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","\n","^The extremes of the high desert had taken their toll on the man, his face ravaged by sun and wind, his mind soured by deprivation and thwarted ambition. More recently, an excess of drink had stolen his equilibrium. His boot heels landed with a wobble, and with each new step, he dragged the toe, stirring up a cloud of dust.","\n","^\"Kid. Hey, kid.\" The man's right hand rested on the butt of his black-handled Colt revolver, his left had a death grip on a half-empty bottle of whiskey. \"You think you're better than me?\"","\n","^\"What?\" Tom Bauer, the kid in question, a young adult, really, looked up from his task, unsure how he'd attracted the old man's attention.","\n","^\"You think you're better than me? Doing your ...\" The man waved, over-broadly, abandoning faith in his own words to carry him to the end of the sentence. \"Sitting there with your ... You'll be taking your turn in the mine soon enough. Then you'll know. You ain't better than me.\"","\n","^Tom recognized him. Nathaniel Cyrus. He'd been a prospector, placer mining for gold in the Cimarron River before going bust and moving up north in search of steady pay. Now he dug copper in Hank Jensen's mine, but he never let anyone forget that he was a gold miner. He had the mean look about him of someone who didn't know where his next meal was coming from. That and the bottle suggested he'd been recently let go.","\n","^\"Go on. Tell me that you think you're better than me.\"","\n","ev","str","^Be bold","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},"ev","str","^Be clever","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-1","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n","ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"jake_primary","re":true},"ev","str","^Jake","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"primary","re":true},"ev","str","^Lin","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"secondary","re":true},{"->":"JakePrimary"},{"#f":5}],"c-1":["\n","ev",0,"/ev",{"VAR=":"jake_primary","re":true},"ev","str","^Lin","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"primary","re":true},"ev","str","^Jake","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"secondary","re":true},{"->":"LinPrimary"},{"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"JakePrimary":[["^Tom, regarded the man. He'd been carving a face into an old apple as a gift for a girl he thought he might be interested in, but his hope of tapping into a previously unknown well of artistic talent had failed to materialize. Now he had to decide whether to be annoyed by the interruption or glad of a chance at mischief.","\n","^Mischief, he decided. He stood slowly, flipping his jackknife to stick blade-first in the boardwalk.","\n","^\"Yeah, I'm better than you.\"","\n","^\"What?\" The old man rocked back on his heels as if he couldn't believe the answer. He gathered his weight under him again and tightened his grip on his revolver. And his bottle. \"Say that again.\"","\n","^Tom ticked off the points on his fingers. \"Well, I ain't smart, but I know enough to wear a hat when the sun’s overhead, which makes me smarter than you. And I ain't particularly nice neither, but I hope to think if I lived to be your age, I wouldn't call out an unarmed kid who ain't said boo to you, which makes me nicer than you. Oh, and I ain't daydrunk. So, yeah. I think I'm better than you.\"","\n","^He'd gone too far. The miner was going to draw on him; he was just drunk enough and mean enough to do it. Tom watched the idea flap across the man's face like a lazy bird, starting low in the curl of his lip before circling up to his narrowing eyes.","\n","^Tom regretted dropping the knife. As the miner's fingers curled around the trigger of his Colt, Tom threw his apple. Though it was too dessicated and light to do any damage, it was the only weapon he had. It caught the old man square on the nose, startling him into firing before his revolver cleared its holster. The bullet ripped a brght red furrow down his thigh.","\n","^The miner howled in pain, but managed to stay on his feet and draw his gun.","\n","^Now you done it, Tom thought.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":"Earthquake"},{"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"LinPrimary":[["^Tom, regarded the man. He'd been carving a face into an old apple as a gift for a girl he thought he might be interested in, but his hope of tapping into a previously unknown well of artistic talent had failed to materialize. Now he wondered how he'd manage to arouse the old man's ire, and how best to defuse the situation.","\n","^Tom gave the question serious consideration. Did he think he was better than the old man? No. Different, along a number of dimensions—age, family, occupation—but not better. He wouldn't trade places with the miner. But then, he doubted the miner would trade places with him either.","\n","^\"No,\" Tom said at last.","\n","^\"What?\" The old man blinked in surprise. \"No? You sassing me? You telling me no?\" His features hardened.","\n","^Tom realized his mistake. The miner was looking for a confrontation. The question had just been a pretext.","\n","^\"No, sir,\" Tom said, setting the apple down.","\n","^\"Sir?\" He tightened his grip on his revolver. And his bottle. \"Do I look like a gentleman to you?