The Devilstone Registry Chapter3: The Foundation (3/10ish)
TITLE: The Devilstone Registry
Pairing: Kradam, probably others
Rating: R for violence, PG-13+ for future Sexuality. Though who the hell knows with me. I’d like to keep it to that but I am not good at porning-down. Warnings: Slash, DUH. AU. Some random people will probably get killed, but none of the people anyone cares about really. Also some of the characters appear in interestingly altered or historically-appropriate manners. Go with the flow.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, and since it takes place in like 1875 it obviously didn't happen. I don't even own the phrase "Weird West." Which is trademarked by pinnacle entertainment, which may or may not still be in business, but since they allow fanfiction for their rpg's I assume this is kosher. If one of the idols tells me they don't want to be in fiction I will change their character name to Lars and call it a day.
AN: This is extremely AU, set in an alternate historical time period. The basics, this is the wild west, but in the mid 1800's a meteor crashed into Devil's Tower, leading to the discovery of Devilstone, a material with truly stunning properties that led to all sorts of interesting inventions and the foundation of a new field of Study, "Abstract Science." Unfortunately, it also heradled awakening of all strange creatures and opened the door to paranormal activities. Some call it a punishment from God, some call it an Opportunity, some keep their mouths shut and run the other way. People keep up with these stories by reading a mysterious publication called the "Weird West Weekly," which reports these events, along with the more mundane exploits of the gunslingers that keep the peace. Setting borrows from the RPG setting "Deadlands." TY for your feedback, it keeps me going at a much quicker pace.
TL;DR: OLD WEST BUT WITH STEAMPUNKY MAD SCIENTISTS AND HORROR SHOW CREATURES.
Prior Chapters:
Chapter One: Head of the Trail
Chapter Two: The Tale of Matty The Mute
Prologue:
"Drop the money and grab some sky." The masked man snarled, pointing his six-shooter against Daniel’s chest.
"You bastard." Daniel said, letting the sack slip through his fingers. He winced when it hit the dirt.
"Normally I'd kill ya' now, but you look like you've got strong arms. Boys, put him to work loading the cart." The bandit motioned towards the train car in which Daniel had been riding, where the foundation's money lay in one thousand cloth sacks piled from floor to ceiling.
Daniel worked until his muscles ached, thinking of how much harder he had worked to get this endowment, thinking of how much good the money would have done in Westport. Each year, more than a few children lost their fathers to the Devilstone mines. Without that income, new widows had to turn to hard labor, or worse, prostitution in order to feed their children. There was a group of dilapidated houses that Daniel had hoped to purchase and repair in order to house these families; provide clothing and food and perhaps some seed money to send the children back east to find vocations outside of the mines that had claimed their father's lives.
He tried to keep it back, but as he loaded the final bag onto the cart, he broke into tears, pleading with the bandits.
"If y'all have any mercy. This money is for children, children whose lives..."
"Can it, Preacher man." Their leader said from the back of his paint mare. "Unless you want your last words to be beggin' for your life instead of prayers."
Daniel closed his eyes and knelt. Moments later he heard a gunshot and braced for the death he knew was imminent. More gunfire rang out, and he heard a stranger call
"Get on the ground!"
He pressed his belly to the dirt and lay still, trembling in the dirt until he heard the cart start to move and the thunder of hooves as the bandits made their escape.
Somehow the sound was worse than death.
The Tale
"... and this is the Redfire plant. Careful, it's poisonous to the touch, even for horses. Thus the name." Adam indicated from the back of Glamour. Kris jerked Conway's reins sharply to the right, closer to Adam and Glamour. Their boots brushed, and Adam smiled down at Kris even as Glamour flattened her ears and nipped Conway on her flank.
"It's quite a pain to harvest." Adam said, dismounting.
"You need it for something?" Kris asked, eyeing the plant warily, as if it would spring up at him.
"Of course. Why else would we ride halfway to Deadwood when I could have stayed in the lab all day?"
Kris grinned, taking in the view. They were on the top of a sloping hill, which overlooked a vast prairie. The wildflowers were in full bloom, blowing amongst the tall grasses in the gentle breeze. The sky was a familiar blue, it reminded him of the first time he had met Adam. Kris had been so taken with "the woman's" eyes that he had been almost too shy to speak. Though the rest of Adam had changed shape shortly thereafter, Kris was still charmed by the clear-sky color of Adam's eyes. What few clouds there were looked as if they had been painted, perfect dollops of white in an endless sea of azure. A trackless train was winding its way through the grasses, releasing little puffs of blue smoke from its Devilstone engine.
"...and when you add powdered Devilstone, it gives off a brilliant light and turns blue. If I could make the reaction last a bit longer, I think that it could be used to increase safety in the mines. There are so many explosions due to natural gas coming into contact with the light from miner's torches."
"Oh, of course!" Kris said, flushing. He had been so caught up in comparing the blue of the sky to Adam's eyes that he had completely missed the fact that Adam had been explaining his latest experiment. "I mean, can you imagine the implications?" Kris raised an eyebrow, mimicking Adam's expression when he was excited about a new invention flawlessly.
Adam laughed, holding out his hand for Kris to dismount. Though Conway was a smallish horse, it was still a leap.
Only Adam would think of today's excursion as a distraction from the dusty and dark laboratory. When he had told Kris to saddle up Conway, Kris had assumed that Adam merely wanted to ride for the sheer pleasure of being outside with good company on such a glorious day.
He watched as Adam removed a long pair of shears from his leather bag and attached a mechanical grabber to the handle. Skillfully, he snipped the blossoms from the vine, using the trigger on the grabber to catch the blooms as they fell.
"Inside pocket of my vest, Kristopher, if you please."
Kris moved close to the doctor and slid his hand beneath the fabric, feeling for the pocket. Inside, he found a cloth specimen bag.
"Hold it open." Adam instructed, and Kris pulled the bag open as wide as he could to avoid contact with the toxic shrubbery as Adam slid the shears inside and released the catch on the grabber.
"Okay, one more time." Adam said, turning back to the plant.
Almost subconsciously, Kris had been listening to the thaa-rumm thaa-rumm of the trackless train in the distance. It's sudden absence sent a tingle down his spine. Only a second later he heard the explosion.
Instinct took over. He closed the bag, just as Adam was about to fill it. The Redfire grazed Kris's hand and instantly pain blossomed on his skin. Adam yelped, but Kris had already dropped the bag and taken off towards the sound on foot.
"Train robbers." He said, mumbling to Adam after pulling him down into the long grass.
"You....little...antelope." Adam gasped between pants. "I haven't run that fast since my lab blew up."
"What?"
"Long story. Not now. Breathing."
"Well you breathe. I'm going to get in a bit closer and see what's going on."
"Stay..." Adam looked at him, panic clear on his face. "Stay safe, Kris."
