Monsters of Our Own Making by L. E. Erickson

Author:L. E. Erickson [Erickson, L. E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: science fiction horror western
Publisher: JMA Publishing
Published: 2017-10-14T22:00:00+00:00

10

August 1806

Indiana Territory: Grouseland

The trees still dripped with rain from the night before. The sound would have been peaceful, the rustle of leaves and plink of crystal droplets as they passed from one span of green to the next, a light melody played against the distant murmur of the Wabash River and the stirrings of the blue-coated Army regulars camped around the far side of Harrison’s mansion. The ever-present reminder of the river did nothing whatsoever to soothe Ger’s lingering worry over the events of the day before.

Even if not for that, the words Tucker Ellis currently spoke would have dashed any hope of idle musings about peace from Ger’s mind.

“We know from our experience with the southern tribes that the Indians are capable of great atrocities. They attack innocent settlers—murdering and scalping, stealing women and children, leaving no man alive.”

Ellis stood on Grouseland’s wide white steps, with the brick mansion as his backdrop. With Ellis’s carefully-groomed hair and perfectly-fitted breeches and jacket, he looked like he was exactly where he belonged. The Crowmakers faced him in a loose semi-circle on lower ground. That natural orator’s voice of his flowed through the uniformed Crowmakers like a velvet-wrapped brickbat, inspiring them all to good posture and strict attention even though they stood with muddy boots squelching on wet grass.

The man beside Ellis looked even more at home there. Which made sense, since William Henry Harrison, governor of the Indiana Territory, had picked out the land and formed it into an estate to suit his preferences, just as he intended to do with the entire territory—that latter all on behalf of the United States, of course.

Harrison was dressed every bit as well as Ellis, in a dark hunting jacket and well-shined boots. He had a hook nose and eyes that seemed to be looking into you and past you, all at the same time. He stood at ease, hands clasped behind his back. Still. Listening.

“We are hopeful that matters can be concluded with less bloodshed in the Indiana Territory than elsewhere.” Ellis paused to incline his head toward Harrison. “Governor Harrison has had some success in negotiating with the most vocal of the resistors, a village of Shawnee and their allies to the northeast, situated on land that other chiefs have already signed to the United States.”

Harrison returned Ellis’s acknowledging nod. But his feet also shifted, and his jaw clenched. From around back of the mansion, voices from the regulars camp rose and fell. Ger wondered how long they’d been there.

Ellis cleared his throat. “The governor has impressed upon the Shawnee leadership the seriousness of their situation. Their war chief and a small contingent are en route to Vincennes as we speak. They will arrive tomorrow.”

A few murmurs went up around Ger, though even Langston—and you just knew one of the murmurs came from him—kept it quiet enough that Ger couldn’t make out any words. Quiet was something they’d had plenty of since yesterday’s river crossing.

“Our regiment will provide… security.” Ellis’s mouth curled into a smirk.

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