Thunder of Eagles

“Oh?”

“May I be frank with you, Falcon?”

“By all means.”

“I have had romantic illusions about you, even before I met you, based in part on the way your brother and sister speak of you. Then, when I met you, I thought you were everything they said, maybe even more. But—”

“It’s the more, isn’t it?” Falcon asked.

Rachael nodded. “Yes, that’s a good way of putting it. It’s the more. Falcon, you are just too violent for me. No, wait, that isn’t fair. It’s this, this accursed West that is too violent for me. I had never known anyone who had been killed before. Since coming here, I have seen nothing but killing. And you—you are right in the middle of it. You killed the two men who killed the first Marshal Calhoun; then you killed the man who killed the second Marshal Calhoun.”

“I didn’t choose the life I live, Rachael, but I make no apologies for it. I’ve killed, yes, but I no longer kill anyone who doesn’t need killing.”

“You—you no longer kill anyone who doesn’t need killing? What an odd thing to say.”

“During the war, I killed men for no reason other than the fact that they were wearing a uniform different from my own. They were good men, with families that loved them. If I can kill such men during time of war, do you think I would hesitate for one minute to kill someone like the sorry example of humanity that J. Peerless Bixby is displaying in front of his mortuary right now?”

“I suppose there is some logic there somewhere,” Rachael said. “But for the life of me, I can’t see it.”

“Mr. MacCallister?”

Looking up, Falcon saw Kathleen Garrison coming toward her. He stood quickly.

“Kathleen,” he said. “Is something wrong? Is the general all right?”

“No, there’s nothing wrong,” Kathleen said. “No, wait, there is something wrong. It’s Billy.”

“Billy?”

“Billy is down at my house now, with my father. He asked me to come find you.”

“All right,” Falcon said. “Rachael, I’m sorry. I’m going to tell Troy to cancel my dinner. I have to—”

“There’s no need to apologize,” Rachael said. “You go ahead and do what you have to do.”

When Falcon stepped into the parlor of Garrison’s house, he saw Garrison sitting in a chair and Billy standing next to the fireplace.

“Billy, here’s Mr. MacCallister,” Kathleen said.

“Mr. MacCallister,” Billy said, turning toward him and nodding.

“Hello, Billy. What’s this about?”

“I came to warn you,” he said.

“Oh?”

“Tomorrow, Pa, my brothers, and just about every rider we have will be coming into town. There will be at least twenty men, maybe more, and they are all coming after you, Mr. MacCallister. Pa has promised one hundred dollars to everyone who comes with him.”

“I see,” Falcon said.

“Billy, why are you telling us this?” Garrison asked.

“Because I don’t want to see anyone else get killed,” Billy said. “Mr. True was a good man. I remember going fishing with him once. And Travis Calhoun always treated me well when I came into the cafe.” Billy looked at Falcon. “If you would leave town, there wouldn’t be anything happening tomorrow.”

“And you think my leaving town would end it?” Falcon asked.

“Yes, sir, I do, I truly do,” Billy said.

“Would your pa drop his fight against the general building his railroad?” Falcon asked. “Because if your pa would do that, I would leave.”

Billy glanced down toward the floor without answering Falcon’s question.

“I didn’t think he would,” Falcon said, discerning the answer from Billy’s reaction to his question.

“Mr. MacCallister, if Pa brings an army in here tomorrow, and he will, people are going to get killed. A lot of people. Maybe even—” He paused.

“Maybe even who, Billy? Kathleen?” Falcon asked.

Billy nodded, but didn’t speak.

“General, it’s up to you,” Falcon said. “Do I leave, or stay?”

“Whether you leave or stay, I intend to see this railroad built,” Garrison said. “And if that means an all-out war with Ike Clinton, then so be it.”

“I thought you might feel that way,” Falcon said. “I’m staying.”

“Well, I tried,” Billy said with a sigh. “I didn’t think I could talk you into leaving, but I figured I had to try.”

“Billy, does your pa know you came into town tonight?” Garrison asked.