The scene made Kris's trigger finger itch. There were five masked men, one mounted and four surrounding a well-dressed man with dark hair and spectacles. From his black clothing and wide-brimmed hat, Kris marked him as a preacher. The preacher was kneeling with his hands behind his head just as the ringleader raised his shotgun.
Kris had to act fast. Jumping up from his vantage point he raised his gun and pulled the trigger, releasing the bullet into the barrel of the bandit's shotgun.
"Get on the ground!" He screamed at the kneeling man. Relief flooded him as he watched the man hit the dirt.
He didn’t have but a moment to react. The other men opened fire in his direction, and Kris dove sideways, firing as he flew through the air. Two men dropped before Kris hit the ground, unscathed by the rain of gunfire that had sailed to his left.
The remaining three bandits took off, taking with them whatever payload they had come for and leaving their captive behind.
"Dr. Lambert! Come over here, someone's hurt!" Kris shouted, hoping his voice would carry to where he had left Adam. He was relieved when he saw Adam's black hair pop into view above the grass. For the briefest of moments, Kris felt that for all the world Adam was running towards him and not towards the fallen man who still lay trembling in the dirt. It was not an unpleasant feeling; unlike the unreasonable stab of jealousy that pained his stomach as Adam knelt down next to the man and placed his hand on his shoulder.
Kris shook his head to clear the feeling and knelt beside Adam.
"It's Reverend Gokey." Adam told Kris. "I think he's in shock.'
"Who would rob a preacher?" Kris asked, pulling his canteen from his shoulder and holding it to Reverend Gokey's lips. The man drank eagerly, blinking his eyes. The water must have brought him back to, for he immediately jumped to his feet.
"The Bass Mountain Boys, I'd swear on the Book of Matthew that it was them. All the foundation money. All the money. You gotta help me. I know you're just a crackpot scientist and a cold-blooded killer but you just gotta."
"What?" Adam said, a frown clouding over his face.
"I didn't mean that. No offense. I'm just...We haven't met, Mr. Arkansas, I'm Reverend Daniel Gokey."
"Why don't you calm down and explain what happened." Kris said, bristling at being called a cold-blooded killer by a man whose life he had just saved.
"I've been all over the east coast the past few months drumming up donations for my foundation - I wanted to start a group home for families of deceased mine workers in Westport. I collected thirty five thousand dollars. We don't have a bank in Westport so I had to consolidate all the money in Deadwood and then move it up here on the Trackless. I don't know how the gang found out the Trackless route, but they ambushed me. The driver died in the explosion - I guess they had set up some TNT along the way."
"Not likely." Adam said, peering beneath the Trackless. This looks like the remainder of a time-delay mechanism. He pulled out a mass of charred wires and waved it around as if Kris and Daniel would recognize it better while moving. "It might have been an inside job. If someone at the Trackless company..."
"I'm telling you it was the Bass Mountain Boys. I read about them in the Weekly." Danny insisted, frowning.
"I thought they were in Colorado." Kris said, turning his head towards Adam to exchange a glance. He wanted to help the preacher, but the man seemed intent on making it more difficult than necessary.
"We gotta follow them. It's three on three now, and we got the man, the myth, the legend: Krissy the Kid here. If we can catch up to them they won't know what hit 'em. I'm not bad with a gun. I mean, I used'ta be good. I gave it up to follow God's teachings but I think it's like in the Bible. There's a time to reap and a time to sow. A time to give up violence and a time to round up a posse and hunt down some thieving bastards with Old Testament vengeance."
"I don't remember that particular passage," Kris said. "But I think we agree on principle.
"So whattaya say boys? Should we saddle up and ride?"
Adam and Kris had a small conversation with their eyes. Adam looked annoyed, but he kept looking off in the direction the gang had ridden off. He ordered a lot of materials via the Trackless Train. If there was a criminal infiltrating the system, it would make sense that he'd want to stop them.
Kris just wanted to help the foundation; this wasn't the first time he had heard of the orphan and widow problem in the Dakotas. The Devilstone mines were dangerous places. There were frequent gas explosions, cave-ins, and also strange, unaccounted for deaths in the mines. The sad thing was that once the fatherless children grew up; they usually took to the mines in order to earn enough money to live. Perhaps Reverend Gokey could make a difference.
"We'll ride. But you've got a problem. There's only two horses and neither of you have guns."
Danny got down on one knee next to one of the dead bandits. He unbuckled the gun belt and pulled it gingerly from around the dead man's waist. After clipping it around his own mid section, he looked into the man's face and gently closed his eyelids, murmuring a prayer. He repeated the gesture with the other cadaver, handing the gun belt to Adam.
"Well that takes care of that." Kris said. "But the horses."
"Danny can take Conway. Glamour is strong enough to carry us both." Adam spoke up, warily taking the gun belt from Danny. He fumbled with it, looking awkward and unsure of himself as he fitted it over his pants. Kris eyed Glamour nervously, reaching out to pat her flank.
Adam clucked to her and held her steady. Her eyes rolled angrily in their sockets but her ears stayed forward.
"It'll be alright. She likes you."
Kris snorted a laugh as Glamour tried to nip him.
"If you say so, Adam. How do I..." Kris gestured awkwardly towards the horse. He wasn’t sure how to get on without kicking Adam in the face.
Adam got off Glamour and mumbled to her, kissing her nose as Kris mounted. She held perfectly still beneath Adam's hand. He took her reins and noted how tersely she carried her bit. She felt afraid, not angry, and Kris wondered where Adam had got her and what condition she had been in. He patted her tentatively as Adam swung up behind him, pushing Kris forward in the saddle. It was surprising how well they fit together, Adam's chin fitting just above Kris's head.
Kris looked over at Daniel, who had been watching them mount up a bit apprehensively. He was soon astride Conway, who danced a bit under the unfamiliar weight.
"Easy, girl." Kris calmed her, the horse steadying at the smooth sound of Kris's voice.
"Let's ride!" Adam shouted suddenly, slipping one hand around Kris's waist and spurring Glamour into a gallop. His other hand fell on Kris's thigh and suddenly Kris forgot about the reason they were riding, forgot the pain in his right hand from the stinging Redfire plant. He even forgot about the heartache that he had carried around with him in his chest for years now. The horse between his legs was pure power and the man behind his back knew just how to handle her. Though it was Kris's hands on the reins, it was Adam's movements she responded to. Every shift in his hips was an unspoken command. Kris learned his language too, feeling his body lean forward when he felt Adam press against his back; tilt backwards when he felt Adam's hands tighten on his chest.
Across the plain they raced, Kris lost in the rhythm of the hoof beats and the movement of Adam's body against his. A feeling bubbled up in his chest. It was like longing but Kris didn't know what for. He only knew that this felt good. Fisting the reigns in his right hand, he let his left fall atop Adam's, filling the gaps between Adam's fingers with his own fingertips. Adam pressed against his back and Kris edged Glamour on faster, the pace of her hooves finally matching the fevered pitch of Kris's heart as Adam's hand tightened around his leg,
***
It was sunset when Kris held up his hand and pulled back sharply on Glamour's reins.
