《Wild Steam》


 Chapter 1

    Looking around, I slowly pushed my knees into Butterball¡¯s sides, urging him forward very cautiously. Towns could be dangerous. Ghost towns, even more so. There was a stillness to them, a silence, like the forests get right before a predator strikes, that set my shoulders on edge.


    When everything is frozen in place, and all sound dies, but you know you¡¯re being watched by something dangerous, that¡¯s more than a little hungry. I thought darkly as I urged my horse forward.


    The town of Sugar Leaf had seen better days. Looking around I could see signs of damage that ranged from weapons fire, to claw marks, to the outright bizarre; such as the barbershop door that looked like half an explosion, half a frenzied scratching fit on the wood by a 10 foot bear. Or, something like that anyway.


    Oddly, there was very little blood though. I started to notice its distinct lack as I slowly rode my horse through the main road of the town, despite the wild and varied damage. Not in the mood to take any chances with this twisted, oppressive atmosphere, I had my Chester-Wind Repeating Rifle out, loaded, cocked, and resting in an ever tightening grip in my hand. Between that and the Molt Peace-Bringer on my hip, I wagered decent odds on challenging most things of flesh and blood that thought I would be an easy meal.


    But the sheer level of inflicted damage on this barely-a-year-old town was making even that belief start to feel shaky.


    Something bad, and bizarre, had happened here, and I wanted no part of it. I normally wouldn¡¯t even be here, but this place did have something that I needed, or wanted to try to make use of at any rate. Something that I had traveled near on two months through the wild Frontier Lands of the Union to finally reach; a train station.


    Sugar Leaf was one of the Terminus Towns; the very edge of the railroad tracks, before wild frontier, plains, tundras, forests, lakes, hills, and mountains were all that would be seen for days or weeks on end. A Terminus Town was the town that was the crossroad between the wild frontier and proper civilization, and they¡¯d been that way for decades.


    Ever since the Shattering.


    I shook my head to refocus on what was in front of me, and not worry about world altering events that had happened before I was even born. Looking around again as Butterball kept meandering down the road, I sighed in general exasperation. If the whole town was abandoned, as I was beginning to suspect it might be, then that meant the train station was likely empty too.


    Still, not a total loss.


    I¡¯d just follow the tracks to the next town, and hope for better luck. I really wasn¡¯t overly interested in finding out what had happened here, or if this town was actually abandoned or not. I was here for the train.


    Failing that, I was here for the train tracks with which to follow along on foot or on horse.


    Of course, as soon as I thought that, I heard the sound of hooves on wood. I¡¯d heard the sound often enough out on my family¡¯s ranch to recognize it, and it caught my attention.


    Keeping my rifle at the ready, and quickly glancing over my other weapons, both on me and within easy reach on my horse, I turned Butterball over to towards the street that led to a nearby corral. It was a large circular fence enclosure with several bleachers set up for crowds to bid on the animals inside it, when there was something there to bid on. It also served as a simple place to keep transient livestock like horses or donkeys for such a small, and new town.


    When Butterball finally cleared the buildings fully and I could see inside the corral, I stared in surprised shock at what was in it.


    A centaur.


    A female centaur.


    From the looks of her, she looked like an Indian Tribal woman-mustang. Her human half was a slender, beautiful young woman with long black hair, a soft angular face, and the slight reddish-dusky brown skin of a tribeswoman. Her horse half was that of a pale furred mustang with black furred legs, and looked like a slender, short, graceful mare. She had a simple Indian mokisan style tunic on as a shirt, and had many tribal markings on her horse half.


    Both halves were quite beautiful on their own, but together they were both jarring, and ethereally graceful.


    I¡¯d seen centaurs only once before, years ago, and I¡¯d never seen one all alone. They tended to be as wild as their mustang horse cousins, and only some herds dealt with humans. This one was in the corral, with tribal markings painted on her, that made me think she¡¯d likely been traded to this town by some passing Indians.


    I idly wondered if she even spoke english.


    My musings were cut short when she turned and noticed me, her eyes widening in surprise. She¡¯d been cantering around the corral, hitting the wooden fence with her horse legs.


    However, when she saw me, she stopped and stared as well.


    Blinking as I worked to get my brain working again, I nudged Butterball slowly forward again, and waved at her.


    She stared a little more in surprised curiousity, before her eyes shifted in fear and anger to the two-story building across from both the corral and me, over on my right. I¡¯d seen looks like that before. It was always bad.


    It usually meant someone was getting ready to ambush somebody else, and had been spotted at the last minute!


    Yanking on the reins, I whirled Butterball around and looked at the building, my rifle instantly at my shoulder and my eyes searching for the threat. I didn¡¯t have to look very long or hard. On the large second story balcony above the door of what I realized was a hotel, stood three tall, humanoid creatures, each covered from head to toe in shaggy hanging brown hair. So much hair in fact, that apart from the basic shapes and limbs of their bodies, I couldn¡¯t see any distinctive features.


    Well, except for one; their eyes.


    Their eyes almost seemed to glow a sickly green color right through their hair as they all looked back at me. And though I couldn¡¯t really tell from this distance, and with their hair in the way, I got the distinct feeling they were grinning vicious grins at me. While their hair covered their face as well, even from across the street I could make out large tusk-like fangs protruding out from the general area of where a mouth would be on a human.


    Furwraiths! I all but cursed in my thoughts. I recognized these bastards! Hell, I¡¯d fought them once during the war! I shuddered as I briefly recalled that nightmare of a skirmish, high up in the snowy mountains at night. It had been terrible, fast, and oddly enough, an accident, since we¡¯d been there looking for the Coalitioners, and had instead stumbled into the Furwraiths on their own turf.


    I glared at the present trio in front of me; they hadn¡¯t actually made any hostile moves, but I knew they¡¯d get there. The state of the town already told me that. I quickly glanced around to see if there were more, but there weren¡¯t. So far.


    There seemed to be only these three, big as life and twice as brazen, standing around watching me on a balcony patio with shit-eating grins on their fur covered faces. The hell? I thought, keeping my gun on them out of habit, since I knew it wouldn¡¯t do me much good against Furwraiths. Still, if they didn¡¯t know that I was already aware of that trick of theirs, I had an advantage.


    Suddenly, the big one in the middle lifted something up above the railing. It was an odd contraption of some sort, with many large magnifying glass discs on brass holders, all around a dome structure in the middle, all of it sitting on top of a small wooden box. I knew it was a weapon, or dangerous device of some kind, but what really worried me was that the dome in the center was glowing!


    Well, that¡¯s never good! I thought darkly, wondering what they were up to, since while I figured it to be some kind of weapon, it wasn¡¯t like any I¡¯d ever seen before. Honestly, it looked more like a bizarre contraption for study from the far off East Coast than it did anything outright violent. Still, all the surrounding evidence of the town and the Furwraiths general demeanor, not to mention their presence in a human dwelling, said otherwise.


    ¡°Beware!¡± A woman¡¯s voice called out. ¡°They used that on the townsfolk!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t have that!¡± I snapped, mostly to myself, and I quickly adjusted my aim.


    The three Furwraiths just stood there grinning as the device started to blink, and glow even more. One of them even started adjusting some of the monocle lenses on the thing, so that they were pointed in my general direction. I found myself grinning back as I carefully lined up my shot.


    They actually pointed at me and laughed. A strange, honking, high pitched laugh with lots to teeth. Well, if I was immune to bullets and saw someone pointing a gun at me, I¡¯d laugh to. I felt more teeth enter my own smile. Thanks for standing still boys! It makes aiming so much easier! I thought as I took a breath, exhaled slowly and squeezed the trigger. My rifle went off, and I nailed what I was aiming at.


    Their strange, glowing contraption.


    The box jerked in the hands of the middle bastard holding it, slamming backwards into him and catching him by surprise. For a moment, that seemed to be it. Then the devices light flared bright enough to blind me, and then it exploded!


    ¡°Whoa boy! Whoa!¡± I called out reflexively as I desperately fought to get my horse under control from the double fright of the light and the small explosion. He was used to my guns going off around him. But big explosions?


    Yeah, not so much.


    Struggling to see myself didn¡¯t really help very much as I used the reins, my knees and boots to work to get Butterball under control. However, after a few crucial seconds, I¡¯d managed it. I blinked several times desperately so I could see, and finally everything started coming back into focus.


    I quickly turned to look back towards the hotel balcony, only to see a smoking hole where it had been. And a shiny, fluorescent red blood spatter all over the hole. Furwraith blood. Laugh now you bastards. I grinned as a I turned to where the woman¡¯s voice had come from; the tribal centaur.


    I opened my mouth to speak, but she suddenly shrieked in warning and pointed frantically back to the building. I whirled Butterball around again, and growled as I saw two of the Furwraiths lurching out of the door of the building, heading right at me with murder in the glowing green eyes. The fact that each had about the upper quarter of their bodies burned and bleeding, might have had something to do with their mood.


    I quickly moved my rifle to my left hand and reached forward to my cavalry saber on the saddle. Guns were useless against Furwraiths, except as clubs, and between their strength, fangs, and long claws meant for tearing flesh on their hands, clubs weren¡¯t helpful. It¡¯s really annoying fighting creatures that are immune to bullets! I thought darkly as I pulled my saber free. One of Gods little jokes; a creature that bullets will pass right through without harming them, but can be cut down by any old blade you have at hand. Wonders never really cease!


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    I pulled my sword free and in the same motion, shoved my rifle back into the saddle holder on the opposite side of Butterball. I looked back up just as the two Furwraits let loose a terrifying high pitched scream as they began a loping charge. It hurt my ears terribly, but it must have been worse for Butterball, since he suddenly pitched a fit, and all but threw me off him as he turned and tore away, neighing to high heaven as I hit the dirt!


    I had the wind knocked out of me, but I was lucky to have landed as softly as I had, since as I struggled to stand up, everything still seemed to be working. Minus the whole lack of air in my lungs. I struggled desperately to breathe and get my blade up, and my feet moving under me. The Furwraiths were fast, and facing two of them in the open, alone, with only a blade while barely being able to breathe were lousy odds.


    I very desperately needed to change things up, and before I could really think it through, I dove for the corral fence. Built to keep livestock in, it had the wide openings of a fence that let a human through with only a little squeezing. Still gasping for air more than really breathing, I half climbed, half wiggled through the fence and all but crashed onto the other side. I struggled back up to my feet quickly as the Furwraiths reached the fence, growling and honk-shouting in their strange way.


    They quickly began climbing up over the fence with ease, despite their injuries, but this put them in a briefly vulnerable position with all their limbs mostly engaged. I quickly dashed forward, my breath finally starting to come back in full, and I quickly stabbed up and through the fence into the nearest Furwraiths chest. Gripping the blade hard I shoved it forward with all my weight and momentum, angling the curved saber up under the ribs and into the bastards upper chest.


    He screamed, which then became a gurgle, and fell backwards, yanking me forward with him. I slammed into the fence, which hurt, but it helped stop my momentum, and I managed to hold onto my sword as he fell backward and off it, gurgling more weakly by the second. I had no time to savor my win though because the second one finished making his way over the fence, and all but jumped down right next to me, swiping as he went.


    I dodged backwards, wildly swinging my sword as I went, struggling to keep my feet under me and him at a distance on the muddy, uneven terrain of the corral. He backed off from the swipe, but he quickly rallied, roared again and began slowly moving forward, swiping and crowding into my space. He¡¯s trying to pin me to the fence! I realized as I swung back at him, but kept getting forced back by him regardless.


    Big as he was, and injured from the earlier blast, he was fast, with a long reach, and had a murderous resolve to see me dead.


    Very quickly I was getting pushed backwards towards the fence, and I knew he would then try and get in under my guard and gut me. I swiped back at him again, and as I did I reached my other hand for my Bowie knife, knowing I was going to need it when he made his move. I knew I¡¯d kill him, but I also knew he was going to try to kill me regardless. His glowing green eyes were filled to the brim with rage, and he¡¯d even taken some shallow cuts to keep pushing me back.


    This is going to be over quick, no matter what!  I thought as I backpedaled again from another pair of lightning fast swipes. I pulled my large knife out with my left hand as I swung again with my right, pushing him back half a step, but not enough. He growled again as he came forward, his eyes lingering on my large Bowie knife briefly before focusing back on me, raw rage and hatred clearly being visible in his sickly green glowing eyes.


    He reared up his arms, ready to swipe at me again, for the final steps in this dance to be played out, and for us to see who lived, and who died, when another dancer suddenly cut in.


    Or more precisely, a pair of hooves.


    I hadn¡¯t even seen her approach. Clearly, neither had the Furwraith. She¡¯d gotten close, raised up and kicked him square in his head with her front legs! Once he¡¯d gone down, dropped like a sack of potatoes, she came down on top of his head with her front hooves, and all her body weight.


    His skull cracked like a chicken egg, and his brains and florescent red blood sprayed out on the dirt and mud of the corral. She smiled a fierce smile at that.


    Gasping for air at this point, I just stared, dumbfounded.


    ¡°Are there any more?¡± I eventually asked, working to get my brain back in working order. It had felt like nearly an hour, but in reality, this fight had barely been more than two minutes.


    Time flies when you¡¯re fighting for you life.


    ¡°More originally came here with their device. But after they¡¯d used it on the townsfolk, they¡¯d taken whatever they wanted and left. Those three remained, though I don¡¯t know why.¡± She replied, looking over at me with curious expression.


    ¡°Probably to use it again on the next trainload of people to come here.¡± I muttered, slowly getting my breathing under control. Again. I was really tired of this town, and the general lack of air I was suffering from.


    ¡°Thank you for the help, by the way.¡± I said as a I turned to regard her properly. She stood half a head taller than me, with her hands on her hips, and a small, amused smile on her face.


    ¡°It was my pleasure, Farstrider.¡± She replied, moving off the Furwraith corpse and wiping her hooves off on the ground as best she could.


    ¡°Farstrider?¡± I asked, curious as I watched her in open fascination, having never interacted with a centaur before. Now that I was no longer at risk of being killed, the whole bizarreness of the situation started to reassert itself.


    ¡°You are clearly one who has ranged very far from his home.¡± She replied with a shrug as she turned her equine body back around to face me and regard me with curiosity and faint amusement. ¡°Until I know your name, my peoples nickname for such as you is Farstrider.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± I coughed in embarrassment.


    ¡°Where are my manners? I am Jake Ranger, miss. And it is a pleasure to meet you.¡± I glanced back down to the trampled Furwraith with a sardonic grin. ¡°A true pleasure indeed, miss.¡±


    She laughed as she came up to within arms length of me, and curtsied to me by bowing at her human waist, while also slightly kneeling one of her front legs, so she briefly went down very far, before gracefully coming back up.


    ¡°A pleasure and delight to meet you as well, Master Ranger.¡± She smiled, showing off her white teeth as she assumed a subtlety noble pose, with her hands on her hips and head held high. ¡°I am Halona, formerly owned by the Black Hills Tribe. I was sold to this town a week ago, and have been awaiting someone to arrive to buy me, since none here could afford me.¡±


    She spoke of being bought and sold with surprising pride. Then again she was a centaur, so perhaps she had a different perspective on it than a human. Besides, we only got rid of slavery barely a year ago with the whole war. It¡¯s not like humans are any better, or worse, about human bondage. I thought briefly as I reached a hand out to her.


    ¡°Glad to meet you Miss Halona.¡± I said, smiling. She smiled as well, reached forward, and shook my hand.


    ¡°And I you, Master Ranger.¡± She tilted her head slightly in curiosity. ¡°So, what brings you to this sad little town?¡±


    ¡°Looking to travel somewhere very, very far away.¡± I replied with a chuckle as I slowly looked around, and then started walking over to the gate of the corral. Now that the danger seemed to be over, it was time to get to work.


    ¡°How did you learn to speak english so well, if you were with an Indian tribe till a few days ago?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°A Christian Missionary had joined the tribe when I was little. He married, preached, and taught english to those who wanted to learn. I wanted to learn.¡± She shrugged with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad he taught me so well. I was able to command a larger price when they learned I was more than just a strange beast of burden.¡±


    ¡°I imagine so.¡± I replied with a chuckle. I was very much enjoying the conversation with her, and would be sad to see it ended. Oh well. I sighed as I opened the paddock gate wide and walked out before turning to look back at her.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you were so expensive!¡± I chuckled. ¡°And doubly glad you were on my side. It¡¯s been a true delight to have met you. Now, before you go, would you mind telling me what happened here? What happened to the townsfolk I mean?¡±


    She blinked in confusion, before looking at me with a raised eyebrow, and a small smile once again graced her face before she nodded as she walked out of the corral onto the local dirt road.


    ¡°Certainly. The, Furwraiths I believe your people call them, came here early in the morning yesterday. They slipped in with the last shadows of the morning. Many of them. They climbed to the roof of one of the larger buildings, and then activated their device.¡±


    I grunted darkly as I looked around for my horse, who I saw was over by a nearby trough, drinking some water. Apparently, he¡¯d calmed down and had stayed nearby. That saved me a lot of trouble, and I began to head over to him.


    ¡°What did that strange contraption do?¡± I asked, looking over to my side as she followed after me. It was still jarring to see and hear a horses legs and body, but then look up and see a beautiful woman looking down at me.


    ¡°I only saw strange beams of light that struck people. Though they didn¡¯t seem to hurt anyone, and many didn¡¯t even really notice, unless they saw the bright light.¡± Halona frowned, her eyes drifting around the small town. ¡°At first, nothing happened. Then those who¡¯d been hit suddenly began yelling in fear, shaking and throwing themselves into a fright. That got everyone¡¯s attention, which kept the Furwraiths further more concealed, apart from the strange beams of light.¡±


    ¡°No one noticed them?¡± I asked in surprise as we slowly came upon Butterball. ¡°No one noticed the giant furry bastards with a contraption that shot beams of light from a rooftop?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯d chosen their targets well, all around the town, people just getting up or on their way in a hurry, and not noticing what was going on. I was in the corral already, and only saw it unfold by accident. By the time I understood what I was seeing, it was too late.¡± She sighed sadly. ¡°The people weren¡¯t dropping over dead you see. What was happening to them however, was demanding everyone¡¯s undivided attention. By the time anyone refocused back onto the Furwraiths, it was far too late.¡±


    ¡°What was happening to them, if they weren¡¯t dying?¡± I asked as I began checking over my saddle bags and supplies, making sure everything was still in order. Butterball didn¡¯t seem bothered by the presence of Halona. He briefly swung his head around to her, and she petted his head with a smile, before he went back to drinking some more water.


    ¡°They were shifting into man-wolves.¡± She answered quietly, with a shudder. I whirled around and stared at her in shock.


    ¡°Werewolves?¡± I asked in disbelief. There¡¯d been a plague of werewolves during the first year of the war, but it had been put down hard. Way I remembered it after that mess, were-beings were by and large legal, since there were so many types, and only certain kinds were actually both dangerous and infectious.


    Kinds such as werewolves.


    Werewolves weren¡¯t illegal, per se, and they weren¡¯t hunted, but they weren¡¯t allowed to infect others without prior given consent and authorization. It was usually a marriage thing, I¡¯d heard.


    Unlike the old stories, they also weren¡¯t bound to the moon.


    ¡°No. I have seen some werewolf packs before. These were bigger, more ferocious, more wolf with a mans general shape, but massive, and I fear, permanent. They were not shifting, they were transforming. They grew bigger, a more wild and powerful version of werewolf.¡± She shuddered. ¡°Instant panic flew throughout the town. Then, with everyone screaming, confused, and sufficiently gathered outside to see what was happening, the Furwraiths altered their device, so that it created a kind of dome of shifting light over the whole town. I believe you can guess the rest?¡±


    I looked around again at all the bizarre damage; gunshots and claw marks, but no blood. Damage and chaos, but no real destruction or death. I sighed, closing my eyes briefly in sadness before looking back to her.


    ¡°They all started transforming, didn¡¯t they?¡± I asked, but wasn¡¯t really asking at that point. I could guess already.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded sadly, then gestured around the town. ¡°The closer to the Furwraiths building, the faster the transformation. The further away, the slower. However, all changed within a matter of minutes.¡±


    ¡°The whole town?¡± I asked grimly, fearing I knew the answer, but wanting to be sure as I looked around again.


    ¡°Everyone here. None were spared. Men and women, and any children, if any were here. Though I saw none in the few days I was here.¡± She shrugged sadly. ¡°After that it was simple; they fled into the nearby forest, howling and crying. Then the Furwraiths descended and did as they pleased. Then they left, save for the three you fought.¡±


    ¡°So, a combination of weapons test and pillaging.¡± I muttered, looking around.


    ¡°Wonderful.¡± I growled, before I frowned.


    ¡°I wonder why those three stayed?¡± I mused aloud, looking around in idle curiosity, now satisfied that my horse and belongings were all together. I grabbed a cloth and began cleaning my sword, once again happy I¡¯d kept the blade from the army.


    ¡°They used their device again, on that train vehicle that pulled into town this morning, about two hours before you arrived.¡± She answered with a shrug. ¡°They seemed happy with their situation, and were content to leave me to starve in the corral.¡±


    I blinked, then looked at her in confusion. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have left whenever you wanted?¡± I asked, confused. I was very annoyed by the mention of the train and its crew being victims as well. That meant my plans were going to have to change.


    Again.


    ¡°They were amused at my being there, and best I could tell, interested that I was immune to their strange device.¡± She glared back in the general direction of the corpses. ¡°They weren¡¯t willing to let me leave. One was always on guard. And they blasted me with their light many times, to no avail. Fortunately for me. So now, I am very hungry, and very thirsty. Shall we have a meal?¡±


    She gestured to the building in front of us; a saloon and restaurant.


    I blinked, surprised, and then started chuckling.


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡±

 Chapter 2

    Lunch with Halona the centaur was¡­fun.


    Surprisingly.


    She proved to be very good company, and didn¡¯t complain over the simplicity of the meal I managed to scrape together.  Though that might¡¯ve simply been hunger talking.  I scraped together some basic foodstuffs like apples and salted meat from the root cellar, then got several jugs of water and milk from the ice room, which still had some ice in it, and put together a large, if simple, breakfast.


    It was also good that it was so large.  Halona was part horse after all, so she ate quite a bit.


    As we ate we talked.  I told her about my family and growing up on our ranch before the war, she told me about growing up among the Indian tribe as a half person, half domesticated beast.  She had crouched down on the floor, her legs folded up beneath her body, so with me sitting on a chair, we were relatively the same height.


    ¡°So, what now, Master Ranger?¡±  She asked after we¡¯d had our fill of eating and talking of old homes.  ¡°Where to next?  Or do you intend to stay and lay claim to this town?¡±


    ¡°Hell no!¡±  I laughed, feeling better now with food in me, and having a chance to get my bruises looked over.  I needed a bath and wash for clothes, but that could wait a little longer.  There was work to be done.


    ¡°Then what?¡±  She asked, looking at me intently.


    ¡°I¡¯ll probably get a wagon from this town, fill it with some goods, hitch it up to Butterball, and head out east along those tracks till I reach the next town.¡±  I answered, thinking through my options as I spoke.  ¡°After that, I¡¯ll let the local sherif know what happened, then get some rest at an inn.  Then I¡¯ll hop a train east, and stay on it till I hit the coast.¡±


    ¡°A long round of traveling.¡±  She observed with some interest.  ¡°Why travel so far?¡±


    ¡°Personal reasons.¡±  I answered simply, not willing to be drawn into the whole mess of why I¡¯d left home for a multi-month, and dangerous as hell journey east to basically nowhere, out of the blue.


    ¡°And when you reach the coast?¡±  She asked, curious.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep traveling, looking for some adventure, I guess.¡±  I told her, feeling a little sheepish at that answer.  ¡°I want to see some of the big world that God made, screwed up as it is these days.  And I have the opportunity to do just that.  So, maybe it¡¯s a bit of wanderlust in my blood.¡±


    ¡°You are seeking,¡± she nodded with a smile, before she pinned me with an intense, knowing look.  One that was also amused.  ¡°But also running.¡±


    ¡°Whichever works to keep moving.¡±  I replied shortly, wanting to get off this topic.  ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±  She asked, looking confused.


    ¡°Yeah, you.¡±  I chuckled as I gestured to her.  ¡°What¡¯s next for Halona the centaur?  You¡¯re free now.  Will you be looking for a new centaur herd to join up with?¡±


    ¡°You mentioned something like this before, when you opened the corral.¡±  She muttered, looking at me with curiosity once again.  ¡°You speak as though I am going to run off and leave.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, aren¡¯t you?¡±  I asked, confused.


    ¡°I was traded by the tribe that owned me to this town.¡±  She stated, with a shrug.  ¡°The herd my parents came from is wild, and long since moved on.  I am worth much in selling, buying or trading.  I was raised to be a galloping companion.  A load bearer and a partner.  I want no other life.¡±


    I stared, frankly confused, and a bit amazed.  She was so proud of what sounded like, to me, being a high quality slave.  However, as I thought about her words, it wasn¡¯t really slavery.  Or, it wasn¡¯t just slavery.  She spoke about being a companion, and partner, as well as a beast of burden.


    It was odd.  At least, to me.  But then, I wasn¡¯t a centaur.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to join some other herd and roam around freely?¡±  I asked, curious.  She actually laughed at that.


    ¡°Oh, I should be happy to be some half starved, half wild creature?¡±  She shook her head, laughing as she kept snacking on the leftover food; most notably the remaining apples.  ¡°I don¡¯t speak their languages, and I don¡¯t know their ways.  All that would be there for me would be lonely isolation from the women, and men who would likely pass me around like some kind of curious toy.  No thank you.¡±


    ¡°Well, when you put it that way.¡±  I muttered with a chuckle as I took another drink.  I¡¯d long since finished my own meal, but then, I wasn¡¯t half horse.  ¡°So, what will you do then?¡±


    ¡°Travel with you, Master Ranger.¡±  She stated with a smile, and a firm resolve in her eyes as she looked at me.  ¡°It sounds interesting, and there is nothing left for me here, or back from where I come from.¡±


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    I all but spit my drink out!  I managed to keep it down, but barely.  Clearing my throat as I set the glass back down, I eyed her grinning face carefully.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking to pick up strays, or more, er, horses.¡±  I pointed out politely.  I wasn¡¯t fully sure of what was going on, but I wasn¡¯t looking for a traveling companion.  Or at least, not one that could talk back.  I was fine with Butterball; he never said anything to bother me.


    ¡°Oh, I know, but it¡¯s already far too late.¡±  Halona laughed back at me, seemingly ignoring my attempt at polite rejection.  ¡°Among the tribes, you can trade, or claim spoils from a victory.  You have won a great victory here, and I am among the spoils.  I am happy to follow you and be your travel companion, as well as another beast of burden, as your people call horses.¡±


    ¡°You know I fought in the recent civil war to help end slavery.¡±  I pointed out carefully.  I wasn¡¯t really rejecting a traveling companion out of hand, and I wouldn¡¯t mind her company in the least.  However, I was heading towards the Eastern Seacoast.  Where there were lots of tall buildings and so-called civilization.  I wasn¡¯t sure how bringing her along into that would play out very well.


    At all.


    ¡°I am no slave.¡±  She replied, shrugging.  ¡°I am both companion and load bearer.  Both human and horse.  Galloping and running, this pleases me.  Pulling things and carrying things, being helpful to my companions and partners, this pleases me as well.  Being looked after the same way I have seen both the tribe and your people look after your horses, that also pleases me.¡±


    ¡°Uh, well¡­I mean, um.¡±  I found myself floundering at her frank assessment of the situation, and her odd perspective of it.


    ¡°I am happy to follow with you, and be of use to you, as companion and load bearer, as partner and beast of burden, for as long as you keep me, Master Ranger.¡±  She stated with a firm smile.  ¡°If I feel abused or neglected, I can simply leave.  If you wish to trade me or sell me, I must agree with the offer, but if I do, then trade or sell me away.  As you would any other horse.¡±


    ¡°Most humans, don¡¯t really work that way.¡±  I muttered, staring at her in utter bewilderment.


    ¡°I rather beg to differ.¡±  She replied with another shrug and sadder smile.  ¡°If that were truly the case, a war would not have been needed to end the system of slavery here in the Union.  And as I understand it, the institution of human bondage still persists in many other countries and lands beyond the Union, unto this day.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡±  I replied sadly with a sigh.  ¡°On all fronts, you are quite correct.¡±


    ¡°A situation I suspect you will have to get used to.¡±  She chuckled, happily munching on the last of the apples.


    ¡°What, slavery in other countries?¡±  I asked, confused.  ¡°I mean, yeah, I guess I will, if I go to them.  Or with you following me around?  Cause I can get used to that too.  But as a partner, and trail companion.  Not really as a beast of burden.¡±


    ¡°I can pull a cart or carry a load, or person, just the same as any horse.  Better than most in fact!  And am happy to do so.¡±  She replied, chuckling.  ¡°But no, that is not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±  I asked, curious.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she laughed, pointing at me.  ¡°What is the saying among your folk?  Oh yes, I remember.¡±


    She then looked at me with sudden seriousness.  ¡°The woman is always right, and the man must learn that he is always wrong, and simply do as he is told.  Always.¡±


    I stared back at her silently for a moment, and then we both burst out laughing.


    After a moment, we had both caught our breath and eyed one another, before I sighed, giving in to the seeming inevitable.


    ¡°Well my dear, I don¡¯t really know where I am going, but you are welcome to come along for the ride.¡±  I stated with a mock bow.


    ¡°I will be pleased to help bear your load, Master Ranger.¡±  Halona said with a smile and a bow of her head.


    ¡°You can just call me Jake, you know.¡±  I pointed out.


    ¡°I know, but it is¡­habit, for me to refer to my owner as Master.¡±  She replied with a shrug.  ¡°And yes, I know I am not a slave, but neither am I human.  I have always been owned, since I was born practically, and it is what I am used to.  It will take time.¡±


    She looked at me with another mischievous smile; the kind women had that made all men nervous.  ¡°Besides, I like how it seems to make you squirm whenever I use the title.  So, Master Ranger it is.¡±


    I glared at her smiling face for a long moment, before giving up with a sigh and looking out the window.  The sun was just approaching noon, and there was a lot to do.


    ¡°Well, we need to get back to work.¡±  I stated, slowly getting back up and stretching.


    Traveling with this strange, and fun, centaur woman was going to be interesting, but first things first.  ¡°We need to find a wagon and load it up with supplies and whatever worthwhile valuables are lying around this town, and then get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Why the rush?¡±  She asked, curious, as she too stood to her full height and set about stretching as well.


    ¡°All the people who were transformed into, uh, man-wolves all ran off into the nearby woods right?¡±  I asked as I got my hat and long coat back on, and began heading towards the door.


    ¡°Yes.  Even the second group that arrived on the train this early morning.¡±  She nodded as she followed behind me with rhythmic CLOMPS from her hooves.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about you, but I don¡¯t fancy being here if and when any of them ever decide to come back.¡±  I stated firmly.  ¡°Or if all of ¡®em decide to come back, all at once.¡±


    She froze for a moment, then simply and quietly said; ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°My thoughts exactly.¡±  I said, walking out the door into the bright light of the day, feeling invigorated.  ¡°So let¡¯s get what we need, and then get out of here.  I plan on simply following along those train tracks until we reach the next town, then hopping on the next train heading east.  So let¡¯s load up and get moving.  I don¡¯t want to be here at nightfall, now that those cursed Furwraiths aren¡¯t around to keep everything else at bay.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master Ranger.¡±  Halona said with a firm, determined voice.


    That was a title I was going to have to get used to, but that was a concern for later.  Both Halona and I were ready to work, so without any further delay, we got to it.

 Chapter 3

    The day passed quickly, and by sundown we had a small wagon full of salvaged goods, and were on our way down the tracks to the next town.  We¡¯d salvaged plenty of top shelf booze, tobacco, coffee, some fine tea sets from Albion, several spare rifles and pistols of good quality, and even some bags of golden eagle coins from the local bank.  The Furwraiths had ransacked the place, but they¡¯d left piles of money; metal and paper, lying around.


    So we¡¯d, of course, helped salvage some of it for ourselves.


    Same for the fine drink, herbs, clothing and equipment.


    We¡¯d taken a little of everything, but towards the end of the day and the setting sun, we¡¯d both been getting nervous, and had loaded up the wagon in a increasing hurry.  True to her word, Halona had been happy to be hitched up to the wagon and to pull it along behind her down the open prairie next to the tracks.  No driver required.  I¡¯d put some small bags on her as well, and she was carrying food, money, and even some pistols.


    Travel companions need to be to be armed, after all.


    My own saddlebags were stuffed full as well, and I now had two Molt Peace-Bringer pistols instead of one, and lots of ammo to go with them.


    I¡¯d gotten a map from the train station, though the station itself, and the train that had pulled into it early in the morning, were both a wrecked mess, and we were on our way to Twin Creeks.  A trading town where people went to purchase supplies for the big jump into the Frontier.  Unfortunately, it was a while down the track.


    Neither of us were worried, as the general eastern direction of the track put us in prairie, far from the nearby forest that had now been filled with man-wolves.


    We chatted off and on as we walked the track.  It was still a strange sight to see a wagon being pulled by a woman centaur, with no rider in the bench, but I got used to it.  I also found that she was very good company.  When we reached the first train rest stop, which was just some benches and a large water tower, we stopped to camp for the night.


    I decided to teach Halona how to shoot, if only to pass the time, and to make the two pistols I¡¯d buckled around her waist worth the effort of hauling them around.


    She was a bit skittish at first, but we had time, and she was motivated.


    ¡°I was taught to handle a spear for battle.¡±  She confessed as she reloaded the pistol again, carefully working the the cylinder loader so she didn¡¯t drop anything.  It was a long way down for her, after all.  ¡°Rifles, bows and the like were for the men.  But since I am a centaur, able to join them in battle and carry a warrior, they grudgingly taught me to use the spear.¡±


    ¡°Wise of them.¡±  I chuckled as she finished reloading, carefully cocked it, and went back to aiming and shooting at the cans and rocks I¡¯d set up on the fence around the water tower.  ¡°Or just practical.  Were you any good with it?¡±


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    ¡°I became quite proficient.¡±  She answered proudly as she aimed and fired over and over again until the gun was empty.  She mostly hit her targets, but she was getting better.  A few more nights, she¡¯d be able to hit her target at close range.  A few more weeks, and she¡¯d be solid with it at any rage.


    ¡°You know your way around a knife?¡±  I asked, curious as she began reloading to shoot again.


    ¡°All tribesmen and women know their way around a knife.¡±  She answered with a shrug, before loading and firing again.


    ¡°Well, when we get to Twin Creeks we¡¯ll have to get you some steel, not just irons.¡±  I nodded to myself as I showed her better ways to grip her pistol for aiming.


    ¡°Steel?  Iron?¡±  She asked, confused.


    ¡°Among us Unionists, steel is sometimes used to refer to bladed weapons, while iron or irons is used to refer to firearms.¡±  I explained with a shrug.  ¡°It mostly depends on the context the word is being used with.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±  She nodded sagely, before turning to shoot the few remaining targets.  ¡°What shall we do when we reach the Far East of this land, Master Ranger?¡±


    I sighed in exasperation at her use of that title.  At this point I knew she was doing it because she found it amusing to do so, as much as she claimed it was for habit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±  I admitted.  ¡°Buy a ticket on a ship and travel to the Old World?¡±


    ¡°That sounds like fun.¡±  She replied brightly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll work on it when we get there.¡±  I insisted, not really interested in long off plans or ideas.


    My father had a saying about plans like that.


    ¡®If you want to make God laugh, you tell him; you have a plan.¡¯ He used to say that whenever I or my siblings would tell him all about our little dreams, ambitions, or big plans.  The war years and locust plagues had taught us all to have more respect for practical preparations than far off goals we had no idea how to achieve.


    After shooting practice, I showed her how to properly clean and care for her weapon.  Then it was a simple campfire meal, followed by some sleep.  The next morning came and we set off, simple as can be.


    Though I did find it odd that there was no train running on these tracks.  Not even anyone to see where the train at Sugar Leaf had got too.  I suddenly felt very concerned about our reception at Twin Creeks.


    Especially with a wagon full of loot.  Salvage, which by law it was, but everyone who didn¡¯t like that, or me, would just call it loot, and make me out to be some wild savage-slaver-outlaw.


    So of course the only sensible thing to do would be to immediately lock me up, confiscate everything I have, auction it off, and then maybe let me go.


    Trial or proof or an actual crime not required.


    I sighed as we plodded along the tracks.  People could make amazing things, and could be the grandest thing ever.  But they could also be selfish, petty, royal bastards just for the fun of it.  I sincerely hoped we got more of the former, and less of the latter at Twin Creeks.


    We spent that day plodding along, occasionally resting, shooting, and more plodding.  We passed two more water towers before reaching another one at the end of the day.  Trains may make things nice and connected and quick, but on foot, it was still a long way to anywhere in the frontier.


    The night passed much as the last one had, and when morning came, we set off again after a simple breakfast.


    Still no one from Twin Creeks or the railroad.


    Finally, the town slowly came to be in sight, and I sighed.  All of the enticing amenities and opportunities of the town aside, reaching them meant one other thing I would now have to endure.  People.


    I¡¯d never really enjoyed it, and less now since the war thanks to that damn woman journalist and her sister, little miss would-be writer.  I just hoped no one recognized my name.  It had been awhile after all.


    Still, no dallying.  We had a train to catch.

 Chapter 4

    ¡°So all the contents of your wagon, and the uh, exotic animal, hauling it are all officially declared, by you, to be legal salvage of the wreck of the Sugar Leaf terminus township?¡±  The annoying little banker asked, again, this time with some papers and a pen.  ¡°And are thus, under salvage laws, considered now, your property and responsibility?¡±


    His eyes drifted over to the cart, and Halona, with a look of pure avarice.


    Too bad for him the local sheriff was standing right next to him, making sure all the papers were done correctly.  I¡¯d had a good education myself, and some experience with the importance of documents from the war, and carefully re-read each and every line, on all the copies.


    ¡°Correct on both counts.¡±  I stated calmly, and very firmly.  I did not like the look in that little mans eyes as he looked over the official list of contents of my wagon, which several deputies and clerks had gone through.  I thought I would catch pure hell when Halona had stated that she was part of the collection of salvage and property belonging to me.


    Damn horse woman was gonna get me lynched!


    I should¡¯ve known better though.  Halona was a prize indeed, if all you saw was just an exotic horse to sell, which she was decidedly not.  But no.


    It was the bags of gold bullion they were most hungry for.  Sadly, for them, it was all declared official legal salvage after another group of deputies with a local marshal had taken a train to Sugar Leaf and back.


    The speed of trains still amazed me.


    I mean, I¡¯d heard about it, and seen the results of them during the war, but seeing one turn a multi day journey from here to Sugar Leaf into a few hours excursion was still a shock.  Round trip no less!  They¡¯d even had time to add in a brief investigation just to make sure our story checked out.


    After that, they¡¯d helped go through my salvage and ensured the bankers and the clerks didn¡¯t miss count anything.


    I was gathering that there was some kind of issue between the local bankers and the authorities.  A mess I wanted nothing to do with.  Plain and simple.


    So far, our time in Twin Creeks had been¡­decent.


    Our arrival had generated some minor fanfare, with Halona instantly getting a crowd of fascinated people standing around her staring in open wonder.  Several brave children had run up to her when we¡¯d come to a stop and actually petted her!  She¡¯d laughed in delight, and once I¡¯d unhitched and unloaded her, she¡¯d happily provided short little rides around the Main Street for those who asked, and had their parents permission.


    People only got more interested when I asked for the sheriff, and had said we¡¯d just come direct from Sugar Leaf.


    After that, the town had practically shut down with everyone wanting to know what the hell was going on.  The sheriff hadn¡¯t wanted a riot, so he¡¯d had me give my full statement out on the sidewalk of his office, at a simple table, with the whole town crowding in to listen.  He¡¯d gotten my permission beforehand for that, but I¡¯d understood what he wanted to do.


    The townsfolk wanted answers, and since they were basically right next door to Sugar Leaf, they were not interested in not knowing what the hell was going on.


    Now, people were arming up and swarming into another train, bound for Sugar Leaf.  They had plans to recover the town, and deal with any other Furwraiths that showed up.  As to the Man-Wolves, no one knew what to do with them.  No one even knew if they were sentient or not.


    Still, there was a town to recover, rebuild, and reopen, all with lots of salvage to be had.


    People were suddenly animated and motivated.


    ¡°Sign here then.¡±  The banker stated, looking all but forlorn.  I got the impression he felt like he was watching a fortune sail right by him, and he was unable to get any of it.


    After carefully finishing going over all the documents and their copies, I signed them.  The Sheriff signed as a witness, and the banker sighed as he took his copies.  ¡°Everything is in order.  Good day gentlemen.¡±


    Without another word, he turned and left.  I stared, surprised.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he supposed to try and get me to bank with him or something?¡±  I asked, confused.


    ¡°He¡¯s used to coming up with ways of taking everyone else¡¯s money through loopholes and the like.¡±  The Sheriff answered, chuckling.  ¡°All this fortune just rolled in, and he can¡¯t touch it.  Worse, you actually know how to read these contracts, and what to look for.  He¡¯s scum, but petty scum.  His tricks are in paperwork and contracts, neither of which helped him here.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a right peach.¡±  I muttered, getting up from the table.  I was very glad all the statements and contracts and general paperwork were all over with.  I wanted some food, and a bath.  Then maybe a bed.


    ¡°Oh he is at that.¡±  The Sheriff agreed, laughing, before he shook my hand.  ¡°Good at avoiding outright breaking the law though, sadly.  Still, enough of him.  Congratulations on your new fortune, Mr. Ranger.  And thank you for letting us know what happened to Sugar Leaf.  Some had family there, and they still might, all things considered.¡±


    ¡°It was my pleasure Sheriff.¡±  I smiled as I shook his hand.


    ¡°That centaur woman of yours is certainly a sight.¡±  He suddenly laughed as he pointed out the window.  Looking out the window, I saw Halona giving more rides to children, mostly little girls, who were also braiding her hair and chatting and laughing with her as they rode on her back.  Their parents all looked on a touch anxiously, but also with big grins of their own.


    ¡°That woman¡¯s gonna be the death of me.¡±  I muttered, chuckling as I watched her entertain the towns children.


    ¡°That¡¯s usually how it goes for most men.¡±  The Sheriff replied with an amused shrug.  ¡°So, you planning on sticking around?¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± I answered, heading over to Butterball.  ¡°After some rest, I¡¯ll be on a train east.  I¡¯m heading to the coast, looking for some adventure.  Or something of that nature at any rate.¡±


    ¡°Well, you have fun.¡±  The Sheriff chuckled.  ¡°And be wary of any more monster attacks.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡±  I said, heading over to my horse.  Going through the motions of untying him and getting on him helped me process that I was now, officially, very, very rich.  I glanced over at Halona, who was still playing circus pony, and decided to head off to do some proper shopping for supplies for our journey.I called out to Halona and let her know, before setting off on my own.  She was busy with the crowd, and had simply nodded.


    For a moment though, I paused to let it sink in; I was now wealthy.  I was rich!  It still didn¡¯t really feel all that real.  And funny enough, I still wanted to travel east for my adventures, or just to sight see and look for¡­something.  I¡¯d know it when I found it.


    I hoped.


    Still, while the money was nice, and would make things much easier and more comfortable now, my goal was still a lot of travel.  A lot of seeking.  I didn¡¯t want to get distracted by new riches that God could take away tomorrow just as easily as he had given them to me today.


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    So, back to work for the journey!  I thought as I shook my head and gently kneed Butterball into movement along the road of the large town we were in.  I had supplies to buy.


    Oddly, my first stop was unexpected.


    The Yonder Old Blade Shop.


    I decided to head in, and look into getting some proper steel for Halona.  Possibly even for myself as well.


    ¡°Ah!¡± The well dressed shopkeeper said smoothly as soon as I walked up to his counter.  ¡°Greetings sir, I am Simon Afelcart, blade master and procurator, at your service.  It is most wonderful to meet you!  How may I assist you today?¡±


    I blinked at his odd attire.


    He had on a nice suit, well made with a dark orange vest and a clearly expensive pocket watch, but he also had on thick gloves, a top hat, and some brass looking eye monocles or goggles as well.  The goggles had several eye sized monocles on them, with little handles that he could interchange by hand.


    He himself had a long black beard that he had braided down to his chin.  I¡¯d seen his like before, during my time in the military, but that was when I¡¯d been transferred back east, and had ridden there on horseback.  During the war I hadn¡¯t seen many trains, except from afar, but he looked like a rich conductor of a train.  Also a clearly rich businessman.  Someone who belonged in the steam and soot covered cities of the East where I was heading.  Not out here in the frontier.


    Did he move out here to make his niche?  I wondered, before internally shrugging; he was here, obviously successful, and had lots of blades to sell.


    ¡°Yes, hello, I am Jake Ranger.¡±  I introduced myself to him, nodding back to his respectful bow in my direction.  ¡°I would like to get a different sword.  My old cavalry saber is good, but I am heading to, slightly more civilized settings, which usually means lots of buildings as I understand it.¡±


    ¡°And a long Union Cavalry sword is not the best call for close quarters combat with lots of walls and narrow tunnels and alleys and the like.¡±  Afelcart finished for me, nodding with understanding.  ¡°I can certainly understand your predicament sir.  Let us see what we have here.¡±


    He started looking around behind his counter as I glanced around the store.  He had a pretty wide taste in blades, with everything from punch blades to great swords.  A big variety of deadly, and beautiful blades hung on the walls, very well crafted and ornate, giving the place a strange, but enticing air of excitement.


    ¡°If I may ask sir, are you proficient with your saber?¡±  Afelcart asked, slowly looking at his wares behind his counter.


    ¡°Not dueling proficient.¡±  I answered, thinking about my instructors, and about how while I was quick to learn, and quick with the hand, I disdained the formalized styles they¡¯d all insisted on.  ¡°But I can say that I am fairly battle proficient with it.  And experienced with it at this point.¡±


    ¡°And wise enough to understand the difference.¡±  Afelcart nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Are you happy with the saber style, or would you be comfortable with a straight edge?  I do have a beautiful and battle tested Roman Gladius, if you would like.¡±  He offered, eyeing me with polite and professional curiosity.


    ¡°No thanks.¡±  I shook my head decisively.  ¡°I am more comfortable with the slash and swipe style than the thrusting style.  I can thrust, by I prefer more curve cut than straight stab.¡±


    ¡°Of course sir, I completely understand.¡±  He nodded in agreement and then seemed to make a decision.  ¡°In that case, perhaps I can interest you in this?¡±  He held up a relatively short, but beautifully crafted cutlass.  ¡°This cutlass is both beautifully made, elegant, and very efficient.  It has additional hand protection with its hand guard, and can be wielded easily with one hand.  It¡¯s of course vey fast, with speed and precision being its primary strengths.¡±


    The blade and pommel looked almost like silver, with a black leather grip wrapped around the handle, and a solid, widely curved hand guard.  Simple, elegant, straight to the point.  The cutlass was shorter than my cavalry saber, but the style of the blade was still much the same, so it wouldn¡¯t take much to adapt to it.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you hold it sir, and see if it suits your hand?¡±  Afelcart asked, offering me the blade handle first.  Honestly, I doubted that was necessary, since I was basically sold on it already.  However, I wasn¡¯t about to tell him that.


    Though to be fair, he probably knew that already.


    I carefully took the sword from him, and gave it a few experimental twirls, before I carefully took it through some basic sword fighting moves.  It¡¯s reach and weight were different from what I was used to, but it still felt good.


    Swords had never really gone out of style, even with guns, simply for the sheer number of creatures out there; civilized, savage, feral, or otherwise.  So many types that had fangs, claws, often blades of their own, and would routinely close in to close range to use them.  Then there were the fantastical stories I¡¯d heard of robots, mobile armor suits, and actual armor that could stop bullets.


    Somehow.


    I¡¯d never seen it, but I¡¯d heard of it during the war, and after.  Special units that battled with specially equipped enemies and the like.


    So, swords were still valid options even unto this day.


    Things like the Furwraiths were rare, but not exactly unheard of, after all.


    All of it thanks to the Shattering, as I understood it.  But who knows?  Guns and swords were great for killing, and only required you to put in the practice to be good with them.  Being amazing was nice, and worth the effort, but on a battlefield, being just good was often good enough to survive.


    Survive long enough, and you win, either in overall victory for your side, or living through the defeat on your side, and still be left standing.  For regular foot soldiers, that is often considered a victory.


    Good tools helped with that, and guns and blades were among the best tools out there.


    ¡°I can see from the glint in your eye sir, that she is a good fit.¡±  Afelcart stated with a smile.  ¡°Shall we say, ten silver eagles?  It of course comes with a solid belt and sheath.¡±


    ¡°Two gold eagles, for the sword, the belt and sheath, and a good knife for my travel companion, complete with a belt and sheath for that one as well.¡±  I stated, taking the money out and offering it to him.


    ¡°It would be a pleasure sir!¡±  He stated, taking the gold coins.  After all, no matter the knife he offered, I¡¯d still wildly overpaid.  But I didn¡¯t mind too much when it came to keeping a weapons merchant, who was selling me tools to keep me alive, happy.


    ¡°Am I right in assuming that your travel companion is the Indian Centaur that arrived this morning sir?¡±  He asked, bustling about and assembling some blades behind his counter.


    ¡°You are.¡±  I answered calmly.  ¡°She says she knows her way around a blade.  That all Indians do really.¡±


    ¡°I have certainly found that to be the case myself sir.¡±  Afelcart agreed, as he began going over his wares while he set a belt and sheath for the sword up on the counter for me.


    ¡°She also says she was trained in the spear.¡±  I mentioned as took the sheath, put my new cutlass away, and then set about belting it on comfortably.


    ¡°It would not surprise me sir, but sadly, I already sold my last spear several days ago, and I have not yet been resupplied.¡±  He sighed sadly.  ¡°There have been several delays to the trains of late.  Not sure if it¡¯s the usual troubles, or something worse.  Still, let us just say that your sword and a good knife for your lovely centaur companion are very wise purchases sir.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the tip.¡±  I said with a sigh.  Really, if it wasn¡¯t one thing it was another!


    I just wanted to take a train east!  Why was that suddenly so damn hard?!


    ¡°A pleasure sir.¡±  He nodded, and proceeded to show me his various knives meant to be wielded for personal protection.  In the end, I settled on a simple caribou knife with a smooth wood handle and a long, smooth, sharp edge.  Complete with a good brown sheath and belt.  Simple, reliable, even beautiful in its own way.


    The richly, if slightly oddly dressed merchant and I parted ways on good terms, with him telling me to check out his brothers store out in the east, in the port city of New York.


    I told him I would, and then headed out.


    I found Halona slowly heading over to me, or rather, to Butterball, smiling as she munched on an apple.  The crowd had mostly dispersed, though people still stared at her as she passed them by on the road, right next to all the other horses and carts.  I chuckled and then headed over to her.


    She was very happy about her new knife, thanking me profusely over it.


    ¡°You have armed me so very much!¡±  She said excitedly, practicing pulling the blade out of it is leather sheath and expertly twirling it around.  She really did know her way around a knife.


    ¡°Well, lately things have been getting more dangerous, or at least more difficult.¡±  I replied as I mounted Butterball and guided him out into the street next to her.  ¡°And since you insist on traveling with me, I insist that you be well armed.¡±


    ¡°Now if only I had a spear and rifle.¡±  She muttered as she continued to look over her new blade, occasionally twirling it around quite deftly.


    ¡°No spears in this town.  They were all sold out already.¡±  I told her with a shrug.  ¡°Rifle is easier, and we¡¯ll see about getting you both, and having you practice with them and your pistols.  But for now the plan is a long train ride east.  Not much call for either weapon on a train.¡±


    ¡°You hope, you mean.¡±  She replied with a smirk.  ¡°But thank you, for the knife, but also for the promise of a rifle and spear.  You have given me more respect and trust than the Braves of the tribe ever did.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±  I answered with a smile.


    After that, the rest of the night went by very quietly.  I got a room at a good inn, while Halona got to bed down in a very nice set of stables.  She assured me she was used to it, and found it comfortable enough to simply have a good roof over her head and a warm room to relax in.  It blew my mind, but in practical terms, where else would anyone be able to house her?


    For heavens sake, she was half horse!


    Getting a train ticket for her was going to be¡­interesting.


    Still, after a good bath, and having all my clothes professionally cleaned, I was happy enough to just lay down on a very good bed and get some sleep.  The whole drinking and living it up style of life that many of my fellow soldiers had enjoyed had never appealed to me.  There was something to be said for a very good bed, after a very long and hard several days.


    Before I laid down for some well earned sleep, I took a look at myself in the mirror.  I had no real beard, and I had shaved any whiskers that had tried to grow on my face, leaving my face smooth, minus the scars.  I traced a hand on the left side of my face, feeling the old scars.


    Two long, neat tracks down the far left side of my face, closer to my ear than to my eye, and fairly easy to miss at most angles.  They¡¯d long since healed up and were now just two white lines on my face, but they were a visible reminder of the fights and violence I¡¯d encountered during the long war.


    A reminder that not all battles were fought against humans armed with blades and guns.


    The rest of me was simple enough; pale white skin, except for the tanned parts that the sun had touched, light brown, almost auburn hair, blue eyes, and a fairly well cut and angular face.


    An entirely ordinary man, by all accounts.  I thought with a smile.  Whose just had the¡­odd luck of living through some extraordinary circumstances.  Thank God.


    After that brief self-examination, I finished cleaning up, and then at last laid down on a very good, very comfortable bed.  The first real bed I¡¯d been able to enjoy for weeks.


    I was out like a light in seconds.

 Chapter 5

    I awoke early the next morning, eager to start the day, and get to traveling.


    After a quick wash, I was dressed in clean travel clothes, my weapons were belted on comfortably, with the cutlass feeling like a good addition, and I was ready for some breakfast.


    Breakfast turned out to be a simple but delightful fare, and after that I was off to get Halona, and my own horse for that matter, and then on to shopping, trading, and getting some train tickets.


    ¡°So, you hope to sell off some of your salvage?¡±  She asked, as I hitched her back up to the wagon.  The Sheriff had let me store it next to his office last night, so I needn¡¯t worry about anything being stolen.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±  I replied.  ¡°After we¡¯ve lightened our load, or at least exchanged it for some better stock of goods, we¡¯re getting a train ticket and heading out of here.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±  Halona nodded with a smile as she began pulling the cart alongside me down the dirt road.  Townspeople still stopped to stare at her in wonder as she passed, which caused her no end of quiet amusement.


    ¡°Of course it does.¡±  I replied with a sigh.  ¡°If my mother and sisters were anything to go by, all women just love being able to go shopping.¡±


    ¡°Meanwhile all you boys like playing with your toys as soon as you get them.¡±  She replied, pointing at the pistols and knife on her belt around her waist with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Naturally,¡± I laughed.  ¡°We have to learn how to use them, after all.¡±


    We both laughed as we set about going down the road to the various shops and stores, ready to trade, sell, barter and buy.


    What I had envisioned being merely a couple hours spent on this morning endeavor quickly became half the damn day!  There was a collection of stores for clothing that all but begged at the chance to have Halona try on their latest and greatest, which I did not understand at all.  Well, not until I saw a photographer with a large tripod camera nearby, then it suddenly made perfect sense.


    Halona for her part loved every second of it, happy to try on so many elaborate dresses and even hastily modified gowns.  Between the fashion women and their arguments, or competitions I guess, and the photographer, I simply told Halona that I would see to our other needs, and left her in that fabric lions den.


    She didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    After I escaped that silk and satin hell, I set about getting some real work done.


    I bartered most of the tobacco at a local general store for some better transportable food stuffs, and a few of the bottles of top quality booze got me some better hygiene supplies for both humans and horses.  Some of the other herbs, and the rest of the tobacco and another good bottle got me a nice, new duster.


    Simple, easy, practical and reliable.  And it looked good.  Why women made clothing so damn elaborate and complicated I would probably never know.


    Or care even if I did know, honestly.


    In the end, even with selling some of the spare guns and cloths, we still had a lot of odds and ends and random supplies.  Some were useful for a trail, some were useful for civilization or furnishing a house.


    Still, the supplies were gathered, and apart from proper luggage boxes, we were done are ready to go.


    With that in mind, I set off to the train station.


    Finally!  I thought darkly as I reached the station, and found it open.


    After tying up Butterball and the wagon, I headed inside.


    ¡°How can we help you sir?¡±  The clerk behind the walled off counter asked, professionally.


    ¡°Two tickets east.  All the way to the coast.  Plus a horse and a wagon full of goods as well.¡±  I stated, finally able to say what I¡¯d been planning on saying for months. Finally; heading east to the steam and soot coast, and beyond that, who knows?


    ¡°Of course sir, and what class tickets would you like?¡±  The clerk asked, writing down my order on pad.


    ¡°First class, all the way, for both.¡±  I informed him with a smile.  ¡°I also have some cargo I would transported in a safe or lock box.  Quite a bit, actually, now that I think about it.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely sir!¡±  The clerk responded with a smile.  ¡°We offer several most excellent safes and strong boxes for all our passengers needs.  Of course space is at a premium and that will necessitate a larger fee, on top of the two first class tickets.¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Of course.¡±  I replied without rolling my eyes, too much anyway.  ¡°That will not be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Excellent sir!  And will you and your companion prefer to have one train room together or two separate ones, sir?¡±  The clerk asked.  That caught me off guard.


    ¡°Train room?¡±  I asked, confused.  ¡°Don¡¯t we just stop at towns at night and sleep at an inn or hotel?¡±


    ¡°We used too, sir.¡±  The clerk sighed, looking suddenly tired.  ¡°Several towns between here and the next two states over have been wrecked.  Some say giants, others say beastkins, still others whisper of far worse things.¡±


    ¡°There a new war on or something?¡±  I asked, confused.  ¡°I thought we were on good terms with the beastkins and their towns and territories?  Hell I heard that some were even state senators now!  And I thought the giants had retreated to their mountain cave systems?¡±


    ¡°There are beastkin outlaws just as much as there are human outlaws,¡± the clerk answered with a shrug.  ¡°So, if it is beastkin, that¡¯s probably what it is.  However, if its giants, or worse, who knows?¡±


    The clerk frowned in thought and shrugged.  ¡°Giants can take entire towns apart, buildings and all.  Haven¡¯t heard of damage that bad.  Yet.  And there are plenty of opportunistic outlaws, human and otherwise, who could and would get in on the act, using the other towns destruction as cover for their own wicked acts.  So it could easily be several things going on at once.  Problem is, no one can say.¡±


    ¡°That why the train supplies are all screwed up?¡±  I asked, suddenly wondering if I actually had enough guns and ammo for this coming mess.  ¡°And everyone¡¯s arming up with everything from guns to spears?¡±


    Maybe I should get some shotguns?  I wondered idly.


    ¡°It is sir.¡±  The clerk nodded in affirmative to my question.  ¡°As such, the trains have taken to steaming right on through the empty and destroyed towns, and the train company has even commissioned several different new routes of track to be made.  So, passengers are on the train for longer these days.¡±


    ¡°Hence the rooms on the train itself.¡±  I nodded, sighing.  This was going to be interesting, at the very least.


    ¡°My traveling companion isn¡¯t human.¡±  I told him calmly, holding his eyes and watching how he would react.  ¡°She¡¯s a centaur.¡±


    He stared at me in quiet surprise for a moment, then actually looked behind me, as though he was trying to see her.  I actually smiled at that.


    ¡°She¡¯s busy being used by the women at the clothing shops as their newest dress up doll.¡±  I told him, chuckling.  ¡°They even have a photographer there and everything.  I was a little afraid of what might happen to me if I tried to intervene so we could work on our other errands, such as buying a train ticket.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±  He nodded with a knowing smile.  ¡°Yes, I understand sir.  I fear the attention of those women as well.  It was wise to simply take care of other business while they have their fun.¡±


    ¡°I fully agree.¡±  I chuckled before focusing back on the matter at hand.  ¡°So, what does that do for her first class ticket?  It¡¯s not like she can fit in a little train booth seat.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±  He pursed his lips in thought for a moment, before he looked back at me with a shrug.  ¡°We can hook up another cattle car, one just for her, and no one else.  We¡¯d clean it up of course and put in some better furnishings.  Nothing too opulent or extravagant, considering the space that would take up otherwise.  It would be a bit austere by our standards, especially for first class.  But¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a whole lot better than stuffing her in with the rest of the horses or cattle in their packed cars.¡±  I nodded in agreement.  Then sighed again.  Women; human, centaur, beastkin or otherwise, sure as all hell were expensive!


    I suddenly had to wonder just how long my new found wealth would actually last at this rate.


    The clerk seemed to sense my thoughts, and actually had to laugh.


    ¡°Sorry sir, but it¡¯s going to cost, no matter what.  Still,¡± the clerk pointed out with amusement.  ¡°The novelty of a female centaur riding on a train might attract more customers.  We could offset some of the costs in exchange for an interview with a paper.  Advertisement like that would be worth its weight in gold.¡±


    ¡°So long as the interview is on the way.¡±  I agreed with a sigh, figuring that they would get their story out however they could, no matter what.  At least this way we wouldn¡¯t be delayed, and we saved some money.  ¡°I¡¯m in the mood to travel on your fine train, as soon as possible.  Not talk about traveling on it with a journalist.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely sir!¡±  The clerk nodded in agreement, then set about writing furious notes out on his note pad.  ¡°Perhaps one day we¡¯ll be able to send messages to other towns or across continents instantly.  It would certainly make all this much easier.  Oh well.  There is a reporter in town currently, and she has a ticket to leave as well.  I will have a message boy deliver a letter to her informing her of the arrangement.  I imagine she will accept.¡±


    ¡°Most likely.¡±  I replied with a chuckle.  ¡°We¡¯ll see her on the train.  I want to leave as soon as possible.  When is the next train heading east?¡±


    ¡°There is one departing in the next three hours sir.¡±  The clerk answered with certainty.  ¡°I¡¯ll have the track hands rig up the centaurs private car, and have it connected to the other passenger cars, so you and the reporter can visit.  It¡¯ll take a little improvising, but it shouldn¡¯t be too bad.  I can have them begin loading your luggage now, and you can lock up your valuables in the safe and strong box, so that you will be ready to leave as soon as the train is.¡±


    ¡°I would like that.¡±  I nodded in affirmation, pleased at the competency of the small little clerk.  This was a man that took pride in doing his job very well.


    ¡°One last question sir,¡± the clerk looked up at me with an amused smile.  ¡°What is your final destination?  Just heading east doesn¡¯t really work on a ticket sir.¡±


    ¡°As far to the East as the Union goes I suppose.¡±  I replied with a smile and a shrug.  ¡°New York would be good.¡±


    ¡°Understood sir.¡±  The clerk nodded.  ¡°Coming right up.¡±


    After that, money changed hands, I received my tickets and receipts, and I and the track hands and train crew set about loading my luggage, wagon and all.  I supervised the loading of the gold and expensive alcohol, and some of the spare guns we¡¯d kept, but otherwise, the crew was very quick and professional.


    I was ready to be out of this town on the next train with two hours to spare!


    Now I just had to go and retrieve Halona from the seamstress women.


    God help me.

 Chapter 6

    I survived the seamstresses.  Barely.  The ladies did not like having their fun interrupted.  Even though they¡¯d been at it for hours!


    Halona seemed sad as well, but she came along all the same.  With several new outfits as well, surprisingly.  She was back to wearing her leather Indian tunic, but was apparently looking forward to walking around with the many new dresses and gowns she now had.


    The photographer seemed like he was both sad, and thrilled.  I could imagine he was sad at loosing such a rare subject as a female centaur, but probably thrilled to be done with the seamstresses.  Best I could tell, he couldn¡¯t decide whether to immediately develop his photographs, or to get a drink and some food.


    I was betting that the food and drink would win out, personally.


    ¡°So, where are we traveling to?¡±  Halona asked after we had loaded up her luggage as well, and we were now simply waiting for the train to leave at the train station.  I checked my newly purchased watch with a smile.  Plenty of time to leave on time.


    The conductors had informed the growing crowd of people that they would begin loading the train soon.


    ¡°A major city on the eastern coast.  New York.¡±  I answered her with a shrug.  ¡°Don¡¯t know much about it personally, other than it¡¯s a major port city on the east.¡±


    ¡°Will we be staying there, or are we traveling past it?¡±  Halona asked, curious as she waited to be loaded into her private cattle car.  She¡¯d been excited about that, and had thanked him for the trouble and expense on her behalf.


    The price of an interview with a reporter woman didn¡¯t seem to bother her over much.  She honestly seemed to find the whole thing amusing more than anything.


    ¡°We might stay for a night or two.¡±  I replied, thinking about it.  ¡°After that, I¡¯ll look into passage on a steamship or maybe even one of those airships I¡¯ve been hearing about.  The new ones that let passengers on them.¡±


    ¡°Airships?¡±  Halona asked, raising an eyebrow at him as she waved to several children who were staring at her in open mouthed wonder.


    ¡°Ships that fly through the sky.¡±  I replied with a chuckle as I noticed the kids looking at us.  ¡°Saw some of them during the war.  Even saw an air battle from far away.  It was quite a sight.¡±


    ¡°How do they fly?¡±  She asked, looking at me with fascination.


    ¡°No idea.¡±  I replied with a shrug.  ¡°We can ask when we book passage on one, if one is available.¡±


    ¡°We must do so then!¡± Halona declared with a smile.  ¡°I wish to sail amongst the clouds!¡±


    ¡°Might not be a bad idea at that.¡±  I muttered in agreement, noticing one boy staring at me intently, before looking at his book, and then looking back at me.  I eyed him back with a raised eyebrow, before it slowly became a full on scowl as I finally noticed his book.


    It was a thin book, that could be easily be read fairly quickly.  And it had a orange colored cover on it.


    A dime store novel.


    The kind that were short and full of romantic adventures of the Wild West and the various frontiers men, outlaws, and other famous legends, real or imagined.


    Oh no!  I groaned in sudden, wary apprehension.  Seriously, it¡¯s been close to two years!  Surely not!


    Somehow, deep down, I knew I wasn¡¯t that lucky.  God had too much fun poking at humans to let a good joke like that go.  The young boy approached me, after taking a moment to screw up his courage.  He glanced at Halona with open curiosity, but I was his intended target, and he stayed focused on me the same way a mountain lion stayed focused to leap at its prey.


    ¡°Excuse me sir,¡± he asked as soon as he came up to me, his head craning up at me since he was so short.


    ¡°Hello young man,¡± I replied with a small smile, hoping against hope that he was going to ask about something else.  ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Are you the ¡®Wild Ranger?¡±¡¯  He asked, holding up his book, which was clearly a prized possession and pointing at the cover.  The cover held an artists rendering of a picture of a man on horseback, rifle in one hand, and sword in the other, charging at snarling beastkin and a roaring giant.


    The boy looked up at me hopefully.  ¡°Are you him?  The one who fought giants and made peace between beastkins and humans?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this now?¡±  Halona asked, a huge grin growing on her face as she looked from the boy, to the book, to me.  ¡°Who is this Wild Ranger?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a hero from the war!¡±  The young man proclaimed excitedly, looking at Halona with excitement.  ¡°He¡¯s a wild frontiersmen who joined up with the Union and fought the Coalition.  His soldiers fought beastkin, and then he made peace with them!¡±


    ¡°Did he now?¡±  Halona asked, her grin growing much more sinister as she glanced at me, and clearly noticed how rigid and uncomfortable I must have been standing.


    Oh no.  I groaned internally.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Then he led a big army of soldiers, beastkins, and even local towns people into battle with giants!¡±  The boy continued, totally missing the look on Halona¡¯s face.  ¡°The giants had come to eat people, human or beastkin, and everyone was fighting each other, so they called the Wild Ranger in to help.  He came, got them all to fight together, and led them against a whole tribe of giants from the mountains!¡±


    ¡°My, how exciting!¡±  Halona declared, grinning so sweetly at the boy, only for that grin to morph evilly when she glanced over at me.  ¡°And what makes you think this man is that famous hero?¡±


    ¡°The scars on his face.¡±  The young boy said, now so excited he just pointed at my face.  ¡°The two scars he got from a beastkin tiger-man he fought in a duel!  The duel he used to make the Beastkin agree to peace and to join the Union!¡±


    ¡°Oh my!  And, why do they call him the Wild Ranger?¡±  Halona asked the boy, even as she glanced at me, still with that evil grin on her face.


    I just glared back silently.  Sadly, that only made her grin even smugger, if that were possible.


    ¡°¡®Cause he¡¯s wild, from the wild frontier,¡± the boy explained, smiling and excited by someone taking an interest in his obviously favorite subject.  ¡°And ¡®cause his last name is Ranger.¡±


    ¡°Is it now?¡±  Halona asked, now obviously fighting an outright bought of laughter.  I suspected it would be a very evil laugh indeed.


    ¡°And what, pray tell, is his first name?¡±


    I closed my eyes to stifle a groan from what I knew was coming.


    ¡°Jake!¡±  The young boy declared, even flipping to the front of the book to point at a part that had the full name of the so-called Wild Ranger.  ¡°Jake Ranger!  The Wild Ranger of the Frontier!¡±


    And there it was, in black and white.


    My name.


    Jake Ranger.


    Damn.  Was all I could think.


    ¡°Well now, Master Ranger, I think you have a fan.¡±  Halona said sweetly , turning to look at me.  ¡°I had no idea you were so very famous, Wild Ranger.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±  I muttered darkly, still glaring at her, which again only caused her to smile more.


    ¡°So you really are him?¡±  The boy asked, sounding even more excited.  By now we had drawn something of a crowd, with everyone, including the boys curious parents standing around in a semicircle, watching the little drama play out.


    Oh how I hated that damn book!  And the other ones written by that damn woman!  Still, best not to cause a scene, especially with a young boy who just liked good stories.  I sighed as I glanced back down to him, trying to smile like I was enjoying any of this situation.


    ¡°Wild Ranger is what other people like to call me.  Like the, woman, who wrote that book.  My name is Jake Ranger.  It¡¯s a good name.  One I like.  I don¡¯t need a, fantastical, nickname to get by in life, son.¡±  I answered him, somewhat stilted, but trying to relax as I knelt down in front of him.  ¡°Jake Ranger is my name.  And it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, young mister?¡±


    ¡°Andrew!  Andrew Gale!  Golly jee-whiz!  The Wild Ranger!  I love your adventures!¡±  The boy all but babbled with excitement.


    Despite my utter hatred of the books, and the general situation, I couldn¡¯t help but smile a real smile at the boys honest excitement.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoy them.  But they weren¡¯t exactly a ton of fun when they were happening at the time.¡±  I told him, smiling as I stayed eye level with him.  ¡°It¡¯s a scary thing to face down a beastkin in a duel, or to fight giants.¡±


    ¡°You were scared?¡±  He asked, sounding stunned.  I actually laughed.


    ¡°Oh, I was terrified!  The giants were as tall as trees!  And they were there to eat people.  It was terrifying.  But we had a job to do, so we did it.¡±  I locked eyes with him, figuring I could try and do some good.  ¡°Remember Andrew; being brave doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re not afraid.  It means that you face your fear, and do what must be done anyway, even though you are afraid.  Feeling fear for something dangerous is normal, and healthy.¡±


    ¡°It is?¡±  He asked, looking confused, but also riveted.


    ¡°Absolutely!¡±  I smiled at him.  ¡°It¡¯s a warning.  It¡¯s like a big sign that says: ¡®Be careful.  Be cautious.  This is dangerous.¡¯  However, if you keep your wits about you, and keep your resolve strong, then you can overcome that fear, and do what it is that needs doing.  Other people call that brave.  I just call it doing the work, whatever that work happens to be.  And after that, I go back to living my life, and doing all the other work that I need to do.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡±  He said, looking lost and amazed at the same time.  I smiled and patted him on the head before standing back up.  It¡¯s hard to believe I was ever that small.  I thought with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you sir.¡±  His mother said as she and her husband came forward to collect young Andrew.


    ¡°It was my pleasure miss.¡±  I tipped my hat to her and her husband, and he smiled and returned the gesture before they began leading young Andrew away.  Before they got too far however, Andrew whirled around and focused back on me.


    ¡°Mr. Wild Ranger!  Are you going on new adventures?¡±  He called out, looking curious, hopeful, and wildly excited.


    ¡°Why yes, he is!¡±  Halona answered for me, catching me by surprise.  ¡°His latest adventure is how he got me as a traveling companion.  He battled a bunch of evil Furwraiths!¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±  Andrew asked, his eyes alight in excitement.


    ¡°Really!¡±  Halona all but cooed as she called back to him, her evil grin in full display now.  ¡°And now he and I are off on another grand adventure!¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±  Andrew all but gulped.  ¡°I can¡¯t wait to read about it!  Could I come?¡±


    ¡°Mind your parents and finish school first.¡±  I replied instantly, much to the obvious relief of his parents.  ¡°There will be plenty of adventures to be had once you¡¯re old enough.  Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±  He nodded, turning back to his parents.  ¡°I¡¯ll adventure with you soon!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t wait, young Mr. Gale.¡±  I called back, chuckling despite myself.  Once they¡¯d led their son away, and the crowd had largely dispersed, I all but whirled on the smugly grinning centaur woman.


    ¡°Damn flea bitten cow of a woman!¡±  I snapped quietly, glaring at her.  ¡°The hell you trying to pull?!¡±


    ¡°Was that the best insult you could muster?¡±  She replied with a raised eyebrow and an even smugger grin.  ¡°I expected better of the legendary Wild Ranger.¡±


    I all but shuddered at that cursed nickname.


    ¡°I hate that ridiculous nickname!¡±  I hissed at her.


    ¡°Oh, I can tell.  It¡¯s glorious.¡±  She replied, laughing at me.  ¡°And I fully expect to hear the whole story behind how you got it, and why you¡¯re an inspiring hero to young boys you¡¯ve never even met.¡±


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen!¡±  A voice suddenly rang out, cutting off my angry retort to her still smug face.  ¡°The train is now boarding.  We will be steaming away from here in fifteen minutes!  Last call is ten minutes from now.  Welcome aboard!¡±


    ¡°Oops, no time to chat.  We have a train to board!¡±  Halona laughed at me and my indignant anger.  ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming?  You wouldn¡¯t want to be late.¡±


    So saying, she turned and clomped off, swishing her tail practically in my face as she did so.


    ¡°Women!¡±  I muttered, using the word as a curse before I turned and headed to my own train car, as a well dressed conductor came out and led Halona to hers.

 Chapter 7

    The first few hours of the trip were uneventful and pleasant as we all got settled in, and the train steamed its way past forest, lake, prairie and town.


    Though the towns seemed to be largely abandoned or half destroyed.  So, there was a somewhat quieter air to the well dressed passengers in first class.  Still, so far as I was concerned, it was quite comfortable and relaxing.


    And fast!


    Just looking out a window and watching the country fly by was amazing!  It was like being on some grand machine out of a fantastical novel.  Such speed while we sat comfortably, eating, drinking, smoking, and generally relaxing and enjoying ourselves.


    Of course it couldn¡¯t last.


    ¡°Well now, bless my soul.  Jake Ranger, back from the Frontier, as I live and breathe.¡±  A soft, female voice said from behind the honest to God easy chair I was sitting in.  First Class had their own lounge cars, plural, and were worth every penny as far as I was concerned.


    Or they had been, anyway.  That voice ruined it all.  It was a voice I recognized, and whose owner I generally despised.


    ¡°Lillianne  Lancaster.  With you here, I know now that I have somehow made God in Heaven very angry with me, and I must beg his forgiveness with all haste.¡±  I replied with a smile.


    ¡°My, but you¡¯ve grown even more eloquent since last we met.¡±  Lillianne remarked with a smile as she sat down in the chair across from me, a delighted smile on her beautiful face.  ¡°I wonder why that is?  Could it have something to do with the lack of a wedding ring on your finger?  I was under the impression you were all set to get married as soon as the war was over.  Did something go wrong?¡±


    I studied the woman across from me for a moment before I responded.  Lillianne Lancaster was a beautiful woman; with a round face, soft lips, dark eyes, dark hair, and a curvy figure that was obvious even with the sensible traveling dress she wore.  The dark green color of her dress contrasted nicely with the slightly dusky skin of her mixed heritage of Northern Europe and Spain.


