Emmett Love 04 - Goodbye, Enorma by Locke John

Author:Locke, John [Locke, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781939927309
Publisher: Telemachus Press, LLC
Published: 2013-05-23T05:00:00+00:00

“EACH MORNIN’ ROSE teaches Scarlett about medicine, and each afternoon she teaches Gentry about cookin’.”

Shrug and me are sittin’ on the roof of what’ll someday be the Dodge City Bank. He’s signin’ questions he already knows the answers to, but what I’ve learned about Shrug, it ain’t the facts he’s after, but my reaction to ’em.

He signs me another question.

I answer, “They’re both workin’ hard, but Scarlett’s makin’ the most progress. That ain’t to say I’m disappointed with Gentry’s cookin’. That stew last night was fine.”

He reminds me he was there last night for what Rose called Gentry’s day-byoo. Then he signs somethin’ about ’Nade perch, which causes me to say “Camp cookin’s easy. Anyone can fry meat in a pan over an open fire. But indoor stoves and such?” I shake my head.

He explains he wasn’t comparin’ Gentry’s cookin’ to outdoor fryin’. He was askin’ if me and Gentry planned to do any fishin’ on our trip.

As he moves his hands around it dawns on me Rose was right. I ain’t readin’ his signs, I’m readin’ his thoughts. It comes to me for the first time in all the years we’ve known each other to say, “It’d be a helluva lot easier if you just spoke to me.”

“What would you like me to say?”

“Anythin’! Anythin’ at all! I mean—wait. Did you just speak to me? Did I just hear your voice?”

He signs he has no idea what I’m talkin’ about.

“You spoke to me just now. I heard you!”

He signs I must have dreamt it.

Before I can argue further, Shrug jumps to his feet and pulls two rocks from his bag. I stand beside him and try to follow his gaze.

“Where?” I say.

He points to the north entrance of town. We’re high enough to see two riders slowly approachin’. They appear to be draggin’ a large carcass behind ’em, though it ain’t stirrin’ up much dust.

Shrug puts the rocks back in his bag and lifts an arm as high as he can reach, and waves it back and forth. One of the riders does the same. Then Shrug motions me to climb down with him.

“We’re gonna go meet ’em?” I say.

He nods, hops off the roof, and waits for me to climb down. Then he leads me to my horse shed and waits while I saddle Sally.

“Are they just gonna stand out there on the prairie till we get there?”

He nods.

“Who are they? And what’s that they’re draggin’?”

He grins.

I ride and Shrug bounds behind me. As we get closer I recognize them. One’s a horrifyin’ giant female accountant, and the other used to be a mule skinner.

“Sadie Nickers!” I say.

She nods. “Emmett. Wayne.”

Shrug nods back. Then, to my complete shock, Shrug says, “Hi Ella.”

The giant, beastly woman’s face breaks into a wide, toothless grin. She hops off her horse and embraces Shrug.

Sadie pats my horse’s neck, then leans closer and pats my leg while sayin’, “I wish you were that happy to see me, handsome.”

I back my horse a couple

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