"Hey, girl, Heeey." Adam said, calming her down as she fought for her head. Conway had already stopped, having seen Kris's hand. She now stood placidly, ears twitching as Daniel patted her on the side.
"Why did we stop? They could be getting away. We should ride up on them and take them by surprise." Daniel said, bringing Conway along side Glamour. The two horses seemed to exchange glances. Kris imagined that Conway was griping about her rider, to which Glamour snorted and tossed her head, as if to say "trade you."
"They've got a cart, so they have to be traveling slowly. Even with the head start, we should be upon them now. If we're lucky they don't know their being followed, and even if they do they think there's only two of us. They've got to stop their horses, and riding at night, even through the open prairie, is dangerous. We're only a little northwest of the Badlands, and lord knows what could come creeping out of there." Kris theorized. "If it were me, I'd circle up for the night, sleep in shifts, and head a bit off bearing into those trees, hoping the forest would conceal the smoke."
"Sounds reasonable, since most of the Badlands creatures wouldn't go into a forest. The habitat is too different. We could sneak up on them." Adam chimed in, his voice thick with excitement. Kris realized that this was probably Adam’s first time riding down train robbers. The thought wasn’t exactly comforting.
"Exactly. They probably would set up camp along a stream. Any in the area?" Kris asked, turning to Daniel.
Daniel took a moment, looking around the landscape in the quickly diminishing light. Kris heard a coyote howl at the sliver of moon that had escaped the shadow of the earth.
"There." He pointed. A small outcropping of low trees and tall grass marred the otherwise uniform landscape, leading into the forest. "I bet that's a stream. It looked like that back home in the cow pastures, the trees always sprung up around the little creeks that the cows drank from."
"Cows?" Adam asked, and Kris could practically hear his nose wrinkling.
Daniel laughed. "You wouldn't know it by the accent but I'm from Wisconsin. That's north of Chicago. I grew up on a dairy farm."
"I know where Wisconsin is." Adam mumbled, as though he hadn't really been sure.
"How'd you get out here?" Kris asked, motioning for Adam to dismount. He followed suit, taking Adam's hand to jump down from the great height of Glamour's back.
"I...let's just say I fell into the wrong crowd, alright? You know what it's like, man. You've done things. I read about them. But you seem alright now. I'm alright now too. I gave up that life, I wanna help people. Hey maybe this happened for a reason. Maybe I was supposed to meet you all. We make a funny group; a preacher, a gunslinger, and a bona-fide mad scientist.” Daniel chucked at his own joke. “God works in mysterious ways."
"He sure does." Adam said, his even tone masking the sarcastic meaning Kris was sure hid in his words. "But that's enough, Reverend Gokey. We need to tie up the horses and get a move on."
Kris led the way towards the probable stream, stopping every now and again to look and listen to their surroundings. He smiled and gave Daniel a thumbs-up when he heard the trickling of water.
"Just like home." Daniel repeated, returning the gesture. Kris thought he heard Adam groan, and smiled to himself. He could tell that the two men carried an uneasy tension between them. Kris guessed it was because Adam didn’t attend the church service in town. Since Adam hadn’t told him about it, Kris hadn’t gone either. Instead he just prayed a bit in his room, figuring God would hear him anyway.
A few minutes later Kris smelled smoke and roast meat. He held up his hand again.
"We've gotta wait it out. They're eating dinner so all of them will still be awake. Let's head downstream a ways and sit down."
"I could use a bit of a rest anyway. Mind if I nod off for a bit? They hit me in the head pretty good, and that explosion. It was a good thing I was on the other side of the train car. That poor driver..." Daniel looked up at the stars, searching for something, it seemed. "It seems so pointless. Why is death so pointless?"
Kris felt his throat tighten. "Take an hour." He told Daniel. Adam and I will keep watch."
Kris winced. If his hand had been stinging before, it was positively on fire now. He moved towards the stream, plunging his hand into the cold water. The burning feeling only increased, and Kris withdrew it with a hiss, biting his other hand to keep from crying out. Adam was by his side in a moment.
"Let me see," Adam said, taking the injured hand gently and turning it over. "I'm so sorry, Kristopher." He said, placing his hand over the pained area. The heat from his hand felt good and the pain subsided somewhat.
"It's my own fault. I'm the one that went taking off without a warning. Should have waited till you were done."
"I'm the one that had you out there helping me with that dangerous shit in the first place." Adam shot back, rubbing his fingers on Kris’s hand.
"Adam, you hired me to help you with dangerous shit." Kris argued, angry that Adam was blaming himself.
"That was before I cared about you getting hurt." Adam admitted softly, squeezing Kris hand gently. The pain was almost gone now, and Kris sighed relief, even if it was only temporary.
"Are you gonna fire me, then?" Kris looked up at him, honestly worried about the answer.
"No. I've gotten used to you, Mr. Arkansas." Adam's voice was mildly teasing, and Kris felt a warmth effuse him that had nothing to do with the Redfire plant.
"Yeah." Kris mumbled. "S'mutual."
"Just try to keep it hot."
"What?" Kris's mouth quirked into a confused grin, wondering what on earth Adam could mean.
"Your hand. Honestly, Kristopher, do try and keep up." Adam laughed, eyes and teeth flashing in the starlight. "Till we get to back to the laboratory this is the best we can do. We should have gone there right away. I'm worried about permanent nerve damage. Left untreated..."
"We had to follow these robbers and get the money back for those kids. Daniel’s right, they need some hope. Besides, there's nothing that could go wrong with me that you couldn't fix, Adam Lambert. I haven't known you long but that much I've got figured out."
Adam hummed a bit, obviously enjoying the ego-boost.
"You know you're nothing like what I read about in the Weekly."
"Not too much of a disappointment, I hope?" Kris felt compelled to be closer to him even though only inches separated him. It wasn't close enough, not after their afternoon ride. In fact Kris wasn't sure what "close enough" meant anymore, or what he would do when he reached that mythical point.
"Kristopher-" Adam drew in his breath sharply.
"Hey guys, should we get goin'? Daniel's voice cut through the tension in the air like a barber's razor. "I think they're done with dinner, all I smell is smoke now..."
Kris scooted away from Adam, feeling strangely guilty and disappointed at the same time. Daniel had interrupted something, and Kris wished he could say what.
***
Daniel pointed out the leader, who was already asleep, an empty bottle of whisky in his clenched fist. One of the other men was curled up next to him, arm draped protectively over the bigger man. Kris thought they looked oddly like lovers. Maybe they were. Kris swallowed hard. The idea of killing thieving bandits hadn't seemed so bad. The idea of killing two people in love was a much more difficult prospect. Especially when he just...
