“A wise man gets more use
from his enemies than a fool from his friends.”
-
Baltsasar Gracian
“Heyes you really sure this
is such a good idea?” Kid Curry asked as he handed his hat to the butler and
peered suspiciously into the penthouse suite drawing room of the finest hotel
in the city.
“Will
you quit worrying! Silky invited us and
Mac too,” Heyes whispered under his breath and accepted the glass of champagne
and the smile offered him by the maid.
“Yea,
but its Harlingen’s room and he knows who we are!” Kid hissed back ignoring the
champagne and the smile.
“Suite,”
Heyes corrected looking around impressed.
“Yea, but so do Mac and Silky.”
“Exactly
and they also know how you play poker, only an idiot invites Hannibal Heyes to
play poker with them and they aren’t idiots.”
Heyes
smiled with genuine affection at his cousin and his faith in him. “Kid I don’t always win.”
“Well
then you lose less than any man I ever met.
Heyes in a fair game where you only have to think about the game and
enjoy it; a game where you’re not worried about being recognized your
unbeatable and Silky at least knows that.
They are using you for something and I don’t like it.”
“Kid,
relax I trust Silky and I think I trust Mac.”
“Then
why didn’t they want me to come?”
Heyes
suddenly looked uncomfortable, but he sighed realizing very little escaped his
cousin’s attention including the slight in the invitation that had just been
addressed to Heyes.
“They
probably don’t think you want to play…” Heyes said lamely.
“No they just wanted you
here and I wanna know why,” Kid said frowning as the door opened and Texas
rancher Patrick MacCreedy entered followed by ex con man and now pillar of San
Francisco society Silky O’Sullivan and railroad magnate Harlingen.
All three smiled at Heyes
with a possessive gleam in their eye and Kid’s look got darker. Heyes, despite all his melancholy musings,
tended to only think the best of the people he called friends. This from time to time, more often than Kid
like to think, left him wide open to be broad sided by the fact people take
advantage of friends who were as clever and brilliant as Hannibal Heyes.
“Ah Mr. Heyes so good to see
you again,” Harlingen said and then stopped noticing Kid. “And Mr. Curry.”
“Mr. Harlingen,” Heyes
said. “I must confess I was a bit
surprised when I returned to my hotel to find your card. I was unaware you three knew each other.”
“Well Harlingen and I are
old friends,” Mac said with a wave of his cigar. “Course you introduced me to
Mr. Sullivan.”
“Mr. Sullivan and I both
enjoy a game of poker and play whenever I am in town,” Harlingen said. “Mr. MacCreedy consented to join us and we
have all played several times since his arrival here.”
“And yes well,” Harlingen
went on, a little too quickly for Kid’s liking, “When we met at Sotheby’s after the auction and I saw you both
there I couldn’t help but remember how enjoyable it was the last time we played
a few hands,” Harlingen smiled.
“Mr. Harlingen the last time
we played poker with you we nearly got arrested for stealing a fortune in
jewels,” Kid said simply. “Now one of
you wanna tell us what is really going on?”
“What’s going on is a poker
game!” Mac said giving Kid a glare.
“Mac you three have more
money than we will ever see in our lives and you all also know I have every
chance of taking a good deal of it from you all as I have in the past. Now what’s really going on?” Heyes said arms
folded.
“See I told you he was
sharp!” Mac laughed.
“Now Heyes calm down its
just that we’ve had a little problem for some time now and when the three of us
met up and realized you were in town we saw a chance to…” Silky said briskly.
“Use him,” Kid said coldly.
“Acquire your services and
skill,” Harlingen said coldly. “Mr.
Curry I don’t believe you were even invited to this evening’s get
together. My note clearly requested Mr.
Heyes. Your particular…skills are not
required in fact having a hired gun sitting here will only arouse
suspicion. I thought of Mr. Heyes because
he has the intelligence and finesse to pass himself off as one of our circle,
you however…”
Heyes set his glass down.
“Good night Silky, Mac.”
“Heyes wait!” Silky groaned giving Harlingen a glare. Stupid fool did he really think insulting
Curry would give them Heyes’s cooperation?
