ALIAS JOSHUA AND THADDEUS

DRENA HILLS

"A signature always reveals a man's character -

and sometimes even his name."

-

Evan Esar

For as long as anyone could remember they had been there. First a small cabin, then the trading post and then as the family grew and folks married into it, it became a small town in its own right. The fact that almost everyone in it was named Mahoney set no never mind.

Joseph Mahoney, the clan's patriarch, had left Ireland back in the 40's during the potato famine and had no other dream than to find a piece of land he could call his own and raise a family. It was said, and by his wife, that no man loved his family more…after the land.

And what land he had found, rich dark soil graced with green rolling hills along a peaceable river who's bank had never once over flowed in thirty years. In the summer it smelt of honeysuckle, in the winter holly bushes grew heavy with berries. Game was plentiful, the fish in the river nearly jumped in your lap and trees grew close enough for a man to string a hammock and forget to read the book he'd brought.

And Shady Creek Hill, as the jumbled row of houses bookending the trading post came to be known, was content and prospered.

Unfortunately so had Jasper's Landing. The great lumber town 20 miles up the river had also done well for itself and had currently swelled to three times it's original size, which was why Mrs. Francis Jasper had demanded 'the summer home'.

She had read about it in the fashion book from back east. All the affluent people had them, a genteel, serene place in the country to escape the noise and rigors of the city.

Mr. Jasper, a calm, reasonable man, except when it came to choosing women to marry, had pointed out kindly Jasper's Landing was hardly a city and if she wanted the country, well he did own an entire mountain of trees.

Mrs. Jasper had merely turned up her rather already upward nose and ignored him.

A week later she found the site of her summer home, and Joseph Mahoney knew she was trouble the minute she flounced in the door.

*********************************************

"Nicholas."

"Heyes if you don't shut up I am going to flatten you."

"Jessie. Hey I could be Jessie and you could be Frank," Hannibal Heyes laughed amused with himself.

"Heyes for pity sake will you please…"

"Nathaniel…Nathaniel Smith…. no it sounds like I own a bank; doesn't it sound like I own a bank? Wouldn't that be funny people thinking I owned a bank? No, governor might get the wrong idea. What about Napoleon?"

Kid Curry turned in his saddle and stared at his cousin in amazement. It had been two days since they had left Porterville after receiving news of the Governor's offer of amnesty. Sheriff Lom Trevors had given them strict instructions to stay out of trouble and use the alias's he had given them.

It had only taken ten minutes for his partner to realize that while they now had new last names, no thought had been given to what their first names should be. Heyes had jumped at the problem as a way to relieve the boredom of the trail, much to his partner's growing weariness.

"How about Abraham for you?"

"How about we split up now and go for this amnesty on our own?"

"Kid were gonna be stuck with these names for a year, its important we find one…"

"Mr. Jasper didn't ask our first names."

"Well he could have and I want a little more thought than what went into our last names. Smith and Jones, only Lom," Heyes sighed.

"And speaking of Mr. Jasper didn't he seem a little hedgy about this job, like he hadn't told us everything?"

Heyes shrugged, his mind elsewhere, "Security for a building, how hard is that? Hey you think Mahoney's wife still makes that soda bread?"

"Sounds like they're neighbors with these Jaspers, he seemed straight enough, why didn't he just hire one of Joe's boys if he's so concerned about 'vandals'."

"Garrick."

"What?"

"Garrick Jones."

"Heyes where are you getting these names from?"

His partner just shrugged pleasantly, "They just come to me. What about Beauregard?"

"Beauregard!"

"All right don't yell, don't yell," Heyes said feigning hurt. "Abel?"

"The way I'm feeling about now Cain might be a better choice," Kid said pulling his horse in as they turned the bend and stopped. "What the…"

Heyes looked up preoccupied and stopped his horse just as quickly. "Where did that come from?"

"More to the point what's it doing on the Mahoney's house and store?" Kid said angrily and kicking his horse into a fast start he galloped up to the ornate gate linking the brick wall on either side.

"Someone put a big house on their house," Heyes said in amazement looking around.

Sure enough where the Mahoney property had once stood now ran a high brick wall and just barely visible above it, a huge mansion with elegant gravel drive and manicured lawns.

At the gates two armed guards stood and tensed as they approached.

