payment. “Get him a beer, Ralph. On me.” She looked at him. “And you’ve got to be hungry.” Back to the bartender. “You still got any of that smoked pork?”
Ralph nodded.
“Bring him some of that too.”
Lockhart didn’t argue. He could use a good meal, and a drink wouldn’t bother him either.
“Sure thing,” the bartender said, grabbing a mug and filling to the brim.
He sat the beer on the counter in front of Lockhart and disappeared to a back room. Knox placed the four silver rounds on the counter and slid them to him. The vespari picked the coins up and dropped them into his coin pouch. The mayor then grabbed the promised slivers from her pants pocket and handed them to him as well. He tossed those in a separate pocket of his duster to deal with later. Finished with his payment, he grabbed the mug and held it over to Knox.
“Ch-ch-cheers,” he told her.
The mayor clinked her glass against his, and they both took a heavy swig.
“Ralph’s got a smokehouse out back,” Knox told him. “Pretty adept with it too. Nearly freezes the meat. Salts it. Sugar too sometimes. Didn’t have any for this batch though. Says he uses corncobs to fuel the fire. Can’t say I know why. Process takes a while, but it’s worth it.”
As she finished the explanation, the bartender came back with a plate of the smoked pork. He’d even included a cob of corn to go with it. Lockhart nodded in thanks, as the man sat it down, and he quickly dug into his food. Knox allowed him a few minutes to work on it before saying anything else.
“Was it a hard kill?”
Lockhart shook his head. “I g-g-g-got by.”
“Good. Good. I guess you’ll be moving on now?”
He nodded, taking another bite followed by a big swig. “Need s-some s-s-supplies first.”
“Mm. You’ll want to talk to Brigette then. She runs the general store. If anyone has what you need, it’ll be her.”
Lockhart nodded and set to finishing his meal and drink. Knox spent most of that time examining the skull and heart he’d brought her. When he’d cleaned his plate and emptied his mug, the vespari pushed his stool back and stood up.
Knox swiveled around on her stool without getting up and smiled at him. “Sorry for the somber mood ‘round here. Guess two funerals in as many days takes its toll. We do appreciate what you’ve done for us though, Mr. Lockhart.”
He nodded and told her, “G-goodbye, Ms. Knox.”
Turning, Lockhart left the saloon and stepped out into the street. He looked in either direction for the general store that the mayor had mentioned, and when he located it in the distance, headed in its direction. He could refill his canteen at the well before he left, so water didn’t concern him, but food was a scarcer resource for him. His bag and most of his provisions had been lost some weeks back. It was a long shot that he’d find any ammunition, but after he’d wasted three bullets on the vishler, he could certainly use more.
There was one final item on his shopping list. He needed a batch of mad lotus. It was a type of flower that had a vine that when chewed or consumed caused hallucinations. Some could channel these hallucinations into prophetic visions. Given the beldam covens’ use of magic to escape him, he didn’t have many ways to track them. The mad lotus would give him some insight. The rest of the Vespari Brotherhood didn’t look so kindly on the herb, but he didn’t always see eye to eye with them. Most of them were back along the coastal cities anyway. Not too many braved the deserts like him. He was mostly on his own out there, and he did things his own way.
Lockhart stepped onto the wooden planks of the general stores walkway, gripped the handle of the door, and pushed it open. Inside, he saw another patron at the counter telling the woman what items he needed. As he did, the woman, presumably Brigette as Knox had indicated, grabbed them from the shelves and placed them on the counter for him. The woman
Ralph nodded.
“Bring him some of that too.”
Lockhart didn’t argue. He could use a good meal, and a drink wouldn’t bother him either.
“Sure thing,” the bartender said, grabbing a mug and filling to the brim.
He sat the beer on the counter in front of Lockhart and disappeared to a back room. Knox placed the four silver rounds on the counter and slid them to him. The vespari picked the coins up and dropped them into his coin pouch. The mayor then grabbed the promised slivers from her pants pocket and handed them to him as well. He tossed those in a separate pocket of his duster to deal with later. Finished with his payment, he grabbed the mug and held it over to Knox.
“Ch-ch-cheers,” he told her.
The mayor clinked her glass against his, and they both took a heavy swig.
“Ralph’s got a smokehouse out back,” Knox told him. “Pretty adept with it too. Nearly freezes the meat. Salts it. Sugar too sometimes. Didn’t have any for this batch though. Says he uses corncobs to fuel the fire. Can’t say I know why. Process takes a while, but it’s worth it.”
As she finished the explanation, the bartender came back with a plate of the smoked pork. He’d even included a cob of corn to go with it. Lockhart nodded in thanks, as the man sat it down, and he quickly dug into his food. Knox allowed him a few minutes to work on it before saying anything else.
“Was it a hard kill?”
Lockhart shook his head. “I g-g-g-got by.”
“Good. Good. I guess you’ll be moving on now?”
He nodded, taking another bite followed by a big swig. “Need s-some s-s-supplies first.”
“Mm. You’ll want to talk to Brigette then. She runs the general store. If anyone has what you need, it’ll be her.”
Lockhart nodded and set to finishing his meal and drink. Knox spent most of that time examining the skull and heart he’d brought her. When he’d cleaned his plate and emptied his mug, the vespari pushed his stool back and stood up.
Knox swiveled around on her stool without getting up and smiled at him. “Sorry for the somber mood ‘round here. Guess two funerals in as many days takes its toll. We do appreciate what you’ve done for us though, Mr. Lockhart.”
He nodded and told her, “G-goodbye, Ms. Knox.”
Turning, Lockhart left the saloon and stepped out into the street. He looked in either direction for the general store that the mayor had mentioned, and when he located it in the distance, headed in its direction. He could refill his canteen at the well before he left, so water didn’t concern him, but food was a scarcer resource for him. His bag and most of his provisions had been lost some weeks back. It was a long shot that he’d find any ammunition, but after he’d wasted three bullets on the vishler, he could certainly use more.
There was one final item on his shopping list. He needed a batch of mad lotus. It was a type of flower that had a vine that when chewed or consumed caused hallucinations. Some could channel these hallucinations into prophetic visions. Given the beldam covens’ use of magic to escape him, he didn’t have many ways to track them. The mad lotus would give him some insight. The rest of the Vespari Brotherhood didn’t look so kindly on the herb, but he didn’t always see eye to eye with them. Most of them were back along the coastal cities anyway. Not too many braved the deserts like him. He was mostly on his own out there, and he did things his own way.
Lockhart stepped onto the wooden planks of the general stores walkway, gripped the handle of the door, and pushed it open. Inside, he saw another patron at the counter telling the woman what items he needed. As he did, the woman, presumably Brigette as Knox had indicated, grabbed them from the shelves and placed them on the counter for him. The woman
Similar Books
