Thai Horse

The big cat had been strung upside down by its legs from a small tree. Several women from the village the animal had terrorized had gathered at Early’s house to celebrate Hatcher’s kill with dancing and a feast. An elderly Oriental man was stooped over a large pot of Thai stew cooking on an open fire.

Hatcher had been coldly quiet since the end of the hunt. He sat alone on the porch watching the locals celebrate the end of the old rogue. The women portrayed the hunters in the impromptu dance while one woman played Old Scar. Lithe, her face painted yellow, she danced on all fours, darting about as the hunters pursued her.

Infuriated in the tense moments after the kill, Hatcher had snatched the bolt out of the 375 H&H and tossed it to Early.

‘Next time you loan a gun to someone maybe you ought to make sure it works,’ Hatcher had snapped angrily.

Early had turned the bolt over in his hand, carefully examining it before looking back at Hatcher.

‘The bloody firing pin’s cracked,’ he had said with genuine surprise, thinking it was an act.

‘Is that a fact,’ Hatcher growled sarcastically.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Early said edgily. ‘It worked fine this morning, I test-fired the piece myself.’

‘Wonderboy and I could both be dead right now because of that weapon.’

‘I’m sorry, okay? You think I wanted you to miss the cat?’ Early said. ‘Hell, that’s ridiculous, how could I have known you would get the kill shot?’

‘You’re being paranoid, Hatcher,’ said Earp.

‘Yeah,’ said Riker. ‘If we wanted to kill you, you’d be dead.’

Having reacted with more passion than was his custom, Hatcher had shut up and now he sat alone deep in thought. He did not see Wonderboy approach him from the side of the house.

‘Mr. Hatcher?’ he said. ‘It is Hatcher, isn’t it?’ The musician, who had repaired his streaked face with fresh paint, stood against the wall of the house with his hands in his pockets.

‘That’s right,’ the whispering man croaked.

‘You saved my life,’ Wonder boy said. ‘And I, uh don’t know how to thank you. But I want you to know nobody was out to get you.’

‘You’d have done the same for me,’ said Hatcher. ‘No, no,’ Wonderboy said, shaking his head. ‘I choked, man. It wasn’t just that I was scared, I couldn’t pull the trigger,’

‘Did that ever happen before?’

Wonderboy stared off at the dead tiger from behind his mask, and after a few seconds he nodded.

‘So forget it,’ said Hatcher. ‘You can live forever without ever touching another gun.’

‘That isn’t it.’

‘Then, what is it?’

Wonderboy took his hands out of his pockets. He wrapped them around his chest, hugging himself as if he were cold.

‘Survival.’

‘Survival,’ Hatcher repeated flatly.

‘Hell, if it ain’t one war, it’s another.’

‘You won’t have to go to any more wars, Wonderboy.’

‘Anyway,’ he said, ‘I don’t know how you thank someone who’s saved your life. The Japanese have a word for it, but I don’t remember what it is.’

‘Ongaeshi,’ Hatcher said.

‘Yeah, that’s it. It means, you know, like a big debt.’

‘It means an obligation to repay,’ said Hatcher.

‘Yeah. Well, ongaeshi , Mr. Hatcher.’

Hatcher stepped closer to Wonderboy and leaned against the wall beside him. ‘Would you like to try?’ his hoarse voice asked.

‘I don’t understand.’

‘Who is Thai Horse, Wonderboy?’

Wonderboy stared off at the other regulars on the other side of the yard. ‘What’s a Thai Horse?’ he asked, still watching the dancers.

‘Ongaeshi, Wonderboy.’

‘Don’t say that.’

‘Let’s try another one. Is Murphy Cody alive?’

‘Who?’

‘Murph Cody.’