so?”
“You could have picked any fake name. But you chose Delaware. And the reason you did is to rub your Indian half in the faces of those who hate Indians.”
“I’ve never been a cheek-turner, boy,” Asa said. “If some folks are going to hate me for something I’m not, I’m going to hate them right back.”
“Your whole life has become about hate.”
“That’s going too far,” Asa said, “and we’re done talking about it.” He shouldered the Winchester and strode out.
“Must you goad him so?” Noona said.
“I’m sorry, sis,” Byron said. “I can’t seem to help myself.”
“Did you ever stop to think that he can’t, either?”
Byron appeared shocked. He was slow to answer with, “No, I didn’t.” He stared at the empty doorway. “Hell,” he said.
29
A letter was waiting for Asa at the boardinghouse. Ethel gave it to him, saying, “This came about half an hour ago.”
Asa had his mail forwarded by his sister in Austin. He had post office boxes for both Asa Carter and Asa Delaware, and his sister had access and made sure any letters caught up to him.
He didn’t open the envelope until he was in his room. He was supposed to pack so they could head home, but after reading it he sat on the bed and pondered until a knock on his door roused him.
“We’re ready when you are,” Noona said as she and Byron entered.
“I’d like my share of the money first,” Byron said.
Asa always gave each of them a third. Noona was saving hers and had quite a nest egg. He didn’t know what Byron did with his.
“I’ll be heading east soon after we get back,” Byron said, jingling his poke.
“Any chance I can interest you in one last job?” Asa said.
“No.”
“What was in the letter you got?” Noona asked.
Asa unfolded it. “How about I read it to you?”
“Go ahead,” Noona said.
“I don’t care what its says,” Byron declared. “I’m not changing my mind.”
“It’s from a Cecilia Preston in Ordville, Colorado,” Asa revealed.
“Isn’t that a mining town?” came from Noona.
“Silver,” as Asa recollected. “A man by the name of Ordville struck one of the richest veins ever found. The mine produces tons of it a year.”
“Colorado is a long way from Texas,” Noona said.
“Let me read it.” Asa wet his throat. “‘Mr. Asa Delaware. Dear sir. My name is Cecilia Preston. I’m writing on behalf of Ordville. We would like for you to come and tame our town. There are bad men here. Come in person as soon as you can. Thank you. Cecilia Preston.’”
“That’s it?” Byron said, and laughed.
“She sounds sort of simpleminded,” Noona said.
“Postscript,” Asa read. “You will be paid five thousand dollars to tame Ordville. Please come quick.”
Byron whistled.
“That’s more than we’ve earned for any job, ever,” Noona said.
“It is,” Asa said.
“Will you take it or not?”
“I’ve been sitting here thinking,” Asa said. “Five thousand is a lot of money. With your brother wanting to go off on his own—”
“Don’t involve me,” Byron interrupted.
“—I was thinking I would take my usual three hundred and you two can split the rest.”
“No,” Byron said.
“That would come to over twenty-three hundred dollars for each of you,” Asa calculated.
“I don’t do this for the money,” Noona said. “But that is an awful lot.”
“Damn it,” Byron said.
“We’ve never been to Colorado, though,” Noona noted. “Wyoming, that once. And Arkansas that time. But mostly we work in Texas.”
“Colorado’s no different than any other place,” Asa said. “A town is a town.”
“It’s a long way.”
“Wyoming was farther.”
“I’m not objecting,” Noona said. “I’ll do it if you do it.”
“Thanks.” Asa looked at his son.
“No,” Byron said, with a lot less conviction than before.
“Twenty-three hundred to bankroll your new life,” Noona said.
“I don’t care,” Byron said.
“One last
“You could have picked any fake name. But you chose Delaware. And the reason you did is to rub your Indian half in the faces of those who hate Indians.”
“I’ve never been a cheek-turner, boy,” Asa said. “If some folks are going to hate me for something I’m not, I’m going to hate them right back.”
“Your whole life has become about hate.”
“That’s going too far,” Asa said, “and we’re done talking about it.” He shouldered the Winchester and strode out.
“Must you goad him so?” Noona said.
“I’m sorry, sis,” Byron said. “I can’t seem to help myself.”
“Did you ever stop to think that he can’t, either?”
Byron appeared shocked. He was slow to answer with, “No, I didn’t.” He stared at the empty doorway. “Hell,” he said.
29
A letter was waiting for Asa at the boardinghouse. Ethel gave it to him, saying, “This came about half an hour ago.”
Asa had his mail forwarded by his sister in Austin. He had post office boxes for both Asa Carter and Asa Delaware, and his sister had access and made sure any letters caught up to him.
He didn’t open the envelope until he was in his room. He was supposed to pack so they could head home, but after reading it he sat on the bed and pondered until a knock on his door roused him.
“We’re ready when you are,” Noona said as she and Byron entered.
“I’d like my share of the money first,” Byron said.
Asa always gave each of them a third. Noona was saving hers and had quite a nest egg. He didn’t know what Byron did with his.
“I’ll be heading east soon after we get back,” Byron said, jingling his poke.
“Any chance I can interest you in one last job?” Asa said.
“No.”
“What was in the letter you got?” Noona asked.
Asa unfolded it. “How about I read it to you?”
“Go ahead,” Noona said.
“I don’t care what its says,” Byron declared. “I’m not changing my mind.”
“It’s from a Cecilia Preston in Ordville, Colorado,” Asa revealed.
“Isn’t that a mining town?” came from Noona.
“Silver,” as Asa recollected. “A man by the name of Ordville struck one of the richest veins ever found. The mine produces tons of it a year.”
“Colorado is a long way from Texas,” Noona said.
“Let me read it.” Asa wet his throat. “‘Mr. Asa Delaware. Dear sir. My name is Cecilia Preston. I’m writing on behalf of Ordville. We would like for you to come and tame our town. There are bad men here. Come in person as soon as you can. Thank you. Cecilia Preston.’”
“That’s it?” Byron said, and laughed.
“She sounds sort of simpleminded,” Noona said.
“Postscript,” Asa read. “You will be paid five thousand dollars to tame Ordville. Please come quick.”
Byron whistled.
“That’s more than we’ve earned for any job, ever,” Noona said.
“It is,” Asa said.
“Will you take it or not?”
“I’ve been sitting here thinking,” Asa said. “Five thousand is a lot of money. With your brother wanting to go off on his own—”
“Don’t involve me,” Byron interrupted.
“—I was thinking I would take my usual three hundred and you two can split the rest.”
“No,” Byron said.
“That would come to over twenty-three hundred dollars for each of you,” Asa calculated.
“I don’t do this for the money,” Noona said. “But that is an awful lot.”
“Damn it,” Byron said.
“We’ve never been to Colorado, though,” Noona noted. “Wyoming, that once. And Arkansas that time. But mostly we work in Texas.”
“Colorado’s no different than any other place,” Asa said. “A town is a town.”
“It’s a long way.”
“Wyoming was farther.”
“I’m not objecting,” Noona said. “I’ll do it if you do it.”
“Thanks.” Asa looked at his son.
“No,” Byron said, with a lot less conviction than before.
“Twenty-three hundred to bankroll your new life,” Noona said.
“I don’t care,” Byron said.
“One last
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