“No Silky I think I’ve heard
enough.”
“Heyes its all right,” Kid
said wearily. He had been here
before. One of the reasons he had never
taken to the con crowd was their tendency to think of him as hired gun incapable
of putting two competent sentences together.
He knew he was no where near the genius Heyes was, he had been dealing
with that his whole life, but it still stung.
“No Silky its not. You invite me to a poker game and exclude my
partner, a friend of yours, with no explanation. Then you insult him and me by thinking I would sit down to play
with men who…”
“$1000 apiece,” Harlingen
said. “Ah I knew that would get your
attention.”
Heyes looked at Kid. They needed the money. Jobs had been few and far between lately and
they had been too hungry too often.
That money would give them a serious stake and a few days of
luxury. Only a fool would turn it down
because the man offering it had insulted his kin.
“Good night Mr. Harlingen,”
Heyes said picking up his hat.
The three men looked at each
other desperate. Silky sighed, he knew
Heyes, their only chance in getting him back was to have Curry convince him.
“Kid talk to him,” Silky
said. “It’s good money for an evenings
work.”
“He’s right boys,” Mac said.
“Look we’ll go into the next
room, see that the table is all ready for tonight’s game and you two talk it
over!” Silky said with all the charm he
could muster and before Harlingen could say anything more they had dragged him
from the room.
“Where you wanna try next?”
Heyes asked turning back to the door.
Kid swallowed a smile. People said he was stubborn, but he had
nothing on Heyes.
“It’s a lot of money Heyes.”
“Not that much,” Heyes said
firmly.
His loyalty touched his
cousin’s heart. “I’m betting they got a
shark in the game, you could figure it out and have two thousand dollars to
show for your trouble.”
“Kid, I…”
“I know, its all right, I’ll
go over to Lou’s and try and save you one of the girls, even though we both
know they all prefer me,” Kid said lightly.
“What he said was wrong,”
Heyes said frowning looking at the well dressed man standing before him. Kid had proven countless times he could work
the con, he just didn’t enjoy it.
“Heyes we need the money,”
Kid said. “Really its all right. Easy to understand them wanting the smart
one. I’ll see you later.”
And before Heyes could
object his partner was gone.
Hannibal Heyes stood there a
long moment.
“I figured he would convince
you,” Silky said from the doorway.
“Don’t push it Silky I’m
still not decided.”
“He’ll get over it,” Mac
said coming into the room. “He should
be used to living in your shadow by now.”
Heyes stared at the man,
“You really don’t get it do you?” He
laughed humorlessly fighting down his anger.
Every instinct in him said to walk away then and there, but a wicked
thought occurred to him and he nodded.
“All right gentlemen you wanna play cards with Hannibal Heyes, lets play
cards, but it is gonna cost you a thousand each…for both of us.”
“That’s highway robbery!” Mac roared.
“Yes I know,” Heyes
smiled. “But that’s who you want to
play with.”
“You would charge a friend
who needs your help?” Silky said looking hurt and sad.
Heyes laughed, “Nice try
Silky, but if you water this too much its gonna go up to two thousand.”
“Oh give him the money,”
Harlingen said with a wave of his hand.
“I’ve lost that much over the last few games alone. But we want results. You tell us how Bateman is cheating, catch
him in the act or no money.”
“And I get to keep everything
I win from you three…and him as a bonus,” Heyes said quietly.
“Win from him!” Mac
guffawed. “Of all the conceit! Boy he’s skinned most of Knob Hill’s
finest. I would like to see you win…”
“Is it a deal?” Heyes said.
“Oh it’s a deal,” Mac said
rolling his eyes. “Though I wouldn’t
get your hopes up, I’ll be amazed if you can even figure out how he is doing
it!”
Heyes smiled, “Then let’s
play some poker gentlemen!”
“Win from him,” Harlingen
laughed as they all retired to the adjourning room prepared for the big game.
Silky said something Irish
under his breath. The two fools had
just asked a tiger for a ride. And
Silky knew how that story ended.
