gone—really, she never was. And we might be all out of time.' She tugged at his arm and he slipped down beside her.
Forgive me, Lord, he silently spoke to Him.
'I love you, Sam,' she whispered, her lips wet. 'And I want you.' She pulled his head to her breast, and his mouth found the nipple, his big hand resting on her bare stomach.
Her hand fumbled with his belt buckle as his mouth found hers. 'Take off your gun belt, Sam,' she said. 'I'm really not that dangerous.'
Pistol on the ground beside them, she touched him, and his heart pounded.
They were naked in the shade of the cotton-woods, and the tiny creek murmured words of love, the babbling mingled with their words.
Above them, the bird sang a curious song.
'Sam!' she cried out as he entered her.
Her bare leg rested on his thigh, her dampness
pressing against his hip. Her face was pushed against his shoulder. Breathing had softened, evened, slowed.
'What we did was a sin, Janey.'
'I remember you saying our God is a forgiving God.'
'If we ask for it, and, I believe, if we mean it when we do.'
'Well, there is one way we can get back in His favor,' she smiled against his skin.
'I'd like to know how,' he replied glumly.
'You're a minister, aren't you?'
He raised up on one elbow. 'Of course, I am!'
'Well—marry us, then.'
He blinked. 'Here? Now? Janey, that's crazy!'
'Why? You love me, don't you?'
'Y7es. I—ah—uh—told you that about two dozen times a—uh—few minutes ago.'
'There is no other minister around to do the job, is there? In Fork; this part of Fork, I mean?'
'That's right.'
'We can't get out to find one to marry us, can we?'
'Uh—no.'
'Then we're like Adam and Eve, aren't we?'
'Janey! Not quite.'
She grinned. 'Keep it simple, Sam. Something of Genesis, perhaps.'
'Genesis?' He thought for a moment, then smiled. 'All right.' He quoted from chapter two, verses 23 and 25.
'I think that is very appropriate,' she touched his face. 'When you consider the circumstances.'
And they were not ashamed.
'You and Jane Ann did WHAT?' Chester shouted.
'Oh, I think that's wonderful,' Doris said.
'But, Sam?' Wade had a perplexed look on his face. 'Who married you?'
'I did,' Sam said.
'But—but—' Chester stuttered.
'Be quiet, dear,' Faye shushed him. 'I think it's wonderful.'
'I think it's against the law!' Doctor King frowned.
'What law?' Jane Ann put an end to that line of reasoning. 'Where?'
No one had anything to say about that, since God mentioned nothing about blood tests, licenses, or waiting periods when He laid down His rules.
'It was really a very simple ceremony,' Jane Ann smiled.
'It must have been,' Doris observed. 'There are still a few blades of grass in your hair. Not to mention a twig or two,' she added dryly.
'A bird sang—uh—above us,' Jane Ann blushed.
'Basic accoutrements for any marriage,' Miles smiled, stepping forward to shake Sam's hand. 'Congratulations, friend.'
'I'll gather my things,' Jane Ann said. 'I want us to go home.'
Sam sobered. 'We've got about thirty-six hours before—it all breaks loose.' He glanced at Chester. 'Have you got everything ready to go?'
'Everything is done, Sam. While you and Janey were—ah,' he smiled, 'getting married, 1 stripped the store.'
'Strip is a good choice of words,' Doris smiled, picking another blade of grass out of Jane Ann's hair.
Miles frowned; Faye giggled; Wade shook his head; and Sam turned red in the face. 'We've got provisions for a full ten days,' Chester continued, 'and extra gas is stored around this part of Fork; just about anywhere you want to look. That's no problem.'
Sam looked at Wade. 'You and Anita staying here tonight?'
'We thought it best.'
'Tony? You're staying with Miles and Doris?' The doctor nodded.
'Jimmy said Peter could move in with him. All right,' Sam looked around. 'When you go home tonight, lock all your windows and doors. Pull the drapes. Keep as much religious paraphernalia in sight as possible. Place open Bibles around the house. Each of you take some Holy Water, and wear your crosses.'
'That didn't help Father Dubois or Father Haskell,' Chester pointed out.
'No,' Sam admitted, 'It didn't. And I don't know why. But I, for one, am not going to take chances.'
As Sam and Jane Ann stood on the front porch at Chester's, Jimmy pulled into the drive. After he recovered from his shock of their marriage, he said, 'It's strange—no one is moving in town. A few young people, that's all.' He looked at Sam and Jane Ann. 'Who married you?'
'I did,' Sam answered.
The young cop frowned, smiled, then nodded, keeping his many questions to himself.
'Are the kids still drinking?' Sam asked.
'Drunk, you mean! I stopped picking them up about an hour ago. If I put them in the lockup, my own men would turn them loose. If I took them home, their parents would laugh at me. Then Addison told me to leave them alone; said they weren't hurting anyone or anything. Sam, I can't get through to the Highway Patrol; can't get through to any law enforcement agency, anywhere. We're cut off—stuck! I'm going to turn in my badge, just as soon as I figure out who to turn it in to. I can't enforce the law—what's the use of wearing it?'
Sam thought of Jimmy's girl. 'Have you seen Judy lately?'
The young man's smile was sad and bitter. 'Oh, yes, Sam. Saw her this morning. Just before she checked into the hotel with David Vanderwerf, Paul Smiley, and George Deschin. I understand they had quite a party.' He spat on the ground.' She took them all on—so I'm told.'
Wade had stepped out on the porch, listening. 'You think it's wise to turn in your badge?'
'I don't think it makes any difference,' Sam answered for Jimmy. 'In a matter of hours we're all going to be participants in the biggest blood bath to ever hit this state. A badge is not going to make any difference, one way or the other.'
Jimmy shuddered as he thought of what lay before them. Wade's face was pale. Sam was totally calm. Jimmy removed the badge from his shirt. 'I'll go get Peter. We'll get our gear together.'
'Try to stay calm, Jimmy,' Sam urged him.
Jane Ann stood in the doorway of Michelle's room, her lips pursed in disgust. She shook her head at the filth. 'I've never seen anything like his. What are you going to do with all this?'
