Chapter 34

A few minutes later Kala handed me the rag and I asked her to send a big pan of boiled water out to the barn with us. She took some thick gloves and raised the pot she'd just boiled the rag in and set out to follow me. I grabbed a bar of lye soap and took off.

Outside I had Tom strip off to the waist and then I wet the rag in the boiled water and worked up a lather with the soap. Two strong looking men were standing by watching and I had them hold onto Tom's arms and then I started scrubbing out the wound. It wasn't deep, but it was rife with corruption and I scrubbed until the foam was red and blood was running. Tom took it as best he could, but he did do a little yelling.

He did a lot more when I rinsed the long cut with liniment, but I kept telling him if he lived over the treatment he'd be half way well. Terri came out then with another pot and it was full of cloths that had recently been boiled. I washed my hands with the lye soap again and then re-wrapped Tom's wound.

"Tom, don't touch the wound anywhere or the infection will get started again. Don't let your mother or anyone put a thing on it that hasn't been boiled. I'll tell them about it to, but you keep a good watch since it's your ass that's on the line.

"All I want you to do now is go back up and lie down in bed, and hurt. I hope I don't have to do this to you again, but I will if the infection doesn't stay gone. Now, let's get you back in bed because I need to take a few men and get the stable back."

Bill came in then and when he saw Tom he hung his head and walked back into his office. I followed him after I had Tom squared away and I closed the office door behind me.

"I'm sorry I let you down, Bill, but I'm here now and I'm going to take care of things," I said, before he could say a word.

"But I'm the one who let you down. I just didn't know what to do," he said, and he sounded so pitiful.

"You weren't supposed to know what to do, Bill. You're not a fighting man and I never told you to assemble many of them. We'll just keep more around here after we get this thing straightened out?" I said.

"But what can you do. He is the Mayor, elected fairly," he said.

"First, I'll kill him and then we'll kill all his men who don't surrender for punishment. After that we'll see who the Mayor is.

"But that isn't proper," he said.

"It isn't proper for the town guard to be running around bothering the citizens either, and I'm going to take care of those who think it is. It is better to vote for community leadership, but a sword or an arrow can be a vote of its own."

Back outside I found Brad, James, Conroe, Calto, and Domingo looking like they were loaded for bear. They had six other men with them who they said were also trained fighters.

"Are you ready to go deal with the town guard and the new Mayor?" I asked.

"We have been ready for weeks. All Bill ever needed to do was turn us loose," Conroe said.

"Well I'm not going to turn you loose either, but I want you guarding my back. The first stop is the stable. I'm going to collect some rent," I said, and then we went to the big barn and drew some horses from Ben, who was more than happy to get them saddled. In fact he wanted to go with us, but I settled him down and told him to get the rest of the men armed in case we had to come running back.

I mounted up when the horses were ready and the men did too. I led them out of the gate and we arrived at the stable with arrows nocked. I got down and confronted the one who'd tried to give me the shit before.

"I'm the owner of this building and I've come for my rent," I told him.

"I don't owe you any rent," he said.

"Who let you move into my building then?"

"The Mayor said I could use it as long as I wanted to," he said

"Well, the Mayor was wrong since it ain't his. It's mine. I'm going to get straight with the Mayor and then I'll be coming back. You'd better be gone when I get back here or else have the hundred conches you owe me for rent."

I left him scowling about the rent being way too high and mounted up again. Conroe knew where the Mayor kept his office and so we headed that way. He asked what to do if there was a bunch of the town guards there.

"If they don't throw down their weapons start shooting them until they can't hold them any longer. After that you'd better get down and cut the throats of any who are still alive."

Sure enough there were four men hanging around in front of the door. I bailed off my horse, drawing my sword as I did it and headed for the door. One fool tried to stand in my way and I took his right arm off before he could draw his sword. I heard Conroe and the others letting fly then and the other guards started sprouting arrows in their chest. I pushed my way in the door and a woman was standing there looking sickly.

"Where is the Mayor?" I asked, and I didn't even wave my sword at her, much, but she pointed to a room I took as his office.

I went that way and he was standing in the door as I approached. I could see by the look on his face he knew the jig was up, but he backed into the room and tried to shut the door. He was about five six or so and even though he got the door nearly closed he couldn't hold it. I gave it my shoulder and when I got inside the room he was halfway across it picking himself up.

"The stable man said you told him he could use my building for his stable. I've come for my rent," I said.

"Well, if that's all how much rent do I owe you?" he asked.

"It's a hundred conches a month, with a hundred in advance and the rent in advance. Two hundred conches will do until the first of next month," I said.

"But that's outrageous. No stable is worth that much."

"Maybe you should have considered that before you took it upon yourself to hand it out. Now, where's the money?"

"But I don't have that kind of money."

"Sounds like you let your outgo exceed your ability to pay. Last chance now, pay up or pay the price."

"I can't pay that much I tell you."

"Better find a sword then, because you know what happens to men who run up debts they can't pay," I said, drawing mine.

"But, surely that boy who was running the stable couldn't have been paying that kind of rent."

"He was running it for me, and that's another thing. If any of my horses are missing your estate is going to be responsible for their loss."

"My estate?"

"Of course. In case you haven't figured it out yet, you're a dead man."

"But I'm the Mayor."

"We had a fine Mayor before you got the job, and I happen to know he is still available.

"But I was voted in by the people?"

"What, you don't think I'm a person? I'm about to vote you out. Now, find a sword or be cut down like the dog you are."