"Were looking for the Jasper house," Kid said calmly. "Mr. Jasper said to tell you Lightning as verfiication he sent us."

"Mrs. Jasper is waiting for you up at the house," one of the men said opening the gate.

"Kid she doesn't need to see both of us, I'm gonna go see if I can find Mahoney, you learn what you can up there."

"Oh thanks."

"Try Benjamin if she asks for a first name."

"Heyes people who own houses like that do not ask the help their first name," Kid said dryly and turned his horse towards the drive.

"Leave your horse here, Mrs. Jasper doesn't like the way horses kick up the drive," one of the men said firmly.

Giving his partner a look that said, 'I rest my case'. Kid got off his horse and tying it, sighed and started up the drive.

***********************************

The first time he and Kid had met the Mahoney's it had been a black, dark night when they had been on the run from a posse, Kid nursing a busted rib from a fall.

They had finally stopped, exhausted at the trading post, soaked to the skin, incapable of going any further.

Mary Mahoney had not asked questions, merely had her strapping sons hustle them down into the cellar where she had tended Kid and fed them both steaming bowls of hot soup that had brought them back to life.

When her husband had arrived he had merely asked they stay only long enough to recover so as not to endanger his family.

Neither man had forgotten the kindness and concerned Heyes moved into the woods away from the house following the tracks as they disappeared deep into the glen.

"Hold it right there mister!" came a voice doing its best to sound older than it was.

Heyes stopped the horse and slowly raised his hands.

"Good, don't want to miss when I kill ya dead!"

********************************

"In the future Mrs. Jasper wishes servants to use the back kitchen entrance," the butler said disapprovingly of Kid as they both faced off at the front door, which Kid had come through despite the butler's objections.

"Yea, I'll remember that," Kid said. "Now is she around?"

"Mrs. Jasper is in the summer room, wait here and I will tell her you have arrived."

He gave Kid one more look that suggested his horror at having to leave such a ruffian alone and added, "And please do not touch anything."

Kid smiled and as the man watched put his hat on the marble statue beside him and smiled pleasantly.

The man just shuddered and hurried away.

Shaking his head, Kid removed the hat and began looking around curious.

He knew Mr. Jasper had money. The saw mill and lumber operation had proved that, but he hadn't seemed the type to go in for such an ostentatious show of wealth.

Kid had been in expensive homes before. Both Silky and Soapy owned residences that were both elegant and palacious, but they also had style and taste and made a person feel welcome no matter what he was used to or his station in life.

Someone was trying way too hard here.

"This way Mr. Jones. Mrs. Jasper will see you now," said the butler said frostily as if he had done his best to convince Mrs. Jasper otherwise.

He was shown down the hall into a window-lined room filled with too many flowers and too little furniture. There draped across a chaise lounge was the ubiquitous Mrs. Jasper complete with fan.

She was perhaps 50, dressed as 30 with light colored chiffons and too much jewelry. Kid usually found something to appreciate in every woman he met, no matter what her age. But he was hard pressed with this over painted matron frowning at him.

"MISTER Jones," she said in a shrill operatic voice. "You are late."

"Yes ma'am, I'd think about replacing that fella you got answering the door, keeps people from seeing you and makes them late."

He said it so innocently she blinked taken back, his charm and structure not lost on her.

"My husband said there were two of you."

"Yes ma'am, my partner is checking out the grounds."

She shivered, "Wretched Irish troublemakers."

"Ma'am?" Kid said straightening slightly.

"The people we bought this land from, they've been most disagreeable."

"Joseph Mahoney sold you this land?" Kid said incredulously.

"You sound like you know him?"

"I do and he wouldn't sell this land."

"Well he would and he did, I have the deed to prove it," her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Did my husband know you were a friend of his?"

"No ma'am, matter didn't come up."

"Well his brood have threatened a 'ballyhoo' as they call it over this and I do not wish to give him a foot in the door if you are on his side."

That was twice she had insulted Kid in the space of a few minutes and he was quickly losing his patience.

"Ma'am, your husband hired me for a job and I gave my word to do it, I keep my word and when and if I decide I am on the wrong side I will let him know clearly and up front."

To his surprise instead of getting angry she merely fanned herself quicker and smiled at him.