*************************
Kid Curry reached his hotel
room 12 hours later and blearily unlocked the door. It had been a most enjoyable night, or he was pretty certain it
had been once he remembered all of it. He did know he had drunk too much,
something he hadn’t done in a while and was starting to wonder what the appeal
had been.. They had done less of the
wild hoorahs since they had gone in search of amnesty. Heyes said it was because they didn’t have
the money, but Kid knew the real reason.
Before the wild binges had been to cover the lows that came once they
came down after a job. Heyes especially
would hit bottom hard once the job was over and he had nothing to occupy his
mind and talents. The quest for amnesty
had changed that. No longer did they
have nothing to lose, there was a chance for a future and walking the tightrope
was the biggest game Heyes had ever played and Kid knew he enjoyed it despite
all his grumblings.
But what am I gonna find for
him to do once we get it, Kid grimaced and then smiled. It was a nice problem to worry about.
Tossing down his key he
noted Heyes had not been back, but it did not surprise him. High stake games usually ran till dawn and
it was only just after 8 a.m.
Picking up his key he
decided to drop by and pass a message to Heyes that he was going to do
breakfast and see if he was ready to join him.
Climbing the stairs he
tapped lightly on the suite door and waited.
When there was no response he tapped a little louder.
Finally the door opened and
a small Chinese maid looked at him.
“Good morning,” Kid
smiled. “Is Mr. MacCreedy…”
“No one here, no people, all
gone.”
Kid raised an eyebrow and
looked past her to see the rest of her crew were in the midst of tidying up.
“Did Mr. Joshua Smith…”
“No one, you go, no people,”
the woman said and firmly shut the door.
Frowning Kid turned and took
the stairs down faster then he had up.
************************
“I’m sorry Mr. Jones, Mr.
MacCreedy checked out early this morning.”
“All right what about any
messages for me?”
“None sir.”
Kid thanked him and willed
his pounding head to still while he thought this through. It could be nothing. Mac was contrary at best and a sore
loser. The game may have just ended
early and Mac and the others had taken their ball and gone home.
But then where was
Heyes? He knew he had been at Lou’s or
at best would have waited for him to return to the room.
No something felt wrong and
stepping outside he hailed a cab and gave them Silky’s address.
***************************
“No sir, Mr. O’Sullivan has
not returned. He did send a note saying
he would be out of town for a few days,” the butler said simply.
Kid looked at the stern
faced man he had known for many years.
“And you believed the note?”
“Not one word sir,” the man
said with a sigh.
“All right if you hear
anything from him or Mr. Heyes get a message to me at the Golden Palace.”
“Yes sir. Sir?
I am relieved you are checking into it.”
Kid smiled and nodded and
turned away. Silky’s servants were all
men he had done the con with and when he retired found them work. He trusted their instincts as much as he did
his own.
He looked down at the piece
of paper he had secured with Harlingen’s address. Maybe he could find some answers there.
**********************************
Hannibal
Heyes awoke with a very bad headache and the sense that his bed was moving.
Taking
a chance and opening one eye, he groaned at the effort and shut it again.
Finally
he forced himself to sit up and the action cost him dearly and he was quietly
sick from the exertion. But he felt
better and taking it slow he leaned back against the wall he was against and
considered his surroundings.
A
ship, most definitely he deduced by the rocking and smell of salt water. The
hold he guessed from the boxes and barrels around him and the light from a trap
door above him.
Suddenly
a groan distracted him and his eyes adjusted to the dim light he made his way
towards it and realized it was Silky.
“Silky!”
he said concerned rolling the older man over and pulling off his coat shoved it
under the man’s head. Then leaning down
to check his breath he smelt it, the unmistakable aroma of ether.
Fighting
nausea again and real worry he quickly checked the rest of the room and found
Mac and Harlingen. Both had also been drugged and were still unconscious.
Pulling
the three together where he could watch them he got up and began checking the
room for anything he could use.
Unfortunately the barrels were empty and without a crowbar, the crates
impossible to open with his bare hands.
Sitting
back down to fight the pounding in his head he tried to piece together what had
happened.
Kid
had guessed right about the card shark and the men wanting him to tell him how
he was doing it. Leo Bateman had
arrived on time and only showed mild surprise at Heyes presence. Introduced as a Joshua Smith, ‘in banking
and railroads’, the man had been both cordial and charming.
