Chapter 24: Throne of Heaven

"Alys, you can come out." I tell her. She peeks back around King Louie's Throne for the tenth time, her brown eyes focus only on Holliday; who is now grinning like a fool, as he has three women falling over him with care and attention. Not giving a care that he is still sitting on the floor naked as the day he was born.

"How is Louie?" I ask to get her attention.

"He's still out cold." She doesn't even turn her head away from her perusal of Holliday.

"Louie is here?" Holliday gives himself a shake and tries to stand. "I got some pay back for him."

"Please, don't even bother, he fainted at the sight of blood." Diana puts a hand on his shoulder and pushes him back down.

"You must have done something to make him feed you to the river? " I asked raising an eyebrow in speculation, from what I have seen of Holliday he is almost a force of chaos that rivals me.

"I took offense at his idea that he take my guns. Tribute he called it. High way robbery if you ask me." He snarls at the idea that some one would take his guns away. "I may have killed some of his guards well."

"And we just killed their replacement." I put my hand over my mouth to cover the giggle that I can feel well up.

"That would explain a lot." Diana has no such compunctions she just laughs out loud.

"Still leaves us with the problem of how do we get out of here?" Holliday says looking around the throne room.

"I think you are sitting on it." I remembered how hard Louie tried to get back to his throne when we shot him.

Holliday looks down, then back up at me. "And I thought it was a might cold in here because I am naked."

"Diana would see if you can find some clothes for our boy here?" I sigh to myself as I check over his various wounds. The guy is a menace.

"I would take it as a kindness," He oozes charm at Diana, "But I don't think I can fit in of Louie's pants." Alys takes this opportunity to giggle at him. Holliday goes back to grinning at her.

"Jack pot." Diana sings out. She had been opening the trunks behind the throne. Throwing open the lid she pulls out Holliday's Buckskin outfit and gun belt and guns.

"Well how do you like that. " He winks at Alys. "come to me my little darlings." He holds out a hand for the guns.

"Stop fondling your guns, Stupid." Diana jokes at him, "Get dressed, I swear I have never seen such a show off in all my life." She puts her hands on her hips and give Holliday a murderous frown.

"Not in front of the children." I say, waving my hand in Alys' direction. Who even if she is more interested in the sight of Holliday rather than frightened, I don't want her to lose her good spirits.

We give Holliday a hand up, he is still stiff and hurt but seems to be perking right up. Diana and I share a look at one another and roll our eyes. Men, she mouths to me. I smile back.

While Holliday gets dressed, I go to give a listen to the door while he dresses. Silent feet are creeping close.

I walk quickly back to my friends. "We need to get a move on it. It sounds like Louie's loyal subjects are getting some courage back." I tell them.