Wonderful, Kid groaned, she's that type.

"Your tea ma'am," came a soft Irish lilt and turning Kid saw a beautiful young girl carefully hid in a maid's uniform and cap enter with a tray.

"Leave it there Priscilla," the one said waving her off, her eyes not leaving Kid.

"I best be going too ma'am, need to check in with my partner."

"Oh what a pity, I thought you might stay for tea," she said and this time she giggled.

"Ah yes ma'am, thank you ma'am, but your protection comes first," and he nearly beat the maid out the door.

"Cilla?" Kid said when they were both safely down the corridor.

"Kid!" she cried flinging her arms around him as she had the last time he had seen her, when she had been no more than 16.

"Look at you! You're all grown up!"

"And married I am too!" she said holding out her left hand proudly to display a simple gold band.

"So Timmy finally came up to scratch did he?" he said hugging her delighted.

"Aye, that talk you gave him before you left made all the difference. Such lies saying you were coming back to carry me off if he didn't get there first!"

"What makes you think I wouldn't have?" he smiled at the young girl.

"Because you’re a gentlemen, me father said so, you and Mr. Heyes and speaking of which where is that silver tongued charmer?"

"Out looking for your father, Cil what is going on? What happened to the post and your home?"

"That one," she said bitterly nodding towards the summer room door. "Her and her fancy lawyers suckered me father good they did on this wild land deal and next thing we know he's lost the land and our home."

"Where is he? Where are you all living now?"

"Like gypsies, father refuses to let anyone build because he's says were coming back here. Full of grand schemes of revenge he is. He made me take this job so I could spy for him, but I did it to keep food in the young ones' mouths."

"Let me go talk to Heyes and see what I can do."

"It's hopeless Kid, I tell ya we'd need a miracle," she said miserable fingering the small saint pendant on the chain around her neck. "Mother keeps telling us to have faith, but I've run out prayers, I don't think anyone is listening to our troubles."

"Don't you worry," Kid said kissing her on the forehead. "Troubles are our specialty. We got more experience that is rightly fair!"

***************************

"So you lost everything?" Heyes said and added, "Thank you," as his coffee cup was refilled.

"Aye, never did like that house anyway, roof leaked, Joe always said he'd fix it…" he voice trailed off and Heyes waited while she collected herself.

He had been led into the clearing to find three covered wagons camped out as a makeshift home for the Mahoney family.

Mary had greeted him shooing off her eight year old son for pointing his rifle at a friend and moments later he was seated at the table being fed by one of her many daughters and daughter's in laws.

"Yes, everything and now the mad fool and the lads are headed for Jasper's Landing to have it out with the great man himself.

"Mary have you ever met Charles Jasper? He seems like a reasonable man."

"Now how would I? Sends his lawyers to do his talking and his wife can't belittle herself to communicate with the working folk now can she?"

"Mary Jasper has 200 men, lumberjacks the lot of them, Joe won't stand a chance."

Mary sat up straighter wiping a tear quickly from the corner of her eye with her apron and wrapping an arm around her nearest daughter's waist.

"I know that Heyes, but you know him, Irish proud and American stubborn, he won't listen."

Heyes got up and put a hand on her shoulder, "All right, let me try talking to him, don't you worry, I'll think of something."

**********************************

Kid met his partner just as he left the clearing.

"You hear?"

"Yup."

The two looked at each other. It hadn't even been a week and they were all ready faced with a problem that could quite easily undue all the work began on their amnesty.

"I told her we'd try and sort this out," Heyes admitted.

"Then I guess we better."

"Kid this could cost us…"

"Heyes I want this amnesty, but not at the cost of turning my back on a friend."

Heyes nodded as they passed wall the buildings that had stood there now a memory and a thought suddenly struck him. "Maybe we can have both!"

******************************

"Jasper you blackheart!" Joe Mahoney yelled standing in the doorway of the lumberman's office. "Show yourself before me and me boys burn your whole wood down!"

Charles Jasper looked up surprised from the chess game he was playing against himself. He was big man who was known to still come out and saw along side his men when the urge took him. He was respected and genuinely liked by all that knew him, his only vices chess and a good cigar.

So it was with great surprise he met the angry mob in his doorway led by Joseph Mahoney.

