they
lapsed into talk of cable television it meant their tiny overworked brains had
been tapped of viable solutions to the problem at hand and would rather
contemplate less exhausting matters.
"What
is it, Jinx?" Doc Stade finally asked. "You come up with something?
Hush, boys. Jinx has an idea for us."
Jinx
did, but it was risky. Risky because he hadn't had time to iron out all the
wrinkles and consider every possible repercussion. But it was all they had.
"I
think,” he said slowly, so slowly that each of the men leaned forward on their
stools, "I think I know of a way to keep the land without buyin' it. But
it would also mean keepin' Darwin's boy."
He held up
a hand at the immediate burst of mumbles and grumbles that followed his
statement. "He's one of us, boys. Don't forget that."
"No,
he ain't," Kent Vogel said. "He may have the name, but he ain't one
of us."
"He
could be," Jinx suggested. "He surely could be, if we do things
right. He's desperate about now. I told you how he was yesterday, all
bright-eyed and high-steppin' before I told him about the horses. And you all
seen him today when he come in. He's desperate as all get out. We could use
that, and we could use his experience…if you know what I mean."
Fred
Bauer straightened. "For what? Are you talkin' about using him for the
hunt?"
"Think
about it," Jinx said. "And speakin' of that, whose turn is it?"
"Mine,"
Ed Kisner said in his soft voice.
"When?"
Jinx asked.
"Soon.
Real soon. I have to take care of some things first. I filed the change of
address for Myra like you said, but the electric company wanted to know who out
there is usin' the juice if she’s gone. I guess I'll tell 'em it's Darwin's boy
and ask 'em to bill him from now on."
"That's
good," Jinx said. "That's real good, Ed. Are you gonna be all right
this time or do you need someone to go with you? Maybe you oughta take that boy
of yours."
Ed shook
his gray head. "Len's busy harvesting. I'll be fine."
"You
sure?" Jinx prodded.
"I'm
sure," Ed said.
"Good."
Jinx was satisfied. Ed wouldn't be all right, of course. He never had been. He
was too much of a pansy. But after the ragging Ed had taken last time, Jinx was
certain an extra effort would be made on the barber's part to make the hunt a
success.
"Wait
a minute," Kent Vogel said. "What about that friend of Kimmler's? We
ain't keepin' him too, are we?"
"No,"
Jinx said. "He won't be hangin' around too much longer, I don't think. And
maybe he'll take Myra and the boy with him when he goes. I'd still like to put
a brick to that silly damn Schwarz's head for doin' what he did to that car of
hers. Where in hell is he, anyway?"
"Still
on town cleanup," Ed Kisner answered.
"Good,"
Jinx grunted. "Now, where was I? Oh yeah. Myra. Let's just say I think
she'll set sail on the first boat out of here…if you know what I mean."
The men
looked at each other and chuckled.
"Before
long we’ll be shittin' in tall cotton again, boys," Jinx said. "We'll
cover the fall planting with what's left over from the stud money, and maybe
use what we get out of the brood mares to do some investin'."
"Investin'
in what?" Fred Bauer asked.
Jinx
smiled and shook his head again. He had to explain everything to them. Just
like a bunch of retards.
"In
what?" Bauer repeated.
"Vic
Kimmler," Jinx said. "If I'm right, he might just give us one hell of
a return on our investment."
"And
if you're wrong?" the tobacco-drooling Hank Nenndorf asked.
"Then
we got two orphaned little girls on our hands," Jinx said, his mud-colored
eyes illuminated by a fierce, shining light. "Two of the prettiest little
girls you ever seen."
CHAPTER 10
Christa
lay on the floor of the barn and counted the stalls again. There were ten on
each side. Cal said there was lots of hay somewhere above her, but she didn't
want to go and look. It was cool down on the floor. That's why the mother cat
kept her babies down here, she guessed. It had rained that
lapsed into talk of cable television it meant their tiny overworked brains had
been tapped of viable solutions to the problem at hand and would rather
contemplate less exhausting matters.
"What
is it, Jinx?" Doc Stade finally asked. "You come up with something?
Hush, boys. Jinx has an idea for us."
Jinx
did, but it was risky. Risky because he hadn't had time to iron out all the
wrinkles and consider every possible repercussion. But it was all they had.
"I
think,” he said slowly, so slowly that each of the men leaned forward on their
stools, "I think I know of a way to keep the land without buyin' it. But
it would also mean keepin' Darwin's boy."
He held up
a hand at the immediate burst of mumbles and grumbles that followed his
statement. "He's one of us, boys. Don't forget that."
"No,
he ain't," Kent Vogel said. "He may have the name, but he ain't one
of us."
"He
could be," Jinx suggested. "He surely could be, if we do things
right. He's desperate about now. I told you how he was yesterday, all
bright-eyed and high-steppin' before I told him about the horses. And you all
seen him today when he come in. He's desperate as all get out. We could use
that, and we could use his experience…if you know what I mean."
Fred
Bauer straightened. "For what? Are you talkin' about using him for the
hunt?"
"Think
about it," Jinx said. "And speakin' of that, whose turn is it?"
"Mine,"
Ed Kisner said in his soft voice.
"When?"
Jinx asked.
"Soon.
Real soon. I have to take care of some things first. I filed the change of
address for Myra like you said, but the electric company wanted to know who out
there is usin' the juice if she’s gone. I guess I'll tell 'em it's Darwin's boy
and ask 'em to bill him from now on."
"That's
good," Jinx said. "That's real good, Ed. Are you gonna be all right
this time or do you need someone to go with you? Maybe you oughta take that boy
of yours."
Ed shook
his gray head. "Len's busy harvesting. I'll be fine."
"You
sure?" Jinx prodded.
"I'm
sure," Ed said.
"Good."
Jinx was satisfied. Ed wouldn't be all right, of course. He never had been. He
was too much of a pansy. But after the ragging Ed had taken last time, Jinx was
certain an extra effort would be made on the barber's part to make the hunt a
success.
"Wait
a minute," Kent Vogel said. "What about that friend of Kimmler's? We
ain't keepin' him too, are we?"
"No,"
Jinx said. "He won't be hangin' around too much longer, I don't think. And
maybe he'll take Myra and the boy with him when he goes. I'd still like to put
a brick to that silly damn Schwarz's head for doin' what he did to that car of
hers. Where in hell is he, anyway?"
"Still
on town cleanup," Ed Kisner answered.
"Good,"
Jinx grunted. "Now, where was I? Oh yeah. Myra. Let's just say I think
she'll set sail on the first boat out of here…if you know what I mean."
The men
looked at each other and chuckled.
"Before
long we’ll be shittin' in tall cotton again, boys," Jinx said. "We'll
cover the fall planting with what's left over from the stud money, and maybe
use what we get out of the brood mares to do some investin'."
"Investin'
in what?" Fred Bauer asked.
Jinx
smiled and shook his head again. He had to explain everything to them. Just
like a bunch of retards.
"In
what?" Bauer repeated.
"Vic
Kimmler," Jinx said. "If I'm right, he might just give us one hell of
a return on our investment."
"And
if you're wrong?" the tobacco-drooling Hank Nenndorf asked.
"Then
we got two orphaned little girls on our hands," Jinx said, his mud-colored
eyes illuminated by a fierce, shining light. "Two of the prettiest little
girls you ever seen."
CHAPTER 10
Christa
lay on the floor of the barn and counted the stalls again. There were ten on
each side. Cal said there was lots of hay somewhere above her, but she didn't
want to go and look. It was cool down on the floor. That's why the mother cat
kept her babies down here, she guessed. It had rained that
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