He just what? Kris looked at Adam. Is that what this was, this feeling in his chest? At first he thought it might have been pure, animal lust - it had been a long time, a long, long time since he'd been in that proximity to another person before. It didn't matter that Adam was a man; the ride had been intimate on a level Kris had been sorely missing. But it was more than lust. He genuinely enjoyed the other man; his viewpoints were refreshing, his sense of humor unique; and his genius astounding.
Was it love? Kris looked at the slumbering couple. What that love? Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Daniel level his gun at the sleeping man.
"Do not lay down with a man as you would a woman. It is abomination." Daniel quoted, a scowl of disgust on his face, and pulled the trigger.
The watchman shouted, having nodded off at his post. He trained his pistol at Daniel, clearly visible now in the light of the fire.
Kris reacted instinctively, firing on the watchman, who dropped to the forest floor. Daniel took aim at the only remaining man, but Adam shouted
"No!"
The man started to run away, but Adam pulled something from his coat. Kris didn't know what it was, but it was glowing blue. Adam took careful aim and fired a burst of light from the tip. The smell was acrid, but familiar. Devilstone.
The running man yelped and dropped to the ground with a resounding thud.
Daniel and Kris both looked at Adam, jaws as wide as the canyon in the rainbow rocks of the Badlands.
"Loss of consciousness due to an infusion of electro-magnetic energy and Devilstone, channeled through a single shot weapon. If only it could be manufactured on a larger scale, it would-"
"Change the world." Kris finished, smiling at him before he could embark on another of his utopian rants.
"Why'd you do it?" Daniel asked, face purple. "Why not kill him and have done with it. He stole from me. He stole from children. You know how it is."
"People can change. Maybe he just fell in with the wrong crowd. Why not make him a rehabilitation project, hmm? Seems like you know a bit about it." Adam's gaze was fierce. Kris had never seen him look like that before.
Daniel's gun was still pointing at the man. "But he's a fucking- you saw him lying there with that guy. He’s a -"
"He's a WHAT you sonofabitch?" Kris yelped. " Wanna throw Bible verses around? How about something more recent? 'Judge not lest ye shall be judged.' 'Love thy neighbor as thyself.' 'Faith, Hope, and Love and the greatest of these is Love.'"
Daniel dropped his gun, stunned.
"I saved your life." Kris continued, shaking in anger. "I killed three men so you could follow your dream. I did it because I thought you were a good person, I believe in your cause. But damn if I'm going to let you take a life because your heart is filled with hatred." A tear trickled down his face, followed by another, as he thought of the two men lying there, side by side. Yes they had stolen money, but Kris felt like they had taken more. He felt sick.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Arkansas." Daniel said, backing away from the unconscious man. "I was...I wasn't myself. I didn't mean no...I don't hate people. But the Bible says..."
"I don't give a damn. God gave you a good head on your shoulders. Put it to use. God gave you a heart. Search it, Reverend. Tell me what you find. But my heart tells me that love is never wrong." The words fell out of his mouth, soft and tumbling like clothing hung out to dry. Golden, like a woman's hair in the sunlight. Kris drew in his breath, sharply. He bent down beside the dead ringleader and closed the man's unmoving eyes.
"God." The Reverend said, and it was an entreaty more than a statement. It was almost a prayer. It was too much for the preacher. He pulled off the gun belt and flung it as far as he could into the darkness. Kris watched as he fell to his knees, mouth moving in silent admonishment. For guidance or forgiveness, Kris couldn't tell. But he swore he heard Daniel mumble “Never again.” It was good enough for Kris.
He stumbled away from the fire and the praying preacher, into the welcoming darkness. Where had these feelings come from? He had never liked when people used the Bible as an excuse to hate people. He had never seen it used as an excused to kill someone, at least not first hand. But never before had he reacted so strongly.
"Kristopher." A voice whispered from behind him, and Kris closed his eyes and turned towards it.
Arms were around him, strong and sure. Kris buried his face into Adam's chest; feeling like the world around him had ceased to exist.
"Thank you." Adam mumbled into his hair. "For stopping Daniel. And for saying what you said. It meant... well, Kris it means a lot to some one like me." Kris swore he felt Adam's lips press against his head, and his heart raced even faster than Kris thought possible. He looked up at Adam, waiting, but Adam continued speaking. "But where did that come from?"
"I don't know." Kris replied. "I just saw them lying there and in that instant they were just people. Just sleeping people. I heard what the Reverend said, and I know how it looked, but so what. I don't believe it's wrong. I don't think God would make people wrong. Even if they were bad people, I didn't want Gokey to kill him for the wrong reason. That doesn't make much sense, does it?" Kris pulled back a bit further for a moment, needing to search Adam's eyes.
"It makes perfect sense. I trust you, I trust your judgment. I trust your heart."
"I'm glad you didn't kill him." Kris mumbled.
"So am I." Adam said, fighting a grin. "Though I feel kind of silly ..."
"What?"
"I used the Ray on him because I wanted him alive for questioning." Adam admitted. "And you saved him because of a high-minded ideal of right and wrong."
"Oh." Kris managed to choke out a laugh. It sounded funny in his throat. "Well now I feel silly."
"Come here." Adam said, pulling him close again, holding him close where no one but the stars could bear witness.
***
EPITAPH
The hubbub this week is all about Daniel J. Gokey, the right reverend from Westport. A former bad-boy-turned-preacher-man, Gokey has spent the last few months scouring the country for donations for the Westport Children's Fund, a foundation aimed at helping the families of deceased mine workers. Trouble is, the optimistic preacher thought it would be a good idea to move the loot across the plains on the Trackless without a guard detail. Needless to say, the Trackless was robbed. No word on who the bad guys were - conflicting theories point to the Bass Mountain Boys or perhaps an inside job at Trackless Inc.
Lucky for Gokey, and all those dirty-faced urchins, the robbery was witnessed by none other than Krissy the Kid and his faithful companion of late, the almost certainly mad Dr. Adam Lambert. They were gathering materials for Dr. Lambert's upcoming folly when Krissy sprang into action, slaying two of the gunmen before they could even see his cowboy hat peeking out over the prairie grasses. Tough to blame them for that.
Rev. Gokey joined them on an elaborate chase through the wilderness, proving that even God needs a gun-hand sometimes. The heroes caught up with the bandits and battled for the loot. Did God guide the hand that shot the bandit leader? That's anyone's guess, but I know a whole bunch of children that will be remembering Krissy the Kid and friends in their evening prayers. Seems like the doctor's been a steadying influence on our renegade gunslinger - strange since the doctor's own sanity has been known to waver.
Well, that's all till next week folks! Till then keep your friends close and, if you live in Westport, keep Krissy the Kid closer.
