Chapter 7

Trademeet City Jail, mid-morning


Yoshimo leaned back in the wooden chair, arms crossed and chewing on a toothpick, with a casual air. A pair of scowling deputies continued to hover near him, obviously placed there to put him ill at ease. Yoshimo suppressed a chuckle, and considered putting his feet up on the desk in front of him.

Ah, you mustn’t antagonize the locals unnecessarily, Yoshi he thought.

Keldorn emerged from the back room, carrying a sheaf of papers with him. He motioned to the two deputies, who withdrew to a position just behind Yoshimo. Keldorn sat down in his padded chair, across the desk from him.

“Well, it seems you’ve been rather busy of late” Keldorn said, eyes focused on the papers before him.

Yoshimo said nothing, and chewed on the toothpick a bit more.

Keldorn adjusted his spectacles, and motioned to one of the deputies. The deputy reached in and snatched the toothpick out of Yoshimo’s mouth.

“I expect people in my office to carry themselves with respect” Keldorn said.

Yoshimo again said nothing, but unfolded his arms and placed them at his sides.


“Now then” Keldorn continued. “Suppose you tell me what you’re doing here in Trademeet.”


Yoshimo adopted an air of mock humbleness and sincerity. “Honorable sir", he begain. "I am but a simple traveler, enjoying the gracious hospitality of your town.”

Keldorn gave the other man a hard look. After a moment, he looked up at his two deputies.

Yoshimo kept his face impassive but felt his pulse quickening. The old man did not seem the brutal type, but there was always a possibility...

“Dismissed” Keldorn said to the deputies.

The two men looked at each other before excusing themselves reluctantly. Yoshimo gave a silent sigh of relief that he had guessed correctly. When the deputies were out of earshot, Keldorn turned back to Yoshimo.


“All right, we are alone now” he said. “Let’s lay our cards – all of our cards - on the table.”


“As you wish” Yoshimo replied.


“I don’t want you in my town” Keldorn said matter-of-factly. “Anarg has started enough trouble of late already. This town doesn’t need a professional gunfighter hanging around adding to our problems.”

“I was unaware that I had violated the laws in this town” Yoshimo replied smoothly, meeting Keldorn’s gaze.

Keldorn sized the other man up, wondering if he could bluff him. The incident with Biff was technically assault, but it had been done to protect another, and all the eyewitnesses agreed Biff had gone for his gun before Yoshimo had struck him.

No, Keldorn said to himself. This one has been in the game too long for that.

“You haven’t” Keldorn admitted. “Consider this a friendly warning. I know who you are and why you’re here. I can’t do anything about that, at least not right now. But if you so much as spit in the street, my men will be there to arrest you. Are we clear on that?”

Yoshimo looked unconcerned. “It is your decision where to place your deputies,” he said. “Though I would think finding the Rasheman Kid would warrant more attention than littering.”

“Then again” he added, “perhaps that is for the best. Hunting a dangerous criminal is a job best left to the competent…and the young.”

Keldorn felt the heat rise in him at the barb, but kept his face as calm as Yoshimo’s.

“Perhaps” he replied evenly. “But then again, perhaps justice is best served by those who serve justice… rather than the highest bidder.”


Yoshimo's impassive facade slipped the tiniest bit. He had been called many things over the years, mostly in the heat of anger. The old man’s words, however, had been delivered without contempt or venom. In fact, it almost seemed as if Sheriff Keldorn viewed him with pity. Somehow, that stung Yoshimo worse than any slur.

“Am I free to go?” Yoshimo snapped, a hint of irritation in his voice.

Keldorn nodded. “Just remember what we talked about, son.”

Yoshimo excused himself and left without another word.

*
*
*

Anarg’s General Store


“We’re awful sorry, Mr. LeClerc, stammered the first man. “We tried to get the bounty hunter, but Sheriff Keldorn snapped him up first.”

“I don’t want any of your damn excuses, I want that bounty hunter!” Anarg snarled. “Go back out and don’t come back until you find him!”

“Yes sir!” shouted the other man, grabbing the first man by the shoulder and dragging him out of range of Anarg’s wrath.”

“How damned hard is it to do one simple thing?!?” Anarg snarled, pacing back and forth in his empty store. “As if I don’t pay enough silver to these idiots.”

A moment later Anarg heard footsteps approaching, he looked up to see if his men had found Yoshimo yet.

“Taurgosz!” he cried. Anarg rushed to the front door and opened it quickly. Taurgoz stepped into the store with two scruffy looking men, hired guns by the look of them.

“You weren’t supposed to be here until the two-thirty train!” Anarg said, checking the street and pulling down the shades on the window. “Were you followed?”

Taurgosz eyed Anarg with a flinty look. “That’s a fine way to welcome an old friend” he said dryly.

“Don’t give me any of that” Anarg said, angrily. “You know it’s dangerous for us to be seen together.”

“It’s more dangerous for us to be apart”, Taurgosz said. “You oughta figured that out by now.”

Anarg gave him a look, eyeing the two gunfighters flanking him.

“Wait out front” Taurgosz said to the two men. When they were gone, he turned back to Anarg.

“How about a drink?” he said, leaning up against the store’s counter.

“You’re awfully calm for someone on the run” Anarg replied icily. “As I recall, you were rather excited in your telegram.”

“It got your attention, didn’t it?” Taurgosz said, taking a bottle off the shelf and opening it. He took a long pull from the bottle and wiped his lips. He chuckled. “You’re so much like Sashenstar was. So obsessed with putting on airs and being the big respectable businessman.” Taurgosz laughed again, taking a second pull from the whiskey bottle.


“Look, if you know something, Taurgosz, you’d better tell me now.” Anarg’s voice was steely and hard.

“Now that’s the Anarg *I* remember” Taurgosz laughed, setting the bottle down. “Alright, here it is then. Someone is after us, Anarg. Someone I think who has a grudge against… the seven of us.”

Anarg froze. “You really think it’s him?”

Taurgoz shrugged. “Who else could it be? Nimbul and Eldoth lived rough and played rougher, it’s no surprise that someone might get one of them. But both, and Sashenstar?”

“It could just be coincidence” replied Anarg.

“Come off of it, you *know* it’s him” Taurgosz growled. “I told ye to finish the job.”

“We did finish the job!” Anarg snarled. “Damn it man, he had six bullets in him!”


A long, uncomfortable silence settled in between the two men. Finally, Anarg broke it.

“I already have a bounty hunter on the payroll” he announced. “I was using him for another matter, but I want him nearby now, in case you’re right.”

“Just one?” Taurgoz said, raising an eyebrow. “He’d better be good.”

“He’ll take those two fools you’ve got, I’ll tell you that for nothing” Anarg said coldly.

Taurgosz laughed again. “Good, because we’ll need better than those two if I’m right.”

Anarg nodded thoughtfully. He looked at the bottle on the counter.

“I think I’ll join you for that drink now, Taurgoz.”