    She was very simply gorgeous, and on top of that, brilliant and as sharp as my new sword.


    If only it weren¡¯t for her chosen profession and general personality.


    ¡°Barely three seconds in that seat, and already you¡¯ve asked me three questions about my life.¡±  I noted coldly as I eyed her with a scowl.  ¡°You¡¯ve certainly kept your edge, Miss L.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ve improved yours, Wild Ranger.¡±  She answered back with her charming, if smug, smile.  ¡°Oh, what fortune running into you.  My dear sister has been hard pressed to write more wonderful stories about the frontier and all the adventures happening out there.  The editors are after her to write up more frontier stories as opposed to all the stories from Europe about the wild battles at sea and in the sky.  Or their many disgusting monster stories.  I do so love being able to help her out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not interviewing me, Lady of Lies.¡±  I stated coldly as I worked out her presence here on this train.  ¡°You¡¯re interviewing Halona the centaur.  I have not agreed, nor consented to any interview, and will have nothing to do with another one of those with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my dear Union Folk Hero, you still have so much to learn about interviews, stories, and women.¡±  She shook her head in mock sadness.  ¡°Half of my interview with the exotic Miss Halona will of course, be all about you!  How she met you, a Union hero.  Why she is traveling with you.  Where you are traveling too, and why.  And of course, any adventures you¡¯ve had.  You see my dear, I don¡¯t need to actually speak with you, Wild Ranger, to be able to have an interview about you.¡±


    ¡°I met her in a spot of trouble, we helped each other out, and she insists on traveling with me.¡±  I stated coldly, even more furious than before.  ¡°There¡¯s your interview.  The end.¡±


    She just looked at me and smiled even more for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already had the chance to meet Miss Halona.  I was already in her car when the Conductor led her inside it.  Remarkable woman!¡±  Lillianne smiled in honest fondness.  ¡°Did you know, she actually insisted that you not only saved her from starving to death, but that you also single-handedly avenged the people of the town of Sugar Leaf?  Something about battling Furwraiths with a cavalry sword?  On foot?¡±


    I sighed.  I hated dealing with this woman!


    ¡°Not to worry, Master Ranger, not to worry.¡±  She continued, as charming as ever.  ¡°I understand you¡¯re planning on traveling all the way to New York!  What a wonderful coincidence!¡±


    ¡°Coincidence?¡±  I asked carefully, having learned to speak as little as possible when it came to dealing with this woman.


    ¡°Indeed!  You see, I just so happen to be heading there myself.¡±  She looked at me with a genuine smile.  I could always tell when she was genuine, and when she was not.  It was a skill that had actually vexed her when we first met, much to my satisfaction.  However, now it seemed as though she enjoyed it.


    ¡°You and I and Miss Halona will have all the time in the world to get to know each other.¡±  She relaxed into the seat, eyeing me like a starving predator.  ¡°In every fine, minute detail.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful.¡±  I stated coldly, finishing off my drink and standing up to leave.


    ¡°You know I hear they¡¯re making a play about you in the theater in New York.¡±  She remarked as I turned to leave.  ¡°Something in the same vein as Davy Crockett.  All about the Wild Frontier Hero who brought peace and citizenship to the Beastkins.  Among other things.  I imagine young Mister Gale and his family would love a pair of tickets.  He did seem to admire you so much.¡±


    I turned around and glared at her, suddenly furious.


    ¡°He admired a character in that damn book!  One you and your sister made up!¡±  I snapped.  ¡°You attached my name to that cursed, doppelg?nger you and she invented and passed off as the truth!¡±


    ¡°Oh, did we say or print anything untrue?¡±  Lillianne asked, raising an eyebrow in mock confusion, all while meeting my gaze evenly and even defiantly.  ¡°What, pray tell, did we lie about or make up?¡±


    ¡°For starters, how you exaggerated my contributions to the jobs that needed doing.¡±  I snapped.  ¡°I was part of an army!  I had superiors and subordinates!  I was not some lone gunslinger idiot hero looking for glory and trying to take on beastkin warriors and flaming giants all on my own!¡±


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    ¡°Oh please!¡±  She replied, sounding both amused and angry in the way that only women ever really pull off.  ¡°You were the one who ¡®dueled¡¯ that tiger warlord, and through that wild fight, which everyone only loosely calls a duel, you were able to bring the beastkin clans into the Union as citizens!¡±


    ¡°There were ambassadors there, merchants and tradesmen.  The clans already wanted to join up to improve their prosperity and gain freedom and a better system of laws to live under!¡±  I pointed out, annoyed how she and her sister had made me out to be some ridiculous hero out of legend, and ignored everyone else¡¯s work because it wasn¡¯t exciting enough.  ¡°All I did was have a brawl with some striped idiot that was too hot in his own vinegar.¡±


    ¡°That brawl, as you put it, got half a town wrecked.¡±  She replied with a raised eyebrow.  ¡°We exaggerated nothing about that battle, for that¡¯s what it was.  And it was only after you won, spared him, and freed his slaves that the other clan heads and warlords decided that the Union was a better deal than what they had going for them already.¡±


    She smiled another genuine smile as she looked at me, which caught me off guard in the middle of our argument.  Or well, my rants and accusations against her and her damn sister.  I was working my way up to the real issue though.


    ¡°And that ridiculous nonsense about me charging a tribe of attacking giants?  What was that other than a full on lie, Miss L?¡±  I pointed out darkly, remembering the shit everyone had given me over that article, and how long it had followed me around ever since.  ¡°They had driven the local beastkin clans out of the mountains and towards the local towns and fort.  They were the ones charging us!¡±


    ¡°I was there for that terrifying battle.¡±  She replied quietly, her eyes suddenly looking very far away.  ¡°I recall how you led a charge into them on horseback, with your calvary unit and local militia volunteers.  If I remember right, that¡¯s what broke them.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t charging them!¡±  I snapped incredulously.  ¡°I was attacking their War Chief!  Dropping that son of a bitch would ensure that they didn¡¯t have any real leadership left on the battlefield.  Just their terrible size and strength, and the speed and reach that their size gave them.¡±


    I shuddered as I remembered that terrifying sight; dozens of men and women, each the size of a small tree, at the least, with spears the length of a train car, sprinting at us.  The sound of their footsteps was like hearing a thunderstorm roll across the sky, and their battlecries had turned brave men into terrified children.  All of that was combined with the knowledge of why they were there: to eat people.


    It had been horror the likes of which I¡¯d never faced, and I¡¯d faced howitzer cannons on a horseback charge!


    ¡°It was either strike a blow against them, one that mattered, and strip them of coordinated leadership while putting some courage back into everyone.¡±  I looked back at her with a set expression.  ¡°Or it was watch our little rag tag army fall apart like a house of cards before a little breeze, with them making us into little human pigs for them to hunt down and feast on.¡±


    She seemed almost spellbound by what I was saying.  Almost like she was reliving it herself.  Then again she¡¯d picked up a rifle and fought alongside everyone else as well.  I reminded myself.  She was there for it, so maybe she is.  I know I try to forget about it.


    ¡°And you¡¯re mad that we focused on that in the story?¡±  She asked, sounding almost confused.  ¡°You just said you charged them.  Perhaps to strike at one in particular.  Okay, we never knew that.  But even so!  You led a charge against attacking giants!  Which inspired the rest of everyone else there to fight for all they were worth.  Which is probably the only reason any of us are still alive.  What part of that is incorrect?¡±


    She narrowed her eyes and eyed me carefully, a sudden small, curious smile playing across her lips.


    ¡°What¡¯s really been bothering you about all this?  Why so angry that we simply told your story and let everyone know you¡¯re a brave hero?¡±


    ¡°Because you did not simply ¡®tell my story.¡¯  You made me out to be this larger than life, ridiculous figure that I am not.¡±  I answered, furious.  ¡°I was dragged into a half dozen brutal situations by people begging me for help.  Because I was some big damn hero in their minds!  One lunatic led his gang to take over a town and hold its children hostage, just so he could force me to have a ¡®grand battle¡¯ with him.¡±


    She blinked in surprise, and sudden keen interest.  ¡°A whole town?¡±


    ¡°Somehow he learned I was passing through, and he led his gang to attack the next day.  Captured the local school house, and held the children and teachers as hostages.  Said he wanted to have a ¡®grand battle¡¯ in the town itself with me.  The sheriff was dead, so it was just me and two deputies against nigh on a dozen men.¡±  I growled as I remembered that mess, and what I learned afterword.  ¡°We won, though I was the only one unscathed.  His gang broke and ran, what was left of them anyway.¡±


    ¡°And he challenged you, specifically?¡±  She asked, confused.  ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°He wanted to be a legend.¡±  I stated coldly before fixing her with a stare.  ¡°Know where he got that stupid idea?¡±


    ¡°Somehow I think you are blaming me for this.¡±  Lillianne stated, frowning.


    ¡°Oh, you and your sister.¡±  I replied, grinning with no mirth.  ¡°After he was dead, we found a bunch of copies of those damn dime novels on him!  All of them supposedly about me!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t seriously blame us for what one fool did!¡±  She protested.


    ¡°I was dragged into two other, separate gun fights by outlaws looking to make themselves famous by challenging the Wild Ranger to a duel.¡±  I stated coldly.  ¡°People have sought me out to either beg for help or to try and kill me because of that damn nickname!  So yes, I can and do blame you and your sister for that endless trouble you have heaped on me, Miss L!¡±


    ¡°And these poor unfortunate souls that came begging to you,¡± she asked, sidetracking me suddenly.  ¡°Did you help them?¡±


    I blinked, confused.  ¡°Well, they needed help, and the local law was either dead already or not willing to risk it.¡±


    ¡°So, you helped them?¡±  She asked, raising her eyebrow again, suddenly looking amused, which annoyed me.  ¡°You saved whatever they needed saving from whatever threat, danger or monster that was threatening it?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, but that¡¯s beside the point!¡±  I snapped, confused a bit on why she was so suddenly, and genuinely, amused and even impressed by my answer.  ¡°It was a job of work that nobody else was willing or able to do.  I did it, and lived through it, barely, and we all got on with our lives.¡±


    ¡°Most other people would call that heroic.¡±  Lillianne pointed out quietly, almost softly.


    ¡°Most other people are lazy and want someone else to do the work for them!¡±  I replied hotly.  ¡°I ain¡¯t no hero!  Stop making me out to be one for people to hand all their troubles too!  I have more than enough problems of my own!¡±


    ¡°Such as the lack of a wedding ring?¡±  She asked, again catching me off guard.  ¡°I remember her name you know.  And how deeply you were in love with her.  I recall how you planned on marrying her as soon as the war was over and your term of service was ended.  Yet here you are, alone.  Or you were up until a few days ago with the addition of your new travel companion.  Whom you also rescued.¡±


    ¡°My life is no longer your concern, nor that of your sisters.¡±  I stated firmly, bringing this conversation to a close.  ¡°It never really was.  And considering the mess you and she made of it, it never will be again.¡±


    Having vented at her, which, in true fashion to dealing with her, had not quite gone the way I wanted it to, I suddenly felt very tired.


    According to the schedule, the train was going to be stopping and resupplying at several water towers, and then continue on, essentially nonstop all night.  I suddenly wanted to just lie down and sleep.


    ¡°Good night, Miss L.¡±  I told her, working to regain my manners, such as they were.  ¡°Good luck with your interview with Halona.  Do better with her than you did with me, and treat her with some care.¡±


    I turned and started walking out, done with the conversation.


    ¡°I shall.¡±  Lillianne called behind me.  ¡°Good night, my dear heroic Wild Ranger.¡±


    I twitched when she said that damn name, but kept walking.  Enough was enough.  I¡¯d said what I wanted to say.  More or less.  Now I was ready to rest, and get on with my life.


    Even if I did have to share a train with the damn woman for the next few days.

 Chapter 8

    The night was brief and pleasant, and the day passed by in a blur on the train, with the scenery forever flowing by.


    It certainly was a fascinating way to travel.


    Look out the window one minute, and you saw endless forest.  Look out another minute, and you saw a lake or several ponds.  Look out again, and it was rolling plains or even some farm fields.


    They had done in hours what would have taken me weeks.


    The wave of the future.  I thought, enjoying my lunch in the dining car as the scenery continued to fly on by.  Or it would¡¯ve been, if the wild frontier and the Shattering hadn¡¯t stopped it all cold.  Both out here and pretty much everywhere else.  Now the world is as screwed up as the worst drug induced nightmare I¡¯ve ever heard of.


    I thought back to Halona, and some of the other crazy beings I¡¯d met, and sights I¡¯d seen, and chuckled to myself as I enjoyed my delicious omelet.  It sure as shit ain¡¯t boring though!


    ¡°Pardon me sir,¡± a conductor came up to me.  ¡°But we¡¯ll be stopping in the local town of Bakers Acres to resupply and refuel.  We ask that everyone simply stay on the train as we do.¡±


    ¡°Is there trouble?¡±  I asked, curious and instantly wary.


    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be, but we are simply being cautious.¡±  The conductor explained.  ¡°This town is one of the towns that was recently destroyed and abandoned.  The train station is still in good repair, with the supplies we need for the train, so we are stopping there, getting the supplies we need, and continuing on.  It should be a quick stop over.¡±


    ¡°Is anyone looking into what¡¯s going on with these destroyed towns?¡±  I asked, feeling slightly apprehensive despite the conductors assurances.


    ¡°I understand that several Federal Marshals and Army Investigative units have been dispatched.  All heavily armed and supplied.¡±  The Conductor shrugged.  ¡°It¡¯s just a big area of an issue to look into.¡±


    ¡°So it is.¡±  I replied, thinking for a moment before I looked back to him.  ¡°After this, how long to New York?¡±


    ¡°After this stop, we should arrive at New York¡¯s Grand Union Station in about a day and half.¡±  He replied immediately.


    I blinked at the sheer amount of speed and ground we had covered, and then chuckled a little bit.  A brave new world indeed!  I thought as I nodded to him in thanks.


    He nodded back and then turned to head through more train cars to speak with the other passengers.


    I found myself uneasy about us pulling into a town hammered so bad that it was abandoned.  Especially one that should¡¯ve been prosperous, connected to the railroad and deep in so called civilized Union territory.  I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that something foul had taken up residence in the town, and we were steaming right into its territory.


    I quickly finished my breakfast, and then got up and headed to my room.


    Once there I put on my belts with my pistols, sword and knife, then got my rifle loaded and ready.  I debated my obvious paranoia for a moment, before shrugging and getting my bandolier out of my saddle bag.  I hadn¡¯t had much use for the thing, thankfully, but now I wanted every advantage.


    So I took the time to load every single sheath with a bullet, belted it on, and then put on my new duster coat.  Satisfied I was ready as I was going to get, I then turned and headed back towards where Halona¡¯s train car was at.  I wanted her ready as well.


    I headed through several cars to reach hers.


    In my mind I was already running through possibilities of what had happened, but most would require more time than a quick train stop and resupply to really cause us any trouble.  Furwraiths were typically pretty damn rare, so I doubted it would be those nightmares again.  Giants could be it, however they were generally hard to miss, and easy to describe.


    We¡¯re being attacked by a giant human!  I chuckled darkly as I walked with focused determination. Yeah, anyone would know a giant when they saw one.


    Out of the corner of my eye I saw several other passengers do double takes when they saw me.  Many of them who had been milling around quickly got out of my way as I passed by them.  I nodded to them in thanks as I kept going, hoping the feeling in my guts was just me being paranoid.


    It had happened before.


    However, the reverse of that was also true.  I¡¯d been right before as well, many times, when I wished I hadn¡¯t been.


    Finally, I reached the door to Halona¡¯s modified cattle car, and after knocking, I walked in.


    I blinked in surprise, then sighed in annoyance as I saw Lillianne Lancaster sitting in the easy chair they¡¯d set up in the large car, across from Halona.


    Of course she¡¯s here.  I sighed as I focused on Halona, who looked as surprised as Lillianne by my entrance.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±  She asked, looking concerned.  ¡°You are ready for battle.  Even more ready than when you fought the Furwraiths.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m simply being a bit paranoid.¡±  I replied, trying to calm everyone down with a shrug.  ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing.  But on the off chance it¡¯s not, I want to be ready.  That includes you as well.¡±


    ¡°Are you expecting some kind of trouble?¡±  Lillianne asked, her reporter mask slipping away, being replaced with the tough, unyielding woman who¡¯d faced down giants.  I sometimes forgot that fact about her, in my anger over the whole phony hero dreck she¡¯d dumped on me.


    ¡°Hopefully not,¡± I replied, shoving my distaste of her aside and focusing on being a professional.  ¡°This town was wrecked, its inhabitants mostly killed.  The rest fled, and its been abandoned.  I gather the train is going through here because it simply has no choice but to do so.  On the off chance that whatever wrecked this place is still lingering, I want to be ready.  That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Wise.¡±  Halona said, standing up and going over to a coat rack that held her own weapons belts.


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    ¡°I agree.¡±  Lillianne said, putting away her note book and standing up.  ¡°They did tell us to simply remain on the train, and that this would be over quickly.¡±


    ¡°I certainly hope that¡¯s the case.¡±  I replied with a shrug.  ¡°I am really hoping that all that happens is that I got all dressed up for nothing.  That would be a very happy outcome.  I have no great sense like some men I¡¯ve known, or one that is popular in stories about approaching danger.  I¡¯m simply being paranoid and planning accordingly.  Perhaps it¡¯s all just a waste of time in the end.  So what?¡±


    ¡°So what indeed.¡±  Lillianne answered back with a rueful smile.  ¡°Let us hope that it is just paranoia.  If it¡¯s not, well, at least we¡¯ll be armed.  Excuse me.¡±


    I nodded and moved aside as she quickly left the train car.


    ¡°Where is she going?¡±  Halona asked, clomping over to me with her own weapons now strapped to her human waist.


    ¡°If I recall correctly, she was good with a rifle, but damn fine with a pistol.¡±  I answered as I looked her over, making sure her new gun belts, which also doubled as bandoliers full of ammunition as well, were belted correctly.  ¡°I would imagine that she is going to her room to change into something more sensible for moving around in a hurry in, and to retrieve her own weapon, or weapons.  Just in case.¡±


    ¡°I did not know so many Unioners were so heavily armed.¡±  Halona chuckled.  ¡°Or that your women were allowed to own weapons as well.¡±


    ¡°Our Constitution, upon which all our laws are based, expressly gave citizens of the Union the right to be as heavily armed as they pleased.  I once met a couple of fellas during the war that owned and operated full on battleships off the coasts.¡±


    ¡°Truly?¡±  She asked, stunned, but also fascinated.


    ¡°Truly.¡±  I replied with a shrug.  ¡°As I understand it, they sold the services of their ships as mercenary escorts for trade vessels.¡±


    ¡°Why allow, even encourage, your population to be so heavily armed?¡±  She asked, a bit confused.  ¡°Battle is mostly reserved for the warriors.  Why arm everyone else?¡±


    ¡°To keep powerful people, and other governments and tribes at bay and peaceful with us.¡±  I answered with a chuckle.  ¡°To best ensure our self defense, no matter what, for in this life, you are always responsible for yourself and your own safety.  And most important of all; to keep our government and its leaders honest and obedient to us, the people of this nation.¡±


    ¡°You fear your own leaders?¡±  She asked, confused and a little surprised by the concept.  Or at least, upon brief reflection, our answer to such a fear.


    ¡°All governments, throughout all of human history, whether they be tribes, clans, city-states, or full on nations, all have turned against their own people.  All of them, and they became terrible tyrannical states at one point or another in their history.¡±  I told her soberly, thinking back to my expensive education and later personal hobby on the subject of human history.  ¡°There are no exceptions.  Human nature is a dark and twisted thing, and does not change.  All that keeps leaders of any caliber in check, doing only what they are supposed to be doing, is an armed and invested population.¡±


    ¡°Is that not dangerous on a local level for the population?¡±  She asked as she adjusted her pistols, pulling them out and carefully aiming them before putting them back, only to repeat the process several times.


    ¡°If everyone you meet is armed, including you yourself, then it behooves you, and everyone else, to be most courteous and polite to one another.¡±  I told her, chuckling as she strapped her pistols back into place.  ¡°Hence why no one much cares if you are armed or not, since they all are as well, or most of them, and no one really cares.¡±


    ¡°Truly fascinating.¡±  She replied, smiling.  ¡°I think I like it.  And I think I want to learn more about your union.¡±


    ¡°You are free to do so at your leisure.¡±  I told her with a smile and nod.  ¡°Which this is not.  When we pull into that station, simply be ready in case things go wrong.  That is all.  For the time being.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Master Ranger.¡±  She replied with a wink, and a slight bow.


    I just sighed, and turned to leave.  I was going to a dining car, one with lots of windows, where I would take up a seat, order some coffee, and watch.


    ¡°I rather like Ms. Lancaster.¡±  She said as I headed to the door.


    ¡°That¡¯s the first mistake.¡±  I told her as I opened the door.


    ¡°And the second?¡±  She asked, looking suddenly amused about something.


    ¡°Talking to her.¡±  I replied, and stepped out.


    The door shut on what I would swear was a laugh, but I decided it was best not to dwell on what the wily, mischievous horse woman found so funny.


    After that, I walked down into one of the nice dining cars, found a spot I liked, order some coffee and a new luxury I was now becoming familiar with; ice water.


    Actual ice, on order for any drink, on a moving train.  The world was indeed strange and crazy, and often a cruel and terrible place, but there were certainly some bright spots to it.


    After a little while a conductor came by and asked me about my heavily armed attire, and I told him the same thing I¡¯d told the girls; I was being paranoid and prepared should anything bad happen.  Otherwise, I¡¯d just sit here and enjoy some beverages.


    He thanked me and walked off after that.


    A few minutes later, we finally pulled into the station, stopped, and the crew got to work.


    Best I could tell from my vantage, they worked quickly and efficiently, from the many conductors to the engineers and train hands.  They set about filling the boiler with water, getting well preserved food stuffs to replenish the kitchen, walking along and inspecting the connections, wheels and gear.  I think they were even preparing to switch to a new coal car at the front of the train, as soon as the boiler was refilled on the actual train.


    Seems I was just being paranoid.  I thought, breathing a sigh of relief.  If so, since we¡¯re not of the woods yet, but if so, thank God!


    Of course God had other plans it turned out.  As usual.


    A surprisingly short conductor suddenly entered the dining car and hurriedly approached me, looking nervous.


    Oh no.  I inwardly groaned as he headed straight for me.  What now?  And why me?!  Though I can probably guess on that last one, damn it!


    Sure enough, he came up to my table and stopped right in front of me for moment, looking momentarily lost on how to proceed.  Taking a look at him, I saw that he was in fact quite young for a conductor, so he probably was used to dealing with simple jobs.  The fact that he was here, now, while looking very out of his depth, told me a lot.


    If he¡¯s older than twelve, I¡¯m a damn beastkin!  I thought as I put on a slightly curious face, even as I felt a sinking sensation in my stomach; the one I only really got right before someone asked me for help.  Namely, to go face down some horrible villain and his goons, or to take on some horrific monster.


    I had really started to hate helping people of late.


    ¡°We were wondering if we could ask for you help, Mister Ranger.¡±  The young man half asked, half stated, looking at with a blend of fear, awe, and a lot of hope.


    Yep.  I thought darkly as I finished my coffee with a sigh.  There it is!


    ¡°Help with what, young conductor?¡±  I asked carefully, wanting to get a full sense of the situation.  ¡°I know nothing of trains, or how they work besides the obvious.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that!¡±  He hastened to assure me, looking both apprehensive and eager.  ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with the tracks that lead through the town.  It¡¯s like there¡¯s something that¡¯s grown up around them, or through them.¡±


    I blinked, keeping my surprise and confusion off my face.  That¡¯s a new one.  Mutant plants?


    As quickly as the thought came, I dismissed it.  I¡¯d heard of some really horrific fights with mutant carnivorous plants from other towns and large plantations in the Frontier.  But at the end of the day, simply torching them, or blowing them up had always seemed to work just fine.


    This town could easily have done much the same.  So¡­.something that looks like a plant?  I sighed as I eyed the nervous boy, who looked like he wanted to shift his weight, tap his foot, or something.  This wasn¡¯t going to end well.  I just knew it.


    God laugh at me for being a damn soft hearted idiot!  I cursed to myself as I stood up.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t promise anything, young conductor.¡±  I stated calmly as I gathered up my hat, coat and rifle.  ¡°But let¡¯s go take a look, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 9

    The young boy of a conductor quickly led me through the train towards the front where the engines and train staff were at.


    Unfortunately, this meant he led me through half the train, and more than a few people saw him leading me, a heavily armed man, towards the front of the train.  What was worse; some of those people recognized not only that growing situation, but me personally.


    I really despised those damn articles and cursed dime novels!


    ¡°Are you going to fight something Mr. Wild Ranger?¡±  Andrew Gale asked, in the loud and excited way that young boys always ask.  Which of course got everyone else¡¯s attention.  ¡°Are there bandits or giants attacking?¡±


    I felt my general hatred of those books he loved so damn much doubled right there on the spot!


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no giants or bandits.¡±  The young conductor, who was barely older than Andrew, and suddenly as excited as him, answered.  ¡°There¡¯s some kind of monstrous, things, around the tracks though, and no one knows what to do with them, or even what they are.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to go fight monsters?¡±  Andrew asked, again very loudly, and by now all progress had stopped and I was surrounded by curious, and suddenly very frightened people.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, good or bad.¡±  I said loudly.  ¡°The railroad crew has asked me to take a look at something odd.  That¡¯s all.  I may well be all dressed up for nothing.  So, I¡¯m going to look, and then we¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll beat it, no matter what it is!¡±  Andrew declared with supreme confidence, and I about wanted to tear my hat apart!


    ¡°We¡¯ll see what it is first, then worry about fighting, or ignoring, whatever it is.¡±  I stated firmly, before giving the young conductor a small shove.  He got the message, and quickly slipped back into conductor mode, leading me through the throngs of now scared people to the front of the train.


    Finally, we had reached the train crew cars.


    Once there, the head conductor, a much older man and seasoned professional, thank God, quickly gave me the general rundown.


    ¡°Sorry for the trouble sir,¡± he said, as he brought me over to a table with a map.  ¡°But we really have no experience with this¡­whatever it is.¡±


    ¡°Oh I understand,¡± I sighed with a weary smile.  ¡°Believe me, I do.¡±


    ¡°Well, be that as it may,¡± the conductor shrugged sympathetically.  ¡°We¡¯re still sorry for the trouble, and do appreciate any help we can get.¡±


    I nodded to him respectfully before focusing back on the map.


    ¡°So, what do we have anyway?¡±  I asked, ready to get to work and get this mess over with.


    ¡°That¡¯s the main trouble; we don¡¯t really know.¡±  He pointed to the map with the tracks on it going through the main heart of the town.  ¡°Several of the train hands walked a little of the track to make sure everything was all good, and they saw several strange looking things sticking up out of the ground.¡±


    ¡°Whereabouts?¡±  I asked, looking from the map to the window out into the town, wondering what was lurking out there.


    ¡°They saw a bunch, and we marked a few area¡¯s of them.¡±  The conductor pointed to the map, showing little spots they¡¯d marked with pencils.  It looked like a big blotch of circles around the tracks, and a few spots around town buildings.  All of them could be seen from on the ground sight.


    I frowned as I looked at the map, and thought about the town being abandoned.  Not part of the town; all of the town.  I don¡¯t like this.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head out carefully and take a look.¡±  I stated, standing up and looking at old conductor.  ¡°Let my traveling companion out of her car, she¡¯s ready to go as well.  Also, it might be a good idea to get some sharp eyed men on the roof of the train, and maybe the train station itself, with a spyglass, and see if they can spot anymore of these strange, flowers.  And if so, please mark them on the map.¡±


    ¡°Of course sir.¡±  The old man nodded, giving me the impression that the conductor uniform wasn¡¯t the only uniform he¡¯d ever worn.  ¡°We¡¯ll see to it immediately.  The door to hop out of this car is right up ahead.¡±  He gestured to a door behind him at the end of the, before he turned and started calmly and implacably giving orders to everyone else.


    I walked out of the car while the conductor, who I suspected was a former NCO, set about getting things lined up.


    It was eerie hopping down onto the train station platform, and being one of the only people on it.  There were a few train crew and conductors milling about, seeing to things, but they were all very quiet, and very nervous.  Turning, I began walking down the station towards the doors that would lead through the station and out onto the main road, parallel to the tracks.


    Something about this felt wrong; like an ambush, without any ambushers, yet still a dangerous place all the same.


    I slowly walked through the building to the outside, turned, and started towards where the odd growths had been marked on the map.  I kept trying to figure out why I felt like I was in a ambush site, but I could¡¯t effectively put it into words or thoughts.  It was vexing.


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    I hit the dirt road that ran parallel to the track just as I heard the clomping of horses hooves through the main building lobby.  I turned with a smile that died on my lips as I saw Halona come out of the train station, followed by none other than Lillianne Lancaster.


    The bane of my existence.


    Well, that might have been a bit much, but considering the mess I was now in, again, it wasn¡¯t too much of a stretch at this point.  At least, not in my opinion.  Still, in this situation, behaving like an adult, and a professional with a vested interest in survival was key.


    So I deliberately beat my temper and annoyance at Lancaster over the head with a club until I was able to think clearly again and focus on the task at hand.


    ¡°Hello ladies.¡±  I said politely as I gestured towards the track.  ¡°Care to join me for a stroll to something most likely horrible and dangerous?¡±


    ¡°That sounds lovely!¡±  Halona chuckled, before she hopped down to the dirt road with a cloud of dust.  With her hide-shirt and pistols, she cut a very imposing figure, surrounded by dust and being a centaur and all.  We were fortunate that it was a nice day at the tail end of summer, otherwise the heat would¡¯ve been brutally distracting.


    ¡°It does have a certain ring to it.¡±  Lillianne agreed as she too hopped down next to the two of them, her boots hitting the dusty ground with a crunch.


    I took a moment to look her up and down, a little surprised by what I saw.


    Gone was the sensible dress of a prim and proper lady reporter.  She instead wore a simple pair of pants, well worn looking work boots, a green shirt and a expensive looking leather jacket.  She had several devices belted on, including a very large, and odd looking pistol on her hip, as well as several other devices strapped to her forearms and thighs.


    During the war, I¡®d spent some time near the east coast, and she reminded me of some of the more eccentric, and eccentrically employed people I¡¯d seen there.


    Best I could tell though, she was ready for combat with the esoteric and the strange.


    Or as ready as one could get.


    ¡°Like what you see?¡±  She asked with a smile.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know, since I don¡¯t know what half of that stuff is.¡±  I replied frankly, eyeing her up and down in her odd getup, for which I had to admit showed off her amazing figure quite well in its own way.  ¡°Do you know how to use all of it?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±  She nodded, her smile vanishing; replaced by a focused mask of professionalism.


    ¡°Good.  Then if you have some capability that is useful for the situation, let us know.  Otherwise, ladies; let¡¯s go.¡±  I shrugged, turned, and started walking through the town.  After a moment I heard their steps behind me as they slowly came up to either side of me.


    ¡°So, how¡¯s the interview going?¡±  I asked, curious, as we slowly walked around a curve of the track towards the town proper.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming along quite nicely.¡±  Lillianne replied with a brief smile.  ¡°Miss Halona is fascinating.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fun, chatting and explaining things.¡±  Halona agreed, sounding happy as she looked around the buildings as we took the wide train track curve.  ¡°And having things explained to me.  Like who my enigmatic travel companion is and what he¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Oh God, not you to!¡±  I muttered darkly as we finally round the curve to see the towns heart stretching out in front of us.  Any further jokes or banter ceased as we saw what was in front of us along with the tracks, road, and buildings.


    ¡°What the hell are those?¡±  I asked, at a loss.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen their like before.¡±  Halona replied quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen things similar, but far smaller, and they lived out in the ocean.¡±  Lillianne whispered, sounding suddenly apprehensive.  ¡°This town is near a lake, but even so, what on earth are those?¡±


    ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll have to figure that out.  At least at a base, practical level of what they can do.¡±  I muttered, cocking my rifle.


    In front of us, pushing up out of the ground like bizarre pumpkin plants, were strange, colorful tendrils that waved back and forth.  They were thick tendrils, like vines or roots, but with the smooth fleshy look of some kind of animal.


    They moved with a slow, lazy undulation back and forth, almost chest high, and each were segmented with bands of color wrapped around them.


    I could see why they¡¯d been called monster plants.


    However, as I kept looking at them, from a very safe distance, I got the distinct feeling that these were somehow alive.  Animal like, not plant like, even though they were mimicking plants pretty damn well.  As I continued to stare at them, more details slowly emerged.


    The root, or stalk, that was connected to the base, were each as thick as my waist!  It looked like the tendrils or vines were almost slimy, as they waved back and forth.  But there, along the ground, almost obscured by all the color, movement and weirdness, was the true terror.


    Thanks to the bizarre plant-mimic bodies I almost missed it!


    Long, curving hook like bones, sticking out in four different circular directions along the ground, almost obscured by the dirt and the strange slimy-tendril body.


    Teeth.  I thought, my blood running cold.  Teeth designed to snatch and hook!


    ¡°Look there!¡±  I quietly pointed out the teeth to the girls.  ¡°It¡¯s like natures living bear trap.¡±


    ¡°Those would snatch you and hold you tight!¡±  Halona realized with a shudder.  Her hands gripped her holstered pistols as her horse legs shifted in place multiple times.


    ¡°The vine things must be both a distraction, and a kind of living tripwire.¡±  Lillianne calmly analyzed with cold focus.  ¡°You look at the strange, dancing tendrils with all their colors, walk up to them in curiosity, touch them, and then the teeth snap shut and you¡¯re trapped.¡±


    ¡°Trapped for what though?¡±  I asked, staring at them in a new light.  I began looking at where they had been placed, and while a few were seemingly random, most were not.  They were strategic: between the road the stairs leading to shop fronts, or at the mouth of various alleys.


    Places with lots of foot traffic, once upon a time.


    ¡°Perhaps the tendrils digest their catch?¡±  Lillianne guessed, sounding both perplexed and horrified.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the townsfolk have simply cut them down or burned them then?¡±  Halona asked, her voice sounding much more under control.


    I shook my head, now understanding why it felt like a giant trap.  It was, but of a different kind.  And one we still didn¡¯t understand.  ¡°We¡¯re still missing something.  Something important.¡±


    ¡°I agree, but short of touching one of them and setting them off, I don¡¯t know how we can learn more.¡±  Lillianne replied, still in hard professional analyzer mode.


    ¡°Agreed.¡±  I said, with a sudden bit of inspiration from her remark before spinning on my heel and heading back the way we came.  ¡°Ladies, back to the train.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±  Halona asked even as they both turned with me and started walking back to the train.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to get some bait, and go fishing.¡±  I replied with a dark chuckle.

 Chapter 10

    My bait was a simple goat I bought from the cattle car.  After I informed the old conductor of what we found, he showed me the new, updated map.


    The things were everywhere, all over town in a big, mostly circular radius.


    Staring at the map as some train hands brought me my goat with a rope to walk it, I pointed to the rough center of the circle, where my eyes kept getting drawn to.  It was almost two blocks, the majority of the whole town, in any direction, from that center to the edge of the circle.  The circle being made up of what the young boy conductor had called Snatch Worms from our description.


    They needed a name, and it was as good as any.


    Lillianne even made the boy feel proud by officially noting it down on the train log as their new name, with him being the one who named it.  Seeing the boy swell with pride, and look at everyone so happily about that, that it had helped calm everyone else down a bit.


    And since the unknown was more feared than anything, giving a name to it strips away some of that fundamental fear.


    ¡°What¡¯s here in this center of the circle?¡±  I asked, eyeing the buildings there.


    ¡°Looks like the town bank.¡±  The old conductor, named Stidham, answered.  ¡°It was a big bank too.  Had a large vault, and a counting room and a loading dock.  That¡¯s why it looks like several buildings all in one.¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s there.¡±  I muttered darkly, looking at it, and it¡¯s position at the general heart of the snatch-worm circle.


    ¡°Most likely, but what?¡±  Stidham agreed, looking puzzled, but steady.  More and more the old man behaved like a sergeant at war rather than a train conductor.  I felt very happy for his presence, as I suspected his crew did as well.


    ¡°No idea.¡±  I sighed.  ¡°It seems too far away from any of these snatch-worms to be of any significance.  However¡­¡±


    ¡°However it¡¯s positioned too perfectly for it to solely be by chance.¡±  Stidham finished for me, eyeing the map with a glare.  ¡°Something¡¯s playing a game with us.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.  But  we need to figure out its game first before we confront it.¡±  I stated firmly.  ¡°Otherwise it¡¯ll beat us like it beat this whole damn town.  They lost to these things, whatever they are.  I aim to win.¡±


    ¡°Well said sir.¡±  Stidham nodded.  ¡°I think they have your goat ready for your little fishing excursion.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±  I replied, standing back up.  ¡°If anyone here knows how to use a gun, and has steady nerves and a steady hand, arm them up.  Same for the passengers.  Right now whatever these thing¡¯s are seem to be passive, but I don¡¯t want to rely on them staying that way.  However, I also don¡¯t want to get shot in the back by accident.¡±


    ¡°Understood sir.¡±  Stidham nodded again, his eyes going over his men briefly.  ¡°I¡¯ve got a few I can trust with pistols and close in work.  But only a couple who are any good with rifles.¡±


    ¡°Some¡¯s better than none.¡±  I shrugged.  ¡°Get them armed, just in case.  And the ones with rifles, have them take spy glasses and find some good spots on the train roofs, or the stations roof.  With plenty of ammo, just in case.  If nothing else, their presence will calm everyone else down.¡±


    ¡°Will do sir.¡±  Stidham turned and set about calling over the men he felt knew guns, and how to be smart with them.  I turned away from the map table, gestured to Lillianne, and hopped down from the train back onto the train station.


    Halona was waiting outside for us, and we fell in together again, this time with me pulling along a small goat.


    ¡°I take it you¡¯re going to feed that goat to one of the worm-snatchers to see what happens?¡±  Lillianne guessed, curious.


    ¡°Yeah, which is why I want both of you in cover and ready to fight, or flee, since we don¡¯t know what will happen.¡±  I answered as we retraced our earlier steps around the curved track and road of the town.  ¡°The way these things are mostly set up is like a defensive perimeter.  They might basically be a wall or bear trap for something to come and feast on at its leisure.  Like a spider with a web.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not be close to something that treats those strange worm creatures like a web or a simple snare.¡±  Halona remarked, shuddering.


    ¡°Nor would I.¡±  I replied.  ¡°So, if whatever shows up is a bit too large, we either wait and let it withdraw, or we just quietly back off on our own.  Right now we desperately need to understand more about what the hell¡¯s going on here.  We¡¯re stumbling in the dark, and that can only get us hurt or killed.¡±


    ¡°Voice of experience?¡±  Lillianne asked as we came around the bend back to the long roads now covered in the strange horrific growths, which we now called snatch-worms.


    ¡°First mission I ever had, leading just a squad as a junior lieutenant.¡±  I muttered darkly as I pointed to a nearby large alleyway for Halona to position herself.  ¡°Was told to attack a small rebel campsite.  Supposed to just be scouts and maybe some message relay men.  Our captain didn¡¯t have it scouted it out beforehand, and we ran slap into a full on advance rifle company being staged there.¡±


    ¡°How did you survive?¡±  She asked, sounding shocked.


    ¡°We attacked at night, and we were among them so fast that no one knew what the hell was going on at first.¡±  I replied with a shrug as I noted a nearby three-story shop building with a good flat roof and a line of stairs on side leading up to it.  ¡°We realized there were way the hell too many there for a small scout party pretty quickly.  So we set fire to some tents, rode around shooting a few officers that we saw, and then road out of there in the confusion.¡±


    ¡°Sounds terrifying.¡±  Lillianne muttered, her eyes never leaving the strange snatch-worms as Halona got into position.


    ¡°It was.¡±  I agreed as I turned to her, while keeping the bizarre things in the corner of my eye.  ¡°Which is why I always do my best to study and learn about whatever I am dealing with.  I never want to be knee deep in an enemy camp, in the dark, surrounded by all those who wish me harm and filled with rage, again.  Now, you see that building?¡±


    She nodded to me that she did.


    ¡°Good.  I want you on that roof, watching, and far away from anything that shows up.  Remember something Miss L.¡±  I stated seriously, getting her full attention.  ¡°The people of this town, those that survived whatever these things are anyway, lost.  They gave up and fled.  If we hope to do any better, we must understand the nature of these things, or we¡¯ll simply make the same mistakes, and either flee or die the same way.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±  She nodded seriously, before turning and heading to the side building stairs.  I quickly turned, and leading the oblivious goat, slowly stalked closer to the twisted things.


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    Once I was as close as I could stand, which was about twenty feet away from the things, and all together too close in my opinion, I stopped.  I quickly bent down, released the goat, gave it a slap, and ran.  The goat bayed in annoyance, then began ambling towards the snatch-worms.


    I quickly ducked around a nearby alleyway between two buildings, my rifle at the ready, and watched.


    Once the goat was close enough, a single wavy tendril lightly grazed its side, and the trap was sprung!


    The snatch-worm surged forward from the ground!  The long, curving hook teeth snapped forward and clamped around the squealing goat!  The tendrils also wrapped around the struggling, yelling animal, and before any of us could even blink, it yanked itself, and the screaming animal, under the ground!


    The head of the goat was still above ground, with several tendrils wrapped around it, and it let out a piteous whine one last time before it was suddenly yanked fully under the dirt.


    There was barely a little depressed mound of what looked like a filled in hole where the snatch-worm, and the goat had been, but that was it.  There wasn¡¯t even any blood, apart from the initial wound from the hook teeth.  If I hadn¡¯t just seen it, and known what to look for, I wouldn¡¯t have known anything much had happened, besides there being a small, poorly filled in hole in the road.


    The whole ordeal had taken less than twenty seconds.


    I stared for a moment, stunned, before I slowly left my crouch and came to stand out in the middle of the road, a bit stunned.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you hiding?¡±  Halona called, sounding shanken.  Not that I blamed her.  I was shaken too.


    ¡°Because there¡¯s no need to.¡±  I told her, feeling a few of the pieces start to fall into place.  ¡°Those snatch-worms aren¡¯t holding the food.  I think they might actually be eating it themselves.  Why else go underground?¡±


    ¡°So, what does that mean for us?¡±  Halona asked, slowly coming out of her hiding spot, each hand holding a pistol.


    I sighed in irritation at this growing mess I was stuck in the middle of.  ¡°It means we need to back off and rethink a few things at a safer location.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with here?¡±  She asked, frowning.  ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining about leaving, mind you.¡±


    ¡°Those things get you from underground.¡±  I told her.  ¡°That means tunnels, or at least the ability to move around underground fairly well.  I don¡¯t know about you, but I don¡¯t want to stand around on dirt anywhere near these things.¡±


    She stared at me, and then at the snatch-worms, all of them still waving their tendrils and seemingly unconcerned about anything that just happened.  Somehow that just made them seem even more sinister.  Especially with the circle of disturbed earth next to them.


    ¡°Oh.¡±  She said quietly.  I agreed with the sentiment.  The longer we stood anywhere near these things, the more nervous I became.  I wanted to leave, and leave now.


    ¡°Miss L!¡±  I called up to the building.  ¡°We¡¯re heading back to the train!¡±


    ¡°Coming down!¡±  She called back, and quickly came flying down the stairs.  As soon as she reached us, we turned and started walking away from the snatch-worms very quickly.


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡±  She asked as we walked back to the train.


    ¡°Probably have to sacrifice another goat.¡±  I muttered, thinking through the few pieces we had, which weren¡¯t many.


    ¡°Why?¡±  Lillianne asked, curious.


    ¡°If we can rig some rope or something, we can see how far those things travel underground.  Or if they just stop a few feet from the hole.¡±  I answered distractedly.  I thought of the map of snatch-worms in my head; a big circle, which made slightly better sense.  ¡°I want to know if they¡¯re feeding something in that big bank they¡¯re all sitting around, or if it¡¯s truly coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Do we have enough rope?¡±  Halona asked, sounding uncertain.


    I shrugged as the station came back into sight.  ¡°Gotta start somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Well, we may not need any rope, actually.¡±  Lillianne stated quietly, causing me and Halona to stop and stare at her.


    ¡°Meaning what?¡±  I asked, eyeing her shrewdly.  ¡°It¡¯s not like we can risk a dog, or any other animal, to try and track their scent.  And it looks like those tunnels seal up behind them when they move underground.¡±


    In response, she reached over to one of the cases strapped to her left thigh, opposite of the large, oddly designed pistol on her right.  She reached in and pulled out a odd looking glass tube that had a tapered point at one end and a round one at the other.


    ¡°A glass icicle?¡±  I asked, confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s a kind of special bullet for my pistol.¡±  She said proudly.  ¡°I have several different bullets of various capabilities.  You said to let you know if I had any that were useful.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did say that.¡±  I replied, staring at the odd glass tube-bullet.  I noted it had a kind of yellow liquid inside it, and that it was roughly twice the size as one of my 44 caliber rounds for my own weapons.  What bizarre times I live in.  I smiled as I looked from her strange ammunition to her.  Strange was left behind years ago when I had to duel a hotheaded warlord, who was also a human tiger.


    ¡°And?¡±  I asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.  ¡°What can that glass icicle do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a tracker round.¡±  She answered calmly.  ¡°I don¡¯t really understand all of how it works.  The man I bought it from was, well, eccentric is being both mild, and polite.  Anyway, he said it had something to do with electric eels and electric impulse signals.¡±


    ¡°I understood exactly none of that beyond the eels, and that¡¯s only because I read about them in a book back at school.¡±  I replied dryly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what an eel is.¡±  Halona chipped in, looking lost, but fascinated by it all nonetheless.


    ¡°It¡¯s a kind of ocean dwelling fish snake.¡±  I summarized for her.  ¡°One that can famously shock you like a tiny living bolt of lightening.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±  Her eyes practically lit up at the thought.  Both I and Lillianne had to try and keep from laughing out loud at her reaction.


    ¡°My point,¡± Lillianne said, bringing us back on topic.  ¡°Is that I can shoot this into the next got we bring out, and once it gets grabbed, we can track where it goes.  Both the direction, and roughly how far.  We¡¯ll also be able to tell when it stops.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±  I asked, stopping to stare at her and her, seemingly, magic bullet.


    ¡°It transmits a electrical pulse to this device.¡±  She pointed to a bracer on her left arm, which I thought was just some odd, bulky armor.  It, like the rest of the odd armor and gadgets she had on, was a mixture of brass, copper, and leather.


    She carefully put the glass tracking bullet away, and then flipped a very small latch open on the bracer to reveal a row of small glass orbs running from her wrist to halfway to her elbow, where the bracer stopped.


    ¡°These light up when pointed in the right direction, and the closer you get.¡±  She explained.  ¡°Point my arm in the right direction, and at least one will light up.  The closer we get, the more light up.¡±


    ¡°Clever.¡±  I muttered, staring at the wild piece of tech.  ¡°That would change so much!  Why aren¡¯t they being manufactured?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve tried.¡±  She shrugged.  ¡°And it is, but it has to be handmade, from lots of diagrams with lots of materials.  Some things can be made in factories, but most have to be assembled and crafted by gunsmiths and coppersmiths.¡±


    ¡°Coppersmith?¡±  I asked, confused.  ¡°I don¡¯t know that term.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what some people started calling the machinists and craftsmen who specialize in this elaborate machinery made by, er, very eccentric scientists and engineers.¡±  Lillianne explained, though her stumbling over the behavior of these makers worried me.  ¡°The name is fairly new, since much of the stuff they work around has lots of brass, wood, and copper, people just started calling them coppersmiths.  It was meant to make them different from gunsmiths or blacksmiths.¡±


    ¡°And this coppersmith tool will work to track the goat?¡±  Halona asked as she leaned over to stare at the device with childlike wonder.


    ¡°It will.  It¡¯ll wear off after about twenty minutes though.¡±  She cautioned us.  I just shrugged in response to that as I straightened back up and looked back the way we came.


    In the end, while I didn¡¯t really understand the device, I also didn¡¯t need to.  Lillianne did, and she was confident she could make it work.  I had a sneaking suspicion about where that tracker would lead us, but I really wanted to know for sure.  However, in the even I was right, I felt it was best to be better prepared.


    ¡°Great work Miss L.¡±  I said, turning back to the station.  ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the train.  We have a few more supplies to pick up, along with the goat, before we go back to fishing.  Time to load up before we saddle up.¡±


    ¡°As you command, Wild Ranger.¡±  Lillianne replied with an impish grin.


    ¡°Yes, Master Ranger.¡±  Halona bowed at the waist with a smirk.


    I sighed in utter exasperation as I strode forward once again, now determined to ignore the two brats.  They just burst out into wicked giggles as they followed me.


    How is it that women can make giggles sound so vile?  I wondered as I stubbornly ignored them for the rest of the walk back.


    It was time to get some tools that would give us a bigger bang for our buck.

 Chapter 11

    After informing Stidham and the train crew, and through them the passengers of what we had learned, I bought another goat.


    And then got ahold of some dynamite the train had been transporting.


    ¡°You really intend to blow them up?¡±  Lillianne asked, eyeing me as again walked back out to where the snatch-worms were waiting.  Things that we now knew that while they mimicked plants, they were most definitely not plants.  What I wanted to know was something else about them.


    Well, several things, but I was going to take what I could get.


    ¡°Not yet.¡±  I replied with a shrug as we rounded the bend once again, to gaze upon the intrusion of an alien world onto our own, again.  ¡°If I never see these things, or this town, again after this mess, it will be too damn soon.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±  Halona replied, shifting nervously as she gazed at what amounted to the twisted union of a bear trap and a trapdoor spider.


    With bright pretty colors no less.


    ¡°But you plan to blow them up at some point?¡±  Lillianne pressed, after she too had shuddered when she saw them again.


    ¡°I do, but I¡¯m willing to bet the townspeople tried that too at some point.¡±  I answered as we slowly came up to the same spot where we all split up earlier.  ¡°They have a prospecting building here, and you need explosives for that sooner or later.  Yet these things are here, big as life, and the townspeople either evacuated or were eaten.  Apparently.  So, I¡¯m betting we¡¯re still missing something, and I aim to fix that.¡±


    ¡°What do you think is going on?¡±  Halona asked, eyeing both me and the snatch-worms.  None of us were willing to fully look away from the bizarre things.


    ¡°I have a suspicion that they¡¯re somehow connected to whatever is in that bank.¡±  I told them, slowly leading the goat forward again, hating how close I had to get these dangerous things.  ¡°But I don¡¯t know for sure, and I want to see if I¡¯m right.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know if there¡¯s anything in that bank!¡±  Lillianne argued back, annoyed.  ¡°You just want to get in there so you can salvage whatever money it has!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t turn that chance down.¡±  I agreed with a laugh.  ¡°But I don¡¯t think that bank is empty.  There¡¯s too many little things off about this that makes me think something¡¯s there.  Somehow.  We¡¯ll find out after this, either way.  So, if you would please shoot this goat with your fantastical tracking bullet Miss L?¡±


    I gestured to the hindquarters of the goat as I undid the rope and left it standing there, looking around curiously as I walked back to the group.


    ¡°It¡¯s not fantastical.¡±  She grumbled as she pulled out her large pistol, with its cartridge holder forward from the handle rather than back, checked that her shot was loaded in the right chamber, and then aimed it at the goat.


    ¡°Says you.¡±  I muttered, catching a slight smirk that flitted across Halona¡¯s face before she went back to being serious.


    Lillianne didn¡¯t reply as she sighted down her pistol to the goat, and then pulled the trigger.  Rather than the bang of a normal pistol, there was a sound like steam shooting out of the frame of the pistol, then a sound that reminded me of the thumping of a cannon pipe.  Then the goat let out a sudden scream, and charged head first into the snatch-worms!


    I blinked in surprise.  The hell kind of pistol is that?


    I didn¡¯t have long to wonder about it though as the goat charged straight into the little mini forest of snatch-worms, and was immediately snatched up and pulled screaming underground, again.


    And it was just as fast and terrifying to watch as the last time.


    ¡°Well?¡±  I asked, keeping the rest of the forest of hell spawned things in the corner of my eye as I turned to look at her.


    ¡°Just a minute.¡±  She replied, putting her pistol back into its holster on her hip, and then flipping open the little line of lights on her arms bracer.  Then she held her arm up and pointed it in the general direction of the of where the goat had been snatched.


    For a moment, there was nothing.  However, before I could even think of saying anything, the little orbs began to light up!  Slowly at first, but then longer and quicker, and in various patterns.  The patterns meant nothing to me, but they seemed to mean something to her.


    After a few moments though, I started to get antsy.


    ¡°Well?¡±  I asked, watching as she waved her arm around, seemingly trying to either shanks the device to make it work, or give her different results.


    ¡°It looks like it goes to the bank, or somewhere around it at least.¡±  She replied, sounding almost sullen about it.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±  I nodded, keeping the monstrous things in my eyesight as I nodded my head in mock thoughtfulness.  ¡°So, according to your fantastical device, it¡¯s going right exactly to where I thought it would?  Wow!  That would mean that I actually knew what I was talking about!  More, it would mean that I was actually right!  What an amazing concept!¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up!¡±  She snapped, glaring at me while Halona just laughed out loud.  ¡°We still don¡¯t really know what¡¯s going on!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you confirmed my theory, either way.¡±  I told her with a very smug smile on my face, causing her to just glare even more.  ¡°Now we need to come up with our next plan.  One that deals with these things, and whatever is feeding inside the bank.¡±


    With a sigh, we and glanced back at the waiting snatch-worms.


    I was really growing to hate the sight of the things.


    They were a simple thing to apparently avoid, but they had chosen their ground well.  So, not a defensive ring, although it can function like that just fine.  I thought, running the information through my head.  But it¡¯s a feeding ring of some kind.  Are they, connected somehow to the bank monster?


    I shuddered at that stray thought.


    I growled quietly in exasperation.  I was getting tired of tiptoeing around these things, but there wasn¡¯t much else I could do.  I knew, or heavily suspected anyway, that the real target was in the bank, and we needed to get in there to kill it.  But with this circle of snatch-worms in the way, it would know we were coming.


    And since those things could move when they wanted too, I decided to err on the side of caution, and assume they could be made to move and attack.  It didn¡¯t make sense for them to only be capable of sitting and waiting.  I had a feeling those things moving around underfoot was one of the major reasons the survivors of the town threw in the towel and left.


    I honestly couldn¡¯t blame them.  The thought of it also terrified me: take a step on a road in broad daylight only to be snatched up and pulled underground to your death.  Yeah¡­no thanks.


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    Still, that left us with the issue of how to get past them.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±  Halona asked me, startling me out of my thoughts.  ¡°You have this half glare, half inquisitive look on your face.¡±


    ¡°Oh he¡¯s probably trying to workout how to get past the snatch-worms.¡±  Lillianne replied with a shrug before I could say anything.  ¡°He had the same look on his face right before he led his cavalry charge against the giants.¡±


    ¡°Against one giant!¡±  I snapped, annoyed.


    ¡°Who was surrounded by practically all the rest!¡±  She snapped back, exasperated.  ¡°So, to get to him, you had to charge through all the rest!  Ergo, you led a charge against giants, plural!¡±


    I grumbled at the triumphant look on her face and looked back at the snatch-worms.  I also ignored the grin on Halona¡¯s face.  We¡¯re surrounded by monsters!  I thought darkly.  One would think they¡¯d be a little more serious.


    Though the same could be said of me, I guess.


    The oddly sedate nature of these things just seemed to invite people to loosen up.  I frowned at that.  Perhaps how they got such a foothold?  I wondered as I looked around the area they were all at.  People just relaxed too much until it was too late?


    Another creepy thought.


    ¡°Too bad we can¡¯t just hop over them.¡±  Halona muttered, looking at them as well.  ¡°But they reach too high, and I don¡¯t wish to see how far they can stretch when they need too.¡±


    I nodded absently, when the thought suddenly hit me!


    I whirled around to look at the buildings around all of us.  Specifically, how close they all were, and what kinds of roofs they had.  A mad plan was taking shape in my head, and I couldn¡¯t help but grin a little.


    Hop over them indeed!  I thought, my grin getting a few more teeth in it.


    ¡°What?¡±  Lillianne asked, staring at me.  ¡°I recognize that grin.  You had it right before the charge, and when you fought that tiger warlord.¡±


    ¡°That striped jackass challenged me!¡±  I laughed at the look of surprise on her face.  ¡°And neither of us were fighting over nations or citizenship or war and peace.  At least, not until later when everyone else heaped everything onto that damn fight.  The original challenge was for a rematch to a brawl where I kicked his stripe tailed ass, and he was furious about it.¡±


    ¡°I thought your fight with him was to shut down his argument against joining the Union, and to stop him from bullying all the other factions into agreeing with him.¡±  Lillianne remarked, looking confused.


    ¡°It was.¡± I laughed as I waved both girls back away from the monster tendrils with jaws as long as half my leg.  ¡°But that was later, and technically it was me accepting his demand for a rematch.  That fight had a lot riding on it, but for him and me, it was personal.  Among the Beastkin, those who demand a rematch don¡¯t get their way, unless the other party agrees.  That was basically me agreeing, and using it to shut him down.¡±


    ¡°So what was the real fight over?¡±  Halona asked as she clomped next to us, looking fascinated and amused, as though she already had an idea.  ¡°What was the original fight over that he demanded a rematch for, and you used to reshape history?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s going a bit far.¡±  I muttered darkly, rolling my eye as we quickly walked back to the station.  I¡¯d had them set up the dynamite inside the station itself, so we quickly walked over to it.  Now I needed a way to load a lot of this stuff reliably, and carry it for what I was contemplating.


    But we needed a little more information first.


    ¡°No it¡¯s not.¡±  Lillianne disagreed sharply, piercing me with her sharp eyed gaze.  ¡°That duel and the giants charge are celebrated among the Beastkin as legendary heroic moments for their people.  And you are celebrated as a hero to their people as well.  That play I mentioned the other night?  The one about your many heroic deeds in the Frontier and the war?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±  I grumbled, all but shuddering at the mention of it.


    ¡°The majority of it was financed by the more prominent Beastkin leaders and financiers.¡±  She grinned impishly at me.  ¡°Apparently, the original production was to be much more humble and modest; a local play of some famous Union Legends, with you chief among them.  However, the local Beastkin community heard about it, and the money just poured in.¡±


    I stared in shock and no small amount of horror.  ¡°They spent their money on that nonsense?!¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a waste to them.¡±  Lillianne smiled as her eyes narrowed.  ¡°Now then, Halona asked a question; what was the original fight with the tiger warlord over.  You mentioned a brawl.  What were you two brawling about?¡±


    I looked away from both women, trying to focus back on the task at hand, but I could all but feel the weight of their stares, and how they both leaned in and crowed me.  I sighed and slumped in defeat.  Me and my damn big mouth.


    ¡°A cause worth fighting for.¡±  I stated vaguely, hoping that would get them to back off.  It didn¡¯t.  Naturally.


    ¡°Which is?¡±  Lillianne asked, now back in full reporter mode.


    ¡°Oh I think I know!¡±  Halona stated, who suddenly looked like she was trying hard not to laugh.  She also looked like she was about to fail miserably at it too.  I just groaned again before sighing and giving up the ghost.


    Fighting monsters is easier than dealing with these two!  I thought darkly as I looked away from both of them.


    ¡°A woman.¡±  I finally uttered.  ¡°A beautiful Beastkin woman.¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡±  Halona burst out laughing, finally losing her battle to hold it in.  Lillianne looked shocked, and seemed like she couldn¡¯t decide between laughing or yelling.


    ¡°She took a fancy to a young Union cavalry officer who was very tired from a long march and was looking for some company to share a table of food and drink with.¡±  I explained, each word almost being pulled out of me while I glared at Halona, who just laughed harder.  ¡°Unfortunately, an equally young, hot tempered tiger man fancied her too, and decided to impress her by picking a fight with the man she was eating and drinking with.  It didn¡¯t go the way he thought it would.¡±


    ¡°He was a warlord at that summit!¡±  Lillianne stared at me in shock, awe, and what almost looked like jealousy.  ¡°And you beat him like a drum in a tavern, all over a woman?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much.¡±  I replied with a shrug.  ¡°Everyone else either forgot about it, or didn¡¯t put two and two together, except for my men, who luckily, kept their traps shut.  And the beating was not one way.  Beastkin in general, and tigers especially, are damn fast, and strong as an ox.  I had to get clever to kick his ass, which I did.  Which is also what I¡¯m doing here, if you two are done gossiping about ancient history.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±  Halona asked, still giggling as she looked at the box of dynamite.  ¡°And what plan is this?  Hurl the dynamite at the snatch worms, clear a path, and then charge the bank, guns blazing?¡±


    ¡°If I was an idiot in a play, perhaps.¡±  I replied, glaring at both of them.  They just stared back at me with evil smirks and raised eyebrows.  I rolled my eyes and got on with explaining the plan to them.


    ¡°The buildings are close enough that we can just jump from one to the other.  And if we need to, get some boards or planks and make a makeshift bridge, and bypass the circle of snatch-worms altogether.¡±  I explained, gesturing to the buildings and how close they all were to one another.  ¡°Then we blow a hole in the roof of the bank, and clear the building, by gun or by bomb, floor by floor, until whatever is in there is dead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­dramatic.¡±  Lillianne replied, looking like she wanted to say something else.


    ¡°What of the snatch-worms?¡±  Halona asked, seemingly unconcerned about how crazy the whole thing sounded out loud.  I wasn¡¯t sure if I should be comforted or disturbed by that.


    ¡°I suspect they are connected to whatever is in the bank.  Perhaps physically for all we know.  If we kill the main thing, those should, hopefully, die as well.  But we will still have to be fast, and get out of there quickly.¡±  I nodded to her.


    ¡°You can probably save time in the bank by going to either their ground floor or their underground vault floor.¡±  Lillianne sighed as she seemed to just give up on trying to change my plan.  ¡°The snatch-worms seem to be all about being underground and moving through it.  So, if they are connected to something, or just feeding it, it would need to be on the ground floor or the underground vault floor.  Probably the latter.¡±


    ¡°Good, every second will matter, but a destination is better.¡±  I nodded as I looked at the bombs.  ¡°We need to carry to a lot, just in case.  But you can only carry so much of this stuff.¡±


    ¡°You take some saddlebags loaded with them with you.¡±  Halona said, looking excited.  ¡°I will carry the rest, and throw them at the snatch-worms, gaining their attention.¡±


    I blinked in surprise.  That could work.  It had been while since I worked with a team.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±  Lillianne stated.  ¡°I can carry the load, and my weapons and gear can give us an advantage.¡±


    She shrugged when I looked at her in surprise.  ¡°If nothing else, I can watch your back.¡±


    I looked at these two impressive women, and had to concede that I was lucky to be working with them.  Mostly.  I could do without the dime store novels, and everything that came with them.


    ¡°Have a place you can retreat too, off the ground.¡±  I told Halona sternly.  ¡°Here if you think you can make it, or the train I guess.  But have a place closer picked out if you need it.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±  She nodded seriously.


    ¡°And you,¡± I said, looking over at Lillianne.  ¡°I enter the rooms first, and you will back me up.  You will follow my lead all the way, understood?¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±  She nodded solemnly.  I could also tell that she actually meant it.  It was in the set of her shoulders and the tightness in her jaw.  The fire in her eyes also helped.


    ¡°Good, then lets get ready.¡±  With that said, we all got to work.

 Chapter 12

    Lugging a bunch of long planks, and a saddlebag full of dynamite, along with my weapons, up several flights of stairs to a roof, is hard, sweaty, thankless work.  I had a new respect for all builders who either built places, or fixed them.  It¡¯s slow, taxing, and makes every step feel like a mile after awhile.


    With no adrenaline from a fight, or desperate battle to stay alive, each step was slow, hot, heavy, and utterly miserable.


    In the end, when Lillianne and I finally got everything up to the roof, we both took a minute to catch our breath.


    After our last report to Stidham, my original plan had been refined a little bit.  Halona had some modified saddle bags that she could run and throw dynamite from, along with a long burning wick to light them.  Lillianne and I had several long planks that could function like bridges for us to use and move across the buildings roofs better.  And if we needed too, we could pull them with us and reuse them as we worked our way across the buildings.


    It was certainly better than jumping building after building for nearly two blocks.


    The only issue was when we had to move across one street that separated the two blocks, with the bank block residing inside the second one.  It was a concern only that we didn¡¯t know if the snatch-worms would care and attack us or not.  In the end, we had no real choice.


    I hated to see what two dozen of these things could do to a train car, especially one filled with people.  They might not stop the train, per se, but I was willing to bet they could rip it apart while it passed by them.  I briefly thought of all the people on there, such as young Andrew, who would be at these things mercy, and I shuddered.


    Time to get to work.  I thought darkly, as I readied the first long plank, and carefully set it up and let it fall into place between the roof we were on and the next one.  If bounced for a moment, creating an awful racket in the silent town, and then settled.  I glanced down to check, and was relieved to see that the snatch-worms weren¡¯t moving.


    Sighing, I glanced back at the plank in question.


    It was wide, as planks went; a good three feet wide.  But three stories up, with nothing to hold it down or any guardrails; it suddenly looked a great deal smaller.  I groaned as I looked at it.


    I hated haphazard crap like this!  And yet I always seemed to be stuck doing it!  There were times when I hated my life, and the joy God seemed to take in making me face down terrors.


    ¡°I will hold it.¡±  Lillianne said, walking up behind me and then taking a gripping stance with the plank and roof.  ¡°Go, quickly, and look at your destination.  Focus on that, not all the distractions.¡±


    ¡°Easier said then done.¡±  I muttered darkly as I quickly, and carefully, scrambled up the side of the roof and got onto the plank, carrying all the extra stuff we had brought.  I really hoped the plank was strong enough to handle the weight.


    Then, before my courage to desert me, I quickly stood and walked with confidence across the bridge, praying God would keep me safe as I did.


    He did.


    I made it across, hopped down, caught my breath, and then turned and held the plank in place on my end for Lillianne.  She quickly scrambled up, and with a gasp and gulp of her own, walked across the makeshift bridge with the rest of our gear as well.


    The plank bowed a little, but otherwise held up, even with our weight.


    Still, it was a good thing we had extras.


    And that was how we slowly worked our way across the two blocks.  It was slow, hard, and terrifying.  By now the sun was getting low in the sky; we¡¯d been at this monster examination for several hours now.  Noon had come and gone, and the shadows were starting to grow.


    I had no desire to spend a night in this town, in any capacity.


    We would get this done, and then we¡¯d leave, all before the night rolled in.


    The only real issue arose when we had to cross the road.  As we worked our way through the building to the ground floor, we saw what looked like empty road, so we carefully went and started across it.  As we were about halfway across, I saw the ground next to us start to shift upward, like something was carefully pushing up from under it.


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    ¡°Run!¡±  I snapped to Lillianne, and we both burst into a sprint across the rest of the road.  Behind us a snatch-worm rose through the dirt and took up position in the middle of it, its tendrils waving back and forth as its hooked teeth slid out of its tube body, and then snapped open onto the ground.


    A living bear trap indeed.


    Catching our breath, we made our back up to the roof, now with fewer planks, so it was a little easier.  Once there, we crossed the last few buildings to the last one before the massive bank.


    ¡°Last chance to back out.¡±  I told her as we set the plank up.  It was much easier with the bank and building being much closer together.


    ¡°If you¡¯re scared, I can lead the way.¡±  She replied impishly.  We both chuckled before we repeated the familiarly routine one last time, and then suddenly, we were both on the roof of the bank.


    Home to whatever horror had taken up residence in it.


    We both gasped for breath, and then set our gear down to go through it, and to take some time to breathe again.  I took a long drink of water from a canteen, then passed it to her, and she did the same.


    We divided up the gear, weapons and bombs as best we could, and then signaled Halona with a single shot.  She signaled back with two shots.  In ten minutes, she would toss her bombs at the snatch-worms closest to the train station, and hopefully draw their attention away from us.  Or at least clear out some of them from around the track.


    I looked at Lillianne and nodded, my rifle at the ready.  She nodded back, her odd pistol held at the ready.


    We quickly turned smashed the roof door open and entered bank, our weapons at the ready.  I descended the stairs to the top floor quickly, Lillianne right behind me, and we quickly moved from room to room, clearing each one.  Some were private offices or small conference rooms, but on the whole everything was in largely good order; just empty and dusty.


    Having found nothing, not even evidence of frantic leaving, I felt a little disconcerted.  Still, I stayed confident, and with a nod to the staircase at Lillianne, we headed down to the next floor.  Once we¡¯d cleared our first room there, I quickly checked my watch.


    We only had a couple more minutes before Halona started chucking bombs.


    Moving around this silent, seemingly abandoned building, checking every door, weapons ready, wondering if someone or something was going to jump out and attack, was certainly nerve wracking.  I¡¯d done it a few times in the war, and each time, the body reacts like it¡¯s in danger; the heartbeat speeds up, the blood pumps, adrenaline is dumped into the body, sweat builds up, and all your senses come in sharper and clearer.  It¡¯s a hard fight between focus, and the cloud brought on by the spirit of fear.


    We had just finished clearing the second floor; more offices and storage closets of records and paper, when we heard several explosions go off!


    We looked at each other, and then quickly headed over to the stairs to the ground floor.


    Several more explosions went off as we reached the floor, followed by some shooting.


    Rifles.  I recognized the sound.  The boys from the train station.  I shrugged and refocused; couldn¡¯t worry about any of that.  I had a job to do, and I had to stay focused on that.  Waving her forward with my hand, we quickly moved through the first floor of the bank.


    Here, at last, there were signs of major disruption; papers everywhere, furniture overturned, even a few holes in floor behind the tellers counter.  Lots of dried blood in certain areas.  I could guess at what happened here, and that it had happened rather quickly.  Those that survived the initial onslaught likely fled through the front doors or the back doors.


    The snatch-worms eventually followed, underground, and began consuming the town.


    The town fought back, but lost, because they didn¡¯t clear out whatever had started the mess.


    I sighed.  I really didn¡¯t want to go down into the dark of the underground vault floor.  I¡¯d rather just drop a bunch of dynamite into the holes, and call it a day.  But we really needed to make sure this monster was dead, or else it was just start again, and have time to grow to an even bigger mess.


    Nodding again to Lillianne, I pointed with my rifle at the stairs that led down to the underground vault.  She gulped, and nodded, her large coppersmith pistol at the ready.


    Neither of us relished the idea of descending those stairs.


    We quickly moved around the cleared out first floor, and gathered some lanterns to use for light, since there would be no light to be had down there.  We quickly got them lit and ready.  I¡¯d heard of electric lights, and even seen a few once, but they were still rare as blue diamonds out in the frontier, or many of the frontier towns like this one.


    Too fragile.


    Still, lanterns can work just fine for light, and we quickly each got one, lit and bright, before turning back to the stairs.


    Taking another deep breath, and gathering my courage, I headed over to them, and slowly began working my way down.  I could hear Lillianne behind me, and together, we descended down into the ground.


    Down into the dark.


    Down into the den of something horrific, that we had now become tasked with clearing out.


    Being a legendary folk hero sucks.  I thought darkly as we stepped down into the dark

 Chapter 13

    The deeper we went, the more apparent it became that there was something down there alright.  Something foul.  The walls were covered with a kind of slimy, fungus growth, and the stench that hit us as we reached the bottom floor was brutal.  I quickly tied a large cloth around my face, in an effort to block out the smell, and Lillianne quickly did the same.


    It didn¡¯t help much, but it helped a little.


    Holding up the lanterns, which I did a little awkwardly since I was still holding my rifle, we slowly worked our way forward.  The underground vault room wasn¡¯t much; a large empty foyer with a big metal door and a large, seemingly massive, walk in vault.  With our little lanterns, we shed some light onto the room, revealing what had happened to the place.


    It had become, twisted, for lack of a better word.


    Disgusting growths like fungus, mushrooms, and things much more flesh then plant covered much of the walls and ceiling.  Several thick tendrils, about the size of the snatch-worms came from within the the partially open vault door, and went right into the walls.  The smell reminded me of a mixture of manure, and rotting flesh, with the smell that also comes from insect nests when they are ripped open mixed in.


    I had to focus to not puke from the stench.  It was worse then the battlefield stench of hundreds of dead men!  I grunted, taking a moment to focus through the smell, and back onto the twisted horror that had become the underground bank vault.


    Maybe I should just toss the sticks inside the vault and run.  I was seriously considering that thought.  The vault door was partially open, to let out several of the thick snatch-worm tentacles, but the door was closed enough that we couldn¡¯t see inside.


    Opening the door was going to be easy.  Seeing what was waiting inside of it?  Not so much.


    Looking at the long, thick tentacles, I decided I wasn¡¯t really that curious about whatever was inside the vault.  I stopped, put my rifle into the leather back strap I had for it, then set down the saddle bags we¡¯d stuffed full of dynamite.  I pulled out several rolled together sticks of the stuff, and considered my options.


    With the vault door propped open by the tendril things, we wouldn¡¯t be able to close the door on the blast.  And considering what waited inside, I wasn¡¯t confident we could even if it wasn¡¯t blocked.  We could toss it an run.  A tactic which became more appealing with every second in here, but the timing would be hard; since we would have to make it up the stairs and generally out of the building to be safe from the blast.


    If the thing inside messed with the fuse, even by accident, we would have to come back down to try again.


    No.  Thank.  You.


    That meant a correct amount of dynamite, applied at the correct location, with enough time to get the hell out of this room.  That, in turn, meant we had to be ready to leave as soon as we lit.  I quietly turned to look at Lillianne and gestured for her to come close and bend down.


    ¡°Shed whatever gear you don¡¯t need.  No saddle bags.  If anything is weighing you down too much, drop it.¡±  I whispered to her, moving my own saddlebags and the lantern carefully out the way.  ¡°When we light this, we toss them where we want them, and then run.  Timing will be tight, and if you fall down, trip, or are just too slow, you die.  We run up the stairs and out of this building.  The further away we can get, the better.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to try and shoot it?¡±  She asked quietly, looking perplexed, but otherwise taking my advice and removing the saddlebags and extra gear she had on.  She kept her coppersmith gear though.


    ¡°I would, but,¡± I replied in a whisper as I looked around the twisted, half flesh, half fungus nature of everything in this room.  ¡°Something tells me bullets won¡¯t be all that effective.¡±


    ¡°Alright, are we just tossing the bombs then?¡±  She asked, looking around the room in fearful disgust as well.


    ¡°No.¡±  I answered reluctantly.  ¡°We need to know what we¡¯re dealing with, or it could just shut our bombs down.  So, we open the door, look, decide where to toss, light, toss, and run.¡±


    ¡°So simple.¡±  She muttered, trying not to shiver as she looked around.


    ¡°Not like a dime store novel, now is it?¡±  I replied, actually grinning as I stood back up.


    She glared at me, to which I just grinned more at I got out my book of matches, and got several ready.  She rolled her eyes, and stood up as well, her own bomb in hand.  I looked at her pistol, and frowned in thought.


    ¡°Got any other magic bullets for that thing?¡±  I asked.  ¡°Something better at dealing with flesh then lead?¡±


    ¡°I have a few loaded, yeah.¡±  She nodded, raising a dark eyebrow.  ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Have your gun at the ready.¡±  I told her, looking at the roll of dynamite sticks I had in my hand, and another I had in my dusters pocket.  ¡°It¡¯s best if one us can shoot back, if we need to.¡±


    She nodded, and set her dynamite back down carefully, before pulling out her pistol and shifting to a proper stance, ready to fire.


    ¡°Here we go.¡±  I told her, and turned and carefully walked over to the huge metal vault door.  Gripping the metal spin handle, I sighed, then carefully began to pull it open, until at last it swung open on its own, with no resistance.


    At last, we were finally able to get a look at what was inside.