The Snoop
Keep Movin' Down the Trail - Chapter 4
Pairing: Kradam, probably others
Rating: R for violence, PG-13+ for future Sexuality. Though who the hell knows with me. I’d like to keep it to that but I am not good at porning-down. Warnings: Slash, DUH. AU. Some random people will probably get killed, but none of the people anyone cares about really. Also some of the characters appear in interestingly altered or historically-appropriate manners. Go with the flow.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, and since it takes place in like 1875 it obviously didn't happen. I don't even own the phrase "Weird West." Which is trademarked by pinnacle entertainment, which may or may not still be in business, but since they allow fanfiction for their rpg's I assume this is kosher. If one of the idols tells me they don't want to be in fiction I will change their character name to Lars and call it a day.
AN: This is extremely AU, set in an alternate historical time period. The basics, this is the wild west, but in the mid 1800's a meteor crashed into Devil's Tower, leading to the discovery of Devilstone, a material with truly stunning properties that led to all sorts of interesting inventions and the foundation of a new field of Study, "Abstract Science." Unfortunately, it also heradled awakening of all strange creatures and opened the door to paranormal activities. Some call it a punishment from God, some call it an Opportunity, some keep their mouths shut and run the other way. People keep up with these stories by reading a mysterious publication called the "Weird West Weekly," which reports these events, along with the more mundane exploits of the gunslingers that keep the peace. Setting borrows from the RPG setting "Deadlands." TY for your feedback, it keeps me going at a much quicker pace.
TL;DR: OLD WEST BUT WITH STEAMPUNKY MAD SCIENTISTS AND HORROR SHOW CREATURES.
Prior Chapters:
Chapter One: Head of the Trail
Chapter Two: The Tale of Matty The Mute
Prologue:
"Drop the money and grab some sky." The masked man snarled, pointing his six-shooter against Daniel’s chest.
"You bastard." Daniel said, letting the sack slip through his fingers. He winced when it hit the dirt.
"Normally I'd kill ya' now, but you look like you've got strong arms. Boys, put him to work loading the cart." The bandit motioned towards the train car in which Daniel had been riding, where the foundation's money lay in one thousand cloth sacks piled from floor to ceiling.
Daniel worked until his muscles ached, thinking of how much harder he had worked to get this endowment, thinking of how much good the money would have done in Westport. Each year, more than a few children lost their fathers to the Devilstone mines. Without that income, new widows had to turn to hard labor, or worse, prostitution in order to feed their children. There was a group of dilapidated houses that Daniel had hoped to purchase and repair in order to house these families; provide clothing and food and perhaps some seed money to send the children back east to find vocations outside of the mines that had claimed their father's lives.
He tried to keep it back, but as he loaded the final bag onto the cart, he broke into tears, pleading with the bandits.
"If y'all have any mercy. This money is for children, children whose lives..."
"Can it, Preacher man." Their leader said from the back of his paint mare. "Unless you want your last words to be beggin' for your life instead of prayers."
Daniel closed his eyes and knelt. Moments later he heard a gunshot and braced for the death he knew was imminent. More gunfire rang out, and he heard a stranger call
"Get on the ground!"
He pressed his belly to the dirt and lay still, trembling in the dirt until he heard the cart start to move and the thunder of hooves as the bandits made their escape.
Somehow the sound was worse than death.
The Tale
"... and this is the Redfire plant. Careful, it's poisonous to the touch, even for horses. Thus the name." Adam indicated from the back of Glamour. Kris jerked Conway's reins sharply to the right, closer to Adam and Glamour. Their boots brushed, and Adam smiled down at Kris even as Glamour flattened her ears and nipped Conway on her flank.
"It's quite a pain to harvest." Adam said, dismounting.
"You need it for something?" Kris asked, eyeing the plant warily, as if it would spring up at him.
"Of course. Why else would we ride halfway to Deadwood when I could have stayed in the lab all day?"
Kris grinned, taking in the view. They were on the top of a sloping hill, which overlooked a vast prairie. The wildflowers were in full bloom, blowing amongst the tall grasses in the gentle breeze. The sky was a familiar blue, it reminded him of the first time he had met Adam. Kris had been so taken with "the woman's" eyes that he had been almost too shy to speak. Though the rest of Adam had changed shape shortly thereafter, Kris was still charmed by the clear-sky color of Adam's eyes. What few clouds there were looked as if they had been painted, perfect dollops of white in an endless sea of azure. A trackless train was winding its way through the grasses, releasing little puffs of blue smoke from its Devilstone engine.
"...and when you add powdered Devilstone, it gives off a brilliant light and turns blue. If I could make the reaction last a bit longer, I think that it could be used to increase safety in the mines. There are so many explosions due to natural gas coming into contact with the light from miner's torches."
"Oh, of course!" Kris said, flushing. He had been so caught up in comparing the blue of the sky to Adam's eyes that he had completely missed the fact that Adam had been explaining his latest experiment. "I mean, can you imagine the implications?" Kris raised an eyebrow, mimicking Adam's expression when he was excited about a new invention flawlessly.
Adam laughed, holding out his hand for Kris to dismount. Though Conway was a smallish horse, it was still a leap.
Only Adam would think of today's excursion as a distraction from the dusty and dark laboratory. When he had told Kris to saddle up Conway, Kris had assumed that Adam merely wanted to ride for the sheer pleasure of being outside with good company on such a glorious day.
He watched as Adam removed a long pair of shears from his leather bag and attached a mechanical grabber to the handle. Skillfully, he snipped the blossoms from the vine, using the trigger on the grabber to catch the blooms as they fell.
"Inside pocket of my vest, Kristopher, if you please."
Kris moved close to the doctor and slid his hand beneath the fabric, feeling for the pocket. Inside, he found a cloth specimen bag.
"Hold it open." Adam instructed, and Kris pulled the bag open as wide as he could to avoid contact with the toxic shrubbery as Adam slid the shears inside and released the catch on the grabber.
"Okay, one more time." Adam said, turning back to the plant.
Almost subconsciously, Kris had been listening to the thaa-rumm thaa-rumm of the trackless train in the distance. It's sudden absence sent a tingle down his spine. Only a second later he heard the explosion.
Instinct took over. He closed the bag, just as Adam was about to fill it. The Redfire grazed Kris's hand and instantly pain blossomed on his skin. Adam yelped, but Kris had already dropped the bag and taken off towards the sound on foot.
"Train robbers." He said, mumbling to Adam after pulling him down into the long grass.
"You....little...antelope." Adam gasped between pants. "I haven't run that fast since my lab blew up."
"What?"
"Long story. Not now. Breathing."
"Well you breathe. I'm going to get in a bit closer and see what's going on."
"Stay..." Adam looked at him, panic clear on his face. "Stay safe, Kris."