Impeccably
dressed he was neither overly friendly or aloof. He could see how such a man would easily fit in with the elite
group formed at the table. Mr. Bateman
it seemed was in shipping and was part owner of the hotel they were sitting in.
The game began and Bateman
won only modestly at first, but he won hands he shouldn’t have. There was luck and there were odds and Heyes
knew when a man was circumventing them.
He quickly decided the cards were not marked and the man was not playing
with any extra cards on him. But then
Silky would have spotted both. No if
this had stumped Silky it was gonna take some work to unearth it. It was clear the respected business man was
either clairvoyant or had eyes in the back of his head, so that’s where Heyes
started.
The room had no mirrors, it
contained only a table, the chairs and a sideboard laden down with food brought
up via the dumb waiter in the hall from the kitchens four stories down.
There were no windows, no
fireplace, heat being supplied from the new fangled ‘radiator’ that Mac
complained made more noise than a drunken whore on her back after a long night.
The lighting was electrical,
illuminating the room without smoke or smell giving the cigars a chance to make
up for it.
Glancing up Heyes considered
the ornately painting ceiling and then cocked his head. The smoke from the cigars naturally wafted
up over each man, but when it reached the ceiling it suddenly began to drift
off, almost turning away. Something it
would only do if it encountered a draft.
“So
do you gentlemen always play here?” he had finally asked innocently.
“Neutral
ground,” Harlingen had responded.
Heyes
nodded that part of the mystery solved.
He
lost the next two hands amusing Harlingen, but suddenly he coughed to hide a
grin and then a bit more until Mac finally threw down his cards.
“Smith
you make more noise than that damn heating machine!”
“Sorry,
let me get some air, be right back,” Heyes had said apologetically and hurried
out.
Quickly
he had exited into the hall and climbing the stairs he reached the roof and
looked around. Nothing.
Intrigued
he returned to the last floor and then smiled when he saw the dumb waiter.
Examining
it he realized it only had a down buzzer.
Grinning he got in and shut the door and rapped on the roof of the small
box he was squeezed in.
To
his delight the box began to move upward.
The
door opened and the man standing there with a pistol never saw Heyes’s kick
until it sent him backward.
Sliding
out Heyes scooped up the gun. It was a
small attic, no more than 4 feet high.
Pulling the man to his feet he pushed him over to the other man lying on
the floor and securely tied them both with strips of cloth he ripped up from
the sheets they were lying on.
Peering
down he found each chair had a hole and it would be impossible for a man to
look at his cards at the table and not show them as well.
“Clever,”
Heyes smiled at the two gagged men and then glanced over at the radiator
humming in the corner.
Picking
up the metal pipe beside it he nodded, “Reverse Morse code right?”
The
men stared at him with wide eyes.
“Don’t
feel bad, I’m really annoying with things like that!” he grinned and tossing
down the pipe moved back to the dumb waiter.
“Oh don’t worry I’ll be back after we finish!”
From
that point on the game was Heyes’s despite him enjoying Bateman’s increasing
anxiety as he tried to pick sounds out of the radiator for signals on the men’s
cards.
Slowly
Heyes began to win back all he had lost and what everyone else had lost from
the man. Bateman was not a bad poker
player, just had gotten soft from relying on the signals, but he was no match
for Heyes, especially when he was on his game.
Finally
they had taken a break and Bateman had risen nervously. “It seems the game is yours tonight Mr.
Smith,” he said pouring a drink.
“Yes,
I do seem to have had a bit of luck haven’t I?” Heyes smiled and Harlingen and Silky stared at him in wonder while
Mac glared. He knew!
“Perhaps
a bit of fresh air will do the same for me, if you will excuse me
gentlemen?” he moved for the door and
Heyes smiled as he cocked back the gun he was holding and had pulled from
nowhere.
“I’m
afraid I can’t let you do that Mr. Bateman.”
Bateman
stopped his hand on the doorknob, but didn’t turn and instead rapped on the
door three sharp times.