    Disgusting and twisted were the only words that really came too mind.  It was like a large fleshy body in a heap, with a large tube of a neck that rose out of the center, with a multi-chitinous beak for a mouth.  Tendrils of flesh, and long ropes of horrific and strangely glowing fungus wrapped around it.


    It was like a giant, deadly worm of some kind, mixed together with some kind of monstrous mushroom tendrils.  All of it glowing an eerie light pale blue glow.


    The worst of it though, was when the vault door bumped the wall slightly, and caused a minor thump of sound.  That sound caused dozens of eyes on the fleshy tendrils to suddenly open, and stare at us.


    I was shocked and terrified.  Horrified.  But above all else, utterly disgusted.


    Shooting out from the main body, into and through the walls of the vault, were the long, thick tube bodies of the snatch-worms.  They fanned out in a fairly wide ring, minus the area with the door.  This was likely the full body.  Which meant, there was only one actual snatch-worm, and all the others were it¡¯s hands.


    The eyes blinked at me, stared for another moment, then went back to ignoring me.  I breathed again, and quickly looked around the room.  My eyes caught on the bodies of some men in the corner of the room, next to the door.  They looked like they¡¯d been half mangled, half covered in fungus, but not fully eaten, for some reason.


    Something about them made me stare.


    Where those robes?  I wondered.  Looking at the wall where the bodies laid, there were words scrawled in blood, though none made any sense.  Hail the coming of Carcosa!  Glory to the King wrapped in Yellow!  Praise the Faceless Pharaoh!


    The hell?  I stared, transfixed by what looked like lunacy written in blood.  It looked like something had gone badly wrong here, long before this giant snatch-worm had ever showed up.  Sadly, I dallied too long, and suddenly several small, fleshy tendrils, each with a random glowing eye upon it, shot out from the main body and grabbed me!


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    ¡°Blast it!¡±  I yelled at Lillianne, the tendrils snapping me out of my silence.  I held onto the dynamite and matched through sheer luck as several of the tendrils produced mouths, latched onto me and yanked me up towards the beak mouth of the worm head that began to open wide.  I kicked and fought them, but there were several, and they were strong.


    ¡°On it!¡±  She yelled, and another strange shot rang out, and slammed into the base where several of those tendrils were coming from.


    The creature squealed from the impact, but then it started to actually scream!  I watched in fascination, ice began to grow out from the wound, tearing at the flesh and freezing it solid as grew outward for several inches in every direction!


    Some of the tendrils holding me snapped at the frozen area, and I was able to kick them off.


    Struggling, I put the matches in my mouth, pulled my knife, and started stabbing and cutting where I could.  The creature screamed, and then yanked me up to its mouth, which was gaping wide!


    ¡°No!¡±  Lillianne screamed, and there was  another shot.  The creature dangled me over its mouth now, with my feet scraping the roof of the vault, when it screamed in pain as another part of its body seemed to half melt, half burst into flames!


    It¡¯s mouth opened wide, whether in pain or hunger I couldn¡¯t tell, but I glanced down its maw, and saw what lay deep inside it.  Impossible but real, and right in front of me.


    Through its wide open throat full of twisting tethers of flesh, teeth, and more glowing eyes, at the center of the deep gullet down its throat, I saw a light.


    I stared for a moment; past the beak, the teeth, the eyes, down the wide open throat, wide enough to swallow me whole, into the belly of the beast.  I stared, and saw not darkness, but a spinning vortex of stars!


    It was like the night sky with no moon, no clouds, no earthly lights; utterly brilliant, bright, and swirling.


    It should have been beautiful, with its faint orange glow, but all I felt was a deep seated malevolence.  It was as if many great and terrible predators in the deep dark had suddenly glanced at me, and smiled with sharp teeth.  Those stars are not friendly.  I could suddenly feel things, like countless eyes looking back at me, and through me down to my very soul, shadowy entities staring deep into me with unknown desires.


    I was suddenly so very small and afraid, gazing into eternity, and somehow knowing the great predators of it were gazing back.  So I offered up a prayer to God, for there was nothing else I could do.  ¡°Please Lord God, grip my hand and my soul tightly, for I fear I will soon be coming home.  Amen.¡±


    Suddenly all the eyes, both inside and out of the creature, flared with light and began whirling inside their sockets in a seeming panic!  The creature shrieked again, and then it half threw me, half dropped me!


    Thanks to its shaking and shrieking, I missed the gaping mouth and belly of evil stars.


    Barely.


    My knife was nocked loose though, and fell into its gullet.


    I however, fell into a heap on its disgusting, slimy mass, and began rolling down it in a another heap, even as it shuddered and shook in its odd, sudden panic.  It shuddered so hard it actually threw me from its bulk the last few feet from the floor, and I landed, yet again, in a heap at Lilliannes feet.


    ¡°Get up!¡±  She shouted desperately, firing another of her strange bullets at the snatch-worm, which was still writhing around in a panic.


    I groaned as I quickly struggled to my feet, and grabbed for my matchbox; the fall having knocked them all out of my mouth.  I snatched several as I looked up and saw the creature writhing from seeming electric shocks popping up all over its body.  That might have been where the writhing came from that got me loose.


    Either way, I was loose, and was desperate to make use of that fact.


    With the matches ready, I knew I still needed to do this right.  I couldn¡¯t just light and chuck.  I had to put it somewhere to hurt it.  I needed a hole in the thing.


    If I tossed it down its mouth, I wasn¡¯t sure what would happen with the dynamite ad the swirling stars.  But I knew I wasn¡¯t interested in finding out.  Fortunately, I didn¡¯t need its to mouth.  I hoped.


    ¡°Got anything with a lot of kick in that gun of yours?¡±  I asked as I got back up to my feet, ready to move.  The panic of the creature, and its writhing from the pain of our attacks, hadn¡¯t fully subsided, yet.  But I knew it was only a matter of time.


    Once it got its wits back about it, we were dead.


    ¡°I need a hole in its side I can shove this into.  Then we run!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you!¡±  She replied, quickly grabbing her pistol, and spinning the huge front cartridge around to a certain spot.  ¡°I can blow a small hole in its side.  Ready?¡±


    ¡°Ready!¡±  I shouted back, simply taking her word for it.  We had no time for long explanations.  The seizures were wearing off, and I was concerned by the odd, vibrating movements of the long tendrils of its snatching arms.


    I had the distinct feeling that this room was about to have a great many mouths and teeth in it, very quickly.


    ¡°Firing!¡±  She shouted over the roars of the still largely immobile creature.  She pulled the trigger, and her odd gun spit out another strange bullet that buried itself deep in the side of the creature at just shoulder height for me.


    For a moment, there was nothing, then suddenly an explosion erupted from the spot!


    I blinked in shock, then shook my head and sprinted forward!


    Striking my match off the dynamite itself, I lit the fuse, and shoved it into the double fist sized hole she¡¯d blown into its side.  With its bulk and seeming, unnatural origins, I suspected the thing would survive that blow, but I doubted it survive half a dozen sticks of dynamite going off in its side.


    Job done, I turned and sprinted away!


    ¡°Run!¡±  I shouted as a I ran past her.  She whirled and sprinted after me.  The whole room was starting to shake from all the wildly vibrating tendrils of the snatch-worms that were rushing back.  We reached the stairs and sprinted up them, two or three at a time!


    We burst back into the banks main floor just as several hook toothed worm heads burst through the walls where we had been, their long teeth unsheathing and snapping at where we had been.


    ¡°Outside!¡±  I half shouted, half gasped.


    Running full tilt up the stairs, with a rag over your face, wasn¡¯t easy.  I snatched the face covering away and kept sprinting without looking back.  I heard Lilliannes boots behind me, and knew she was keeping up.  We made it out of the bank and onto the front deck of the building.


    I decided to risk the dirt road, so we kept running across it for a few more seconds before the bank behind us erupted into a massive blast!


    Both Lillianne and I were thrown to the ground by explosion, and a major hole was torn through the bank building itself.


    For a moment, all I could do was gasp for air, and struggle to make the world stop spinning and ringing.


    After a moment, I slowly sat up, and carefully looked around.


    The bank had a horse sized hole blown through its opening, and I suspected the blast had been funneled, like a cannon shot, through the vault, the stairs, and the first floor of the building.  Luckily for us, there was no cannon ball.  Looking around, I actually saw a few nearby snatch-worm heads, all looking wilted and lifeless.


    Looks like we killed the thing then.  I thought with a groan, feeling very sore, and very tired.  Good riddance.  Maybe now we can get out of this dump of a town.


    ¡°I¡¯m really beginning to hate this town.¡±  Lillianne groaned next to me, as she slowly pulled herself up to a sitting position.  ¡°And you¡¯re right, adventures are fun, but terrible.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall saying it like that, exactly, but I¡¯ll take you agreeing with me as a win.¡±  I half quipped, half groaned, before I laid back down for a moment.  ¡°I really hate this town.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you in the slightest.¡±  Lillianne chuckle as she slid over next to me, and laid back down as well.  ¡°The sooner we leave here, the better.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t wait.¡±  I muttered, groaning and breathing.


    ¡°Well now, am I interrupting a tender moment?¡±  An amused voice called out to us.  I didn¡¯t bother to turn my head as I heard the clomp of hooves slowly head our way, and for those hooves to come to a rest near my head.


    ¡°Halona.¡±  I muttered in greeting with a halfhearted wave.  It still was too much effort to get up and fight the spinning of the world.


    ¡°Master Ranger.¡±  She chuckled, looking down at us from on high.  ¡°I gather from the explosion, and the various dead looking snatch-worms that you took care of the problem?¡±


    ¡°Seems so.¡±  I agreed, not really paying attention.


    ¡°Good.  I¡¯ll let the conductors and crew know that this town is now safe.¡± Since the sun has largely set, and they have to make some minor repairs to the track, we¡¯ll likely be here for the night.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yay.¡±  I muttered darkly.


    ¡°Agreed.¡±  Lillianne muttered darkly.  ¡°I¡¯ve no desire to sleep in this monster infested town.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid since the monsters broke some of the track, that we¡¯ll have no choice.¡±  Halona said with a shrug.  ¡°But, since I was able to comfortably walk all the way over here without fear, I¡¯m somehow willing to bet that the problem has been resolved.¡±


    ¡°So long as I can get a proper bath, I suppose I can live with it.¡±  Lillianne muttered darkly.


    ¡°A good meal would be nice,¡± I conceded.  ¡°And a comfortable bed.¡±


    ¡°Well, we seem to have our pick of fine hotels and stables.¡±  Halona chuckled.  ¡°I¡¯ll go and speak with the crew and passengers.  And have them send some of the armed men down into the bank to ensure the monster is dead.  You two just continue to, sleep together, and regain your strength.¡±


    I rolled my eyes made a rude gesture to the smart-ass horse woman as she turned and clomped off, laughing at us.


    ¡°That woman delights in causing me grief.¡±  I muttered darkly.


    ¡°Like I said, she¡¯s a remarkable woman.¡±  Lillianne giggled next to me.  I couldn¡¯t help it and started laughing as well.


    We were alive, and whole.  The monster was dead, the town made safe, and my journey could continue after some well earned rest.


    Not a bad days work.


    Though the memory of what was inside that creature was certainly unsettling.

 Chapter 14

    The party among the train crew and passengers after the monster had been confirmed blown to bits was wild, with everyone wanting to hear the story.


    I bowed out early, looking for a bath and a bed.  I left Halona and Lillianne to tell the stories.  Myself, now that I had eaten well, I wanted to be clean and get some rest.


    Parties with lot of strangers generally weren¡¯t my thing.  Especially with all the annoying hero worship.  It was a different story when it was lots of people I knew, but I barely knew anyone on the train.


    After that, the rest of our trip was largely uneventful.  Thank God.


    The two days travel passed by pleasantly, with Lillianne finishing up her interview with Halona, and the likes of the children on the train thrilled they got to see an adventure up close.  Their parents were equally thrilled that it had been kept at a relative distance from all of them.  And I was even on better terms with Lillianne, surprisingly, as we traveled.


    Though I still counted my words whenever we spoke.


    Finally, two days later, we were steaming into New York City!


    I¡¯d been to a few small cities in the east during the war, but mostly on the edges, and never to a major growing city like New York.  Seeing the city was like seeing a mirage come to life.  Many tall buildings of stone and brick reaching up through a perpetual haze of steam, soot, and even some fog.


    Gleaming buildings and windows, yet shrouded in a haze.


    We steamed into the nearby Grand Station, and I saw a massive building of marble columns, dome roofs ringed with gargoyles, and tall beautiful windows.  It was certainly impressive, as were the half dozen huge steam engines and long lines of cars on tracks that were sitting there as well.  Eventually our train made it to the platform for us to disembark, and I quickly hopped off.


    ¡°Goodbye Mister Wild Ranger!¡±  Andrew Gale cried, waved frantically at me as his parents led him and the rest of his family off.  I waved back with a small smile on my face as they left.  I hated the name, and everything that came with it, but I couldn¡¯t quite hate the young boy for confusing the things.


    I was glad to be saying goodbye though.


    I didn¡¯t even care about him shouting that damn nickname for all to hear anymore; in this city, I could easily vanish into a crowd.  Besides, I wasn¡¯t planning on staying here anyway.


    Though that didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t want to have some fun.


    Turning on the track and heading down, I went to collect my horse, cart, and my troublesome companion.


    ¡°It was a pleasure to meet you Miss Halona.¡±  Lillianne said with a smile, now back in a most fashionable and beautiful dress green and black satin.  ¡°I think you¡¯re going to have a wild ride and cause quite the commotion wherever you go.  And not just because of your biology.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it.¡±  Halona replied, leaning down to giver Lillianne a sisterly hug.  ¡°I have been enjoying this wild ride with Master Ranger immensely.  And I look forward to when you travel with us again.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±  I asked, walking up to them while trailing Butterball and my cart full of wealth and supplies.  ¡°Isn¡¯t this where we part ways?¡±


    ¡°For now.¡±  Lillianne said with a smile as she stepped away from Halona and turned to face me, biting her lip as she did.  ¡°But who knows what the future holds?¡±


    ¡°None but God,¡± I replied with a shrug as she slowly came up to me.  ¡°And hopefully he¡¯ll be in a better mood with me and my travels going forward.  Less annoying folk legend adventures and monsters, and more wonder and opportunities.¡±


    ¡°Opportunities for what?¡±  She asked quietly, coming to stand right in front of me, looking up at me with a smile.  ¡°Just what are you searching for, Wild Ranger?¡±


    ¡°You know I hate that name.¡±  I sighed in exasperation.


    ¡°Oh I know, but as I helped save your life, I reserve the right to call in a few favors.¡±  She stated, now grinning impishly.  ¡°It¡¯s only fair, after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh is it now?¡±  I asked, smiling as I looked down at her, wondering what she wanted.  ¡°And the others?¡±


    ¡°I want you to indulge me for a moment, on a most selfish act.¡±  She stated almost solemnly, as her smile shrank to a more serious looking face.


    ¡°And that is?¡±  I asked, growing serious, and slightly confused, myself.  Behind her, I could see Halona look over with a surprised, almost excited look on her face.  What am I stepping into here?  I wondered.


    I didn¡¯t have long to wonder, as Lillianne calmly reached up, laced her arms around my neck, and pulled me down into a very deep kiss!


    I blinked in shock, and tried to pull back briefly out of reflex, but as her mouth pressed against mine, hungry and passionate, I relaxed and gripped her tightly in response.  For a moment, there was only us, and a wild, wet, delicious passion.  I could feel her firm, curved body beneath her dress, and I could feel her practically writhe as I gripped her tight.  Then we both pulled away, gasping for breath.


    ¡°That was, unexpected.¡±  I managed to gasp out after a moment, feeling almost intimidated by the sudden naked hunger in her eyes.  Though the rest of me only felt riled up and excited.


    ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to do that since I first interviewed you at the Beastkin Union Conference.¡±  Lillianne muttered in explanation as she took a breath and stepped back, putting herself back together.  ¡°It was even better than I¡¯d imagined.¡±


    ¡°I, uh, good.¡±  I stumbled over my own tongue, not really sure what to do.


    ¡°Do you really have to leave?¡±  Halona asked, obviously struggling to resist giggling at the whole situation.  ¡°You could stay with us for the night, or two, or more.¡±


    I glared half heartedly at the meddling horse woman, who just grinned back at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I really do have to depart,¡± she laughed as she turned and walked for the main stations lobby.  ¡°And I wanted my last time seeing you today to be a good memory.  Considering what¡¯s coming.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s coming?¡±  I asked, confused, with my heart still hammering and my blood still pumping like mad.  Damn woman really did get me wildly riled up.  It was something that had completely blindsided me as well.


    ¡°Why my dear Wild Ranger, have you forgotten what I do for a living?¡±  She asked, suddenly back to her old, mischievous self as she stopped and looked at me over her shoulder.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Between the wonderful interview with the remarkable Miss Halona, I was also present when you saved another town, and a train full of people from the newly discovered Snatch-Worm monster.  That¡¯s news as well you know.  And sensational news at that.¡±


    She turned fully back to us and smiled evilly at the slowly dawning look of horror on my face.


    ¡°That¡¯s the best kind!  And there were all those things you mentioned when you were ranting to me?  Like a whole towns children held hostage by a lunatic who wanted to battle the legend of the Frontier?¡±


    ¡°You, you wouldn¡¯t!¡±  I groaned weakly, since I knew damn well she would.


    ¡°And we can¡¯t forget my dear sister!¡±  She actually laughed.  ¡°She lives here in the city you know.  She¡¯ll be so thrilled to have some fresh material for more bestselling Dime Store Novels!  I¡¯ll be paying her a visit tonight right after I visit the paper.  She¡¯ll send her love, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    I felt like I¡¯d been kicked in the stomach by a mule!


    ¡°No,¡± I groaned, thinking it all through, and finally understanding why she was so amused even when I was basically yelling at her.  ¡°Not again!¡±


    ¡°And now that you have such a singularly unique traveling companion, everyone will know you wherever you go!¡±  She chuckled again, and even bit her lip impishly.  ¡°Everyone¡¯s hungry for heroes who take on the monsters or outlaws, and you do both.  There¡¯s nothing wrong with letting them know we still have some living Folk Heroes among us.¡±


    She looked at me again, strangely muted emotions suddnly flashing across her face.  ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with them seeing you as I do.  Someone to give us hope, and inspiration when everything goes wrong.  Someone to face down giants, when everyone else would prefer to just run away.  Until the next time we meet, my dear Wild Ranger.  Do enjoy the city!¡±


    And with that, she turned back on her heel and strolled boldly forward into the station, disappearing into the throng before I could even get my breath back to shout at her.


    ¡°That, damned, WOMAN!¡±  I shouted, furious.  I was ready to howl in rage over what I now knew was coming my way.  In hindsight, I should¡¯ve seen it coming from a days ride away!  I just didn¡¯t put two and two together, since I thought I had become ¡®old news¡¯ and was therefore free of her and the curse of the persona of the Wild Ranger.


    Shows what I know.


    Halona had no such concerns over the future, and instead simply threw her head back and laughed herself silly at my expense, drawing a rather curious and bemused crowd as she did so.  I glared at her even as I hitched her up to pull the wagon full of all our supplies and salvage, and she continued to just ignore me, and the crowd, and laugh as I got her latched up.


    I felt a little odd, since I also had to latch up Butterball next to her so they could both pull the wagon.  The salvage from Bakers Acres had expanded both the wagon, and the weight; gold bricks from a bank vault were very, very heavy, after all.  So, I now had a large, well made, very full and heavy wagon, with a bench for me to sit on, being pulled by a good riding horse, and a smart mouthed centaur woman.


    Oh, and I was also apparently now extremely rich, and sadly, famous.


    Even drunk I could never have believed this if someone had predicted it to me.


    Now I was living it.  Proof of God right here.  I thought, half annoyed, half amused as I set up the wagon reins to Butterballs bridle, and to a rigged up chest-bridle for Halona.  The absurdity of my life is far too specific, and far too personal for it to all be random chance or happenstance.  God is delighting using me as a punchline.


    I sighed as we left the station behind through the wagon entrance and exit, onto the cobblestone roads to the main city.  Could be worse I guess.  Least I got some gold out of it!


    I chuckled dryly as I admitted to myself that it could¡¯ve been far worse.  And that kiss was really good.  I could still almost taster her lips on mine, and it was bothering me more than I cared to admit.


    ¡°Wow!¡±  Halona exclaimed, as we turned off the side road onto a proper road of the city.  I couldn¡¯t help but echo the sentiment.  Such tall stone buildings, wide streets, people and horses everywhere.  Many carts, large wagons called omnibuses pulled by a team of horses, even an odd long car on sleighs with little tracks in the road, also pulled by horses.


    The road was congested with wagons, carts, buses, bicycles, people on foot, and a few on individual horses.


    The sidewalks had many little market stands along them, with food, wares, and all sorts of many things open and available.  All of it along streets in every direction with massive buildings of stone, brick, wood and glass.  Even on the city road, there was a thin blanket of steam and smoke, and a faint smell that was a mixture of mud, manure, and burned coal.  Above us was a train track on stilts, that stretched above buildings and roads on what looked like an endless bridge.


    It was a bit overwhelming to the senses, and more than a few times I had to pull the reins to get Halona back on track on the road.  She kept getting distracted by what she saw all around her.  I couldn¡¯t blame her, I was too, but I also didn¡¯t want to get killed in a road collision after finally reaching the city.


    Especially after everything I¡¯d gone through to get here.


    ¡°So big.¡±  She muttered, even as she unconsciously corrected herself whenever I pulled the reigns to get her back on course.  ¡°It¡¯s crazy!  And beautiful!  It¡¯s like another world!¡±


    It really was.


    There was all the familiar; people, horses, carts, wagons, little stands of food or wares sold by individuals, families walking around, well dressed and poor dressed children and adults.  The usual.  There were even non-humans like Beastkin waking around, some well dressed, some not, all going somewhere, or doing something.


    Then there was the other worldly; tall buildings of stone, elevated train track iron roads, giant factories in the distance giving an endless haze of burned coal.  Then a shadow passed overhead, and I looked up to just stare in quiet shock; a floating metal ship, flying by like it was sailing on the wind.  It looked like a long, better looking version of an ironclad sea going warship, gently swimming through the sky.


    My first, up close look at an Airship.


    The kind first developed by the Albion Empire, that utilized some new elements to let it fly through the air, and be powered by something other than coal.


    It was descending out of the sky, and since no one else but the local children seemed to care, must have been landing.


    I want to go on one of those!  I thought with a smile.  That will be what I travel on next!


    Hopefully there was a civilian airship, or even a merchant airship I could take passage on.  Safe passage, that is.


    After all, I¡¯d heard that honest to God air pirates were actually a thing, and a big one, ever since the technology and the Shattering came about.


    With the world as badly broken to pieces as it was, sometimes literally, the great powers of the world had lost control of the seas, oceans, and trade routes.


    Now maritime trade, last I¡¯d heard, was as much war as it was profit and the movement of goods.


    Still, short of signing up with the navy, there ought to be a ship I can at least ride on.  Otherwise, what¡¯s the point of being rich?


    ¡°I never heard of such devices!¡±  Halona whispered in quiet reverence.  ¡°I didn¡¯t know such things could even exist!¡±


    Brining my eyes back to the crowded road I quickly readjusted the reins and brought us back into line along the road and sidewalk.  Now knowing what I ultimately wanted, it was time to set about dealing with the logistics of getting to it.  That meant a stop at a bank of some kind, finding a proper storage unit for the wagon and goods, a good stable for Halona and Butterball, and good hotel for myself.


    I briefly entertained the idea of paying for a room for Halona, just see the reaction I would get, but I suspected they¡¯d still put her in the stables.  If only because of her general size, and because of her hooves.  Plus, she did say she was fine in a stable.


    Something to look into in the future.


    After everything else was taken care of.


    ¡°Look Mommy!¡±  A young girl called out, excitedly.  ¡°That horse is a girl!¡±


    I blinked at that, and glanced over to see a very excited little girl in a red dress and bright blonde pigtails, staring and pointing at Halona.


    ¡°Don¡¯t point!¡±  Her mother promptly said, without actually looking at Halona until after she¡¯d said that.  She stopped and stared in fascination as soon as she properly looked at the now grinning centaur.


    Halona smiled and waved back at the excited girl, who squealed in delight and tried to run along the road, waving at her.  Her mother promptly scooped her up and held her tight, still staring wide eyed at Halona.


    And she wasn¡¯t the only one.


    Several drivers and riders of horses on the road were all doing double takes.  Not to mention the reaction of the passengers of the Horse Cars or Omnibuses, as they slowly took notice of the centaur.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna like it in this city.¡±  Halona smiled and winked at me before waving at the various passerby¡¯s who stared at her.


    Lord help us all.  I thought with a chuckle, as we continued our drive towards the richer parts of town.


    ¡°Welcome to New York, indeed.¡±  I chuckled as we plodded along.

 Chapter 15

    The bank issue was easy enough to see to.  I found a fairly large and lavish looking place, and proceeded to have them deposit my gold and other valuable goods in their vault.  Bags of golden eagle coins and several boxes of bricked gold bullion, all with official paperwork declaring it all legal salvage and my property, really got them excited.


    They recommended a good and reputable storage facility for my goods and wagon, and several of the nicer, more first class stables and hotels.  I thanked them, tipped them, and was soon on my way.  By now word had started spreading, and Halona was drawing a crowd practically everywhere we went, so I was happy to get all our affairs in order before things got even more complicated.


    It wasn¡¯t like it was everywhere, but the crowds just seemed to materialize whenever we stopped.


    I knew centaurs were rare out here, but this was getting a little ridiculous so far as I went.


    After the bank, we quickly made our way over to a storage company that took on high value clients, and proceeded to put my wagon and various supplies and valuables under lock and key.  After that, I hitched up Butterball and was at last, once again on my horse.  Halona was still drawing crowds, and was still getting lost in looking around at everything she could, good and bad.


    Dead animals, including horses, in the roads that were being cleaned up, or left to rot, weren¡¯t the most appealing things to see.


    Nor were the various side roads literally covered in a full layer of build up manure, and heaven only knew what else.


    I decided to keep the chest-bridle and reigns attached to her, and just lead her around like another horse.  She found it both funny and acceptable, and was happy to trot along beside me and Butterball as we made our down the street.  Occasionally she would pull at her reigns by accident, as she saw some sight that started to pull her off course.


    This let me know to gently pull her back into place alongside me, and prevent her from causing a collision on the streets.  The people here sure ran their horses fast on theses streets.  Whenever I pulled on her reins, she moved back into place without complaint.


    If only all women could be hitched up like this, things would be so much damn easier.  I thought with a dark chuckle.  Not that I would ever dare say that out loud.


    We made our way to the Hotel Brighton on Broadway Street.


    A large and fairly expensive looking hotel, it had a large horse stable house building actually across the street from it.  I¡¯d had some time to talk to other people here, and while Brighton was expensive, it wasn¡¯t the worst by any stretch.  It was first class, for the middle class, so to speak.


    Which suited me just fine.


    ¡°You could afford a better place.¡±  Halona remarked as we rode up to the five story building.  ¡°You could easily afford the finest there is.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about easily,¡± I laughed as we trotted into the driveway for the building, people still stopping to stare at her as we did.  ¡°But while I could, I really don¡¯t care to.  At all.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±  She asked, her head still spinning in all directions like a gun turret.


    ¡°Once as a newly minted Second Lieutenant, I had to attend a dinner party for some of the well off high ranking officers and their rich friends.¡±  I sniffed in utter disdain at the memory, and all that I¡¯d learned about the ¡®upper echelons¡¯ of society that miserable night.  ¡°Not as a guest, but as a servant in a different uniform.  They had the finest of everything, the most expensive of everything, and God, did they have the wildly out of control egos to match!¡±


    ¡°Oh, like when many chiefs and leaders get together and get drunk on drink or pipes?¡±  Halona asked, sounding amused.  ¡°I saw that a few times growing up.  Each one trying to out impress all the rest, either in what they wore, or did, or drank, or how many wives they had.  You don¡¯t want to join those games?¡±


    ¡°No thank you.  Don¡¯t need it, don¡¯t want it.¡±  I stated firmly.  ¡°If being insanely rich means you have to act like a buffon just because you can, then I¡¯m perfectly happy being merely well off.¡±


    ¡°Wise, I think.¡±  She laughed.  ¡°You have enough problems with fame and women, it would seem, regardless.¡±


    I sighed in misery again at that.


    She just laughed.


    As we approached the hotels doors, several bell boys stopped and watched us approach.  I pulled Butterball to a stop, tied him off, and then tossed Halona her own reins.  ¡°Don¡¯t wander off.¡±


    ¡°Oh, should I simply follow along with you then?¡±  She asked, laughing as she wrapped the reins around herself like a bandolier. ¡°Else someone might try and steal me away?¡±


    ¡°Just shoot them if they try that.  You¡¯ve had some practice on that by now.¡±  I replied with a chuckle.


    She smiled and reached down to her belt, were she stroked both the guns and the knife attached to them.  ¡°So violent.¡±  She chuckled as she winked at the staring bell boys.  ¡°And here I thought things would be more civilized surrounded by all these buildings.¡±


    ¡°Oh please.¡±  I laughed, walking up the stairs while she turned to mill around and stare at everything in fascination.  ¡°We may be better at building things than your old Indian Tribe, but we¡¯re just as savage as they are, when you get right down to it.¡±


    ¡°So cynical.¡±  She mockingly accused.


    ¡°So honest.¡±  I replied, chuckling as I entered the doors of the large and very nicely furnished hotel.


    I walked over to the desk, and quickly got ahold of a room for the next week, simply enough.  ¡°I¡¯d also like a private stable room set up for my traveling companion, and another good stable pen for my horse.¡±  I said once I was on the books.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, you want two separate stable pens for your horses?¡±  The man asked, looking confused.


    ¡°No,¡± I answered, smiling a little maliciously.  ¡°I have one horse I would like to have his own stable pen, obviously.  A good one, but otherwise nothing special.  However, I have a traveling companion who will need a little more privacy and amenities set up in her stable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you have a, person, you want to put up in the stables?¡±  He asked, confused.  ¡°Slavery was outlawed in this nation several years ago now, just so you are aware.  If it¡¯s a servant of some sort we have several rooms they can stay in for a slight charge.¡±


    I just looked at him and grinned even more.  ¡°If she could fit, I¡¯d pay for her own room.  However, I think someone as large as she is will have a hard time getting around in here.¡±


    ¡°Is she some kind of giantess, or a beastkin of the larger variety?¡±  The man asked, still struggling to get through it, but now back on more familiar ground.


    ¡°No.¡±  I told him, smiling even more.  ¡°She¡¯s a centaur.  You know, half human, half horse?¡±


    He stared, blinked, and then visibly seemed to struggle to rally himself back on track.  ¡°I see sir.¡±


    ¡°So, a private stable pen, with some of the more comfortable human amenities like room service perhaps?¡±  I half asked, half explained, amused.


    ¡°We can certainly see to that sir.¡±  He nodded along, looking relieved at having a path forward at last.  ¡°We¡¯ve never had a centaur at our establishment before.  They¡¯re quite rare in these parts.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve gathered.¡±  I replied with a shrug.  ¡°Now then, shall I get my luggage and head to my room?¡±


    ¡°We have bell boys for that sir!¡±  He rallied, snapping his fingers at a uniformed man nearby, who quickly sprang into action.


    I nodded, turned and followed the bell boy back outside.  Yet a again, a small crowd had formed around Halona, who seemed to be enjoying herself immensely.  What I found odd was that it wasn¡¯t just bell boys or passing customers, but several men in expensive business suits.  They stood a little further back, and watched Halona with excited, hungry looks on their faces.


    This could be trouble.  I thought, eyeing the men as I set about getting my stuff with the bellboys.  Still, no idea what they would want her for, apart from either a novelty or another horse.  And this city has more horses than I¡¯ve ever seen before, even in the army.


    I shrugged and turned to back to the hotel.  It had been a very long day, and I still had one more stop to make, once everything here was squared away.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.I followed the bell boys to my nice, well furnished and decent room.  I hadn¡¯t any interest in the largest, best, and most expensive.  I was happy with very comfortable and really good.


    With my bags delivered, I headed back out to my horse, and Halona.


    The crowd had somewhat dispersed, but that mostly seemed because the people here largely had things to do, and the bell boys were actually at their job.


    The rich businessmen, and some of the families that seemed to be staying at the hotel, were still sticking around though.


    I quickly mounted Butterball, and gestured for Halona to follow along.  She nodded, smiling and waving at the crowd, before she trotted over to me.  Whereupon, she made a great show of handing me her reins.  I rolled my eyes at this annoying bit of theater, as I suddenly gained everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Damn little brat.¡±  I muttered darkly, taking the reins and leading both her and Butterball out of the hotel and back to the road.  ¡°You¡¯re gonna get me killed.¡±


    ¡°Oh please, all I¡¯ll do is make everyone else jealous.¡±  She laughed back, following along and seemingly happy to be led.  Her head began craning around in every direction all over again as we got out onto the road.


    ¡°Which is a good way to get a man killed.¡±  I grumped back at her, trying to keep from chuckling.


    ¡°Should keep you on your toes then.¡±  She giggled as she waved at a passing Omnibus full of children, who all pointed, cheered and waved at her as they sped on by.  ¡°So, Master Ranger, where are we going?  I only ask since now you¡¯re holding my reins and directing me around traffic like another beast of burden.¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up!¡±  I laughed as I slowly followed the signs of the roads to my destination.  I¡¯d gotten a city map at the bank, and was carefully following it along.  A bit slowly for some, as it turned out.


    Several of the people who had carriages, wagons, and even bicycles that knew this crazy city better than me passed by me.  Never been anywhere where trotting along on a road at a normal speed was almost akin to standing still before.  I shook my head and refocused.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking us to the docks.  Where the airships, and actual ocean ships are at.¡±  I explained, and chuckled as she whipped her head around to focus back on me intently.  ¡°I want to ask about them at the docks, learn about them, and see if we can gain passage on one.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±  She remarked quietly, before grinning and almost prancing on the road in excitement.  ¡°Lead on then, Master Ranger!¡±


    ¡°God save me.¡±  I muttered with a small grin at her antics as we plodded along the busy, packed roads to the docks.


    The sound of the city was another assault; the sound of wagons, buses, hundreds of horses in any direction, footsteps and the murmur of an endless crowd.  The wind stuck its own oar in as well, with all the long streets of tall buildings acting like a massive wind tunnel.  There was a pulse to the sound almost like a great heartbeat, and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was invigorating or terrifying.


    However, as we got closer to the docks, which ringed half the bay, the sounds changed.  There was a clang of heavy hammers, the sound of ropes, heavy loads being maneuvered around, bells and whistles, and the sound of ships sitting in the water.  But most of all; it was the distant sound of waves, punctuated by the calls seagulls.


    ¡°I have never seen so much water.¡±  Halona whispered, a look of wonder on her face as we found a space to stop, off the road, and get a look at the docks of New York.  I stared at the oddity of it; a river that led to the vast ocean, with many ships sailing and steaming their way across it.


    Even on the water, it was chaotic, busy, and crowded.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a sight for sure.¡±  I muttered, smiling as I looked at all the many ships, and saw at a large open dock with several long piers jutting out, were the mighty airships.  ¡°Shall we have a look around?¡±


    ¡°Yes we shall.¡±  Halona nodded, and after looking around, I saw a likely place to head; a office building, next to a bar.


    If sailors were anything like soldiers, and I¡¯d heard they were worse, I would get all I needed there.


    ¡°Come on.¡±  I said, and we nosed our way back onto the busy dock roads towards the nearby office and bar.


    Reaching the place, I hopped down, tied up Butterball and looked around the little area next to the busy docks.  I saw a busy building, that was also a fairly large and open affair, not to mention muddy as hell, with the smell of manure and the river mixing in with food and alcohol.  I shrugged and then gestured for Halona to follow me in.  She smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Long we''ve tossed on the rolling main


    Now we''re safe ashore, Jack


    Don''t forget yer old shipmate


    Faldee raldee raldee raldee rye-eye-doe!¡±  A table of happily drunken sailors were singing as we walked in, Halona ducking slightly under the frame.


    I walked over to the bar, Halona pacing with me, as people stopped and stared, stunned.  Though some just shrugged and went back to drinking, which I honestly respected.  The bartender saw us coming, and walked over with a bemused smile on his scraggly face.


    ¡°What are you having strangers?¡±  He asked, looking between the two of us.


    ¡°Decent brews, and lots of answers to questions.¡±  I told him, pulling out a large handful of coins; gold, silver and coppers, and setting them down in a pile.


    He nodded with a smile and got to work.


    ¡°New in town, eh?¡±


    ¡°What gave it away?¡±  I smiled sardonically, and he laughed with a blatant look at Halona.


    ¡°Oh, must¡¯ve been the accent.¡±  He replied, grinning as he served us some large, decent looking drinks.  ¡°So, what do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Everything.¡±  I told him, smiling as I took a drink.  Not bad.  I thought, as I looked at it in pleasant surprise.  ¡°But let¡¯s start with the airships.¡±  I gestured to one large area of the docks clearly visible through the windows by our seats.


    One airship was pulling in, having apparently landed in the bay like any other ship, though more beautiful, rounded, and stylized than any normal ocean going ship.  As I watched, the dock put up large, flat, giant objects connected to chains with wires leading into them.  They looked similar to what other ships used to tie themselves off, but more sophisticated.


    The incoming airship, which was a beautiful blend of an ocean vessel and a smooth train car that was triangular rather than long and straight, put out it¡¯s own similar looking device.  It just had a longer chain and wires.  Slowly the ship started moving forward towards the pier, almost like it was being pulled.  I stared, confused, and watched as the ship slowly pulled closer to the piers.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±  I asked aloud, confused.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the magnetic clamps.¡±  The Bartender explained looking through the window to watch the sight with us.  ¡°Airships are made to land in the water, but their propellers for movement are tiny, so they don¡¯t actually sail all that fast, at all.  So, when they dock, they have giant magnetic coil clamps to help pull them in the right direction and line them up as they move in.  It helps make sure the harbor and docks aren¡¯t blocked all damn day by an airship that¡¯s slow, can¡¯t turn worth a damn, and misses its docking mark.¡±


    ¡°Never seen magnets that big before.¡±  I muttered, staring at the massive devices that were both guiding and even pulling the ship into place.  I saw that there was one on each side of the massive docking space, each pulling at the airships extended magnets.  So, all the airship had to do was make sure its own were lined up correctly, and use them as a way of measuring slight course corrections all the way in.


    ¡°Damn Albi¡¯s won¡¯t let us man our own equipment!¡±  One drunk dock worker snapped, watching the scene through the window.  ¡°Like we don¡¯t know what the hell we¡¯re doing?  We have our own damn flying airships too!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Albion.¡±  Another worker chuckled, taking a drink.  ¡°They rule half the world, and are still sore that they don¡¯t rule here.  And they think they¡¯re bloody better than everyone else on earth.¡±


    ¡°Ah screw ¡®em!¡±  A third called out, laughing.  ¡°Thanks to them we get a day off with full pay!  All so they could pull their own pleasure ship in themselves!¡±


    ¡°Explain please?¡±  I asked the bartender quietly, smiling as I half followed the conversation, but was half lost as well.


    ¡°You know the Albion Empire out of Europe, right?¡±  He asked carefully, looking me up and down seriously for the first time.  ¡°Little island nation that now has an empire over nearly half the planet.  Especially after the Shattering.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know my geography and history quite well.¡±  I nodded with a smile, gesturing for him to continue.  He nodded with a smile as he got another drink for a customer, while still chatting with me.


    ¡°Well, they recently built some big pleasure ship they call a Grand Line Cruise Airship, and its the one pulling into the harbor right now.¡±  He gestured to the window.  ¡°It¡¯s got a bunch of well to do Albi¡¯s on it, and they wanted their own crew to handle bringing it in to dock themselves.  So they landed in the bay, sent men over by boat, paid everyone off for the trouble, and are brining the ship in now.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like they just wanted to show off.¡±  I chuckled at the roundabout, redundant nature of the whole thing.  ¡°A way to make everyone look at their ship for hours on end.  Not that I can blame them.  She¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°She is indeed.¡±  Halona said, slowly sipping her own drink while pointing to a nearby barrel of apples with a hopeful look on her face.  ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±


    ¡°The Titania.¡±  The Bartender chuckled as he looked at me with a raised eyebrow, to which I sighed and handed over more of my money.  The bartender smiled and nodded to Halona, who grinned wide and happily before clomping over to begin munching.


    ¡°Wonder if I can get a ride.¡±  I muttered, watching the beautiful ship slowly, and very elegantly slide into place.


    ¡°Heard they¡¯re offering tickets for round trips between here and Albion, if you have the money and are willing to risk the skies and waves of the open Atlantic.¡±  The Bartender shrugged, shuddering.  ¡°Risky cruise, considering the pirates and Eldritch horrors that fly or swim around out there.¡±


    ¡°They rode the ship here.¡±  I replied with a shrug.  ¡°They must have some way of surviving, if they were willing to risk it.¡±


    ¡°They probably took the long way around, towards the northern island ports with lots of patrol ships flying and sailing about.¡±  He replied after a moment of thought.  ¡°Makes it safe enough.  And a nice way to dock lots for rich customers too.  But, that probably means the tickets ain¡¯t cheap.¡±


    ¡°Well, good thing I can afford it.¡±  I replied, chuckling.  ¡°Where do I go to get a ticket?¡±


    ¡°Harbor Master will probably know, or even have some on him.¡±  The Bartender replied, shrugging.  ¡°But he ain¡¯t here at the moment.  There¡¯s some big preliminary coppersmithing contests going on in Central Park, for the big Exhibition in a few days.  He¡¯s there taking a look around.¡±


    ¡°Exhibition?¡±  I asked, confused, but also intrigued.


    ¡°What, did you just pull into town today?¡±  He chuckled.  ¡°Engineers, Inventors, and would be Coppersmiths all get together and show off their creations and inventions for people to bid on in Central Park.  It¡¯s a big thing for the city.  We only do it every couple years or so.  This years looking bigger than ever.¡±


    ¡°Well now, that sounds like fun.¡±  I told him with a smile, and quickly paid for the drinks and many, many apples Halona had been munching on.  ¡°What¡¯s your harbor master look like?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t miss him if you¡¯re going.¡±  The Bartender chuckled, taking my coins.  ¡°He¡¯s a big Minotaur Beastkin.  Stands at least two feet taller than any other normal man.  Likes wearing a small bowler hat between the horns, and fancy dark red vests.¡±


    ¡°A Minotaur wearing red?¡±  I asked, trying not to laugh.


    The bartender did laugh.  ¡°He loves that little joke.  Puts everyone at ease, and lets them start a conversation easy by asking about it.¡±  He shrugged with a smug grin.  ¡°It works well enough.¡±


    ¡°Well, if it works.¡±  I laughed and tipped my hat to him, before heading back out, Halona trailing behind me, still munching.


    ¡°Come on you big glutton.¡±  I chuckled as I undid Butterballs reins and climbed back up into my saddle.  ¡°Let¡¯s get over to Central Park, and find us a Minotaur wearing red.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Halona said around her mouthful of apples.  ¡°Let¡¯s.¡±

 Chapter 16

    The ride over to Central Park was uneventful, apart from more maddening traffic. The day was beginning to slip by, and I was starting to feel it. Still, I had a goal, and an objective. I simply bought some coffee from a nearby street vendor and continued on my way.


    The coffee was expensive, but pretty good, and at the moment I was still rich. I hang out in this city long enough at this rate, and I won¡¯t be rich for long. I thought darkly. The sooner I get on that ship and travel some more, the happier I think I¡¯ll be.


    Still, for a place to visit, this city was certainly something.


    We reached the park, which was a huge affair all its own, and began slowly riding through it, looking at the picturesque parkland in the heart of this growing city. Though today, it had largely been taken over by people with self made booths of various sizes and qualities, showing off their strange contraptions. I paid for a pair of tickets, ensuring Halona had one as well, and then we slowly milled around, looking at various booths and stalls, but keeping an eye out for our Minotaur Harbor Master.


    There was a sign over the main entrance to the tent city that read: The Exhibition of Crafted Marvels & Tools.


    Halona still drew stares, but with all the various Beastkin, the occasional squat and powerfully built Dwarf, and other oddities and novelties milling about the crowd, it was far less. The booths were in fact what was holding most everyone¡¯s attention, as various would-be inventors, builders and designers of many gadgets showed off their creations. Rich men in suits, and rich women in the finest dresses milled around with regular people and their families, all as children ran around laughing and yelling like it was a county fair of some kind.


    I had to admit, it certainly looked like fun.


    ¡°Let us look around at these booths filled with tiny wonders.¡± Halona said, smiling as she looked around, taller than most, and so able to see more.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I chuckled, enjoying myself as I rode atop Butterball. ¡°Let¡¯s.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t the only one on horseback, but those riding horses were few. For awhile, even as we kept an eye out for our elusive Harbor Master, we also enjoyed the many inventions and little wonders at the stalls. There were many devices, all that did things, some good, some decent, some bizarre, all with their creators claiming they would make life better in some way.


    Some had weapons, some had tools, devices that performed functions, some had gear or clothing.


    ¡°This place is wild.¡± I remarked, laughing as we plodded slowly along.


    ¡°A fair of all the little dreams of the world.¡± Halona said, laughing with me in delight. ¡°Oh, and I think I see our wayward bull-man. And a crowd as well, but I¡¯m not sure I like that crowd.¡±


    She pointed to a nearby rapidly growing cluster of people who were all jockeying around for a look. That, combined with the shouting, the angry kind, told me this was a growing bit of drama that everyone else was keen to watch.


    And in the middle of the crowd was a Minotaur who stood two feet taller than anyone else around him, wearing a very dark red embroidered vest, and a round little bowler hat perched between his horns.


    ¡°Looks like it.¡± I sighed, getting that annoying feeling like I was about to be pulled into somebody else¡¯s drama. Again. Maybe I¡¯m just imagining things? I snorted to myself. Even I didn¡¯t believe that thought.


    Still, I wanted a ticket to go on that marvelous airship to far off Albion, across the sea, over the ocean and through the skies.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go see what all the fuss is about.¡± I sighed, turning Butterball to begin slowly plodding over to the side of crowd, near one of the booths where the shouting was taking place.


    ¡°Are you actively looking for more trouble, Master Ranger?¡± Halona asked, laughing. ¡°Because you seem to be very good at troubling trouble.¡±


    ¡°Complete coincidence, I assure you my dear.¡± I chuckled at her turn of phrase as we got close enough to crowd and booths to hear the shouting, and see the slowly brewing drama.


    ¡°Hop off you Galway bitch!¡± A red faced, short, fat, and very angry man all but bellowed into someone else¡¯s face.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s charming.¡± I muttered darkly, finally getting close enough that I was actually by the booth of the fairly short person getting yelled at.


    ¡°Go pound some mud you third rate dock rat!¡± The short person snapped back, with a noticeable feminine voice and Galwaian accent.


    I blinked and smiled at the moxie of the little woman standing tall, so to speak, in the face of open rage and bluster.


    ¡°Just because my booth¡¯s better than yours or your entire guilds!¡± She continued, undaunted. ¡°You think you can win by bullying me off? I¡¯ll beat you all day, everyday!¡±


    ¡°No woman should be a coppersmith!¡± He continued to rage back at her. ¡°It takes a dedication and strength that you don¡¯t have! To many flights of fancy get in the way of proper work! And your shoddy work will never impress anyone!¡±


    I stared, a little surprised by what I was seeing. The short woman in question was dressed not only in mens clothes, but with the leathers and belt of tools for coppersmith. The clothing emphasized her petite frame, and gave me the impression she was more wiry than curvy. Her skin was almost as pale as porcelain, and she had the famous fiery red hair of a Galway from Hibernia.


    I idly wondered if her eyes was a furious blue, or a fierce green. I was pulled out of my musings when I noticed someone trying to sneak into the back of the booth I was next to. I frowned as I watched them from my vantage point try and slip under the cloth of the back of the booth.


    They were very clumsy about it, and were having to carefully pull up a few stakes so they could wiggle under the flap. I glanced back at the argument with narrowed eyes, and noticed that the fat man had two other men standing behind him, both glaring at the small woman. Everyone¡¯s attention is here, where the drama is. I realized, glancing back around carefully at the bumbling fool slowly working his way into the back of the booth.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never win anything!¡± Fat man snapped back, his behavior becoming both very smug, and fake to my eyes as the same time. ¡°No one would back you! No one would buy from some woman who can¡¯t even make the most basic of coppersmith devices! Just close up shop and stop wasting everyone¡¯s time! Find a proper husband and cause him grief with your junk creations!¡±


    I looked back again and saw the inept idiot was belly crawling under the flap of the back of the booth, slowly and badly. But he was making progress.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you talk to our sister that way!¡± Another girl, barely taller than my knee ran forward out of the booth, furious. A little boy barely a head taller than her ran out behind her, looking just as angry with a fiddle clutched in his hands that was almost as big as his chest.


    ¡°See, you¡¯ve no time to worry about making tools that don¡¯t work and devices that break!¡± The smug fat man snapped back, laughing cruelly at the little children who ran up to him in defiance. ¡°You¡¯re too busy raising a passel of badly behaved brats!¡±


    ¡°My creations are better than yours, Fat Rat!¡± The fiery redhead snapped back, not backing down an inch. ¡°I will be in the Exhibition, and everyone will see what I can make! I¡¯ll be recognized as a true Coppersmith! One that ain¡¯t part of any of your guilds!¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± He sneered back darkly. ¡°You don¡¯t have the entry fee for it!¡±


    ¡°My creations here are for sale. I can make up the difference on my own, without you.¡± She replied coldly. ¡°So step off!¡±


    ¡°Oh aye? Is that right?¡± He asked her, grinning viciously. ¡°Well, since we have a little audience, why don¡¯t we ask them?¡±


    He turned and gestured to the now, very large crowd of onlookers. As he did I looked over and saw the idiot had just about made it inside the tent. At last. I turned back to the little drama, curious to see how it would all play out.


    Or was supposed to play out, at any rate.


    I never could stand cheaters.


    But I wanted to have some fun to.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed several richly dressed businessmen watching the drama, except for one. He was watching Halona, and seemed to have no interest in the little play being put on for everyone else. I found myself wondering what was going on with the business class of this city and their bizarre interest in Halona, but I figured that was a problem for later.


    I turned back to the drama as the fat man was gesturing around to the crowd, seemingly, and condescendingly trying so hard to cajole someone to help out the poor girl, on her behalf.


    ¡°Come now, won¡¯t someone offer up some hard earned copper, or even some silver for the girl? She thinks so highly of her creations! Surely one of you will give her a chance.¡± He called out mockingly. At this point, I had a pretty good idea of what the script would be, and found it both predictable and annoying.


    Not to mention insulting, and not just to the girl in question.


    ¡°You there girl!¡± I called out, tired of this insulting little drama. ¡°How much is the entry fee for the full Exhibition?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to me in a wave, and I actually felt a little trepidation at becoming the center of everyone¡¯s attention. However, I stubbornly refused to let it show, and soldiered on, staying focused on the girl. I also tried to ignore Halona¡¯s small, and very smug smile as she watched this new drama begin to unfold.


    ¡°Who the hell¡¯re you?¡± Fat man shouted, looking confused, surprised and now genuinely angry. ¡°This ain¡¯t your business stranger!¡±


    ¡°When I¡¯m talking to you, perhaps I¡¯ll tell you who I am. Till then, shut up!¡± I snapped back coldly. ¡°I was talking to the redhead who wants to be a coppersmith. So girl, what¡¯s the entry fee, and how much do you need?¡±


    ¡°I will answer that!¡± One of the well dressed businessmen called out, stepping forward. ¡°I¡¯m one of the Exhibitions officials. Byron Johnson, at your service.¡±


    ¡°Names Jake.¡± I replied, deliberately leaving off my last name. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you either, but fine. You seem more grown up than the uh, ¡®Fat Rat¡¯ there. So, what¡¯s the fee?¡±


    ¡°Ten gold eagles.¡± He replied calmly, smiling a little at the back and forth going on around him, and at the reaction of the price. ¡°It¡¯s high for a private individual to meet. That¡¯s why most rely on either patrons, belonging to a guild or company of some kind, or on selling their wares at preliminary events like this.¡±


    ¡°And how much more do you need?¡± I asked the girl, who had now turned to face me properly, her two siblings still clustered protectively around her.


    ¡°Eight.¡± She admitted. I blinked for a moment, looked up at that sky, then looked back at her with a raised eyebrow and a sigh.


    While I was now rich, by more luck and salvage than anything, I knew just how much that price really was for normal folk. The fact that she apparently already had two out of ten on hand told me her skill was solid. It also explained the little drama and inept attempt at cheating going on against her too.


    ¡°The Exhibition is in three days from tomorrow.¡± She replied defiantly to me, raising her chin stubbornly. ¡°I can make the money with my creations and sales.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that.¡± I replied with a calm shrug. ¡°You might¡¯ve gotten close, but not now. Especially with this lot set against you.¡±


    ¡°I can do it!¡± She snapped back stubbornly. ¡°I¡¯m as good as any man in coppersmithing! Better than any half dozen apprentices here!¡±


    ¡°Ah, so an apprentice.¡± I nodded, smiling at her sheer moxie. ¡°So, you say you¡¯re good? Even though you¡¯re just starting out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already better than half the local guilds!¡± She declared proudly. ¡°None will let me compete though. Some say it¡¯s cause I¡¯m a woman. Even though some have women in them already! Others because they already have someone doing what I offer, even though I¡¯m just as good or better! It¡¯s all really because I refuse to join them and give them half my earnings!¡±


    ¡°Steady money without having to do much real work?¡± I asked rhetorically, chuckling darkly. ¡°And a bunch of groups formed around that idea, dead set against any independent competition? Competition that would make them have to actually work hard? That ruin their little monopolies? No, that can¡¯t possibly be it! Surely it¡¯s just because you¡¯re a brash, stubborn girl who¡¯s absolutely no good at what she¡¯s doing.¡±


    I looked over at the official and little group that had been yelling at her. ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re so worried about how well you might do, or more importantly, how bad you might make them look, that they¡¯ll sabotage you. I mean, that¡¯s not what you do with competition you don¡¯t take seriously, after all.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The girl asked, looking confused, and then suddenly suspicious. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what do you mean?¡± The official asked, also suddenly looking suspicious, and angry as well. ¡°We take our Exhibitions very seriously. Any who try to sabotage the competition are open to immediate expulsion and heavy fines.¡±


    ¡°Oh my.¡± I chuckled, ignoring the crowd and focusing on the suddenly nervous looking fat man. ¡°That sounds rough.¡±


    He glared at me, but didn¡¯t actually take the bait. It appeared he had some sense after all. Besides, just outing this little mess was boring. If I was going to be involved in this little drama, I was at least going to get a good show out of it.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Well, no matter.¡± I shrugged my shoulders as I pulled out my wallet. ¡°The entry fee was ten gold eagles, if I recall?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± The official nodded, his eyes instantly focusing on my bulging coin purse. ¡°Are you willing to sponsor her?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± I laughed back as I hopped down off of Butterball and strolled over from the crowd into the little clearing that had opened up around the little drama. Without saying another I word, I opened my bag of coins, pulled out ten gold eagles, and then deliberately put them in the hand of the very shocked girl. She stared at her hand, now full of gold coins, like she couldn¡¯t believe what had just happened to her.


    ¡°Can you make a good showing with what you have on hand?¡± I asked calmly, ignoring everyone else as I stared at her. ¡°Or do you need more materials and tools to do better?¡±


    ¡°I, uh, I, well, yes?¡± She mumbled, looking up from her hand to me, almost in a daze.


    ¡°She needs new tools and a bunch of parts for her big sled!¡± The little girl declared, staring up at me in that serious way only young children can ever pull off. ¡°She always complains that her tools are cheap, and that they never sell her any of the good ones!¡±


    ¡°Vivian!¡± The redhead snapped, suddenly blushing as red as her hair and snatching her sister back in a near panic.


    ¡°Well now, we can¡¯t have that.¡± I chuckled, and pulled out some more coins, and handed them to little Vivian, who took them with an excited look. ¡°You make sure your sister gets the stuff she needs now, alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± She said, very seriously, almost solemnly, clutching her hands to her chest.


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary sir!¡± The redhead squeaked, looking thrilled and terrified. ¡°I can succeed as is, and recoup your investment from the prizes and sales in the Exhibition.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I replied, smiling at the beautiful girl, who it turned out, had bright blue eyes. ¡°But a better showing means better results for both of us. That¡¯s why people invest up front on things like paying for better tools and materials. A better end product ensures better returns.¡±


    ¡°Quite so.¡± Byron Johnson nodded, stepping forward and pulling out some papers. ¡°Though, young miss, you still need to purchase a ticket. And you¡¯ll need to put down your patrons name, so he can receive his part of any rewards you achieve.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t achieve nothing!¡± The so named Mr. Fat Rat snapped, cutting back into the conversation. ¡°Her stuffs junk! And she can¡¯t finish any of her orders! She blows off the real work for her own stupid little project.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I asked, looking at the man in disdain.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± She snapped, whirling to defend herself. ¡°You just dump the work you don¡¯t want to do off on the apprentices! Then you take half their earnings and go have dinner with the rich fat cats, acting like you¡¯re one too!¡±


    ¡°Listen here you little Leppie Harlot!¡± He snapped, his own ugly face growing redder as well.


    ¡°I bet one hundred golden eagles, or their equivalent weight and market value in goods, against whoever the hell you are. I am betting that she will outperform whatever group you are in charge of or officially represent.¡± I stated loudly, and with the silence that followed, it had the air of finality. I found that everything else aside, including the fun I was secretly having at the moment, I was just plain tired of this man.


    So, the sooner I could shut him up and get rid of him, the better.


    Fat Rat blinked and stared at me, his jaw hanging open in shock. He wasn¡¯t the only one. The rest of the crowd was watching with near breathless anticipation now. Byron was the exception; his face was alight with sudden, excited avarice.


    ¡°And yes, I can afford it. Yes, I even have it on hand. And yes I am happy to bet it all on this girl, whose name I still don¡¯t even know, that she will do better than you and your little group, whoever the hell they are.¡± I looked at the man and smiled politely. ¡°Of course, you can always walk away. It is a lot of money to risk. However, that would mean admitting to all these fine folk that you actually think there might be a risk of you losing to her.¡±


    Fat Rat blinked, then his eyes quickly darted around at the crowd, and he knew with just that glance that he was trapped. The crowd was excited now, but in a different way, hungry for a show with some real stakes. It was like the crowd that gathered around a high stakes card table: it didn¡¯t matter that they couldn¡¯t win or lose anything on the table, they just wanted watch.


    And the higher the stakes the better.


    Either he took the bet, and ran the risk, or he walked, and made the girl a success no matter what happened. And that was the best outcome.


    I knew men like him, and the company they tended to keep. I¡¯d had to put up with them in the army. Most often they were quartermasters, and when they were like this bastard, they were the bane of any regiment.


    No enemy was required.


    My father had also gone up against more than a few like them. Fat Rat¡¯s rich friends would torment him forever if he walked away, or if he lost. At best. At worst, he would be destroyed in every way.


    Someone might even decide to remove him, and move forward without him in charge, or even alive, just to get rid of the stain on their businesses name.


    And he knew it.


    ¡°I can match it.¡± He growled. ¡°I¡¯m gonna enjoy taking your money, stranger.¡± He held his hand out to shake on it, with the whole crowd acting as witnesses.


    ¡°If you were actually talented at anything other than playing backroom straw boss to a bunch of child apprentices, I might actually be worried.¡± I replied with a chuckle, grabbing his hand and squeezing very hard. I smiled with a lot of teeth when he tried, and failed, to do the same.


    ¡°See you in a few days.¡± I told him, still smiling brightly.


    ¡°As you like, stranger.¡± He replied coldly, stalking off, his men in tow behind him.


    ¡°Orna.¡± A small voice said behind me. I blinked and turned around to see the redhead looking at me, a little embarrassed, and more than a little stunned.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± I asked, not sure what I¡¯d actually heard.


    ¡°My name.¡± She said, smiling at me with bright white teeth. ¡°It¡¯s Orna. Orna Rowan.¡± She gestured to little girl, and then the young boy, who was still watching everything silently, clutching his fiddle. ¡°This is Vivian Rowan, and Oscar Rowan.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure to meet you all.¡± I said with a nod, before turning to Byron. ¡°Now then, are you official enough for that bet? And for her ticket?¡±


    ¡°Yes to both.¡± He chuckled, quickly pulling out a ticket and a document. ¡°Simply fill in the amount and sign here. I am happy to serve as a witness. And Miss Rowan, I¡¯ll need the promised coin for the ticket.¡±


    I quickly read over the document, which was as straightforward as one could get, and filled in the questions about money, the terms, and my name. Orna handed over the gold eagles, and Byron eagerly took them before handing her both a receipt and a ticket for the Exhibition. Without missing a beat, he quickly turned and looked over the gambling document, before nodding in agreement and signing his own name as witness.


    ¡°A pleasure doing business with you sir.¡± He smiled and shook my hand.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± I chuckled, happy to have this little show over with. Perhaps now I could speak to the Harbor Master about a ticket for the damn airship I actually wanted to go on!


    Frankly I could care less about the Exhibition, even with the bet. Though I did hope young Miss Rowan had the actual talent to back up her impressive moxie. I suspected that she did.


    ¡°Now, if there¡¯s nothing else, perhaps we should all get back to our day.¡± I chuckled, looking for the Minotaur Harbor Master. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t hard to lose.


    ¡°I bet ten thousand gold eagles, or their equivalent weight in gold bricks, that she¡¯ll lose.¡± A voice called out suddenly. ¡°Not that she won¡¯t do well, or even decently, but only that the one you bet against will beat her out.¡±


    I blinked and turned my head in shock, as did everyone else, to the owner of the voice.


    It was the businessman who¡¯d been ignoring the little drama in favor of staring at Halona. He was stick thin and tall, with an immaculate and clearly tailor made suit. He had a fully grown and carefully cropped facial beard, dark hair, blue eyes, a pale complexion, and the look of a fighter. A scrapper who¡¯d become rich from being successful.


    This was clearly a man of money. However, something about him told me he hadn¡¯t inherited it, but had instead earned it. Still, ten thousand gold eagle coins? Over just how well this random girl, an independent apprentice at that, would do or not do in an Exhibition?


    The hell does this guy actually want? I wondered, before shrugging and chuckling to cover up my instant concern. ¡°That¡¯s impressive! And she may well be worth it! However, I don¡¯t have that kind of money sir. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t take that bet.¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you think I would take gold even if you had it to lose?¡± He asked, smiling as he took drag off his cigar. I knew I was being played with. After all, I¡¯d literally just done the same exact thing to that Fat Rat bastard barely two minutes ago!


    But he had me cold, with the whole crowd eager to see what was going on. Bastard was good at it too. Hell, even I wanted to know what he was actually after!


    ¡°So, you¡¯re throwing down ten thousand gold pieces, or its weight in solid gold bars, in exchange for what?¡± I asked, honestly confused, but very cautious. ¡°Most people bet money in these sorts of things.¡±


    ¡°If I have that much to toss out on a lark, do you think I care about getting more of the same back?¡± He chuckled, before looking at me with a sharp, toothy smile. ¡°But you do have something that¡¯s rare here. That¡¯s worth that much or even more. Something no one else in this city has. At least those that aren¡¯t already like me.¡±


    With that, he simply turned his head in a showy way towards Halona, and smiled at her.


    ¡°You have a female centaur.¡± He looked back at me, his face alight with excitement, and focus. ¡°And she is what I want. She is worth that much to me, and you have her.¡±


    ¡°And what would you want with me?¡± Halona asked, cutting into the conversation, and shocking everyone when she spoke up in perfect english. ¡°You are handsome enough, and tall for a human man. But I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not really interested in any males other then centaurs for that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± He laughed, taking her odd statement fully in stride. ¡°Because I have several male centaurs that I would like to introduce you to. Over and over again.¡±


    I stared. This conversation had suddenly taken a very weird turn, that was for sure.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Halona blinked, then smiled wickedly. ¡°You want to breed me with them?¡±


    ¡°I do indeed!¡± He laughed.


    ¡°The hell for?¡± I muttered, more than a little lost, and disturbed at the frankness of this conversation. The rest of the crowd was utterly silent in a morbidly curious way, all of them unable or unwilling to look away.


    ¡°Because centaurs can do something normal horses can¡¯t.¡± He looked at me with his sharp smile. ¡°Control their bowels! Our city is slowly drowning in horse manure. Every year it gets worse. Last year alone over fifty-six thousand metric tons of the stuff was shipped out to farmers for fertilizer, and it still wasn¡¯t enough! The Times ran a story just last year about our growing Manure Crisis.¡±


    ¡°A Manure Crisis?¡± I repeated, now totally lost. Who¡¯d ever heard of such a thing?


    ¡°There are over one hundred and fifty thousand horses in or around this city everyday! And all that manure has to be cleaned up. But there¡¯s just more crap than workers to scrape it.¡±


    Byron explained next to me, looking surprised, but also intrigued by the new proceedings. ¡°I remember that story. It predicted that if nothing changed, our roads would be buried under nine feet of the stuff in just a few decades. Some roads in this city are already buried up to several feet of manure now.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± The rich man nodded in agreement. ¡°People are trying everything to get a handle on it. I and few others hit upon our own plan, and have been acquiring centaurs to breed them in order to simply replace the horses with them. They can control their bowels like a human, unlike animals. They can also talk, and tell you when they¡¯re too tired to work, when they need to eat, even be a part of the labor force. Read a map and road signs. In every way for a city, they¡¯re better than horses.¡±


    ¡°But my kind are too rare out here to be practical, yes?¡± Halona asked, looking intrigued. ¡°So, you have some males, but no other females?¡±


    ¡°Between me and few others working on this plan, we have a couple dozen males, but less than a half of that for females.¡± He explained eagerly, grinning at her. ¡°You my dear, are far more precious to us than gold. We have gold. But if nothing changes, this city, and most of our fortunes in it, will be buried in a sea of horse manure in a few short years.¡±


    ¡°And my duties?¡± Halona asked, becoming shrewd. ¡°I¡¯m neither an animal, nor a slave. Do I have right of refusal if I don¡¯t like the male in question?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely!¡± He agreed, looking thrilled be negotiating. I, and everyone else, were now transfixed by the bizarre, and very frank, negotiation they were having. ¡°You¡¯d be well cared for, with plenty of food, a house, a barn, and a massive pasture to run around in. Plus farmhands and a trained physician to take care of all your needs, and that of your children.¡±


    ¡°Will they be educated?¡± Halona asked, her eyes very sharp. ¡°We are centaurs. We don¡¯t mind working in a similar fashion to horses, but neither are we dumb beasts or slaves. If they fulfill a certain number of years of work, and wish to leave, will they be able to? Will I?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± The businessman was now very enthusiastic. ¡°Dumb workers aren¡¯t worth the trouble or the expense. Smart ones are worth the effort. Happy workers are productive workers! And if all I wanted was an obedient animal, I¡¯d just breed more horses. It would certainly be faster and cheaper.¡±


    Halona eyed him for a moment. He met her eye with a smile. I blinked, surprised. He means it. I realized, shocked. All of it. Damn. That¡¯s different.


    Halona apparently agreed.


    ¡°Take the bet, Master Ranger.¡± She said, turning to me. ¡°It¡¯s a good bet, either way.¡± Then she turned back to the man in question.


    ¡°What if you lose?¡± She asked, smiling mischievously. ¡°I am happy with my current adventurous life with Master Ranger. Would you be willing to work out a visiting arrangement with me and him, so that we can all get what we want?¡±


    ¡°The terms?¡± He asked, his own face becoming instantly shrewd, but excited all the same.


    ¡°Simple. I visit and breed, then leave and continue with my travels with Master Ranger until my pregnancy is much more advanced.¡± She explained, gesturing to me. ¡°Then I return and give birth, or give birth on the way and then return, and once the nursing stage is completed, continue my travels. All with frequent visits to my children, as well as fresh breeding cycles. To be repeated as needed. The children remain here with you, to be educated and reared and turned into productive members of the Eagle Union.¡±


    ¡°Accepted!¡± He crowed, looking at me with a hungry glint in his eye. ¡°And you, Master Ranger?¡± Then he frowned at that, as if realizing what he had just said. What name he had just spoken.


    I could literally see him putting two and two together.


    Oh no. I thought darkly. ¡°Accepted, so long as Halona is happy with the arrangement, either way, win or lose.¡±


    I looked over a Byron, avoiding the suddenly analyzing gaze of the businessman. ¡°You got another of those betting sheets, Mr. Johnson?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± He blinked, then shook his head and quickly pulled one out. ¡°I¡¯ll witness. You both just fill out the stakes and terms of the bet, and sign your names. Maybe at a table over there.¡± He pointed to what I now knew was Orna¡¯s booth.


    ¡°Certainly!¡± Orna said, running over to her booth and herding her family over as she did, quickly clearing a table off for us.


    We all walked over, with the crowd still watching, and quickly filled out the paperwork. Even Halona walked over and signed her own name on it.


    ¡°The names Roland Granes.¡± He introduced himself. ¡°And yours was Jake? Jake what?¡±


    ¡°I think you can guess.¡± I replied coldly, annoyed at still being played with. ¡°If that¡¯s all Mr. Granes. I think I need to have a meeting with my newly sponsored would be coppersmith. You can find us at the Brighton Hotel on Broadway street if you need us. It¡¯s been fun.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Granes replied, smiling with a big, suddenly very excited smile. ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure. Until later, Mr. Jake Ranger.¡±


    I glared at him as he just laughed in genuine excitement, shook my hand, and whirled away to leave with a flourish I actually mildly envied. Byron blinked at that, then looked back down at the signatures in shock.


    ¡°Jake Ranger?¡± Oscar suddnely asked, quietly looking at me with a critical eye. ¡°Like the books?¡±


    ¡°An unfortunate coincidence.¡± I said, annoyed. I turned to look at Orna. ¡°Shall we pack things up for the day? I would like to talk about what you need for this upcoming Exhibition.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, yes.¡± She nodded as she looked around. ¡°I¡¯ll need to get all this put away.¡±


    ¡°Can you see to it?¡± I asked, looking over her small booth and it¡¯s admittedly interesting wares. Mostly gear designed to be worn by the looks of it. ¡°Or should I go and get someone to help you?¡±


    ¡°I can see to it.¡± She told me firmly and confidently.


    ¡°Good. After that, why don¡¯t you all come to the Brighton Hotel tonight, and I¡¯ll treat all of you to dinner.¡± I smiled at the sudden excited looks on Vivians and Oscars faces. ¡°We can go over things there, and prepare for the Exhibition in a few days.¡±


    ¡°That would be perfect sir.¡± She nodded, still looking slightly dazed at how wild her day had just gone. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be taking my leave for now.¡± I told her, suddenly feeling the weight of this long day crash into me. ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure, Miss Rowan.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye sir!¡± Vivian called out as I quickly mounted Butterball, eager to be gone. I could tell at a glance that some people were suddenly putting my name together with that cursed nickname, and I was eager to be gone.


    ¡°Goodbye little one.¡± I smiled and tipped my hat to her. ¡°Until tonight.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye Horse Lady!¡± She waved at Halona, who threw her back and laughed delightedly as she waved at Vivian. Then she followed after me, as I rode on Butterball and slowly had him plod his way out of the crowd, and down the path heading out of this park.


    I still needed to speak with the Harbor Master, but I could do that tomorrow. Today had taken a strange turn, much of it my own fault, and I needed the rest.


    ¡°Well that was fun!¡± Halona said, walking next to me and Butterball. She just looked at me with a big, toothy grin. ¡°And she was so very pretty too.¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up.¡± I groaned. I was going to hear about this all the way back to the Hotel, I just knew it!


    Halona chuckled evilly as we plodded out of the park and back into the city.

 Chapter 17

    The ride back to the hotel wasn¡¯t pleasant. For me, anyway.  Halona had a ball.


    ¡°Really Master Ranger, I do like her!  So fiery!  So passionate!  From the looks of things, brilliant, or at least talented.  A responsible older sister with adorable siblings!  And now she¡¯s your personally sponsored inventor and possible, uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Coppersmith.¡±  I supplied dryly.  I¡¯d given up trying to get her to shut up about Orna, the little drama of the bets, or the whole damn situation in general.  Every time I tried to get Halona to shut up, she waited precisely twenty seconds before starting over from scratch.


    I¡¯d actually timed it at one point to be sure.


    At this point, it hurt less to just go along with her bizarre imaginings.


    ¡°Coppersmith!¡±  Halona continued, smiling in the biggest, bucktoothiest way possible simply to annoy me.  Which it did.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know if she¡¯s got any talent, or skills or devices worth all the expense from me, and excitement from you.¡±  I told her with a long suffering sigh.  We¡¯d finally reached Broadway Street, but since this was a big city, it was crowded, and the traffic was slow.


    The sun was starting to set, and the gas-lamps and street gaslights were beginning to flicker into warm glows along the roads.


    ¡°Oh please.¡±  Halona just shrugged, as if the whole point of the bets and little dramas, that being Orna¡¯s skills, was irrelevant.  ¡°She could be the worst skilled apprentice in her field in its short history, which I doubt considering they were trying to sabotage her, and it still wouldn¡¯t matter!¡±


    ¡°Oh wouldn¡¯t it now?¡±  I asked, looking at her in askance.  ¡°And pray tell, why wouldn¡¯t it matter?  I paid a lot of money up front for her skills, and bet a hell of a lot more after that.  Again, all over her skills in her chosen field.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and that was a fun, exciting, and adorable pretext.¡±  Halona laughed at me as we slowly clomped our way down the road.  ¡°And the fact that she was fiery, beautiful, and utterly adorable had nothing whatsoever to do with it.¡±  She looked at me with an evilly delighted look.


    ¡°And the way those modified clothes hugged all her curves so enticingly was completely lost on you, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    I stared, tried to speak back at her, felt my face start to grow hot, and in the end studiously looked away from her triumphant look.


    ¡°It never crossed my mind.¡±  I muttered, irritated, though I wasn¡¯t sure with who or what.  Apart from the evil woman next to me who positively cackled at my response.


    ¡°Oh Master Ranger!  That¡¯s adorable!  Oh, this is going to be so much fun!¡±  She gloated, loudly.  ¡°I knew Miss Lillianne had gotten deep under your skin, and now for little fire hair Orna as well?  Oh!  Just wait until they meet!¡±


    I blinked in confusion as the gates for the hotel came into sight.


    ¡°Meet?¡±  I asked, confused.  ¡°Why would they meet?¡±


    Halona looked at me in surprise for a moment, then promptly burst out laughing.  I just continued to stare, lost.  She struggled to get her breath back, looked at me for a moment, then promptly started laughing again, hard.


    So hard in fact that she had to stop walking for moment, as both her human half and horse half were shaking so much from her mirth.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t see it?  How?  Oh, no wonder Miss Lillianne has such fun with you!¡±  Halona finally gasped a moment later, once her laughter was under control.  ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she go and talk with the woman apprentice Coppersmith who is now at the center of two massive bets with powerful people, including the legendary Wild Ranger?!  With so much wealth on the line, and the fate of a centaur, and possibly the future of this entire city?  Really Master, have you met Lillianne?¡±


    Halona started giggling again.


    ¡°She¡¯ll run poor Orna down by noon tomorrow and shake the whole story out of her!  And what a story it is!¡±  She looked at me with another wicked grin.  ¡°And the story of our train ride to get here hasn¡¯t even released yet.  By this weeks end, Master Ranger, you¡¯ll be the most famous person in this city.  Again.¡±


    I stared at her for moment as we finally reached the front of the Hotel, and groaned in sudden shock when I realized she was right!


    ¡°I need a damn drink!¡±  I moaned, suddenly feeling like a complete fool.  ¡°Or a whole damned bottle!  Damn it!¡±


    ¡°No time for that!¡±  Halona laughed as a Bell Boy came running over to take Butterballs reins and lead both my horse and gloating centaur companion to their stalls.  ¡°You have a dinner to get ready for.  Somehow, I am willing to, bet, that you will have some extra unexpected guests show up for it.¡±


    ¡°Ah hell.¡±  I groaned as I hopped down, suddenly feeling very tired, and very sore.  Especially since I suspected she was right about that parting shot.  Half the well-to-do of the city had heard about that bet, and by now, word of it was probably spread over the other half of the city.