The scene made Kris's trigger finger itch. There were five masked men, one mounted and four surrounding a well-dressed man with dark hair and spectacles. From his black clothing and wide-brimmed hat, Kris marked him as a preacher. The preacher was kneeling with his hands behind his head just as the ringleader raised his shotgun.
Kris had to act fast. Jumping up from his vantage point he raised his gun and pulled the trigger, releasing the bullet into the barrel of the bandit's shotgun.
"Get on the ground!" He screamed at the kneeling man. Relief flooded him as he watched the man hit the dirt.
He didn’t have but a moment to react. The other men opened fire in his direction, and Kris dove sideways, firing as he flew through the air. Two men dropped before Kris hit the ground, unscathed by the rain of gunfire that had sailed to his left.
The remaining three bandits took off, taking with them whatever payload they had come for and leaving their captive behind.
"Dr. Lambert! Come over here, someone's hurt!" Kris shouted, hoping his voice would carry to where he had left Adam. He was relieved when he saw Adam's black hair pop into view above the grass. For the briefest of moments, Kris felt that for all the world Adam was running towards him and not towards the fallen man who still lay trembling in the dirt. It was not an unpleasant feeling; unlike the unreasonable stab of jealousy that pained his stomach as Adam knelt down next to the man and placed his hand on his shoulder.
Kris shook his head to clear the feeling and knelt beside Adam.
"It's Reverend Gokey." Adam told Kris. "I think he's in shock.'
"Who would rob a preacher?" Kris asked, pulling his canteen from his shoulder and holding it to Reverend Gokey's lips. The man drank eagerly, blinking his eyes. The water must have brought him back to, for he immediately jumped to his feet.
"The Bass Mountain Boys, I'd swear on the Book of Matthew that it was them. All the foundation money. All the money. You gotta help me. I know you're just a crackpot scientist and a cold-blooded killer but you just gotta."
"What?" Adam said, a frown clouding over his face.
"I didn't mean that. No offense. I'm just...We haven't met, Mr. Arkansas, I'm Reverend Daniel Gokey."
"Why don't you calm down and explain what happened." Kris said, bristling at being called a cold-blooded killer by a man whose life he had just saved.
"I've been all over the east coast the past few months drumming up donations for my foundation - I wanted to start a group home for families of deceased mine workers in Westport. I collected thirty five thousand dollars. We don't have a bank in Westport so I had to consolidate all the money in Deadwood and then move it up here on the Trackless. I don't know how the gang found out the Trackless route, but they ambushed me. The driver died in the explosion - I guess they had set up some TNT along the way."
"Not likely." Adam said, peering beneath the Trackless. This looks like the remainder of a time-delay mechanism. He pulled out a mass of charred wires and waved it around as if Kris and Daniel would recognize it better while moving. "It might have been an inside job. If someone at the Trackless company..."
"I'm telling you it was the Bass Mountain Boys. I read about them in the Weekly." Danny insisted, frowning.
"I thought they were in Colorado." Kris said, turning his head towards Adam to exchange a glance. He wanted to help the preacher, but the man seemed intent on making it more difficult than necessary.
"We gotta follow them. It's three on three now, and we got the man, the myth, the legend: Krissy the Kid here. If we can catch up to them they won't know what hit 'em. I'm not bad with a gun. I mean, I used'ta be good. I gave it up to follow God's teachings but I think it's like in the Bible. There's a time to reap and a time to sow. A time to give up violence and a time to round up a posse and hunt down some thieving bastards with Old Testament vengeance."
"I don't remember that particular passage," Kris said. "But I think we agree on principle.
"So whattaya say boys? Should we saddle up and ride?"
Adam and Kris had a small conversation with their eyes. Adam looked annoyed, but he kept looking off in the direction the gang had ridden off. He ordered a lot of materials via the Trackless Train. If there was a criminal infiltrating the system, it would make sense that he'd want to stop them.
Kris just wanted to help the foundation; this wasn't the first time he had heard of the orphan and widow problem in the Dakotas. The Devilstone mines were dangerous places. There were frequent gas explosions, cave-ins, and also strange, unaccounted for deaths in the mines. The sad thing was that once the fatherless children grew up; they usually took to the mines in order to earn enough money to live. Perhaps Reverend Gokey could make a difference.
"We'll ride. But you've got a problem. There's only two horses and neither of you have guns."
Danny got down on one knee next to one of the dead bandits. He unbuckled the gun belt and pulled it gingerly from around the dead man's waist. After clipping it around his own mid section, he looked into the man's face and gently closed his eyelids, murmuring a prayer. He repeated the gesture with the other cadaver, handing the gun belt to Adam.
"Well that takes care of that." Kris said. "But the horses."
"Danny can take Conway. Glamour is strong enough to carry us both." Adam spoke up, warily taking the gun belt from Danny. He fumbled with it, looking awkward and unsure of himself as he fitted it over his pants. Kris eyed Glamour nervously, reaching out to pat her flank.
Adam clucked to her and held her steady. Her eyes rolled angrily in their sockets but her ears stayed forward.
"It'll be alright. She likes you."
Kris snorted a laugh as Glamour tried to nip him.
"If you say so, Adam. How do I..." Kris gestured awkwardly towards the horse. He wasn’t sure how to get on without kicking Adam in the face.
Adam got off Glamour and mumbled to her, kissing her nose as Kris mounted. She held perfectly still beneath Adam's hand. He took her reins and noted how tersely she carried her bit. She felt afraid, not angry, and Kris wondered where Adam had got her and what condition she had been in. He patted her tentatively as Adam swung up behind him, pushing Kris forward in the saddle. It was surprising how well they fit together, Adam's chin fitting just above Kris's head.
Kris looked over at Daniel, who had been watching them mount up a bit apprehensively. He was soon astride Conway, who danced a bit under the unfamiliar weight.
"Easy, girl." Kris calmed her, the horse steadying at the smooth sound of Kris's voice.
"Let's ride!" Adam shouted suddenly, slipping one hand around Kris's waist and spurring Glamour into a gallop. His other hand fell on Kris's thigh and suddenly Kris forgot about the reason they were riding, forgot the pain in his right hand from the stinging Redfire plant. He even forgot about the heartache that he had carried around with him in his chest for years now. The horse between his legs was pure power and the man behind his back knew just how to handle her. Though it was Kris's hands on the reins, it was Adam's movements she responded to. Every shift in his hips was an unspoken command. Kris learned his language too, feeling his body lean forward when he felt Adam press against his back; tilt backwards when he felt Adam's hands tighten on his chest.
Across the plain they raced, Kris lost in the rhythm of the hoof beats and the movement of Adam's body against his. A feeling bubbled up in his chest. It was like longing but Kris didn't know what for. He only knew that this felt good. Fisting the reigns in his right hand, he let his left fall atop Adam's, filling the gaps between Adam's fingers with his own fingertips. Adam pressed against his back and Kris edged Glamour on faster, the pace of her hooves finally matching the fevered pitch of Kris's heart as Adam's hand tightened around his leg,
***
It was sunset when Kris held up his hand and pulled back sharply on Glamour's reins.
