at her feet, his eyes asking “Why?”


    And she looked surer of her actions than Aria.