“I’m
afraid they won’t get your signal, I have a particular gift when it comes to
knots,” Heyes said.
“Smith
will you tell us what is going on!” Mac
roared.
Heyes
grinned and told them, as the story continued his three confederates stared in
amazement.
“Incredible!” Silky said impressed, but then his eyes
narrowed. “But I’m afraid you can’t con
a con man.”
“Oh
but I can. Very good Mr…Smith was
it?” The man leaned against the door
suddenly not looking well and it was then Heyes noticed Harlingen and Mac had
fallen back into their seats.
“Silky
get the door…” Heyes said moving to take step towards it and having to grab the
table.
“Not
so fast Mr. Smith, you see that signal wasn’t to my men upstairs, it was to the
maid outside. I usually try to leave
the room before the ether is dropped into the vent, but this time it could not
be helped. No mind as long as you four
go down with me.”
“What
is the meaning of this…” Silky said and fell unconscious.
Heyes
moved for the door and tumbled down with the man and realized Bateman had
succumbed as well. Clawing up the door
he found the handle, but his hands no longer wanted to obey. He fell hard and was barely conscious as the
door opened and he heard someone swear and then nothing.
But
how had he gotten here?
You
don’t just sneak prominent men out of hotel without someone noticing.
Suddenly
a sharp crack of light invading the room from above them and Heyes shielded his
eyes and groaned at the assault.
It
stirred the other men as the wooden ladder dropped and six men quickly
descended.
“Well
gentlemen awake at last,” said a tall sandy haired man with a handlebar
mustache who Heyes recognized as the owner of the hotel.
“Race!”
Silky swore. “What the devil are you up
to?”
“Oh
the usual for our fair city, blackmail, kidnapping and I would say cheating at
Poker, but Mr. Smith here rather squashed that little venture. Very clever Mr. Smith, we have been doing
this particular enterprise for over a year and you are the first man to figure
it out and your first hour in the game, most impressive.”
“What
are you going to do with us?” Harlingen said terrified.
“Oh
any number of things, for starters Mr. Harlingen I have contacted your son
requesting a ransom. Mr. MacCreedy I
had the maid take some lovely pictures with you that I will be allowing you to
buy back after you sign over a check for the privilege. As for you Silky, well you are beyond such
mundane attempts, but I will have to charge you for your accommodations aboard
the China Queen, Captain Durns will be explaining the terms.” The man walked over and looked at
Heyes. “You, however, Mr. Smith area conundrum. On you I can find nothing, which bothers me
greatly and leads me to believe I will have to make you tell me all about
yourself.”
He
snapped his fingers and two men roughly pulled Heyes to his feet and up against
the wall where two large manacles attached to a massive chain secured his
hands.
“The
China Queen used to be a slave ship, actually it still is in a sense. Now who are you?”
Heyes
smiled at the man and received a sharp blow to the ribs from the large man next
to him.
“I
said Mr. Smith who are you?”
“Joshua
Smith, an associate of…”
The
next blow slammed his face back, Heyes just barely managing to roll with the
punch.
“Joshua
for God’s sake!” Silky said.
“Silky!”
Heyes warned. He knew they had one
chance and that was Kid, but the minute these men realized who he was Kid would
become the hunted.
“Mr.
Smith your friends are concerned about you,” Race smiled walking over and
slapping Heyes’s face playfully with the gloves he was holding. “Save yourself and them the misery of this
little drama.
“I
told you…” Heyes said and steeled himself for the blow that never came.
“Race
get up here we got a problem!” boomed a voice from above and Heyes squinted up
to see a bearded ship Captain looking very angry.
“A
reprieve it seems, probably for the best, will allow you to think about what I
said,” he turned to go. “And Mr.
Smith? This was just a warm up, don’t
let me start to enjoy it? I sometimes
forget when to stop even when I have what I want.”
And
a moment later the door slammed shut above them.
“How
the hell are we gonna get out of this,” Mac growled.
“Don’t
worry Mac, Kid is still out there,” Heyes said attempting to turn the manacle
around so he could study the locking mechanism on it.
Harlingen
laughed almost hysterically, “How is that going to help us? He’s a gunslinger. Now if you were looking for him I might feel a bit more hopeful!”
