Brimstone

62

THE DAY AFTER WAS BRIGHT and still. The volunteer fire brigade hadn’t been able to save the church, which Percival appeared to have soaked with coal oil, but there had been no wind, and they had managed to keep it from spreading. By the time Virgil and I had slept late and eaten breakfast, and had gone to survey things, Arrow Street had been cleaned up. The undertaker had done his job. The corpses were gone and there was nothing to see but the charred ruins of the church, from which, here and there, some smoke still rose. The remnants of Brother Percival were probably in there somewhere, but no one seemed interested in looking.

“Well,” Virgil said, “let’s go visit Pike. See how part two is going to play.”

“No reason to wait,” I said.

“None,” Virgil said.

We walked up to the Palace and went in. Choctaw was in the lookout chair, and Pike was having a later breakfast than we had, sitting near the bar. I stood against the wall with the eight-gauge where I could look at Choctaw and he could look at me. Virgil walked over to Pike.

“Virgil,” Pike said. “Pull up a chair, my friend.”

Virgil sat.

“Coffee?” Pike said

“Sure.”

Pike gestured, and one of the bartenders brought coffee.

“You saw it all last night,” Pike said.

“I did,” Virgil said. “Me ’n Everett.”

“So you know they attacked us,” Pike said.

“Yep.”

“Got a right to defend myself,” Pike said.

Virgil nodded.

“Ain’t mourning Percival,” Virgil said.

Pike nodded and ate half a biscuit.

“Glad he done it himself,” Pike said. “Otherwise, sooner or later, I was gonna have to do it.”

“Worked out for you,” Virgil said. “You pretty much got the town now.”

Pike nodded and leaned back and sipped some coffee.

“Pretty much,” he said after he swallowed.

“ ’Cept for me ’n Everett,” Virgil said.

“ ’Cept for that,” Pike said.

Virgil smiled. Pike smiled back. Choctaw was trying to keep an eye on me, and one on Virgil, which was hard because we were spread out. Which was why we were spread out.

“Wasn’t gonna talk with you ’bout that quite so soon,” Pike said. “But since it’s come up…?”

He shrugged.

Virgil shrugged back.

“I like you, Virgil,” Pike said. “I really do.”

“Everybody does,” Virgil said.

Pike looked into his coffee cup for a while. Then he raised his eyes and looked at Virgil.

“I don’t see how it’s gonna work between us here,” Pike said. “I don’t see how you gonna let me run the town the way I want to.”

“Don’t see that myself,” Virgil said.

“We ain’t broke no law,” Pike said.

“Might be able to find one,” Virgil said.

“There’s two of you,” Pike said. “And there’s twenty-five of us.”

“ ’Course, none of you is Virgil Cole,” Virgil said. “Or Everett Hitch.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Pike said. “But it’s still twenty-five to two. And you got them women to think about.”

“Good point,” Virgil said. “You got a suggestion?”

“You could stop being deputies and work for me.”

“Nope.”

Pike nodded.

“Okay,” he said. “I figured that you wouldn’t. But you still got them women to think about. How about I give you some money? Enough to take care of them for a good while? I ain’t even giving it to you. I’m giving it to you for them.”

“What’s the other option?” Virgil said.

“We gonna have to kill you and probably them,” Pike said.

“Or at least try,” Virgil said.

“I like our odds,” Pike said. “And, God’s honest truth, I think I can beat you.”

Virgil was quiet, thinking about things. I knew Virgil didn’t care if Pike thought he could beat him. Virgil paid no mind to talk.

After a time, he said, “Makes sense. I’ll take the money… long as it is commensurate.”

“And leave town?”

“And leave town,” Virgil said.

“Your word?” Pike said.

“Yep.”

Pike looked at me.

“Everett?” he said.

“I’m with Virgil,” I said.

“Wait right there,” Pike said.

He stood and went into the back of the saloon. He was gone for maybe ten minutes, and when he returned he had a leather-bound canvas satchel.

“One thousand dollars,” he said. “Legal tender notes.”

“Done,” Virgil said.

He picked up the satchel and nodded at me, and we walked out of Pike’s Palace.