\" He slurred the word.","\n","^\"No,\" Tom said again, speaking the simple truth.","\n","^He'd gone too far. The miner was going to draw on him; he was just drunk enough and mean enough to do it. Tom watched the idea flap across the man's face like a lazy bird, starting low in the curl of his lip before circling up to his narrowing eyes.","\n","^Tom regretted dropping the apple. At least he'd have something to throw, as a distraction. But that gave him an idea. As the miner's fingers curled around the trigger of his Colt, Tom angled the blade of his jackknife to catch the sun and throw the reflection into the miner's eyes.","\n","^Startled, the man fired before his revolver cleared its holster. The bullet ripped a brght red furrow down his thigh.","\n","^The miner howled in pain, but managed to stay on his feet and draw his gun.","\n","^Now you done it, Tom thought.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":"Earthquake"},{"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"Earthquake":[["^Just then, the ground began to shake, offering a reprieve with one hand, a new threat with the other. A low rumble, like a great herd of horses coming in—twenty, a hundred, a thousand—till the ground shook so wild it knocked them both off their feet.","\n","^Tom was familiar with tremors from when they were blasting up at the mine. The shock from the explosives could be felt all the way into town. But those episodes were brief, lasting no longer than thunder. This was different. The ground moved under him. And it didn't stop.","\n","^Tom tried to stand and couldn't; the boardwalk bucked under him like a wagon on a rough road.","\n","^Earthquake, Tom thought. The mine!","\n","^\"Long as you're careful,\" Hank Jensen, the mine owner, always said, \"mine's no more dangerous than walking down the street. Safer, really, cause no one's thinking about safety when they're going for a stroll, and that's all we think about in the mine. Only real threat to a miner is their own stupidity. And earthquakes. Nothing to do then but pray.\"","\n","^Tom didn't put much stock in prayer. He ran. Halfway up the winding road to the Copper Canyon mine he saw the dust cloud. He knew what that meant. A cave-in.","\n","^Hundreds of tons of rock, dislodged by the earthquake, had come crashing down. If they were lucky, the miners had died instantly; if unlucky, they were trapped behind an impenetrable wall of rock and would be a long time dying. There was no chance anyone could get out of there alive. Still, he had to see.","\n","^Tom picked up the pace, running for the mine entrance, only to be grabbed and swung up onto a horse by Jensen, the mine owner, himself.","\n","^\"Whoa, boy. No one's going in there. It's not safe. Could be aftershocks.\"","\n","^As if on cue, the ground rumbled, and a fountain of dust blew out of the entrance.","\n","^\"If they're dead, they're dead,\" Jensen said. \"And if they're not, we got time to figure out how to get them out safely. Go home to your mama. She needs you now.\"","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":"Mother"},{"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"Mother":[["^Tom's mother was in the kitchen when he got home. The light of the setting sun, reddened by the lingering cloud of dust from the mine collapse, caught motes of flour in its beams. She was making pies. Baby Maggie was in her cradle on the counter beside her, and Mama would knead the flour, then reach over and give the cradle a gentle push-pull, setting it rocking, then back to her dough.","\n","^Tom watched her work, not wanting to interrupt. A basket of green apples standing ready meant apple pie, his father's favorite. He didn't know how to tell her.","\n","^\"You come from the mine?\" she asked, without turning around.","\n","^He was supposed to be in school, but no use lying about that now. \"Yes.\"","\n","^\"I felt the tremor. Big one. The whole town shook.\" She rocked the baby and went right back to kneading her dough. \"I suppose if you had good news, you'd tell me. He's dead, ain't he?\"","\n","^\"Don't you even care?\"","\n","^She whirled on him, as angry as he'd ever seen her, forearms dusted in flour up to her elbows. \"He was my husband.\" Seeing the look on his face, she softened. \"I knew. Soon as I felt the tremor, I knew. The whole town shook. Your father wasn't afraid of much, but earthquakes scared him. For good reason, he always said. Well.\" She wiped her hands on her apron, then turned and got back to work. \"There'll be time for grieving. In the meantime, chores still have to be done, Maggie still has to be fed.\" Her hands stopped moving, fingers clenched in the dough. \"It's not going to be easy without him.\"","\n","^\"We'll make it work,\" Tom said. \"I'll get a job.\"","\n","^\"You're a good boy, Tom. You think they'll reopen the mine?\"","\n","^\"Don't know. There's a town meeting tonight.\"","\n","^\"Go. Find out what you can.\"","\n","^Tom took a step toward her. Her shoulders shook.","\n","^\"Go on, now,\" she said, voice breaking. She wiped her face with her apron. \"Go on. Get. I'll have supper waiting for you when you're back.\"","\n","^Tom fled.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":"Takeover"},{"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"Takeover":[["^CHAPTER ONE
