King Blood

'Now, don't that beat all!' Arlie exclaimed. 'Ain't hardly no one in the Territory that ain't a reb, but ol' Jim always mentions his middle name! Probably'll get him killed some day.'

'I doubt that,' said U.S. Marshal Harry Thompson. 'I doubt it very much.'

He stood in the doorway of his office, a tall distinguished-looking man with coal-black hair and eyes, who bore some resemblance to the now-retired outlaw, Frank James. He was well-spoken, immaculately dressed in spotless linen and black broadcloth. For a United States Marshal is a high government official, comparable in rank to a Federal Judge, and not the roughneck two-gun man of popular fiction.

He gave his nephew a look which sent that young man hurrying back to his typewriter, then courteously gestured the King brothers inside. He listened impassively, the tips of his fingers pressed together, as Arlie told of the killing of Boz. When Arlie had at last finished, with a nervous rush of words, the marshal remained silent for a long moment. Then, leaning forward casually, he plucked the knife from young King's boot-top.

'A genuine Bowie, isn't it?' he asked.

'Sure is, Marshal Harry. One that ol' Jim gave to Paw hisself.'

'So you told me,' the marshal nodded. 'And what did I tell you? About bringing weapons into my office, that is?'

'Gosh, Marshal Harry' Arlie ran a nervous finger around his collar. 'I plumb forgot, honest!'

'If you forget again,' Thompson said softly, 'I'm going to be angry with you.'

He flipped the knife suddenly. It landed point down, almost scraping Arlie's booted foot, the haft quivering with the force of the throw. Arlie tugged it out of the flooring, a little pallid beneath his tan. He shoved it as deep down into his boot as he could, making it as inconspicuous as possible.

'Now,' Thompson said, 'I have no doubt that your brother's killing took place exactly as you've told me. It was self-defense. I also have no doubt, however, that it could have been avoided.'

'But the son-of-a-bitch tried t'kill me, Marshal Harry! Been tryin' t'get me for a long time!'

'Was he? Why didn't you report the fact to me?'

'Because it wouldn't've done no good! I couldn't've proved nothin'!'

'You wouldn't have had to. I'm sure a warning from me would have stopped Boz's attempts.'

'But – but, god-dang it, Marshal -!'

'Mmm-hmm. That isn't the King way of doing things, is it?'

'No, it ain't, by God!'

'But it will be from now on,' Thompson said. 'Your father is too old to change, and it's immaterial that he should at his time of life. But you, Arlie, and you too, sir' – he included Critch in his glance – 'you two must mature with this country, come of age with it, or cease to be a part of it. I mean that most sincerely, gentlemen. There will be no more taking of the law into one's own hands at King's Junction. If there is, I'll see to it that the person responsible goes to the gallows. Now, before you leave…

He reached into his desk, took out a 'wanted' circular and passed it to Arlie, explaining that the woodcut pictures thereon had been drawn from descriptions of the criminals, and were probably inexact likenesses.

Arlie let out an appreciative, 'Whoeee!' as he glanced at the circular. Then, frowning with the effort, occasionally faltering over the words, he read its inscription aloud:

'Wanted for murder… Ten thousand dollars reward… Anne an' Eth, uh, Eth-el Anderson, al-alie, uh, a-lias Little Sis and Big Sis Anderson. Last seen near the town of Olathe, Kansas. Approach with caution, as subjects are known to have killed thirty – '

Arlie broke off, shaking his head in disbelief. 'Now, God damn, Marshal Harry! You ain't gonna tell me that these cute little ol' gals killed thirty people!'

'No,' Thompson agreed, 'the figure is incorrect. The bodies of seven more men have been discovered since that flyer was issued. Those two young women ran a roadhouse in Kansas. Any well-heeled male who stopped there was very apt to go no further. One of the sisters took him to bed, and the other one killed him.'

'Holy Jeez-ass! For some o' that it'd damn' near be worth it! But how come I ain't read nothin' about this in the papers?'

Marshal Thompson said that the story had been kept out of the newspapers with their cooperation. It was believed best to let the Anderson women think they were unwanted, meanwhile circularizing inns and other establishments serving the public.

'As we piece the facts together,' he continued, 'Anne – that's the younger one – skipped out on her sister, taking their combined loot with her. Ethel – the older, smarter and harder of the two – apparently is hot on Anne's trail. So if you should encounter one, the other probably isn't far behind.'

'Well, I'll be damned! An' you figure they're here in the Territory?'

'They could be. It would hardly seem a likely place for a fugitive to head for.'

Arlie promised to be on the watch for the murderous Andersons, and handed the circular to the brother.

Critch took it – and stared. *c*

_Why, the bitch had been on the train with them! She'd had to be! Might even have watched while Little Sis got the bone put to her! And the minute he'd stepped out to the platform, and Little Sis had entered the toilet_…

Ann, Little Sis, had known that her sister wouldn't listen to reason. With or without the money, Ethel was sure to kill her. So she'd jumped the train, and Big Sis had pursued her. And what had happened then…

'Yes, Mr. King?' said Marshal Thompson. 'Have you seen those women?'

Critch didn't answer him immediately. Nor did he look up. He was distrustful of his voice, fearful of what might be read from his expression. Not until he was in full control of himself and the marshal had spoken to him a second time, did he raise his eyes and speak.

'I'm not absolutely positive,' he said, his tone indicating a desire for absolute positiveness, 'but I think I may have seen the younger woman.'

'When and where?'

'Well… I'd say it had been within the last month. Just where, I have no idea. It might have been in the Dakotas, Texas, almost anywhere.'

'Texas or the Dakotas?' The marshal's brows went up. 'That's a lot of traveling for one month.'

'I enjoy travel,' Critch shrugged, 'and fortunately I can afford it.'

'Two good reasons for indulging in it,' Thompson nodded. 'Do you have a third?'

'Yes, sir. It's the only way I know of getting from one place to another.'

Arlie broke in with a nervous, 'God damn it, Critch! Don't you sass Marshal Harry!' But Thompson held up a hand, silencing him.

'You seem,' he said to Critch, 'to be somewhat on the defensive, Mr. King.'

'You seem to have put me there, sir. As a man with nothing to hide, I naturally resent it.'

'And as a man with something to hide, the best defense would be a strong offense.'

'Perhaps. You'd know more about that than I would, sir.'

Marshal Thompson nodded equably. Again he placed the tips of his fingers together, creakily rocking back and forth in his swivel chair. 'An attorney acquaintance of mine, a Mr. Al Jennings, once assured me that every man – during his lifetime – breaches the law sufficiently, in one way or another, to earn him a death sentence. Assuming his theory to be true' – the black eyes bored into Critch's face. 'Assuming it – which I don't – would you say that you were an exception to it?'

'Would you?'

'Happily,' the marshal said, 'theoretical issues are not for me to judge nor act upon. On the contrary, I am precluded from dealing with anything but facts. And the fact is, as we both know, that you are not wanted anywhere. Whether you should be is not the concern of the law, but your conscience.'

'My conscience is completely clear, marshal,' Critch smiled.

'Indeed? Then you must stand unique in this very naughty world of ours. But no matter. Through no fault of your own, you got off to a bad start in life. You seem to have survived it well, however, and the book is closed on those means by which you did so. You are in a new country. You are beginning a new life. Make it a good one, Mr. King. Make it a good one. Now, since you're apparently unable to tell me anything useful about the Anderson women…'