    If not more.


    Which meant the who¡¯s-who of suited up deal makers would probably start showing up, looking to ask for money for investing from me.


    None of it had even occurred to me for some reason either.  And it really should have!  The hell was wrong with me that I couldn¡¯t see this problem coming from a mile away?!  Are there blinders on my face or something?  I thought, sighing as I headed inside.


    How do I not see these things coming?  I feel like an idiot!


    Unfortunately, I had no more time for self-pity as I headed up to my room to get a bath drawn, and to get cleaned up.  Then I had to find some clean, respectable clothes to wear for my impromptu dinner reception.  Me and my big mouth.  I thought darkly as I headed up to my room to begin getting ready.


    I needed coffee.


    Fortunately, that¡¯s what room service was for!


    Time passed quickly enough, and I found myself waiting down in the large dining area the hotel had.  The room was large, well lit, and well furnished with many square tables and wooden chairs.  The gas lamps gave off a warm glow, and combined the the chandeliers, there was a warm, sparkly, almost intimate feel to the place.  Several waiters moved around as many people held quiet conversations.


    I sat at a small table by the wall, far away from any other people, and sipped at a ice water glass.  I really preferred ice in my drink, I had found, and wouldn¡¯t have it any other way if possible.  A strange luxury addiction, I conceded, but one I didn¡¯t want to do without if I could avoid it.


    Occasionally, I saw a few people steal a glance at me, but on the whole, here at least, I could relax from the attention of the masses.


    I waited a little while longer, before a bell boy made his way over to me, looking pained but professional.


    ¡°Pardon me sir, are you expecting a visit of some kind?¡±  He asked as soon as he reached me.


    ¡°Depends,¡± I replied with a chuckle.  ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°A young woman and two children with her.¡±  He answered back immediately.


    ¡°Excellent.¡±  I smiled, looking forward to this.  ¡°Go ahead and bring them over.  I¡¯ve been expecting them.¡±


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    ¡°Ah, sir, are you sure about that?¡±  The young bell boy asked, looking concerned.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±  I asked, frowning.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that management is unhappy with how they look.¡±  He explained.


    ¡°Something about how they are too low brow to come here.  I guess their patchwork clothes are what they are complaining about.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like troublemakers looking for an excuse to cause trouble.¡±  I replied with a roll of my eyes.  ¡°They are expected by me, invited by me, and as of this afternoon, stand at the center of massive fortunes riding on bets around them.  You can tell management that they¡¯ll be able to read all about it in the newspapers over the next couple of days.  In the meantime, I would like the people I invited to dine with me, brought over here please.¡±


    ¡°Right away sir!¡±  He nodded and practically scurried off to the door.  I didn¡¯t know whether to chuckle or roll my eyes at this nonsense, so I settled on both.


    A moment later, the Rowan family was led into the dining room and over to my table.  I took the time of their reaching me to look them up and down, and while I was personally impressed, I could see where the manager fits were coming from.  Their clothes were nice, a pair of nice green dresses for the girls and a reasonably fitting suit for the boy, but they all did have more than a few patches on them.


    The three also looked a combination of nervous and awestruck as they looked around the room.  And hungry.  Very hungry, if the way the eyes of Vivian and Oscar lit up at all the plates of food was any indication.  Honestly though, Orna¡¯s bright blue eyes weren¡¯t much better, and she looked ready to both drool and pounce at some of the tables on her way over to me.


    I didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry at that.


    Still, they were surviving, even thriving, and had been before I ever showed up, despite everything.  So, pity would not be something they would want, or likely tolerate.  As I looked at Orna in particular, how she stubbornly carried herself well as she walked over to me, despite some looks and whispers, I knew I didn¡¯t need to feel sorry for them.


    More like impressed, really.


    I smiled and rose as they came over to my table.  ¡°Welcome.¡±  I said, gesturing to the chairs.  ¡°I don¡¯t know much about city etiquette, so you¡¯ll have to make do with country frontier style.  Please, join me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure Mr. Jake.¡±  Little Vivian said, smiling as she promptly stomped all over her sisters attempted reply, causing Orna to blush in embarrassment.  I just laughed and bowed at my waist to the little tyrant.


    She drew herself up regally and gave me a elegant nod and curtesy, which she promptly spoiled by giggling as soon as she did.  The rest of us all started chuckling at that, and the tension died down a little.


    ¡°Let¡¯s all get seated, order up some food, and talk.¡±  I suggested, and everyone quickly sat down.


    The waiters were first class, and quickly brought us glasses of water and menus before vanishing, and everyone began going through the long menu.  After a few minutes, we had all ordered and were soon waiting for our food to arrive.


    ¡°So, did you figure out what was sabotaged?¡±  I asked with an amused smile.


    ¡°Yes!  That little bastard!¡±  Orna snapped, her fire instantly shooting to full blast.  ¡°He mucked around with some of my devices, but he was so stupid about it!  It was so obvious because he took things right off the devices, right out in the open.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he didn¡¯t seem all that bright.¡±  I chuckled.  ¡°Just watching him try and sneak into your tent was an embarrassment.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you made that big show?¡±  She asked, focusing on me intently.  Sitting on either side of her, her two siblings both did the same.


    ¡°No, that was that Guild Rat Bastard was making that big show.¡±  I answered with a shake of my head.  ¡°I merely realized what he was doing, didn¡¯t like it, and decided to steal his little stage.¡±


    ¡°Why help us?¡±  Oscar asked quietly, almost timidly.  ¡°You don¡¯t know us, or owe us anything.¡±


    ¡°True, but I know talent when I see it, and I know bullies when I see them.¡±  I answered, meeting his eyes respectfully.  ¡°I hate bullies.  Everyone does, but I had the ability and the knowledge at the time to do something about it, so I did.  I¡¯m happy to help, and it looks like I made a good bet.¡±


    ¡°More than one.¡±  Orna muttered with a wiry smile.  I sighed in exasperation.


    ¡°The second one with Mr. Granes was totally unplanned.¡±  I glared at the memory, causing everyone at the table to smile.  ¡°He did to me what I had just done to rat face.  And he trapped me pretty good, all over my traveling companion.¡±


    ¡°Where is Ms. Halona anyway?¡±  Vivian asked excitedly, looking around for the centaur woman.  Or at least, I assumed she was.  ¡°I wanted to chat with her.¡±


    ¡°She did seem interesting.¡±  Oscar muttered.  ¡°Maybe she would like me to play her a song?¡±


    He was still clutching his violin case, even here.  I idly wondered how good he really was.  Maybe I¡¯ll get to find out.  I thought with a quiet smile.


    ¡°What is it with everyone loving that smart mouthed horse woman?¡±  I asked in mock annoyance, causing all of them to laugh or giggle.


    ¡°She¡¯s so much fun!¡±  Vivian replied, too young to understand my question was rhetorical.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s in the Hotels stable barn.  She has her own modified stall, and is there at the present.¡±  I explained with a shrug and gestured around us.  ¡°She¡¯s so big that delicate places like this don¡¯t really mix well with her.  But, if it means that much to you, I suppose I can have some bell hops take you two, and your dinner, over to her for a visit.¡±


    Their faces lit up in instant excitement, despite the fact that it was getting late, and I chuckled.  ¡°If you really want to, and if your sister says it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Please!¡±  They cried in unison to Orna, who half glared, half smiled at them and me, before rolling her eyes and nodding in defeat.


    ¡°Fine.¡±  She sighed out, glaring while fighting a smile at the same time.


    ¡°Yes!¡±  They cried together again.


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh as I signaled for a waiter.  One hustled over, and I explained that the children wanted to visit with Halona, with their meals.  He quickly nodded and trotted off, with a hefty tip and the brother and sister duo in tow.


    Now it was just me and Orna.  Suddenly it seemed so much quieter.  We both laughed as we each took a drink and relaxed or a moment.


    It was nice.


    ¡°I wanted to thank you again Mr. Ranger, for helping me as you did.¡±  She said with a much softer smile.  ¡°Though, you could¡¯ve saved yourself a lot of money by just telling me, and everyone else for that matter, that the guild was trying to cheat.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡±  I asked, laughing.  I was gratified when the beautiful redhead started laughing with me.


    ¡°So, it was for fun that you tossed out a bunch of gold on a complete stranger, and humiliated one of the most ruthless rat bastard guild heads in the city?¡±  She asked, giving me a half coy, half exasperated look.  ¡°I¡¯m so glad my future was good for a lark.¡±


    ¡°Oh, not just a lark.¡±  I disagreed smugly, grinning at her.  ¡°The fact that you¡¯re beautiful certainly helped.  And from the look of things, the other fact that you were fully ready to slug that little bastard certainly didn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°So glad I could play a part in my own future.¡±  She replied, mock glaring at me as a waiter approached us.  ¡°And here I thought talent and success had some small part to play.¡±


    ¡°Do you have the talent to create useful, functioning Coppersmith Devices that people will want to have?¡±  I asked calmly, meeting her eyes without blinking.


    ¡°Do you have the confidence to present your devices for the public to look at, and to show why your creations are worth their time and money?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±  She snapped, her fire and steely confidence flaring up once again.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m fine with spending money on you, and am fully looking forward to helping you present your devices for everyone to see.¡±  I replied with a shrug.


    ¡°Win or lose, I¡¯m happy to help you have a big stage to show off your creations.  Now it¡¯s up to you to do it.¡±


    She blushed, and suddenly looked both excited and nervous, but just as she moved to speak, the waiter reached us and bent over to speak with me.  The move caught me off guard, and I suddenly wondered what had happened.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Orna swallow whatever she had been about to say, as she looked on with curiosity.


    ¡°Sir, a visitor has come, and would like to join you.¡±  The young waiter whispered, looking very nervous.


    ¡°Who?¡±  I asked, lost.  The only person in this city that I knew was the accursed Lillianne Lancaster, who I knew for a fact was busy writing up her cursed articles.  Or was off with her sister, who would soon be writing the next round of wretched dime store novels.


    ¡°Mr. Andrew Carnegie.¡±  The waiter whispered, his voice practically trembling at each syllable.


    I blinked in confusion for a moment, trying to place the name, before it clicked, and then I just stared at the waiter in utter shock for moment.


    The Steel King?  I thought, stunned.  The guy who built that giant bridge across the Mississippi?  If I remember right, one of the richest men in the country, by a crazy wide margin.  And he wants to speak with me out of the blue, my first night in the city?  What the hell?


    ¡°By all means, show him over,¡± I replied slowly, feeling like the ground was shifting under my feet.  ¡°Get him a drink, and a menu.¡±


    ¡°Right away sir.¡±  The waiter nodded and walked off as fast as he could, looking like he would¡¯ve run if he could¡¯ve.


    ¡°What is it?¡±  Orna asked, looking concerned as she looked at me.


    ¡°Oh, just one of the richest, most successful and powerful men in the country.¡±  I replied with a forced nonchalant shrug.  ¡°And I guess he was just happening by and fancied himself a visit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not joking, are you?¡±  She asked, looking concerned.


    ¡°Nope.¡±  I replied, forcing myself to breathe and relax.  I didn¡¯t like being ambushed, and today had had me being ambushed repeatedly.  At this point, I was more than a little sick of it.


    ¡°Well then,¡± Orna said with a resolute shrug of her slender shoulders.  ¡°We¡¯ll just have to welcome him with open arms, and deal with whatever he wants.¡±


    I smiled at the set in her jaw, and the quietly burning fire in her bright blue eyes.  Damn she¡¯s beautiful!  I thought, calming down as I looked at her.


    ¡°Yes we shall.¡±  I smiled, and then rose in greeting as the waiter came back over with a middle aged bearded man in tow behind him.  ¡°Let¡¯s greet one of the most powerful men in the Eagle Union.¡±


    ¡°Should be interesting.¡±  She quipped with a chuckle as she rose alongside me as the waiter reached us.


    ¡°Mr. Ranger, Miss Rowan,¡± the waiter bowed slightly to both of us before smoothly stepping to one side and gesturing to the well dressed businessman next to him.  ¡°May I introduce Mr. Andrew Carnegie.¡±

 Chapter 18

    ¡°A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Ranger, and Miss Rowan.¡±  Carnegie said with a faint Aurora accent, smiling graciously as he shook my hand and kissed Orna¡¯s hand in the manner of a high class gentlemen.  ¡°Thank you for letting me impose upon your dinner.¡±


    ¡°It was too interesting not to.¡±  I replied with a smile as we all sat down around the table.  ¡°I could play gracious high class host and gossip about many things at first, but I¡¯m just too curious, and truthfully too damn tired from a vey long day.


    So, I figured I¡¯ll play the unmannered wild man from the Frontier, and simply be blunt about it.¡±


    Carnegie smiled as he looked at me and finished my little speech for me.  ¡°Why the hell am I here?¡±


    ¡°And what the hell do you want?¡±  I nodded, smiling along with him as Orna watched both of us with a mixture of nervousness and excited fascination.  ¡°We can¡¯t forget that one.  That¡¯s arguably the most important one.¡±


    ¡°Not the why?¡±  He asked back, looking like he was actually enjoying himself.


    Truthfully, I found that I was enjoying myself as well.  This guy was one of the richest men in the country, and his steel was in everything from ships to cities, yet he was sitting here bantering with me.  And he was doing it all like we were old friends and it was the most natural thing in the world.


    He certainly knew how to put people at ease.


    ¡°The why is often interesting, and useful for investigations and mysteries, but in the grand scheme of things, it¡¯s usually not all that important.  What matters is the goal, and the methods of achieving it.¡±  I remarked, remembering the lessons I¡¯d learned from the war.  ¡°It has its place, but really, how would it help right now?  You¡¯re here.  Obviously you¡¯re here for a purpose.  What that purpose is, and how you plan on going about achieving it, are what actually matter here and now.¡±


    ¡°Well said,¡± he nodded with a respectful smile.  ¡°And very true.  In this case, I imagine you can surmise that¡¯s in regards to your centaur.  Well, most of it.¡±


    ¡°That damn horsewoman is gonna be the death of me.¡±  I muttered, feeling more than little sarcastic about the whole thing at this point.


    ¡°Nah, I imagine it¡¯ll be the Lancaster sisters who will have that honor.¡±  He quipped back, catching me off guard and electing a surprised laugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re very well informed.¡±  I chuckled.


    ¡°The nature of being a business titan.¡±  He shrugged.  ¡°Though in this case, I do have some inside information.¡±


    ¡°Enough shuffling you two.¡±  Orna cut in smoothly.  ¡°Just deal already.¡±


    We both blinked and looked at her, as she stared back with a raised eyebrow and nonchalantly took a drink.  We all actually chuckled together at that.


    ¡°But it was just getting good!¡±  I mockingly whined.


    ¡°Our food should arrive soon.¡±  She replied, ignoring me with a raised chin.  ¡°So you two can either keep dancing around while we eat, or you can get to it now, and then think it over as you chew.¡±


    ¡°I like her.¡±  Carnegie remarked, looking at her with a shrewd smile.


    ¡°I saw her first.¡±  I replied, smiling at her as well.  She actually blushed from our responses, and returned to watching us silently.


    ¡°Well, she does have a point.¡±  Carnegie shrugged and sat up straight, in pure business mode.  ¡°Obviously I know about your little bet with Ganes.  And I want in on the chance to breed your centaur woman with my own herd.¡±


    ¡°Only someone like you could call that bet we made, little.¡±  I rolled my eyes before continuing while he smiled a bit smugly, but good-naturedly all the same.  Then I blinked and picked up on what else he¡¯d said.


    ¡°Wait, you have your own herd of centaurs?¡±  I asked, blinking.  ¡°I thought you were all about steel?  And, just how many privately ¡®owned¡¯ centaur herds are there around here?¡±


    ¡°Several.¡±  He replied with a shrug.  ¡°Their numbers are actually in the low thousands, grand total.  And we send envoys out west to the Frontier to entice more of them to come out here whenever we safely can.  There¡¯s been something of a competition between several groups to get the centaur population up and running enough to start taking over inner city transportation for a few years now.  All in the name of staving off the Manure Crisis.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s seriously a real thing?¡±  I asked, shocked.  ¡°I thought that was just some newspaper gimmick to drive up readers.¡±


    ¡°They do that a lot, but no, it¡¯s a real thing.  The sheer number of horses in and around every area of this city makes it a real thing.  And it¡¯s not a new problem.¡±  Carnegie replied with a shrug.  ¡°The ancient Roman Emperor Augustus banned horses from inside Rome, and they kept that ban moving forward for the rest of Roman history.  The Albions are having an even worse problem with their manure inside of London than we are here in the Union currently.  All of their streets are currently under several inches of manure.¡±


    ¡°And you guys are convinced that centaurs are the answer?¡±  I asked, wondering at the obvious city problems, and their sheer scope, that I¡¯d never even stopped to think about before.  ¡°Creatures from myth and legend that only became real after the Shattering?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one idea for a solution.¡±  He shrugged.  ¡°There are others who are trying to work out how to use the electricity we generate for the electromagnets on the docks to power train carts in the city streets.  Still others propose using automobiles to replace horses and not bother with centaurs.  Others think we may have to imitate the ancients and simply ban horses from all avenues of city life.¡±


    ¡°Considering how many horses are used for transportation of goods and raw materials in industry, that would kill our city in less than a decade.¡±  Orna stated with a frown.  ¡°We Coppersmiths are all trying to make solutions to the problem as well you know.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we know my dear, and that¡¯s another reason I¡¯m here tonight.¡±  He smiled warmly at her.  ¡°I¡¯m interested in beating out Ganes by ensuring you win, fully, free and clear.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±  She nodded with a sudden fierce smile.  ¡°So you¡¯ll be sponsoring me, alongside Mr. Ranger, and after I win, you¡¯ll take Miss Halona¡¯s offer of a, er, traveling pregnancy and seasonal visits, for, eh¡­¡±


    ¡°For breeding and basic child rearing purposes?¡±  Carnegie finished for her as she trailed off awkwardly, chuckling as he took a drink.  ¡°When working with centaurs, one must get used to their utter frankness about things.  And yes, I¡¯d love that deal.  However, I¡¯m also interested in whatever you¡¯re working on.  I also do need to speak to Mr. Ranger here about a separate matter concerning him as well.  So, a very busy night for me.¡±


    ¡°You seem confident you can get Ganes to go along with letting you have a crack at Halona.¡±  I muttered, wondering what the hell he wanted with me, specifically.  ¡°If there are actually thousands of centaurs around here, why is Halona so precious?  And, for that matter, what¡¯s wrong with those other solutions that were proposed to solve the crisis?¡±


    ¡°There are thousands in general, but they¡¯re split up between different groups, individuals, and conglomerates, all trying to breed them as fast as possible.  So, any centaur female is worth multiple times her weight in gold.¡±  Carnegie explained with a shrug.  ¡°We¡¯re all in competition with each other, so any addition to the numbers is fiercely fought over.  As to the other solutions?  The carts have a hell of lot of logistical issues that just don¡¯t make them practical, and they tend to overload on the electricity and burn out a lot, making them useless thus far.¡±


    ¡°And the automobiles?¡±  I asked, remembering seeing a couple of the strange looking contraptions being driven around on the road, weaving in between the horse carts.


    ¡°Oh they¡¯re great, if you can afford one, and have a team of engineers on staff to maintain them and fix them.¡±  Orna answered, surprising both of us and laughing at the looks on our faces.  ¡°What?  I¡¯m a Coppersmith!  That means among other things, I¡¯m an engineer!  The automobiles are individually built and designed, mostly for rich blokes who can afford them.  They aren¡¯t used for industry, and not available to the public.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Just so.¡±  Carnegie laughed as the waiters headed towards us with our orders.  ¡°And I have a vested interest in centaurs winning out as the solution anyway.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±  I asked as our dinners were finally delivered to us.


    ¡°If centaurs become a mainstay part of society here, they¡¯ll spread to other cities.¡±  He smiled like cat watching an entire pack of fat mice walk right by him.  ¡°That will mean all those old buildings and streets will have to be torn down, redesigned, and rebuilt with centaurs in mind alongside everyone and everything else.  Eventually, every city and town in the Union will follow through on those designs.  And all of it will be built up again with steel.  My steel.¡±


    I blinked at that, then stared in shock as I slowly thought it through.  The average size and scale of centaurs, combined with tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of them across the country in every major city.  The sheer amount of new construction that would require was mind boggling, and the profit Andrew Carnegie stood to make from all the steel he would sell because of it was jaw dropping.


    So that¡¯s what a visionary business titan really looks like.  I thought as I tipped my head towards him in respect.  He smiled slightly and nodded in return.  After that we were all quiet for a few minutes as we dug into our meals, and had a chance to digest everything.


    ¡°Well,¡± Orna began again a little later, clearly trying to get the conversation back on track.  ¡°You explained why you wanted Halona, and why you¡¯re willing to help me out.  All that remains is why you¡¯re interested in Mr. Ranger.¡±


    ¡°I actually prefer to be called Jake.¡±  I absently interjected.


    ¡°Jake then,¡± Orna nodded with a small smile to me, before turning back to Carnegie.  ¡°So, why the interest in someone so new to the city?¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s actually quite simple.¡±  Carnegie chuckled as he took another drink.  ¡°I¡¯m also involved in building theaters and a new musical hall, as well as libraries across the city and country.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­?¡±  I drew the word out, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.  ¡°And that has to do with me, how exactly?¡±


    ¡°Well, I mentioned how I had an inside track of information about you?¡±  He smiled wickedly.  ¡°Like how I knew about the Lancaster sisters?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, how do you know about that?¡±  I asked, suddenly wary about the answer.


    ¡°Well, you see, I have many investors and financiers I work with, including more than just Unionizers, and even more than just humans.  I work with elves, dwarves, the occasional merfolk, and of course, beastkin.¡±  He smiled even wider at my twitch on the last one.  ¡°And recently, there was this big play they were all pouring money into to create.  Their whole community got involved in it.  Naturally I offered up my newly built theater and concert hall as venues for it.¡±


    ¡°Oh hell no!¡±  I groaned, feeling a full blown migraine coming on.


    ¡°Oh hell yes!¡±  He laughed out loud, while Orna just watched with wide eyes in riveted curiosity.  ¡°I will cover all the expenses that Miss Orna needs for her Exhibition competition, anything at all, and I¡¯ll work with Miss Halona on her traveling pregnancy contract.  In exchange, you will attend the upcoming opening night as my guest of honor.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±  I groaned, already knowing that this man was here to win, on all fronts, and he would not take no for an answer.  For men like him, it wasn¡¯t actually about the money.  The money was nice, but that came with what they really wanted: to win.  It was all about the winning.


    The winning led to success, and the success led to money, but it was the winning that mattered, always.


    I was the same way, just about different things.  So I knew that I could either dig my heels in and force him to drag me, kicking and screaming the whole way, or I could just negotiate to get what I wanted out of it.  So that begged the question, what did I want?


    I thought about that quickly as Carnegie answered my earlier groan with a sharp smile, as if he already knew what I was thinking.


    Hell, he probably did.


    I sure as hell wasn¡¯t his first rodeo.


    ¡°Because having you there will be a coup that no amount of money could really buy.¡±  He answered, smiling.  ¡°It will add an extra, ultimate layer of fame and mystique to the entire hall.  Together with the papers, the success of the music about you in my hall, and having you there, will solidify my cathedral to sound into this city for a hundred years.¡±


    ¡°Music about me?¡±  I groaned, staring at him.  ¡°I thought it was a play?¡±


    ¡°It is, but a visiting composer heard about the whole thing, and got inspired.¡±  Carnegie laughed while I just stared in horror.  ¡°He was overtaken with runaway passion, and wrote out several orchestra songs about you and your various, currently known exploits.  I understand it was in a similar vein to Albions Jack¡¯s the Lad.  I have to admit, they¡¯re some very catchy tunes.¡±


    I felt like I¡¯d been gut shot.


    Doesn¡¯t anyone here have anything better to do?!  I thought darkly.  I really needed to keep on traveling.  If I stayed in this city for any great length of time, the hero worship would either drive me mad, or go straight to my head, neither of which would end well.


    And suddenly there it was: what I wanted.


    ¡°I will do it.¡±  I stated calmly and firmly, getting both Carnegie¡¯s and Orna¡¯s attention focused on me.  ¡°I¡¯ll need a new suit.¡±


    ¡°No, wear what you wear out in the Frontier.¡±  Carnegie replied immediately, grinning widely.  ¡°It¡¯s what people, especially the well-to-do of the city¡¯s finest, actually expect to see you in.  Weapons, coat, boots, hat and all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡±  I muttered, staring at him.  Now I wasn¡¯t even allowed to dress up in a nice suit?  When I could afford it and was going to an event that required it?


    ¡°As strange as it sounds, people have this image of you in their heads.¡±  Carnegie shrugged.  ¡°Putting you in a suit, even one as normal as the one you¡¯re wearing, isn¡¯t what they expect, or want to see.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±  I ground out.  It was stupid, but easy enough.


    ¡°Opening night will be the night before the Exhibition.¡±  He explained, smiling.  ¡°I¡¯ll have a coach pick you up.  Just be ready.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±  I sighed, then glanced over at Orna.  ¡°Want to come?¡±


    She blinked in surprise, blushed as she looked at me, then frowned and shook her head, all in a matter of seconds.  ¡°It¡¯s the night before the Exhibition.  I can¡¯t.  I¡¯ll be too busy tuning my creations, and the main attraction I¡¯ve been working on.¡±


    ¡°Oh well,¡± I shrugged with a smile and turned back to Carnegie.  ¡°Just me then.  I doubt Halona will care, or fit.¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡±  He nodded, smiling.  ¡°And what would you like in return?¡±


    ¡°You know that Albion airship that just pulled into port today?¡±  I asked in response.


    ¡°I do.¡±  He nodded, raising an eyebrow at me with interest.


    ¡°I want a bunch of first class tickets for it.  For me and whoever else travels with me on it.¡±  I stated flatly.  May as well get what I want out of this mess.  The ability to move forward, to travel in style on a modern wonder, through the clouds themselves.  And all of it on someone else¡¯s dime for a change.


    ¡°Done.¡±  Carnegie agreed immediately, reaching out his hand to shake.  I nodded, and reached out my own to shake as well.  After that, dinner was a more normal affair for us all, with the tension largely gone.


    ¡°Well, I need to get my siblings and get home to my lab.¡±  Orna said after we¡¯d enjoyed our deserts.  ¡°Between all the parts I¡¯m going to need from you Mr. Carnegie, and that rat bastard of the guild trying to sabotage me, I need to make sure everything¡¯s alright.  And get to work since there¡¯s only a few days left.¡±


    ¡°Might be best if we move your lab somewhere safe.¡±  Carnegie muttered, looking off into the distance.  ¡°If they¡¯re really ready to sabotage you, we need to change things up.  I can have some well armed men and wagons drop by to help you move your lab somewhere better.¡±


    ¡°Where would you like to move it to?¡±  I asked, looking over at her.  ¡°If you think it¡¯s a good idea to do it.¡±


    ¡°It probably is.¡±  She sighed, looking sad, then resolute as she turned back to Carnegie.  ¡°What about here?  I don¡¯t know anyone else in the city outside of where I live, or anywhere else other than Central Park.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±  He nodded with a simple shrug.  ¡°I¡¯ll speak to the owner and have him set up some rooms for you, your siblings, and for your equipment.  Once the newspapers have had a chance to really get going over all of this, I doubt that he¡¯ll complain.¡±


    I chuckled at the easy power he casually tossed around to get things done.


    ¡°So, where shall my men come and find you my dear?¡±  He asked, looking over to her.  ¡°It would probably be best to have Jake here come with them to meet you, so you know its them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind that.¡±  I agreed, thinking of the rat bastard, and those like him, and how far I knew people of their ilk would easily go to stop what they saw as a threat.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±  She nodded to me, before she turned to Carnegie and actually looked a little embarrassed for moment before she seemed to square her shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m from Five Points.¡±


    I stared in confusion, the name meaning nothing to me.  Carnegie however, sat there looking stunned.  Clearly the name meant something to him.


    ¡°And you¡¯re entering the Exhibition?  Going up against the Coppersmith Guilds from there?¡±  He stared at her, and then smiled.  ¡°My, my, you are impressive.  Is your lab safe?¡±


    ¡°I have a friend watching over it.¡±  Orna nodded, then yawned.


    ¡°It¡¯s late, and you¡¯re probably a marked woman with the gangs down there.¡±  Carnegie muttered, taking charge since he clearly knew what the hell the significance of the Five Points meant.  ¡°We should just have you stay here tonight, and head out with my men and Jake  here first thing in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Someone going to tell me what the hell the Five Points is?¡±  I asked, looking between them, tired of being lost in the sauce on this subject.  Though at this point, I was just tired in general.


    It had been a very long day.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see it tomorrow morning.¡±  He shrugged.  ¡°You¡¯ll understand it then.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡±  I said as we all got up to leave the room and find someone to get Orna and her siblings a large room.


    ¡°After everythings been secured tomorrow, you should visit Central Park properly.¡±  Carnegie told me as we headed over to the concierge¡¯s desk.


    ¡°I saw a little of it today.¡±  I told him as we reached the desk.


    ¡°Did you see the Bethesda Fountain?¡±  He asked, looking curious and a touch somber for the first time tonight.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I did.¡±  I replied, growing more serious in response.


    ¡°You should go.¡±  He told me.  ¡°The centerpiece of the fountain is a beautiful angel, made to commentate the Naval Dead of the Union from the Civil War.¡±


    I stared at him quietly for a moment, then nodded somberly in agreement.  ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Well then, get some rest tonight, Wild Ranger.¡±  He told me, suddenly smiling again as I flinched at the nickname.  ¡°Tomorrow you¡¯ll be descending into wild city country.  A place ruled by multiple gangs, and brutal street violence as the norm, for men and women.  Somehow, knowing the current situation, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have a quiet stroll through there.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡±  I replied, deadpan.  ¡°Bring on the Five Points.¡±

 Chapter 19

    The Five Points, as it turned out, was the name of a neighborhood that had been found at the intersection of four streets, that actually created five different sections.  Four roads, five points, all full of buildings built around a kind of irregular shaped town square.  Relatively nearby to some docks where immigrants from the rest of the screwed up world routinely showed up at.  It had businesses, shops, cramped tenement housing, muddy roads, back alleys, saloons, brothels, and everything else a city neighborhood had.


    It was also, apparently, the worst slum in the city of New York.


    I made sure to strap on all of my weapons when I learned about that little fact.


    I looked around at the little group that was heading for Orna¡¯s home from atop of Butterball.  Andrew Carnegie was as good as his word, and over two dozen men, including several heavily armed men I suspected were the infamous Pinkertons, had arrived at the hotel, ready for work.  I¡¯d saddled up my horse, and Halona, and together with Orna, we were heading down to Five Points to retrieve her Coppersmith devices and tools.


    We left her young siblings at the Hotel, with orders to behave themselves.  I had a wager going with Halona on how well that would turn out once we got back.  If we got back.


    We¡¯re just heading down into the middle of one of the deadliest slums in the city.  I thought darkly as we made our way through the crowded, winding roads.  And one of the poorest.  Run by gang leaders.  One of whom was that little rat faced bastard.  What could possibly go wrong?


    ¡°You sure your stuff will have been safe there over the night?¡±  I asked Orna, who was riding in a large flat top wagon next to me.  The streets and traffic of this city had forced us together, and the sight of so many people, horses, carriages, wagons, and horse drawn Omnibuses on the road at the same time was still stunning.  It was also impressively aggravating.


    The act of going down the road was actually frustrating to an increasingly insane degree, I had noticed.  Good thing I wasn¡¯t staying in this city for long, and that I had conversation to help distract me from it.  Though I wasn¡¯t sure what was worse: the traffic, or the dangerous lunacy of some of the drivers!


    ¡°Yes, my friend is guarding it.¡±  Orna replied with a confident nod.


    ¡°Awful lot of trust in this friend of yours.¡±  The man driving the wagon next to her muttered.  ¡°I¡¯ve been to Five Points before.  The gangs there are small armies of killers, and you lot pissed off one of the local leaders?  He¡¯d be obliged to steal your stuff and maybe even burn your building down, just to make a point.¡±


    I stared, dumbfounded that any local population that had ready access to weapons like guns would tolerate such overbearing bullying behavior from anyone.  Much less a local crook.  Then again though, I¡¯d seen some towns ruled over by less.


    City folk.  Was all I could think, shaking my head in disbelief.


    ¡°Maggie would never stand for that.¡±  Orna replied to the driver, again with easy confidence and total trust in this friend of hers.  ¡°She¡¯d rip their throats out.¡±


    I blinked in surprise at the bloody violence she was so easily describing.  Who the hell is this friend of hers?  I wondered.


    Turned out I wasn¡¯t the only one wondering about that.  ¡°Maggie?¡±  The driver asked, looking contemplative, before a look of recognition, followed by horror, flowed over his face.  ¡°You don¡¯t mean Hell Cat Maggie do you?!¡±


    Orna just smiled brightly at the horrified looking driver.  ¡°I do indeed.¡±


    Oh, this ought to be good.  I thought, feeling a small grin coming on.  ¡°And uh, just who is this Hell Cat Maggie?¡±  I asked, fascinated.  ¡°For those of us who aren¡¯t from this city?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s one of the most dangerous street fighting gangsters in the Five Points.¡±  The man driving the wagon answered, looking both disturbed and grudgingly impressed.  ¡°She¡¯s a cat beastkin, and a crazy one at that.  Rumor is she has a jar of ears she keeps as trophies of fools who picked fights with her.¡±


    ¡°What kind of cat?¡±  I asked, curious.  I¡¯d had multiple issues with cat beastkin over the years, and wasn¡¯t eager to add more to the list.


    ¡°She¡¯s called Siamese.¡±  Orna replied, smiling at me, before turning to glare at the driver next to her.  ¡°And she¡¯s not all that bad!  She protects places for a fee, and in the Five Points, people fight harder than most, so she protects harder than most.¡±


    ¡°Way I hear it, she likes to invite people in and let them start making trouble, before she protects stuff from them.¡±  The driver replied, shuddering.  ¡°They say she¡¯s good with blades, short swords and pistols, but is literal hell with her claws and fangs.¡±


    ¡°Hence the name, eh?¡±  I chuckled, looking around the city as it started to change from brick, stone, and construction projects of steel girders to old wood and plaster.  The smell started to get worse, as did the general level of filth of the road and buildings.


    Not to mention the people.


    The clothing and general look of the people slowly began to get worse, and worse, and even worse as we continued through the twisty roads.


    Welcome to the slums.  I thought, looking around at the people and haphazard buildings, and feeling the atmosphere completely change.  I knew now what Andrew Carnegie had meant.  I was entering a very dangerous forest.  One made of buildings, and where its predators were the people.


    And just by carefully looking around, I could tell: these predators were both haggard, and hungry.


    Desperate, basically.  A terrifying thing to have in humans used to brutal, close quarters violence.


    Many looked at us with varying mixtures of desperation, apathy, envy, greed, resentment, disdain, or more dangerous emotions.


    ¡°This is going to be such fun!¡±  Halona stated cheerily, pulling our wagon along with no driver.  She had a big smile on her face as she looked around, but I noticed it was a more toothy smile, and she was stroking her pistols and knife in a lovingly, if obvious way.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to move equipment.¡±  I told her, kneeing Butterball up to her as I kept an eye on the streets and alleyways around us.  ¡°Not to have a bloody city street battle.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but you¡¯re forgetting something my dear Master Ranger.¡±  She chuckled, glancing over at a group of young men bunched up at one alleyway watching us go by.  They had the unmistakable air of predators deciding on whether or not we were easy meat.


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    She grinned wickedly at them as she put her hands on her pistols, and they wisely averted their eyes.


    If there was one thing the desperate learned to fear, it was those who found the prospect of violence exciting, rather than frightening.


    ¡°And that would be?¡±  I asked, glancing over at a small tenement-turned-brothel that had women of all kinds leaning out of tiny windows in various states of undress, beckoning at all of us passing by.  I also noticed several men standing around in the shadows of the building next to them, watching us, and I had a feeling they were allied with the whores.


    I¡¯d seen such cozy arrangements like that before.


    ¡°You¡¯re here Master!¡±  She stated, laughing as she looked at yet another group eyeing her, and deliberately tapped the handles of her guns, again, with a very big grin.  ¡°So of course trouble will come along.  It loves to have fun with you!¡±


    I rolled my eyes in annoyance, which only served to amuse the mischievous horse woman as we turned onto a road called Mulberry Road.


    ¡°Sounds like fun.¡±  Orna giggled next to us from her seat.  Her wagon was close enough that she was basically sitting next to us, even as Halona pulled a wagon behind her, and I sat on a horse.  I shook my head as I looked around the even worsening tenement slums, wondering how my life kept getting weirder in all the subtlest of ways.


    ¡°Oh my dear, you have no idea!¡±  Halona laughed, and then mock whispered to her, while glancing at me with a wicked smile.  ¡°Trouble just adores him!  You¡¯ll understand soon enough.  I¡¯m so glad you¡¯ve joined our little merry band!  You¡¯ll fit right in, and with you around Master Ranger, things will never be boring!¡±


    ¡°Why thank you,¡± Orna laughed, blushing a little when she glanced at me before looking back at Halona with a grin of her own.  ¡°Though I¡¯m really just here until the Exhibition is finished in a few days.  Then, after he¡¯s won his bets and made back his money, and I¡¯ve got my sponsored patrons paying for my things, we¡¯ll go our separate ways.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s adorable you think that will be the sequence of events.¡±  Halona grinned evilly.  ¡°Truly, never lose that childish belief in simple fairytales my dear.  Even as you wind up traveling with us for the rest of your life.¡±


    I stared at Halona, both shocked, and amused.


    ¡°Thanks, I think.¡±  I chuckled, not really knowing what else to do.  A shiver actually ran down my spine at her words, and I had to deliberately push it away and refocus on the very dangerous area around us.


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all Master.¡±  Halona giggled, even as her eyes continued to scan around the streets.  ¡°Though I think trouble will be visiting us today.  And shortly at that¡±


    ¡°He is something of a needy old friend at this point.¡±  I jokingly mused as we took another turn to an even muddier and more dilapated part of the Five Points.  ¡°I¡¯ve been seeing him so much lately.  Perhaps I should say hello to him the next time he so blatantly shows up, wanting attention.¡±


    I chuckled, then stopped and blinked in surprise as I noticed both Halona and Orna giving me odd looks.


    ¡°That was an odd turn of phrase.¡±  Halona muttered, looking intrigued.  ¡°Have you actually met trouble itself?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±  I laughed, mock glaring at her.  ¡°The same day I met you!¡±


    We all laughed a bit, and the tension dwindled at bit even as the atmosphere of the area around us only got worse.


    ¡°Still, the way you phrased that did stick.¡±  Orna persisted, glancing at me curiously.  ¡°Was it a quote from a poem?¡±


    ¡°Somewhat.¡±  I admitted with a small smile.  ¡°One of my younger brothers, Luke, likes to be a bit poetical.  He likes to say that trouble will remind us that the world is a dangerous place, that demands the best of us by challenging us and trying to break us.  And that whenever that happens, it¡¯s our job to step up, grit our teeth, smile, and remind trouble who we are, by overcoming it.¡±


    ¡°I like that.¡±  Orna said, grinning with an intense look in her bright blue eyes.  ¡°I like that a lot.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±  I replied, as my thoughts briefly returned to my family back on their ranch.  ¡°He likes to literally say ¡®hello trouble¡¯ whenever an eventful mess happens to him, or us in general.  Then he¡¯ll roll up his sleeves, set his shoulders, and no matter what, see the task done.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t imagine where he learned that from.¡±  Halona quipped, raising an eyebrow at me sardonically as we came to our final destination.


    I rolled my eyes in exasperation as our little convoy pulled off the road and came to a stop by the sidewalks of a set of truly horrible looking tenement buildings.  Honestly, the whole city would probably be better served to just burn this whole place down and start again at this point.  I thought darkly, looking at the four story buildings jammed together that all looked like they were falling apart, even as people moved about, all but shoving their way through each other.


    I looked over at one street clogged with men sleeping in mud and filth, even as tiny children played in it around them, and shuddered before I refocused on what was around me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just let Maggie know we¡¯re back, and then we can all get started!¡±  Orna stated as she hopped down and quickly started walking to the building.  ¡°The sooner we¡¯re out of here, the better off we¡¯ll all probably be.¡±


    ¡°The sooner the better.¡±  I muttered, looking around the street, and not liking what I was beginning to see.  ¡°Trouble is well on his way over here, by the looks of it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±  Halona asked me, quietly, as she glanced around with narrowed eyes.  ¡°What has you on edge?¡±


    ¡°During the war, my regiment entered a town we thought had already been cleared out and captured.¡±  I explained as I noticed several of the more experienced looking Pinkerton¡¯s hackles start to visibly rise as they too started looking around with hard eyes.  ¡°It wasn¡¯t.  The Coalitioner¡¯s waited till we¡¯d mostly congregated to the center of the town before ambushing us.  The only thing that saved me and my own men was that we were further away from the main square.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think this is a repeat of that?¡±  Halona asked, seemingly accepting that we were half a step away from some sort of ambush.  I still wasn¡¯t sure how much her apparent trust in me was gratifying, or just worrying.


    ¡°All the locals were in on it, and when the ambush started they all cleared out beforehand.¡±  I explained, as I glanced around to both sides of the road, at all the various crammed buildings around us.  ¡°Just like they¡¯re starting to do right now.¡±


    As I continued to look around, I could see it: women, children, and working men were all moving away, heading inside or disappearing into alleyways as quickly as possible.  Soon all that was left were local looking tough guys, some in suits, some in haggard looking trousers and shirts, some in their blood or soot covered work clothes.  All had the look of men of violence.


    The look of predators.


    And their eyes were focused on us.


    ¡°I think we better get these wagons set up, and get ourselves inside.¡±  I remarked to the lead Pinkerton, who nodded in agreement with a hard look on his face.


    He set about barking orders to his men, and they quickly and efficiently went about getting the wagons set up in a defensive perimeter that could double as simple loading and moving.  We all quickly congregated around the front door of the run down tenement building, our hands either resting on, or outright holding our weapons.  The entire block had quieted down, with fewer and fewer normal people walking around.


    Still, nobody was keen on spooking a cat beastkin in their own territory, so we waited outside.


    ¡°What are they waiting for?¡±  Halona wondered, standing next to me as I continued to scan the area from atop Butterball.


    ¡°I have a feeling there¡¯s more going on here.¡±  I replied, frowning.  ¡°Maybe some kind of local politics.  Someone wants to put on some kind of show.  Though for the life of me I can¡¯t figure out why.  Or why the hell everyone here gives a damn about a random coppersmith apprentice entering a contest.  Big bets or not.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps the hack of a playwright himself will tell us.¡±  Halona half sighed, half grunted suddenly, gesturing to a building across the street from us.


    Directly across the street sat a butcher shop, and as I looked at it, a familiar figure stepped out of the front door onto the sidewalk, and just stared at us with an ugly smile.


    The short little fat rat of a guild master from yesterday in the park.  I never had gotten his name I realized.  He strutted up to his side of the road, blatantly looking at us like a would be leader of an invading army, with nigh on three dozen men and women, at least, all congregating around him.


    ¡°Hello Trouble.¡±  I muttered, feeling a toothy smile start to pull at my face despite myself.  ¡°It¡¯s been awhile.  Looks like it¡¯s time to have some wild fun again.¡±


    I reached down and gently caressed my pistols.


    ¡°Guess it¡¯s time to remind you, again, who I am.¡±


    ¡°Told you Master.¡±  Halona giggled.  ¡°Trouble just loves you!¡±


    ¡°My my,¡± a silken female voice said from the doorway behind us, almost like a purr.  ¡°What fun this is!¡±

 Chapter 20

    I glanced over my shoulder to look at the owner of the voice, and stared in quiet shock.


    Standing in the doorway before me was a short, lithe, beautiful cat beastkin woman. Her fur covered body was silver white with jagged streaks of grey across her forehead, neck and cheeks under her eyes. Her triangular pink nose and small, human mouth and lips blended together while being surrounded by pure white fur, framing her face. Her ears were a surprise, looking more like fur covered elfin ears rather than the various types of feline breed ears, and they were on the side of her head, rather than further up towards the top.


    That happened occasionally in some beastkin breeds, though it was rare.


    She also had silver and grey streaked hair coming down almost like a long river mane down to the base of her back.


    However, it was her deep, bright blue eyes framed by the fur on her face and the slanted look of a cat from the triangular nose, that demanded the most attention.


    Below her transfixing, bewitching face, her bright white and grey fur covered neck ended in a V neck blouse of blue and black, making her fur seem even brighter. Glancing down I saw that she wore blue and black trousers and leather sandal-boots that let her furry claw-toes out, and behind her I saw a silvery, grey streaked tail moving back and forth in a excited manner.


    I noticed several knives and a hammer on her belt, and a chatelaine with an assortment of tools hanging down from her waist to the top of her knee.


    This was a practical woman, and a dangerous one.


    I didn¡¯t need to see her adorable, pale white and grey fur streaked hands with claws poking out, or the bright white fangs behind her small, plump mouth as she grinned toothily to know that.


    And she had a lot of teeth in the excited grin she was showing me.


    ¡°Hell Cat Maggie, I presume?¡± I asked, grinning back at her despite myself.


    ¡°The Wild Ranger, by the name of Jake, I presume?¡± She asked back with a raised eyebrow, her sharp toothed smile never wavering.


    ¡°The very same, I fear I¡¯m forever doomed to say.¡± I sighed dramatically, earring a surprised giggle from her. ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°Maggie, or Mags to a select few.¡± She replied with an amused shrug.


    ¡°Everyone else just loves to call me Hell Cat Maggie, and nothing else.¡± She sighed in exasperated annoyance. ¡°I swear, you rip out one little throat in the middle of a massive riot, and suddenly you¡¯re not a cat beastkin, you¡¯re a hell cat.¡±


    ¡°Oh I feel your pain!¡± I laughed, even as I kept an eye on the growing pool of people across the street. ¡°Lead one little charge in the middle of a war, against a few overly tall people, and suddenly you¡¯re a folk hero, whom everyone likes to dump all their problems on.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose it could be worse.¡± Maggie half giggled, half purred as she looked over my shoulder, utterly ignoring everyone else around us as she did so, to focus on the growing group of rough folks across the street. ¡°I could have challenged and humiliated a slum lord coppersmith guild maser in front of half the city. Then brazenly strolled into his territory with the woman who got him humiliated, and stands to wreck his entire business.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± I asked, confused. ¡°How does Orna threaten his business? Apart from outdoing his people at the exhibition.¡±


    She opened her mouth to reply, only to be cut off from the bastard across the street.


    ¡°Oui! Maggie!¡± He called out, drawing everyone¡¯s attention back to him. ¡°This don¡¯t concern you! Just slink off and don¡¯t look back. No harm done!¡±


    ¡°Like that pack of idiots that were trying to set fire to this place last night?¡± Maggie called back in a clear and sharp voice. ¡°That collection of morons stumbling around in the dark with cans of kerosine? If I hadn¡¯t stepped in those idiots would¡¯ve likely burned the entire neighborhood down!¡±


    ¡°Just some drunk, enthusiastic locals.¡± Rat face replied, shrugging. ¡°Who don¡¯t want the visiting world to laugh at them by having a half trained little girl represent them on stage.¡±


    ¡°A girl so pathetic at her craft you had to send people to sabotage her booth.¡± I called back, tired of dealing with this guy. ¡°Or did you think I didn¡¯t know about that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a nasty habit of inserting yourself where you don¡¯t belong, stranger!¡± Rat face snapped back. ¡°What, do you think cause you¡¯re some high and mighty war hero that you can get up in other peoples business? This is New York! Not the frontier! We got our own way of doing things here!¡±


    His collection of armed thugs all cheered at that, and I sighed in utter annoyance. It was clear to me that this situation was going to end in blood.


    Though I was both stunned at the brazenness of the small army assembling to do it, and at a loss as to why this little lunatic was putting in so much effort to stamp out one bit of competition.


    ¡°What is this guys problem?¡± I muttered to myself. ¡°The real one I mean. Why is he so hung up on Orna, as opposed to anyone else?¡±


    ¡°Aye, this is New York!¡± Maggie called back, gracefully sliding up next to me as we eyed the small army across the street. ¡°But this is Five Points! You want to stop us from moving out and crushing you in the Exhibition, you step up and do it!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to have blood on the streets.¡± He replied, glancing around at his small army of gangster thugs. ¡°Especially since most of it would be your blood. Just withdraw from the whole affair, or bring out the little Galway brat and we can fix this whole mess!¡±


    ¡°Who the hell does this joker think he is?¡± I asked, a bit stunned by his brazenness, or stupidity, I honestly couldn¡¯t tell which it was yet. ¡°He struts around like he¡¯s a king, or some damn conquering general.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Kirby Berwick.¡± Orna¡¯s voice came from the doorway behind us. She sounded both angry, and nervous. ¡°He¡¯s the guild master for several lower end Coppersmith Guild Halls. And he¡¯s always been an up jumped king of a sad little hill. Looks like you getting me into the Exhibition has finally sent him over the edge.¡±


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    ¡°Well now, if it isn¡¯t the eye of this trouble making storm herself!¡± Rat face, or Berwick, as that was apparently his actual name, called out, putting on a big grin and even bigger act for the crowd. ¡°The reason all of us are here on this muddy street on this fine morning! All cause she won¡¯t behave like a proper apprentice goggle-head!¡±


    ¡°Goggle-head?¡± I asked, now truly lost. I knew a few of the reasons he was here with his impromptu army, and that I was the cause for most of them. But this was starting to feel deeper, and more personal, which, when combined with money, ego and guns, never really ended well in my experience.


    The Civil War against the Coalition of Independent States had long been over, and yet here I was, about to be in the midst of a full on battle once again. And this time, I wasn¡¯t even fully sure why it was even being fought!


    However, I could get lucky, and everyone would suddenly come to their senses!


    But I kind of doubted it.


    ¡°Most Coppersmith¡¯s wear goggles, especially the apprentices.¡± Orna explained as she stepped up us and stared Berwick down. ¡°However, I don¡¯t need them.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked, my eyes roving over the collected force, and not liking the weight of numbers he had on his side.


    ¡°Because she¡¯s a freak!¡± Berwick shouted at us, apparently overhearing us. ¡°She¡¯s talented, but without the proper training, and the proper treatments, she¡¯s a danger to everyone! No Coppersmith works without the training and the treatments! It gives us all a bad name when anything you make and sell blows up or fails to work! Coppersmiths have to have the treatments!¡±


    ¡°My parents trained me!¡± She snapped back, her nervousness vanishing in the face of her fire. ¡°And I don¡¯t need treatments! I can build and create just fine without them!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how this works love!¡± Berwick snapped back, looking half gleeful, half livid. Somehow. ¡°All Coppersmiths have to have the treatments! It¡¯s a guarantee of service quality! Even if you are a freak!¡±


    ¡°This jokers strumming on my last nerve.¡± I muttered coldly, fast losing patience with this whole mess. ¡°This comes to blows, he¡¯s my first target. I don¡¯t care what¡¯s coming at us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re new here Ranger.¡± Maggie purred next to me, seemingly excited by my comment. ¡°He¡¯s been a pain in my side, and Orna¡¯s, for years. If anyone is going to kill him, it¡¯s going to be me! You¡¯re just gonna have to wait in line.¡±


    ¡°First come, first serve, darling.¡± I replied, grinning a toothy grin of my own at her remark.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Orna whispered frantically, looking frightened. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to fight just because of me!¡±


    ¡°Orna¡­¡± Maggie sighed, half pleased, half exasperated, but Orna just talked right past her.


    ¡°He¡¯s only here because of me! I can try to chase him off, or something.¡± She insisted, her lack of confidence was both strangely endearing, but also utterly unconvincing.


    ¡°He¡¯s here because he¡¯s afraid to lose, and he wants to cheat around that, rather than try to simply win in any fair way.¡± I replied firmly, drawing the attention of everyone present in our little barricade. ¡°And I¡¯m not inclined to bow down to a bully for any reason, ever.¡±


    I shrugged with a small grin on my face, despite everything, and shugged. ¡°It¡¯s a firm personal rule of mine. It sticks in my craw to damn much.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± Maggie said with a predatory smile that showed off her sharp fangs.


    ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve been looking for an excuse to end that insufferable worm years!¡±


    ¡°When I fight, I usually like to know why, if only so I can figure out how to win better.¡± I muttered as I glanced between the two forces, who were glaring at one another in now very dangerous ways. ¡°This seems a little too obsessed, a little too personal, all over an inventor coppersmith girl who happens to be independent of any guild.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you really don¡¯t actually know?¡± Maggie asked, her blue eyes widening in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s because¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on out here Galway girl!¡± Berwick called out loudly, cutting Maggie off. ¡°Take yer Cog Juice like all the other good little goggle-heads, and join up with a guild. Do that, and we can all go home!¡±


    I blinked in surprise, confused at the odd turn this had suddenly taken.


    ¡°I got a fresh bottle, just for you, right here!¡± He said, pulling out a small bottle of glowing green liquid out of his jacket to show off. ¡°I got why you need. What all proper coppersmiths need! So come on over and take it! Then everyone can go on about their day!¡±


    ¡°Sod off you up jumped sewer rat!¡± A woman suddenly yelled out from behind us. I blinked in shock and turned to look around behind us.


    Dozens of people, including several women, all armed, were all but pouring out of the building, glaring at Berwick and his gang.


    ¡°This don¡¯t concern you, Needle Stabbers!¡± Berwick shouted, looking instantly furious as these newcomers swelled into our ranks around the barricade.


    ¡°Like as hell it don¡¯t!¡± Another woman shouted right back. ¡°You Skinned Cat bastard! You nearly burned our entire block down last night!¡±


    ¡°A few enthusiastic boys who got ahead of themselves and made a bad judgment call!¡± Berwick replied, making a dusting off motion. ¡°I can¡¯t be held responsible for what every idiot does in the Five Points at night.¡±


    ¡°Except I followed them back after I ran them off, and saw who they reported their failure to.¡± Maggie shouted back, laughing at him. ¡°So save it, you would be arsonist ringleader bastard!¡±


    Berwick actually blinked at that, paused, then glared pure murder at us, and I knew we were not far from the coming blows.


    ¡°Last chance girly!¡± He snapped, focusing on Orna, who glared back at him furiously. ¡°Come on out here and take your medicine, and this can all be over!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t need it, don¡¯t want it!¡± Orna snapped back, pulling out a coppersmith pistol similar to the one I¡¯d seen Lillianne use. ¡°Now get lost you damn squeaking mouse! You¡¯re not even a rat! Just a mouse with delusions of grandeur!¡±


    I snorted in amusement, though more at her very bad insult than at the actual insult itself, even if it was more or less true in my opinion. Maggie chuckled while glancing at her friend in an exasperated way.


    ¡°Really?¡± She giggled while shaking her head. ¡°A mouse?¡±


    ¡°I saw some inside when I moved some stuff around, and it just stuck.¡± Orna replied defensively, ducking her head and blushing in embarrassment. Several other people in our little barricade chuckled as well.


    However, when I glanced across the street, the reaction from Berwick instantly concerned me. He was smiling. Smugly. Even standing tall and puffing his chest out while gripping his suits front, as though he was so very proud of himself.


    That instantly put my guard up!


    ¡°A mouse, was it?¡± He called back, laughing cruelly along with his gang. ¡°Funny you mention that!¡±


    Suddenly, above him on the second floor of the tenement building he was standing in front of, I saw movement at the window, and a sudden purple glow inside the dark room! Oh hell! I thought, my eyes widening. Sniper!


    And I knew who the likely target would be.


    ¡°Down!¡± I shouted, whirling and grabbing Orna before throwing both her and myself down to the muddy ground. A split second later, a purple beam of light passed over us and bathed one of the angry Needle Stabber women in its light!


    Everyone blinked in shock! Then blinked again when nothing happed. Orna and I peered up from the muddy ground while everyone else ducked, or stood around in a stupor, staring. Nothing was happening on the other side as well, but I also didn¡¯t hear any cursing or shouting about some kind of misfire.


    The hell? I thought, confused.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± Halona whispered in horrified shock, staring at the woman, and then the window.


    ¡°Was that some kind of joke?¡± The woman in question shouted at the street, seemingly suddenly emboldened by the fact that she was okay.


    ¡°Give it time darling.¡± Berwick called back, laughing. Time was not something I was inclined to give anyone, however.


    ¡°Open fire!¡± I shouted, pushing myself up from the muddy ground, snatching my rifle and aiming at the window where the strange light had come from. I was officially done humoring these bastards.


    Shots rang out from our side, and there were shouts of surprise and pain from their side. Then there was suddenly a primal, terrified, horrified primal scream from behind us, which caught us all off guard with just how visceral it sounded!


    We all ducked down and looked back behind wondering what was going on, since the other side still hadn¡¯t shot back yet for some reason.


    Looking back at the woman who¡¯d been hit by the light, we could all suddenly see why.


    They wanted us to see this.


    ¡°God in heaven.¡± I whispered, shocked at what I was suddenly watching happen.

 Chapter 21

    Everyone¡¯s eyes were suddenly riveted to the woman, and for good reason!


    She was changing, mutating, transforming, right in front of us, in broad daylight!


    She was staring at her hands and arms as they grew a grey fur on them, as her hands and fingers slowly seemed to melt and mold themselves, becoming humanoid paw-hands.  She suddenly reached up to her ears, her eyes wide in shock and abject terror, as they seemed to balloon outward in flat circular discs before turning slightly folded.  Then her mouth and nose and cheeks all seemed to shift a little bit, puff out, and then grow into a kind of half muzzle, half face, with more fur growing on her skin and whiskers popping out of her face.


    Suddenly, she arched her back, like something was pushing against her backside!


    Groaning in pain, she reached around and ripped a hole in her dress above the small of her back, and a long, pink tail began to slide out of it, swaying back and forth as it continued growing longer.


    ¡°A, a tail?¡±  She muttered in shock, staring at it for a moment, before she shuddered and looked down at her altering body.


    I could only stare in continued shock, along with everyone else present, as her body continued to change, obviously growing fur damn near everywhere, even as her body shifted and became more voluptuous in a strange, lithe way.  At least, for all that her body was melting and remolding itself like a wax statue, she didn¡¯t seem to be in any great pain.  Just horror.


    Oddly, she looked like a beautiful beastkin, but I¡¯d never heard of a breed that resembled¡­a mouse?


    ¡°Did she really just turn into a mouse beastkin, right in front of us?¡±  Orna whispered in shock.


    The woman¡¯s feet suddenly altered as she quickly kicked off her boots and we saw feet-paws, and then the changes suddenly seemed to stop.  She didn¡¯t shrink, or seem to lose her mind, even as she just stood and stared at her own body in numbed disbelief.


    ¡°There are no mouse breed beastkin.¡±  Maggie muttered, equally numb.  Truthfully, we all were deeply rooted in place, so disconcerted that we could barely think straight.


    ¡°Seems there are now.¡±  I muttered, for a want of anything else to say as the woman¡¯s body seemed to solidify and become a stable flesh and blood body once more.  Just flesh and blood body that was now covered in fur, and looked like an odd blend of human and mouse.


    Before anyone could contemplate any of this any further, the purple light shot out again, bathing another woman in its light!


    She immediately started crying out in terror!


    ¡°Target that son of a bitch in the windows!¡±  I roared, my blood ramming through my body as raw terror and rage combined together to help push me past my open mouthed shock.  ¡°Keep him from blasting anymore of us!¡±


    I whirled back around and opened fire on the windows in the building across the street, aiming in the general direction the last shot had come from.  The Pinkerton men and various gangsters with firearms around us opened fire, and a disorganized salvo peppered the street across from us.


    The gangsters on the other side of the road had taken the time to find cover around the buildings and alleyways, and were now starting to shoot back!


    The little street war between all of us was officially underway.


    However, it was instantly clear to me that the so called Dead Cats, and their boss Berwick were already winning the preliminary opening volleys.  That had to change, and fast, or we were all doomed!  They¡¯d just keep us pinned down while their strange mutation-purple-light sniper on the second floor picked us off one by one.


    Those that he didn¡¯t get would probably panic, do something stupid, and get cut down by the more mundane lead throwing guns aimed at us.


    This mess needs to change, and in a hurry before they pin us down and hit their stride!  I thought frantically as I glanced around, assessing the mess.  It was clear to me we couldn¡¯t stay on defense, not with an elevated sniper taking potshots at us, the exotic nature of his weapon aside.  My mind instantly started analyzing the various strategies we could reliably use in our current position, and it was like I¡¯d never left the Union Army.


    A straight bum rush charge would get us peppered with withering fire, and those that survived would be cut down the old fashioned way, given how many of these street gangs seemed to like bladed weaponry.


    However, it was clear we needed to either fully retreat, pull a feint that lured them out of position, or attack.  While a retreat was appealing, it wouldn¡¯t get us anything, and was no guarantee to our safety, since our enemy knew this territory, and was clearly prepared for us.  A feint was unlikely to succeed, given the nature of the terrain and distribution of everyone¡¯s forces.  This may have been a street fight, but it was similar enough to outright military war that the same rules that governed that world still applied here.


    Both sides had a set of goals to achieve in order to claim victory.


    We had to win, get what we came for, and get out.


    They just had to wait, and either win now, or wait for us to come back.


    That only left us with one real option, which made me sigh as I reached the conclusion I had been hoping to avoid.  It¡¯s like the damn giants all over again!  I mentally groaned as I looked for the leader of the Pinkertons before crouch-walking over to him.


    Behind us I could hear one woman squeaking in terror and misery, and another screaming in horror, but who was also starting to squeak more than scream.  I resolutely refused to look and get distracted again.  Time was of the essence, and I was in a hurry to get out of this fish barrel.


    ¡°I need two men good in close range combat!¡±  I shouted to him as he looked over to me when I reached him.  ¡°The rest give covering fire!  A lot of it.  Those men and I will charge through them, and head up the stairs to get that sniper son of a bitch!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll want to protect him and follow after you!¡±  He pointed blinking in confusion, before he instantly caught on, and grinned viciously.  This man knew his trade, and most importantly of all: he had experience.  He understood.


    If we charged their group, it was just a very deadly, chaotic street brawl, and the advantage went to them.  If we charged their prized ace in the hole, they would be forced to break cover and protect him, opening themselves up to getting shot.  And inside a cheap rickety tenement building, it was all about tight spaces and close quarters, killing the advantage that larger numbers usually gave.


    ¡°God I hope so!¡±  I laughed darkly.  ¡°And I hope the rest of you are good shots!¡±


    ¡°Bet your ass we are Ranger!¡±  He shouted back, before looking around our group.  ¡°Taylor!  Frichie!  Front and center!  Everyone else, get ready to pour it on!¡±


    There was a loud shot over the gun shots and general sound of battle in affirmation.  Even the gangsters were following along with the orders.  Two short, stout, rough looking men quickly half walked, half crouched their way over to us, and we were ready to get going.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going as well!¡±  Maggie said from behind me, nearly making me jump, which was doubly terrifying as that damn purple beam flew over our position once again, hitting another gangster!  Again another woman, and I suddenly got a sick feeling that this sniper had a particular preference of target.


    The woman started to scream, and then just started sobbing and running around in a blind panic as fur started to sprout on her.


    I honestly wasn¡¯t sure which part was worse; the actual transformation, or the raw, primal fear it created.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that you damn cat!¡±  I snapped, annoyed as I struggled to hole my emotions in check.


    ¡°Scaredy cat.¡±  She laughed in a playfully haughty manner, which didn¡¯t suit a battlefield at all, but somehow seemed both hilarious, and natural on her.  Just like every cat that I had ever known, ever.  Beastkin, animal or otherwise.


    ¡°I shall go as well.¡±  Halona called out as she carefully ducked and crouched as best she could behind the large wagons, her own pistols out.  ¡°I can better block up the bottom floor and cause chaos, guarding your back.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll barely fit inside that pile of bricks!¡±  I snapped, glancing from her to the buildings across from us.


    ¡°I will come.¡±  She stated with finality, and I just didn¡¯t have the strength left to argue with her.


    ¡°Fine, ya damn horse!¡±  I snapped, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°I can fire a shot that will create a bright light and cause electrical shocks to bounce around some of them.¡±  Orna chimed in, covered in mud and yet totally focused and determined, her gun clutched in her hand in a very steady grip.


    ¡°Excellent!¡±  I replied, no longer caring who was joining in.  We had to get moving, now, before our side collapsed into panic and chaos, which was close to happening with the three screaming, panicking, transforming, squeaking women in our ranks.


    ¡°Fire when ready Orna!¡±  I snapped, gesturing from her to the other side of the street.  ¡°Everyone else, start blasting as soon as it lights up, just don¡¯t shoot me or our attacking team!¡±


    Everyone half shouted, half laughed in acknowledgement as Orna carefully climbed up next us, popped out the large front loaded cylinder of weapon, and spun to a certain spot.  She popped it back in place, and reeked herself for a moment, the rest of us quickly doing the same as we got ready.  With her weapon ready, she took a breath, then quickly peeked over, pointed, and squeezed the trigger on her large, strange coppersmith pistol.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    There was a sound of air and gas spewing, then a quick thump, and for a moment, nothing.


    A moment later, a sudden ball of white light covered the whole street, followed by shouting and screams of pain!


    ¡°Go!  Go!  Go!¡±  I shouted, and I, Taylor, Frichie, Maggie, and Halona charged over our barricades!


    I and the two Pinkertons had to scramble over the wagons, while Halona just leaped between two of them, and Maggie half climbed, and half leaped over them.  Everyone behind us opened up with their guns, hammering the other side as we scrambled over the barricades and started sprinting across the street.  I glanced and saw that Maggie had somehow landed on Halona¡¯s back and was getting a ride across the street, laughing as she did.


    Us poor humans had to simply run on our own two legs.


    Cats.  I thought with a wild laugh as we crossed the muddy, and now bloody street to the tenements on the other side.


    As the brutal light receded, I saw several men and women down, and several jerking as electrical arcs jumped between them over and over.


    Still, I knew it wouldn¡¯t last, and our little force scrambled to the door of the building that the sniper bastard was in as the covering fire from our side began to slacken.  A moment later, Taylor set his shoulder and arm, and rammed the cheaply made door!  He knocked it clean off its hinges, and he actually let out a surprised shout as he met almost no resistance, and practically flew through the hole right behind said door.


    ¡°Well, that works!¡±  I shouted as I ducked in behind him, everyone piling inside as we did so.  ¡°Up the stairs!  Now!¡±  I shouted, my pistol already pointing to the narrow stairs at the end of the of the small littler foyer.


    ¡°The horse and I will cover the ground floor!¡±  Maggie shouted, leaping from Halona¡¯s back to land on a gangster who¡¯d been crouching nearby.  The man screamed as the crazy cat beastkin woman landed on him, her claws and fangs going straight for his throat!


    ¡°Get that sniper master!¡±  Halona yelled, turning with pistols out to cover the door, her bulk forcing her to move carefully.


    ¡°Will do you crazy mustang!¡±  I shouted back.  ¡°Don¡¯t let her get hurt, you bloody little house cat!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself turned into a mouse!¡±  Maggie laughed back.  ¡°I¡¯d hate to be arrested for eating the Wild Mouse of legend!¡±


    I actually laughed as the Pinkerton men and I made made our way up the stairs, slowly, as there was no real light, hardly any windows or lanterns, and none of us wanted to get shot.


    Either with lead bullets or with the mutating beam of light.


    ¡°Clear!¡±  Taylor snapped, as he whirled into one tiny room.


    ¡°Clear!¡±  Frichie called out, crisply and professionally as he whirled into another tiny room.


    ¡°Damn little bastards either hiding or moving.¡±  I muttered darkly as we made our way down the grimy, cramped hallways, clearing rooms as best we could with almost zero light.  Our pistols were out, cocked, and our fingers were growing increasingly twitchy on the triggers as we kept finding nothing, door by door.


    Downstairs, we could hear shouts, screams, and the sounds of gunfire and close quarters combat.


    We were running out of time!


    Then, as we burst through yet another door to another set of rooms, we saw a flash of light as someone moved through a connected door to another room!


    ¡°Movement!¡±  I called out.  This room even had an actual window, and I knew we were finally on the right track.


    ¡°Moving!¡±  Taylor declared, and he moved forward with Frichie and I behind him, covering him.  We quickly moved through the grimy, furniture crowded room before coming to the door.  Nodding to one another, we squeezed together on either side of the door, and waited.


    A moment later, Taylor reared back and kicked the cheap piece of flimsy wood, again knocking the door right off its hinges!


    He ducked to the side, and just in time as a beam of purple light blasted out of the room!  It was followed a moment later by several pistols shots.


    Frichie and I whirled inside, shooting as we went.


    The bastard was alone, behind a table in a corner with a pistol out and a strange contraption next to him on the table.  The thing actually looked kind of familiar to me, but I couldn¡¯t focus on it, as the shooter had my full attention!  He got off one more shot that winged Frichie in the left arm, before both Frichie and I hammered him with multiple shots, each.


    The man went down with short scream before slumping to the ground, now forever silent as blood began to pour out of multiple holes in his body.  For a moment, there was silence, and then both Frichie and I were able to gasp in a breath.


    However, before we could do anything, even look at Frichie¡¯s wound, the sound of the battle downstairs ratcheted up a notch, and I knew we had to get back there, or we¡¯d soon be overwhelmed ourselves.


    ¡°See to your wound.¡±  I told him, quickly making several decisions.  ¡°And guard that device!  Don¡¯t let those bastards get their hands back on it.  Taylor and I are heading back down.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir.¡±  He nodded, and headed over to the table next to the dead gangster, and began to take up a position, reload, and to quickly look over his wound.


    A hardened professional, through and through.  I smiled as I turned and walked back out, Taylor at my side with a nod.  Carnegie knew how to get quality, it seemed.


    Taylor and I quickly reloaded on our way through the hallway back towards the stairs, and then with a nod to one another, our pistols ready, we quickly descended the stairs back to the foyer.


    What we found was bloody bedlam and chaos!


    Several of the so-named Dead Cats had made their way inside, being led by the little bastard Kirby Berwick himself.  With a quick glance it looked like everyone had run out of ammo, and no one had the time or safety to reload, and so now it had gone from guns to blades.  Halona had her own knife out, and between that and her hooves, she was holding her own even as the gangsters tried to surround her.


    Hell Cat Maggie alternated between leaping onto someone, or leaping back onto Halona¡¯s back to get clear before she was swarmed.  While on Halona¡¯s back, she would cover for the centaur¡¯s sides, allowing themselves to block for one another.  Still, it looked like Halona¡¯s back was getting slowly ripped up from all the claws in Maggies feet that dug into her whenever she landed on the centaurs back.


    The women were holding their own, but the gangsters were slowly hemming them in and forcing them into a corner, with a combination of long hammers, meat cleavers, knives, and swords slowly pushing them back.


    Taylor and I opened fire as we charged down the stairs into the mess, dropping some of the better armed gangsters who were closer to the ladies.  After that, we both dropped our guns and pulled our blades out for close-in work.  I had my cutlass saber that carved through clothing and flesh just fine, while Taylor used some kind of gladius style short sword for lots of close, in-your-face thrusting.


    The gangsters rallied and forced us back, with Kirby Berwick himself crossing blades with me.


    Behind us, Halona reared up suddenly and kicked outward, catching a nearby gangster right in the face!  Another rushed in to gut her, but was tackled to the ground by Maggie, and Halona jumped right over them and slammed bodily into the main press of the group, pushing them into me and Taylor.  Just like that it was a pushing, shoving mess for the gangsters caught in the middle, allowing both Taylor and myself to focus on our own fights, while Halong half trampled, half stabbed her enemies.


    Out of the coroner of my eye I saw Maggie, her face covered in blood with a wild, toothy grin on it as she leaped from gangster to gangster, her claws and fangs as terrifying as any blade.


    After that I had to focus on the little bastard in front of me, who had a long, thin, rapier style sword, which gave him some advantages with speed and thrusting capabilities.


    We glared at each other as we each stumbled around, swiping and cutting at one another.  All thoughts of some kid of formal duel where out the window, as it was all anyone could do at this point to simply not trip.  Even as we all attempted to kill each other.


    Finally, he thrust high at me, going for my heart or shoulder area!


    I brought my blade up to catch it, and then brought up my other hand with my empty pistol on it, crossed the two together, and briefly trapped his blade.  I surged forward and slammed his face with my sword hand, the curving cross guard handle acting as excellent stand-in brass knuckles.  He shrieked in pain as I heard his nose crunch beneath my pommel, and in his pained distraction, I shouldered him backward, and then whirled and swiped, slicing deep into his chest and ribs!


    He screamed in pain as blood poured forth, but I was unwilling to wait, and swing in a wide, sweeping arc once again, to take his head clean off his shoulders!


    The other gangsters screamed in rage, but by now there were only a few of them left, and they bolted for the door.  We let them go, and after a few moments of heavy breathing from us, we heard some shouting, and then the shooting stopped.


    Then the shouting stopped, and suddenly, a moment later, there was silence for all.


    We all looked around the little foyer, and realized we were the only living people here, and from the sounds of it, the rest of the Dead Cats had retreated.


    Fights over, I guess.  I gasped as my body suddenly felt so heavy, and I started gasping desperately for air.  Sounds like we won.  Hurray.


    All of us began feeling the effects of the fighting start catching up to us, and we began gasping for air, now that we could be breath again.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking more roughish now, Wild Ranger.¡±  Maggie gasped with a laugh, pointing to her cheek.  Blinking, I put my weapons away, brought my hand up to my face, and saw blood on my fingers when I looked at them.


    The little bastard had nicked my face when I blocked his final thrust.


    Yeah, and there¡¯s the pain.  I thought darkly as now that I was aware of it, a sudden line of fiery pain started screaming across my face.  I sighed in a mixture of exasperated annoyance at the pain and exhaustion, while smiling with wild joy that I was still alive.


    I quickly looked myself over for anymore injuries, as did everyone else.  Fortunately, only Halona¡¯s horse half back was injured, and that was from the claws of Maggies feet more than anything.  Taylor and Maggie were both bloody, but that blood seemed to be other peoples, not theirs.


    Suddenly I heard some shouting, and what sounded almost like marching.  It frankly sounded like a lot of people were getting worked up or agitated by something.


    ¡°Shall we go and see what new outrage is about to happen?¡±  Maggie asked me, gesturing for the stairs with a wiry grin.  I looked at them and sighed.  Having an elevated position would be nice, and I did have to check on Frichie.


    But still, after everything else¡­stairs.


    Glaring at the grinning cat woman, I began half walking, half stomping up the stairs, with her following lightly behind me.


    Well that was fun.  I sighed as I walked through the hallways back to where Frichie was at.


    ¡°Frichie!¡±  I called out as we neared his position.  ¡°Fights over, we won.  We¡¯re coming in.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡±  His voice rang back out, and a moment later, Maggie and I were standing back in the room with him.  He¡¯d bandaged up his wounded arm, and was sitting with his pistol out, but relaxed.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s the toy that turns women into human mice?¡±  Maggie asked, her blues eyes focusing on the strange contraption.


    ¡°So it would seem.¡±  I told her, not wanting to look at it yet as I carefully headed over to the window, glanced out, and saw that our people were indeed the only ones now in the street.  Wondering where the noise was coming from, I saw a commotion coming towards us from further down the street.  Carefully looking down around the window to the what I could see of the road, I saw our group, and several locals standing around yelling at a new force.


    The police.


    ¡°Oh joy.¡±  I muttered darkly.  Then frowned as I looked deeper into the crowd of blue coated men.  ¡°Huh, well that¡¯s odd.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±  Maggie asked, joining me at the window with a curious look on her furry face.


    ¡°The police.¡±  I answered, staring at the middle of the crowd.  ¡°And someone else.  Someone big.¡±


    ¡°Well now, this explains so much about today.¡±  She hissed with a dark grin on her face as she stared at the large man in the middle of the pack of cops.


