Authors: Kathryn Long
"Oh, yeah," Sonny jumped in nervously. "This here's Lucas Martin. He's the town realtor."
"Glad to meet you, Lucas," he smiled. "Just call me Billy."
"Okay, Billy," Lucas said with just a hint of sarcasm.
Billy noticed and didn't like it, but held his tongue. Now was not the time to make enemies, he decided.
"So, how are things up north?" Lucas inquired.
He obviously didn't like wasting time with formalities and small talk. That was okay by him. He didn't particularly care for the man's company anyway. "My contacts are anxious and ready with contracts written and waiting to be signed," he replied.
"Well, then," Lucas said and took a long draw on his cigar. "I guess it's time to tweak things up another notch and get this show movin', hey Sonny?"
He slapped his nervous partner on the back, nearly causing him heart failure, Billy noticed wearily. He was taking more and more of a dislike toward Lucas. Arrogant, rude and a bit too shifty-eyed. And Billy questioned if he could be totally trusted. Of course there was time to deal with that later.
"Have any of the owners come forward to sell?" Billy inquired hopefully.
"Not as of yet, but we're workin' on that, ain't we?" Lucas grinned at Sonny, none too kindly though.
"Sure! Sure we are, Billy!" Sonny added in nervous chatter. "We almost got 'em right where we want 'em, don't we Lucas? We just need to … ah … what was it you said?"
"Tweak it up," Lucas offered in a low solemn tone, so opposite Sonny's excited one.
"Yep, that's it! Tweak it up a notch. Don't you worry none, Billy," he encouraged.
Yet, Billy was starting to worry. Sonny was way too nervous and Lucas was too calm. Maybe he should stay awhile, just to check things out. "You know, boys. I might just stick around a few days. See if I can help out. They really don't need me in the city right now. Like I said, contracts just ready and waiting to be signed."
Sonny was nodding his head. "Might be a good idea at that! You can stay with me. Got plenty of room."
"That's generous of you, but might be better if we're not seen together. Don't you agree?"
"Oh, right!" he chuckled. "My thinkin' is thick as pea soup sometimes."
Billy smiled and then noticed how quiet Lucas was this whole time. He was really getting on his nerves. Maybe it was time to stop being so polite.
"So, do you have anything to say, Mr. Martin? Or are you just too much the silent type?" Billy asked, an edge to his voice.
This seemed to change the mood a bit. Lucas smiled a very charming smile, though still probably not genuine. Sonny, still nervous and uncomfortable, shifted his feet.
"I'd say we could use all the help we can get, Mr. … now, what goes along with Billy?"
"Just Billy. That's all that's needed. And I'm glad you agree with my decision. I'd say the sooner we get things tied up here, the quicker we'll be filling our pockets with all that money. Now, wouldn't you say so?"
Sonny responded by nodding vigorously and Lucas just said, "Yep." Then he began to walk to the jeep. No goodbye.
Sonny shrugged his shoulders and smiled sheepishly at Billy. "Now, don't mind Lucas. He's just a bit odd, is all. Nothin' to worry 'bout."
"Oh, I'm not worried, Sonny. Not at all," he said, focusing his gaze on the jeep. He scratched his chin and began to walk to his car. "I'll be in touch." And with that, he got behind the wheel, drove away, leaving a cloud of dust going east, while Lucas raised a cloud going west.
Sonny just stood there seemingly confused by the sudden departures. He took off his hat and scratched his head for a moment. Then, smiling, plopped the hat back on, shoved a hand in his pocket to fish out his keys, and whistled on the way to the old, battered pick-up. He got in, pulled out onto the road and made his own cloud of dust in the otherwise quiet, motionless prairie.
The howl of the coyote woke him from his slumber. He shivered from the cold night air, the loincloth barely enough cover to keep him from freezing. He noticed the fire had smoldered to a few dying embers. He had slept a long time. By now the western sky had changed. It became alive with purple and red anger. His fear awakened as he saw the color of the moon. The Red Moon. It must be a sign, he thought. The shilup would know. The time had come. He surely felt it. Strange and frightening events would change their world.
He shivered once more, though not from cold, but from the fear. The change, he suspected, may not be all good. He needed to speak with the shilup. He needed his words of wisdom now.
Chapter 15
"Your Oklahoma sky sure has a lot of colorful faces, Miss Emma," Jess remarked as she sat on the front porch in a rocker next to the older woman.
"Yes siree. One of the many strange beauties of this land," Emma declared. "You won't find much better. I'll guarantee that."
The evening had indeed painted a canvas with hues of pink, red, and purple swirls surrounding an orange star. Every once in awhile, a fleeting glimpse of a lone scissor-tailed flycatcher, diving and soaring, calling out to declare its freedom, would disturb the still-life portrait. Then, a background chorus formed as a slight breeze rustled the leaves of the trees and bushes. The bird, the leaves, all a peaceful symphony of sound nearly lulled Jess to sleep. Just as her chin dropped, her face in quiet repose, the quick snap of a branch brought her head up with a jerk.