Mahoney barely reached his shoulders even with the shock of red hair that stood on end no matter how hard he combed it.

"I believe we have not met sir," Jasper said standing with quiet dignity.

"Oh don't you be using your fancy how to's and whys with me laddie!"

"Mr. Jasper you got problems?" Jake, his foreman said coming in the side door a large group of men behind him all holding axes and clubs.

"I'm not really sure," Jasper said still confused.

"Yes you've got trouble you land stealing Englishman!"

"Actually my family is from Holland…"

"You can't talk to Mr. Jasper like that…." Jake bellowed.

Kid's gun shot off one bullet and everyone turned to face the two men leaning in the window unable to get through the doors.

"Mr. Jasper?" Heyes said pleasantly. "Joe? Could we speak to you a minute?"

****************************

"I had no idea," Jasper said horrified sitting back in his chair dazed ten minutes later. "She said she'd found the land she wanted and could get it cheap, had her lawyer handle the whole thing."

"A man should know what goes on with his family!" Mahoney said angrily.

"Mr. Mahoney you've met my wife," Jasper said honestly. "If she told you she'd found a place 20 miles away she wanted to spend all her time would you stop her?"

For the first time the anger dimmed in Joe Mahoney's eyes. "Aye I can see your point in not fighting that!"

"My wife also has a considerable fortune in her own right, she bought that land and made that deal with her own money. I can see her digging her heels in and refusing to budge," Jasper said mournfully.

"Are you a man or a mouse, she's your wife!" Joe yelled angry again.

"Mr. Mahoney, men I can handle. Men I have a nice decent knock down drag out fight and things are settled. But women! Women I do not understand nor never will! Women I cannot handle!"

"Then me and my boys are gonna take our land back!"

"Joe, woman has legal claim, now we gotta find a way to do this honestly," Kid said trying to soothe the man.

"Honestly! What kind of talk is that coming from the two most…."

"I got it," Heyes said sitting up suddenly having looked up from the window he had been staring out as he listened. "Mr. Jasper those surveyors, think you could talk them into letting me borrow their equipment?"

"Well I'm paying them so I don't see why not, but how on earth is that going to convince Francis to give Mr. Mahoney his land back."

Heyes smiled.

Kid smiled, he knew that smile, and turned to the two men.

"Mr. Smith can handle anyone."

********************************

"I don't suppose you'd mind telling me what you are up to?" Kid asked the next day as they rode back towards Shady Creek Hill horses laden down with survey equipment.

"Kid do you know the wall runs right along where that strip of homes and shops used to be."

"Yes Heyes I've been here before remember?"

"No I mean it really runs right along the row where they were, right over the foundation, the cellars…."

Kid looked at him his eyes widening slightly as the same thought occurred to him.

"Heyes that's brilliant."

"It is isn't it," Heyes grinned happily.

"What do you need me to do?" Kid grinned back wickedly.

"Handle the fuses at both ends. It will have to be little so its not noticed, just enough to start a chain reaction…"

*********************************

"Excuse me, excuse me, back up please," Heyes said coming up and setting down a pile of 'equipment' (his rule was lots and make it look impressive, people just filled in the blanks what it actually did).

"This is the man Mrs. Jasper, says he's from the government," one of the guards said nervously.

"Young man, what is the meaning of all this?" Mrs. Jasper said sweeping out of the gate to face Heyes who was writing in a little book.

"You own this place?" he said without looking up.

"I do. And who are you?" Mrs. Jasper said haughtily.

"Government ge-ologist," Heyes said with a long slow drawl. "Army Corp. of engineers, checking out a fault line."

"A what?"

"Earthquakes ma'am, real problem around these parts." Heyes began taking long strikes as if measuring something and then reaching the wall, stopped, frowned and began writing again furiously.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Mrs. Jasper said worriedly at his expression.

Heyes looked up and gave her his most sorrowful expression. "Ah nothing ma'am, not my place to warn you…I mean nothing." He glanced out into the woods beyond and bit back a smile at the audience he knew was watching.

"Warn me of what!?"

Heyes sighed as if weighing what he could say and finally gave in, "Ma'am I hate to tell you this, but your house sits on one of the worse earthquake lines I have ever measured. Not good ma'am, not good at all."

"What are you talking about! I have lived in this areas 26 years we've never had an…."