    ¡°Why?¡±  I asked, curious and wary now as I watched the police slowly force their way to us.  ¡°Who is that?¡±


    ¡°The leader of the local New York Democrat Party.¡±  Maggie answered, glaring while smiling, in the way that made her seem both impressed and furious.  ¡°The lord of Tammany Hall and would be king of the city.  Also a corrupt and talented thief and cheat, who seemingly never gets caught or called on his stunts.  And he owns all the local police stations.  Every single one.¡±


    ¡°Impressive.¡±  I sighed, irritated, because somehow I had a feeling this was a further mess I was at risk of being dragged into.  ¡°And his name?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s very simple and straight forward.¡±  Maggie shrugged.  ¡°Everyone just calls him by it.¡±


    She nodded to the window.


    ¡°Boss Tweed.¡±

 Chapter 22

    I sighed in annoyance as the small army of police slowly forced their way to us, bringing their politician with us.  We had a few minutes before they fully took control of the streets, and we all had them to deal with.  Glancing straight down out of the window to the street below us, at the sight of the battle, one could argue that they had a reason to show up.


    Given the pile of corpses and all.


    Still, I suspected that they were in on this farce, and were supposed to arrive to ¡®save the day¡¯ and ¡®restore order¡¯ after the battle was over.  I looked over once more at the man in the suit, the so-called Boss Tweed, who was standing a solid head taller than everyone else around him, and glared.  His presence was a dead giveaway that this was a pageant, and given everything I had just learned, I suspected that we had already gone off script.


    A small advantage, but a useful one.


    If we moved quickly.


    I turned back to the room, and finally focused on the strange device that was turning people into humanoid mice.


    It was a strange looking device.


    A rounded bowl for the base, a crystal in the center standing tall, glowing purple, with several magnifying glasses on movable arms around it.  The inside of the bowl filled with an odd collection of cogs, gears, and other machinery I didn¡¯t understand.  The fact that the crystal was glowing was slightly concerning to me, but given how the gangster had used it to fire beams at people, I surmised it was meant to be fired in some way.


    I stared at it, something nagging at my mind about it.


    A device that turns people into animal hybrids?  Why is that familiar¡­..oh.  I groaned as the realization hit me like a train!  Halona.  The Furwraiths.  The town of Sugar Leaf.


    And now, here, hundreds of miles from that little ill fated Terminus Town out on the edge of the Frontier, was a similar device.  Oh sure, it was different, but only in the details.  In the same way that two different handguns could be very different, yet still operate and function in largely the same manner, with similar results.


    So, someone¡¯s passing these things out like toys.  I thought darkly, looking it over, trying to figure out how to disarm the thing safely.  That¡¯s just all kinds of terrible.


    ¡°How the hell do you turn this thing off?¡±  I muttered darkly, staring at the device, which was slightly existentially terrifying with its glowing crystal and proven success at altering people.


    ¡°Turn the key on the back side!¡±  A tiny voice called out from somewhere in the room.


    Somewhere above my head!


    ¡°The hell?¡±  I muttered as I quickly glanced up and then just stared in stunned shock at the little alcove in the corner of the ceiling, where the wooden frames came together to create a large shelf.


    A little mouse was standing on that little shelf, looking down at me.


    Standing on two legs.  With a body that seemed more like a human body than a mouse body.  Wearing clothes!


    Even wearing a hat!


    Squinting in the dim light of the room, I saw that, he, had chocolate brown fur except for the tan color that seemed to be mixed in under his chin and down his neck.  His face was similar to the unfortunate women who¡¯d been transformed: a long nose, big & half curled round ears, big cheeks, a bit of the famous mouse buck tooth, and some whiskers.  His eyes, from what I could tell, were the most startling feature though.


    They looked like regular human eyes, just scaled down to fit his tiny face.


    His clothes, such as they were, looked like rags stitched together to make a baggy pair of pants, and a baggy shirt.


    I blinked.  Stared back up at the grinning, now excitedly waving mouse¡­.person.  Then blinked again.


    ¡°Anyone else seeing this?¡±  I asked, numbly waving back at the¡­mouse person, for want of anything better to do.


    ¡°The talking mouse in the corner of the ceiling?¡±  Maggies asked back, a slight hungry put in her voice.  ¡°Yes, I see him.  He looks so scrumptious.¡±


    The mouse boy actually froze and looked suddenly very nervous.  Understandably so, considering the look on Maggies very bloody face.  I glanced from the tiny mouse kid to her and glared.


    ¡°No eating the talking mouse people.¡±


    ¡°Just a little nibble.¡±  Maggie groaned back, actually licking her bloody lips as she stared in that still, focused way that cats get when they want to pounce.


    Sighing in exasperation, the shock of the situation having left me numb and a bit snarky, well, more so than usual it felt like, I reached over and smacked her head.


    Hard.


    That got her attention.


    ¡°What?¡±  She snapped, annoyed as she rubbed her head.  ¡°He¡¯s a mouse!  I¡¯m a cat!  And I¡¯m hungry!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy you dinner.¡±  I replied, rolling my eyes at what I now suddenly had to actually put up with.  ¡°And lunch before that.  So, behave like an adult, and restrain yourself.¡±


    ¡°Kill joy.¡±  She grumbled, actually pouting, blood covered face and all.


    God in heaven, please tell me, how in the hell did I somehow become the only adult around here?  I silently half prayed, half pleaded as I sighed and looked back up at the mouse boy, who was now smiling and waving again.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name boy?¡±  I asked, waving back, half smiling at just how bizarre things were.  I was also a little concerned at how quickly I was learning to take things like this in stride.


    That should be concerning, shouldn¡¯t it?  I wondered idly as I focused on the mouse boy, just as several more mouse people came running out of a hole in the wall to join him.  Or yell at him, as it turned out.


    ¡°Phillip!¡±  A taller, well so to speak, and more stout mouse woman, in a tiny, patchwork dress no less, shouted while flinging herself at him!  ¡°What are you doing out here!  You know you¡¯re not supposed to attract attention from people!  It¡¯s dangerous!  And that¡¯s a cat-woman!  She¡¯ll eat you as soon as look at you!  They¡¯re all hungry savages!  You know that!¡±


    ¡°I am not a savage!¡±  Maggie protested, sounding both insulted and pouty.  Especially when the mouse family completely ignored her.


    ¡°She says while her face is covered in blood, along with the rest of her.¡±  I replied back to her, grinning in amusement at the absurdity of it all.  ¡°And had just finished whining that she couldn¡¯t eat the little mouse boy.¡±


    ¡°I was caught off guard!¡±  She defended herself, glaring at me as the rest of the mouse boys apparent family surrounded him, hugged him, and berated him for being reckless.  ¡°I¡¯m tired, sore, and hungry!  And mice taste so good!  Well, normal mice anyway.  I¡¯ve never eaten one that could talk before!¡±


    ¡°I want to feel like I¡¯m hallucinating,¡± Frichie muttered, staring at the scene playing out above us all.  ¡°But I know I¡¯m not.  I¡¯m in too much pain for that.¡±


    ¡°I know the feeling.¡±  I muttered, as I looked back over to the device in question, and taking the mouse kids words to heart, glanced around to what I guessed was the backside of the odd device.  And right there, plain as day, was a little key handle sticking out of a socket of some kind.


    Quickly, before I could think about it too much, I reached over and carefully twisted it one way, and then the other until it moved ever so slightly.  Gritting my teeth, I then turned it until there was a click, and the device finally turned off as the crystal stopped glowing, and a faint humming sound I hadn¡¯t even noticed, suddenly cut off.


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    One could assume the device was powered down.


    I hoped, anyway.


    ¡°Um, Phillip, was it?¡±  I asked loudly while looking up at the little ceiling corner with the tiny, mouse family drama still playing out.  The arguing family all stopped and turned to face me, a variety of emotions on their faces.


    Fear was common, but curiosity was there too.


    ¡°Thank you for the help.¡±  I said, mentally trying to simply shrug off the strangeness of the situation.  With the police and local political boss coming down to what a few minutes had been an active war-zone, we had limited time.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome Mr. Wild Ranger!¡±  The little Mouse Boy called out, waving his hands excitedly again.  Behind him, his family all looked on, now more curious than afraid.


    Except for the mother mouse, who was eyeing Maggie, and her bloody mouth in particular, with a huge amount of anxiety.


    Maggie however, seemed to have latched her focus onto something else.


    ¡°Oh my, even the mice in the walls know who you are!¡±  She giggled, actually giggled with her bloody face and all!  ¡°What fame you have amassed, Wild Ranger!  I can only hope and dream to amass such fame like that one day!¡±


    ¡°Tanya, Chenya, you both stay away from that one.¡±  Mother Mouse stated firmly, eyeing Maggie with the distrust all mothers have for dangerous characters.  ¡°That¡¯s Hell Cat Maggie.  And her face is bloody like that because she¡¯s been busy tearing out peoples throats.  She¡¯ll eat you as soon as look at you!¡±


    I glanced over to two younger looking female mouse girls in patchwork dresses, with odd sashes over their heads, with their mouse ears poking out of them.


    I gave up and just stared, waving back mechanically to the excited little Phillip, while snickering at Maggies angry, pouty glare.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat anyone!¡±  She snapped, her cheeks actually seeming to get more pronounced with her pout.


    ¡°You wanted to eat our brother as soon as you saw him!¡±  One of the mouse girls yelled back, hands on her hips as her tail moved back and forth behind her.  That drew my attention, and I noticed that their tails were oddly thicker and more lively than the standard mouse tail.


    Granted, not by much, but I could see they even had tufts of hair at the ends that matched their hair color, and the girls even had tiny bows wrapped around them.


    My life just keeps growing ever more bizarre.  I thought, staring in wonder.  The hell happened to our country?


    ¡°I thought he was a normal mouse!¡±  Maggie protested, now sounding more pouty-irritated than anything.  ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were people mice!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a thing?¡±  I asked, curious, even as the clock in my head continued to count down.  ¡°Frichie, can you move?¡±


    ¡°I can.¡±  He nodded with a groan, getting up.  He¡¯d treated himself as best he could, and it would have to do before we found a proper saw-bones to see to him.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a thing!¡±  Phillip called out, answering my question excitedly, now that he was sure he wasn¡¯t going to be eaten, or yelled at anymore.  ¡°We used to be normal people!¡±


    I blinked, eyeing them, in all of their eight-inch, or less, tall glory with a skeptical look on my face.  The mouse I could only assume was the father, however, caught my eye as I looked them over, and he gave a very quiet nod, with a somber look on his own furry face.  I glanced back down at the machine in front of us, suddenly even more concerned.


    ¡°Did this do that to you?¡±  I asked them, gesturing to the machine.  Maggie blinked, shocked, then her eyes darted from the mouse family, to the machine, to the window outside.


    The transformed gangster women were on both of our minds.


    ¡°No!¡±  Phillip shook his head in the exaggerated way only young children do.


    ¡°We can tell you later, Mister Ranger.¡±  The Father mouse chuckled before nodding to the window.  ¡°However, I think you have more immediate issues.  Suffice to say, that this happened to us nearly two years ago, in our original country.  And there was no glowing coppersmith magical device involved.¡±


    I chuckled and nodded in agreement.  ¡°Fair enough then.  We need to get this device out of here.¡±  I stated, turning to everyone in the room and pointing to the device in question.  ¡°I don¡¯t trust handing that thing over to anyone.  Is there a back way out of here?¡±


    ¡°This is a tenement shack.¡±  Maggie shrugged helplessly as she finally got around to wiping the blood off her furry face.  ¡°There¡¯s hardly any windows, much less a back door.¡±


    ¡°We know a way!¡±  Phillip called again, seemingly filled with endless excitement.


    ¡°Oh?¡±  I asked, glancing back at the odd little mouse family.  ¡°And would you be willing to show us?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±  The father mouse cut in, a sudden gleam in his tiny eyes.  A gleam I could actually respect.  A gleam of hunger.  A hunger for something more.


    ¡°What would you like?¡±  I asked, deciding to cut straight to the brass tacks.  ¡°As you say, we have no time, and need the help.  So what do you want?¡±


    I actually found myself grinning wildly at the tiny mouse man.  ¡°Don¡¯t be coy now.¡±  Even without the fight, this was actually interesting and my blood was still filled with excitement.


    I was actually a little worried I was starting to get a little battle drunk, but I simply had no time at the moment to focus on it.


    ¡°Take my family, and our people, all those of us that want to leave this place, out of here!¡±  He stated firmly, an ambitious fire suddenly taking him over.


    ¡°Oh, such fire for one so small.¡±  Maggie chuckled.  ¡°And where shall we take you, good sir?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere not here!¡±  He replied instantly, with his family all turning to stare intently at me, a mixture of desperate hope and wary caution on their faces.  Clearly they all wanted to go, but they were wary of being rejected on that front.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you leave on your own?¡±  I asked, a little lost on why they needed my help.  If there was someone keeping them here against their will, that was going to be a real pain to deal with.


    ¡°This city is dangerous for a human, or even a beastkin with fangs and claws.  How much more dangerous would it be for us?¡±  He asked, not backing down, as his family watched the exchange between us with rapt attention.  ¡°We need help, we need protection, and we need a destination.  None of that can happen without someone we can trust our lives, and the lives of our children to.  For heavens sake, we can fit into the palm of your hand!  We can¡¯t just walk down the street on our own!¡±


    ¡°Oh my,¡± Maggie muttered, looking at them again with a new look of wonder on her face.  ¡°What on earth happened to you to bring you to this state?¡±


    ¡°And you would trust my word for this?¡±  I asked, raising an eyebrow at them in confusion.  ¡°You¡¯ve known me for less than three minutes.¡±


    ¡°I will trust the word of the man who made himself famous for doing heroic deeds.¡±  Father mouse replied, focusing on me.  ¡°The one called the Wild Ranger.  I will trust his word.¡±


    I groaned as Maggie actually giggled next to me.


    ¡°Even the mice in the walls know your story!¡±  She laughed as I shot her a glare.


    ¡°I am just a man, you know.¡±  I warned them.  ¡°I¡¯m an imperfect, fallen creature just like all the rest.  You shouldn¡¯t let stories make me into something I¡¯m not.  It¡¯ll just disappoint you in the end.¡±


    He actually smiled at me approvingly.  ¡°Then I would ask for the word of the man who gained such fame for doing what was right, even if it was dangerous.  Even if he was standing alone when he did it.  I would ask for the word of that man, and know and trust that he would do his best, under the eyes of God, to keep it, come what may.  And then trust and pray to God that it will come out well enough in the end for us.¡±


    We were all silent for a moment at that statement, before Maggie actually purred as she whispered to herself.  ¡°A pair of men I can respect!  One¡¯s an uncouth barbarian from the frontier, and the other is a mouse-man that can fit in the palm of my hand!  What an interesting day this has become.¡±


    I eyed them for a moment, ignoring Maggie as I  silently weighed the request and situation, before glancing from them, to the window, then to the weapon, and then back to them.  Then I simply shrugged, since while I didn¡¯t quite know what I was signing up for, I honestly at that moment didn¡¯t really care.  They were talking, upright walking, clothes wearing mouse people!


    Somehow, I doubted finding a better place for them to safely live was actually going to be all that hard.


    And even if it was, that¡¯s what gold, and a certain annoying newspaper woman I knew, were actually good for!


    ¡°Sure.¡±  I agreed with a nod.  ¡°Now, where¡¯s that back door?¡±


    ¡°Your word, under the eyes of God?¡±  He asked, seeming to be desperate to accept, but wanting to be sure.  I sighed, smiled, then stood straight, shoulders back, like I was back in the military, adopting a more solemn face and demeanor.


    ¡°My word, as Jake Ranger.  Known as the Wild Ranger, to my great regret, under the eyes of God, that I shall do all I can do to take you to a safe and better place far away from here.  And that, until you reach it, I shall look after you and protect you to the best of my abilities.  Though I am but one man, and all things shall be as God desires them to be, in this world and the next.¡±


    The family immediacy erupted into tiny cheers, while Frichie just shook his head in wonder, and Maggie actually giggled.


    ¡°So cute!¡±  She whispered, watching them as they jumped up and down.


    ¡°Thank you Mister Ranger!¡±  Phillip shouted, waving his tiny hands above his head in total excitement as his sisters all jumped around him while their mother wept, holding their father.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±  I replied, amused but now really starting to feel the press of time.  It was only going to be so much longer before the cops fully arrived in force.  ¡°We came in several wagons, and we¡¯re loading up a lot of equipment in them.  Get yourselves, and whoever else, into those wagons, and we¡¯ll drive you out of here with everything else.  I¡¯ll take you back to the hotel I¡¯m staying at, and we¡¯ll figure out the rest from there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll start packing immediately!¡±  Mother mouse shouted as she turned and sprinted into the mouse hole in the wall.  ¡°Girls, help me!  He¡¯s in a hurry, and we have no time to waste!¡±


    ¡°Yes mama!¡±  The girls cried out in unison, and chased after their mother.


    ¡°Thank you sir.¡±  The father mouse said solemnly.


    ¡°No problem.¡±  I smiled back at him with a nod.  ¡°Now, about that back door?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Orna is just going to love this!¡±  Maggie laughed out loud.  I looked at her, blinked as I thought about, and then just sighed.


    Why was it so hard to just do a simple task of picking up some equipment?


    First it was a bloody street battle, and now I was seemingly stuck playing Mosses to tiny mouse people.


    I knew God had a sense of humor, but this is taking the damn cake!  I thought as we gathered up the weapon and followed the now excited father mouse out into the hallway of the cheap, ramshackle tenement building.


    I mean for crying out loud, what next?!  I thought darkly as he led us to their hidden back entrance as I thought about our next move.

 Chapter 23

    Maggie, Halona and I sauntered on outside through the front door, stepping over all the corpses, while the Pinkerton boys went out through the back way with the device in their hands. They would meet up with us a block or two down back the way we had come, deliver it, and then take Frichie to a proper saw-bones to get the hole in his shoulder fixed up. They had the easy job in my opinion.


    After all, we had to deal with the police, and the politician.


    And to top it all off, my adrenaline had worn off, so now I was just tired, sore, and my damn face was on fire from the cut across my cheek.


    Good times. I thought darkly.


    ¡°You found tiny mouse people?!¡± Halona gasped in amazement, riveted on Maggie¡¯s quick, whispered rundown of recent events. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come get me?¡±


    ¡°Halona, you could¡¯t fit up the damn stairs!¡± I hissed back to her, exasperated, as we walked out to the middle of the street and stopped. I wanted to go all the way over to wagons and check on their progress, and the transformed gangster women, but other issues came first.


    Such as the wall of police marching down to us, their various weapons out, and looking like a small, blue coated army. Which, technically, they were. They were also a day late and a dollar shy, which told me a lot about what was likely really going on.


    Still, when it came to matters like this, matters that were largely political, I¡¯d learned from the army to step quickly, and lightly. The problem with politics, apart from the obvious love of power, money, and easy chances for corruption, was ego. As a lieutenant, I¡¯d learned to actually be more wary of officers with out of control egos then outright enemies!


    There was a reason famously good leaders often had solid control over their egos, even if those egos were usually already larger than average to begin with.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Halona muttered, then sighed. ¡°I will get to meet them, yes?¡±


    ¡°I told them to ride in the wagons with the gear, so I would think so, yes.¡± I told her, pulling a piece of cloth out of my pocket to hold to my bleeding face. I¡¯d mocked Maggie for her bloody face back up there, but my face was hardly any better it turned out. I groaned as I wiped at the blood.


    ¡°You¡¯ll love them.¡± Maggie laughed. ¡°They¡¯re so cute!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see them!¡± Halona laughed, and I marveled at how well these two were getting along. I wasn¡¯t sure to be happy, or terrified.


    Finally, the wall the of police reached us, as the majority of the Pinkertons and gangsters clustered around the wagons while they worked on them. I felt more exposed out in the middle of the street, but I wasn¡¯t alone, and I knew I needed to deal with this mess out in the open.


    Plus I didn¡¯t trust them near Orna¡¯s stuff.


    ¡°Who¡¯s in charge here?¡± A heavily mustached cop shouted out, with several badges on his coat.


    ¡°That¡¯s your cue master.¡± Halona giggled next to me as she and Maggie took up positions on either side of me. ¡°Let¡¯s say hello to trouble once again!¡±


    I sighed in further exasperation once again before I answered back.


    ¡°I am.¡± I called out, meeting the man eye to eye. ¡°Name¡¯s Jake.¡±


    ¡°That would be Jake Ranger, aka the Wild Ranger?¡± He half asked, half shouted, his damn voice carrying across half the buildings on the street.


    ¡°It would.¡± I answered, eyeing him with forced stoicism. ¡°Who¡¯s asking?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a good explanation for this mess, folk hero?¡± He asked instead, ignoring my question, and basic courtesy. ¡°Do all you damn cowboys always shoot up streets in broad daylight?¡±


    ¡°Depends on the weather.¡± I replied glibly, refusing to be intimidated. ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s just too much trouble to go outside onto the streets. For days like that, we just shoot the annoying bastards from the window, and then get back to getting on with our lives.¡±


    More than few people on all sides chuckled at that. The officer was not amused, and clearly not used to dealing with some random pedestrian that he couldn¡¯t intimidate. I¡¯d dealt with far worse, and far more powerful and competent versions of him in the army.


    This overly mustached, blue-coated Buffon was a vacation compared to them.


    Besides, I already knew that he was just the warm up act. The real show was striding up behind him.


    ¡°Thank you Captain Quomeo. Have your men set a perimeter and see to dealing with the bodies and the damage. The Pinkertons are busy with their job, and while they work, there¡¯ll be some fine time to talk about everything that¡¯s happened here.¡± The tall, well dressed man said, striding up next to the police captain like he owned the street and everything on it.


    Hell, for all I know, he does. I thought warily, eyeing this newcomer, who I could only assume was the so-called Boss Tweed.


    The first word that came to mind with this man was big. He stood well over six feet tall, even taller than me, dressed in a fine suit, and if I had to guess his weight, a little on the nose at around three hundred pounds. But calling him a fat fool would be incredibly unwise, something I could tell at a glance.


    The road was slick with mud, blood, and worse, and several people had, more than once, slipped on a step before catching themselves, or not catching themselves. Yet this man, in a fine suit with fine looking boots rather than shoes, strode through it like it was well paved cobblestone. The glint of golden, diamond encrusted rings on his fingers caught my eyes, and I saw the golden chain of a fine pocket watch in his suit, which, along with the suit itself, was a statement all on its own.


    Yet he moved with a surprising nimbleness for one so large.


    This guy¡¯s a scrapper who won big and got ahold of wealth.  I thought as he came forward to loom over me, though he was basically at the same height as Halona. He¡¯s been guzzling his new found wealth, but not so much he forgot how to fight to get more.


    Or at least, that was my first impression of the man as he smiled and offered me a huge hand.


    ¡°William Tweed, of Tammany Hall.¡±


    I eyed him carefully for a moment, then shrugged and shook his hand.


    ¡°Jake Ranger, of the Frontier.¡±


    ¡°And so much more I hear.¡± He smiled as he shook my hand vigorously, but carefully. I was surprised that I could feel some callouses on his hands, which only further confirmed my impression that this was a worker and a fighter who had risen to great heights. Still, I only had to deal with him just long enough to leave, and at this point I was determined to be rid of this city as soon as possible.


    The day after that damn Exhibition, on a huge, luxurious airship, if I had my way.


    With that in mind, I smiled back, nodded and shrugged as I reclaimed my hand. He¡¯d been careful with his grip, but I knew he had a lot of strength in those hands.


    ¡°People like their stories. Whether they¡¯re ever true or not, one never really knows, until they confirm it themselves.¡± I replied with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve heard things about you as well, and I¡¯ve only been in this city a day or so, all told.¡±


    ¡°And what a day it¡¯s been!¡± He laughed, nodding along with me and gesturing all around us expansively, before he then gestured to Halona specifically. ¡°A centaur woman walking through central square, your now infamous bets at the exhibition, and now a full blown street war with a gang out in the slums of Five Points! All in a days work!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d always heard this city was fast paced,¡± I replied, smiling while watching him, the police behind him, and my own group. ¡°I thought I was just meandering by.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s meandering, there¡¯s walking, running, sprinting, and then whatever the hell you¡¯ve been doing for the last twenty-four hours or so.¡± Tweed chuckled good naturedly. ¡°Not that I¡¯m one to judge. Just a decade or so ago I was a humble chair-maker. Now I work for the great voters of New York.¡±


    ¡°Doing what, precisely?¡± I asked, curious despite myself.


    ¡°Helping them with, well, everything really.¡± Tweed shrugged, looking at me with a strange form of sincerity, and shrewdness. ¡°Standing down by the docks with hot bowls of soup when the Hibernians get off the boats. Helping various would be entrepreneurs with building permits, business licenses, alcohol licenses, jobs, placement of children in schools or apprenticeships. The list just goes on really.¡±


    ¡°Busy man.¡± I muttered, eyeing him as the police started moving around behind him, examining the street turned battlefield, and the various corpses on it.


    ¡°Busy city,¡± Tweed shrugged with another smile before he lit up a cigar. ¡°But then, you know that already, after all, Mr. Ranger.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked, my eyes narrowing. Are we coming to the point at last? I wondered. Or at least, one of them?


    Since this guy struck me as someone who knew how to multitask, I actually had to wonder just how many points he was after with this little impromptu meeting in the street.


    ¡°I understand you and Mr. Carnegie are helping out young Miss Rowan for the competition in the next few days.¡± Mr. Tweed said, eyeing the Pinkertons and the Needle Eye gang milling around the wagons. ¡°And my dear Maggie, since when did you ever have Mice Beastkin in your gang?¡±


    He blinked as soon as he asked that question, and then refocused on the women who had been transformed, who were mostly clustered together weeping. ¡°And now that I think of it, mouse beastkin is a term I¡¯ve never heard before. Much less said.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a recent development.¡± Maggie answered back coolly, smiling without any humor. ¡°You don¡¯t seem all that broken up, or surprised, over this little war, or Kirby Berwicks death. He is dead, by the way, just in case you were wondering. So why haven¡¯t you sicced your coppers on us for it?¡±


    ¡°I hear he was doing something stupid with cans of kerosene and matches out here last night. All to get out of a bet he should never have taken part of.¡± Tweed replied, shaking his head in utter disgust and disappointment. ¡°As a former firefighter myself, I don¡¯t have much sympathy for fallen criminals who were trying to burn down the homes of my constituents.¡±


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    ¡°Good to know,¡± I interjected, glancing around before facing him again. ¡°And a fair point. We were attacked in broad daylight by his gang, and we have plenty of witnesses. Will the police be bothering us after taking our basic statements? We have wounded to see to, and shit to do.¡±


    I was all but officially done with this politicking, but I knew I had to play the game, rather than just knock the table and game board over. I¡¯d seen this play out before over the years: how disdaining and ignoring politics and politicians could be truly devastating to careers and businesses. Or in my personal case, with the whole Civil War, entire countries. I knew that fact in my head, but damn was it hard to feel that in my heart right at that moment.


    I was tired, sore, bloody, and still had miles to go before I could sleep.


    Plus I didn¡¯t like the inquisitive, hungry look in his eye as he looked around at all of us. It just spelled more trouble for us, if he got to indulge it. Still, we were surrounded by his police, apparently, so I knew this had to be played carefully, and politely.


    The few times I¡¯d watched politicking officers play this game, strangely enough, politeness had been crucial.


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Mr. Tweed replied, smiling in a businesslike manner once again. ¡°Though I am curious about those Mice Beastkin ladies. I¡¯ve never seen or heard of their like before. Ever.¡±


    He eyed them, and then us with a polite looking predatory gaze. ¡°So very curious, that.¡±


    ¡°What are you after, Tweed?¡± Maggie asked back, eyeing him dangerously. It was her people who¡¯d been transformed after all.


    He smiled at her, ever polite as he shrugged. ¡°On the way here, a number of very frightened people ran up to us. They were full of such wild tales, like an open gun battle in the streets, an infamous cat beastkin riding a centaur woman into battle, and even gunfight becoming a sword fight.¡±


    ¡°They said quite a lot.¡± I remarked, feeling like I was suddenly standing too close to a hungry grizzly bear.


    ¡°Word travels fast around these parts.¡± Tweed replied, spreading his hands out in mock helplessness with a small, and very smug, smile.


    ¡°You know, that does remind me,¡± Halona stated suddenly, her voice both exasperated and very annoyed as she turned to glare at Maggie. ¡°I never said anyone could ride me like a common pack horse. Let alone an overgrown bobcat with lots of sharp claws and a smart mouth.¡±


    Maggie just glanced at her, shrugged, then slowly and deliberately turned back to Tweed. Every motion of her bloody, fur covered body radiating, practically oozing smugness. Halona just huffed in annoyance as she also turned back to Tweed.


    ¡°Cats.¡± She muttered, and I could practically feel her eyes rolling in her head.


    I ignored the byplay and stayed focused on Boss Tweed, who was still watching us with a cautious avarice.


    ¡°However, the most interesting thing those terrified eye witnesses told us about, was a strange device shooting off beams of light.¡± Tweed continued, also ignoring their byplay while finishing his cigar. ¡°And that whatever poor soul was hit with this light, they¡¯d start to transform, like something out of the Grimm Fairytales!¡±


    He had everyone¡¯s undivided attention now.


    ¡°We dismissed those claims, of course.¡± Tweed shrugged as he ground out his cigar stub, before very deliberately looking at the mouse women again. ¡°Though everyone who came forward and told us that story all agreed on one thing. The people hit by the beam of light all transformed into human-mouse people. Mouse Beastkin, as it were! Except there are no mouse beastkin.¡±


    He turned back to us, smiling. ¡°Though it seems there are some now. How amazing!¡±


    So that¡¯s it. I though with a raised eyebrow. He wants that device. Shocking. Still, I¡¯m left to wonder why?


    There were only a few reasons that I could think of on why he would want it, most of them terrifying. However, it wasn¡¯t my problem to solve. I already had the thing, and I wasn¡¯t about to let some Johnny-come-lately politician swoop in and seize it at the last second. Or at any second, frankly.


    But again; I had to play this game very carefully.


    And politely.


    I really hated having to play polite with people who were trying to mess with me, but it was that, or have a powerful individual become vindictive. And as I was dead set on getting out of this city in the next few days, no matter what, restraint was the better part of valor here. The time limit certainly helped though.


    Or so I kept telling myself.


    ¡°They had someone using it up on the second floor. They were shooting at us from the window like a sniper. Those beams of light were a new addition to the battlefield.¡± I remarked, deciding on nonchalant honesty. ¡°We killed him in the battle, but I don¡¯t know where his little device might be at the moment. The fighting carried on after that, and we needed to focus elsewhere. Then you showed up.¡±


    I smiled back at him and gestured to the building. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s still there with his body up on the second floor. You¡¯re welcome to go and look.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there are people for that.¡± He replied with a smug chuckle and a shrewd look on his face. He then turned and gestured to several police standing nearby. At his signal, they turned towards the building to begin heading in.


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s all.¡± I stated, ready to leave, for multiple reasons. ¡°We still have a job to do and wounded to see to.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no bother.¡± Tweed replied with a shrug and a hungry expression on his face. ¡°If I need anything, or have any follow up questions, I¡¯m sure I can find my own way to the Brighton Hotel, out on Broadway.¡±


    I twitched at that, and then glared at the smiling man. Then an outcry of surprise and shock got ahold of our attention.


    ¡°The hell are these things?!¡± One of the police heading into the tenement building shouted out in confused fear. I, and everybody else for that matter, glanced over to see what the fuss was all about.


    As I was turning to look, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a muddy Orna walking over to us from the hubbub of the Pinkerton group, looking curious and worried.


    ¡°They¡¯re some sort of mutant mice!¡± Another cop shouted, sounding panicky and frantic. ¡°Destroy them before they pass off some sick plague!¡±


    Realization dawned on me and I whirled around to the door of the building, my hand drawing my pistol before I even had a concise thought about it.


    ¡°Stand down and back off!¡± I snapped, my voice coming out loud and harsh as I lined up my pistol on the panicky cop who had pulled out his own pistol. ¡°Those people are part of my group and under my protection! Hurt them and you¡¯ll answer to me!¡±


    I focused on the cop, who was still looking half mad with fear as everyone else around us tensed, many drawing weapons on one another. We were inches away from another firefight, all because one idiot was spooked. At the threshold of the door, down on the ground no taller than my ankle, at best, was the cause of all this.


    A line of tiny mouse people, carrying tiny bags and random pieces of doll sized furniture, all dressed in worn out, patched up working clothes. They all also looked terrified, if I was any judge of tiny, fur covered, mouse-like humanoid faces. I couldn¡¯t blame them on that honestly, with someone a thousand times their size totally losing his mind at their mere presence.


    ¡°Back off and let them pass.¡± I stated coldly, meeting the cop eye to eye, before looking past him to the others around him, all of whom had started to panic to various degrees. ¡°They are coming with me. So there¡¯s no need to worry about them. Try to hurt them, and I¡¯ll hurt you. Permanently.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t threaten us!¡± One of the cops, a very young one I noticed, argued back.


    ¡°And you can¡¯t kill people out of hand just because you¡¯re a scaredy cat!¡± I snapped back, deliberately using the childish remark to drive the point home to them.


    ¡°They¡¯re mice! Not people!¡± The kid cop argued back, looking a mixture of confused and offended.


    ¡°Regular mice don¡¯t wear clothes, or carry furniture.¡± I calmly and coldly replied, not lowering my weapon. ¡°And as I said, they are coming with me. So, who cares?¡±


    ¡°Are they now?¡± Boss Tweed¡¯s booming voice cut in, breaking much of the tension as he gestured for the police to stand down. ¡°And just who are they?¡±


    ¡°Some local residents who helped me out in exchange for some help moving them to a better part of the city.¡± I replied, keeping my weapon trained on the police near the door, who hadn¡¯t put their weapons away. ¡°They helped us out during the battle, and I¡¯m helping them out.¡±


    ¡°What help do they need from you?¡± Tweed asked as he turned to glare at the cops at the door, who wilted under his glare before finally putting their weapons away.


    ¡°As I said.¡± I replied, lowering my pistol only after the panicky cops had put their weapons away and had stepped back from the door. ¡°I¡¯m helping them move. Clearly they¡¯d have a hard time of it by themselves.¡±


    ¡°So it would seem.¡± Tweed remarked, staring transfixed as the mouse-folk began walking once again, toting all their knickknacks as best they could through the mud of the street. ¡°I never knew such residents were here in this district. I¡¯d have seen to their needs myself had I known!¡±


    ¡°Oh, they are so cute!¡± Orna all but swooned as she half walked, half sprinted through the mud to the line of mouse people, before she bent down to stare at them in amazed fascination. For their part, the mice stared back as they continued walking by, some even waving at her.


    ¡°Hello Miss Rowan!¡± One of the little mouse girls I recognized from the original mouse family that I met waved at her, excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m so excited you made it into the contest! I bet you¡¯ll take first prize for sure!¡±


    Orna looked ready to die from a combination of excitement and embarrassment, while most everyone else on the street who heard the little mouse girl just looked gobsmacked. I actually started chuckling as I walked over and knelt at the head of mouse procession.


    An army of cops rendered speechless by a talking mouse. Worth it! I thought with a smile.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of mud and people in the way on the street. Why don¡¯t I just put you all up on Halona¡¯s back and on whichever carts are finished loading, and we can get out of here quicker.¡± I offered, holding out my hand in as nonchalant a way as I could. I¡¯d found that behaving calmly and coolly in the face of the amazing or the terrifying, as though it were an everyday thing, had a calming effect on most everyone else.


    In short, in a nonchalant manner.


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to give them some rides!¡± Halona chipped in, looking giddy, before she winced and glanced around at her horse half. ¡°After I get all my cuts cleaned up and repaired. The bleeding has mostly stopped, but it still hurts.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± I nodded, before looking back to the lead mouse, whom I realized was the father mouse I¡¯d met earlier. ¡°So, a wagon ride it is then?¡±


    ¡°That would be most generous of you, Wild Ranger, thank you.¡± He answered back with a mischievous smile on his face. I twitched at his usage of my nickname, but otherwise went with it, mock glaring at him before I rolled my eyes in annoyance.


    ¡°Get on up here, you old coot.¡± I chuckled, as I took off my hat and held it upside down for them to climb into. Several scampered forward and climbed up the brim and into the bowl of the hat and I carefully picked it up and turned to head over to the wagons. As I turned I noticed Maggie, Halona, and Orna all standing together in the road, watching me with various smiles and smirks on their faces.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow at them.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Maggie replied, purring with a smirk on her face.


    ¡°Well, good.¡± I replied, annoyed that I was the only one working. ¡°Then you all can help carry them over to the nearest finished wagon. Chop chop and all that.¡±


    They all just giggled and proceeded to help pick up the various mice-folk and transport them to the nearest wagon, as everyone else watched, spellbound.


    There was an actual minute or two of utter silence as everyone else just watched the three girls, and myself, make several trips to transport the surprisingly large group of mice. The group was complete with men, women, children, elderly and infants, and the all told, there had to be a couple hundred.


    Certainly dozens and dozens in so many little groups.


    Finally, when the last had been loaded up, I turned to Orna. ¡°Are you all loaded up here?¡±


    ¡°The Pinkerton men helped me with the last, big load earlier.¡± She replied with a nod, her eyes transfixed on the two wagons we¡¯d wound up using for the mice people, and her coppersmith stuff. ¡°Anything else here is something that¡¯s easily replaced. I have all the essentials. We can get out of here right now if you think it¡¯s best.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± I nodded, and quickly got the Pinkertons to organize and mount up, after which I mounted up on Butterball, with Halona taking her customary place next to me on the road. All of this was done under the watchful gaze of Boss Tweed and the police, who¡¯d ceased moving around in favor or watching the mouse procession, and then our mount up. The sooner we were on our way, the better I would feel.


    ¡°Move out!¡± I called out, and snapped Butterballs reins to get him going.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be joining you!¡± Maggie called out suddenly, hopping up onto Halona¡¯s back with a deft movement, making Halona grunt in annoyance as she glared behind her at the hitchhiker. ¡°I have to keep track of my dear friend Orna, after all.¡±


    ¡°And your gang?¡± I asked, nodding to the locals who¡¯d fought for us. Especially the recently transformed mouse-women.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine.¡± Maggie shrugged. ¡°I was a part of them, but not their leader. This is the Five Points, where you either get tough or die. Besides, it looks like interesting things are happening around Orna now, ever since you showed up. Can¡¯t miss any of that fun!¡±


    ¡°Cats.¡± I muttered as our procession began to move out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to pay you a visit at some point Master Ranger.¡± Tweed called out, waving and smiling warmly. ¡°You truly are an interesting person! And you rescued so many brand new voters! Truly, I thank you!¡±


    I waved back, a smile pasted on my own face, but my heart was decidedly not in it.


    ¡°Happy to be of service to the community.¡± I deadpanned as we rode out of that muddy road, with lines of cops standing by on either side of the street, letting us pass as they eyed us suspiciously the whole time. I got the impression letting us leave after waging a brief war on the street annoyed them.


    Sadly, they were bought and paid for by Boss Tweed, and he¡¯d said to let us leave. So, they let us leave. That was the price for being bought, so far as I was concerned.


    Though it worked out for me and mine in this particular case.


    Frankly, I was personally thrilled to just get out of there!


    ¡°Goodbye, Five Points.¡± I whispered, grinning for real as we slowly left it behind as the sun brightened up the town around us. ¡°It was fun.¡±

 Chapter 24

    The ride back was boisterous, especially with Maggie deciding to ride on Halona¡¯s back the whole way.  And treat her injuries at the same time.  While I appreciated the sentiment, the actual logic of this move was lost on me.


    Apparently, she was doing it just because she could.  Or because she had simply decided to do so.  Cats.


    ¡°Really, just hold still so I can finish!¡±  Maggie snapped, crawling around on Halona¡¯s back as she rubbed alcohol and salve on Halona¡¯s cuts, all while Halona trotted along.  Halona looked like she wanted to buck to the squirming cat beastkin off her broad equine back, but instead grit her teeth and trotted along.


    ¡°I am holding as still as I can.¡±  She pointed out.  ¡°And really, they¡¯re just scratches!  Half of which came from you when you used me as a launch pad during the fight!  They¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t.¡±  Maggie replied firmly, rubbing more wounds with alcohol soaked cloth, and placing what looked like wax over the wounds after she did.  She had her own little back street medical bag on her belt, and she was bound and determined to use it.


    ¡°The crazy cats probably right Halona.¡±  I chuckled as we all moved together in a semi wagon train down the streets to a more civilized and orderly part of the city.  ¡°I¡¯ve seen more than a few men and women die from infection of wounds that didn¡¯t seem serious at the moment.  On any battlefield, disease can kill more than any enemy force could ever hope.  So, it¡¯s best to take it seriously, even when it¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°As you say, Master.¡±  She sighed, as Maggie wore a triumphant grin and chuckled before going back to climbing around on her broad back, cleaning and treating the various scratches and cuts.


    It still looked utterly ridiculous to me, but I wasn¡¯t going to get into that fight with either a cat, a woman, or a woman cat.


    To distract Halona and myself from the sight, and to mentally move away from the hell of the Five Points battle we¡¯d just been through, I glanced around for something to focus on.  I looked over to Orna, and saw her becoming fast, giggling friends with the mouse family I had met.  Seeing her sitting half hunched over while talking with the tiny mouse people on the wagon seat, I found my own curiosity about them rising.


    ¡°So, now that we finally have some time to breathe, and survive,¡± I called over, getting their attention as I maneuvered Butterball over to the side of the wagon, coming abreast alongside them.  ¡°Care to answer my original question?¡±


    ¡°What was it Mr. Wild Ranger?¡±  Phillip called out, all childish enthusiasm.


    ¡°The one about how this happened to you and your, uh, people, in the first place?¡±  I asked, glancing over the wagons that held Pinkertons, equipment I didn¡¯t really understand, and tiny mouse people, looking almost like a displaced village of country folk.


    ¡°It was that damn witch!¡±  Chenya blurted out hotly, her voice coldly furious and filled with pain and venom.


    ¡°Chenya!  Language!¡±  Mother mouse yelled instantly, reaching over to smack her daughters head.


    ¡°A witch?¡±  I asked, my blood going cold.


    Ever since the Shattering, magic, especially dark magic popular with male and female witches, had made a bloody and horrific return from the shadows.  In the Union, if any witches chose to practice their trade on others, they¡¯d been ruthlessly hunted down by the survivors, or the military, or both, and put-down as soon as they¡¯d been found.


    Other countries I¡¯d heard about had their own ways of dealing with them, with some allowing the practice of magic, so long as it stayed away from the darker stuff.  Still other nations were happy to bring back drownings and burning at the stake.  Even others had either fully embraced them or outright exiled them.


    I¡¯d heard all ranges in gossips and campfire stories.  As to which were true or fiction or both, I had no idea.  All I¡¯d ever gathered was that the dark stuff was addictive, like developing a powerful thirst for alcohol or a hungry need for opium and the like.  And that it also attracted the wicked, the cruel, and the power hungry.


    I however hadn¡¯t dealt with them much, ever, either during the war or in the Frontier.


    Thank God.  I thought as I looked around at the others, their own demeanors growing slightly more nervous now.


    ¡°She still around?¡±  I asked, nervous myself.


    ¡°Only if she followed us from our homeland across the ocean.¡±  Father mouse replied, chuckling.  ¡°We can tell you about it if you would like, Wild Ranger, but it¡¯s not a happy story.¡±


    ¡°Few stories in this sad world usually are.¡±  I replied with a shrug.  ¡°Though we do strive for them in this country.  So, by all means, tell us the story of the witch, the people, and the mice.  If you wouldn¡¯t mind.  Please.¡±


    He nodded before crawling up to sit on the top part of the back of the bench of the wagon.  This put him near shoulder height of Orna, but he was still tiny as hell.  However, their voices carried pretty good, even without them shouting, which I found odd, all said and done.


    Well, carried well for their size, anyway.


    ¡°Two years ago we were living in a small town in Ruthenia.  It was a small farming town, with some recently growing merchant shops.¡±  Father mouse explained, looking around at us, and the city around us.  ¡°Nothing as fantastically grand, or fantastically brutal, as this place.  It was quiet, but growing with new roads opening up for fresh trade.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re from Ruthenia?¡±  Orna asked, stunned.  ¡°That¡¯s a long way to travel to reach here.  Even if you have human legs.¡±


    ¡°That it is.¡±  Father mouse, who I belatedly realized I hadn¡¯t gotten a name from as well, nodded with a smile.  ¡°Still, there¡¯s really not much to tell.  We were in the ending summer work months, preparing for the harvest, and preparing for a town festival, when the witch showed up.¡±


    ¡°Did your people provoke her?¡±  I asked, curious if this was a payback story, or just a wicked story.  With witches and villages and magic and the like, it usually only went one of those two ways.  Or at least, they did so far as my brother Luke told me once, a long time ago now.


    ¡°No.¡±  Father mouse shook his head, his tiny furry face sad and angry.  ¡°We didn¡¯t even know she was a witch.  She dressed normal, looked and acted and spoke normal.  We thought she was just a passing traveler, there to stay a few nights at our towns tiny inn.  If we¡¯d known then what she was, what she¡¯d been planning, we¡¯d have killed her on the spot!  And been right in the eyes of Man and the eyes of God to do it!¡±


    ¡°So, what did she do then?¡±  Orna asked, riveted on the story now, along with the rest of us.  Even Halona and Maggie had quieted down to listen in.


    ¡°She waited till the dead of night, when all of us were asleep, and then slipped out and poisoned all our town wells.¡±  He explained, his voice cold and distant as he remembered while he spoke.  ¡°Poisoned them not with an actual poison, but with a magical witches potion.  The bad kind.  She went all over the town, and visited every farm and homestead in the area that she could.  By the time she was done, every well within several miles had been visited by her.¡±


    ¡°She dumped a potion in your water supply?¡±  I asked, shuddering at that thought.  ¡°All of them?¡±


    ¡°Basically.¡±  Father mouse nodded.  ¡°It was a very hot time of summer, and we were all doing very hard work in the sun.  So, everyone was going through their water buckets very fast.  Her potion also had a time delay, so it wouldn¡¯t affect anyone who took it for up to about six hours or so.  By the time the first ones started getting affected, everyone had had multiple cups of water at the very least.¡±


    He looked ready to weep at this part.  ¡°The witch took great delight in getting fathers to give it to their sons, mothers to their daughters, and parents to their infants.  She loved how we all took her potion and passed it around to everyone.  She cackled about it!  Even pregnant women had it given to them as well!  Infants in their cribs!  Whole families from oldest to youngest, to even the unborn.  All had it passed around to them.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±  I asked, suppressing a shudder at the sheer horror that he was describing.  A quiet kind of horror, one that had no snarling monster or evil killer, but rather subtle cruelty and wickedness run rampant.


    ¡°We all started transforming.¡±  He shrugged, struggling to appear nonchalant about it.  ¡°It was staggered, so some began, and then others, and then others.  Children started screaming in terror as they grew tails and fur.  Adults started screaming as they began to shrink, or as their faces, ears, noses and the like all began to change.  Soon, everyone was running around in utter terror as they transformed, or watched others transform first, and then it started happening to them next.  And no one knew why or how.  Only that it was happening.¡±


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    I blinked as I tried to imagine that kind of terror.  A terror with no obvious cause, only the effects, and the unknown behind it, making it so much worse.  That is some kind of hell.  I thought quietly, shuddering.  And some kind of witch.


    ¡°That sounds horrifying.¡±  Orna whispered, looking stunned.  Everyone around her actually nodded quietly, their eyes distant as they thought about it.


    ¡°It was.¡±  Tanya chimed in from next to Orna, and then shrugged.  ¡°Soon enough though, it was over, and nearly all of us were what you see before you.  Tiny mice people.  Oddly, there was no pain with the transformation, just some bizarre sensations, like your whole body tingling with numbness, only not quite.  There was no puff of smoke and then we were different.  It was a slow transformation, so we could see and mostly feel every bit of it.  But it all took only a matter of minutes for our lives, and bodies to be forever changed.¡±


    ¡°Why though?¡±  Orna asked, still riveted to the story.  ¡°Why do something so terrible, for no good reason?¡±


    ¡°Oh she had a reason.¡±  Chenya muttered darkly.  ¡°She bragged about it to us once it was over.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±  I asked, blinking at the sheer amount of gall this witch woman had displayed, all apparently just for the hell of it.


    ¡°Once it was all over, the witch walked out onto the roof of the inn, to better look down on us, introduced herself, explained what she did, and cackled and gloated about it.¡±  Father mouse blew out an exasperated breath as he recounted this part.  ¡°Witches have covens, but they also have some kind of hierarchies and groups of secret societies.  To rise in the ranks, witches must demonstrate mastery of their craft.  Some other powerful witch had died, and she wanted to take that spot.  We were merely her own personal, demonstration, on why she should be promoted.¡±


    ¡°All of which she was happy to explain to us as she gloated over her success.¡±  Mother mouse stated coldly from her spot on the bench with the rest of the family.  ¡°She knew we could still talk and think, and that we could still walk upright, and keep enough of our humanity that we wear clothes, and behave like people.  Even though now we weren¡¯t.  It made it funnier and more unique to her.  And more cruel.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡±  I muttered, stunned at the layers of cruelty and wickedness rolled into this mess.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±  Father mouse replied quietly, before chuckling.  ¡°The only silver lining at the time was there were some who were immune to her potion.  They drank it, but when it activated, they got violently sick and puked up what looked like piles of orange slime.  She was furious when she saw that.  Saw that some at least were spared.  But she laughed again and said it didn¡¯t matter.  She got what she wanted, then mockingly wished us all good luck, and left.  We never saw her again.¡±


    ¡°Why were some immune?¡±  I asked, fascinated at this point.


    ¡°No idea.¡±  Father mouse shrugged helplessly.  ¡°The town had swelled with people for the upcoming festival, so it was very random.  The witch had called them ¡®Elects,¡¯ but she said it like a curse, and didn¡¯t elaborate.  The people themselves didn¡¯t seem to know either.  Some were adults, some children, but only a few had most or all of their families spared.  There weren¡¯t very many immune in general.  Though we thank God for them.¡±


    ¡°They helped you, didn¡¯t they?¡± Orna guessed, looking intrigued in the way only an inventor could when presented with a strange problem and unexplained outcome.


    ¡°Yes.¡±  Father mouse nodded.  ¡°We knew if we stayed, the cats, the birds, any and every animal would kill us.  But also the local government would if they learned what had happened.  Either out of fear of us, or fear of the word getting out of the witch.  So, those that were immune banned together, and together with us, fled.¡±


    ¡°So you gathered up supplies, which was now pretty easy given the size issues, and then fled to the Union?¡±  I guessed, seeing as it was a pretty common story at this point.


    ¡°Yes.¡±  Father mouse nodded.  ¡°It was a year long journey, over many countries and landscapes, then an ocean, and then here, at last.¡±


    ¡°Only to wind up in Five Points.¡±  I muttered, shaking my head at how hard these people had had it for the last couple years.


    ¡°We¡¯re tough!¡±  Phillip yelled enthusiastically.  ¡°We made it to today, and now you¡¯re taking us somewhere better!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±  I whispered back with a small smile.  At that point, I decided; why not?  It wasn¡¯t like I was desperately busy, though at the moment it sure as hell felt like it.  I¡¯ll help them find a better home.  I can¡¯t change much of their lives, but I can change some of it.  Maybe the best parts, God willing.  Let¡¯s see.


    One thing was clear though: it damn sure couldn¡¯t hurt at this point!


    ¡°Glad to be of service.¡±  I remarked to the little family clustered around Orna.  Looking at her for a moment, I blinked, and remembered the odd behavior from that bastard Kerby.  The whole fight that led to us meeting these mice people was started over something I still didn¡¯t understand, and I decided to remedy that.


    The fact that it would get us off the depressing subject of how these people became tiny mice people was just a nice side bonus.  That was all.


    ¡°Orna, what¡¯s Cog Juice?¡±  I asked, looking at her and refusing to beat around the bush.  ¡°And why was that bastard so desperate for you to take some?¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s right, you really don¡¯t know about Coppersmiths, or why Orna is so special.¡±  Maggie chuckled as Orna looked at me and blinked in surprise.


    ¡°No I don¡¯t, and I¡¯d like to change that.¡±  I replied with a shrug as we finally left the muddy streets behind us to for the cleaner streets of uptown where the hotel was at.  With traffic in this city, it was still going to take a long time, but we were making headway.


    Being able to breathe without smelling truly foul things in the road was a true blessing!


    ¡°It¡¯s not any grand secret.¡±  Orna shrugged, smiling at me.  ¡°Coppersmiths are inventors.  A mix of engineers, chemists, electricians, mechanics, dreamers, and realists.  We take things, and cobble them together to make new and better things for the common man.  But it¡¯s not an easy field, and some people are always looking for the shortcut.¡±


    ¡°And this Cog Juice concoction is one?¡±  I guessed, frowning at where this felt like it was going.


    ¡°In part.¡±  Orna shrugged.  ¡°The current field of Coppersmithing, which stole the title from actual coppersmiths, works with materials created from the Shattering.  It¡¯s what makes us unique from other fields.¡±


    I blinked and stared at her in surprise.  The Shattering, for all that it had transformed the world decades ago, was now just a long over event.  Or, so I thought.


    Sure, the effects like non-humans appearing, magic returning, city-state islands rising from the depths of the oceans and so on, were things that continually had to be dealt with.  But the idea that it inspired modern engineering was a surprise.  Then I thought back to the battle with the snatch-worms.


    Of Lillianne and her weapons, gear, and clothes.


    Then more recently, with the great metal floating airships I¡¯d seen just yesterday.


    Suddenly it didn¡¯t seem so surprising with the proper context.


    ¡°So, you make fantastical devices, both small and large.¡±  I summed up, thinking it through.  ¡°But for guilds, or at least guild leaders, it¡¯s all about turning out a reliable profit.  So how do you make your coppersmiths turn out reliable products, en mass, all the time?¡±


    ¡°By drugging them with a special concoction.¡±  Maggie answered from behind us, now sitting properly astride Halona, having finished her tender medical ministrations.  ¡°One that makes them brilliant but obsessively focused.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±  I asked, looking from Maggie to Orna with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°It has some stuffy official name, but it¡¯s just called Cog Juice by everyone else.¡±  Orna replied with a shrug.  ¡°And it pretty much does what Maggie said.  It makes someone who¡¯s smart, experienced, and decently good at mechanics and engineering into utterly eccentric geniuses.  Obsessed with various devices and tools for individual human needs and curiosities.¡±


    She looked down with a sad face.  ¡°It becomes addictive because it offers not pleasure like other vices, but knowledge.  Knowledge of the physical things you care about and can build, anyway.  There are few things more addictive, I think.¡±


    I shuddered as I thought about it.  The power of knowledge, and everything that could come with it, there on a silver platter for you to take at your leisure.  Or in a glass bottle in this case.  Considering Satan himself used the promise of forbidden knowledge in the garden to successfully tempt humans in the first place, Orna was probably right.


    There was probably nothing in this world more addictive for a human, than raw, on demand, knowledge.


    ¡°So then, what makes you so special?¡±  I asked, looking over at her in curiosity.  ¡°Apart from all the obvious?¡±


    Orna blushed and looked away while Maggie and Halona laughed, but I just ignored them and kept waiting for an answer.  As I waited, our little wagon train now left the muddy streets behind entirely, with clean and well maintained cobblestones under foot now.  Almost back.  I thought, feeling suddenly very tired, and very stiff from all the fighting.


    I couldn¡¯t wait for a bath, and a bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m special, and a threat to Kerby and his ilk, because I don¡¯t need Cog Juice.¡±  Orna explained quietly, still not looking at me, and instead looking straight ahead.  ¡°I am a true Coppersmith of the Shattering.  I can do on my own what most of them need drugs for.¡±


    I blinked in surprise, and then stared in admiration.  A smile tugged at my lips as I did, while I thought through the implications.  ¡°How?¡±  Was all I asked.


    ¡°My parents were both Coppersmiths, and they were taking lots of Cog Juice when they made me.¡±  Orna answered with a shrug.  ¡°And they kept taking it after as well.  It did something to me.  Changed me in the womb.  After I was born, and grew old enough, my parents taught me their trade, but I never needed their drugs to do what they did.¡±


    She looked at me with suddenly glowing blue eyes.  ¡°I just do it, as needed.  I am free of the guilds true power and control over Coppersmiths.  I have no need of them, and if I can do it, then surely others can.¡±


    She shrugged and looked away, her amazing stare leaving me a little breathless.  ¡°So they hate me, for I am free, and they live for the control over others.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh, yeah I¡¯m betting that really would boil their blood.¡±  I muttered out loud, chuckling as I thought through the whole mess of implications she described.


    Yeah, it would be real bad for these corrupt guild leaders to have Orna even show up and make a minor name for herself at the Exhibition.


    Much less achieve grand fame and glory from it.


    I had a feeling my work over the next few days before with this damn Exhibition was just getting started.


    Damn it.  I thought sarcastically to myself.  I just had to play the big damn hero.  And make a big show out of it as I did it.  Me and my damn big mouth!


    I chuckled before glancing back to Orna.


    ¡°From a free man of the Frontier and the Union to a free woman of the Five Points and the Union, never bow down or back down.  Freedom is often its own reward, and we all die and stand before God no matter what.  So we might as well give him a great show to watch before we do.¡±  I replied, thinking of what my brother Luke had told me right before I¡¯d left for my meandering journey.


    I¡¯d changed the words a bit, but the sentiment remained the same.


    Everyone around me stared at me in shock, while Orna just blushed redder than her hair.


    ¡°I will.¡±  She whispered back, looking extremely shy, while the tiny mouse girls Tanya and Chenya giggled and hugged her hand and fingers.


    ¡°Good,¡± I replied, as I turned back to the street, as we approached the gates of the Brighton Hotel.  ¡°Cause we¡¯re not done, my dear Coppersmith.  We¡¯ve got a busy few days ahead of us.  You up for it?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±  She declared, sitting up straighter with her old fire back in her eyes.


    ¡°I believe you are.¡±  I replied after a moment of eyeing her determination.  ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get to work.¡±

 Chapter 25

    Getting to the yard of the hotel and unloading was a, memorable production, to say the least.


    It caused quite the stir as our muddy, bloody clothes and general demeanor were noticed by the more well-to-do. However, for me, that was nothing more than a minor annoyance at best, when I noticed the other group that was already there, waiting for us.


    Reporters.


    The most annoying, self righteous, nosy people on earth.


    After all, I had personal experience dealing with one of them. I idly wondered where that infuriating woman was, since I didn¡¯t see her with the rest of the question shouting jackals. I was actually almost disappointed.


    Almost.


    Of course they all came running up to us with questions and pencils and little notebooks, and each question was more annoying, and in some cases, more ludicrous, than the last. A lot of them swarmed me, but Orna, Halona, and even Maggie got their own swarms. And they all predictably began peppering even the Pinkertons and moving men with questions in such rapid fire, as to be unanswerable and disorienting.


    I resolutely ignored them, even going so far as to shove them out of my way if need be, though most of them seemed smart enough to stay out of my way in the first place.


    Mores the pity.


    I took my hat off and had the little primary mouse family I was familiar with hop into it, much to the amazement of the reporters, and then turned to head inside.


    ¡°Miss Rowan is in charge of unloading her equipment. Mr. Carnegie should have some rooms lined up for her use. I¡¯ll direct the staff to help unload all her stuff. And take care of the mice folk.¡± I told the Pinkerton leader as I walked by. He nodded, keeping an eye on the reporters and keeping them reasonably at bay from the wagons.


    I walked inside to the surprisingly quieter lobby of the hotel, and up to the young attendant behind the desk. ¡°I¡¯d like to rent some more rooms please.¡±


    The man at the desk looked up, blinked, did a double take, and then just stared at me and the tiny mouse people in my hat on his countertop. They waved at him with big smiles on their faces. He waved back, a bit numbly.


    ¡°Uh, Mr. Carnegie spoke to management, and we are to accommodate all the needs of your party, Mr. Ranger, sir.¡± The young attendant said uncertainly. ¡°I¡¯m just not sure what needs will be required to be accommodated with your, um, friends?¡±


    ¡°In some of those traveling catalogues I¡¯ve seen back home, called Sears or something, my sisters told me about small little fancy doll houses.¡± I told him, thinking back to my little sisters and their friends pooling their money to order one. ¡°If I recall, they are about the size needed for pixies, fairies, and now my friends here. Have several of them purchased and brought into several rooms, rooms near mine, if possible. Set them up around in the rooms, and I¡¯ll take care of the rest. Feel free to charge Mr. Carnegie for the expense.¡±


    If I had to put up with all this crap, then he was damn well going to pay for it!


    ¡°Right away sir!¡± The attendant said, now much more confident with a clear plan in place.


    ¡°Also have room service bring some menus to those rooms, and then take any orders of food for them for the length of my stay here.¡± I told him, thinking through as much as I could for the mouse family, and the damn mini-village that had come with them. ¡°And some buckets of warm water and soap. Also find any seamstresses who would be willing to work with these fine, tiny furry folk on making new clothes. Again, feel free to charge Mr. Carnegie.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem sir.¡± The young man nodded, now more confident than ever. Odd little mice people were one thing, but a paying customer who gave out a clear plan of what was wanted was something else. Something normal that could be latched onto.


    It was a trick every NCO in the military learned, sooner or later.


    As did junior officers.


    ¡°Did Miss Rowan have some rooms set aside for her work as well?¡± I asked, wanting to get this done. ¡°She has a lot of equipment, so will need help unloading, unpacking, and setting it all up. The great Exhibition is in a few days, after all.¡±


    Keeping the sarcasm out of my voice about that blasted Exhibition was growing more challenging by the sentence. Glancing around the lobby I noticed a young little girl clutching a contented looking house cat, and I was reminded of my own stowaway feline pet.


    Sighing, I looked back to the attendant who was going through various books.


    ¡°I also have a cat beastkin guest. A woman. She¡¯ll need her own room as well, and much the same treatment and help as these fine mouse folk.¡± I told him. ¡°Her names Maggie, but she¡¯ll be needing a bath and a fresh pair of clothes before anything else. That should be it.¡±


    ¡°Understood sir, we¡¯ll see to it all right away!¡± The attendant nodded and then began waving over bell hops and delivering information.


    Myself, I was too worn out to care, now that things had been wrapped up and tasks delivered. All that was left was to see to the unloading, and then to myself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need some food, a bath and some clean clothes, and my current clothes cleaned, as well.¡± I told him. ¡°Apart from food, laundry, or special guests, I want no disturbances otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Our pleasure sir.¡± He nodded, and with a nod in turn I took my hat, the mouse family, and walked back out to the chaotic bedlam outside.


    The swarm of reporters had only gotten thicker, and now the bell hops were having to shove their way through to join up with the Pinkertons to unload Orna¡¯s gear.


    ¡°Pity I can¡¯t just shoot them.¡± I muttered as I began to carefully work my way back to the wagons.


    ¡°Thank you for helping all of us Mr. Wild Ranger!¡± Phillip shouted-squeaked over the crowd from from my hat.


    My response was cut off as a sudden silence descended on the area around me. Glancing around, I saw several reporters turning to regard me, holding the hat with mice people in it with sudden, keen interest. I felt like a hungry pack of wolves had just turned to look at me.


    I actually shuddered from the feeling.


    I really wish I could shoot them! I thought darkly.


    ¡°Mr. Ranger, who are they?!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ranger, what are they?!¡±


    ¡°Wild Ranger, are you officially partnering with Andrew Carnegie?¡±


    ¡°Have you come to bring Frontier Justice to the streets of New York?¡±


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    ¡°Why are you giving mice a ride in your hat? And why are they wearing clothes?¡±


    ¡°Is it true you fought monsters in the Frontier?¡±


    ¡°Is it true your centaur woman views you as her owner?¡±


    ¡°What was it like fighting the Snatch-Worms?¡±


    ¡°How many towns have you seen destroyed during you journey east?¡±


    ¡°How many women have you gathered up?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any children?¡±


    ¡°You famously went to war for the love of a woman, so what happened to her?¡±


    ¡°What about Miss Orna Rowan was so special to you?¡±


    ¡°Is it true you just fought a major street battle with the man who bet against you?¡±


    ¡°Is Andrew Carnegie hiring you for a special job?¡±


    ¡°Is that really the infamous Hell Cat Maggie?¡±


    ¡°Are Miss Orna and the infamous Hell Cat Maggie part of your stable now?¡±


    ¡°Have you joined with a Five Points gang?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ranger!¡±


    ¡°Wild Ranger!¡±


    On and on they went, men and women, none giving me time to do anything or say anything.


    And each question only got more bizarre, or insulting, than the last. The one about stables throughly caught me off guard.


    The hell does that even mean? I wondered, lost, before deciding it simply didn¡¯t matter.


    Glaring, I turned slightly and shouldered my way through them, throughly fed up with the situation already. Glancing down, I saw the little mouse family watching everything with a sort of terrified awe. The kids even waved, in a sort of numb, terrified way.


    The reporters only redoubled their efforts, practically losing their minds when they saw that.


    After all, normal mice don¡¯t wear clothes, or wave at people.


    Finally, I reached the wagons, to find that the bell hops and Pinkertons had finally started unloading them, all but shoving their way through the reporters as well. With a sigh, I dived into the task alongside everyone else, resolutely ignoring how exhausted and sore I felt. I wanted this task done, and the sooner it was done, the sooner I could rest.


    ¡°I got you a room.¡± I told Maggie as she carried some coppersmith device towards the hotel. ¡°The staff will lead you to it when we¡¯re done here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you ever so much.¡± She nodded back as she walked by, a smug grin on her face the whole time. I noticed she showed more teeth than necessary whenever a particularly pushy reporter got in her way.


    Brazen as it was, I had to smile with just a little bit of envy.


    ¡°Wow, these people really like you Mr. Wild Ranger!¡± Phillip called out excitedly, looking around with wide eyes at all the crazy chaos going on around the hotel yard.


    I winced at the sudden silence his little voice caused.


    Once again all the eyes of the reporters turned to focus on the little mouse, and me. I¡¯d actually had to fend off hungry attacking animals, and monsters, out in the Frontier, and some of those situations had been less terrifying than this one. The looks of hunger on the faces of the reporters was disturbing.


    ¡°They can talk!?¡±


    ¡°How do you know the Wild Ranger?!¡±


    ¡°What accent is that?¡±


    ¡°Are you a new species?¡±


    ¡°How long have your kind been here?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a deal of some kind with the Wild Ranger?¡±


    ¡°Is the Wild Ranger now adopting you?¡±


    On and on it went, again, with both male and female reporters as they desperately tried to crowd around me and my hat, which still held mouse family. Said mouse family was now rightly terrified, and clustering down into my hat together.


    I¡¯d about reached my limit for this nonsense, so I deliberately shoved my way through them with no remorse, bowling over a few who didn¡¯t move fast enough, and once inside the hotel doors I shoved them shut in the reporters faces.


    ¡°Well, that was fun!¡± I snapped, breathing a bit fast as I struggled to calm down and catch my breath.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it though?¡± Maggie asked, amused, standing a few feet away with a very young and anxious looking bell hop. ¡°I¡¯m infamous, but you¡¯re famous. And now I finally understand the real difference. Me they ask questions because I¡¯m interesting or exotic. You they mob just to know what you ate for breakfast.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t this bad before.¡± I replied defensively, moving over to her in the relatively quiet lobby, finally catching my breath. ¡°What the hell changed?¡±


    ¡°Probably this mornings newspaper.¡± The young bell hop boy suggested, looking like someone who was very nervous, but working very hard not to be. Seeing him try to behave like a professional made me smile, before what he said suddenly sunk in.


    ¡°This mornings newspaper?¡± I asked suspiciously. I suddenly had a very dark idea about where all this newfound fame came from.


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± The excited boy replied, grinning at me. ¡°Your latest adventures were all over the front page, along with several stories of what you have done on the way here!¡±


    ¡°That damn woman!¡± I hissed, glaring around the room. ¡°Where is she?!¡±


    ¡°What woman?¡± Maggie asked, amused. ¡°And, dear boy, was that all this mornings newspaper had to say about our dear Wild Ranger?¡±


    ¡°Well, no ma¡¯am.¡± The young bell hop smiled at her, excited at her apparent interest. ¡°There was another story about how Mr. Carnegie is working with the Wild Ranger on the big Coppersmith Exhibition!¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Maggie asked, turning to look back at me, grinning. ¡°How famous indeed!¡±


    ¡°I guess ma¡¯am.¡± The young bell hop shrugged. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what his guest wants to talk to him about?¡±


    ¡°My guest?¡± I asked, looking back down at the boy with raised eyebrows. ¡°What guest?¡±


    ¡°The lady in your room.¡± He smiled back at me. ¡°She¡¯s wearing a dark green dress, said you would know who she was, and that she was expected?¡±


    ¡°Dark hair, dark eyes, slightly dusky skin, about this tall?¡± I asked, raising my hand as I described who I already knew it was. Utter sense of entitlement to every secret and private matter in my life? Enough stubbornness for days with endless smiling quips to go with it? Beautiful, brave, brilliant, and totally bratty at the same time?


    I very carefully did not say those thoughts out loud, but something of them must have been on my face, considering the increasingly mischievous smile Maggie had as she watched me.


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± The bell hop nodded enthusiastically. ¡°She said she¡¯s happy to wait for you to return, however long it takes. Said also she won¡¯t mind the long wait, as it gives her plenty of quality time to puzzle things out?¡±


    ¡°Oh of course she did.¡± I half sighed, half groaned, before forcing a smile back on my face as I looked down at the wide, innocent eyes of the young boy before me. ¡°Thank you young man. I know who that is. She¡¯s been, expected, for awhile. I¡¯ll go and speak with her presently.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Maggie stated firmly with a smile as she tossed him a silver coin. ¡°Thank you for letting me know my room is being prepared for me, and for giving me the key young man. I¡¯ll head there after my business with Mr. Ranger. My dear friend Orna, the fiery red head with all strange devices, could use some help. As could her two siblings I wager.¡±


    ¡°Right away ma¡¯am!¡± The young boy ran off, clutching the coin Maggie had tossed him, looking as excited as could be.


    ¡°Can I go play with him, Mom?¡± Phillip asked, sounding like every kid wanting to run off to play, ever.


    ¡°We have work to do!¡± Mama mouse stated firmly. ¡°Besides, how would you even play with them? They¡¯re huge! And we¡¯re now tiny!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure they could find a way.¡± Maggie cut in, smiling at the mouse family still in my hat. ¡°Children can always find a way to play rather than to work.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this about you coming to my room?¡± I asked as I began walking forward, too tired, sore, and annoyed with the reporter situation to bother paying attention to the family debate.


    ¡°Just what I said.¡± Maggie replied with a smile and a shrug as she turned to follow after me, while the managed chaos of Orna, her now reunited siblings, and the Pinkertons flowed around us. ¡°I would imagine this woman waiting for you is special somehow. The look on your face alone is worth a meeting with her! After all, someone who can so thoroughly vex a legendary folk hero must indeed be someone worth meeting!¡±


    I glared at her as she started laughing at me, wholly unimpressed by my glare. Problem was she was basically right. So, with a sigh, I gave up on the glare, since it did jack-all to a cat woman, and faced forward as we headed to my room. I knew damn well who it was going to be, and I knew, just plain knew in my gut, that she and Maggie were going to get along swimmingly.


    I was doomed. I just knew it.


    ¡°So, since we¡¯re coming with you, who are we meeting?¡± Father mouse asked, looking between the two of us with a slight concern. I couldn¡¯t blame him: his fate, and that of his family and his people, was no longer in his hands. He¡¯d placed it, quite literally in this case, in mine.


    It was a precious, heavy burden, such trust.


    Not just the trust of his own life, but that of his wife¡¯s and children. The most precious treasures of all for any man worth his salt, no matter his species. And he¡¯d handed them all over to me, on the faint, desperate hope that I could make their lives better.


    And he was hardly the only one who¡¯d done that.


    Orna and her family, Halona, even to some extent the bratty woman I knew was waiting for me in my room. Facing down snatch-worms, and the thing they were feeding, was no easy feat.


    That realization actually helped calm me down and focus.


    I breathed a sigh as I reached my door, before glancing over at Maggie, and then down to the mouse family.


    ¡°Another reporter.¡± I explained, opening the door to my room. ¡°One I sadly know very well. She¡¯s the one who cursed me with the name Wild Ranger.¡±


    Inside my room, sitting at the small reading table with a notebook out on it that she was working on, was what was quite possibly the bane of my existence. Or at least of my general career in life. She looked up at us as the door opened, as beautiful as ever, and smiled wide upon seeing us.


    ¡°Everyone, this is Lillianne Lancaster. The woman who ruined my life by making me famous.¡±


    Maggie started quietly giggling. ¡°Oh, what fun this will be!¡±

 Chapter 26

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it was a curse.¡±  Lillianne replied with amusement.  ¡°And I wasn¡¯t the one who actually named you.  Pretty sure your soldiers were the ones who had given you that nickname.  I just happened to be the one who overheard it and published it.  Not my fault it¡¯s so apt.¡±


    ¡°I still blame you, since the name in the paper now follows me everywhere.  Everyone knows it, and I have to force them to call me by anything else.¡±  I replied stubbornly, leading the small little group into my room.  ¡°Those damn dime store novels by your sister just made it worse, since now even kids who don¡¯t read papers know to call me that, instead of my name.¡±


    ¡°Oh blah blah, you big baby.¡±  She smiled at me genuinely even as she made fun of me.  ¡°You¡¯re just mad that random strangers know who you are on sight, and you don¡¯t like dealing with them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a very private person.¡±  I replied sarcastically haughtily, finding myself adopting a playful banter with her despite myself.


    ¡°Ah, I knew I would like you.¡±  Maggie cut in, strolling up to stand next to her, her white fur catching the light in small little sparkles.  ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet the woman who made the grouchy man over there so famous.¡±


    ¡°Hell Cat Maggie, as I live and breathe,¡± Lillianne replied, standing to shake her hand, with its blood, claws and all.  ¡°I¡¯ve heard and read about you, but it is a pleasure to meet you at last.  I just can¡¯t wait to hear why one legend is now following another around.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more interesting to travel with him, I think.¡±  Maggie replied with a shrug and mischievous smile.  ¡°And he and my dear friend Ornie are getting along so well, and have that big venture to see through.  So, of course I¡¯ll need to be here to keep her on task, and not get distracted.¡±


    ¡°Ornie?¡±  I asked, blinking at her.


    ¡°Call her that, and see just how red she turns.¡±  Maggie laughed, glancing at me.  ¡°I¡¯ll bet she gets her face to outdo her hair.¡±


    Despite everything, I actually chuckled at the image, as did the little mouse family in my hat.  That got Lillianne¡¯s attention, and just like that she was entranced.  I¡¯d seen that look on her face before, and knew what was coming.


    Then I blinked as a sudden thought struck me, and I actually smiled.


    ¡°Who, and what, are they?¡±  She asked, staring at my hat.  ¡°What have I missed this morning?  I¡¯ve heard of some, but I wasn¡¯t sure even you could get into an open gun battle in the streets of New York on your second day in the city.¡±


    ¡°Oh that and more.¡±  Maggie laughed as I moved forward and carefully sat my hat down on the writing desk between the two women.


    ¡°I should be shocked, but I¡¯m not.¡±  Lillianne laughed, looking from the mouse family to the cat beastkin woman.  ¡°Tell me everything!¡±


    ¡°I went down the street with some of the boys to pick up some equipment that Orna needs for her big fair.¡±  I replied, smiling at being as deliberately vague and plain as possible.  ¡°Some fellows objected to it, and whole bunch of disagreements followed, and I made some new friends along the way to getting the equipment back here for her.¡±


    She glared at me, her cheeks practically puffing out with irritation as I suspected it took all her effort to not stamp her foot like a child in frustration.  I had to admit, a part of me loved getting a rise out of her.


