guy called Karl. To look at my own reflection was like looking into the eyes of a stranger. The only thing that we both
had in common was that we both believed in the existence of vampires.
I closed the bedroom door behind me and passed along the balcony. At the foot of the staircase, I made my way into the saloon,
which was empty, apart from Louise who sat at a table on her own. She glanced up. Had she seen me spying on her last night?
I worried. But so what if she had? I hadn’t done anything wrong. It hadn’t been me washing blood from my hands
in the middle of the night. She looked up at me and smiled, so I crossed the room towards her.
“Morning,” she said, pouring me a mug of coffee from a pitcher that was on the table.
The coffee smelt strong and wonderful and I took in a mouthful. It wasn’t as bitter as the stuff the preacher had concocted
by the campfire. Set before Louise on the table was a plate, which I guessed had earlier contained her breakfast.
“Do you want to eat?” she asked me.
“Sure,” I said. Then not knowing exactly what was on the menu, I added, “What do they have?”
“The eggs are good,” she said, pouring herself a mug of coffee from the pitcher. It was then I noticed a piece
of blood-stained cloth wrapped about her right wrist. She saw me staring at it. Then, looking over my shoulder at the bartender,
she said, “Could we have another plate of eggs over here?”
I sipped from the mug and the black coffee tasted wonderful as I peered down at Louise’s bandaged wrist.
“I cut myself last night,” she said, placing her hand beneath the table and out of sight.
“How did you do that?” I asked, trying to sound concerned more than curious.
“I tripped,” she said, staring at me.
“Is that when you and the others rode off?” I said, looking at her over the rim of my mug.
“Sure,” she smiled back.
There was a moment’s uncomfortable silence, so I said half-jokingly, “I thought you had left town without me.”
“And why would we do that?” she asked me.
“Dunno,” I shrugged, still staring at her.
“You’re one of us now,” she smiled.
“Am I?” I said, not knowing if I should be happy about that fact.
“The preacher says so.”
The bartender arrived with my plate of eggs. There were three and they looked soft and runny. Not how I liked them, but I
was hungry. Beside the eggs sat what looked like a mound of pink mashed potato. I couldn’t show my lack of knowledge
by asking Louise what the pile of pink stuff was, so I poked at it with my fork and took a small bite. By the taste I guessed
it was beans which had been mushed into a pulp, then had been seasoned with onion, salt, and pepper. To be honest, it tasted
good so I forked some more into my mouth.
“So what does that mean, exactly?” I asked Louise around a mouthful of the pink stuff.
“What’s that?” she asked me, taking a sip of coffee.
“You said that I was one of you now,” I reminded her.
“You get to tag along,” she smiled.
“To where?”
“Up into the mountains,” she said right back.
“And what if I don’t want to tag along with you and the preacher?” I said, cutting one of the fried eggs
in half.
“Got a better offer?” she asked.
I chewed the egg and looked at her. She was real pretty and I wondered why she
tagged
along.
“So where did you all go off to last night?” I asked her. “If I’m tagging along, how come you didn’t
take me with you?”
“The preacher had some business he had to settle before we leave for the mountains tonight,” she explained. “That’s
all.”
“What sort of business?” I pushed gently, not wanting to sound as if I were interrogating her in any way.
“Just business,” she smiled and took in another mouthful of coffee.
Knowing that she was politely telling me to mind my own business, I asked, “They’re back now, right?”
She nodded.
“Are they joining us for breakfast?” I
had in common was that we both believed in the existence of vampires.
I closed the bedroom door behind me and passed along the balcony. At the foot of the staircase, I made my way into the saloon,
which was empty, apart from Louise who sat at a table on her own. She glanced up. Had she seen me spying on her last night?
I worried. But so what if she had? I hadn’t done anything wrong. It hadn’t been me washing blood from my hands
in the middle of the night. She looked up at me and smiled, so I crossed the room towards her.
“Morning,” she said, pouring me a mug of coffee from a pitcher that was on the table.
The coffee smelt strong and wonderful and I took in a mouthful. It wasn’t as bitter as the stuff the preacher had concocted
by the campfire. Set before Louise on the table was a plate, which I guessed had earlier contained her breakfast.
“Do you want to eat?” she asked me.
“Sure,” I said. Then not knowing exactly what was on the menu, I added, “What do they have?”
“The eggs are good,” she said, pouring herself a mug of coffee from the pitcher. It was then I noticed a piece
of blood-stained cloth wrapped about her right wrist. She saw me staring at it. Then, looking over my shoulder at the bartender,
she said, “Could we have another plate of eggs over here?”
I sipped from the mug and the black coffee tasted wonderful as I peered down at Louise’s bandaged wrist.
“I cut myself last night,” she said, placing her hand beneath the table and out of sight.
“How did you do that?” I asked, trying to sound concerned more than curious.
“I tripped,” she said, staring at me.
“Is that when you and the others rode off?” I said, looking at her over the rim of my mug.
“Sure,” she smiled back.
There was a moment’s uncomfortable silence, so I said half-jokingly, “I thought you had left town without me.”
“And why would we do that?” she asked me.
“Dunno,” I shrugged, still staring at her.
“You’re one of us now,” she smiled.
“Am I?” I said, not knowing if I should be happy about that fact.
“The preacher says so.”
The bartender arrived with my plate of eggs. There were three and they looked soft and runny. Not how I liked them, but I
was hungry. Beside the eggs sat what looked like a mound of pink mashed potato. I couldn’t show my lack of knowledge
by asking Louise what the pile of pink stuff was, so I poked at it with my fork and took a small bite. By the taste I guessed
it was beans which had been mushed into a pulp, then had been seasoned with onion, salt, and pepper. To be honest, it tasted
good so I forked some more into my mouth.
“So what does that mean, exactly?” I asked Louise around a mouthful of the pink stuff.
“What’s that?” she asked me, taking a sip of coffee.
“You said that I was one of you now,” I reminded her.
“You get to tag along,” she smiled.
“To where?”
“Up into the mountains,” she said right back.
“And what if I don’t want to tag along with you and the preacher?” I said, cutting one of the fried eggs
in half.
“Got a better offer?” she asked.
I chewed the egg and looked at her. She was real pretty and I wondered why she
tagged
along.
“So where did you all go off to last night?” I asked her. “If I’m tagging along, how come you didn’t
take me with you?”
“The preacher had some business he had to settle before we leave for the mountains tonight,” she explained. “That’s
all.”
“What sort of business?” I pushed gently, not wanting to sound as if I were interrogating her in any way.
“Just business,” she smiled and took in another mouthful of coffee.
Knowing that she was politely telling me to mind my own business, I asked, “They’re back now, right?”
She nodded.
“Are they joining us for breakfast?” I
Similar Books