"Hey, girl, Heeey." Adam said, calming her down as she fought for her head. Conway had already stopped, having seen Kris's hand. She now stood placidly, ears twitching as Daniel patted her on the side.
"Why did we stop? They could be getting away. We should ride up on them and take them by surprise." Daniel said, bringing Conway along side Glamour. The two horses seemed to exchange glances. Kris imagined that Conway was griping about her rider, to which Glamour snorted and tossed her head, as if to say "trade you."
"They've got a cart, so they have to be traveling slowly. Even with the head start, we should be upon them now. If we're lucky they don't know their being followed, and even if they do they think there's only two of us. They've got to stop their horses, and riding at night, even through the open prairie, is dangerous. We're only a little northwest of the Badlands, and lord knows what could come creeping out of there." Kris theorized. "If it were me, I'd circle up for the night, sleep in shifts, and head a bit off bearing into those trees, hoping the forest would conceal the smoke."
"Sounds reasonable, since most of the Badlands creatures wouldn't go into a forest. The habitat is too different. We could sneak up on them." Adam chimed in, his voice thick with excitement. Kris realized that this was probably Adam’s first time riding down train robbers. The thought wasn’t exactly comforting.
"Exactly. They probably would set up camp along a stream. Any in the area?" Kris asked, turning to Daniel.
Daniel took a moment, looking around the landscape in the quickly diminishing light. Kris heard a coyote howl at the sliver of moon that had escaped the shadow of the earth.
"There." He pointed. A small outcropping of low trees and tall grass marred the otherwise uniform landscape, leading into the forest. "I bet that's a stream. It looked like that back home in the cow pastures, the trees always sprung up around the little creeks that the cows drank from."
"Cows?" Adam asked, and Kris could practically hear his nose wrinkling.
Daniel laughed. "You wouldn't know it by the accent but I'm from Wisconsin. That's north of Chicago. I grew up on a dairy farm."
"I know where Wisconsin is." Adam mumbled, as though he hadn't really been sure.
"How'd you get out here?" Kris asked, motioning for Adam to dismount. He followed suit, taking Adam's hand to jump down from the great height of Glamour's back.
"I...let's just say I fell into the wrong crowd, alright? You know what it's like, man. You've done things. I read about them. But you seem alright now. I'm alright now too. I gave up that life, I wanna help people. Hey maybe this happened for a reason. Maybe I was supposed to meet you all. We make a funny group; a preacher, a gunslinger, and a bona-fide mad scientist.” Daniel chucked at his own joke. “God works in mysterious ways."
"He sure does." Adam said, his even tone masking the sarcastic meaning Kris was sure hid in his words. "But that's enough, Reverend Gokey. We need to tie up the horses and get a move on."
Kris led the way towards the probable stream, stopping every now and again to look and listen to their surroundings. He smiled and gave Daniel a thumbs-up when he heard the trickling of water.
"Just like home." Daniel repeated, returning the gesture. Kris thought he heard Adam groan, and smiled to himself. He could tell that the two men carried an uneasy tension between them. Kris guessed it was because Adam didn’t attend the church service in town. Since Adam hadn’t told him about it, Kris hadn’t gone either. Instead he just prayed a bit in his room, figuring God would hear him anyway.
A few minutes later Kris smelled smoke and roast meat. He held up his hand again.
"We've gotta wait it out. They're eating dinner so all of them will still be awake. Let's head downstream a ways and sit down."
"I could use a bit of a rest anyway. Mind if I nod off for a bit? They hit me in the head pretty good, and that explosion. It was a good thing I was on the other side of the train car. That poor driver..." Daniel looked up at the stars, searching for something, it seemed. "It seems so pointless. Why is death so pointless?"
Kris felt his throat tighten. "Take an hour." He told Daniel. Adam and I will keep watch."
Kris winced. If his hand had been stinging before, it was positively on fire now. He moved towards the stream, plunging his hand into the cold water. The burning feeling only increased, and Kris withdrew it with a hiss, biting his other hand to keep from crying out. Adam was by his side in a moment.
"Let me see," Adam said, taking the injured hand gently and turning it over. "I'm so sorry, Kristopher." He said, placing his hand over the pained area. The heat from his hand felt good and the pain subsided somewhat.
"It's my own fault. I'm the one that went taking off without a warning. Should have waited till you were done."
"I'm the one that had you out there helping me with that dangerous shit in the first place." Adam shot back, rubbing his fingers on Kris’s hand.
"Adam, you hired me to help you with dangerous shit." Kris argued, angry that Adam was blaming himself.
"That was before I cared about you getting hurt." Adam admitted softly, squeezing Kris hand gently. The pain was almost gone now, and Kris sighed relief, even if it was only temporary.
"Are you gonna fire me, then?" Kris looked up at him, honestly worried about the answer.
"No. I've gotten used to you, Mr. Arkansas." Adam's voice was mildly teasing, and Kris felt a warmth effuse him that had nothing to do with the Redfire plant.
"Yeah." Kris mumbled. "S'mutual."
"Just try to keep it hot."
"What?" Kris's mouth quirked into a confused grin, wondering what on earth Adam could mean.
"Your hand. Honestly, Kristopher, do try and keep up." Adam laughed, eyes and teeth flashing in the starlight. "Till we get to back to the laboratory this is the best we can do. We should have gone there right away. I'm worried about permanent nerve damage. Left untreated..."
"We had to follow these robbers and get the money back for those kids. Daniel’s right, they need some hope. Besides, there's nothing that could go wrong with me that you couldn't fix, Adam Lambert. I haven't known you long but that much I've got figured out."
Adam hummed a bit, obviously enjoying the ego-boost.
"You know you're nothing like what I read about in the Weekly."
"Not too much of a disappointment, I hope?" Kris felt compelled to be closer to him even though only inches separated him. It wasn't close enough, not after their afternoon ride. In fact Kris wasn't sure what "close enough" meant anymore, or what he would do when he reached that mythical point.
"Kristopher-" Adam drew in his breath sharply.
"Hey guys, should we get goin'? Daniel's voice cut through the tension in the air like a barber's razor. "I think they're done with dinner, all I smell is smoke now..."
Kris scooted away from Adam, feeling strangely guilty and disappointed at the same time. Daniel had interrupted something, and Kris wished he could say what.
***
Daniel pointed out the leader, who was already asleep, an empty bottle of whisky in his clenched fist. One of the other men was curled up next to him, arm draped protectively over the bigger man. Kris thought they looked oddly like lovers. Maybe they were. Kris swallowed hard. The idea of killing thieving bandits hadn't seemed so bad. The idea of killing two people in love was a much more difficult prospect. Especially when he just...