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    Maggie just started giggling, as the poor mouse family watched with rapt, and confused, fascination.


    ¡°Then a bunch of your coworkers ambushed us out front here and asked the dumbest, and most bizarre questions as we unloaded everything and got back inside.¡±  I shrugged, grinning at her annoyance.  ¡°The end.¡±


    ¡°What questions?¡±  Lillianne asked, giving me a strange look.  ¡°You¡¯ve dealt with the press and journalists before, back during the war and after.  What did they ask that you found so bizarre?  I mean granted, I probably know plenty of them, and many of them can be dumber than bricks, but still.¡±


    I frowned as I recalled the line of questions that had seemed the most strange.  ¡°Something that must be a city thing.  Something about ¡®Maggie and Orna joining my stable,¡¯ whatever the hell that¡¯s supposed to mean.¡±


    I shrugged and shook the memory off as I stepped away from them.  I noted the surprised looks on their faces, and how Maggie seemed to be blushing while Lillianne seemed to almost be jealous, and decided I needed to escape all the quicker.  Whatever those questions had been about must have been a local city thing that I wanted nothing to do with.


    ¡°If you want to know more, you should just ask the smart ass cat woman here, and the very polite and honorable little mouse family, who I am personally responsible for.¡±  I looked Lillianne in the eyes as I said the last bit.  ¡°So play nice with them, Lilly.  Now, you ladies and fine mouse-tailed folk have fun!  I¡¯m off to get a damn bath, nice and quiet and alone!¡±


    Maggie actually laughed at the last part for some reason, as I grabbed some spare clothes and strode out of that room as fast as I possibly could.  I noticed Lillianne alternated between glaring at me and turning professionally curious eyes to Maggie and the mouse family, who looked both intrigued, and more than a little apprehensive.  She just couldn¡¯t help herself, now that there was something so new and juicy being dangled in front of her.


    But I knew she would get back at me in print for it.  Still, only a few more days and then I was on the flying metal ship to lands faraway so I didn¡¯t really care.  Once I was gone, she¡¯d go back to taking on corrupt politicians or union bosses or just plain bosses, and would forget about me.


    Probably.


    ¡°Maggie, no exaggerating the stories!¡±  I called out as I headed out the door.  ¡°Same to you Phillip!¡±


    ¡°Yes Mister Ranger!¡±  Phillip called back.


    ¡°They can talk?!¡±  Lillianne shrieked in hungry excitement, causing Maggie to burst out laughing while I closed the door, and all but ran away with a shudder.


    I knew I¡¯d probably pay for leaving them all alone together with yet another damn dime store novel of heroism and daring do nonsense, but that was a problem for later.


    Right now, I needed a bath, some food, and some rest.  I grabbed a bellhop and had them take me to Orna¡¯s rooms, figuring I could use one of them for what I wanted for a few hours.  I was dead set on a soak and some rest.


    In short order, they had one of the many rooms reserved for Orna turned over to me for use, and had a nice warm bath drawn up for me.


    Modern hotels with running water really were impressive.


    As I soaked my very tired and sore body, I had to time to process everything that had happened today, and it was barely noon!


    The fighting, the dying, the killing, the blood, and the screaming.


    Honestly, the screams of those poor women transformed into mouse beastkin women would probably haunt my dreams for a long while.


    Just one more claw in the nightmares that occasionally showed up to say hello.  The worst nightmares were about the giants, or the furwraiths at that frozen mountain cave.


    I¡¯d faced down many monsters before and since, both human and otherwise, but those two fights tended to stick out as the most terrifying.  In my nightmares, whenever they actually showed up, those two were the most common participants.


    With a sigh of pleasure from my relaxing muscles, I dunked myself into the tub for a short count, before coming back up with a small smile.  I¡¯d always enjoyed that as a kid, and it helped to quiet everything down.


    ¡°All this just to find home again.¡±  I sighed as I slowly stretched and soaked.


    ¡°Did you lose your home?¡±  A soft, feminine voice asked behind me.


    I started and whirled around in surprise, well, as best I could in a copper tub, to find Orna standing behind me!


    She smiled impishly as she looked at me with hunger in her eyes.


    ¡°Mind if I join you?¡±

 Chapter 27 (NSFW)

    ¡°Uh..¡± I replied, the sole of wit and retort with my slackened jaw.


    She giggled mischievously as she slowly walked over to me from the adjoining door behind her.  I noticed that she was still wearing her white shirt and green pants from this morning, but no tool belts, weapons, or boots, which left her looking much daintier in an odd way.  Also far sexier, with her creamy pale skin, wild red hair that she had undone, and the very hungry look in her bright blue eyes.


    ¡°Well?¡±  She asked as she slowly crept closer to me, her eyes holding me paralyzed the same way a snake can paralyze a bird with a look.  ¡°I¡¯d really like to join you.  I¡¯m very tired, sore, and dirty from this morning.  And I have so much to do over the next few days.  This may be my only chance.¡±


    ¡°For a bath?¡±  I croaked out, my voice sounding ragged to me.  She was very beautiful, but I was used to seeing her as the excited young woman or the fiery inventor.  This was a new look for her, an enticing look, and it had caught me off guard.


    ¡°Well, that too.¡±  She giggled again as she reached the edge of the tub, and very blatantly glanced over my submerged, naked form.  ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get a bath, at some point.¡±


    I felt oddly vulnerable as I sat in the soapy water under her stare, but also a little excited when I saw a look of approval cross her face.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±  I managed to force out, despite my body reacting to her look and presence like a starving wolf presented with a massive pile of fresh meat.  It had been a long time since I¡¯d been with a woman, and it was all I could do to sit there calmly in the hot water, and not snatch her and devour her in a frenzy.


    Her smile changed to one of tenderness at my question.


    ¡°You are a gentlemen to ask.  However,¡± she reached down and undid the belt holding her pants up, followed by the buttons along the crotch.  ¡°I¡¯ve wanted this from the moment you jumped into the middle of my fight with Kirby at Central Park.  I¡¯ve known you for so short a time, but you¡¯ve changed my life so much already.¡±


    She gripped the base of her shirt and quickly pulled it up over her head, before dropping it to the ground in a heap.  She wasn¡¯t wearing a bra, and her perky breasts bounced out on to display, creamy with a few freckles scattered on them.  Her nipples were puffy and pink, and began to grow hard as I watched, entranced.


    ¡°So much you¡¯ve done for me and my family, just for the asking, or because you simply felt it needed to be done, and you didn¡¯t even flinch from the consequences.¡±  She continued, smiling a bit smugly at my reaction to her increasingly naked form as she gripped her trousers.  ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, if Mr. Carnegie hadn¡¯t shown up last night, I would¡¯ve joined you in bed then!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a casual romp.¡±  I managed to ground out, despite my bodies hungry protest.  ¡°I¡¯ve never had a taste for that.  If this is just lust and excitement, then I thank you for the compliment, but will insist you leave.¡±


    It was a bit direct, but I couldn¡¯t really focus better than that.  My blood was hot and flowing in other directions, and my lower half had already come to full, almost painful attention.  Being direct and even harsh was all I was capable of at the moment for polite refusal.


    I gripped the sides of the bathtub hard in self-restraint.  I¡¯d turned down more than a few willing women over the years because that was all that they¡¯d wanted.  A quick roll in the hay with the famous legend, and that was it.


    I was hungry for more.


    I wanted a companion, a partner in life, not just a fun few hours of pleasure that ultimately had nothing but emptiness in it.


    Orna blinked in surprise, and then actually blushed a deep red with her face, neck, and shoulders.  Her tender smile remained though as she met my stare without flinching.


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of both of those.¡±  She slowly lowered her trousers, revealing long, slender, toned legs covered in her soft, creamy white skin, and leaving only a sensible pair of white panties hugging around her waist.  ¡°But I want more than that too.  I¡¯ve known you for barely a full day, but my life has changed so much.  I¡¯ve had fun, excitement, romance, and a wild adventure.¡±


    She stepped out of her pants, and then gently took hold of her panties, causing me to groan softly as I looked her beautiful form up and down, my restraint feeling more painful by the second.


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    ¡°Already the thought of never seeing you again, of you leaving me behind, or us simply going our separate ways, fills me with dread and misery.  I never used to believe in love at first sight, or whirlwind romances.¡±  She giggled mischievously as she slowly, almost playfully, lowered her panties to the ground, before she slowly stood back up in her full naked glory.  ¡°Then it happened to me, and suddenly all those stories about it made sense.  It¡¯s a very strange feeling, having love itself practically walk up to you and slap you in the face.¡±


    I stared at her lithe, tight, creamy body, and knew I was doomed.


    Her grin turned a bit smug at my reaction, and she slowly raised her leg, giving me a full view of her smooth, glistening pussy as she daintily stepped one leg into my bath.


    ¡°I¡¯m not staying in this city.¡±  I told her, my knuckles turning white as I continued to grip the sides of the tub, watching her slowly lower her foot to one side of my waist.


    ¡°Good.¡±  She replied in a increasingly sultry voice as she stepped up and over the tubs threshold to stand above me, knee deep in the water.  ¡°Wherever you go, I¡¯ll follow.  I want to be one of your women.  Please take me, Jake.  Make me yours.¡±


    One of my women?  I briefly wondered, confused, but then she slowly lowered herself into the water on her knees, straddling me, and I was suddenly solely focused on the task at hand.  That being my own desperate desire for this beautiful, willing woman who claimed to already be in love with me.


    Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure of my own feelings, but the thought of leaving her behind filled me with a pain deep in my heart.  Deep enough that I knew this was no fling.


    With that realization, the last of my resistance melted away.


    I let go of the tub, and gently took hold of her hips, slowly stroking her sides with my hands as she groaned at the touch, still hovering over me with a hungry, eager grin. I slowly slid my hands up over her taut belly and ribs to grip her breasts, squeezing them slowly a few times before lightly pinching her nipples.  She groaned again as I squeezed them a few more times before my hands continued to slide over her shoulders and down her arms to her calloused hands and fingers.


    ¡°You are so very beautiful.¡±  I said as my hands reached up to her face and gently traced around her jaw and neck, my fingers tracing around the curves as they slid through some of her hair.


    She began tracing over me with her hands, leaning forward as she did so, until her hands and face were right next to mine, her breath coming out in more ragged gasps.


    ¡°Please kiss me.¡±


    I needed no further prompting, and leaned forward to taste her lips for the first time.  She reminded me of a mixture of apples and peaches.  But then our mutual hunger took over, and she pushed forward, kissing me deeply with a desperate passion as her hands gripped my shoulders, while her round butt brushed up against my stiff rod.


    That was all it took to send me over the edge, and I quickly gripped her hips, lifted her up, and then slowly down onto me.  We both groaned in pleasure as I slowly pulled her down to the very base of me, and my cock was deep inside her folds.  She kissed me with renewed passion, and I slowly pulled her up, before slamming her back down again.


    And again.


    And again, harder each time.


    ¡°Oh Jake!¡±  She moaned, her legs tightening around me.  ¡°Don¡¯t stop!  Harder!¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±  I smirked, and then proceeded to pick up the pace.  Soon I was slamming into her with wild abandon, with the water of the tub sloshing around us like a miniature tsunami.


    There was no real tenderness, no finesse, no patience at this point.


    This was animal lust, hunger for pleasure and desperate need.  A need to be part of the other person, to be joined together.


    To no longer be alone.


    All too quickly, I could feel the pleasure gathering together, and I knew I¡¯d finish soon.  This only caused me to push harder, wanting her to cum as well, to cum before me if possible.  That thought suddenly became a goal for me, and I began thrusting my hips against her as I pulled her down at the same time, hammering deep into her over and over again.


    I leaned forward and captured one of her puffy, hardened nipples in my mouth as I thrusted, lightly sucking and biting on it.  She moaned and suddenly wrapped her arms around my neck, her body suddenly going tight and rigid as she held me deeply and came hard!


    Smiling, I kept going, thrusting and sucking, before the pleasure finally overcame me, and I thrusted deep into her pussy as I came as well, dumping my hot load deep in her.


    Groaning in exhaustion and pleasure, I sank back into the tub with her on top of me, both of us spent.


    For a few minutes, we just lay there in the water; warm, exhausted, breathing heavily, and relaxed.  It was the first time in a long time I¡¯d been so relaxed, actually.  That realization surprised me, and brought a smile to my face.


    She looked at me, and smiled in response as she reached forward and lightly touched on the cut on my face from the sword fight with Kirby.  I winced at the small bit pain that caused, but otherwise didn¡¯t  react.


    ¡°So close to ending you.¡±  She whispered, her fingers lightly tracing over it.  ¡°All for me.  I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°I risked it gladly.¡±  I replied, raising my hand to capture hers in a warm embrace.  ¡°And will again.  Because I think it¡¯s worth it to do so.¡±


    ¡°Only wild men think like that.¡±  She half whispered in a husky voice to me, smiling impishly as her fingers gripped mine back tightly.  ¡°Civilized men, and women for that matter, all think about cost benefit ratios for risking anything, especially their lives.¡±


    ¡°Much as I hate the silly nickname,¡± I chuckled as I stroked her beautiful, flushed face, while carefully stroking some strands of her wet red hair.  ¡°I¡¯ve always been more wild than civilized.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±  She replied with a smile, leaning her head against my chest and closing her eyes with a sigh.  ¡°So have I.¡±

 Chapter 28

    After that, we got out of the tub and started drying one another off. That led to us making love again, much more slowly and intimately this time around. Eventually, we were properly bathed, dried, cleaned and dressed.


    Eventually in this case being almost three hours!


    Time well spent in my opinion, down to the last second.


    Later, she all but threw me out of her wing of rooms, her mind becoming focused on her coppersmith work, and I, with a huge silly grin on my face, decided to go and get a well earned meal.


    A big one too.


    Finding an empty mostly private table wasn¡¯t hard, and I suspected the reporters outside harassing everyone had convinced many guests to either tour the city, visit old friends and family, or simply stay in their rooms with room service.


    Annoying, but useful to me at the moment.


    Silver linings and all that, or so my family would like to say.


    After that it was time for food. Sandwiches had always appealed to me more than soups, and after the hell I¡¯d gone through this morning, not to mention everything else that followed, I was very hungry.


    I quickly ordered a very large sandwich meal, and also sent a bell hop out for a copy of today¡¯s newspaper, since I figured now was the best time to see it. The food would help blunt the outrage of Lillianne¡¯s latest overblown, overdramatized tall tales about me, and I had a feeling I was going to need all the help I could get on that front.


    Yet even with that issue, and the hunger, I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°My my, but someone certainly seems pleased with themselves. I wonder why?¡± An amused feminine voice purred from right behind me.


    I managed to keep myself from half jumping out of my seat in shock through sheer force of will.


    Taking a breath to calm myself, I slowly turned around to glare at the woman standing practically right next to my elbow. It turned out to be a very familiar, white and grey furred beastkin cat woman.


    A very smugly grinning familiar cat woman.


    ¡°Maggie.¡± I drawled calmly, still glaring.


    ¡°Jake.¡± She drawled right back, her grin only getting more mischievous. And knowing.


    ¡°What could I possibly be pleased with?¡± I asked, deliberately playing sarcastically dumb, just because. ¡°Could it be about successfully making it through a battle alive, and as a victor? Or how about getting all of Orna¡¯s gear and equipment back? Or making new friends with tiny mouse people? Or escaping an inquisitive interviewers questions? Or helping a street cat and her gang take down a rival, basically for free?¡±


    I looked at her with a smug smile of my own.


    ¡°Dealers choice.¡±


    She rolled her eyes and even stuck her tongue out at me as she strolled around the table and took a seat across from me. ¡°More like how you and Orna have finally stopped dancing around your mutual hunger for one another. It was seriously getting annoying, and I¡¯d only been stuck in the middle of it for a few hours!¡±


    I stared at her for moment before it clicked in my head, and I sighed in annoyance.


    ¡°You can smell her on me with your beastkin nose?¡± I asked, just to confirm what I already knew.


    ¡°All over you, as it turns out.¡± She giggled with a nod. ¡°Though the big silly grin on your face, that you weren¡¯t hiding at all by the way, was giving it away all on its own.¡±


    I shrugged, refusing to be shy or embarrassed, even as I felt myself blush a little.


    ¡°We worked things out.¡± I replied, feeling my grin form again. ¡°Vigorously.¡±


    She stared at me silently for a moment, before we both began to chuckle and laugh openly. It felt good. Then my food arrived, and I was able to start digging in while Maggie ordered her own meal.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad, for both of you.¡± Maggie stated a few minutes later. ¡°It¡¯s good to see her genuinely happy again. So please, don¡¯t mess that up.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know my own feelings on this subject.¡± I sighed as I enjoyed my own meal. ¡°For heavens sake, we only met yesterday! I mean, it feels so much longer than that, somehow, but we¡¯ve barely known one another for the full length of a day and night.¡±


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    ¡°True.¡± Maggie replied, smiling at me fondly as she met my eyes. ¡°And yet?¡±


    ¡°And yet, the thought of her being left behind, hurts.¡± I replied slowly, shrugging as I met her eyes in return. ¡°I still intend to leave this city on that fancy Albion airship. I¡¯m bound and determined to keep on traveling.¡±


    ¡°Sounds exciting.¡± Maggie chuckled as her food arrived. ¡°But there is no rule you must travel alone. You started off with just yourself and your horse, but now you have a whole group. Nothing wrong with that, and no one is telling you to stay here.¡±


    ¡°So, what are you saying then?¡± I asked, curious. I was getting mixed signals from her, which told me I was having more than one conversation, and was probably missing something in the middle.


    A pretty standard problem when chatting with women, I¡¯ve found.


    ¡°More like asking,¡± Maggie replied slowly, looking from her food to me, and then back again. ¡°All I ask is that you take care of her, and all those that join you. I¡¯ve known her all my life, and I want for her to be happy.¡±


    ¡°Of course I will.¡± I stated immediately. ¡°For as long as we¡¯re together, I¡¯ll happily take care of her. I would never do anything less.¡±


    ¡°I figured as much.¡± Maggie answered, her smile getting bigger, and more mischievous. ¡°We¡¯ve shared most everything, all our lives. We¡¯ve been like sisters, the good kind, and that¡¯s not going to change. I was there for her when her parents died, and when the first boy she loved also died. She was there for me in bad times as well. Where she goes, I go.¡±


    ¡°Even if she decides to follow me out of this city to parts of this twisted world unknown?¡± I asked, becoming a bit somber.


    ¡°Sounds like fun!¡± Maggie chuckled again, eyeing me in a odd way. ¡°We¡¯re a package deal. Aren¡¯t you lucky?¡±


    ¡°I suppose.¡± I replied, frowning slightly at the phrasing. I felt like I was missing something. Something to do with how these city folk talked about with relationships. I had a nagging suspicion that it was something important, but at this point, I didn¡¯t care. However, I was out of this city in a few days, so had no need to dig up more trouble.


    I already had more than enough.


    Even though in my heart, I doubted that whatever it was I was missing, wouldn¡¯t still try and catch me.


    Maybe I was just being paranoid.


    I hoped so anyway.


    In the midst of my swirling thoughts, Maggies food arrived, as did my newspaper, and a letter.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked, curious as the bell hop delivered it on a small little tray.


    ¡°It just arrived for you sir.¡± He answered with a shrug before leaving.


    ¡°Huh.¡± I grunted, picking it up, but once I saw Carnegie¡¯s name on it, I understood. It probably was about whatever came next, so it could wait a moment, as I felt my eyes inexorably drawn to the newspaper.


    And to the front page headline, in big black letters, above the fold.


    WILD RANGER BATTLES MONSTERS DURING JOURNEY TO NEW YORK!


    ¡°That damn woman!¡± I snapped, glaring at the paper like it was a riled up, coiled up rattlesnake.


    ¡°Oh I knew she¡¯d be fun!¡± Maggie burst out laughing, snatching my newspaper before I had a chance to read the damn story about me.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I snapped, annoyed. ¡°That¡¯s my newspaper you bratty cat! Get your own!¡±


    ¡°Yours is more convenient.¡± She shrugged, opening it and disappearing inside of it with an air of smug nonchalance. ¡°Besides, you have a mysterious letter to read.¡±


    Grumbling about cats and women, and cat women, I opened my letter from my resident patron, and began reading.


    ¡°Ah, that concert he wants me to go to.¡± I muttered as I read over the instructions and information. Inside the envelope were several tickets, just in case I had a guest, or two, or more.


    ¡°A concert?¡± Maggie asked, lowering my newspaper to eye with interest.


    ¡°At his newly built Carnegie Hall. There¡¯s a big concert there tomorrow night with all the super rich and city elites.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I am to come as his guest, dressed up as if I just came in from the Frontier. Guns and all. Best I can tell, he just wants to show me off for some reason.¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡± Maggie shrugged, then grinned a toothy grin. ¡°Are you allowed to bring any guests?¡±


    ¡°I can.¡± I nodded, holding up the tickets. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll ask Orna if she would want to go. Take a break from her work before the big day.¡±


    ¡°She will not.¡± Maggie chuckled. ¡°She¡¯ll be working like mad to get ready for her big exhibition chance. Her little brother might, he is a little music man, though it will likely be past his bedtime. I doubt Halona would really care, or fit into the place. So, I¡¯ll simply go with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh you will, will you?¡± I chuckled, eyeing her with exasperation.


    ¡°Indeed I will.¡± Maggie continued to chuckle. ¡°After all, it sounds like fun, and we wouldn¡¯t want you to go alone. Unless you¡¯d prefer to let Ms. Lancaster be your date?¡±


    I shuddered in horror at that thought! Her damn sister would have another whole book ready to go with what Lillianne would drag out of me by the end of the night!


    ¡°Besides, Mr. Carnegie is paying for all this, so he might as well get his money¡¯s worth. Instead of one legend, he¡¯ll be getting two, arm in arm.¡±


    I chuckled to myself at the thought of what that would do to the crowds of so-called elites. It might actually be fun.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need some kind of dress. Something clean and nice, and yet in keeping with the whole infamous street warrior gangster woman.¡± I told her, chuckling. ¡°It¡¯s tomorrow night, so you better get cracking.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Maggie laughed, going back to her paper. ¡°Worry about whatever Lillianne is asking the mouse people about you. And what they¡¯re enthusiastically telling her.¡±


    She looked at me over the top of the newspaper, her grin obvious even though I couldn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°I have a feeling I¡¯ll be seeing you in a lot more newspapers these next few days.¡±


    I groaned as I returned to my food. She¡¯s probably right. I thought with a sigh.


    Though as I ate and looked over the letter again, I couldn¡¯t shake the odd feeling that something was off. Like I was going into an ambush, and the only thing I could do was fight my way out of it.


    But it was just a concert with a bunch of rich folks. What the hell could happen besides a little personal level drama?


    Right?


    Still, deep in my heart, I had the feeling I was bumbling along into more trouble.


    I just hoped I was being paranoid.


    But my heart doubted that.

 Chapter 29

    After that, I threw myself into work, mostly helping the hotel accommodate Orna¡¯s stuff, and the settling of the mouse people.


    The latter wound up being more interesting, difficult, and fun.


    I surveyed the large room I¡¯d ended up renting for the mice to stay in as bell boys and even professional movers came in and out of it, moving my orders around in it. The most difficult part for housing the mouse people, oddly enough, came from a shockingly chronic lack of imagination on the part of the hotel staff. As well as a motivation to go and find some!


    It was strange to me, how they stared in fascination and wonder at the tiny mouse people, but were seemingly forever stumped on how to help them improve their lives.


    Their living conditions were easy to fix, whether temporarily or permanently, at a simple glance!


    Yet I was the only one who seemed to even notice. The hell¡¯s wrong with these city folk? I wondered, annoyed at having to take charge to solve such a simple problem.


    But solve it I did.


    I sent out several bell hops for various wooden doll houses, or special made model houses, the kind various toy shops or carpenters have to show off their skill.


    ¡°Doll houses?¡± Lillianne asked, coming to stand next to me for a moment as the bell hops and movers did their job. The mouse people were gathered in baskets on small tables, watching everything with riveted fascination.


    I shrugged with a small grin. ¡°My sisters had always liked them, and we¡¯d been able to afford a few growing up, so I knew at a glance that these mice people would fit in them perfectly.¡±


    So perfectly that honestly it was almost creepy, making me suspect that witch had been more amused with herself, and far more cruel, than anyone had actually realized. She hadn¡¯t just turned all these human people into tiny mouse people, apparently permanently. She¡¯d also scaled them in such a way that they fit inside doll houses.


    Meaning, I realized as I saw some of the houses arrive and a few of the mice families start to go into them, she¡¯d literally turned them into living toys. A fact I think no one else had noticed since, well, everything else had been so hectic, bloody and horrible.


    I wonder if anyone else will ever actually noice at this point? I idly thought as the movers and bell hops helped a large family of mice people into a large doll house. The humans all immediately became slaves to the mother mouse as she took charge of having everything in all the rooms arranged just the way she liked it.


    I chuckled as I watched the scene play out. Some things never change, no matter the size or species. I thought as Lillianne, myself, and several of the other mice families and movers all started chuckling.


    Someone probably will figure it out, but if the mouse folk played it right, they could turn it into an advantage.  I reasoned, as a few more Victorian Style doll houses arrived. They could be great living advertising for toy shops, I guess? Or maybe as another brand of servants and staffers?


    I shook my head at that thought, resolving to talk to them later about it. Out of Lillianne¡¯s earshot, at least for the moment. Much as I hated to admit it, for the plan I was thinking of in my head, she¡¯d probably be absolutely crucial.


    However, I was still steamed about her newspaper headlines about me, including all the ones I now knew were likely coming. The memory of the kiss I¡¯d had with her hadn¡¯t gone away either, and that certainly didn¡¯t help. A careful approach was needed, or it was even more headlines, and a possibly awkward conversation with her and Orna, while Maggie and Halona would both probably watch from the sidelines and cackle.


    ¡°This room will fill up quickly with just the houses.¡± Lillianne muttered, looking around and biting her lip in thought. ¡°Have you considered Cabinet Houses?¡±


    ¡°The hell are those?¡± I asked, blinking at her in curiosity. I¡¯d never heard of them.


    ¡°Basically a doll house built into a cabinet.¡± She explained with a smile. ¡°All the shelves have been divided up into rooms stacked on top of each other, and connected with doors between them. Stairs would need to be added between one shelf and the next, but that¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a thing?¡± I asked, stunned.


    ¡°They¡¯re more for teaching young girls how to run a household, with showing them where everything is. And as rich marks of status for wealthy women.¡± Lillianne shrugged. ¡°I saw them a lot with some rich families that I interviewed, and asked about them. Some of those women just wouldn¡¯t shut up about the things either!¡±


    I chuckled at the thought of Lillianne running from the enthusiasm of a collector before I just shrugged.


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± I told her. ¡°Ask which of them would prefer the Cabinet House, or any other kind of house, and I¡¯ll order them.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡± She smiled at me. A real, genuine, honest smile that lit up her whole face before she turned and strode over to the baskets of mice families who were still watching everything in awe.


    ¡°Huh.¡± I muttered, feeling a little out of sorts from seeing her like that. Usually it was a fight of some kind between us, with her always grinning sardonically. It was amazing how much softer and warmer she looked with the smile I¡¯d just seen on her face.


    I blinked and shook my head as I took up a spot by the door to just stand and watch, and occasionally direct the traffic. It was a most bizarre, but fascinating show. Especially with Lillianne bustling around, asking questions, doing interviews, and laughing with some of the little girl mice I figured were her own age.


    Until the hotels main manager decided to show up that is.


    ¡°Why are we housing all these, these, vermin here?!¡± He snapped, furious. ¡°Word is already starting to spread of strange mice on the premises! Guests will soon start leaving and telling everyone that we¡¯re infested! This can¡¯t go on!¡±


    I just stared at the annoying little man in his well tailored suit for a moment. And he was little, barely coming up to the top of my chest, and a bit on the portly side as well, with strands of well oiled hair over a balding head. He¡¯d also made the point to come over to me, where I was standing and watching all the activity, and Lillianne for that matter, just to get in my face about it.


    A small little bully of man. I concluded coldly as I deliberately took my time in responding. Used to everything being what and where he expects it. And throwing tantrums when it¡¯s not. The lack of imagination of the hotel staff around here suddenly makes so much more sense.


    However, he wasn¡¯t the hotel¡¯s owner. He wasn¡¯t some political official, super rich industrialist, or a lawman.


    Nor was he a monster, giant, enemy army, or other, far worse things.


    As such, the blustering ego and temper tantrum approach did not impress. Just annoy.


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    ¡°Vermin, was it?¡± Lillianne¡¯s cold voice cut in just as I started to reply. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting description.¡±


    We both turned to look at her in surprise, as she stood in the middle of the room, staring back at the little man. All work around us had stopped, and everyone was watching the show, while at the same time edging back a little from her. She was suddenly very imposing, like an ice covered mountain.


    The little pompous suited fool twitched a little, then stupidly plowed on.


    ¡°Mice are vermin! They¡¯re animals! And they spread diseases! They can¡¯t be here! They¡¯ll get into the food! They¡¯ll destroy our reputation!¡±


    The little bastard looked like he was just getting warmed up, but Lillianne coldly cut him off.


    ¡°If word gets around?¡± She snapped, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Like if word gets around that these are intelligent, sapient, working, clothes wearing, talking mice people? I would think if word of that got around, you¡¯d be flooded with people eager to meet them!¡±


    ¡°The only story that people will tell is that we have mice in a hotel!¡± The little man snapped back, actually stomping over to her to try and get in her face, for all that he was a foot shorter than her as well. ¡°The little vermin must go! And if you love them so much, you must go as well! I will not have them in this establishment!¡±


    Wow this guy¡¯s an idiot.  I thought darkly. If I was still in the army, he¡¯d probably be a major. A desk major. He¡¯s certainly got the bluster, and lack of general practical skills, to pull it off.


    Lillianne eyed the man coldly. She was about as impressed, and intimidated by this guy, as I had been.


    ¡°Oh, you needn¡¯t worry about stories people will eventually tell.¡± She remarked, smiling viciously. ¡°The only one that anyone will remember is the one I tell. After all, that¡¯s what reporters and newspapers are for in the end, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Newspapers?¡± The little man asked, blinking in bewilderment. ¡°Reporters?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± She continued to grin at the man. ¡°And stories in the newspapers need to have a certain punch to them! Take this story for example.¡±


    She gestured to the mice on the tables in baskets, all of whom were staring at her in rapt fascination.


    ¡°The poor immigrants, turned into mice by an evil witch, now on our shores.¡± Then she pointed around the room before landing on me. ¡°And after going through hell in the slums, now have new homes to live in and work in, thanks to our hero! The man who came across them, protected them, saved them, and now is giving them new homes, and a new future!¡±


    I flinched a little at the description, but everyone else seemed to ignore me as they focused on Lillianne. She coldly turned back to the little man. ¡°A striking story! One with all the makings of a grand drama! But it doesn¡¯t have a proper villain. All good drama¡¯s have to have a villain, and a far off witch just won¡¯t do.¡±


    She grinned at him then, a very evil grin, that made even that imbecile flinch a little.


    ¡°Fortunately, it looks like we have a volunteer! The man who will drive them back out onto the streets, ignoring the money everyone is paying for the rooms, ignoring their horrible plight. Even going against the hero himself! Why, you¡¯ll be a household name by this time tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°How do you figure that?¡± He asked, looking increasingly like someone who realized the ground they were standing on was cracking under their weight. ¡°All you have is gossip and here-say! No one will listen to you! Who even are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, where are my manners.¡± She chuckled darkly, before giving a mocking curtsy. ¡°Lillianne Lancaster, at your service.¡±


    ¡°And as to why everyone will know this story, and your name in particular? Why, because I¡¯ll make sure of it!¡± She laughed, almost cackling, as she pulled out a rolled up newspaper from her large bag-purse, and handed it to the man. ¡°After all, it wouldn¡¯t be my first time. Everyone reads the Gray Lady after all.¡±¡¯


    I watched the look of slowly dawning horror on his face as she pointed to the headline, and then to the name of the author of todays front page story.


    ¡°No.¡± He muttered in horror. ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°Now then, what was your name sir?¡± Lillianne asked, pulling out a notebook and a pencil. ¡°And how do you spell it? I want to make sure I have it right for tomorrows newspaper. And it will be tomorrows. Front page and all. I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡±


    He just stared at her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. I couldn¡¯t help but grin myself.


    ¡°She really doesn¡¯t fight fair, does she?¡± I asked, mostly just to twist the knife. ¡°Believe me, I know.¡±


    She looked at me with a smile and stuck her tongue out at me! Before she smoothly went back to cold and furious ice queen.


    ¡°Now then, about how you¡¯re willing to kick these poor immigrants out onto the street, even though their rooms have been paid for?¡± She asked, readying her notebook right in front of the little mans face.


    At that point some level of good sense finally won out over ego, and the little fool turned and fled. ¡°They can stay as long as their rooms are paid for!¡± He all but shouted over his shoulder as he turned and left in a hurry.


    ¡°Well now, that was fun.¡± A very familiar voice said behind me. Turning I found Maggie standing in the doorway, making room for the manger to bustle by her. The whole room burst into applause, and Lillianne actually blushed, and even did a slight bow.


    ¡°Alright, shows over!¡± I called out, grinning despite myself. ¡°Everybody back to work.¡±


    There was some sarcastic groaning, and some laughter, but soon everyone was bustling around again.


    ¡°It was a privilege watching you work Lilly.¡± Maggie said with a smile as she strolled over to Lillianne.


    ¡°Thanks Mags.¡± Lillianne replied with another genuine smile. ¡°But why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting ready to go dress shopping for the big event tomorrow night, and I saw there was some drama playing out here.¡± Maggie replied, shrugging. ¡°I stopped by to watch. And to let our dear leader know that he has another visitor.¡±


    ¡°Another one?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°He¡¯s waiting for you in your room.¡± Maggie nodded with a shrug. ¡°We met him this morning actually. You should go see him.¡±


    ¡°What big event are you dress shopping for?¡± Lillianne asked, curious, as I turned to leave. I didn¡¯t know who was here bothering me now, but given Maggie¡¯s statement, I figured I better go find out.


    ¡°Why, the concert at Carnegie Hall of course.¡± Maggie answered, and I could hear the smile plastered on her face. ¡°Jake was invited to it, and since most of the people he knows are busy, I¡¯ll be tagging along with him.¡±


    ¡°Carnegie Hall?¡± Lillianne repeated, before sudden excitement colored her voice. ¡°The giant music building Andrew Carnegie built? Jake¡¯s been invited to that?!¡±


    At that point, I made my way through the door, and practically slammed it shut behind me. I groaned. That damn cat woman! I sighed before turning and heading to my room.


    May as well find out who¡¯s here and what¡¯s going on.  I thought as I walked the fairly short distance down the hall to my room.


    Heading in I did indeed see a recently familiar face; Frichie the Pinkerton.


    His arm was in a sling, but he otherwise looked much better than he had this morning. Must have gotten his wound treated.


    I smiled and shook his hand.


    ¡°Good to see you made it!¡± I told him, smiling as we sat down at the table he was at. The table I noticed that had something sitting on it covered in a cloth.


    ¡°Good to see you too sir.¡± He chuckled before glancing at his arm with a sigh. ¡°Got this fixed up before coming over.¡±


    ¡°How was it?¡± I asked, looking over the well treated wound.


    ¡°Not as bad as it could¡¯ve been.¡± He replied, sighing in relief. ¡°Hit the meat only. No bones or anything much more special or delicate. Meat will heal up, and then it¡¯s back to work. Eventually.¡±


    ¡°Well, enjoy you¡¯re rest.¡± I told him with a smile. ¡°You earned it.¡±


    ¡°As did you sir.¡± He nodded respectfully. ¡°You led us well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I nodded, before turning back to the table, and what was on it. ¡°So then.¡±


    ¡°Managed to bring it back to you, safe and sound.¡± He nodded, carefully pulling the cover off the strange device.


    For a moment, we both just sat and stared at the thing, a mixture of curious wonder, and horrified terror running through me.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I told him eventually, looking back to him. ¡°I really didn¡¯t want Boss Tweed or his cronies getting ahold of this.¡±


    ¡°Nor I sir.¡± Frichie nodded in agreement, shuddering. ¡°Couldn¡¯t trust them to even store it right. Not sure anyone can honestly though. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡±


    ¡°I have.¡± I muttered darkly, looking the thing over.


    ¡°Really?¡± He asked, shocked. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°A small little Terminus Town called Sugar Leaf.¡± I replied, looking back at him, my face hard. ¡°On the edge of the Frontier, deep inside the continent of the Union.¡±


    He stared at me for a moment, before shock and horror washed across his face as he looked back at the strange device.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s passing them out?¡± He whispered in horror.


    ¡°Seems so.¡± I nodded. ¡°Might want to tell your organization to be on the lookout for these devices. And their buyers.¡±


    ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you fight Furwraiths in Sugar Leaf?¡± He asked, looking back to me. I blinked at him in surprise before sighing.


    ¡°Had to time to read todays paper huh?¡±


    He smiled and shrugged, carefully. ¡°The doctors office was boring.¡±


    I rolled my eyes before nodding to him. ¡°Well, yes, I did. And they had a device similar to this. A hostile clan of nonhuman creatures, deep inside the Union continent, had a similar device to this thing. That¡¯s just a terrifying play of events.¡±


    Frichie shuddered again. ¡°I¡¯ll let them know about it. They¡¯ll pass the word along, and make sure lots of people got eyes out for ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I replied, sitting back in my chair for a moment, thinking. ¡°After that, all that¡¯s left is to try and figure out who the hell is passing them out. And who¡¯s making the damn things.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like fun.¡± Frichie replied sarcastically. I couldn¡¯t help but grin in response.


    ¡°Sometimes, it actually is.¡±

 Chapter 30

    The day passed quickly like that, and soon I was in bed and deeply asleep. The day had been a wild but fulfilling one, and it had caught up to me at night. I slept quite good indeed.


    I woke up to a surprise though; Orna was asleep on top of me.


    I stared for a moment, stunned. Usually, I¡¯d have woken up when someone came into my room and climbed up onto my bed. And then climbed up on top of me!


    Apparently not with Orna though.


    She hadn¡¯t even bothered to cover up, or undress. She¡¯d literally laid down on top of me, and the blankets, in her work clothes, and apparently passed out.


    I had to resist the urge to laugh at how adorable she looked, especially as I watched her mumble nonsense words in her sleep. Still, I had to get up, and so did she. Sighing, I went the effort of shaking her awake.


    She groaned and curled up deeper into my side, and I felt a wicked grin stretch across my face. I then reached over and started to slowly, and lightly, tickle her. She started laughing, fighting, rolling around and finally she sat up and looked around.


    I took a great amount of amusement watching the look on her face when her eyes landed on me, and started to turn redder than cherries with embarrassment.


    I may not have laughed, but my grin was certainly very loud all on its own.


    ¡°Good morning sleepyhead.¡± I said softly, smiling the whole time as I watched her look around with quick looks, apparently not remembering the point of when she¡¯d gone to bed. Or where.


    Or with who.


    ¡°Uh, good morning?¡± She half said, half asked, before she finally seemed to remember everything. I could tell since she blushed even harder just as her eyes got big.


    ¡°Much as I¡¯d love to keep on laying here. I need to get up and prepare for tonight¡¯s big event.¡± I said to her, cutting off anything she was about to say. ¡°And you probably need to get back to work on your big invention for the exhibition. We both have long days and nights ahead of us, so we might as well get up and get going.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She replied with a blushing smile, sounding relieved, and oddly intimate.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± I replied, slowly working my way out from under her. ¡°I have to admit, I quite liked waking up with you next to me. Though next time, maybe wear some actual bed clothes. And maybe actually crawl under the covers?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes, I will!¡± She squeaked out, almost sounding like our mice friends, as she once again turned bright red.


    I really like doing that to her. I thought with a grin as I turned and headed to the nearby bathroom. I may get addicted to it.


    After that it was the standard rituals of getting up and going in the mornings, and soon we were both out the door.


    I snatched a passing bell boy, and paid to have room service send regular pots of coffee and some high end chocolates to Orna throughout the day.


    ¡°Certainly sir, but may I ask why?¡± The young boy asked, looking at me curiously.


    ¡°A crazy engineer I met once during the war told me that coffee and chocolate are like the nectar of the gods for engineers.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Miss Rowan is going to need all the help she can get to finish her work before the big event. So, this is how I can best help her. Make sure she doesn¡¯t run out of coffee, chocolate, and oh yeah, ice water.¡±


    ¡°Will do sir!¡± The young uniformed boy nodded enthusiastically before turning and heading towards the kitchens. A hefty tip in his hand as he did so.


    That done, I headed over to small sitting room, found a quiet table, and set about cleaning all my weapons and boots. I flagged down another bell boy, and had them put a rush on a my laundry for the clothes I would need tonight. After that, it was back to cleaning and readying everything.


    Maggie passed by at some point, with lots of boxes and a very pleased look on her face.


    ¡°So, did you find your dress?¡± I asked, amused at the number of poor bell hops that were moving her boxes to her room past her.


    ¡°I did indeed.¡± She smiled back and purred smugly. ¡°Though you¡¯re just going to have to wait to see it.¡±


    ¡°Fine by me.¡± I shrugged with a sigh, putting the last of my weapons and buckles away. ¡°At least one of us will be properly dressed up tonight. I¡¯m required to wear what I usually wear on the damn trail.¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You¡¯ll look more dashing that way.¡± Maggie shrugged. ¡°Much more interesting than any suit you could be shoved into, to make you look more like them.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡± I chuckled. ¡°So, you wearing any weapons? Like me? Miss Infamous Gangster?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely!¡± She laughed, her sharp teeth showing rather prominently. ¡°I bought a nice new belt, sheath and holster just for them!¡±


    ¡°This night might actually be fun after all.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°I certainly think so.¡± Maggie agreed. ¡°Oh, also, the two mouse sisters, Tanya and Chenya, will be joining us tonight for the performance. Poor little Phillip wanted so badly to come too, but it¡¯s well past his bedtime.¡±


    I blinked for a moment, then started chuckling. ¡°So, I shall be accompanied tonight, dressed as a cowboy on the range, with a cat and a couple of mice as my companions?¡±


    ¡°All as you rub elbows with the cities elite.¡± Maggie chuckled back. ¡°What a most memorable night it will be!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± I sighed, giving up on making anything other than a wild man style impression with the rich elite of the city.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s only to be expected by all of them, considering todays paper.¡± Maggie laughed, tossing me a copy of today¡¯s newspaper. I caught it, glanced at the headline on the top of the front page, and groaned.


    WILD RANGER BATTLES GANGS OF FIVE POINTS AND SAVES NEW SPECIES OF CITIZENS!


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to ride out of here on that Albion airship!¡± I groused, annoyed, as I set the paper down so I could finish putting everything else away. I already knew what the story would likely be, after all.


    So, I could read it later, in my room, in private.


    Possibly with a lot of fine alcohol.


    ¡°It¡¯s funny you think that will change anything.¡± Maggie started laughing as she turned and headed towards her room. ¡°God¡¯s having to much fun with you to let you escape! Go ask Jonah how well trying to escape from God worked out for him! You even want to get on a ship just like he did!¡±


    ¡°Fleabag!¡± I shouted at her as she left, which only caused her to laugh harder as she disappeared down the hallway. Sighing, I took the newspaper, and decided to go get some food.


    Dinner was always better than getting drunk, in my view.


    Usually.


    After that, the hours passed by in a blur, as my clothes were cleaned, dried, and repaired as best they could be, until finally, it was time to go.


    Orna was all but bouncing off the walls thanks to the coffee, which she happily thanked me for, profusely. Her siblings were keeping Halona company, and the mice were all settling in.


    Reporters had also swarmed the hotel all over again, thanks to the paper and the public interest. However, as night began to fall, most packed up and left. Or visited Halona in the stables to chat with her.


    Finally, it was time to go, so I headed down to the main lobby to wait, and a few moments later, I heard someone approaching down the stairs. Turning I stopped and stared in shock as Maggie came down the stairs in beautiful dark purple dress. It was in what looked like a modified, slimmed down Victorian Ball Gown style, so less layers, no long trailing cape, and small straps over her otherwise bare shoulders. Her collar, upper chest and a long V-plunge down her back were all uncovered, showing off skin, or in her case, fine white and grey fur.


    She had no corset per se, but the middle of the dress acted like a vest around her waist and stomach, latching everything together, tastefully showing off her tight, toned body. Her chest was also emphasized being only half covered and pushed up a bit, daring any man to risk a glance. Around her legs it had been arranged so it still looked like it had folds or layers, but actually looked much less cumbersome, and more easily mobile the whole time.


    Her tail twirled around her, catching the eye as it flicked around behind her.


    Maggie smiled at my stunned reaction as she covered her shoulders with a dark green shoal, which seemed to work with her grey and white fur, and silvery hair which she had in a braid. At her waist was the promised belt with her weapons strapped on, seemingly partially worked into the style of the dress. Glancing up I saw her bright blue eyes all but shining with pride, and combined with the colors of the dress and her beastkin heritage, the eyes were very bright indeed.


    We were both armed and dangerous, but of the two of us, for the setting we were going to, I felt suddenly very outclassed.


    Looking her up and down I smiled and sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to get me into trouble, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You do that just fine all on your own.¡± She replied with a purr, before she held up a small basket she¡¯d been holding. In it were the two little mice sisters I¡¯d met; Tanya and Chenya. Both were dressed up as best they could with tiny doll dresses as well, and their little basket was even furnished with furniture.


    They waved at me, grinning and giggling up a storm.


    I smiled and even laughed as I bowed to the group.


    ¡°Ladies! You are all so very beautiful tonight! You honor me with your presence. Come, let¡¯s be off for a wonderful performance of grand music, to stir our very souls.¡± I swept my hat off as I bowed low to them. All three began giggling at my performance, before I smoothly stood up, linked arms with Maggie, and led the little group outside to the waiting carriage.


    Said carriage wasn¡¯t a normal one, oh no.


    Carnegie wanted to make some kind of statement, so it was the latest in coppersmith technology, having done away with horses entirely.


    It instead was long, low to the ground, with a seat at the front for the driver. It¡¯s engine was spread throughout the long frame, as best I could tell, with little steam vents in the front and the back. I had no idea how they thing ran, but it looked interesting enough, and was defiantly eye catching. The seat for us was behind the driver in a well appointed little box, with a sloping pyramid like roof over it. The door was actually facing the driver, with part of the long body acting like a platform to step up to, stand on, or walk on.


    Strange design, but looked comfortable enough.


    And opulent as all hell.


    Which I knew was the point, hilariously enough.


    I rolled my eyes at the silly display, but figured we may as well enjoy it. I opened the door, helped the ladies climb in, and then got in myself.


    ¡°Carnegie Hall sir!¡± I called out to the driver as I closed the door.


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± The driver replied, and the horseless carriage began to move forward.


    We were off to the performance.


    It promised to be fun.

 Chapter 31

    The trip was short and sweet, allowing me the chance to look at more of the city, and it¡¯s strange, almost otherworldly appearance with skeletons of buildings going up higher then I ever thought possible. There were statues, fountains, vendors, trees, and houses, all jammed together, and growing ever taller. It was as if I had entered an entirely other world, in another time and place, and I was just a passenger along for the ride, there to enjoy the view.


    It was a very surreal sight, all said and done.


    Though as the drive wore on, I was surprised we were entering a quieter part of the city. We¡¯d left much of the busy city heart behind. More carriages were on the road, most with horses, but the occasional coppersmith one with industrial steam-tech attachments did pop up on the road. Most were heading to the same place.


    Up to a little corner of 7th Avenue and 57th Street.


    And sitting at this little corner street out in the middle of nowhere, was a newly completed massive building. A huge, multistory stonework, basically a huge box, with lots of long curved windows, classic brick window-pillar styles and doors, and several words carved into the stone above the three main doors: MUSIC HALL¡­FOUNDED BY¡­ANDREW CARNEGIE.


    ¡°Well, if you build it and pay for it, you do get to name it.¡± I muttered, smiling as we slowly came up to the large, pretty but unassuming building.


    ¡°It¡¯s so big!¡± Tanya cried, looking thrilled as she and her sister crawled up to the windows to look out at the lit up building. I found myself wondering what kind of lights they were, given how bright and steady they looked. I¡¯d never seen the same with gaslights or kerosene light.


    ¡°I heard it can seat almost three thousand people!¡± Chenya said, sounding stunned. I was too at that number. I¡¯d never heard of the place until the builder of it insisted I come, so I knew next to nothing about it.


    ¡°It was only completed recently.¡± Maggie muttered, looking at it with rapt interest. ¡°I don¡¯t get why he wanted to build it in old Hog Town. But it¡¯s his money. I think this is the big, official opening night for it. So a lot of who¡¯s who may well be here.¡±


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re right.¡± I replied, pointing out the window to main doors.


    Many carriages were arriving in a line at the front door, with a red carpet laid out and many janitors helping to usher in richly dressed people. While there were a lot of people, none were milling around. They were all moving with a purpose, and most were moving inside.


    Some were dressed a little more exotic than with just rich and pretty dresses and well made, expensive business suits. Others had what looked like coppersmith technology worked into their clothes. Nor was everyone human.


    There were dwarves, some beastkin, and vague, shadowy outlines of others, that were humanoid, but likely not human.


    Interesting mix. I thought to myself, looking around as our carriage finally pulled forward, and slowly worked our way out of the box carriage. I waved off the usher, hopped down, then turned and helped Maggie come down while she carried the basket the whole time.


    It was quite the strange sight to me; a cat woman carrying a basket with little mouse girls in it.


    Still, it worked.


    The night was cold, with the feeling that a storm might be rolling in, so we all quickly headed inside, and I finally entered the large lobby of the building. It was nice, elegant, and richly appointed, but strangely less overtly opulent then other places I¡¯d seen or been. That aspect surprised me, but not the crowd of rich elite folks wondering around, most with drinks in their hands.


    The crowd however was growing, and I got the feeling that it was going to be packed.


    ¡°And who are you sir?¡± A uniformed usher asked as he approached me, eyeing me up and down.


    I chuckled and handed him our tickets.


    ¡°Jake Ranger.¡± I introduced myself. ¡°Here at the request of Mr. Carnegie. And my guests.¡±


    ¡°Maggie Carson.¡± Maggie introduced herself with a toothy smile. I glanced at her in surprise, realizing that had been the first time I¡¯d heard her actual full name.


    ¡°Tanya and Chenya Bocharov.¡± Tanya introduced herself and her sister, and I fought to keep from laughing at the look on the young Ushers face when he saw who had spoken.


    He shakily took our tickets, looked them over, then seemed to grow slightly more nervous.


    ¡°Right this way Sir and Madams.¡± He gestured for us to follow him through the lobby to a white door that read VIP Lobby. ¡°Mr. Carnegie is just arriving, so you should be able to meet up with him here easily enough.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said, smiling as he led us into an equally large room, but with fewer people, many of whom were well dressed, but less ostentatious.


    Mostly.


    The men all had nice suits on, with variations between richly appointed business suits, old style tuxedo¡¯s, or more modern fashionable dinner suits. The women though, they had a wild assortment of dresses of every range I¡¯d ever seen or heard of, and I¡¯d been dragged to a few balls during, and briefly after the war, and so had seen quite a few. Men can be vain over various things, but women take it to a whole other level and art form.


    Some dresses and suits were very bright, designed to demand attention, while others were subtle with delicate patterns and layers. Some were slim, practical and still elegant, while others were large, like a living, walking brightly colored tea set. Still others had shoals, cloaks, even capes worked into them.


    And the hairstyles were something else.


    Frankly, I was a little worried someone had slipped something into my drink, except I hadn¡¯t had a chance to get a drink yet. Being stone cold sober while surrounded by a crowd of women who put every doll or child¡¯s drawing of bizarre beauty to shame was a hazy experience all on its own. And the character and confidence needed to wear some of these outfits and styles out into public was almost as big as the dresses.


    Still, many also had what I now recognized as coppersmith accessories worked into, onto, and around their suits and dresses. Some even had odd looking monocles, glasses, goggles, or bizarre eyepatches that some coppersmith had rigged up for them. It made them all appear stranger, almost otherworldly; as though I was surrounded by travelers from another world, and another age.


    Coming from the Frontier, this was a very bizarre sight for me indeed.


    But fascinating, and a lot of fun.


    Many glanced over at us with surprise and interest, all quiet and muted but very intense.


    Frankly I¡¯d had easier times walking into saloons filled with drunk criminal groups. Most seemed to find us odd, or mildly amusing, while others got that rich person look of superior contempt.


    However, some seemed utterly fascinated by us.


    Even more so when they realized just how heavily armed both Maggie and I were.


    I gathered that not a lot of people wore small arsenals to events like this. Who knew? Still, while that seemed to make some worried, others looked excited. I felt like an animal at some zoo.


    Well, may as well enjoy it. I thought with a smile, and made a flourish of taking off my hat and bowing before flipping it back on and resting my hand on my sword hilt.


    Plenty chuckled at that.


    Several of the well-to-do women looked oddly flushed, which worried me. And then there was Maggie, who I could feel quietly purring on my arm.


    I turned back to Maggie, who was giving me an odd, almost hungry look of her own as she purred, but before any of us could speak an Usher walked in and called out in a loud voice that practically startled the spellbound crowd.


    ¡°Mr. Andrew Carnegie and his wife, Louise Whitfield Carnegie.¡± It was like he was announcing royalty, and the Carnegie¡¯s entered the room as if they were royalty.


    Though to be fair, in this setting, they basically were.


    The man in question strolled in through the doors, a beautiful woman on his arm in a simple, elegant dark green single piece dress. She had short cut brown hair, soft features, and also wore long white gloves on her arms and a tiara on her head. That one piece of jewelry she wore I was pretty sure was worth enough to have bought half my families ranch.


    Taken together she really did look like royalty.


    Carnegie himself wore a very simple, but obviously high quality tuxedo, which stood out for not having any of the coppersmith devices on it or being overly flashy or extravagant. The guy knew how to draw the eye, even when it was by being not flashy, when everyone else was, but to be at the center of attention, allowing him to stand out all the more because of it. Basically saying he was above the various fashion obsessions such as gadgets on his clothes.


    Clever guy. I thought with a mental salute to him.


    ¡°Welcome all!¡± He called out, gesturing around himself to us. ¡°I hope you enjoy tonight¡¯s feast for the ears! And I hope my wife is pleased with the hall she asked me to build for our great city!¡±


    ¡°His wife asked him to build it?¡± Maggie muttered next to me as everyone applauded. ¡°That¡¯s why he did it?¡±


    ¡°If it works and your husband is richer than most countries, why not?¡± I whispered back with a chuckle.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite the building indeed.¡± A tall man remarked, walking towards Carnegie with a sharp smile, and a fine suit of his own. ¡°It¡¯ll be interesting to see how it sounds. I don¡¯t think anyone has ever built a hall quite like this one.¡±


    The words; for a reason hung in the air, even if they went unsaid.


    I had to blink at that in quiet shock!


    Who the hell is this guy to walk up and basically insult him like this? I wondered. I mean sure, it was a subtle insult, but seriously, what the hell?


    ¡°So good to see you too, John.¡± Carnegie chuckled as he reached out and shook the mans hand. His own smile was sharp as well.


    Clearly these two knew, and if I had to guess, hated each other.


    And from the looks of it, Mrs. Carnegie knew as well, though she just looked quietly exasperated.


    ¡°Andrew.¡± John replied with a smile. ¡°Louise. You¡¯re looking as lovely as this hall.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Rockefeller, a pleasure as always.¡± Mrs. Carnegie replied warmly, even while still looking exasperated.


    Rockefeller? I thought, blinking in shock yet again. As in John D. Rockefeller?


    ¡°Where¡¯s Laura?¡± Mrs. Carnegie asked, looking around. ¡°It¡¯s not like her to be absent.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s overseeing our daughters wedding plans.¡± Rockefeller chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s becoming quite the event within the house. And actually has her traveling around checking on the makers of china¡¯s and various dressmakers and so on. Afraid a night spent listening to beautiful music just didn¡¯t interest her at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Shame.¡± Mrs. Carnegie smiled with a nod. ¡°She and I get along about as well as you two don¡¯t.¡±


    They all laughed at that one, and the tension bled away, mostly.


    ¡°Oh, they just have a healthy competition.¡± Another man chuckled as he strolled up to the group. He was very well dressed as well, smoking a cigar and giving off similar air John and Andrew.


    The air of someone who knew about money that came from success.


    ¡°It¡¯s good for them,¡± the man continued as he reached the group. ¡°Keeps them growing and improving. Once you become stagnant, you put yourself at risk of being bought out by competitors.¡±


    ¡°Something I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all too familiar with JP.¡± Andrew nodded to the man. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be eyeing my business still, would you?¡±


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    ¡°Heard you had a little trouble with that firebrand CEO of yours.¡± JP replied. ¡°If ever you want to sell, I¡¯m happy to talk terms. I¡¯m sure it hurts to have to clean up after your employees all the time.¡±


    ¡°Something I hear you¡¯re learning about.¡± Rockefeller remarked, smiling viciously at JP now. ¡°How goes your new business venture with that Edison fella you¡¯re working with? Had any trouble getting the public to buy into the new technology?¡±


    ¡°None at all, despite someone running a media campaign against us,¡± JP chuckled while facing down Rockefeller with a predatory grin. ¡°It almost feels like someone who thinks they own the Light Game in the Union is insecure about their competition.¡±


    ¡°Should you really be speaking of cleaning up messes, or of competition in the field of light though?¡± Andrew asked, grinning at JP. ¡°How¡¯s that growing war between your man Edison, and Westinghouse¡¯s man Tesla shaping up? After all, I had them wire up this building with AC electricity, simply because it was so much cheaper. And I didn¡¯t need to build this hall anywhere near a power plant for it.¡±


    ¡°Edison and I are the ones bringing electricity to New York.¡± JP shrugged, though to my eyes Andrew had hit a nerve. ¡°All they¡¯re doing is building generators, and occasionally some lightbulbs. If you want to light up a whole city, you talk to Edison Electric, and me.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of competitions though,¡± Rockefeller cut in with a grin. ¡°I hope you all remembered ours for this big event?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Andrew nodded, and then strode forward to the crowd, while I was still trying to come to terms with what I had just witnessed.


    That being some of the richest, most powerful men in the country at the moment, taking potshots at one another. What the hell? I wondered, shaking my head in exasperation.


    I suddenly understood Mrs. Carnegie¡¯s sentiments towards those guys so much more now.


    Still, before I could ponder the implications of that any further, Andrew Carnegie began speaking in a loud, showman¡¯s style voice, catching the attention of everyone in the room.


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen!¡± He called out. ¡°My fellow industrialist colleges and I, including the famous J.P. Morgan and the infamous John D. Rockefeller, decided to have a little competition for this opening night at Carnegie Hall.¡±


    The crowd chuckled at that, with many rolling their eyes.


    ¡°I know, I know, what else is new, right?¡± He asked, chuckling alongside them in self depreciation. ¡°Still, we thought this one would be more interesting. And it¡¯s very simple. ¡®Who could bring the most famous guest?¡¯¡±


    That got the crowds attention. These rich folks need to get out more. I thought, amused at their strange obsession with the exotic.


    Though finding myself being viewed as some form of exotic animal was a bit of a new experience for me.


    Usually it was just awe, fear, or wariness.


    ¡°As I am the host, I shall go first, and it seems I have already upped the ante, as I have two instead of one!¡± Andrew nodded before he turned and gestured to me. ¡°He¡¯s only been in the city for a matter of days, but has made the headlines several times! Books and songs have been written about him, and he¡¯s left his stamp on the history of our nation already! And by his side, a woman who is both infamous for her dangerous fighting, and intriguing for her success at surviving and even thriving on the mean streets of the infamous Five Points.¡±


    The crowd turned to stare at us once again, now very intrigued.


    ¡°Please welcome my guests tonight; Jake Ranger and Maggie Carson. Otherwise known to the country, and possibly the world, as the Wild Ranger, and Hell Cat Maggie.¡± Carnegie clapped his hands with a broad smile.


    The crowd oohed and ahhed appropriately, looking at Maggie and me the way children look at exotic animals in a zoo.


    Sighing internally, I smiled, pulled off my hat and did a over the top bow to everyone, much to their delight. Maggie smiled with lots of teeth, and then did a textbook perfect curtesy as she did so, complete with her tail waving back and forth.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but wonder at the guests my fellow colleges have brought in this evening though.¡± Andrew said after a moment, grinning, since he apparently set the bar so damn high with us. ¡°Shall we all find out?¡±


    The crowd was loving the show, and I had to admit I was more amused than annoyed at the whole thing, and chose to smile as I watched this silliness play out. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Maggie looked like she was having the time of her life waving at the many well dressed children who were staring at us in amazement.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s tough to beat a two for one deal,¡± Rockefeller called out, stepping up to the center of the room, before gesturing to a side door. ¡°However, quality often wins out over quantity.¡±


    ¡°I do believe we were just insulted.¡± I muttered to Maggie, unable to decide if I should laugh or be furious.


    ¡°Of course we were.¡± Maggie chuckled with a roll of her eyes. ¡°This is a vanity competition, and Carnegie just set the challenge bar very high. It¡¯s standard opening moves to push back whenever it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    ¡°Must be a city thing.¡± I muttered, shaking my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s a competition thing.¡± Maggie laughed quietly. ¡°Location has nothing to do with it.¡±


    ¡°True enough.¡± I conceded as I, like everyone else, looked over at the door Rockefeller had gestured at.


    ¡°One of the favored granddaughters of Queen Victoria herself, the ruling queen of one of the largest empires on the planet! Declared to be one of the most beautiful women in Europe. So beautiful in fact, they say she ¡®brings tears to the eyes,¡¯ and has had all the royalty of Europe clamoring for her hand in marriage ever since.¡±


    I quirked an eyebrow at Maggie at that statement, and she grinned back cheekily. ¡°This aught to be good.¡± She giggled quietly.


    ¡°Please welcome, one of the famous Hesse Sisters, Princess Elisabeth, fondly known by all, as Ella, or Princess Ella.¡± Rockefeller called out, clapping as the door opened and a indeed beautiful woman in a most eloquent dress stepped out into the room, a bright smile on her face.


    She had wavy, dirty blonde hair done up in a little bun, pale skin, blue eyes, lush red lips, and a smooth, soft face that held quiet, dignified beauty. She wore a white dress in classic royal style with long sleeves that had openings at the shoulders, so they draped around her arms, rather than actually being proper sleeves. The dress wasn¡¯t overly opulent, but instead emphasized her hourglass figure, with a small plunge around her bust, showcasing a body sculpted along the fine line between beautiful and enticing.


    She curtsied to the room, showing off the ruby¡¯s on the loose golden belt she wore as they hung on golden chains around her waist. She had a diamond necklace, and a few beautiful rings, as well as a pair of small earrings. As she came back up, I saw an actual tiara in her hair, one of the mini-crowns that princess¡¯s were allowed to officially wear.


    All of it tasteful rather than gaudy.


    ¡°Thank you all for the wonderful introduction and warm welcome.¡± She said in a soft, kind voice that quieted the room. ¡°I only hope all the other legends welcome me alongside them. After all, royalty are born, but legends are made.¡±


    ¡°Be welcome at our fire princess.¡± I called out before I could stop myself, my voice carrying farther than I thought it would. ¡°Royal or legend, all must face down death in the end. Come join us, and we can eat, drink and be merry together, while we¡¯re all still alive.¡±


    ¡°Well said, and I agree.¡± Maggie purred, smiling a surprisingly soft smile. ¡°You have asked, rather than demanded, as most with crowns would have. Already you set yourself apart. Come and be welcome, as we enjoy the show. And besides, I¡¯ve always wanted to meet a real live princess!¡±


    The room laughed and applauded, and Princess Ella blushed slightly before she gracefully walked over to us. She bowed slightly to Rockefeller as she did so, which brought a smile to his face, as the whole room seemed to follow her every graceful step.


    I had to admit, in this case Rockefeller had been right; she really was beautiful. The kind of beauty that men and dragons would covet and kill for, to claim as theirs, and lock away in a treasure vault. So that only they could look upon her, have her, and know that everyone else was jealous and filled with envy.


    I blinked and shook my head, chucking at myself.


    For some reason, I seemed to be channeling my more poetic brothers and sisters tonight. Hopefully it wouldn¡¯t stick. I liked poetry, but generally only in small doses.


    ¡°Well now, guess it¡¯s my turn!¡± JP Morgan called out, laughing after Princess Ella had joined us, shaking our hands as she did so.


    ¡°Unless someone else would like to take a stab at it?¡±


    ¡°I will!¡± A young man replied, stepping forward with a woman on either arm, all of them finely dressed. ¡°I think my guest will crack the bar Andrew has made.¡±


    ¡°Still trying to fit in your fathers shoes William?¡± Rockefeller sighed, a small, smug smile on his face. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have needed to jump the line.¡±


    ¡°Neither he, nor I, ever cared to wait in line.¡± William replied, facing Rockefeller with a cold look. ¡°We made the lines for others to follow. Or hadn¡¯t you realized that, John?¡±


    The two men stared each other down for a moment before Carnegie coughed and gestured to the young man. ¡°Very well young Mr. Vanderbilt. And who have you brought tonight?¡±


    ¡°A famous writer, whose works have put the literature of our country on the map of the world, and whose works and name will likely outlive all of us in this room, no matter how young.¡± William Vanderbilt replied, gesturing to another door, and I now noticed that this room had several doors in it.


    In walked an older man, with wild wavy hair and a large handlebar mustache, both of which were salt and peppery, though with more salt than pepper, wearing an immaculate white suit.


    ¡°Allow me to introduce, Samuel Langhorne Clemens.¡± The young Vanderbilt announced as the man stepped out to the center of the room, smiling and nodding to the curious crowd. ¡°Better known to all, as Mr. Mark Twain!¡±


    I blinked at that one!


    The author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer? I thought, staring at the man. Wow! My brothers would be so jealous right now!


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I tipped my hat to him when he looked over at us, and he nodded back with a wink.


    The crowd applauded, and bowed to them before holding up a hand. ¡°I have often said to do good. For this will gratify some, and astonish the rest. Tonight, I find myself in the company of many who have astonished the whole world, on many levels, across many years. It¡¯s a most humbling experience.¡±


    He nodded to the crowd around him, which they ate up, but his eyes found me, Maggie and Ella, and he winked at us again. I smiled and waved him over, and he came with a smile, shaking my hand while kissing Maggie¡¯s and Ella¡¯s.


    ¡°This is fun!¡± Maggie purred to me, as she and Ella whisper-gossiped to each other. It seemed that the princess and the gangster woman were well on their way to becoming fast friends.


    ¡°Who¡¯d have thought?¡± I chuckled back as Mark Twain came to stand next to me.


    ¡°The night¡¯s barely young yet, youngsters.¡± He chuckled. ¡°A few more legends are waiting in the wings.¡±


    I glanced at him but he only smiled and gestured back to the main room.


    Turning I saw a pair of large men push their way over to Carnegie and the others. One I didn¡¯t recognize, but one I did.


    ¡°Is that Boss Tweed?¡± I asked, blinking at the man.


    ¡°Who else would elbow their way up to the richest men in the country as though it were normal?¡± Maggie replied, chuckling as she and Ella turned to watch the show.


    As did everyone else.


    ¡°Councilmen Tweed.¡± Andrew turned and shook their hands, both he and his wife had turned noticeably cooler in demeanor. ¡°And Mr. Gould as well. What a nice surprise.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Carnegie.¡± Tweed replied, shaking Carnegie¡¯s hand warmly. ¡°A wonderful party, and even grander shindig! I hope you don¡¯t mind, but my friend and I thought we might show off our own guests for this little competition.¡±


    ¡°Good to see you too Andrew.¡± Gould mock saluted with a smile. The man was large, well dressed with a large and long beard, and for some reason, struck me as a troublemaker.


    ¡°And who have you brought?¡± Carnegie asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Next to him, Rockefeller looked annoyed, while both Morgan and Vanderbilt looked pissed.


    ¡°For me, a famous, and even infamous, lawman of the Frontier.¡± Tweed called out, gesturing around the room grandly before glancing over at me with a smile. ¡°Someone from your neck of the woods, Wild Ranger.¡±


    ¡°And that is?¡± Carnegie asked, clearly refusing to let the man grandstand for long.


    ¡°Why, Mr. Wyatt Earp himself!¡± Tweed called out. ¡°As well as his beautiful wife Josephine.¡±


    A tall man in a nice suit and jacket with a badge on it stepped out, a beautiful woman in a light blue dress on his arm. He was the picture of a boom town marshal: mustache, guns, hat, boots and all.


    ¡°Howdy folks!¡± He called out, raising his hat above his head before shaking Tweeds hand. ¡°It¡¯s looking to be one hell of a night! Thanks for having us!¡±


    The crowd applauded and a few even cheered as the Earps made their way over to us.


    When they reached us, Wyatt walked up to me and stared me down. ¡°Jake.¡±


    ¡°Wyatt.¡± I replied, equally stoic.


    We held that quiet pose for a moment longer, getting everyone¡¯s attention, before we burst out laughing and shook one another¡¯s hands, slapping each other on the back.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again you rascal!¡± I laughed before I turned to his amused wife. ¡°And you¡¯re looking lovely as ever Josephine.¡±


    ¡°Sadie.¡± She replied, mock glaring at me. ¡°Everyone calls me Sadie. Including me. As you well know you wandering troublemaker.¡±


    ¡°A thousand apologies my dear, cherished Sadie.¡± I laughed, mock bowing to her in response. She simply stuck her tongue out at me before giggling.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re going to get along swell.¡± Maggie purred at Sadie.


    ¡°I¡¯m hopeful as well.¡± Sadie smiled at her in that knowing way only women can ever really pull off.


    ¡°This is the quite the shindig we¡¯ve been invited too.¡± Wyatt chuckled as he stood next to me and Mark Twain.


    ¡°Getting more bizarre by the minute.¡± I muttered back to him as everyone¡¯s attention turned back to the rich guys.


    ¡°And you Gould?¡± Vanderbilt asked with no small amount of contempt. ¡°Got anyone special?¡±


    ¡°Special enough boy.¡± Gould replied with a mean smile to young Vanderbilt. ¡°My guest is one who plays no favorites! A writer as well, but one who makes legends, finds secrets, and holds the powerful to account! A most persistently, and dangerously stubborn woman who¡¯s helped shape recent history with her own pen.¡±


    He gestured to a corner of the room, and a woman in trousers and various coppersmith gear stepped forward. She had googles on her forehead, a large, strange pistol strapped to her thigh, and brown trousers and a dark leather vest, all of which simply emphasized her feminine form. As did the knee high leather boots and low collared shirt.


    I just stared, speechless, as the dusky skinned woman reached the center opening of the floor, before waving to the stunned crowd, a pencil and notebook in her hand.


    ¡°A pleasure to be thought of as so famous.¡± Lillianne Lancaster called out, smiling. ¡°I shall endeavor to try and live up to it, Mr. Gould.¡±


    She nodded to him, then strutted, not walked but straight up strutted over to us, a big, smug smile on her face the whole time.


    The crowd followed her every step, muttering, and I knew, even though she¡¯d had no introduction like everyone else, they all knew who she was. Which told me she¡¯d left more than a few marks on them with her pen, for these rich elite folks to know her on sight. I had to wonder if she¡¯d blackmailed Gould, or if he¡¯d brought her just to insult everyone in the room all on his own.


    I had a feeling the odds of either were about even with those two.


    ¡°Oh what fun!¡± Maggie gasped out, giggling so hard she was leaning heavily on me for support. I just groaned quietly.


    ¡°Well now, seems it¡¯s finally my turn!¡± JP Morgan called out, even before Lillianne had finally reached us. I got the feeling he was tired of everyone cutting in front of him, and had finally decided to shove back.


    His level of restraint was actually impressive, considering he was probably immensely powerful himself. And the powerful didn¡¯t like being pushed aside for anything. Ever.


    ¡°My guest tonight is famous across the nation and the world!¡± Morgan smiled, gesturing to yet another door, which a servant opened. ¡°One of the men who saved our nation from being torn in two! The man who won the war, and recently led our nation as president, though everyone still simply calls him General. General Ulysses S. Grant!¡±


    I gaped as the man himself, in uniform, with his sidearms no less, and his wife on his arm, strode boldly up to the center of the room. He nodded to everyone with dignity, his famous close cropped full facial beard far more grey than salt and pepper now. He¡¯d famously disdained overly flamboyant uniforms, and instead simply wore a modified privates uniform with his ranks sown onto the shoulders.


    A tradition he kept up here, even though he technically wasn¡¯t in the military anymore.


    Though I¡¯d dearly like the meet the person who would try and call Grant out on that, if only so I could punch them into silence myself.


    The crowd gasped and exploded with applause, and I got the feeling Morgan had won this little contest.


    ¡°Something tells me we¡¯re all fighting for second place.¡± Wyatt muttered with a smile.


    ¡°Yep.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Tough to go up against the guy who saved the nation and won the civil war.¡±


    ¡°Tough indeed.¡± Twain chuckled, clapping as well. ¡°But if you¡¯re going to lose, it might as well be to a worthy opponent.¡±


    ¡°None worthier.¡± I whispered as Grant nodded to the crowd before he and his wife slowly walked over to join us, both smiling.


    ¡°I think this is going to be one hell of a night!¡± Maggie laughed as the famous war hero and former President reached us. ¡°One hell of a night indeed.¡±

 Chapter 32

    ¡°Thank you for the grand introduction, Mr. Morgan.¡± Grants relaxed, slightly gravely voice echoed over the room and applause. ¡°This hall is grand indeed, and tonight shall be the night it goes down in history! My wife and I are just thrilled for the invitation and the warm welcome!¡±


    The surrounding crowd of well-to-do all fawned over him, even as they practically swarmed over him before the servants and ushers came to the rescue. They carefully and deftly guided the Grants over to where the rest of us so-called legends had gathered, before vanishing back into the crowd. Said crowd had begun to mill around as rich guys argued over who won their competition, and finally everyone had a chance to talk.


    ¡°Pleasure to properly meet you in person, General.¡± I said warmly, offering to shake his hand. He took it with a genuine smile as he eyed me and everyone else up and down.


    ¡°Good to meet you as well son!¡± He smiled, a hint of mischief as he stepped back. ¡°Properly this time anyway.¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡± I asked, confused, to which he seemed to find very funny.


    ¡°We met in passing a few years ago, but you were rather busy at the time.¡± He elaborated, and I got the sense he was having fun being vague about it. ¡°So it¡¯s doubtful you¡¯d remember it.¡±


    I frowned and tried to remember when I would have been so busy that I would have missed meeting General Grant himself! As I pondered that, everyone introduced themselves to everyone all over again, and the ladies all fell in love with the mouse girls, and started carefully passing their basket back and forth. Meanwhile all of us guys began to convene amongst ourselves, even though both our groups were literally elbow to elbow.


    Glancing around the room, I saw the crowd milling, chatting, drinking, and otherwise having a grand old time.


    Wyatt seemed to be taking the meeting in stride, and it seemed that Grant and Twain knew one another, so once again I was more the odd man out of the social dynamics. Story of my life. I thought with a tired site.


    Wyatt glanced at me and grinned. He knew me well enough to know my thoughts on that. I didn¡¯t have terribly many friends or acquaintances, I never really cared for tons of people, but the few I did have, I knew well. I rolled my eyes and shot him a mock glare before turning back to the amused looking Grant.


    ¡°Don¡¯t torture the boy General.¡± Twain chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s rude.¡±


    ¡°I confess sir, I don¡¯t remember when you and I ever even could have met.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I was at Shilo and Vicksburg, but only as a Cavalry Lieutenant, usually on recon and scout missions, and I know we never met then. After your victories and promotion to Lieutenant General, you transferred out East to fight and crush Lee. I was out West the whole war and followed Sherman to Atlanta during his famous ¡®march to the sea.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Hard days all around.¡± Grant nodded, his eyes going distant for a moment before focusing back on me, grinning. ¡°But between the mess at Chattanooga and my eventual promotion and showdown with Lee, I seem to recall a major diplomatic conference. One with a lot of very fine, and fierce furry folk.¡±


    He nodded towards Maggie, and suddenly his meaning became clear!