“He’s
right Heyes, boy doesn’t have a chance of picking up our trail, he ain’t you,”
Silky said mournfully.
Heyes
leaned his head back and smiled, “Gentlemen let me tell you a little story
about the last time someone said that about my cousin…”
***********************
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
1862
“Jedediah Curry do not be an
imbecile! Honestly I despair of you
ever learning anything! Haven’t you a
drop of your cousin’s brains?”
The
class burst into giggles and Jed looked down at his feet.
“Jed’s
got more brains than all of us!” Ten
year old Hannibal Heyes said standing to his feet. “He doesn’t bother to learn things no one is ever gonna use or
need to know! I wish I was as smart as
him!”
“Hannibal
Heyes sit down at once!” the teacher said sharply. “Jedediah you will stay after today and you will not leave until
you have finished those sums and your reading do you understand me?”
“Yes
ma’am,” Jedediah said quietly sinking back into his seat and wishing it would
swallow him up.
“As
for you Hannibal Heyes you would be well pressed to put your loyalty where it
would do you some real good!”
Jedediah
stared at the primer fighting the tears forming in his eyes. He couldn’t cry, not after that, but how
could he stay after again? His mother
would worry and what would his Pa say?
He
felt small and stupid and hopeless and then he felt the tap on his back.
Turning
slightly he felt someone push something into his hand.
Looking
down he stared at the cinnamon drop sweet.
Risking
one more look round he caught Heyes eye, which winked and then he turned
back. He was still miserable, but he
wasn’t alone.
***************************
“Hannibal
where are ya off too? You’ve got chores
young man…” his mother said catching him by the arm.
“Mom
I can’t, its Jed, mom she called him stupid again and he isn’t, he not stupid
at all and I’m going to show her and everyone!”
The
woman smiled at her dark haired son and the concern in his eyes for his friend.
“Where
is he?”
“She
kept him after again.”
“Aye
well you get on with your chores I be thinking that teacher of yours needs a
word from a certain young man’s aunt!”
******************************
He
wasn’t quite sure when he decided to run away, he was just sure he was going to
by the time he slipped out of his chair.
It
was clear he was an embarrassment to his family and it would be better for
everyone if he just disappeared.
This
decided he suddenly felt better and climbing out the window paused. Aunt Maureen? What was she doing here?
Curious he peered up as his teacher came back in from the door that led
to her house.
“Miss
Cobble!” Maureen Curry Heyes said from
the doorway of the school house.
“Good
afternoon Mrs. Heyes,” the woman said peering down her glasses.
“I
have come about Jedediah.”
Jed watched in
fascination. Aunt Maureen had that look
she got sometimes when somebody was going to get it. His father called it getting her Irish up, but his grandpa would
just wink and say a Curry never turned his back on an injustice or a
fight.
The
woman rolled her eyes. “I am afraid he
has snuck out without finishing his work, I was just preparing a note for his
parents. Such a disappointment he must
be to them.”
“How
dare you!” Maureen Heyes said furious.
“Mrs.
Heyes I don’t know what you are referring to…”
“I
am referring to you humiliating and trying to crush the spirit of my nephew!”
“Madame
the boy is stupid, he cannot learn!”
“The
boy is eight years old and he has spent his whole life being compared to his
cousin. Miss Cobble any idiot can see
you can’t compare those two, its apples and oranges! Han is quick, bright, imaginative and clever, but he’d walk into
a wind funnel if he had an idea and never once consider where he’d end up. His cousin brings him to earth and shows him
how to make his dreams practical and doable.
Jedediah has more sense in him than half the men in Congress. He understands human nature, he can dissect
a problem and rationalize the wildest scheme.
If boys like him are allowed to become men and given confidence in who they
are then there is no obstacle they will not find a way around. I love my son dearly, but I assure you I
feel better knowing who tags along with him when he goes out to play.”
“He
cannot do his sums!”
“And
he never will with you telling he’s too stupid to! You are his teacher, he is going to believe whatever you tell
him and if you tell him he is failure then he will live up to your words. But you mark this ma’am you will be
destroying a clever and cunning mind and taking the heart out of all he could
be.”