He just what? Kris looked at Adam. Is that what this was, this feeling in his chest? At first he thought it might have been pure, animal lust - it had been a long time, a long, long time since he'd been in that proximity to another person before. It didn't matter that Adam was a man; the ride had been intimate on a level Kris had been sorely missing. But it was more than lust. He genuinely enjoyed the other man; his viewpoints were refreshing, his sense of humor unique; and his genius astounding.
Was it love? Kris looked at the slumbering couple. What that love? Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Daniel level his gun at the sleeping man.
"Do not lay down with a man as you would a woman. It is abomination." Daniel quoted, a scowl of disgust on his face, and pulled the trigger.
The watchman shouted, having nodded off at his post. He trained his pistol at Daniel, clearly visible now in the light of the fire.
Kris reacted instinctively, firing on the watchman, who dropped to the forest floor. Daniel took aim at the only remaining man, but Adam shouted
"No!"
The man started to run away, but Adam pulled something from his coat. Kris didn't know what it was, but it was glowing blue. Adam took careful aim and fired a burst of light from the tip. The smell was acrid, but familiar. Devilstone.
The running man yelped and dropped to the ground with a resounding thud.
Daniel and Kris both looked at Adam, jaws as wide as the canyon in the rainbow rocks of the Badlands.
"Loss of consciousness due to an infusion of electro-magnetic energy and Devilstone, channeled through a single shot weapon. If only it could be manufactured on a larger scale, it would-"
"Change the world." Kris finished, smiling at him before he could embark on another of his utopian rants.
"Why'd you do it?" Daniel asked, face purple. "Why not kill him and have done with it. He stole from me. He stole from children. You know how it is."
"People can change. Maybe he just fell in with the wrong crowd. Why not make him a rehabilitation project, hmm? Seems like you know a bit about it." Adam's gaze was fierce. Kris had never seen him look like that before.
Daniel's gun was still pointing at the man. "But he's a fucking- you saw him lying there with that guy. He’s a -"
"He's a WHAT you sonofabitch?" Kris yelped. " Wanna throw Bible verses around? How about something more recent? 'Judge not lest ye shall be judged.' 'Love thy neighbor as thyself.' 'Faith, Hope, and Love and the greatest of these is Love.'"
Daniel dropped his gun, stunned.
"I saved your life." Kris continued, shaking in anger. "I killed three men so you could follow your dream. I did it because I thought you were a good person, I believe in your cause. But damn if I'm going to let you take a life because your heart is filled with hatred." A tear trickled down his face, followed by another, as he thought of the two men lying there, side by side. Yes they had stolen money, but Kris felt like they had taken more. He felt sick.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Arkansas." Daniel said, backing away from the unconscious man. "I was...I wasn't myself. I didn't mean no...I don't hate people. But the Bible says..."
"I don't give a damn. God gave you a good head on your shoulders. Put it to use. God gave you a heart. Search it, Reverend. Tell me what you find. But my heart tells me that love is never wrong." The words fell out of his mouth, soft and tumbling like clothing hung out to dry. Golden, like a woman's hair in the sunlight. Kris drew in his breath, sharply. He bent down beside the dead ringleader and closed the man's unmoving eyes.
"God." The Reverend said, and it was an entreaty more than a statement. It was almost a prayer. It was too much for the preacher. He pulled off the gun belt and flung it as far as he could into the darkness. Kris watched as he fell to his knees, mouth moving in silent admonishment. For guidance or forgiveness, Kris couldn't tell. But he swore he heard Daniel mumble “Never again.” It was good enough for Kris.
He stumbled away from the fire and the praying preacher, into the welcoming darkness. Where had these feelings come from? He had never liked when people used the Bible as an excuse to hate people. He had never seen it used as an excused to kill someone, at least not first hand. But never before had he reacted so strongly.
"Kristopher." A voice whispered from behind him, and Kris closed his eyes and turned towards it.
Arms were around him, strong and sure. Kris buried his face into Adam's chest; feeling like the world around him had ceased to exist.
"Thank you." Adam mumbled into his hair. "For stopping Daniel. And for saying what you said. It meant... well, Kris it means a lot to some one like me." Kris swore he felt Adam's lips press against his head, and his heart raced even faster than Kris thought possible. He looked up at Adam, waiting, but Adam continued speaking. "But where did that come from?"
"I don't know." Kris replied. "I just saw them lying there and in that instant they were just people. Just sleeping people. I heard what the Reverend said, and I know how it looked, but so what. I don't believe it's wrong. I don't think God would make people wrong. Even if they were bad people, I didn't want Gokey to kill him for the wrong reason. That doesn't make much sense, does it?" Kris pulled back a bit further for a moment, needing to search Adam's eyes.
"It makes perfect sense. I trust you, I trust your judgment. I trust your heart."
"I'm glad you didn't kill him." Kris mumbled.
"So am I." Adam said, fighting a grin. "Though I feel kind of silly ..."
"What?"
"I used the Ray on him because I wanted him alive for questioning." Adam admitted. "And you saved him because of a high-minded ideal of right and wrong."
"Oh." Kris managed to choke out a laugh. It sounded funny in his throat. "Well now I feel silly."
"Come here." Adam said, pulling him close again, holding him close where no one but the stars could bear witness.
***
EPITAPH
The hubbub this week is all about Daniel J. Gokey, the right reverend from Westport. A former bad-boy-turned-preacher-man, Gokey has spent the last few months scouring the country for donations for the Westport Children's Fund, a foundation aimed at helping the families of deceased mine workers. Trouble is, the optimistic preacher thought it would be a good idea to move the loot across the plains on the Trackless without a guard detail. Needless to say, the Trackless was robbed. No word on who the bad guys were - conflicting theories point to the Bass Mountain Boys or perhaps an inside job at Trackless Inc.
Lucky for Gokey, and all those dirty-faced urchins, the robbery was witnessed by none other than Krissy the Kid and his faithful companion of late, the almost certainly mad Dr. Adam Lambert. They were gathering materials for Dr. Lambert's upcoming folly when Krissy sprang into action, slaying two of the gunmen before they could even see his cowboy hat peeking out over the prairie grasses. Tough to blame them for that.
Rev. Gokey joined them on an elaborate chase through the wilderness, proving that even God needs a gun-hand sometimes. The heroes caught up with the bandits and battled for the loot. Did God guide the hand that shot the bandit leader? That's anyone's guess, but I know a whole bunch of children that will be remembering Krissy the Kid and friends in their evening prayers. Seems like the doctor's been a steadying influence on our renegade gunslinger - strange since the doctor's own sanity has been known to waver.
Well, that's all till next week folks! Till then keep your friends close and, if you live in Westport, keep Krissy the Kid closer.
The Snoop
Keep Movin' Down the Trail - Chapter 4