"26 years?" Heyes said with a frightened look. "Are you sure? Not one in 26 years?" Suddenly he was scurrying to pack up his equipment.

"What are you doing? Where are you going?" Mrs. Jasper said concerned.

"Ma'am this is an every 25 years fault. Could go any minute and once they start, well whole area remains unstable for years."

"Young man do not be ridiculous, of all the foolish…."

The rumble started beneath their feet, slowly building, as it seemed to move and pick up speed.

As one the group turned in horror and watched as the earth gave way beneath the wall and slowly it crumbled down into the ground disappearing from sight into the forgotten cellars beneath.

The effect was spectacular. Even Heyes found himself gasping in awe as the dust lifted and the wall was completely destroyed.

"Guess the house will be next," Heyes said matter of factly.

It was a toss up who was on their way first, Mrs. Jasper or her help.

*************************

"I like what you've done with the place," Kid said a week later as he re-entered the 'summer house' with his partner and Mr. Jasper to find Mary Mahoney had made a few changes.

Gone was the sterile breakable don't touch atmosphere and it had been replaced with a casual home like feel that bid you welcome and drew you in.

"I've boxed up all your wives doodads Mr. Jasper, safe they are for you when want them picked up," Mary said as the group joined at the table for supper.

"Oh keep them, she left for Europe this morning, says she wants to live there, its safer," Jasper said looking happy and relaxed.

"Oh I'm so sorry," Mary said concerned.

"I'm not, so tell me Mr. Smith where did you learn about surveying and earthquakes. I must tell you that was the most entertaining thing I've seen in all my years."

"Ah just something I came across in my former career," Heyes smiled giving Kid a look as both remembered a certain railway survey that had caused a spur line to leave a gold train in their laps.

"And what former career would that be?" Jasper said interested.

"Oh Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones only have one career," Cilla smiled pulling off the necklace around her neck. "Helping people. Here you are Mr. 'Jones', giving the saints competition you are!"

"Not the saints!" Mary laughed. "Tis Joshua himself who must be green with envy, the walls of Jerico itself never fell so easy!"

"Joshua!" Heyes said tasting the word and then grinning.

"I just want you to know you'll always be welcome here Mr. Mahoney," Mary went on.

"Thank you, with that kind of cooking I may take you up on it! I don't suppose you have any more of that cake? So tell me Joe you play chess?" he said eyeing the chessboard by the fire.

Joe Mahoney looked at him cagily, "I do, but I warn you now, only one man ever beat me."

Both men looked over at Heyes, who looked up innocently.

"You played him too huh?" Jasper said sympathetically.

"He doesn't count, like playing the devil himself that is. So tell me do ya like cigars Mr. Jasper?"

"Chuck, call me Chuck and as a matter of fact…."

Kid and Heyes got up and left the two men to their work.

"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Heyes laughed as they stepped outside.

"And Mary got a roof that doesn’t leak," Kid grinned.

"Not to mention I got myself a first name finally," Heyes said pleased.

"You mean you finally found one you like?" Kid said laughing.

"Joshua Smith," Heyes said aloud listening.

"Joshua," Kid said considering it, "I like it. Should go pretty well with mine."

Heyes looked at him surprised, "You found one too!?"

"Cilla did," Kid held up the saint's medal the girl had worn around her neck. "Patron saint of hopeless cases and things despaired of. One of the twelve disciples himself, first cousin to the good Lord," Kid recited.

"Cilla told you that, you never paid attention in Sunday school," Heyes said cynically. "Which one is it?"

"Thaddeus," Kid smiled. "Thaddeus Jones."

Heyes considered this. "Thaddeus and Joshua, yea not bad. Hey you think Joe's got any more of those cigars."

"Heyes," Kid said catching his arm. "You don't think that's an omen, patron saint of hopeless cases and things despaired of do you? I mean concerning the amnesty?"

Heyes grinned and slapped him on the shoulder, "Nah Kid this amnesty thing is gonna be a snap, this job was just a rare occasion. Time is gonna fly by with barely a problem to mark it."

"And if it doesn't?" Kid said still doubtful. "What if its harder than we think? What if we run into trouble?"

Heyes thought for a moment and then grinned, "Then I guess we'll just have to knock it down!"