“Yes
well I suppose you might have a point, maybe.”
Maureen
Heyes leaned over the desk and with the look that would quell outlaws on her
son’s face bore down on the teacher who backed up timidly.
“Call
him stupid again and I will be back Madame and this time I will not restrict
myself to just words to drum home my message!”
“Madame
are you threatening me!’
“Ya
daft woman, I’m Irish, what else would I be doing! Now leave the boy be!”
And
with that she stormed out of the room.
************************************
Jed
sat there for a long time going over his Aunt Maureen’s words. Aunt Maureen was exciting. When she came into a room everyone wanted to
talk to her and be around her. She was a
lot like Han. If Aunt Maureen said he
was smart surely that mattered more than Miss Cobble didn’t it?
Mulling
this over he walked to the road and paused.
It was starting to turn to dusk now and he was hungry. Running away had lost some of its appeal,
but then he remembered he would have to come back tomorrow and be laughed at
again.
Putting
his hands in his pocket he felt something and pulled out the cinnamon drop Han
had passed to him.
Slowly
he placed it in his mouth and let the taste be all he concentrated on. He had to be brave. He would go out into the world and make a
name for himself. Live up to the great
things his Aunt had said about him.
Then he would come back and be the kind of partner his cousin
deserved. That was worth being a little
hungry for he thought squaring his shoulders and turning away from home started
down the road.
****************************
David
Heyes slowed the wagon and peered ahead in the darkness, Jedediah?
“Jed?”
he asked stopping the wagon beside the small woe begon figure slowly trudging
up the road.
Jed
blinked, “Uncle David.”
“Where
on earth are you off to this time of night?
Don’t you know there is a war on?”
“Aye
sir I’m going to join up. I want to
shoot cannons and be a hero and make you all proud.”
David
Heyes considered this. Jedediah was his
favorite nephew. He was fun,
interesting and good for his son, something had to truly be bothering him if he
had decided on such a quest.
“Well
then come on up, it just so happens there is a Union, I presume you are signing
up with the Union? Yes I thought as
much, a Union garrison down by the river I’ll give you a lift.”
Jed
peered up at him. He liked his
Uncle. He listened to him and always
explained things and let him try his tools.
Once he had even let him shoot his gun and said he had a good eye. Yes Uncle David was almost as nice as Aunt
Maureen.
“Thank
you sir, I would be obliged,” he answered and climbed up.
“Apple?”
his uncle offered and Jed managed a polite thank you before attacking it
ravenously.
“I
would have thought Han would be joining up with you, you two are usually
inseparable,” David Heyes said watching the boy from the corner of his eyes.
“Yes
sir, but I have to get clever first, so Han can have a good partner.”
“And
the army will do that?”
“I
don’t know sir, but there isn’t a circus to run off to, I’ve only got a war to
try.”
David
Heyes managed to swallow a smile as he passed a second apple over.
“Yes,
yes I can see why that might be a problem.
You know Jedediah I really think Hannibal thinks of you as a pretty good
partner right now. Did you two have a
fight?”
“No
sir,” he paused. “I got in trouble
again at school for being stupid.”
The
man looked up sharply, “You are not stupid Jedediah.”
“Miss
Cobble says I am.”
“Miss
Cobble has the sense of a milk cow Jedediah, she’s jealous of you.”
“Of
me?”
‘Oh
absolutely, she can see your destined for great things and it makes her sad
that she’ll never do any of them herself.”
“I
am?”
“Of
course that’s why your mother named you what she did.”
Jed
looked at him, “What’s my name got to do with it?”
“Well
naming a son is a very important thing.
Why when we picked Hannibal we knew he was going to grow up to be a
great leader who would do impossible things.”
“Like
the fella with the elephants and those mountains, Han told me about that. I can see Han doing that too.”
“I’m
surprised he hasn’t tried all ready,” his uncle said dryly. “But then when we all heard you were being
born we all thought and thought what name we should give you because Hannibal
was going to need someone to help him lead and do impossible things. He was going to need someone wise and with
good council.”