asshole from the holding cell, so I already saw that show.”
“And a fine show it was,” Navajo Joe said. “Where’s your lawyer?”
“He went to meet up with his other clients, so you guys will have to give me a ride to a hotel. And Thumper, may I compliment you on a fine choice of restaurant? You’ve surprised me.”
“Wasn’t me that chose this place, it was that lady lawyer, she recommended it,” Thumper said. “Wait, what other clients? You should be his only focus—”
“He’s doing what I asked, it’s complicated, I’ll explain later.”
The waiter came and Slick ordered a lot of food, along with a pot of herbal tea. Thumper tapped on the table, full of energy and anger; Slick recognized it.
“What’s this shit about a hotel?” Thumper asked. “Ain’t you headed back home with us? You can come back for the trial, or not at all, don’t matter, the bond ain’t no problem either way.”
“I’m sticking around for a while, bro.”
“What? What for?”
Slick glanced at Navajo Joe, appraising him. The trooper took it, nodded.
“Go ahead, ask me whatever you want,” he said.
“How do you know Thumper?” Slick asked.
“We go back a ways, me and him. I owed him a favor from back in the day, so when you didn’t turn up, he called me to help track you down. When I found out where you’d been arrested, I knew what must have happened and figured it was better to come down in person, otherwise both your asses would be in jail right now. Everyone in Arizona law enforcement knows about Bendijo.”
“Which is what, exactly?”
“Sheriff Ted’s got a reputation, one he’s had for awhile, which is that if you ain’t white, you ain’t all right. He doesn’t say it that baldly, course, but he ain’t that far from it, either. It’s the same protecting-our-borders shit we’ve heard since the dawn of time.
“He’s making political hay off of demonizing brown people, but enough folks respond that there ain’t much we can do about it. The past year or so he’s been getting a lot of attention for it in the national media and I think he figures he can ride this all the way to either the governor’s office or a reality show, one or the other, and make some real money. Hear tell he’s even got a book deal.”
Navajo Joe took a sip of water and shrugged.
“It’s all a scam, of course, but a pretty good one. Make folks afraid, tell them what they’re afraid of, whether it’s true or not, and make them believe that you’re the only one who can keep them safe. It’s a scam he’s played ever since first running for sheriff and folks bought it. Too many white people are gullible like that, sorry Thumper.”
“Hey man, I’m with you… White folks be too crazy, my extended family, you don’t even wanna know, bunch of freaks on a stick.”
“So let’s say some of the local American patriots were to find themselves in harm’s way, it wouldn’t matter to you how said harm came to be?” Slick asked Navajo Joe.
“I’m always amused when I hear white people go on about how they’re the one hundred percent natural born Americans, myself,” Navajo Joe said. “But it’s tricky. On an official level, I’ve pledged to serve and protect everyone, regardless of race or creed or place of birth. That’s how I see it. But the truth is, in some situations I’m less inspired than others, on a personal level. That’s the most I can say.”
“I can understand that.”
Food came and Slick dug in. Thumper made a face at it.
“Dude, how can you eat that? Looks like paste.”
“Delicious, my man. You want some?”
“Get it away, stop it, you’re gonna make me gag. It looks like hurl on a plate.”
“So you’re planning to stay in town for a while?” Navajo Joe asked.
Slick nodded, kept eating.
“You don’t mind me asking, why?”
“Fellow sitting next to me at the diner, minding his own business, got his skull caved in by Sheriff Ted. He’s in a coma now.”
“Yep.
“And a fine show it was,” Navajo Joe said. “Where’s your lawyer?”
“He went to meet up with his other clients, so you guys will have to give me a ride to a hotel. And Thumper, may I compliment you on a fine choice of restaurant? You’ve surprised me.”
“Wasn’t me that chose this place, it was that lady lawyer, she recommended it,” Thumper said. “Wait, what other clients? You should be his only focus—”
“He’s doing what I asked, it’s complicated, I’ll explain later.”
The waiter came and Slick ordered a lot of food, along with a pot of herbal tea. Thumper tapped on the table, full of energy and anger; Slick recognized it.
“What’s this shit about a hotel?” Thumper asked. “Ain’t you headed back home with us? You can come back for the trial, or not at all, don’t matter, the bond ain’t no problem either way.”
“I’m sticking around for a while, bro.”
“What? What for?”
Slick glanced at Navajo Joe, appraising him. The trooper took it, nodded.
“Go ahead, ask me whatever you want,” he said.
“How do you know Thumper?” Slick asked.
“We go back a ways, me and him. I owed him a favor from back in the day, so when you didn’t turn up, he called me to help track you down. When I found out where you’d been arrested, I knew what must have happened and figured it was better to come down in person, otherwise both your asses would be in jail right now. Everyone in Arizona law enforcement knows about Bendijo.”
“Which is what, exactly?”
“Sheriff Ted’s got a reputation, one he’s had for awhile, which is that if you ain’t white, you ain’t all right. He doesn’t say it that baldly, course, but he ain’t that far from it, either. It’s the same protecting-our-borders shit we’ve heard since the dawn of time.
“He’s making political hay off of demonizing brown people, but enough folks respond that there ain’t much we can do about it. The past year or so he’s been getting a lot of attention for it in the national media and I think he figures he can ride this all the way to either the governor’s office or a reality show, one or the other, and make some real money. Hear tell he’s even got a book deal.”
Navajo Joe took a sip of water and shrugged.
“It’s all a scam, of course, but a pretty good one. Make folks afraid, tell them what they’re afraid of, whether it’s true or not, and make them believe that you’re the only one who can keep them safe. It’s a scam he’s played ever since first running for sheriff and folks bought it. Too many white people are gullible like that, sorry Thumper.”
“Hey man, I’m with you… White folks be too crazy, my extended family, you don’t even wanna know, bunch of freaks on a stick.”
“So let’s say some of the local American patriots were to find themselves in harm’s way, it wouldn’t matter to you how said harm came to be?” Slick asked Navajo Joe.
“I’m always amused when I hear white people go on about how they’re the one hundred percent natural born Americans, myself,” Navajo Joe said. “But it’s tricky. On an official level, I’ve pledged to serve and protect everyone, regardless of race or creed or place of birth. That’s how I see it. But the truth is, in some situations I’m less inspired than others, on a personal level. That’s the most I can say.”
“I can understand that.”
Food came and Slick dug in. Thumper made a face at it.
“Dude, how can you eat that? Looks like paste.”
“Delicious, my man. You want some?”
“Get it away, stop it, you’re gonna make me gag. It looks like hurl on a plate.”
“So you’re planning to stay in town for a while?” Navajo Joe asked.
Slick nodded, kept eating.
“You don’t mind me asking, why?”
“Fellow sitting next to me at the diner, minding his own business, got his skull caved in by Sheriff Ted. He’s in a coma now.”
“Yep.
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