    ¡°The conference with the Beastkin Tribes out West!¡± I snapped my fingers, but then frowned as I thought it through. ¡°We were both there sir, but I don¡¯t remember ever actually running into you. And towards the end I was busy with a hot tempered tiger-man.¡±


    ¡°I remember.¡± Grant chuckled, even as everyone else, including the girls, all turned towards our conversation. ¡°Both the famous duel, and the brawl that actually started it all in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ella asked, her soft voice carrying over to us. ¡°We heard about that event out in Europe, and it left us all shocked, on all levels. Especially the success for the Union that followed by making the Beastkin citizens. But I thought it was a duel of honor before other things got heaped onto it.¡±


    ¡°It was, but it was the kind of honor that comes from wanting a rematch.¡± Grant laughed. ¡°Especially when you¡¯re a big strong tiger beastkin that lost a fight with a human youth in a barroom brawl. All in a failed bid to impress a girl.¡±


    Everyone in our little group stopped and stared at Grant, including me!


    ¡°A girl?¡± Wyatt asked, suddenly looking ready to burst with laughter. ¡°You fought a famous duel, with the fate of whole nations on the line, all over a girl?¡±


    ¡°How the hell do you..?¡± I muttered, feeling like the floor had moved out from under me. No one else other than my men and a few of they others present at the original brawl had put two and two together. Yet somehow Grant himself knew?


    ¡°It was a long, and increasingly tedious conference.¡± Grant shrugged with a smug grin. ¡°It was a bar, and I needed a place to take a break to drink and laugh. And that bar served officers as well as civilians, and was nice and far away from all the stuffed shirts and muckety mucks. I was there in a quiet corner, and got a front row show.¡±


    He grinned cheekily at me. ¡°It was hilarious! As was his eventual demand for a rematch. I don¡¯t think he liked how impressed the furry lady was with you instead of him.¡±


    I just groaned while everyone else laughed.


    ¡°You know he became a governor recently.¡± Grant chuckled at me. ¡°And I had to deal with him more than once while I was in prison..er, pardon me, in office. He still wants another rematch, by the way. He tried to get me to track you down more than once just for that.¡±


    ¡°He needs a damn hobby.¡± I muttered darkly.


    ¡°He has one.¡± Grant laughed with a shrug as he pointed at me. ¡°You. He has all the stories there are about you, by the way. He¡¯s quite the fan. If you¡¯re still here in a few weeks, he¡¯ll be here himself to say hello, now that he knows where you are.¡±


    ¡°God in heaven,¡± I groaned while everyone again laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll be gone in a few days, and that¡¯ll be that. No rematches for him or anyone else!¡±


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not.¡± Twain shrugged. ¡°Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn¡¯t.


    ¡°Too bad.¡± Maggie muttered rather loudly. ¡°That¡¯d be a fight I¡¯d love to see.¡±


    I glared at her. She just grinned right back at me before turning back to the group as they continued to pass the mouse sisters around.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s it like, the infamous Five Points?¡± Sadie asked Maggie, smiling at her. ¡°I¡¯ve been through several Boom Towns, a few Terminus Towns, and a small city or two, but never anywhere old, and never anything close to this city.¡±


    ¡°My family, raggedy as it was, was very close, but we didn¡¯t read much.¡± Maggie replied cryptically with a small, faraway smile. ¡°But I loved to visit my Coppersmith friend Orna¡¯s family, and they did read, and had a lot of books. One of them was by a man named Charles Dickens, who mentioned the Five Points.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Princess Ella asked, fascinated. ¡°I know much of Dickens work, but I don¡¯t recall that.¡±


    ¡°It seems he visited the area himself once, a long time ago.¡± Maggie shrugged. ¡°Anyway, a part of a quote he had about the place always stuck out to me, and I think it best describes the Five Points. So I took the trouble to memorize it.¡±


    She mock cleared her throat, earring smiles from Sadie, Ella, Julia Grant and the mouse sisters in their basket, before she began her quote.


    ¡°¡®Here, too, are lanes and alleys, paved with mud knee deep: underground chambers, where they dance and game; the walls bedecked with rough designs of ships, and forts, and flags, and American Eagles out of number.¡¯¡± She looked at our little group, a sad smile on her face as her voice took on a more ethereal tone. ¡°¡®Ruined houses, open to the street, whence, through wide gaps in the walls, other ruins loom upon the eye, as though the world of vice and misery had nothing else to show: hideous tenements which take their name from robbery and murder; all that is loathsome, drooping, and decayed is here.¡¯¡±


    She looked around at us, who were now spellbound, and shrugged.


    ¡°That about sums up the Five Points, though he really liked to write long winding sentences, so that was the only part I could really memorize. But it was, and still is, spot on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ella muttered sadly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± Maggie replied with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t pity me princess. I am here, alive, standing on my own two feet, surrounded by all of you and the wealth of this city. And I have dear family and friends to go back home too. Which is more than most where I¡¯m from. True, it¡¯s been a hard, long road, but I am better off than many. So many. I need no pity, though I thank you for the compassion.¡± She bowed her head sincerely to Ella before standing back up, seemingly taller and more dignified than before.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°I need to write that down!¡± Lillianne laughed before opening her notebook and doing just that.


    We all chuckled, but before anyone else could move to speak, an older, well dressed man came striding up boldly to our group, tapping his long, elegant looking walking cane as he did so.


    ¡°Ah, Princess Ella! So good to see you again!¡± He said, striding over to her and bowing to her specifically. His accent gave him away as Albion, and given his focus on the princess and subtle way he was brushing all of us aside, I was willing to bet nobility.


    He was dressed in high class high fashion, including some coppersmith gizmos, but his were small, subtle, and seemed to be mostly about clocks. This guy liked time, and had a lot of money it seemed.


    ¡°And of course, everyone else.¡± He said, nodding sagely at all of us. I had to blink at that in surprise. It had been a long time since I¡¯d seen someone so instinctually arrogant that I wasn¡¯t even sure they realized how arrogant and snobbish they were.


    ¡°Pardon him everyone, he¡¯s always been like that.¡± Ella apologized on his behalf, her shoulders becoming stiff as she gestured from him to us. ¡°This is Baron Charles Revelstoke. He¡¯s the head of the Bank of Albion and routinely works with my grandmother on many national matters. Lord Revelstoke, these are the various Legends that have been gathered together tonight, of which they have graciously allowed me to join them.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure indeed,¡± he nodded to us once again, totally missing, or choosing to ignore the bridge building Princess Ella had attempted to do. ¡°Wonderful party you Iggles are throwing! So quaint and intimate! Speaking of your grandmother though princess, she has a few messages she¡¯d like me to give you.¡±


    He continued talking, all but cutting her off from the rest of us. Most of us just stood watching for a moment in silent shock at the sheer gall and dismissive nerve of the man.


    ¡°I¡¯ve known a few like him.¡± Grant muttered darkly. ¡°Almost always found around money and politics.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in charge of all the money of the biggest empire on Earth.¡± Wyatt shrugged. ¡°Never met a banker who wasn¡¯t at least a little full of themselves and their own self importance. Never met one so dismissive of everyone else though.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I muttered, shrugging with a glare of my own. ¡°May as well get a drink while we wait for him to leave or for the show to start.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think any of us will have the chance.¡± Sadie muttered with a smile, pointing behind us. We all turned around to look, with me expecting some ushers to let us know the show was about to start.


    It wasn¡¯t ushers.


    It was something far more terrifying.


    Children.


    A swarm of the little monsters. All young, and looking at all of us with undisguised awe and curiosity. Before any of us could effect an escape, they descended upon us like locusts onto wheat.


    Okay. I thought as we were swamped by the curious kids. I really need to lay off the damn poetry!


    ¡°Are you wearing a costume?¡± A small boy asked me, having bravely broken away from his family and come over to me. I looked down at him, noting even he had a nice suit and various little coppersmith devices on him, and smiled.


    ¡°Nope.¡± I replied, chuckling. ¡°I¡¯m wearing what I almost always wear. It¡¯s just not something people in these circles usually see, wear or need themselves.¡±


    ¡°Is that a real sword?¡± He asked, pointing at my saber. ¡°Are those real pistols?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are.¡± I replied, chuckling. He stared, transfixed for a moment, before he turned to look at Maggie, and then at her basket, with the two little mouse sisters watching from it.


    ¡°Are those your pets?¡± He asked Maggie, pointing at the tiny mouse sisters with open and sincere curiosity.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Maggie chuckled, causing both sisters to turn and glare at her.


    ¡°We are not her pets!¡± Tanya snapped, annoyed.


    ¡°Oh wow, they can talk!¡± A little girl all but squealed, running over to stand next to the boy and stare at the sisters in wonder. I glanced at her, then looked up to see lots more rich kids making their way over to us, as their parents watched with smirks on their faces.


    I was guessing they were happy to have the oddball guests deal with their rambunctious kids while they rubbed elbows with each other.


    ¡°I like your dress!¡± Chenya called out to the little girl. ¡°And I really like your coppersmith gadgets!¡±


    The little girl laughed in delight, touching some of the stuff she had on her dress that mostly lit up when she did.


    What kind of light is that? I wondered, again noticing that that whole hall had these strange bright lights all over the place that didn¡¯t flicker. Somehow, I noted as I looked at them, though they were glowing with brightness, they had no flames. How¡¯s that work? I wondered, chuckling as I watched the mouse girls and Maggie interact with the kids.


    That must be the electric lights Carnegie was bragging about. Neat! I glanced around as the children continued to swarm us.


    Several girls just wanted to pet Maggies long tail, which she was happy to let them do. One of the braver little boys wanted to see her claws, since he¡¯d never seen a cat beastkin up close, so Maggie very carefully unsheathed her claws in her free hand, and let the boy slowly feel them.


    The looks of wonder on their faces made all of the girls, and me, smile.


    ¡°Are you the Wild Ranger from the stories?¡± Another young boy asked, his voice tentative.


    I twitched at the damn nickname, and then turned to look at him. He hadn¡¯t spoken very loudly, but unfortunately for me, his voice had carried over, and now most of the kids, and the milling adults behind them, turned to look at me. Fresh interest and speculation on their faces.


    I sighed internally and smiled at the young man.


    ¡°I am. Though I prefer to go by my given name of Jake, or Jake Ranger.¡± I told him. ¡°The Wild Ranger is just an annoying nickname that others gave me, and now everyone calls me by. I¡¯m a man like any other, after all. I just happened to get a bit of fame during the war. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°And after the war.¡± Maggie laughed, retracting her claws and smiling evilly at me. ¡°Stories of what you¡¯ve been up to in the Frontier reached us long before you started heading East.¡±


    ¡°Did you really charge giants?¡± The young man asked, ignoring the byplay between me and Maggie. He was focused on me the way only the young, the desperate, or the obsessed tend to focus on something.


    It could be intimidating, no matter that it was from a child. I dare anyone to stand in front of a pack of curious children and try to not feel intimidated. ¡®Good luck¡¯ is all I¡¯ll be willing to say.


    I looked him in the eye and nodded. ¡°Aye, I did young man. It¡¯s not something I recommend.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it like to fight a giant?¡± He asked, sounding riveted. ¡°Isn¡¯t it scary?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± I told him with a raised eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s beyond terrifying. It¡¯s raw fear in all it¡¯s power and dark glory. A very good way to die quickly. Fighting giants is best left to God, and lots of cannons and rifles from a good long way off. Charging them on horseback, or foot, is the last resort of all last resorts.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it like to fight a giant up close?¡± He asked, and now I suspected he had arrived at the heart of the matter. I also noticed his voice was carrying, since all the conversation in the room had died off, with everyone, even the little children next to him, were now focusing on our conversation.


    I could brush him off, but the sincere, fascinated stare he fixed me with hit deep in my soul, so I decided to show him as best I could, what it¡¯s like to fight a giant.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡± I said, and slowly stepped out into a more open area of the room, and then pulled out my Bowie Knife and handed it to him, hilt first. He stared at it with trepidation, but then carefully reached up and took it in his hands. Because of the size of the knife, and how young he was, it looked more like a small short sword in his hands.


    Which was the point.


    Then I stepped back a few paces, and slowly pulled out my saber, before taking a fighting stance and staring at him.


    ¡°What would happen if you attacked me?¡± I asked him, meeting him eye to eye. ¡°What would happen if I attacked you?¡±


    He looked from the sword, to me and my height, then down to the knife in his hands, then back up to me, a bit fearfully.


    ¡°I¡¯d die.¡± He said quietly. By now the whole room was riveted in silence. ¡°You¡¯d win super easy.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, not looking away. ¡°And try to be specific.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bigger, faster, and have long legs and arms. You have a long sword, and all I have is a knife. It¡¯s not enough.¡±


    ¡°Well said young sir.¡± I said, smiling at him with respect. ¡°And that, right there, is what it means to fight a giant. People have this idea in their heads that giants are these big, slow, lumbering idiots. They¡¯re not. Most are like this, with me the child, and them the adult. This right here, with you and me, is what it¡¯s like to fight them. It¡¯s why it¡¯s so terrifying. And so deadly.¡±


    I carefully lowered and then sheathed my sword, keeping my eyes on him. ¡°But there are times when the fight must be had. When the soldier or the man cannot run. In those times, give all trust to God, choose your ground, choose your weapon, hope you have brave friends, and then do what must be done. Stand tall and do the job, as best you can. That¡¯s all anyone can do, no matter how big or small they are.¡±


    I walked forward to young boy and carefully took my knife back before I sheathed it and nodded to him. ¡°It can be done, but it¡¯s best avoided. Better to pray to God to avoid that mess, get lots of big guns on hills, and just hammer them to bloody dust.¡±


    He nodded, looking both fascinated, and a little far away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that.¡± He said, nodding respectfully to me.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name boy?¡± I asked, smiling at him.


    ¡°Franklin Roosevelt.¡± He grinned, and stuck out his hand. ¡°I like Frank best!¡±


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you then, Frank.¡± I chuckled as we shook hands.


    ¡°Delano!¡± An older woman in a fine dress with odd coppersmith bracers walked over to us. ¡°Stop torturing the man!¡±


    ¡°Delano?¡± I asked, glancing at the now red faced boy.


    ¡°It¡¯s my middle name.¡± He answered, glaring at his mother. ¡°My mom loves it, but I hate it!¡±


    ¡°Oh come along now!¡± She chuckled, gathering him up as she nodded to me. ¡°The shows about to start. Time to find our seats.¡±


    True to her words, several ushers came out and announced it time for us to find our seats.


    ¡°¡®Bout time.¡± Wyatt muttered to me, chuckling as he got Sadie back onto his arm while Maggie reclaimed her spot on mine. ¡°Better be a hell of a show for this much wait!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be.¡± I chuckled as the rich crowd began to move to the doors, while the swarm of children that had assailed us flew back to their parents. ¡°Shame that old sour-puss Doc Holiday couldn¡¯t be here.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s back out west, chasing down a possible cure.¡± Wyatt shrugged. ¡°No clue if it will help him or not, but he¡¯s had more hope now than in months. Still, we¡¯ll have to have a proper firefight with someone deserving, just for him.¡±


    ¡°Or a round of cards.¡± I laughed as we shook hands and followed the crowds.


    ¡°A wild show indeed.¡± Maggie laughed as we headed in to find our seats in the massive room. The orchestra was setting up on the stage below, and it looked like the show was finally ready to begin.


    ¡°Mind if I join you two?¡± Princess Ella asked, coming up on my other side. ¡°I¡¯ve no other date here for this, and I think it would be lovely to join the both of you.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure princess.¡± Maggie laughed, gesturing to my open arm. I laughed as the beautiful princess elegantly wrapped herself around my arm.


    ¡°Running away from the arrogant money man?¡± I half whispered to her.


    ¡°God yes!¡± She giggled back to me. ¡°I can¡¯t stand him! Half the time, he treats me like I¡¯m some sort of expensive livestock to be checked on before being sold! And my grandmother is the bloody Queen of the Albion Empire!¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry Princess, we¡¯re here now.¡± Maggie laughed.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll follow along as well.¡± Lillianne said from behind us.


    I sighed at that as all three women burst out into quiet giggling. ¡°Sure, why not?¡±


    After that, we all headed inside for the show. I hoped it was a good one.

 Chapter 33

    Walking to my seat with an infamous cat-woman gangster on one hand and a famous European princess on the other, along with a basket holding two mouse-girls each the length of my hand was¡­memorable.  To say the least.


    Though the looks of envy from many of the other well-to-do men, and the poorly hidden looks of jealousy from their women, was both hilarious, and personally oh so satisfying.  I knew I had a smug grin on my face, and at that moment, I really didn¡¯t care.  Though I felt it morph to open mouthed wonder when we finally walked into the actual hall of Carnegie Hall to take our seats.  I finally got a chance to see what all the fuss was about.


    It was actually really damn impressive!


    The room was all white, vast, practically cavernous, with wide but not low hanging chandeliers at the top of the high ceiling.  Rather then a box with square corners and straight walls, the room actually curved more, as though a rectangle had had all of its hard edges sanded off.  There were two tiers of balcony seats above the ground floor seats, all of them in red cushion fabric, and at a glance I knew it could house thousands of people.


    If for no other reason than because the seats on the ground floor, and top floor were all filled, as were the aisles.  The place wasn¡¯t at full capacity, it was literally filled to the brim!  Only the seats of all the so-called elites, and their famous guests, were empty.  Though not for much longer.


    The stage itself was slightly elevated above the first floor, and was inside it¡¯s own curved cavern.  And that was were more of the design and beauty of grand elegant aesthetic came into the architecture around them.  It drew the eye, and made the musicians who were setting up in their seats stand out more.


    Considering all of the opulence I¡¯d seen on display in this city thus far, the actual musical hall was a study in quiet elegance.  Everything was well made and beautiful, and looked very pleasing to the eye, but was all very simple and straightforward, with hardly any expression of extravagance.  The walls of the curving tiers of seats had carvings and lights on them, but even they were more subdued than I would¡¯ve otherwise expected.


    Which meant the true beauty was to be found with the music, and how well the sound was heard in this vast room.


    Hope those musicians are up to the task.  I thought as we found our seats near the edge of the middle tier of seats, close to the stage itself along the right wall.


    ¡°Impressive.¡±  Ella whispered, looking around the vast hall in quiet wonder.  ¡°And so different from the concert halls I¡¯ve been too back home.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s wait to see how it all sounds, shall we?¡±  I joked as we finally sat down in our seats.


    ¡°See how it sounds?¡±  Maggie giggled next to me.  ¡°You¡¯re quite the hidden poet, Master Ranger.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you start with that!¡±  I groaned quietly as everyone began taking their seats.  ¡°That blasted horse woman is gonna get me hung with that nickname!¡±


    ¡°Oh, this sounds fun.¡±  Ella giggled, seeming to relax more and more around us.


    ¡°Oh it is!¡±  Maggie giggled back, with me stuck in the middle of these two.  ¡°But later, after the first show.¡±


    She pointed to the stage, and we saw a tall, thin, old, slightly crazy looking man walk out onto the stage and begin gesturing for everyone to take their place and be ready.


    There was some light applause, and a lot of shuffling as everyone set about finding their seats, or just sitting on the floor, and then the crazy conductor raised his little stick, and all became quiet.


    The first show began, and it was beautiful, with the sound seeming to caress the audience across the room.  The number started quietly, humbly, before becoming a complicated marathon of sounds and emotions all layered together.


    It was beautiful.


    And then as quickly as it had begun, it was over.


    There was thunderous applause.


    Then he raised his stick again, and there was silence before the next one.


    Again, complicated and beautiful, before concluding to thunderous applause.


    And then finally, intermission as everyone got up to find a bathroom, or a drink, or just take a minute to absorb everything.  Thus giving the orchestra a chance to catch their own breath.  I didn¡¯t need anything, but I found myself dragged along by the women regardless.


    So of course I went.


    Fortunately, all the girls seemed to want to clump up in their own little pack, leaving me and the other so-called legends to stand around in our own group.


    I didn¡¯t know whether to feel snubbed, or just laugh.


    I settled on laughing, and I wasn¡¯t the only one.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see Julia having some fun.¡±  Grant remarked, watching his wife chat away with the various women as though she¡¯d known them for decades.


    I¡¯d always found that strange and intimidating with women; how they could make groups that had met only for the first time seem as though they¡¯d known one another for years.  All in under five minutes.  Or, so I¡¯d seen many of them, including my sisters, do more than once.


    It had made asking a certain girl out on a date back in the day, far harder than it should have been.  Well, in my opinion anyway.


    ¡°Sadie too.¡±  Wyatt agreed, snapping a match before lighting up a cigar.


    ¡°And what about your girls Mr. Ranger?¡±  Twain asked, glancing at me in amusement.  ¡°Since it would seem all the other girls there are already a part of your stable.  Possibly with the princess included as well.  I¡¯d love to write about you meeting her grandmother with that setting.  In her throne room!¡±


    Everyone else chuckled at that, but I just stared at him, confused.


    ¡°Stable?¡±  I asked, at this point knowing I was missing something important.  ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing that for the last couple of days from random people in this city.  But I don¡¯t get why.  What do horses, or horse stables have to do with women?  ¡®Cause that¡¯s how it¡¯s sounded whenever people have mentioned them since I got here.  As though the women with me are horses that I¡¯m collecting and putting into a personal stable.  Is it just some strange city thing that I¡¯m missing out on, or what?¡±


    Everyone else around me stopped and stared in shock!


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡±  Wyatt asked, eyeing me warily, as if I was playing a prank on him.  ¡°How could you not know?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been around for a few years now.¡±  Twain muttered, before he blinked and sighed.  ¡°But because of how wild the frontier and the west still are, thanks to the Shattering, news travels slow.  Though not usually that slow.¡±


    ¡°The news didn¡¯t make a big headline show of it.¡±  Grant muttered, eyeing me with a mixture of amusement, and embarrassment.  ¡°I think they were all a little nervous on reporting about it at all.  Or of having to explain it to their wives and daughters at home.  If things haven¡¯t changed in the last few years since I was in my office prison, then the far west may not have heard, or even needed it if they did.¡±


    ¡°I heard about it, but I never saw it in practice till I headed east for this big shindig.¡±  Wyatt muttered, now looking suddenly so amused.  ¡°You really haven¡¯t heard about it?  Truly?¡±


    I just glared back at him, not willing to say a thing at this point.


    ¡°I suppose out west, and traveling through the interior in the more wild areas, you might well have missed it.¡±  Twain chuckled.  ¡°This is gonna be fun.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±  I ground out, when none of them made a move speak.  Finally, Grant of all people took pity on me.


    ¡°The Wife Stables Law.¡±  He sighed.  ¡°The last bill I had to sign into law, largely over my own personal protests, but one I signed all the same.¡±


    I stared, utterly confused by the name of this law I¡¯d never heard of.


    ¡°The what?¡±  I asked after a moment.


    Grant sighed and looked away in embarrassment.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen the wild blood and death from the war, the Frontier, and what people call the Ripples of the Shattering, right?¡±  Twain asked, picking up the conversation and walking over to stand next to Grant, the way a friend who was offering support would.  ¡°The numbers of dead from various plagues, the famines from the Rocky Mountain Locust swarms, the Civil War, and all the things that come from the Shattering.  Such things as tribes, clans and larger groups of non-humans appearing in various areas randomly, or whole city-states rising out of the depths of oceans, and honest to God monsters walking around both day and night?¡±


    ¡°Or witches and warlocks practicing their vile craft on a near, industrial scale?¡±  Wyatt muttered darkly, catching everyone¡¯s attention.  ¡°Or giants, furwraiths, and worse coming out of deep mountain caves, or dark forests?  And the whispers of deeper terrors in the shadows?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±  Grant sighed.  ¡°All that and more.  Including the usual violences, crimes, and battles of nations, and that¡¯s just here in the Union.  When we started looking into the numbers, we were shocked at what we found.  And when we started adding up the numbers as they were, the trends were, terrifying on a, existential level.¡±


    ¡°What numbers?¡±  I asked, enthralled at what they were talking about, and I noticed that Wyatt was too.


    ¡°The numbers of dead.¡±  Grant stated flatly, his face growing hard and his blue eyes becoming the famous cold eyes of a man who was absolutely in charge of everything around him.  ¡°Specifically, the numbers of dead men and boys, which were staggeringly higher then dead women and girls, at least here in the East.  The trends get more evened out in the blood soaked west, but in the east, we found that the general ratio of women to men, was about five or six to one.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    He eyed me with that cold look, and I struggled to not shudder.  ¡°Five or six women alive, for every one man alive.  And that ratio held true from old to young.  Even among children when we did our census study about five years ago, that was the ratio, in the Union anyway, pretty much everywhere except in the western territories.¡±


    He sighed, briefly looking very old and worn out, before he stood back up.


    ¡°It¡¯s even worse in Europe, and from what we can tell, Asia as well.  In both of those regions, the numbers we heard were about seven or eight to one, again: women to men.¡±  He chuckled darkly.  ¡°Men and boys are getting clobbered in this wonderfully advanced modern age.  To a degree that for the Union anyway, society itself was being threatened.¡±


    I frowned, thinking about what I¡¯d seen the last few weeks as I¡¯d traveled east.  ¡°I haven¡¯t noticed that.  Either out west or even here in this city.¡±


    ¡°I have.¡±  Wyatt muttered, taking a drink.  ¡°But my trip here was through a lot more towns and local cities.  And Sadie and I¡¯ve been here for a couple weeks.  Time enough to notice.  You¡¯ve only been here for a couple days brother.¡±


    ¡°This city is more the exception to the rule anyway.¡±  Grant shrugged, taking a drag on his own cigar.  ¡°So many immigrants flood here, even now, to escape the blood soaked mess of Europe.  Or for the chance to live as free and equal citizens under the law, rather than as a serf, peasant, servant, or slave in all but name.  Or just for the chance to have a better chance at feeding their families, and themselves.  So, the numbers are a bit more even, here.  Anywhere else in the Union, or just about anywhere else in the world where we have records, it¡¯s actually getting worse.¡±


    ¡°Hence this law I¡¯ve somehow missed hearing about?¡±  I prompted, glancing between all three of them.  Wyatt shrugged while Twain and Grant shared a look of camaraderie annoyance.


    It was the look of men who¡¯d had to make a miserable choice, because all the rest were just worse, and no one had been happy about it.  I¡¯d seen the look a few times with soldiers and officers during the war, and even after a time or two.   No one liked remembering having to make bad decisions to keep worse things from happening.


    Ask any leader with honor how much fun they had ordering men to their deaths, to even fight battles they know those men would lose, because it served the larger goal.


    Still, the decision had needed to be made, and it had been.


    ¡°Very quietly, a bill was proposed to Congress, to avert this population crisis, by basically allowing a man to legally marry up to six women.¡±  Twain explained, as if he was quietly spitting the words out.  ¡°Not sure who got the idea for it, though personally I blame someone jealous of the mormons, but once it was proposed, combined with the horrifying population issues, it quickly moved through Congress.¡±


    ¡°It wound up on my desk, and I was tempted to veto the damn thing.¡±  Grant stated with disgust.  ¡°But my cabinet advised me that the bill had enough support in congress that they would just override my veto regardless.  So, after getting them to add something to it, I signed it into law a few weeks before my second term was over.¡±


    ¡°What did you add?¡±  I asked, blinking as the implications began to swirl in my mind.  ¡°And how did I seriously not read about this in the papers back then?¡±


    ¡°I got them to add a time limit.¡±  Grant stated, a small, hard smile coming out on his bearded face.  ¡°Thirty years, and then the law is automatically removed on the first of January of year thirty-one.  After that, it goes back to one man, and one woman.  As God intended.  If they want to keep it going, they¡¯ll have to fight for it all over again.¡±


    ¡°Nice.¡±  I muttered, chuckling.  ¡°That¡¯ll be a mess, no matter what.  But well done sir.  Still, why didn¡¯t it make the headlines, well, everywhere?¡±


    ¡°For all the political turmoil this bill, and the census information caused, it was talked about quietly, practically behind closed doors.¡±  Twain chuckled.  ¡°No one wanted to walk out and say they were letting men imitate Solomon, who had a thousand women if you recall.  However, the ratio of men to women was so horrible, and trending even worse in the next generation with the children, that they knew something had to be done, or true future horror would be upon us.¡±


    ¡°So, praying that this was the right thing to allow for a time, they quietly moved it through the House and the Senate.¡±  Grant explained with a shrug.  ¡°It picked up the nickname the Wife Stables Law in the House, and after that, to hide it from the more politically interested press and public, that¡¯s what it was always called.  People thought it had to do with wives owning their own horses or something.  By the time people found out, it was already passed as law.¡±


    ¡°At the same time, the census information had come out, and suddenly people were more terrified at all the death, so they didn¡¯t really notice.  Or care if they did.¡±  Wyatt chuckled.  ¡°And the papers didn¡¯t make a big deal about it.  I think they just whispered about it, and let everyone pick up on it themselves.  Besides, the marriages are still voluntary on both sides.  The man has to agree, as does the woman, and any wives he already has have to agree as well.  I can only imagine the arguments of a man and his wives, or of disagreements between the wives themselves.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still only married to Sadie.¡±  I pointed out.  ¡°And this law has been around for a few years apparently.¡±


    ¡°Out west the ratios are more normal, though that actually means the deaths are just horrifyingly higher.¡±  Grant explained.  ¡°So it¡¯s not really pushed or socially accepted in the west, though it¡¯s still legal.  But as Mr. Earp pointed out, marriages are still a voluntary institution.  And the law states that if a man wants to add wives, the ones he already has must also agree.  Fun marital discussions ensue from that, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    I found myself chuckling at that, despite the quiet horror of what they were explaining.  The world was far darker, and harsher, than I had even realized.  And according to them, that was just over here in the Union.


    The hell is killing us all over the place?  I wondered looking around the room.  Sighing, I decided that I needed to move around a little, and get some ice water.  I preferred it over booze honestly.


    Especially room temperature booze, which most was at this point.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna find some ice, and some water.¡±  I told them, stepping out from the group.  ¡°I¡¯ll be back before our intermission is over.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you.¡±  Wyatt chuckled, nodding to the older two legends.  ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure and a rare honor gentlemen, but I¡¯ve missed my friend for a while now, and I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll get see him again.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±  Grant chuckled, and Twain laughed as he nocked back a drink before each turned to chat with each other.  They¡¯re clearly old friends as well.  I thought with a smile as I headed out to the quieter servants area, wanting to just get away from all the well dressed, or bizarrely dressed rich people for a minute.


    ¡°Going somewhere?¡±  Maggie asked as I worked my through room.  I looked behind me to see that along with the trouble loving cat woman, was Lillianne Lancaster, and shockingly enough, Princess Ella.  Glancing behind them, I saw Julia Grant and Sadie happily chatting away, with Sadie holding the basket of Tanya and Chenya.


    ¡°To get some ice water, and find a quiet place to enjoy it before the crowds and music.¡±  I shrugged.  ¡°I need a little fresh air for minute.¡±


    ¡°He just learned about the Wife Stables Law.¡±  Wyatt laughed next to me as he looked at all three of them with amusement.  ¡°As in, just learned about it this minute.  ¡®Cause he didn¡¯t know about it for the last three years!¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡±  Maggie laughed.  ¡°I knew you hadn¡¯t heard about it!¡±


    ¡°I thought that too when he remarked about it after his little war in Five Points.¡±  Lilly laughed.  ¡°I just couldn¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°The Albion Empire has already instituted a similar law.¡±  Ella shrugged as she tagged along with us, which seemed to cause many people to move out of the way as we walked through the crowds.  ¡°Along with an old tradition of Wife Selling, it¡¯s helped balance the groups of men with multiple women.  It¡¯s still a national crisis, but one that everyone¡¯s being quiet about.  For now.¡±


    ¡°Wife Selling?¡±  Maggie asked, staring agog at Ella.


    ¡°A commoner practice in place of divorce.¡±  Ella shrugged.  ¡°It¡¯s like a combination of divorce, slave auction and cattle auction.  It¡¯s not looked upon favorably in the empire, but with the new Common Harem Law, it¡¯s more widespread all throughout the empire and Europe in general now.¡±


    We all briefly stared at her at that description, before I nearly collided with a harried looking waiter, and decided to focus back on what I wanted.


    ¡°I hear you¡¯ve already started on your stable.¡±  Lilly remarked, smiling sweetly at me as we walked along.  ¡°Any plans on an expansion?¡±


    If I¡¯d had a drink, I¡¯d have choked on it!


    ¡°Seriously?¡±  I stared at her, before glaring at Maggie.  ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Of course me!¡±  Maggie laughed in my face.  ¡°Who else?  And didn¡¯t I already tell you?¡±


    ¡°Tell me what?¡±  I asked, confused at her pivot in the conversation.


    ¡°Orna and I share everything.¡±  She looked me dead in the eye then, with a look that suddenly made me feel like a mouse staring at a large, hungry tomcat.  ¡°Everything.¡±


    Wyatt, who did have a drink, did choke on it at that, and nearly fell over laughing!


    I felt my face heating up, and whirled around to keep on walking, not in the mood to even touch that remark!  Behind me, I heard all the girls giggling in a way that suddenly sounded terrifying.  Damn women!  I fumed as I stomped past them all, forcing them to speed up to keep up.


    I was deep in servant territory now, with a little kitchen and side hallways made just for them to move around without running into people.  Looking around, I suddenly found myself a little lost.  Behind me, Wyatt and the girls were chatting it up, but I just wasn¡¯t interested in hearing them laugh at me, again, by asking them for directions.


    However, I also knew it was foolish to stumble around lost.


    So, I started looking for an usher or servant to ask for directions.  There had been dozens running around already, so finding one should be quick and easy.


    It wasn¡¯t.


    We walked around for a little longer, and still no one was showing up.  Behind me, the conversation had died down, and now the only sound was our footsteps.  I wasn¡¯t worried about them laughing at me anymore either, not now.


    I¡¯d felt this silence, this stillness before.


    Something was wrong.


    My hand slowly drifted to my pistol, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Wyatt and Lillianne doing the same.  Maggie I noticed had her claws fully extended, and her ears and eyes were flicking back and forth in quick, sharp successions.


    I quickly glanced behind me, and saw Princess Ella had moved in between all of us, and her hands kept opening and closing, as if grasping for a weapon that wasn¡¯t there.


    I was about to ask if she knew how to use one, when a loud bang went off!


    We all whirled around in that direction, down the hallway we were already walking, one that broke up into several forks from the look of it.


    It was a bang we all recognized.


    The bang of a gun shot.


    A large one.


    And it was nearby.


    We all shared a glance, before Wyatt, Lillianne and myself all pulled out our various weapons.  Maggie¡¯s lips pulled back to reveal her sharp fangs, and Ella surprised me by holding out her hand to me.


    ¡°Your sword please.¡±  She asked in a cold, calm way.  ¡°You all have guns, but some things like to get close, or are immune to bullets, but not blades.  I¡¯ll not be a lamb waiting for slaughter.¡±


    I blinked at her in surprise, before a smile actually pulled across my face.  ¡°As you wish, your highness.¡±


    Chuckling, I pulled out my saber, and carefully handed it to her.  She gripped it carefully, turned behind us, and carefully did a few practice swings.  Competent swings.


    She knew how to handle a saber it seemed.  The hell do they teach princesses these days anyway?  I wondered as I watched the very beautiful young woman twirl the blade around near expertly.


    She then turned and gave us a sharp nod.  ¡°It will do nicely.  Now, what do we do?  Do we leave and get help, or investigate?¡±


    ¡°The rest of us are people who hunt troublemakers.¡±  Wyatt pointed out, looking from her to me.  ¡°But not her.  She¡¯s an important dignitary.  Hell, shouldn¡¯t you have bodyguards?¡±


    ¡°I do, back at our ship, my hotel here in the city, and even here in this building.¡±  She chuckled.  ¡°Ones you¡¯ve likely never even seen before.  But none are here in the servants quarters.  There are many guards hired by Mr. Carnegie all about this place, and others from Rockefeller and Morgan.  Yet, there¡¯s no one here, at all.¡±


    ¡°Save for someone shooting something that sounded big.¡±  I muttered darkly, looking back towards where the sound had come from.


    ¡°You¡¯re call brother.¡±  Wyatt shrugged.  ¡°Hunt or pull back?¡±


    ¡°Do you wish to pull back?¡±  I asked Ella.  ¡°All the rest of us are good either way.  It¡¯s dangerous to go looking for well armed trouble, but we¡¯re used to it.  However, if you wish to leave, we shall, and simply inform all the others.¡±


    ¡°The responsible thing for me to say is to pull back.¡±  Ella muttered, before she stared at me in a strange way.  ¡°But I don¡¯t want to run.  I want to face this, myself, alongside all of you.  And I refuse to be an excuse!¡±


    ¡°Very well then.¡±  I nodded once, before I turned back to the silent hallway, which we all now knew, held something dangerous in it.  ¡°I¡¯ll take point.  Wyatt, guard the right.  Maggie, guard the left.  Lillanne, be ready to back us up with that coppersmith pistol of yours.  Something that shoots fast and hits hard, and possibly wide, just in case.  Ella, guard our backs.  Smart foes like to attack from behind in ambush.  And they tend to do it at very close range.¡±


    They all nodded, and we quickly arranged ourselves before we carefully stalked forward, eyes open and guns out.


    We all could feel it now in the silent hallway.


    There was something foul moving around in the shadows.


    All that remained was to find out how bad, and how big a mess it was going to be.

 Chapter 34

    We moved forward slowly, not in any rush.


    Patience when danger was nearby, but hidden, was hard on the mind and spirit. I had experience with it, but I could still feel my heart beating harder, my blood pumping faster, and my breathing slowly speeding up. And nothing had even happened yet!


    I despised having to hunt some unknown danger in the shadows!


    Down the hallway we went, until we came to a wall where the hallway split to a hard right and hard left in a T-section. And lying on the floor facing us, partially slumped against the wall, was the answer to one of our many questions. A corpse of a poorly dressed man, blood pooling around him and still coating the wall above his head where he¡¯d been standing when someone had shot him at point blank range.


    Point blank range with a shotgun of all things from the looks of the mess.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s eye catching.¡± Wyatt muttered as we slowly, carefully gathered around the corpse.


    ¡°That is Billy Big-Ears.¡± Maggie stated firmly, though she still sounded confused. ¡°A midlevel gangster from my neck of the woods.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s from Five Points?¡± I asked, my eyes roaming over everything they could as fast as possible. The silence and stillness in the hallway certainly helped motivate me to be quick and vigilant, if nothing else.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Maggie confirmed, eyeing his corpse with contempt. ¡°One of the Blood Rabbits, as they¡¯re called. A real little sneak and snitch. He also was a spy for Boss Tweed. No idea what the hell he¡¯s doing here though. This is far from his territory.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like there was much of a struggle.¡± Lilly pointed out, squatting down to look him over. ¡°Looks more like surprise than anything else. But how do you surprise someone with a shotgun to the chest?¡±


    ¡°Why leave the body here, in a hallway where people would literally trip over it?¡± I muttered, looking over everything again and again, feeling like some obvious things were going right over my head.


    ¡°This feels like a set up.¡± Wyatt muttered, looking around us. ¡°There¡¯s still no one here, other than us, and we¡¯re here by accident. A gun shot, a corpse left to be found, lots of blood¡­this feels staged.¡±


    ¡°A trap?¡± Ella asked warily, looking behind us with my sword at the ready.


    ¡°Too many little things that don¡¯t work for a trap.¡± I shook my head, examining him carefully, before I noticed a strange repeating pattern near his blood. A circular ring of blood, about the width of my finger, leaving the pool of blood to the right hallway.


    Then another.


    And another.


    And then more, as I slowly saw a faint trail of circles made of blood.


    ¡°Looks like we have a trail.¡± I said, pointing to the rings of blood leading off down the hallway.


    ¡°Trail, or trap?¡± Wyatt asked, eyeing the little trail of blood with a frown.


    ¡°Probably a trail.¡± Lilly answered quietly, looking at the scene before us. ¡°We got here because we got lost. We¡¯re unexpected. Whoever did this left in a hurry. That blood is very fresh, and the gunshot we heard happened only a minute ago.¡±


    ¡°If this is staged, who is the audience supposed to be?¡± Ella wondered with a small frown of her own.


    ¡°We have too many questions, and not enough answers.¡± I stated darkly. ¡°I say we follow the trail as far as we can. We¡¯ll be able to find out more if we do.¡±


    The others nodded, and so we started moving forward slowly and carefully as we followed the little rings of blood in the ground.


    We were heading for the backstage areas where the orchestra¡¯s would normally be holed up, preparing for going out onto the stage. As we turned the corner down the hallway towards the two smaller stage orchestra recital rooms, a side door suddenly opened, and several people in strange, flowing robes came walking out. When they saw us they stopped dead in their tracks, and we stopped in ours.


    Only some had their hoods up, which let us see the faces of some. A few looked like normal humans, but a few decidedly did not. It was clear at a glance that some were human, but others were twisted mutants.


    Some combination of human and either lizard or amphibian.


    Oh great.  I found myself thinking as we all took one another in.  This never ends well.


    We eyed one another for a second that felt like an eternity, and I saw their eyes go from shock to a look I¡¯d seen so often in my short life. The look of a predator getting ready to kill, and I knew what was coming.


    To bad for them, we were predators too.


    ¡°Hit ¡®em!¡± I yelled, and just like that, the fight was on!


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    Wyatt and I opened fire, dropping two each with loud, ringing gunshots before they charged us, heedless of their safety.  They pulled various blades out, with a smart one pulling a pistol out. I focused on him and hammered the rest of my shots into him, dropping him in a hurry. After that, I quickly pulled out my Bowie knife and started swiping and dodging as best I could without bumping into everyone else in the crowded hallway.


    Wyatt dodged a thrust, pulled the robed wearing weirdo forward and shot him point blank in the head. This exposed his back to another knife wielding lunatic, but Princess Ella stepped in with my sword and with a few quick swipes, sliced up the mans arm and throat.  She looked a bit shocked and shaky as the man fell to the ground, gurgling as he spewed blood everywhere. I slipped in and stabbed another man who was trying to take advantage of that moment of shocked hesitation, and dropped him on top of the man Ella had just cut down.


    A hiss was followed by a scream on the other side of the hallway, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Maggie ripping out throats with a terrifying practiced ease with her claws as she effortlessly dodged knife thrusts at her. It was like she was dancing among the robed wearing crowds, her dress swirling as she used her claws to slice and rip up arms and throats. She hadn¡¯t even drawn her own pistol or knife on her belt.


    Not that she needed to, from the looks of it.


    Her sharp toothed grin just made her look even more terrifying, even though a part of me actually found it exciting.  Just a bit though.  A very tiny part.


    Wyatt moved to the side of us and pulled out his other pistol, dropping several more of the robed freaks, when suddenly a strange, glowing icicle arced over and landed in the middle of their group. There was a strange, muted explosion with some foggy looking gas, followed by a sudden sucking of the air, which started pulling everyone to the tiny little vortex!


    Before anyone could do anything, we were then hammered with a sudden blast outward, knocking all of us to the ground.


    Ouch.  I thought as I quickly scrambled up with Wyatt, Maggie and Ella, ready for more of the desperate fight for our lives, only to see a truly bizarre sight. In front of us was a strange tableau of frozen men.


    It seemed most were frozen in the midst of being hit by a blast, and were being held up from icicles that had formed around them. Several others had fallen and broken into pieces, or were half frozen, half thawed, but all clearly dead. By the looks of it, a freezing blast had exploded outward a good ten feet in every direction, which effectively wiped out the bulk of their little group.


    Looking behind us, I saw Lilly standing there with her coppersmith pistol, breathing heavily and looking like she wanted to be sick.


    ¡°Nice shot.¡± I told her, my throat cracking a bit. The hallway was suddenly very cold, but the air was now so dry it was like I was back in the desert at high noon.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± She said, struggling to catch her breath. ¡°You said you wanted something for a group.¡±


    ¡°I did, didn¡¯t I?¡± I replied, chuckling.


    ¡°Well, that was fun.¡± Wyatt laughed. ¡°I knew critics in the city were tough, but this is just ridiculous!¡±


    It was a terrible joke, but we all started laughing at it all the same, just because of our hearts and nerves.


    ¡°Well done princess.¡± I nodded to Ella, who looked a strange combination of sick, flustered, shaky, and proud.


    She opened and closed her mouth to speak several times, before she simply took a breath and nodded to me, regaining her composure by sheer will.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± She asked, once she had her voice back.


    ¡°No idea.¡± I shrugged as we all set about slowly examining them, each looking for clues.


    ¡°Other than Miss Lancaster and Miss Hell Cat, we¡¯re all new here.¡± Wyatt pointed out, as he turned one of the bodies over with a look of disgust. ¡°Boy these fellas look weird too. I¡¯ve never seen frogmen before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen half men, half whatever the hell.¡± I muttered, looking for pockets in the suit under the robes of a not-frozen corpse.


    ¡°Lovely weapon.¡± Ella nodded to Lilly. ¡°Thank you for saving us.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful sword play.¡± Lilly nodded back, getting her own composure back as she began examining the bodies as well. ¡°You moved like a natural.¡±


    ¡°There was lots of training with it,¡± Ella muttered, looking at the bodies with a surprising lack of fear or disgust. ¡°Being a princess isn¡¯t all about balls and tea parties.¡±


    ¡°These robes look kind of familiar.¡± I muttered, tuning out the conversation. My mind was going elsewhere.


    ¡°I was hoping I was seeing things.¡± Lilly muttered darkly before she came over to stand next to me. ¡°The snatch-worm vault? From Baker¡¯s Acres?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much.¡± I muttered darkly, not liking the connection, or even the similarity. ¡°But their¡¯s are all different from one another. It¡¯s like they¡¯re all from different groups.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say more like three distinct groups.¡± Ella remarked, looking over the group with a critical eye. ¡°There are three different design styles in this group. That either stands for difference in ranks or status in their group, or as three different groups.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Hello!¡± Maggie laughed coldly, standing over one robed figure. ¡°This one is still alive. Though not for long I¡¯d wager.¡±


    ¡°Curse you, you half breed harlot!¡± He groaned from the floor at her feet.


    ¡°And spunky too!¡± Maggie chuckled as we all hurried over.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Wyatt snapped, holding his pistol on the man. ¡°Tell me and I¡¯ll speed your passing along! Or get help, and maybe you¡¯ll live a little longer. Dealers choice.¡±


    ¡°There is no death beyond the veil. The stars have given me their grand wisdom! I have seen glimpses of the world that is to come when the dead dreamer awakens and the tottering cities of man collapse!¡±


    We all stared for a moment. What else was there for us to do? And a quick glance told me this man was not long for this world anyway, not with the blood loss from his injuries.


    ¡°You¡¯re plan failed.¡± I prodded him, wondering if he would give us anything concrete to use. ¡°So, say hi to your false gods for me as you die right here, right now, and stay dead.¡±


    ¡°Our plan is just beginning!¡± He spat back, glaring at me, his eyes feverish, intense, and obviously very insane. ¡°We were just a part of the group! This whole building will be an offering to the Great Old Ones we serve! It¡¯s already begun! There is no escape! Tonight we will transform the nature of this place, and all in it to better suit the pleasures of the Old Ones! We have already won!¡±


    His ranting took the last of his strength, and he passed away as he babbled on about the victory of his little group. I did not like what I heard, and I could tell I wasn¡¯t the only one.


    ¡°Well, shit.¡± Wyatt muttered darkly.


    That about summed up all our thoughts precisely.


    ¡°Come on!¡± I cajoled, unwilling to bow down and give up. ¡°This fight is not yet done. We¡¯re still here! Besides, it¡¯s not their petty little false gods that run the show. It¡¯s God, and he alone has final say on how things play out. And I get the feeling he¡¯s not calling it done yet. So come on, let¡¯s pull back and report what the hell¡¯s going on. Then decide what to do.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good brother.¡± Wyatt nodded, and we all quickly pulled back to report the bad news to Industrial Barons and the other legends.


    I¡¯m sure it was going to go over just great!

 Chapter 35

    We pulled back in a hurry, heading back the way we¡¯d come, still not running into anyone else, at all, until we started getting closer back to the servants area specifically.


    The first few people who saw us just stared in slack-jawed shock.


    Though the first female servant we came across screamed in terror before she got herself under control. That alerted everyone else that something was going on, and the cooks, ushers, and the few guards that were milling around all turned, stopped and stared as we strode past them. We were walking with a purpose, and that prevents lots of people from getting in your face while grabbing everyone¡¯s attention.


    But personally, I was pretty sure the fact we were covered in blood that clearly wasn¡¯t ours had something to do with all the fuss.


    That¡¯s the thing about knife fights: they¡¯re often bloody as hell.


    Especially with Maggie and her tendency to slash throats. The carotid artery tends to spray everywhere when it gets severed. Though all of us except Lilly had gotten more than a little blood splashed all over us.


    Still, we strode past everyone back to the private room of the rich and exclusive with such grim purpose that everyone else just moved out of our way. I grabbed a nearby usher as I waved everyone to a stop outside the hallway that would lead us back to the little party.


    ¡°Tell Mr. Carnegie and General Grant that there is a serious problem, and we need the room cleared out so we can inform them of what¡¯s going on.¡± I told him. ¡°And make sure you tell them how we look. We¡¯ll inform them of why, just as soon as the room is cleared of the easily panic prone. Understand?¡±


    He nodded in a hurry before he turned, took a deep breath, and strode off into the room of the rich and famous.


    ¡°I need to step away myself for a moment.¡± Princess Ella remarked after a moment, making the rest of us turn to look at her. ¡°If I don¡¯t clean up a little, I¡¯ll never hear the end of it from my minders.¡±


    I chuckled before I nodded, while the others snickered.


    ¡°Glad to have had you with us princess. You handled yourself well.¡± I told her sincerely.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Wild Ranger.¡± She replied with a grin, which only got bigger when she me twitch at the name. ¡°May I hold onto your sword a little longer?¡±


    I looked at her for a moment, then shrugged and undid the belt with the sheath on it from my waist, and handed it over to her.


    ¡°Take good care of it.¡± I told her, smiling.


    ¡°I shall.¡± She nodded, taking the belt and sheath before she turned on her heel and began striding away. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°The hell was that about?¡± Wyatt asked, watching her leave with a confused look.


    ¡°If I had to guess, I¡¯d say she was running away and hiding from her so-called minders.¡± Lilly shrugged with a smile. ¡°Part of being royalty is being partially treated like an exotic animal in a zoo. I¡¯m guessing she just doesn¡¯t want the hassle of fussing staff lecturing her at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Whatever the reason, it seems we have other things to focus on.¡± Maggie pointed out, as the usher I¡¯d sent came striding back to us, a quietly terrified look on his face.


    ¡°They¡¯re ready for you, sirs and madams.¡± He said formally, gesturing for us to head.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go and break the bad news to ¡®em.¡± Wyatt chuckled, and we all headed down the hall back to the room we¡¯d left not so long ago.


    What a different world we were returning to.


    The majority of people had been cleared out, but there were several more than just the two men we¡¯d asked for. Both Grant and Carnegie were there, as were their wives, which was good. It was the others that were concerning.


    Such as Rockefeller, Morgan, Tweed, Gould, Vanderbilt, and even that arrogant old Albion Baron Revelstoke, though the latter seemed to be sweating a bit.


    Oh just great. I thought sardonically as they all gaped at us as we walked inside. A full house for this little debrief.


    Oh well, it was what it was.


    ¡°The hell happened to you boys and girls in the last fifteen minutes in this place?¡± Grant asked, eyeing us up and down. ¡°You decide to play tag in a butchers shop?¡±


    ¡°Wyatt, honey are you okay?¡± Sadie asked, struggling to remain calm as she marched over to her somewhat blood covered husband. For his part, he just gave her a sheepish grin.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine dear. It¡¯s not mine.¡± He quickly told her. She sighed and then quickly enveloped him in a hug, heedless of his bloody clothes. He didn¡¯t seem to mind as he hugged her back, making me smile.


    They haven¡¯t changed.  I thought, before turning to the rest of the assembled room.


    ¡°General, Mr. Carnegie, everyone else, we¡¯ve got a major problem.¡± I started bluntly, and from there our whole group quickly launched into a recounting of what had happened after we left.


    When we finished, everyone looked like they¡¯d been gut shot or poleaxed.


    Though most of them took it surprisingly well.


    ¡°Bloody hell and damnation!¡± Baron Revelstoke all but shouted. ¡°The hell kind of barbaric country have you Iggle rebels built here?!¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    He looked around the room. ¡°We¡¯ve got to get the hell out of here!¡±


    Most everybody else in the room glared at him and started arguing with each other, before a loud voice suddenly rang out.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Grant called out, not really shouting, but speaking with a loud authority. ¡°Leaving may not be a real option for us at the moment regardless.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Carnegie asked, eyeing him with a worried, but shrewd look. ¡°You think they have people waiting for us? Or that we¡¯re going to be attacked?¡±


    ¡°The guy who babbled to you before he died,¡± Grant asked with a glance to us. ¡°Did he seem confident that his group was still going to win, even though you killed them all?¡±


    ¡°He did indeed sir,¡± I replied, frowning at that. ¡°Crazier than a drunken loon under the moon, but confident about how they¡¯d already won.¡±


    ¡°Those damn cultists are all crazy!¡± Grant spat darkly, causing everyone to eye him with confusion or suspicion. ¡°What I don¡¯t understand is the gangster they killed. How does he fit into this mess?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s to understand?¡± Revelstoke asked dismissively. ¡°He was obviously a local man they used, and then threw away. Or he was there to extort them. Either way, he doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the way they left him in the open like that,¡± Grant muttered darkly. ¡°These cultists are good at hiding. Leaving a fresh, blood covered corpse out in the open like that is, unusual, with them.¡±


    I frowned at that, because it had been bothering me as well. I noticed several of the other rich men were frowning at that as well.


    ¡°Know a lot about these cultists, General?¡± Carnegie asked, eyeing Grant.


    ¡°One of the many gifts of the Shattering that I had to deal with when I was imprisoned in Office out in DC.¡± Grant replied. ¡°They started cropping up in some of the towns near lakes or coasts that had been devastated by the war, and causing all kinds of horrible, twisted havoc.¡±


    ¡°But relatively good at covering their tracks?¡± Rockefeller asked, frowning.


    ¡°Very good.¡± Grant nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not just one group either. It¡¯s like a whole collection of secret societies worshiping a dark pantheon of foul deities. Said groups don¡¯t always get along. But they¡¯re usually pretty good at hiding, until the taint they bring, or the, things, they worship bring on becomes too widespread to not notice.¡±


    We were all silent at that bit of information.


    Well, all of us except one.


    ¡°But here they left a corpse of a known criminal lying around, practically begging for him to be found.¡± Gould muttered to himself with a frown, before something seemed to click behind his eyes, and looked up in sudden fear. ¡°Oh no!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Morgan demanded, turning and instantly focusing on Gould. ¡°What did you figure out?¡±


    The whole room seemed to focus on Gould, but he instead turned and looked over at Tweed.


    ¡°William,¡± he all but groaned. ¡°When do you make sure a fall guy takes his fall?¡±


    Tweed glared back at him. ¡°I¡¯m sure I have no idea what you¡¯re insinuating, Mr. Gould!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter Boss Tweed, afraid of another juicy article in the paper exposing more of your corruption?¡± Lilly asked with an irritated look on her face. ¡°Accompanied by more artwork from your favorite cartoonist? I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll all love reading it, after we have survived tonight!¡±


    ¡°Cartoonist?¡± I whispered to Wyatt. He just shrugged in response.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care a straw for newspaper articles. My constitutes don¡¯t know how to read.¡± Tweed replied smugly to Lilly, before he frowned darkly. ¡°But they can¡¯t help seeing those damn pictures.¡±


    ¡°William!¡± Gould snapped, dragging everyone back to the point.


    ¡°I suppose, if I had to guess,¡± Tweed replied with an annoyed look at everyone, as if we were all suddenly accusing him of being the corrupt politician we all knew he already was. ¡°It¡¯s usually when some event or action has taken place or been done, or is being done, so that he¡¯s ready and waiting for the authorities to find and blame.¡±


    ¡°Oh hell.¡± Rockefeller whispered, comprehension dawning on his face. His sentiments were largely echoed around the room as the meaning became clear. The gangster was the fall guy, meant to be blamed for whatever was about to happen, or at least take the majority of some part of the blame.


    Combined with Grant¡¯s question about how confident the cultists we beat were, and it suddenly added up to an unpleasant conclusion: their plan, whatever it was, was still on track.


    And we were running out of time.


    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± Grant said, taking immediate charge of the situation. ¡°If you have any personal security here that¡¯s worth a fight, call them up, quietly. We¡¯ll need to put together a fighting force. We should also send a messenger to the police, and get them marshaling their forces too, but also quietly. A panic will give away the game to our enemy, and get an awful lot of people killed.¡±


    ¡°I have a few Pinkertons.¡± Carnegie nodded, before he headed off to get them.


    ¡°What about the show?¡± Sadie asked suddenly. ¡°Could we keep it going, as though nothing has happened? That would keep the massive crowd calm, and our enemies, whoever they are, none the wiser.¡±


    ¡°Excellent suggestion.¡± Grant nodded. ¡°In the meantime, we need to get two groups together for a strike. We¡¯ll need a scouting team and a proper strike team.¡±


    ¡°Wanna take a bet on who¡¯ll get picked to be the scouts?¡± Wyatt whispered to me with a grim smile.


    ¡°No.¡± I grunted quietly as Carnegie came back with several men, presumably his heavily armed Pinkerton guards. ¡°I don¡¯t like throwing my money away.¡±


    Grant looked over at us, his eyes the cold eyes of a true general.


    ¡°Sorry boys, but I¡¯m gonna have to ask you to be our scouts.¡±


    ¡°Yes general.¡± We both replied, nodding.


    ¡°Why them?¡± Sadie groaned, her voice carrying more than I think she intended. Grant looked at her and sighed sadly.


    ¡°The Art of War is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, as often as you can. And keep moving on.¡± He explained simply, even as the rest of us stared at him. ¡°These two have precious experience in finding enemies, no matter where they¡¯re hiding, and in finding ways of getting to them. We need that, now, desperately, if we are to survive the night.¡±


    Sadie sagged a little before stood tall, nodded to Grant, and then turned to us.


    ¡°You find these bastards, and you lead those men to where they can cut them down. And then you come back home, alive!¡± She said with quite intensity to us.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± We replied solemnly.


    ¡°Well, this should be fun.¡± Maggie laughed, coming to stand next to us.


    ¡°Once more unto the breach.¡± Lilly sighed as she to walked over to us.


    ¡°You two will be going as well?¡± Grant asked, eyeing them with interest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let the dress fool you, my dear General.¡± Maggie laughed. ¡°I know how to find rats that like to hide in the shadows and plot murders. Been doing it most of my life. It¡¯s how I got my infamous nickname.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for things the powerful and the dangerous want to hide for years, and it¡¯s never stopped me. I¡¯m not about to let tonight be the night it does.¡± Lilly shrugged, her hand resting on the butt of her large coppersmith pistol.


    ¡°Understood.¡± He chuckled before he turned to the Pinkertons. ¡°You men will follow behind them at a decent distance. Be ready to strike as soon as they call for you! But otherwise keep yourselves out of the way. They do the seeking, and you¡¯ll do the hammering.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± The half dozen or so professional fighters all nodded.


    ¡°Well then, get to it!¡± Grant ordered as he looked over to us. ¡°They¡¯ve set up their fall guy, they know something¡¯s gone wrong with one of their little groups, and every second now is worth as much as our hosts combined fortunes. Good hunting, legends.¡±


    We nodded, Wyatt kissed Sadie deeply, and then we all turned and headed out.


    Just as we were leaving, I heard Baron Revelstoke speak up. ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Princess Elisabeth gotten off to?¡±


    We all glanced at one another, grinned and kept right on walking.


    It was time for round two with our erstwhile enemies, and the clock was ticking. Good hunting indeed. I thought as we headed out of the room.


    It was time to begin our hunt

 Chapter 36

    ¡°Where should we look first?¡± Lilly asked as we went out into the halls again. Behind us the Pinkerton men filed out, nodding to us as we took the lead, though we weren¡¯t really going anywhere.


    Yet.


    I thought for a moment about Lilly¡¯s question. Where indeed? What would get us an advantage? Before we¡¯d basically just stumbled into the mess. Now we had to look for it.


    We had to find what others had gone to great effort to keep hidden, and quickly too.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the kitchens.¡± I decided, turning to head that way, with everyone else falling in with me.


    ¡°Why there?¡± Maggie asked, curious. ¡°Staff often knows lots of secrets, but I doubt they¡¯re in on something like this. Job like this is too prestigious to risk losing, much less to go to prison or get a noose for some pack of lunatics.¡±


    ¡°The lack of people at the initial murder scene.¡± Wyatt explained, nodding to me as we walked. ¡°Someone had to tell the staff to stay away from there, for whatever reason.¡±


    ¡°So, if they were told to stay away from there, they might¡¯ve been told to stay away from other locations?¡± Lilly mused out loud, a sharp smile coming to her face.


    ¡°This is opening night in a new, very big place, that is filled to the gills.¡± I pointed out with a shrug, feeling a little like I was flailing, but praying it was the right move, and determined to move forward no matter what. ¡°In practice, on such nights at such events, everywhere is busy. It¡¯s all too new, and all has to be checked during the night, even storage rooms. So, the fact that places were empty and silent is something we can look into.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡± Maggie chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s go say hi to the cooks.¡±


    On our way there, we picked up our lost member. Princess Ella, it turned out, was waiting for us in the adjoining hallway. She fell in with us as we left for the kitchen area, as though she had never left.


    I glanced behind us as she slipped back in among us, and noticed the Pinkertons, who were following along at a distance, looking shocked. I smiled a little smugly at them and just shrugged. One of them actually laughed.


    ¡°Ah, the Lost Princess has been found!¡± Wyatt chuckled.


    Ella glanced at him and frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The good Baron was wondering where you¡¯d gotten off to.¡± Lilly explained, glancing at Ella with an amused look. ¡°Did you not want to go and say hi to him?¡±


    ¡°God no!¡± Ella shuddered as she fell in with us. ¡°I hate having to put up with him or his friends whenever I visit grandma in London!¡±


    We all laughed as we once more reached the servants halls. I glanced at her and saw a slight tremble in her hands, and a tautness to her otherwise soft features. I also noticed she looked a good deal more cleaned up than when she had peeled off from us.


    ¡°Are you doing alright?¡± I asked her, wondering how she was handling everything, now that she¡¯d had a few minutes to let everything sink in. She nodded and gave me a small smile.


    ¡°Thank you, but yes, I will be alright. It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve seen dead bodies up close.¡±


    ¡°But I would imagine it is the first tie you¡¯ve actually had to kill someone?¡± Maggie asked quietly.


    ¡°Well, yes.¡± Ella admitted, taking a breath to focus herself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it trouble you, princess.¡± Maggie shrugged nonchalantly as we came to the kitchen area.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Ella asked in a small voice.


    ¡°No, you should not.¡± Maggie stated firmly as we came to a stop. Wyatt waved over a waiter as Maggie turned and gave Ella her full attention. I watched quietly, curious where the cat woman gangster was going with this.


    ¡°You saw them, what they did, what they tried to do, and what they are more than willing to do.¡± Maggie said firmly, though calmly and quietly, her eyes fixed on Ella¡¯s. ¡°They are now very dead, as dead as Caesar or Lincoln. Would you rather it was any of us lying dead on that floor? Or you, yourself?¡±


    ¡°No, I would not.¡± Ella answered back firmly, facing Maggie and meeting her stare unflinchingly.


    ¡°Then you have done what is just and right, both in the eyes of God and in the eyes of Man. You have done your duty, and done it well. When this is done, and we¡¯re all still alive, go home, sleep well, and give them not a second thought.¡± Maggie told her, smiling at her with respect. ¡°They deserve none. They made their choices, and the final debts of those actions are theirs, not yours.¡±


    Ella closed her eyes and took a quiet breath, before slowly letting it out and opening her eyes to all of us once again. She stood straighter, her shoulders strong, and her hands had stopped shaking. Now she was still a small, beautiful woman, but with more strength, dignity and depth about her.


    She wore it well.


    ¡°May I help you, sirs and madams?¡± An older server said as he came to stand next to us, pulling everyones attention back to him.


    ¡°We were recently at stage number two, by accident I assure you.¡± Wyatt chuckled good-naturedly and disarmingly. ¡°We¡¯d actually gotten a bit lost. However, while we were there, we couldn¡¯t help but notice that the halls were empty of anyone we could¡¯ve asked for directions from.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well that¡¯s because the staff was advised to focus solely on the area¡¯s related to the main concert hall,¡± the man explained with a shrug. ¡°With such a crowd as this, we were told to simply ignore various other area¡¯s, even if people happened through them.¡±


    ¡°What other area¡¯s might those be?¡± Wyatt asked, his demeanor slowly shifting to that of a hunter on the hunt.


    ¡°Told by who?¡± I asked as well, since figuring out who was pulling the strings struck me as a good idea. And it was just as important moving forward, so we could stop not only this attack, but any future ones.


    ¡°An older, well dressed gentlemen who claimed to be a part of the Carnegie Steel Corporations Trust Board.¡± The server answered me, looking between all of us nervously. ¡°He had the relevant paperwork to prove it as well, or so I heard from management. And apart from the area¡¯s around the other two stages, we were told to ignore the underground level, which is mostly used for storage anyway. The Underfloor we all like to call it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much, you¡¯ve been most helpful.¡± Ella said to him, smiling as she did so. He nodded, looking momentarily spellbound, before he glanced at her dress, and all the rest of us and the clothes we wore, and finally focused on all the blood. Blood that was clearly fresh, and not ours.


    ¡°Glad to be of help.¡± He hastily nodded before he turned and left, though fled might be a better term, given how fast he all but ran away from us.


    ¡°I think you frightened the poor man Ella.¡± Lilly laughed. ¡°Must be the power of all that jewelry you¡¯re wearing.


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s definitely the tiara in her hair.¡± Maggie giggled. ¡°Definitely not all the fresh blood all over us, or the weapons on all of our hips.¡±


    We all burst out laughing as we backed back out into the hallway proper.


    ¡°Well, now it seems we have a possible destination.¡± I said, sighing. ¡°Of course these lunatics would congregate underground.¡±


    ¡°That means fighting down a set of stairs.¡± Wyatt groaned. ¡°A couple well supplied, well armed men can hold a set of stairs for a century!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll toss some some smoke or fire down and drive them out.¡± I replied, sharing his concern. ¡°We¡¯ve done it before. Hell, that jackass Wild Bill¡¯s done it often enough.¡±


    ¡°You know I hear he¡¯s still mad about having to share the whole ¡®Wild¡¯ nickname with you.¡± Wyatt chuckled as he waved down another waiter.


    ¡°Well tell him for me next time you see him that he can have the damn thing.¡± I muttered as the waiter approached.


    ¡°Oh no he can¡¯t!¡± Lilly whispered behind me, giggling smugly. ¡°I won¡¯t let him!¡±


    I just rolled my eyes in exasperation at that. Of course she wouldn¡¯t allow that to happen. I thought, half amused, and half annoyed.


    Which was a surprising improvement for me, since it used to be all annoyed, and not at all amused.


    ¡°How may I help you?¡± The waiter asked once he reached us. He was barely more than a boy, and was both excited and nervous.


    ¡°We have business to attend to down in the Underfloor. Where is the nearest entrance to it?¡± Wyatt asked, this time in a serious, no nonsense tone.


    The boy paled and straightened under Wyatt¡¯s hard gaze, and quickly gave us the directions. Lilly gave him a silver dollar as a tip, and he left with a big smile. I waved over the Pinkertons, and we quickly got them all caught up.


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    None of us liked the idea of charging down a set of stairs against prepared opposition.


    ¡°I can fire a few rounds of my coppersmith bullets down into the underfloor that can combine together. A sort of mixture of watery fog and electric shock.¡± Lilly offered, pulling out two differently colored icicle bullets. ¡°That could break any nearby defenses, and let us charge down the stairs. But it will ruin any sort of surprise after that.¡±


    ¡°Surprise is less important than shutting them down.¡± I replied, feeling suddenly anxious as I heard the sounds of the concert resuming. ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of these lunatics being underfoot, doing only God knows what.¡±


    ¡°Hit the stairs, break the defenses, see what we¡¯ve got, and go from there with the Pinkertons backing us up?¡± Wyatt asked as we began walking down another servants hallway towards the entrance to the Underfloor.


    ¡°Pretty much.¡± I replied with a shrug as we came to the door, once more in another suspiciously silent hallway, with the Pinkertons behind us, their guns now out. I glanced at them and they nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this show on the road.¡± I said, trying the door only to find it was already ajar. We all looked at one another at that. That was not a good sign.


    Rather than push it open, I turned to Lilly and gestured for her. She nodded and set about reading her coppersmith pistol.


    ¡°Man, I have got to get me one of those!¡± Wyatt chuckled as he and I positioned ourselves on either side of the door.


    ¡°Me too.¡± I muttered as everyone else slowly got into position.


    Princess Ella was still with us, and I had to wonder just how angry her actual bodyguards were going to be when this mess was over. I also wondered why she was coming along in the first place.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have some bodyguards with you?¡± I asked her, wondering what she thought she was doing. ¡°Or at the very least shouldn¡¯t you be hanging back?¡±


    ¡°I am here, ready to defend all these other people here, and from what I¡¯ve heard, we¡¯ve no time to dawdle.¡± She replied to me curtly, all but shutting down the conversation. Maggie glanced over at her at that reply and started quietly chuckling, as if the whole thing was suddenly a big joke only she knew about.


    Ella¡¯s face, though stubbornly set in determination which mixed surprisingly well with her beauty, started to slowly turn red for some reason. But she still looked no less determined, and stubborn about it.


    Fine, hope she knows what she¡¯s getting herself into. I though with a forced shrug. I idly noticed everyone else glancing at her, but didn¡¯t seem very interested in stopping her.


    I sighed and rolled my eyes. When did all of this become normal to me? I wondered, at a loss as to how my life had spiraled so wildly out of control. When had the notion of a princess armed only with a sword insisting on following me into battle against lunatic, robe wearing cultists ever become a thing?


    ¡°Fine. However, you will stay behind until both our group and the Pinkertons, you know, the folks with guns, have gone in first.¡± My own face brooked no argument. She looked at me, sighed, and nodded.


    Behind her, the Pinkertons who were stacking up behind one another also nodded. A few even grinned smugly at me. They were getting a kick out of the drama it seemed, the smug gits.


    I really hoped she survived what was about to happen. Then again, I hoped that for everyone else as well. Especially me!


    ¡°Ready to go.¡± Lilly said, her weapon now held at the ready.


    We all nodded, growing serious as I quietly took a breath before letting it out.


    ¡°And here, we, go.¡± I said, reaching over from cover with just my hand and pushing the door open fast.


    Several shots immediately rang out as we all leaned to the sides, waiting.


    ¡°Well, seems they know to expect company.¡± I shouted. ¡°So much for surprise!¡±


    After a few moments, the barrage let up, and Wyatt and I whirled around, firing like mad as Lilly came up behind us, readied her pistol, and pulled the trigger.


    Twice.


    The first shot arced down into the ground near the base of the stairs. There was a strange looking mini-explosion, but instead of a blast, a thick, massive cloud began filling the area down there. It was like watching a miniature fog bank roll in, indoors.


    I heard some people yelling, but I couldn¡¯t tell if it was up here with us or down there with them.


    Then the second shot landed.


    Like the first, it arced down into the ground now obscured by the wet looking fog, and like before there was a flash of light, like a tiny explosion. That¡¯s when the screaming really started, and I knew it was from them, downstairs. The second shot turned the cloud of fog into a lightening storm!


    The whole area became lit up with arcing bolts of lightening, and I saw the shadows of people flash in and out of focus as they writhed in pain, before they fell over.


    As quickly as it had happened, it was over, and the majority of the fog had dissipated, and the lightening had stopped. Only the echoes of their screams, our gun shots, and smell of burned flesh hung in the air. For a moment, there was a stunned silence.


    ¡°Move in!¡± I snapped, heading down the stairs, shaking off the shock of the coppersmith attack. Right behind me Wyatt was following, both of us with our guns up and ready.


    We all but ran down the stairs, with everyone else coming in behind us. Wyatt and I whirled around the sides of the stairs, and I actually almost tripped over the multiple bodies on the ground. It seemed there were several people prepared for us down here.


    Too bad for them.


    Turning quickly to check the rest of the room, I saw there were even a couple of tables that had been tipped over to be used as barricades facing the stairs we had just come down on. Yet they were silent, and I noticed several more bodies laying on the ground behind them. From the looks of it, there¡¯d been two per table.


    If they¡¯d been conscious, they¡¯d have been able to fill me and Wyatt full of holes as soon as we¡¯d reached the bottom of the stairs.


    There was lack of surprise, there was prepared, and then there was being forewarned.


    Looking at these prepared defenses, I felt a snarl come across my face. Looks like someone warned them ahead of time. I glared before refocusing on the large, well lit room around us. Something to worry about later. I decided as the rest of our large group moved over from the stairs.


    The room itself was large, long, curved, fairly well lit thanks to the electric lights, and had several doors that branched off in multiple directions.


    ¡°Carnegie doesn¡¯t do anything small, does he?¡± Wyatt asked, looking around the large, empty room.


    ¡°Not that I¡¯ve noticed.¡± I replied, chuckling as all regrouped and began walking down the long, curved room. ¡°Nice shots by the way Miss L.¡±


    She smiled a large smile before mock glaring at me. ¡°Lilly. Call me Lilly from now on. Regularly.¡±


    I glanced at her, bemused, before I looked back to the room with a shrug and an exaggerated sigh. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Out of the corner of my eye I saw her stick her tongue out at me, while both Maggie me Ella giggled quietly, before becoming serious again.


    Women. I thought darkly. They take the most bizarre things seriously, but refuse to take other things seriously unless it¡¯s entirely on their terms!


    However, the jovial mood fell away as a table came into sight, with several men in robes standing around it, chanting in some bizarre language. On the table was a strange looking coppersmith device, and it was glowing.


    One of the robe wearing cultists glanced over at us and stared in shock for a moment. He stopped chanting as he did so, which caught the notice of the others, who all looked over at us. The chanting stopped, but the strange crackling sound of the large device on the center of the table didn¡¯t, nor did its eerie green glow.


    ¡°Stop them! The Great One¡¯s work must be completed!¡± One of them shouted, whom I noticed was furthest away from us and was dressed in much more elaborate robes. The others, some of whom looked like strange hybrids of people and various amphibians, lurched into action.


    ¡°Take ¡®em down!¡± I shouted, bringing my gun up and opening fire.


    Next to me, Maggie, Wyatt, the Pinkertons, and even Lilly with her coppersmith pistol all too took aim and cut down the robed cultists. The battle was short, one sided, and didn¡¯t even last thirty seconds.


    The cultists had reached for strange looking knives or other bizarre looking weapons that only vaguely looked like pistols. However, none had had time to draw and line up a shot before all of us had cut them down.


    ¡°Was that it?¡± Princess Ella asked from behind us, sounding uncertain.


    ¡°Hopefully.¡± I muttered, walking forward carefully. We all quickly moved forward and looked around, with Lilly and the girls going to the device that had been set up in the center of the table.


    I looked at it, and just couldn¡¯t help but stare. It was two different devices worked together, with a base plate that had several dials, switches, buttons, and a few pressure gauges on it, like a most bizarre typewriter. But instead of a page and letters at the top, there was a curling brass holder, with a large glass and brass capsule at a slanted angle sitting within it. The thing looked as big as an adults head, and within it was some kind of glowing, bubbling green concoction that was generating the strange light.


    As I watched, a strange shimmer began to appear above it, like the way air looked when waves of heat poured through a concentrated spot.


    ¡°Uh, what the hell is that?¡± I asked, pointing.