"Sorry, ma'am. Didn't mean to startle you so," apologized the stranger standing at the front of the porch before her and Emma.
"
Humph
," responded Emma with a shrug of her shoulders, while Jess tried to clear her head of its sleepy state and assess what was going on before her.
"Miss Emma," acknowledged the stranger with a tip of his hat, then he turned to face Jess. "Name's Sonny. Sonny Walton." Grinning from ear to ear, he held out his hand which Jess took hesitantly into hers.
"Glad to meet you, Mr. Walton," she replied while looking out of the corner of her eye at Emma, seeing if she approved of her gesture of politeness. Jess was frustrated to note that Emma was still scowling, her brows brought together. What was going on?
"Well, Sonny," Emma announced and abruptly brought the focus of attention back to her. "What exactly brings you here? Want to throw out more accusin' remarks 'bout Joseph Whitedeer?"
So, she knew him after all, Jess realized and then noticed Sonny had become a bit tense, started shaking his head while he responded. "No, Miss Emma. I ain't about to go around that barn again," he protested.
"Then what in tarnation ya here for?" she quipped angrily and stomped her foot while she was at it. "Ain't like we're life-long friends and you've come by for tea and chit-chat, now is it?" She leaned forward to stare.
He backed up a few steps at that gesture and held on tightly to his hat as if it gave him courage. "Now, Emma." He forgot the "Miss", Jess noticed.
Not a good sign
. She quickly slouched down in her seat to prepare for the fireworks.
Emma straightened her shoulders and placed her hands calmly in her lap, looking ready to do battle, but Sonny hurried to speak and hopefully to diffuse the situation.
"Now, I just come by to invite you to a meetin' of sorts. Lucas Martin, town realtor, wants to gather the more prominent land owners, which of course includes you," he added with a cordial smile.
Probably trying to flatter Emma into a better mood, Jess guessed. And probably wouldn't work. Emma was a little wiser for her years, and, if anything, her suspicions were growing.
"Meetin'? What kind of meetin'?" she asked.
"Now, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let you in on it, even though Lucas doesn't want it gettin' around. I mean, he told …"
"Get to the dadburned point, Sonny, or get off my land," Emma yelled, causing Jess to jump and nearly fall out of the rocker.
"All right, all right," he sighed, exasperated. "I guess some big company up north wants to do a little developin' around these parts and has offered some pretty nice incentives to landowners who are willin' to do business."
"Business as in …?" Emma inquired, but she would get no more.
"That's all I know," he said, holding up his hand. "You'll have to come by the meetin' to find out more. This Sunday evenin' at six o'clock." With a tip of his hat in Jess' direction he walked off to his truck.
"Well, I'll be!" Emma exclaimed while watching Sonny get back in his vehicle and leave.
"Emma?" Jess began, but was cut short.
"Jess, if it's all the same to you, I need some time to think a bit," Emma explained, then got up to walk in the house. "Keeps gettin' more and more peculiar," she mumbled under her breath as she let the screen door slam shut behind her.
Jess just sat there in the dark silence, the lighted spark of fireflies flickering being the only distraction. The sky of pinks and purples had led the way for deep blues and blackness, a welcome blanket of cover for the coyotes and other nighttime critters. Jess could hear sounds from the barn as the horses tried settling down for the night. Despite these distractions, her mind set strongly on thoughts of the recent event.
Obviously this Sonny person was not a favorite of Emma's. Yet, Jess suspected there must be more to it than what she witnessed earlier in conversation. After all, Emma had gotten very suspicious at the moment Lucas Martin's name was mentioned. "Why?" she reasoned aloud. "Who is Lucas Martin, anyway?"
"Just about one of the greediest, craftiest businessmen you'll ever meet." The words came from behind her. Jess jumped out of her chair to turn abruptly around and find Daniel standing there grinning slyly.
"You really do know how to sneak up on people," she scolded.
"Least ways on you," he teased. He was trying his best to bring some humor to the situation, considering the bitter end to their last meeting. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be working.
"How clever of you," she retorted, "considering how you tend to bungle most of your attempts at anything!"
"Now, wait a minute!" he began to argue, but then thought better of it, knowing where it would lead and not wanting to go there, again. "Look, Jess," he began once more. "I truly am sorry. I guess more times than not, I tend to speak before I think, just coming out with those blunders." He tried to look as humble and apologetic as he could.
"Well …" she started, "maybe we all do that at times, I guess."
She was softening and Daniel was relieved to notice. Hopefully, this time, they could get through a conversation without arguing. He was just about to remark on how beautiful the night was when he suddenly remembered her words, spoken as he walked onto the porch. "Why were you wanting to know about Lucas Martin?"