careless pen, but Longarm could just make out the first name of Vincent. He would be thirty years old. The rest of the children on Ruth’s side were marked as deceased. But the most interesting thing to Longarm was that Dalton was listed as Wayne Dalton Diver and that he was fifty-four years old. Longarm could not be sure, but it appeared that the second oldest boy, Vincent, had had the middle name of Wayne. He turned away from the Bible, reopening it to its place in Isaiah, and went back to his chair.
Dalton Diver said, “See what you was seeking?”
Longarm took a drink of whiskey and then a draw on his cigar. He nodded. “I would reckon so. I must say, Mister Diver, you look much younger than your fifty-four years.”
Diver nodded in receipt of the compliment. “Hard work, Marshal. Hard work and a lot of kids. It will keep you spry having the young ones around.”
“You’ve still got four girls here at home.”
Dalton Diver’s eyes suddenly got wary. “That’s correct, sir. They are upstairs attending to their schoolwork. I believe in an education.” He made a wave toward the wall of books. “It’s an ignorant man who don’t take advantage of the knowledge so many who have come before him have labored to make available.”
Longarm looked at the end of his cigar, and took a half a minute to tamp it off carefully in the ashtray. He had the feeling that Austin Davis was about to speak, and he gave him a warning look. When he looked back at Dalton Diver he said, “Mister Diver, I’ve come to do a little trading with you tonight.”
“Horse trading?”
“No, I reckon you’d call it children trading. They ain’t children anymore, but they are your progeny.”
Diver frowned. “I don’t understand you, sir.”
“You will presently.” Longarm finished the whiskey in his glass and set it on the tray, then leaned forward toward Dalton Diver. “Sir, I’ve got four of your daughters in jail in town. If You don’t do as I ask, I intend to bring federal charges against them.”
Diver stared at him for a moment and then chuckled. “Marshal, are you having a little joke with me? They don’t put women in jail in this state.”
“Maybe not. But they got a women’s federal prison, and that is where they will end up. And for quite a long while if I’m any judge.”
Diver frowned. “Just what in the hell are you talking about, Marshal? What have my girls done?”
“Between me and you, not a hell of a lot. But I can make a pretty serious case against them for accessory, aiding and abetting, and several other things I can think of, including knowingly harboring a felony fugitive.”
Diver stared at him for a moment and then lifted his head. He said in a loud voice, “Robert!”
For a moment Longarm thought he was calling for the servant to throw them out of the house, but when Robert appeared he only said, “My glass is empty. Ain’t you ever going to learn your job? My lands!”
Diver waited until the servant had done his work and left the room before leaning toward Longarm. He said, “You mentioned you wanted to trade. For my daughters. What are you asking?”
Longarm said carefully, “Your son, Vince Diver.” He let the name hang in the air a moment before he added, “And others.”
Diver stared for a long moment. Then he shook his head. “I don’t believe I know that name.”
“Maybe you know him by another name. Wayne Shaker.”
Diver shook his head again. “Don’t think so.”
Longarm said, “It strikes me as a little arrogant of you, Mister Diver, to choose that particular name. Wayne Shaker. Wayne is part of your name. So is it part of Vince’s name.”
Diver nodded slowly. “I see why you wanted to look in the family Bible. Don’t strike me as playing quite fair.”
“And it strikes me as being just a little smug to call Vince, or the head of the gang, by the last name of Shaker, considering that you used to be a Shaker and considering they believe in share and share alike. Is that how you figured to divide up other people’s property? Under the Shaker method?”
Diver had a naturally genial countenance, but Longarm could see he was struggling to keep the anger out of it. He said in a stiff tone, “Marshal, by what authority and what right do you come down here interfering in our business and putting innocent women in jail? Where is your power to do that and your power to come here threatening me and bullyragging me into doing your bidding?”
Longarm took the cigar out of his mouth. “Mister Diver, my authority comes from the government of the United States, which charges me with enforcing the law in all its states and territories. My job is to protect the lives and property of the people of the United States, and my right to do it comes from my commission as a police officer, which comes directly from the executive branch of the government, namely the President. So you might say that the President sent me on this thankless job. As for my power to see that right is done, that pretty well comes from the folks in your neighboring counties who are damn sick and tired of your gunmen coming into their towns and robbing and stealing and killing.” He sat back in the cloth-covered chair. “As to bullyragging you, well, I ain’t seen no sign of that. At least not yet.” He glanced at Austin Davis. “You seen me doing any threatening or bullyragging, Marshall Smith?”
Austin Davis said easily, “It appears to me that you’ve been working your way around to giving Mister Diver a choice. I believe the first thing you said to him on the matter of the business at hand was that you were here to do some trading. I don’t see no threat in that.”
Diver stared hard at both of them. Finally he looked away. “All right. I’m a little overwrought. I made a poor choice of words. However, we are used to settling our disputes among ourselves and not having outside interference.”
It was Austin Davis who answered. “That’s the point, Mister Diver. The differences ain’t between yourselves. Your differences are with Llano County and Kimble County and San Saba County, to name a few, and towns like Junction and Llano and Brady and Fredricksburg. Y’all are getting along fine here. But you are bleeding your neighbors dry. The Shaker share-and-share-alike plan might be good for y’all, but your neighbors are going broke