    ¡°Hey, this fella¡¯s still alive.¡± Wyatt called out at the same time, standing over the cultist in elaborate robes. He¡¯d pulled back the hood of the robe to reveal an older looking man, one with no obvious mutations.


    Honestly, if he hadn¡¯t been here, I¡¯d have never even noticed him in a crowd or in a room.


    ¡°It¡¯s a success!¡± He shouted, elated as he looked at the shimmer above the device, even as he bled from multiple bullet wounds. ¡°We¡¯ve done it!¡±


    ¡°Ladies, turn that thing off!¡± I snapped, walking over to the old cultist. ¡°And what have you done?¡± I asked, coming to stand over him across from Wyatt.


    ¡°We¡¯ve opened the door and rung the bell!¡± The old man crowed. ¡°Now our Great Old One shall stretch forth his hand and touch this land from his great resting place! All shall see his touch and know the true form he desires!¡±


    Wyatt and I stared at him before we glanced at one another. I was at a bit of a loss, and I could tell he was too.


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Maggie called over, chuckling smugly. ¡°So, you won¡¯t mind if I do this, will you?¡±


    And then she casually reached behind the base typewriter looking part, and flipped a finger on something. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, but then the arcing, crackling sound of the device began to die down, the light in the capsule began to dim, and the device seemed to slowly, almost grudgingly power down. A moment later, it was off, and I was able to look at it without any green glowing light getting in the way.


    ¡°No!¡± The old man shouted, glaring at the grinning Maggie. ¡°You damn halfbreed! What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I flipped the emergency power switch.¡± Maggie replied, shrugging in mock nonchalance. ¡°I grew up around coppersmiths. My best friend is one. And she showed me how they always build in an emergency cutoff switch on their devices somewhere, just in case.¡±


    ¡°It matters not you cursed feline wench!¡± The old man rallied, glaring at her with an impressive amount of vehemence. The effect was ruined when he let out a wet cough, and between that, the wounds, and the blood loss, I knew he was not long for this world.


    ¡°Oh doesn¡¯t it?¡± Lilly asked suspiciously, coming to stand next me, glaring down at the dying cultist. ¡°Your little device has been shut down, your men are dead, and you soon will be too. Whatever your scheme was, it¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°Is it now?¡± He laughed back as he slowly sank to the ground. ¡°Is it truly? So, you got all the other relay points, right?¡±


    I felt cold ice spread down my veins at that. Relay points? I thought, wondering what map-reading had to do with this.


    ¡°No?¡± The dying old man chuckled, looking at us from the floor as we gathered around him. ¡°I thought not! It¡¯ll take longer now that you have shut this one down, but the Great Work shall be done! And done tonight! It will be a show like no other!¡±


    He died chocking on his laughter at that final statement, leaving all the rest of us stunned.


    ¡°Well, shit.¡± Wyatt muttered darkly, pretty much summing up all of our thoughts. ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°Seems our hunt has only just started.¡± I replied decisively. ¡°Reload, take anything of value, look for any clues we can find, and then we¡¯re heading out. It seems there¡¯s lots of these lunatics here, but if that old lunatics remarks were anything to go by, we bought ourselves some more time.¡±


    ¡°So, track ¡®em, fight ¡®em, shut ¡®em down one at a time?¡± Wyatt asked, grinning. ¡°Until we find the main nest and crush ¡®em?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly it.¡± I replied with a nod and fierce grin of my own. ¡°Time to get to work.¡±


    It seemed our hunt was only just starting, and now it was a race against time.


    Here we go indeed! I thought as we all began searching the room, reloading our guns or checking the bodies for clues.


    The race was on!

 Chapter 37

    We went through the bodies quickly, and managed to get some worthwhile trinkets out of them, including a decent pistol that Lilly immediately claimed.


    ¡°I¡¯m running out of my Coppersmith Bullets.¡±  She explained, taking the pistol and expertly checking it over, and then looking for any extra ammunition on the body of the cultist.  ¡°They¡¯re expensive, take time to make, and I only have so many.  And with the exhibition, the crazy ¡®smith I usually go to for ammo is busy.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±  I replied, glad to have that information, since it would prove important for any future gun fights, which I knew were coming, and coming quick.  ¡°Got any more large area grenade like ones left?¡±


    ¡°One.¡±  She nodded, rigging up a holster for the pistol on some of the straps of her odd looking coppersmith outfit.  ¡°It will do the job of a grenade, just with less fire or outright explosions.  Just as powerful and effective though.¡±


    ¡°Hold that in reserve until we have a strongpoint we need to break.¡±  I told her.  She nodded as she put a few handfuls of bullets into her little leather pockets.


    ¡°Oh hello, what have we here?¡±  Maggie purred, pulling a large piece of paper from the body of the elaborately robed old cultist.  It was fairly bloody, but not completely soaked through, so hopefully it was still legible.


    ¡°Bring it over to the table.¡±  Lilly said, walking over to her.  Maggie quickly brought it over as I joined them, curious what they found, and she opened it.


    Well now.  I thought with a sudden grin.  Thanks for the map you old freak!


    A map is indeed what it was, and from a glance, it had several positions marked out, which meant we no longer had to stumble around in the dark.  However, as I looked it over, my grin morphed into a frown, and then a glare.  There were another half dozen places marked out, all around the building!


    And then there was the obvious big stage area, and it was marked out too, with a different symbol that made me think the main nest was around there.


    Seriously?  I thought to myself, disgusted at the sheer scale of this mess.


    ¡°This is quite the little undertaking we¡¯re up against.¡±  Ella muttered, looking the map over next to us.  ¡°We need help, but we also need to attack and stop this.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re dividing up our forces.¡±  I decided, looking the map over again before I turned to everyone else.  ¡°There¡¯s just too many places we need to be all at once.  Wyatt, myself and our little group will go after the main nest that¡¯s somewhere around the main stage.  Hopefully we¡¯ll get them before they make themselves known.¡±


    ¡°You really think they¡¯d do that, after all their efforts to be hidden?¡±  Lilly asked, looking at the corpses at our feet before back to the map.


    ¡°I do.¡±  I sighed, annoyed at the sheer scale of this mess.  ¡°Wyatt and I have experience dealing with flamboyant megalomaniacs, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°We do at that.¡±  Wyatt chuckled darkly.  ¡°And they¡¯d never pass up the chance to show off on a big stage, and this stage looks like one of the biggest in the country.  And it¡¯s a full house to boot.  Hell yes they¡¯re going to, ¡®announce themselves,¡¯ if they can.¡±


    ¡°Right, so we head straight there, see what¡¯s going on, and then strike as hard as we can.¡±  I nodded to him before looking over at the Pinkertons.  ¡°Meanwhile, you boys use this map, and hammer their little relay points, one after the other.  Take your time, scope them out, and crush them.¡±


    They nodded to me.  A few grinned, but the rest looked grim and determined.


    ¡°Lilly, I know you can write, and if memory serves, you can sketch decently as well.¡±  I said, turning to her.  ¡°Make a few quick sketches of that map for them, and for us.¡±


    ¡°Will do, but why a few?¡±  Lilly asked as she turned and pulled out her notebook and a pencil as she quickly got to work.


    ¡°Because we need help.¡±  I sighed before I turned back to the Pinkertons.  ¡°One of you needs to take this map back to the general.  Make sure he gets it, and he gets a report of what the hell¡¯s going on.  See if Rockefeller or Morgan or even that kid Vanderbilt has scared up any extra gunmen, then grab ¡®em up and bring them for the fight.  Either to the other relay points, or to the main stage area.¡±


    They nodded in agreement.  They were professional soldiers, all the way.  But there were so few of us, and we had a lot of ground to cover, and from the looks of it, a lot of enemies to take on.


    ¡°Decide amongst yourselves who¡¯s going back to report.¡±  I told them, but then my face hardened as a thought occurred to me.  ¡°Whoever it is, you have to get back to the general.  If any of those freaks we left at the base of the stairs start waking up, drop them.¡±


    I met their eyes.  ¡°We don¡¯t have the time to be nice, and we don¡¯t have the numbers to indulge in mercy.  They¡¯re committed, armed, and they outnumber us.  And there¡¯s a hell of a lot peoples lives on the line.¡±  I felt the familiar cold that came with the hard, desperate fights like this.


    The Ruthless Calculus of War my old major used to call it.


    ¡°If they start waking up, drop them, and don¡¯t think twice about it.  We have no room for risk, chance, or for being nice.  We need you to get through, no matter what.¡±


    They all met my eyes unflinchingly, and nodded.  They understood.  They were professionals after all.  Carnegie really had hired the best.


    Lucky us.  I thought as I nodded back before turning to our own group, who were equally grim and determined.


    ¡°We ready?¡±  I asked, looking over at Lilly, who¡¯d been sketching the whole time.


    ¡°We are now.¡±  She replied, pulling the papers out of her notebook and handing them to me.  I looked them over, and nodded, impressed.  She¡¯d managed to make three quick sketches that while rough, and small, matched the map most excellently.


    I took the blood covered map, gave it a quick once over, just in case, then folded it up and handed it to the lead Pinkerton man, along with two of the three sketches.  He nodded, took the papers, and then they started quietly conferring with one another on who would go, and who would stay.


    ¡°Well, shall we?¡±  Wyatt asked, gesturing towards the hallway that led to the storage room under the main stage.  The room the cultists map had indicated was the special area for them.


    ¡°We shall indeed.¡±  I nodded, pulling my gun back out, and with one last glance at the Pinkertons, who had begun heading down their own tunnel, while a lone, young one headed off alone.  He had the bloody map in one hand, and his gun in the other.


    He also had a calm, determined look on his face.


    I hoped he made it.


    After that, our group moved quickly, but carefully down the tunnel we were using to bypass the other relays, which seemed to circle the majority of the building, and instead headed straight for the main stage.


    For awhile, there was only us, walking down a quite, well lit hallway, with the sound of our boots and shoes echoing off the walls being the only sounds we heard.  There was no talking, no joking, no banter.  We¡¯d all grown stone cold focused, since we knew we were heading to a nest of lunatic freaks.


    A moment later, I heard several gunshots echo back to us.  One after the other, unhurried, spaced out, and I suspected we wouldn¡¯t need to worry about that group by the stairs.  Well done soldier.  I thought with grim pride.


    It¡¯s a hard call, but in circumstances like this, victory was paramount, and mercy or kindness was only an indulgent foolishness.


    With that particular worry off my mind, I refocused on the task at hand.


    We quickly reached a door that would lead to, according to the map, a similar room like the one we¡¯d fought the cultists around the table in.  Unlike the door from the stairs that led down here, this one was shut, and seemingly unguarded.


    We slipped forward, with Wyatt and I taking up either side of the door once again, though this time Maggie joined me, and Lilly and Ella joined Wyatt on his side.  As we stacked up on our door, I heard very distant, very faint sounds that sounded like gunshots, and they sounded much more like gun battles.


    The Pinkertons must have found their next relay point.


    I slowly, carefully reached over and opened the door, making sure only my hand was exposed, not my body.  Once it was open and no shots came tearing through it, I quickly leaned my head out partly to get a scan of the room before leaning back.


    I almost did a double-take when I did, since there was no one there!


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    Carefully, I checked again, but unlike the first room we¡¯d entered, there was no one present here.  I quickly motioned everyone to follow me, and they did.  We came to another large underground chamber, with a table in it, some chairs, and the look of a place that had housed someone, but it now stood empty.


    ¡°Where are they?¡±  I wondered, looking around, making sure we weren¡¯t walking into an ambush.


    ¡°Where megalomaniacs and narcissists are always at when they get half a chance.¡±  Ella sighed glancing around the room until her eyes fell on a distant staircase.  ¡°Up stairs on the stage, performing for the crowd.¡±


    ¡°Oh seriously?!¡±  Wyatt groaned as we all turned to the stairs, and immediately headed over to them.  ¡°Man, they just couldn¡¯t wait for us to show up first, huh?¡±


    ¡°Being rude seems like a requirement for these people.¡±  I chuckled as we headed up the stairs, our guns still out.  ¡°We¡¯ll have to a have a talk with them about that.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s.¡±  Maggie chuckled darkly as we reached the door, and carefully, slowly opened it as well.


    Again it was another large, empty room, but this one looked more like a backstage room with benches, chairs, closets and some lockers.  So, I had to figure that was progress.  Looking around I spotted some muddy smudges from where we were at, that led right through this room to what I suspected was the hallway that led to the stage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±  I said, pointing out the tracks before quickly following after them.  At this point we were determined to catch up to these lunatics, no matter what!


    We moved down the hallway, not sure what we would find.


    We came to a long curving hallway that made me think we were behind the stage and the audience seats.  Looking around, I saw two ushers who been gutted and left to die, their blood still pooling around their bodies.


    Clearly we weren¡¯t the only ones now in a hurry.


    I could still hear the music playing as we started walking down the curved hallway.  The hallway had a lot of doors, so we weren¡¯t sure where we should look.  However, as we were getting close to several doors, the sound of the music abruptly cut off.


    That can¡¯t be good.  I thought darkly.  We all glanced at each other, before we moved forward in a hurry to the side door that led to the main stage.


    There were a couple of robed cultists there, but their backs were to us, since they apparently wanted to see the big show too.  Without hesitation, Maggie quickly bound up to them, stabbed one in the neck right into the spine with her knife, and then whirled around with her claws on the other.


    Again going for the throat.


    It was over in seconds, and both died with wet, quiet gasps of shock.


    Of course Maggie was now even bloodier, but at this point, I found that only added to her exotic allure.  A bloody charm I guess.


    We carefully moved forward, and were finally able to see out onto the stage itself, the same stage we¡¯d seen from the audience seats less then half an hour ago.  What a different path my night had taken.


    We also saw that we were just too late.


    There were nearly two dozen cultists out on the stage, all wearing robes, but only some with their hoods up.  Others, the more amphibian mutated ones, were walking around with their hoods down.  Most of them looked like frog people, honestly.


    I¡¯d never really paid attention to how many kinds of beastkin there were, or which species that had shown up since the Shattering were their own thing, or were part of the beastkin tribes.  Some were easy: like elves, dwarves, mere-folk.


    Centaurs.


    Some less so, like the minotaurs; some considered them beastkin while others, including the big bull-men and cow-women in question, vehemently disagreed.


    I¡¯d never really cared honestly.  Some had served with me during the civil war, others had served on the other side.  I¡¯d grown up with some elvish farm families just down the road from where I lived, and heard about dwarves fleeing Europe and flocking to mining towns and industrial factories.


    While I¡¯d also heard of lizard men, and even weird stories of snake men, (however the hell that works), I¡¯d never actually heard of Frog Men.


    Then again, I thought about the community of hand-sized mice people I¡¯d just helped rescue and put up at my hotel.  The women gangsters at Five Points who¡¯d been turned into human sized Mouse Beastkin.  Or what I¡¯d heard happened to the folks at the town where I¡¯d found Halona.


    Man Wolves, she¡¯d called them.


    So, maybe there was a reason I¡¯d never heard of Frog people.  And given how some of these guys, and even women, looked only to be half and half, or had bits and pieces of their bodies altered, there might be a reason for that.  Given everything else, I suddenly got a very bad feeling about what was going on.


    But then again, maybe I was just being paranoid.


    The cultists had spread out amongst the musicians, and everyone was nervous, including the audience, who had no clue what the hell was going on.  As I watched, another elaborately dressed cultist strode out onto the stage, and walked right up to where the conductor was standing.  The conductor eyed him, but slowly stepped away without having to be prompted.


    Crazy looking the old conductor may have been, but clearly his instincts were still sharp.


    The cultist ignored the conductor, instead turning to face the audience.


    ¡°Welcome all, to this glorious night of transcendence!¡±  He called out, his voice carrying over the whole room, every bit of it packed.  ¡°Tonight our master will become a true Great Old One!  And you shall be among the chosen who shall join him on his ascendence!  Rejoice, for you have been plucked from the vile and vulgar masses to receive the true form that our great master so delights in!  The form of the true powers and rulers of this world!¡±


    ¡°Oh wow.¡±  I muttered darkly, stunned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard some people full of themselves babble on before,¡± Lilly muttered next to me.  ¡°But nothing on this level.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯d fit right in with the nobility in private clubs back home.¡±  Ella muttered darkly.


    ¡°Can I shoot him now?¡±  Wyatt asked, glaring at the ranting lunatic.


    ¡°If you can hit him without hitting someone else by accident, feel free.¡±  I replied, shaking my head at this loon.


    Unfortunately, it seemed that with so many people in the way, even Wyatt Earp wasn¡¯t willing to risk that shot.


    Yet.


    On the other side of the stage, out of another hallway similar to ours, several more cultists arrived, carrying a litter between them.  And on that moving table they carried, was another device similar to the one we¡¯d already shut down.  Albeit much bigger.


    And also glowing already.


    ¡°Aw hell.¡±  I groaned, trying to workout how to attack without getting innocent people killed.  Or getting ourselves killed, since there were almost twenty of these idiots now, all mixed in with the orchestra.


    ¡°Rejoice and embrace!¡±  The arrogant speech giver went on to the massive audience.  ¡°For tonight you shall be remade from the image of man, into the image of our great master!  Our master, Xantrogis!¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±  I asked, lost at this point since I was focusing on the angles, positions and openings to attack from.


    ¡°No idea.¡±  Lilly replied, sounding exasperated.


    ¡°Never heard of him.¡±  Ella answered next.  Everyone else said much the same thing.


    Whoever this guy was, he sure as hell wasn¡¯t famous.  I wondered briefly if that might have been what these murderous morons were after, but found I didn¡¯t really care.  All I actually cared about was stopping them cold.


    Unfortunately, it looked like that robed bastard, for all that he seemed to like hearing himself talk, wasn¡¯t going to give me the time I needed.


    ¡°And now to start this process!¡±  He shouted, as several of the cultists standing in a circle around their device took out instruments of all things, and started playing.  ¡°Now to begin your glorious transformation into something more fitting for our Great Old One!¡±


    The melody was bizarre, creepy, haunting, and strangely wrong, even if it wasn¡¯t necessarily grating or bad.  I just knew, down to my soul, that this music was not good music.  This was music born of darkness, wickedness and depravity.


    Something about it just felt foul to me.


    Above the glowing device, in the middle of the space above the orchestra in the vast auditorium, a haze appeared, like a bubble of heat distortion.  Then it got thicker, and thicker, before suddenly a wringing bell sounded, and a hole appeared in that haze.  I had no other way to describe it.


    A hole of darkness, like a circular tear in thin air, opened up dozens of feet above the orchestra.


    From my vantage point, I could see into it somewhat, like it was a half hole, half orb of darkness, however that worked.  I and everyone else all stared in riveted shock at what had just happened.  And in the background, the sick, twisted music continued to play.


    Suddenly, a strange dome of greenish light spread out from the hovering hole, and covered the entire concert hall.  I honestly got the feeling that it covered most of the massive building, and I was willing to bet that anyone trying to make a break for it, wasn¡¯t going anywhere.


    Then I heard a cry of dismay, and I saw people struggling to push themselves up, as if they couldn¡¯t get out of their seats.  I stared as more and more people, men, women and increasingly frightened children, all pushed, pulled and wiggled in their seats, trying to move.  Even the Orchestra was trying, to no avail.


    The big talker laughed.  ¡°Ha ha ha!  What¡¯s the matter?  Can¡¯t get up?  You¡¯re all wriggling around like tadpoles!  Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s only temporary!  Soon you¡¯ll not just be wiggling, or walking, but hopping about like never before!¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s the last thing I do in this world,¡± Maggie growled darkly.  ¡°I¡¯m going to rip his tongue out of his mouth before I kill him!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to have to get in line for that pleasure, my dear.¡±  Wyatt replied, staring around the room.  We all looked at one another, and took small, careful steps.  Fortunately, we were still able to move!


    Seemed this trick only worked on people who¡¯d already been sitting down.


    With that out of the way I desperately went back to scanning around the room, trying to work out where to attack from.  There were so many, and spread out, and I knew from recent experience they were all armed.


    Never mind the huge number of hostages they had access to, all around them!


    ¡°And now, at last, the glorious chosen moment has arrived!¡±  The damn lunatic called out, yet again.  ¡°The appointed hour has been reached!¡±


    And there, in the hole in open air, I saw several eyes appear around the darkness, all staring out towards the audience.  The eyes were all colors and kinds, but several reminded me of frog eyes.


    No shock there.


    These robed guys had a serious motif going for them.


    Before anyone could even scream, a sudden gush of liquid began shooting out of the floating hole and into the audience!


    It was a tightly contained, fast moving jet of liquid that began being hosed into the people trapped in their seats!  Slowly, it began to rotate around, like a child playing with a hose, and random parts of the audience hall were soon drenched in the strange liquid.  As I watched one area that was covered in the stuff, I realized that it looked more like thick, greenish slime than water.


    ¡°They¡¯re, sliming, the audience?¡±  I asked in a daze.  The others just stared for a moment, same as me.  The audience folks that had been thoroughly drenched, almost drowned in it in some cases, slowly pushed it away from themselves, breathing, yelling and screaming.


    Like they were swimming while trapped in their seats.


    The way it was going, I knew these lunatics were going to cover the whole massive auditorium.  And given the way that chief lunatic was laughing while it was going on, I knew I really didn¡¯t want to know what might happen next, on any level.


    ¡°Okay, to hell with it.¡±  I decided darkly.  ¡°We run in, dropping any that we can along the way.  Our primary targets are those instrument playing freaks!  Cut them down and stop their orchestra however you can!  Then someone shut off the device while the rest of us cover you.¡±


    ¡°And then after that?¡±  Wyatt asked, sounding focused and ready, which only made sense: Sadie was in the upper booths of the audience after all.


    ¡°Win.¡±  I replied coldly.


    Everyone else nodded and readied their weapons.


    ¡°Hit ¡®em!¡±  I snapped, and we charged out onto the stage at a flat sprint.


    This was an all or nothing fight.  We were going for all the marbles.  We would either stand triumphant in victory, or perish.


    But I knew one thing for certain: even if we lost, we damn sure weren¡¯t going to go alone!

 Chapter 38

    We tore out of the hallway with Wyatt and myself in the lead, and the ladies behind us, our weapons ready but not firing until we had good targets.


    Though out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ella cut down a surprised cultist with her sword in passing, so that was a start. Fortunately, big as it was, and crowded, the stage wasn¡¯t that big. We also didn¡¯t have far to go.


    And most important of all: we were practically being ignored.


    Not surprising when a strange, hovering hole to somewhere else, with floating eyes in the darkness of it starts gushing gallons upon unending gallons of slime onto people literally trapped in their seats.


    So yeah, in that moment we were kind of a sideshow, at best.


    For the moment, that was the best place to be, for as long as possible, until we were as ready as we could get. Which wouldn¡¯t be ready enough, but that was the nature of war. You go to war with the army you have, not the army you dream about.


    And at this moment, on this stage with that giant audience, we were definitely at war.


    A few cultists finally noticed us as we reached the center, the last few right before we could reach their twisted orchestra, and they whirled around to face us. Wyatt and I opened fire, dropping the ones immediately in front of us and clearing a path for the instrument players that encircled their glowing device. For a moment, it seemed like we had a straight shot at them, and their glowing gizmo behind them before any of the rest could react.


    But that moment came and went in the blink of an eye.


    I quickly sighted one of the instrument players, while the rest of the cultists, and actual orchestra people for that matter, all finally began to resister us among them. However, before I could shoot a strange glowing, shimmering dome of light came down from the floating hole around the twisted orchestra. I fired anyway, as did Wyatt, but our shots didn¡¯t even bounce off the shimmering wall.


    They just got caught, hanging in midair, before falling to the ground, all their momentum taken from them.


    We came to a halt just on the other side of the energy dome, unsure of what to do. Above us, the hole had stopped spewing slime, likely for when it switched to the energy shield, but then it slowly started back up. Around us, the cultists, now once more paying attention, began to circle around us, ready to attack.


    We were not in the best of positions at the moment.


    Well, at least things can¡¯t get any worse. I couldn¡¯t help but think as I desperately searched for a way to get around the energy bubble.


    ¡°Welcome, welcome, welcome!¡± The head cultist shouted to us with loud laughter, his voice somehow carrying across the whole hall. ¡°My my, look who it is! The legendary fools of the throwback humanity, desperate to save you all! To keep you bound in primitive, basic, human forms!¡±


    Oh, I was wrong. I thought sarcastically as I turned to face the mad lunatic. Things just got so much worse! Now we¡¯re stuck hearing more self righteous monologuing!


    ¡°I¡¯d heard a bunch of so-called living legends had been gathered here tonight, I just didn¡¯t think I¡¯d meet you in person!¡± The head cultist continued, laughing at us. ¡°Hey, could I get your autographs?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I laughed at him. ¡°I¡¯m happy to give you my signature in hot lead or cold steel!¡±


    If there was one thing I refused to do, it was cower before the likes of this guy. I knew that death would have me at the appointed hour, like everyone else, for there were no exceptions to that. And when I finally met my end, whether tonight or decades from now, and stood before the Throne of God, I would not be counted as a coward.


    ¡®God hates a coward¡¯ my father likes to say.


    I would not be someone God Almighty actively hates.


    So as I looked at the lunatic head cultist, in spite of our situation and bad odds, I just smiled and laughed at him.


    He didn¡¯t look like he was taking it very well.


    ¡°You dare act as though I am a joke?!¡± He shouted, his cocky veneer giving way to instant rage. ¡°You stand at the moment of triumph of our great one! And you would laugh?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll do more than that you self absorbed windbag!¡± I shouted right back, facing him down and looking for a clear shot. ¡°I¡¯ll stand against you and your false god! For the Lord is with me! What have I to fear?¡±


    I figured that would set him off, if nothing else would. I was right.


    ¡°You dare mock his great power and status as a mighty deity?¡± He ranted at me, while all the other cultists faced us with weapons out, but had stopped advancing. They, like the captive orchestra and even the wider audience, I suspected, were getting caught up in the drama.


    Problem was, at the moment, I couldn¡¯t do much with it. Yet, anyway.


    ¡°All the power you see being displayed before you, and yet you still cling to the pitiful man obsessed construct of your Lord?¡± He half shouted, half condescendingly laughed at me. ¡°Our great Xantrogis is from the darkest of marshes between the stars and the depths of the void! He knows secrets from beyond worlds and ages long past! Behold his power!¡±


    He gestured from the floating portal-hole that was steadily starting to spew more slime again, to the shimmering fields of energy to the still captive audience.


    ¡°And you would still cling to the Lord of Hosts?¡± He asked, looking at me in patronizing curiosity and condescending sympathy. ¡°Despite all this raw power before you, and arrayed against you?¡±


    I fully turned my back to the twisted musicians, whose music was still grating at my spirit, pushing at my thoughts and emotions in bizarre ways, and focused on the head priest.


    ¡°Always.¡± I replied stoically, my voice carrying as I glanced at my friends, our weapons at the ready. ¡°After all, your false god has a beginning. Which means he has an ending! He has peers and rivals, which means he has equals. He has created nothing! He only twists what someone else has made! Why the hell would I worship such a small, worthless, false god like that?!¡±


    I laughed at the high priest again, just to drive the point deeper under his skin. ¡°I belong to He who has neither beginning, nor ending! Him to who all bow to! He who is all powerful!¡±


    ¡°Do you now?¡± He replied coldly, looking furious on a deep, personal level. ¡°Well then, allow me to show you a different perspective!¡±


    With that he raised his hands and shouted something in a strange, unintelligible tongue, and the slime once again cut off as a new shimmering, glowing box enveloped all of the stage.


    Before any of us could say anything, the glowing field of energy, which was a hazy purple color, began to lift up off the stage, with us still in it!


    ¡°You just had to chat with him!¡± Wyatt half yelled, half laughed as we; the cultists, their machine, and ourselves all began to float up and out into the middle of the vast room. ¡°Couldn¡¯t just shoot him, no! Not Wild Ranger! He has to chat it up with his enemies first!¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t get a clear shot.¡± I snapped back reflexively as we slowly came to a halt, hovering in the middle of the massive room, with the eyes of roughly three thousand people more or less glued to us. All of us, cultists included, were a little shaky on our legs for a moment, but as we stood there, on what almost felt like hazy, purplish tinted glass, we quickly became confident that we could move around.


    I also noticed that the captive orchestra was left behind on the stage.


    In fact, the only ones that had been lifted up had been everyone who¡¯d been standing, except for the orchestra¡¯s conductor, since he¡¯d been just outside of the energy field. Lucky him. The rest of us were now up inside a giant glowing box, with our enemies, and no cover.


    ¡°Behold the true might of the harmonies of the dark of the void and the hidden depths of the marsh from between the stars and beyond this mortal veil!¡± The head priest again shouted, and then he turned and actually started conducting the twisted little group of instrument holders. I stared, stunned.


    This guy was going to conduct as well?


    Seriously?


    Then he actually did it, and suddenly, springing from their little circle was a milky-green light that spread out like a disc, and slowly poured across the room. It passed right through me, and it was like I was suddenly hammered with all the base desires of my body all at once!


    I wanted to eat.


    I wanted to run.


    I wanted to drink.


    I wanted to have wild sex.


    I wanted to kill.


    I wanted to scream.


    I wanted to rage.


    I wanted to do something!


    Everyone around me whom the light touched was groaning, yelling, bobbing on their feet in confusion. Not just us, or the cultists, but the audience down below were groaning as well. The music had somehow created this light that was driving the desires of my body, my flesh, full tilt wild!


    Wait a minute. My mind, which was struggling desperately to keep me standing upright and sane, suddenly latched onto that. The music? I wonder if that would work? I mean, why not?


    Still groaning from the mixture of desires roaring through me, I turned and looked back down to the stage.


    ¡°Play something!¡± I shouted down to the conductor on the stage.


    He looked from the slowly encroaching wall of sickly green light to me, and stared in confusion.


    ¡°Push back their music!¡± I could barely put my idea into coherent words beyond those basics. ¡°Play something grand! You¡¯re still able to use your instruments! Play a song for God! Play for the greatest audience member, like your life depends on it!¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    That was about as coherent as I could get, which I hoped was enough.


    No clue if it would work, even if they did do it.


    The twisted, foul music of the cultists was shoving it¡¯s way through me, all but making me physically sick. At a glance, I saw that Wyatt, Lilly and Ella were hardly any better, while Maggie looked torn between needing something to kill, and needing someone to take her to bed. Hard.


    Not a lot of room for planning, or fighting.


    The actual cultists seemed enraptured by the music and the light show, and just stood where they were, basking.


    I looked back at the conductor, but he was already gesturing to the orchestra, and they were moving around, pulling off music sheets for others underneath them. All still glued to their seats, but still able to play all the same. For the first time, I saw that there was a choir to go with the orchestra sitting in rows along the wall, apparently also trapped.


    Guess I¡¯d had some tunnel vision.


    Then, the conductor shouted, I think, though at that point I couldn¡¯t hear anything other than the cultists, and the orchestra began to play.


    At first, nothing happened, though the song was beautiful, even as it fought the echoes of the cultists song.


    Then, a bubble of golden light began to coalesce around the orchestra on the stage, and bubble outward! This seemed to bolster the orchestra and the conductor, who all sped up the song they were playing. The golden bubble began to grow and push outward, slamming into the milky-green wall of light.


    A moment later, as the orchestra got into it, the golden light pushed the green light back more, and after it had pushed its way through me, I was suddenly able to take a breath!


    It was working.


    Now the cultists looked like they were groaning in pain, as we all began to pick ourselves back up.


    Glaring at us all, the cultist leader-turned-conductor sped up, and his twisted orchestra, from behind their little energy wall, played a newer, faster tune. This pushed their sick green light back out more, shoving the gold light back, and making me feel sick all over again. As I groaned in misery once again, I noticed the conductor on the stage actually turn and glare at the head cult leader.


    I¡¯d seen glares like that before. Most often with professional champions at games who got bested by an up and comer with some gimmicky trick. If I had to put words to the look, it would be something like: Okay, you arrogant little upstart brat. Here¡¯s what winning and being the best <u>really</u> looks like!


    Without a word, the conductor on the actual stage turned back to the orchestra, and had them shift their music. The golden light shrank for a moment as they switched to a new place in their book, but then they began playing in earnest, with the choir jumping in, loudly. Suddenly, the golden light not only came back but came roaring back with a vengeance!


    Now, it was the cultist orchestra that looked frantic, with the cult leader snarling and all but ranting as he desperately tried to conduct his cultists just as well as the maestro on the floor was doing.


    For a few notes, they pulled it off. Parts of the music on either side was almost like a sword fight, with the flooding lights behaving like almost physical waves that would recede or surge. Every few notes from one side was answered by the other, and even though it was practically two different songs, in an almost twisted way, they complimented one another.


    It was a show like no other, as though my very soul was given front row seats to the ultimate duel of sound and light. As if I was watching twisted beauty battle true beauty. No one could look away, or move, or speak, or even fight.


    For me though, and from the looks of it, everyone else, it was also hell.


    Not because of bad music, but because of the sensations and raw feeling brought on by the lights, and the sounds and songs that accompanied them. As they went back and forth, I was alternately bathed in the gold or drowned in the milky-green. It was like being dragged by a runaway horse through mud covered gravel with the green, only to be bathed in a warm, relaxing bath by the gold.


    Over, and over, and over again!


    I puked at some point, and I wasn¡¯t the only one.


    If something didn¡¯t give soon, we¡¯d all be driven insane, the crazy lunatics in robes included!


    Then, suddenly, the shield of shimmering light around the cultist orchestra began to flicker and flash, as though it was surging back and forth. I was reminded of a bucking mustang that was tied down, only for some of the ropes to suddenly be cut. I stared for an infinite moment before I suddenly understood!


    The other relay points!


    The Pinkertons, and whoever else had been fighting, were breaking the cultists there, and shutting their machines down.


    We have a chance! I thought desperately, not even able to stand at this point, but still able to raise my arm and pull a trigger. Now we just need to hit what we¡¯re aiming at!


    At the moment, that was a harder prospect than one might think.


    ¡°Blast them!¡± I half shouted, half choked out, and as quick as I got my gun up, and aimed, I opened fire. Wyatt and even Maggie joined in as well. Our shot weren¡¯t doing much, with some still getting caught in the flickering energy field, but a few got through.


    Some slammed into the wood of the massive devices base, but a few, a few managed to catch a couple of the cultist orchestra. They were spun around screaming, and knocked to the ground. That was the end of the battle of orchestras.


    Such as it was, since the actual orchestra had been pushing the cult orchestra back more and more.


    Frankly I was just sick of being dragged through the fight.


    ¡°No!¡± The cult leader screamed in frustrated rage. ¡°Kill them!¡±


    The other robed men picked themselves up, and in a few cases hopped up, and began half stumbling, half charging at us in response to his cry.


    Wyatt and I were barely able to stand, and I had no time to check on the girls as a large clump of the bastards closed in on us. This is gonna be bad. I thought grimly, still just getting my breath back.


    Then a strange glowing shot arced out, from Lilly¡¯s coppersmith pistol I realized, and landed right in their little clump. A flash of light, and suddenly another bubble of hazy, swirling faded blue energy swelled up, catching the whole group, and several of the others who were close by. Everyone caught in the ¡®bubble¡¯ were lifted off their feet by a few inches, and seemed to just hang there, as if they were submerged underwater and unable to swim or float.


    ¡°That won¡¯t kill them!¡± Lilly shouted, sounding half exhausted herself. ¡°And it won¡¯t last! Shoot them!¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± Wyatt shouted with a laugh, and everyone who had regular guns opened fire on the group of floating cultists. In under twenty seconds, we were all out of ammo, and there were only a few cultists left alive and on their feet.


    We were all still being bathed in the golden light, as the actual conductor hadn¡¯t stopped, and the orchestra hadn¡¯t stopped either.


    It helped, since it seemed to make the remaining cultists weaker. I took advantage of the moment as I half stumbled over next to Maggie.


    ¡°I¡¯ll distract that head lunatic.¡± I hurriedly whispered to her, despite all the ringing in my ears and general fatigue. ¡°You go wide and drop him from behind!¡±


    ¡°I love a good frog hunt!¡± She quipped back before she somewhat gracefully moving around the large, still glowing machine, attacking some of the few remaining instrument playing cultists. The last of the standing cultists charged us, and with no time to reload, I pulled my knife and started swinging.


    Wyatt fell in with his own knife and spare pistol next to Lilly, who was doing something to her pistol, and I fell in next to Princess Ella who was now carving through cultists with ¡®my¡¯ sword. I guarded her side and back from a few would be lunges, and sliced more than I stabbed, since I didn¡¯t want my knife stuck in someone¡¯s guts. Having only an empty pistol to act like a tiny club wasn¡¯t a situation I wanted to be in.


    ¡°Head towards the chief idiot!¡± I called to her over the music and shouts.


    ¡°On the way.¡± She replied, looking both terrified and excited at the same time.


    We moved forward fairly quickly and soon were facing down the head lunatic, who was holding long wooden rod with strange runes carved into it. And of course, they were glowing.


    ¡°Oh, Princess Ella!¡± He laughed, looking at her with a manic grin. ¡°We¡¯d thought we¡¯d lost track of you! So good of you to turn up!¡±


    ¡°Oh is it now?¡± She asked, tensing at his attention. We¡¯d stopped and were in an open bubble, since the fight was happening more elsewhere now. I took the time to desperately start reloading my pistol.


    ¡°Indeed!¡± He laughed, wholly off his rocker. ¡°You, the daughter of mighty, generational royalty, will be needed for coming ceremonies!¡±


    Ella stilled next to me, while I stared over her shoulder at the lunatic in disgust.


    ¡°Oh let me guess.¡± I snapped, snapping my reloaded pistol chamber closed and cocking the hammer. ¡°Something about human sacrifice and bloodletting?¡±


    ¡°Sacrifice?¡± He laughed, looking crazier, and more twisted, by the word. ¡°Oh no, can¡¯t waste a prize specimen like her! Her blood will supercharge the coming rituals! And after that, she can be made to be the first breeding brood mother to the first spawn of Xantrogis after his ascension!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Ella replied, sounding stunned and speaking by rote, before she turned to look at me and spoke with a quiet, soft, and intense voice. ¡°I have never thought this before, and have never asked it before. But please, please I beg you.¡±


    She looked me square in the eye, and I saw her resolution, revulsion, and fear. ¡°Please kill this man!¡±


    ¡°It would be my pleasure darling.¡± I nodded, smiling at her briefly before I looked back at the old lunatic with hard glare and stepped forward. ¡°My pleasure indeed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and is the wild one going to stop me, and stand against the might of the coming Great Old Ones!¡± He laughed, pointing his odd little rod at me, while his other hand made a gesture. Suddenly, another damn energy wall appeared around him in a small circle, like an oval version of a tower shield.


    God, but am I ever sick of that trick! I thought darkly as I fully stepped in front of Ella. ¡°You know, I heard of a list once back home, a list of descriptions about heroes. I never forgot it, but always wanted to be one of them.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± The old cultist asked. ¡°And which of those fallen, bloody kinds of fools would you be?


    ¡°They were honest titles.¡± I laughed at him, suddenly feeling worn out, and yet wildly invigorated as the music down below us picked up, and all the seats of the great hall came into focus. ¡°Come forth, ¡®Champion of Valor!¡¯ ¡®Courageous Warrior!¡¯ ¡®Cruel and Greedy Legend!¡¯


    ¡°Such lovely titles!¡± He laughed, eyeing me in an obsessed way. ¡°Yet all fall in the end! All are made fools of! But we serve the endless rulers of the dark places on the edges of the stars!¡±


    ¡°I always wanted to be the champion of valor.¡± I laughed back, stepping forward near his shield, hoping I could keep him talking and focused on me long enough. ¡°But there was one more title. One I didn¡¯t really like. One that, as the war went on, and the life that followed after, I feared I was more like than the valiant champion.¡±


    ¡°And which one was that?¡± He asked, pointing his glowing stick at me.


    ¡°The one that as my oldest sister put it, was the only one that mattered. The one that got stuff done.¡± I smiled darkly at him. ¡°The ¡®Unyielding Savage!¡¯¡±


    He blinked and laughed hysterically for a moment before looking back at me, his eyes murderous. ¡°Fits you like a glove, Wild Ranger. But here, let me help you out. I¡¯ll cure all your ills!¡±


    He raised his stick, but as he did, a shadow flew by over head, and I glanced up despite myself. And out of the corner of my eye, I saw the mad cultist leader do the same. Above us, sailing over our heads, and his shield, grinning like a thrilled, bloodthirsty little child, was Maggie.


    Whom, I could only guess, had climbed up and leaped from their strange device, while apparently ignoring the floating hole with the strange eyeballs in it.


    She laughed as she came down right behind the shocked old cultist, who hesitated too long to properly face her. Her arms snatched out, and she ripped his arm holding the glowing stick to shreds!


    He screamed in pain and his shield vanished.


    Then, before he could react further, she moved forward just the one step and wrapped her clawed hands around his throat, while bringing her own fang filled mouth up next to his ear. She grinned at me, and then pointed behind me.


    ¡°I loved your little speech!¡± She laughed. ¡°I¡¯m happy to let you kill him all epically, but they look like they want to object.¡±


    Turning, Ella and I saw the last of the surviving cultist orchestra surging towards us, screaming in incoherent rage.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine!¡± I laughed back. ¡°I know better than to get between a woman and her fun! Besides, I already did kill him.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Maggie asked, using her free hand to shred his other arm, leaving him screaming in pain and rage.


    ¡°I sent you!¡± I shouted before I brought my gun up and started shooting, while Ella whirled to one who got too close with a knife, and proceeded to dismember him in the blink of an eye.


    In seconds it was over.


    I looked back and saw a smiling Maggie, her lower face, chin, neck, and dress covered in blood, while the leaded of these nutcases laid at her feet, gurgling as he died.


    ¡°Well, if you need to kill a crazy frog, I guess a little Hell Cat would do the trick.¡± She laughed, licking at her bloody lips. ¡°What a fun night!¡±


    Before I could answer, the glowing box we were in shifted, and suddenly we were returning to the stage.


    What sounded like the final movements of the song from the original orchestra were being played, and when I glanced over I saw only Wyatt and Lilly still standing. No cultists were left alive, just their glowing machine, and the strange hole it had created, which was slowly shrinking.


    Eyes glared down at me from the hole in open air, and sounds rang out, but nothing understandable, and thankfully, no more slime.


    Until at last, as we landed back on the ground, the hole sealed itself up, the machine began to shut down, the energy fields vanished, and the orchestra song came to an end.


    For a moment, we all just stood or sat there on that stage, with all the sound going away, and the only thing I could hear was my own breathing. Our little group all looked at one another, each of us looking astonished that it was over. That we were still alive.


    Then a strange, thunderous sound began to wash over us.


    Turning, I looked and saw all the audience of Carnegie Hall on their feet once more, applauding and cheering as loudly as possible! The sound was like a tsunami crashing down upon us. I blinked for a moment, and then turned to the conductor who was standing and looking at us, and the crowd in shock.


    Even the folks who¡¯ been slimed were now standing and applauding, seemingly no worse for wear.


    Shrugging, with a little smile, I bowed politely to the conductor, like I¡¯d learned to do back in my officer days. The crowd loved it and went even more nuts. He laughed, and bowed back.


    Hell of a show. I couldn¡¯t help but think, amused in spite of everything.

 Chapter 39

    The chaos that followed the attack, show, and slime, was an annoying, almost all night affair.


    The police arrived, fully dressed up and looking sharp, mostly to sweep up the bodies and take notes, as far as I could tell.  General Grant once more found himself at the middle of everything, all but taking over the head officers investigation.  I spied his wife standing behind him, grinning from ear to ear in quiet pride as her husband basically just walked over and took charge.


    And everyone was just as happy to do as he said.


    Me, I was just exhausted.


    From what I could tell, so were all the rest of us.


    As soon as I gave my statements to the police, I once more shook General Grants hand, and got out of there as quickly as possible.  I made sure to reclaim Tanya and Chenya in their basket from Mrs. Grant first, who¡¯d been holding them through the show.  But once all of us in our little group were cleared by the police and politics, we all left as quickly as possible.


    Because of where Carnegie Hall had been built, there wasn¡¯t a lot of other buildings of anything nearby, so the little group of legends found ourselves loitering in the lobby.  We were all waiting for our rides, and quietly trying to process everything that had happened to us.  Fortunately, the ushers and maids still had drinks to serve on hand, and we were all enjoying some liquid courage.


    Most everyone preferred theirs straight.


    Me on the other hand, I preferred lots of ice.


    And a lot of actual ice water.  At the moment, if I could, I¡¯d had just drunk the ice water by the gallon.  It felt like that kind of night, now that some time had passed, and I could feel the weight of it all hang on me.


    Even Tanya and Chenya looked exhausted in their little basket, which Maggie had snatched back from me.


    ¡°Well now, it seems we¡¯ve all quite the story to tell.¡±  Twain chuckled as he walked up to us.  ¡°A legendary night for a legendary place with lots of legendary people.¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure all those professors at universities for higher education would be mad at the number of times you used legendary in a single sentence there.¡±  Wyatt laughed.  ¡°Mr. Big Time Famous Writer.¡±


    I just rolled my eyes at him, smiling in spite of myself.  Wise ass.  I thought, trying to keep from chuckling.  Even if he did have a point.


    ¡°I was educated once.¡±  Twain chuckled at Wyatt, looking amused at some inside joke.  ¡°It took me years to get over it.¡±


    We all chuckled at that.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been lovely, but we really must be off.¡±  Sadie said, noticing that their carriage had finally arrived.  She gripped Wyatt¡¯s arm with a very firm grip, and in no uncertain terms, all but yanked him towards the door.


    ¡°It was lovely to meet all of you!¡±  She said, nodding to everyone, especially the ladies.  ¡°We really should get together and talk within the next few days.  We¡¯re staying at the Dodger Hotel near the Bronx.  Do drop a line through the telegram.  Until then.¡±


    The ladies all nodded to one another before she yanked her amused looking husband towards the door.  She stopped when she came up to me, and smiled at me.


    ¡°It was good to see you again Jake.  And thank you for saving my thrill seeking husband again.¡±  She gave me a one armed hug, as she just refused to let go of Wyatts arm.  It was almost like she was reassuring herself that he was still there.


    ¡°It was lovely to see you again as well Sadie,¡± I hugged her back, and then shook Wyatts free hand.  ¡°And it was a lot of fun getting into trouble with you again, old friend.  Glad we made it out alive once more.¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Pleasure as always brother.¡±  He laughed as he returned the shake.  ¡°Do visit when you¡¯ve caught your breath.  Assuming your new stable herd allows it.¡±


    I blinked in confusion, while all the women, his wife included, giggled while glaring at him.  I was at a loss.  However, I suddenly had a strange feeling; like a half dozen big cats were looking at me in the dark, and seeing only an oversized mouse.


    I waved them both off as I glanced down at the drink in my hand.  They put something in this?  I wondered, confused by the last encounter.


    Shrugging, since I didn¡¯t care as I wanted to be off as well, I tossed it all down as we went back to waiting.


    ¡°I suppose before I go and get a tongue lashing from all my guards for giving them the slip, I should return this.¡±  Ella chuckled, holding out my sword in its sheath and wrapped in its belt buckle.  ¡°Thank you for lending it to me.¡±


    I looked at it, then at her in her blood covered dress, then at her face with its quiet, soft beauty, and smiled.


    ¡°Keep it.¡±  I told her, gently pushing it back to her.  ¡°Consider it a gift.  A memento or souvenir to remember your brief, crazy visit to the Eagle Union.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±  She smiled shyly as she took it and buckled it around her waist once more.  ¡°Though, as royalty, it would be rude of me to receive a gift without offering anything in return.¡±


    ¡°Oh there¡¯s really no need princess.¡±  I chuckled.  Though at her words, I noticed Lilly, Maggie, and even Twain perk up and glance at us with curious smirks, for some reason.


    ¡°Oh, but I insist.¡±  Ella smiled impishly, which was charming as hell on her.  ¡°And since I am in this crazy country, I¡¯ll emulate my new friend, and just take what I¡¯ve been wanting.  All.  Night.  Long!¡±


    I blinked in confusion, and noticed Lilly suddenly blushing scarlet red in embarrassment.  The hell?  I thought, wondering what that was about.


    Before I could even think to ask though, Ella stepped forward, grabbed me by my shirt collar, and half pulled me down, and half pulled herself up into a deep kiss!


    I was floored, and totally unsure of what to do.  Ella put everything into that kiss, and I felt her tongue even push through to my own mouth, which sent a thrill down my spine.  My own tongue pushed back on hers, and for a moment, we were lost, both of us barely even breathing.


    Then it was over, and she broke away, and then stepped away, her face as red as the red carpets we were all standing on.


    I had no words.


    Everyone else didn¡¯t bother to speak, as they instead burst out laughing.


    ¡°Until next time we meet, Wild Ranger.¡±  She said quietly, looking away with a deep blush on her face as she headed out the door.  Though I did notice the tiny, satisfied smile on her face as she left.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, next time.¡±  I stumbled over my words, once more totally lost.  Everyone else all but fell over laughing at that as Ella gracefully strode out to her carriage and waiting servants, her head held high.


    I glanced back at them after she left, and rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Oh, shut up!¡±  I snapped, annoyed at their dragging out my embarrassment.  They just laughed harder at that.  I sighed, realizing I really should have known better, and just resolved myself to wait.


    Lilly, after catching her breath, left next, heading out the door.  She turned and grinned at me with grin that was both enticing, and terrifying.


    ¡°The papers over the next few days will positively write themselves.¡±  She said as she headed to the door.  ¡°But they will be nothing to what my dear sister will write!  She won¡¯t be able to sleep for days once I pay her another visit.¡±


    I was too wore out to do more than just groan in misery at her parting shot as waved goodbye to us all and got into her carriage.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid her sister and her dime store novels won¡¯t be the only books that are written about you, and all of this tonight.¡±  Twain said with a smile at me and Maggie.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry old boy, but I¡¯m gonna have to get in on the act as well.  It¡¯s just too good to pass up.¡±


    I looked at him and at this point, just sighed and rolled my eyes.  ¡°Well, if you must.¡±


    ¡°I must.¡±  He laughed, as he shook my hand, and kissed Maggie¡¯s very bloody, fur covered hand, waved at the little mouse girls in their basket, and left.


    Finally, it was just us now.


    ¡°Well, I had fun.¡±  Maggie giggled, wrapping her free arm around mine, and entwining her fingers with mine.


    ¡°Shall we finally return to the hotel?  I don¡¯t know about you, but there¡¯s a certain bed there that¡¯s just screaming for me to crawl into it.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more.¡±  I replied, chuckling, as I looked and saw our own odd, ostentatious ride arrive.  ¡°I¡¯m glad you had fun.  How about you ladies?¡±


    ¡°It was so exciting!¡±  Tanya said, sounding both excited and barely awake at the same time.


    ¡°You stopped those evil witch robe people from doing to others what that witch did to us!¡±  Chenya waved at us.  ¡°It was amazing!¡±


    Both girls yawned as soon as they finished talking.


    ¡°Well, glad to hear you all enjoyed your night.¡±  I laughed as I slowly and carefully led them all out the door to our ride.  ¡°Time for home, a bath, and bed.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like heaven.¡±  Maggie purred, half walking with me, and half curling into me.


    I had to admit, I enjoyed the feeling immensely.


    And she was right, it really did sound like heaven after all this.

 Chapter 40 NSFW (End of free sample on Royal Road)

    The ride back was uneventful, thank God.


    Our arrival at the hotel was quiet and professional, and in a matter of minutes, I¡¯d handed off the mouse girls, who were already asleep in their basket, and told their family that they¡¯d had a fun night.


    I passed by Orna as I deposited Maggie in her own room. She smiled at the two of us, and nodded at Maggie with a wink as she stood up and kissed my cheek. Then she nodded to Maggie once again, before she went back to one of her projects in one of the rooms she¡¯d taken over.


    I refused to dwell on the implications of that little interaction. It was too late, I was too tired, and it had been too wild for me to spare it anything other than a shudder. The amused look on Maggie¡¯s face as I said goodnight to her was also worrisome, but that was a problem for the morning.


    After that, I had a bath drawn in my own room, and all but jumped into the thing.


    Maggie was right; it felt like heaven.


    For a few minutes, I just soaked and drifted my mind away, letting everything that had happened to me just roll through my thoughts. What I had seen, what I had done, and even what I¡¯d heard, it all washed over me as I just relaxed and breathed.


    I could feel myself start to finally calm down.


    As I did, I slowly sorted through the events of the night; from the highs to the lows. A definite high would be seeing my old friends Wyatt and Sadie again, or meeting Mark Twain and General Grant. The music was also another high.


    The lows were pretty obvious, such as cultist lunatics, fighting for my life, being covered in blood. Generally almost dying, a lot, at what was supposed to be a well to do party. The police, their paperwork and general rude arrogance.


    The drinks weren¡¯t bad.


    The kids were terrifying, though having a cat-girl and tiny mouse-girls to distract them with certainly mitigated their usual energetic terror.


    I also deliberately avoided thinking about certain frightening things, like the implications of the Wife Stables Law, or Princess Ella¡¯s kiss. Or how much I enjoyed it. Or how good she tasted.


    Or how good Maggie felt curled up into me.


    Or remembering the kiss from Lilly at the train station, and the looks of hunger and longing I¡¯d noticed from her of late.


    Or how Orna and Maggie were close, and shared things. Or their odd interaction in the hallway.


    And definitely not what the two of them would look like together with a lot less fabric on them, while sitting on a bed. One roomy enough for another person to join them. Yeah, I certainly wasn¡¯t dwelling on any of that.


    This isn¡¯t going well. I thought darkly, shaking my head. Thinking about all sorts of women well out of my league was fun, but not actually very relaxing. So I changed up my focus, going back to the mission. What went right, what went wrong.


    What was just bonkers crazy on all sides.


    Those shimmering walls of light and energy were annoying. I thought darkly. They had us hung out to dry. Thank God that lunatic liked to hear himself talk!


    As I thought about that dead bastard, I belatedly realized that I didn¡¯t know his name. He¡¯d never introduced himself, which made me frown in confusion. That fact I found odd, given how much he liked to talk.


    It felt off for some reason, but then crazy was crazy, when all was said and done, and I¡¯d certainly seen my share of that.


    Then my mind flashed back to when it had all started, and my frown deepened.


    At the very beginning, it was the corpse of a gangster and a lack of staff that had got our attention. The originally planted false flag to take the majority of the blame for whatever those creeps had had planned. The corpse and lack of staff had been answered, but in all the excitement and battle, we¡¯d forgotten to look for something.


    The shotgun.


    Then ting that had killed the gangster in the first place. Most shotguns are made to have more than one shot, yet this one was only shot once. On top of that, it was somehow easily concealable, since it caught the gangster by surprise, and yet none of the cultists had used a scattergun in any of their fights.


    It was also nowhere to be found.


    That worried me, a lot.


    For no other reason than the possible mastermind was still out there, and that meant this situation could very well happen all over again. Still, I had no idea what I was looking for, so had to go with the thought that my part in this mess was mostly over. All that remained was visiting a weapons store and getting a new sword.


    I think that fella where I bought my last sword told me about his brother and his shop out here. I thought as I slowly pulled myself out of the tub and started getting dried and dressed for bed. I¡¯ll have to pay his shop a visit to replace the one I gave Ella.


    I was looking forward to a restful day tomorrow, that was for sure.


    Then it was a day or two before the big exhibition, since while this mess might delay it, I knew it wouldn¡¯t be delayed by much, if at all. Far too much money had been tied up in it, from all the country, and probably the world, to postpone it for any length of time. So next was Orna¡¯s big day at the big Coppersmith Exhibition.


    Then my promised ticket for the airship, and then at last, the airship ride to parts unknown.


    Can¡¯t wait. I thought sardonically as I headed into my proper bedroom. City life just ain¡¯t for me. Much too violent.


    I walked into my bedroom area, dry and dressed for bed, and stopped cold in the doorway at what I saw there.


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    My bed wasn¡¯t empty.


    There was a cat lying on it.


    Specifically, a beautiful cat-girl beastkin who was looking at me with a sultry grin on her face as she laid on my bed. Naked. Or as naked as a fur covered woman could ever really get.


    Which was very naked, it turned out.


    ¡°Oh damn.¡± I groaned quietly, staring at her.


    She grinned even more impishly at me at that. ¡°How was your bath, Jake?¡±


    ¡°It was fine,¡± I replied, slowly walking into the room, but not to the bed. Not yet.


    ¡°I enjoyed the short one I took as well.¡± She smiled, and moved her arms and legs up and down her body as she lay on her side, letting me see everything. Her tail was an interesting extra dynamic, as it twirled back and forth behind her, drawing the eye to all sorts of places on her body.


    ¡°Are you sure that Orna is okay with this?¡± I asked, stubbornly keeping myself still in the middle of the room. I had always found beastkin women exotic and alluring, and now at last one was right here, offering herself up for my taking!


    If I took anymore steps closer to her, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop.


    However, I wanted an answer to that first. It still felt bizarre to me, the whole embracing of polygamy and harems, when I knew for a fact our country had basically gotten rid of that before the Shattering. But needs must, and all that, as they say.


    Still, I had to know the answer to that first.


    There was a reason harems weren¡¯t the norm in most Western societies in the world, or weren¡¯t before the Shattering and Civil War anyway. That reason was also pretty simple: humans didn¡¯t share very well. At all.


    Much as I wanted this, and I did, I would not ruin all that I already had for it.


    ¡°She is.¡± Maggie nodded with a pleased smile. ¡°Apart from her nod of approval when we came back from our wild concert, I tracked her down and spoke with her before I came here. I was lucky you took a long bath.¡±


    ¡°You actually managed to pull her away from her gizmo¡¯s?¡± I asked, laughing as I slowly began to walk closer to her, my eyes devouring her tight, toned body. Most people thought of beastkin as having very plushy, very shaggy fur on their bodies.


    They were wrong.


    It was more like a thin layer, so short, almost bristly even though it was soft, or at least looked soft on her. It most certainly didn¡¯t hide anything on her body, which while muscled from a hard life, also had a surprising number of little curves in just the right places. Like just the right amount of frosting for a large cake.


    Her long white hair was tumbling down her shoulders, mixing in with her white and grey streaked fur. Her nose, a blend of a human nose with a cats nose was mostly covered, with the pink tip, was a cute button nose. Her lips were pink and stood out from her white fur, and looked very kissable at the moment.


    ¡°I did.¡± Maggie giggled, which made her perky, fur covered breasts capped with pink nipples jiggle enticingly. ¡°A hard job, no question! But I¡¯ve had experience doing it since we were kids, so I was able to survive.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± I asked, arriving at the bed, enjoying her sinewy, tight body that had nicely flared hips, long legs, and an certain triangular area that was deliciously furless.


    And seemed to be excited all on its own.


    ¡°She said she was looking forward to being true sister-wives. She also said you¡¯d wear me out.¡± Maggie licked her lips with a very rough looking tongue. ¡°I can¡¯t wait. I¡¯m done talking. Please!¡±


    ¡°Please what?¡± I asked, reaching out and snatching her tail, as I gently stroked the tiny, warm fur on her hip, feeling the soft, inviting flesh beneath. I noticed several scars across her body, but they only added to her exotic allure.


    I looked from her body to her blue-green eyes. Eyes that were smoldering from a deep hunger. One that I knew I had mirrored in my own.


    ¡°Please what, my little kitten?¡± I asked, grinning at her.


    ¡°Oh you!¡± She mock glared at me and sat up to swat at me with her delicate hands that were half hand, half paw, and held her claws. I caught her strike by the wrist and pulled her to me, wrapping her in my other arm as I kissed her deeply and hungrily.


    She immediately started purring, which caused a strange, tingling vibration to course through my tongue as I tasted her. She tasted like wild berries and milk. My tongue felt her sharp teeth, which she carefully kept in check as her rough tongue pushed into my own mouth.


    I let go of her wrist to stroke her hair, and her long, furry, pointed ears while she wrapped herself around me, her legs and feet twirling around my waist and her arms around my shoulders. All her short, tiny fur felt warm, silky smooth, and almost ticklish in a few places. My hands found their way to her waist and tail, and I enjoyed stroking that as we enjoyed one another¡¯s mouths.


    I knew I¡¯d been hungry for her, but I hadn¡¯t known how hot she was for me.


    We finally broke apart and gasped for air, our eyes locked on one another, before I grinned evilly at her.


    ¡°Please what, kitten?¡± I repeated, and she blinked before she stuck her tongue out at me as she let go of me and fell back to the bed.


    ¡°Please take me!¡± She groaned, rolling over on her belly, and then propping herself up on her hands and knees, her butt pointed up towards my face, wiggling with her tail. ¡°Take me hard!¡±


    ¡°Of course kitten.¡± I couldn¡¯t resist calling her that, just to get under her skin, as I reached out and stroked her fur covered plump butt, making her quiver and groan. I quickly stripped off my bed clothes, stepped up behind her, and took a moment to just stroke and feel her up.


    She moaned at that, and wiggled her butt some more, her tail going all over the place.


    ¡°Please!¡± She moaned. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted this since the street battle! And I¡¯ve wanted you since you trusted me enough to watch your back. Please! I don¡¯t want to wait anymore!¡±


    ¡°Neither do I.¡± I growled out, my hands seizing her hips and slowly, oh so slowly pulling her back onto my own quivering member. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted you since I saw you covered in blood and grinning about it. And now I have you! You are mine!¡±


    So saying, I pulled her back as I thrusted forward, and slid into her, hard.


    We both groaned as I stroked her before gripping her and sliding back, just to thrust forward again, harder. Her tail glided across my chest, tickling me and driving me even more wild. Soon, I began to wildly thrust into her setting up a rhythm with a steady slap slap slap of flesh.


    She moaned and purred in pleasure, even as her arms gave out and she fell forward to her elbows, her face burying itself into the mattress. My hands moved toward, stroking along the very human body that happened to have a some fur and a tail, before I gripped her bouncing breasts and started squeezing them. I tweaked her pink nipples and kneaded her breasts, enjoying the exotic feeling of the extreme my short, and oh so soft fur on her boobs as we continued thrusting.


    Soon enough, we were both getting worked up, and we both started thrusting harder and harder, hammering into each other as we did.


    Finally, the pleasure overcame us, and we climaxed, one after the other, but by then it was so hazy that I wasn¡¯t sure who was first. Not that it mattered really. I poured my seed deep into her, and she moaned with pleasure as she all but rammed her butt back into me, taking it all deep in her. After the pleasure had tore through us, we both all but slumped onto the bed tangled up in each other.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She said, feeling her lower stomach while she curled into me. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to do that for days. And you did not disappoint.¡±


    ¡°Glad to meet expectations.¡± I chuckled, wrapping her into my embrace and pulling her into me. ¡°It¡¯s still strange to me that we¡¯re doing all this. But so long as you and Orna get along with each other and with me, I¡¯m fine with it.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Maggie sighed, fading off fast. Truthfully I was too. It had been a long night.


    ¡°See you in the morning my dear.¡± I told her, as I felt myself start to slowly fade out into sleep. Pulling the covers over us, we snuggled up into the warmth, and soon, I could my mind shutting down.


    Whatever other problems there were, they would keep till tomorrow. For right now, she and I had earned our right to point out what¡¯s worth a damn, and what isn¡¯t. And we¡¯d definitely earned some rest.


    Soon, she and I started fading off.


    And then I knew no more, as sleep came, and wild dreams to go with it.


    Whatever came tomorrow, my friends and family were ready for it. So, with that feeling in my heart, I soon passed out for the rest of the night.


    Wild Steam continues on Amazon Kindle.  Though it has been heavily altered and edited and hopefully improved!  Please enjoy it there!

 Published Promotion of Wild Steam!

    To all those that read this story: Thank you so much!


    You all kept me going through some rough times.


    I got in touch with a wonderful editor, and she properly scolded me for ending the book too soon. She also went on a deep dive of all your comments and questions and critiques, and added in her own.


    Wild Steam has been edited twice over now, and is finally, FINALLY available on amazon kindle for your enjoyment!


    It¡¯s been wildly improved, and in many cases outright altered from the original draft version you have here.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Case in point, there are 15 new chapters for a proper ending, rather than the abrupt stop I foolishly left you all with last time.


    I contacted a proper artist and got a proper cover created. So here I am, giving you the link for the new and improved Wild Steam.


    It¡¯s an American Steampunk book!


    So, go to amazon, and type this in:


    Wild Steam: An American Steampunk Adventure Series


    Book 2 has been mapped out, but i have also started another book, which has also been mapped out, that takes some of my favorite cartoons, and puts them through the ringer in a hardcore action adventure world, called Retro Wars.


    I will post the first few chapters of that soon, for your enjoyment.


    I have a list of the cartoons if you¡¯re interested.


    More books are coming to all of you, and they¡¯ll all be fun and improved with what I learned in this fun journey, so I hope you all have a grand old time!

 Book 2. Chapter 1

    Atlantic Ocean


    Albion Airship Titania


    October, 1886


    36 years post Shattering


    9 years post Civil War


    ¡°Well, this really is something,¡±  I muttered, looking around in quiet awe as I walked the open top deck of the massive luxury airship.  The Titania was a huge ship designed to hold lots of people for travel across the ocean, just not on the water itself.  It could land in it, and even sail in it if push came to shove, but it was designed to fly through the sky itself.


    I knew about airships of course, since they¡¯d come into being a little bit before the war, and had seen extensive use during it.  But I¡¯d never been on one though, and certainly not one designed for enjoyment of traveling.


    Of course, my life had been full of things I¡¯d never done before, or thought I would ever do.  Especially lately.


    As I walked along the deck, alone for the first time in a while, I glanced back down at the slightly ornate badge on my chest.  An eagle with open wings clutching a marshals star.  Engraved on it was Union Expeditionary Marshal around the circle of the star.  I still had no idea what the hell that even was, but then again, as it had been explained to me by General Grant, no one else really did either.


    Considering this new Marshal Office had been created just a few days ago, in a hurry by government idiots no less, that didn¡¯t surprise me much.


    Thinking about it reminded me of everything else that had happened to me ever since I¡¯d decided to start traveling East, rather than staying out West.


    From battling Furwraiths in a Terminus Town and meeting the Indian Centaur Halona, to battling the Snatch-Worm creature in another town, to the massive battles I¡¯d had since reaching New York City.  From battling secret society lunatics on the stage of Carnegie Hall to the war against them in Central Park and on the torch arm of the Statue of Liberty in Madison Square Park, it had certainly been, exciting.  Not to mention all the companions I¡¯d made along the way.


    From Halona, who loved drama, to the annoying traveling reporter Lillianne Lancaster who followed me around, writing up overblown stories about me in the papers.  Not to mention the crazy cat beastkin woman known to one and all as Hell Cat Maggie, or her best friend Orna Rowan; a brilliant and beautiful inventor of Coppersmith devices.


    Then there was my best friend from the Frontier; Wyatt Earp and his wife Sadie who came along with him.  Wyatt got to share in this new, adventure, of being an Expeditionary Marshal with me, so at least I didn¡¯t have to suffer alone.  And of course, the mouse-folk and the recently transformed women now known as Raccoon Girls.


    As I walked along, enjoying the view of the sky and the ocean from being out in the sky, I chuckled, realizing that a small army of us had been roped into this nonsense.


    Such as our traveling Elvin lawyer, Franklin Gale and his entire family.


    Or Lilly¡¯s sister, who I still had not met.  Considering she was one the responsible for all those blasted Dime Store Novels about me, I wasn¡¯t too keen to meet her in person.  Though I was going to have to sooner or later.  With a sigh, I headed inside to the First Class Deck of the ship for guests, marveling at the sheer amount of ornate beauty on display, from the beautiful lamps and carpets floors, to the wood paneled walls.


    It was certainly a beautiful ship, but I wasn¡¯t sure if it could stand up to the ornate, even ostentatious displays of wealth and beauty of the Astoria Hotel.


    Yet, anyway.


    Though as I walked along the beautiful hallways, seeing the servants pushing carts of meals, with everything beautiful, tasteful, and of high quality with electric lights, I knew they were going to give it a run for its money.


    Still, that comparison could come later.  For now, while all the girls were busy in the rooms with the mouse-folk village, or exploring on their own, and Wyatt and Gale both setting up their own rooms with their families, I wanted to visit mine.


    Pulling out the key that I had gotten when we boarded the ship, I hunted for the correct room number until I found it; room 102.


    One of the large suites.


    Unlocking the door and heading inside, I looked around in slight awe.


    It was definitely a grand hotel suite, with several oak wood tables, red Persian carpets on the floor, alongside oak paneling and molding along the walls and ceiling .  There was a small, gold framed chandelier in the middle of the room, a writing desk and chair, and a large looking closet, and a massive four poser bed in one corner.  However, the biggest feature had to be the massive round windows, looking out unto the clouds and ocean.


    From our current height flying through the sky, the view was just spectacular.


    I took a minute to take it all in, looking around in stunned bemusement, before I noticed my few bags of luggage piled into the corner opposite the bed.  Looking around again I saw a switch for the electric lights, but with so much daylight coming in from the windows, I didn¡¯t really need it yet.  Nodding to myself, I headed over to my bags and suitcases, and decided to quickly settle in, enjoying the quiet and being largely alone for the first time in a while.


    I set about hauling one bag of luggage after the other onto the bed, opening them up and packing everything away into the appropriate place.  Clothes for the closets and drawers, weapons for the desk, so on.  The effort of packing and moving around the room helped get me more familiar with the room, which had its own couch and coffee table as well.


    Finally, everything I had was put to rights, but the pile of luggage was only a third done, with the rest belonging to Maggie and Orna.  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Shrugging, I sat down at the couch, wondering if it was worth it to call up room service for some ice water, when I felt the package in my long duster coat pocket slap against my leg.  Reminded of the mysterious package I¡¯d gotten just before I¡¯d left New York, I reached over and pulled it out.  It was the first time I¡¯d been able to really stop and look at the thing, since I¡¯d gotten it just before I¡¯d been hoodwinked into becoming some kind of new brand of Marshal.


    After that little stunt, we¡¯d headed straight over to the ship and now here we were.


    Looking at it, I saw that it was just a box in some simple wrapping paper, with my name and location at the time, but no return address.


    I had no idea who it was from, but I¡¯d met a lot of people over the last couple weeks, so with a shrug, I set out opening it.


    Pulling the paper off revealed a tasteful wooden box with a little latch.  On it was a small gold plated engraving that simply said; The true coin of adventure.


    I raised an eyebrow at the oddly cryptic phrase, then set the box down on the table and unlatched it.  Lifting the lid open, I stopped and stared in stunned shock.


    It was a Bowie Knife.


    On its own it was nothing unusual, but the problem was I recognized this knife; after all, it used to be mine.


    Staring at it, I recalled the last time I¡¯d seen it; falling down the massive, twisted mouth of the giant snatch-worm monster back in the town of Backers Acres.  The thing had been dangling me over its mouth, ready to drop me down inside it, but between Lilly hitting it with a blast from her coppersmith pistol, and something else happing to it at the same time, it had dropped me.  I had missed the mouth, barely, but my knife had fallen down inside it.


    After that we¡¯d set the dynamite and run, blowing that foul creature straight to hell.


    However, my knife had never been found.


    I shuddered as I recalled what else I¡¯d seen deep inside that monsters gullet.


    It wasn¡¯t a dark hole that led to its stomach as one would expect.  No, it had been something else entirely, something I still didn¡¯t understand, or even want to really recall, though staring at the knife I felt my mind drifting back to that terrifying moment once again.  The inside of the throat of that foul creature had been lined with several red eyes, all whirling around to stare at me.


    And deep down the throat, where the stomach would be, was instead a dark space that had been lit up by a strange, swirling field of stars.  The kind seen on the clearest and darkest nights of the season.  They glowed a strange orange color, but beyond that I¡¯d the presence of other beings, like the feeling in a dark forest when an unseen predator is nearby.


    Even though you can¡¯t see it, you can feel it.


    And I¡¯d felt several predators inside that swirling vortex of stars.  Worse, I¡¯d felt them all turning to look at me, and somehow, I¡¯d felt them all smile.  It had been just for a moment, but I¡¯d felt it.


    After that, I¡¯d worked very hard to not think about it.


    But now, looking at my old knife that had fallen down into their domain, I recalled it all in perfect detail, and it was like I could feel them all over again, looking at me and smiling.  I shuddered as I looked away, and then noticed a note in the wrapping paper.


    Pulling it out I opened it up and started reading.


    Dear Mr. Ranger,


    A pleasure to have made your acquaintance, however briefly.


    Such a pity that our original meeting was cut short.  Perhaps another time we will have the time to really get to know one another.


    Ever since that brief meeting, I have been following your career with great interest and enthusiasm.  Seldom have I had such fun being merely a spectator.


    Enclosed you will find your old friend, which you so kindly delivered to me and some of my brethren.  As a growing fan of your career, I thought it fitting to see it returned to you.


    Wonderful work dealing with that little arrogant upstart Xantrogis and his pathetic minions.  It was such fun watching all his efforts crumble to dust at the last moments.  He¡¯s still howling about it, and his cries are such sweet nectar to my ears.


    I¡¯m looking forward to spectating more of your encounters and endeavors.


    Perhaps soon we will be able to meet one another in a more appropriate setting.


    Both I and my current partner Hastur have taken an interest in you, and we¡¯ve not been disappointed.  Thank you for all the entertainment you have provided.


    We look forward to so much more!


    Sincerely,


    A delighted fan


    The Faceless Pharaoh


    I stared for a moment, stunned, before I recalled with a start some of the mad inscriptions on the wall of the vault next to the snatch-worm.  Scribbled there by the lunatics in robes who¡¯d accidentally summoned that foul thing, and then promptly lost control of it.


    Something about a place called Carcosa, a king in yellow, and the Faceless Pharaoh.


    ¡°What the hell?¡±  I muttered, dazed and more than a little off put at the whole situation.


    Glancing back to the knife, I put the strange note down and picked it up.  It was my knife alright, and it still fit my had like a glove.  I¡¯d since replaced it, but I still had room for it on my belt.  Under it inside the box was a new sheath for it, and it looked like good leather, with some odd markings on it.


    Stuff I didn¡¯t recognize.


    Frankly they looked almost like Egyptian Hieroglyphs that I¡¯d seen in a book in school, only stranger.


    Glancing back to my knife, I noticed what looked like tiny engravings on the metal as well, so small and fine that only their catching on the light from the window revealed them to me.


    Again, they were strange picture looking runes or hieroglyphs that I still couldn¡¯t understand.


    Shaking my head, I put the knife inside its sheath, stood up and belted it onto my main weapons belt, alongside my other Bowie knife and pistol.


    I didn¡¯t know what was going on, and frankly I didn¡¯t want to know.  But I wasn¡¯t going to turn down getting my knife back.  Maybe I could find a professor on this ship to translate what the hell these words even said.  I had a feeling it would be interesting, and probably bizarre if nothing else.


    Figuring out what the hell was going on was probably for the best, but it wouldn¡¯t be anytime soon, I reckoned.  I folded up the note, put it inside the box, and put the box away on the little desk next to the bed.  Something to worry about later.  I decided firmly, trying to put al the twisted memories back out of my mind.


    At that moment there was a knock at the door, clear and sharp that made me jump.


    Chuckling at myself, I sighed in exasperation as I walked over to the door and opened it, wondering who it was.  What I saw helped drive all thoughts of that foul monster and cryptic letter from my mind.


    Princess Elisabeth Hesse, or ¡°Ella¡± as she preferred to be called, one of the many granddaughters of Queen Victoria herself, was standing right in front of me.


    She was a short, slim, beautiful young woman with short, curly blonde hair, blue eyes, soft pale skin, and delicate features.  All of it with a dancers body and grace contained in a beautiful, though sensible dark red dress.  With the flower patterned corset of her dress, the slight swell of her modest chest was revealed just enough to try and draw the eye, as did the simple necklace she wore with a small ruby at the center of it.


    In short, she as a very beautiful and eye catching woman with soft features and a kind smile on her face.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said, smiling at me, and looking both amused and flattered at the look on my face.  ¡°Would you care to join me for a walk?¡±


    Suddenly, I felt like I was already in some kind of trouble.


    Again.