Chapter 9, Part Three

No Honor Ch. 9 Pt. 3: Myth & Mystery

There's no town, or city, or any community anywhere without water, and The Station has two places, where you kin get it. One is Marco's personal well, on the south corner o' the steps, leading up to his home. That estate is closed off by a gate, which means that the water there is for Marco, and his group o' pals only. Everyone else, rich or poor, young or old, has to go to The Stable on Third.

Even the water at the hotel, comes from that same source, and their daily ration there, is barely enough to bathe in. So people are common at the main well, if they have steeds and if they don't. That afternoon, the line to the well was long, and the trough behind it was packed from end ta end, with the snouts o' thirsty horses. I walked round these folks, and The Mexicans that were chargin' em, and inta the open front doors, of the building itself.

The Stable's not a huge place, but it was made to house as many horses, as humanely possible; and that it did perfectly. Though it had the look of a place well in its years, it'd been kept solid. You could tell lots o' regular maint'nence had been done. All the guests inside belong to out-o'-towners, 'tourists', and there's hay enough, to keep 'em satisfied.

Clifford's in his thirties. He took over the place just three years back, and he's been in town about that long. When I saw him, he was forkin' hay inta the horse's stalls, and whistlin'.

I said, "Can I get ya ta break for a minute?"

He said, "Mister Wayne, absolutely... What can I do ya for, sir?"

"I'm lookin' for someone you mighta seen. A doctor, by the name o' Jonas."

"Jonas... Rex Jonas?"

"I believe so. I got an issue I'd like to meet with him about, but I don't know where ta send the wire."

"Well, you don't need no wire, Mr. Jonas is here."

"Is that right?"

"Yessir. That there is his stallion."

I looked in the stall where he pointed. There was a beautiful, dark animal in there; he had a reddish-brown coat, but his mane and his eyes were solid black.

Cliff said, "He arrived with two other gentlemen last night. From what I hear, they was lucky ta make it."

"Rough weather?"

"Not what I meant. Accordin' ta the grapevine, some o' Marco's soldiers went missin' last night. Three of 'em...  One second, they on they nightly rounds, the next? No one knows..."

There was this little smile on 'is face.

I said, "Well, you're obviously tickled about it."

"I don't mind it at all. You can call me a liar, if you please, but Marco's a rat bastard, and a thief... He claimed I owed him more than I did, plenty o' times, and I ain't the only one he pulled that on."

My anger must have shown on my face, cause he looked at me and nodded.

I said, "You ain't a liar."

"Well," he said, "I think he's gonna get what's comin' to 'im. I think his boys're gonna get what's comin' ta them, and everyone in this town owes somethin', is gonna have to pay up, now that The Reaper's here."

"The Reaper?.. You think Carter Moon is The Grim Reaper?"

"Naw, I don't think it, it's Marco's boys that's sayin' it. But they don't really say 'Reaper' though... They just call him 'Death'."

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