","\n","^It was Jensen himself, the mine owner, that organized the town meeting that evening at the Snakehead Saloon. The turnout was so large that the crowd spilled into the street, and Jensen came out onto the second floor balcony to address them by torchlight.","\n","^Despite the darkness, or perhaps because of it, Tom could sense the fear in the crowd. By his estimate, nearly half of Copper Canyon's menfolk were missing or dead.","\n","^\"I know you got questions,\" Jensen said. \"I'll tell you what I know, and then we gotta decide how to move forward as a community from here. You all know we had a trembler today—a big one. Brought down a lot of rock inside the mine. Lot of you still waiting for final word, and I'm sorry to say, I don't have good news. Best we can figure, anyone who didn't make it out today ain't ever coming out. But the good news is—\"","\n","^A voice from the crowd cut him off. \"How do you know they're dead? What about a rescue?\"","\n","^Jensen leaned over the balcony rail to make his point. \"First, let me say that two souls did make it out okay.\"","\n","^A man scrambled up the back of a wagon, raising his hands in triumph as if expecting applause, but the crowd's reaction was muted, thinking more of the twenty-two still lost than this one.","\n","^\"And our first thought, of course,\" Jensen said, \"was figuring out a plan to rescue the rest. Unfortunately, they are beyond hope. From the reports of the survivors and our examination, the entire tunnel collapsed. No one could have survived. And digging it out would take months. Maybe a year.\"","\n","^Another man climbed up beside the first. Tom couldn't make out their faces in the dim light without getting closer, but the mood of the crowd was turning ugly. It might be safer to hang back on the periphery.","\n","ev","str","^Move closer","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},"ev","str","^Hang back","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-1","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n","ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"mc_seen","re":true},"ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"villains_known","re":true},"^Tom pushed his way through the crowd for a better view of the survivors. From his new vantage, he was able to identify them. The first, by the scar on his face, was Lionel Taggart, a man not to be trusted, his father had often said; the second, a wiry kid not much older than Tom himself was Johnny Dobbs.","\n",{"->":".^.^.g-0"},{"#f":5}],"c-1":["\n","^Tom chose to hang back on the edge of the crowd, favoring anonymity over information. If trouble erupted, it would be easy to slip away undetected.","\n",{"->":".^.^.g-0"},{"#f":5}],"g-0":["^\"How'd them two get out when the rest stayed and died?\" demanded an angry voice from the crowd.","\n","^\"I'll tell you how,\" said ","ev",{"VAR?":"villains_known"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^Taggart",{"->":".^.^.^.8"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^the first man on the wagon",{"->":".^.^.^.8"},null]}],"nop","^. \"By sticking together. We all could've made it, should've made it. But when the shaking started, the foreman, Bauer, told the others to stay, to shore up the tunnel.\"","\n","^Tom's ears perked up at the sound of his father's name.","\n","^\"Bauer was a coward,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"villains_known"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^Taggart",{"->":".^.^.^.19"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^the man",{"->":".^.^.^.19"},null]}],"nop","^ went on, \"more concerned with protecting that man's profits,\" he pointed at Jensen, \"then saving the lives of the men. If they'd gone with us stead of staying with him, they'd be alive.\"","\n","^That didn't sound like Tom's father. He'd never valued money over human life. And didn't make much sense either. If he was a coward, wouldn't he have fled with the others? ","ev",{"VAR?":"villains_known"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^Taggart",{"->":".^.^.^.28"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^The man",{"->":".^.^.^.28"},null]}],"nop","^ had to be lying. But why?","\n","^\"What's this mean for the mine?\" someone asked. \"Are you going to reopen?\"","\n","^Jensen spread his hands. \"Got no plans to reopen. We was limping along already, the vein sputtering out. Along with twenty-two good men, we lost material, equipment and our latest load of ore. Copper Canyon Mine is finished. Busted.\"","\n","^\"But we're a mining town. What do we got without a mine?\"","\n","^\"That you all got to figure out for yourselves,\" Jensen said. \"I'm sorry. Don't even have enough for wages after I pay out death benefits.\"","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-2","flg":4},{"c-2":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-1"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-1":["^A third man climbed up beside the others on the wagon","ev",{"VAR?":"villains_known"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^, Nathaniel Cyrus, the prospector Tom had already tnagled with",{"->":".^.^.^.5"},null]}],"nop","^. \"The hell? They're dead, we're alive. You pay us first.\"","\n","^\"I got to take care of the families,\" Jensen began, then caught sight of who was speaking. His tone shifted. \"Cyrus? I fired you for being drunk in the hole. You got nothing coming to you.\"","\n","ev",{"VAR?":"villains_known"},"!","/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^Cyrus? That was the prospector Tom had tangled with that afternoon. Now that Jensen had called him out, Tom recognized his voice, mean as ever.",{"->":".^.^.^.15"},null]}],"nop","\n","^\"I got this,\" Cyrus said, drawing his revolver, \"so maybe you want to reconsider your position.\"","\n","^\"Never.\"","\n","^Cyrus had apparently dried out some and got his wound tended to. He was steadier on his feet than he had been earlier in the day. He fired three times and hit Jensen twice.","\n","^Copper Canyon was too small to warrant a sheriff or a marshal, just the families of the miners and enough local businesses to support them. Jensen was, or had been, the closest thing to a civic leader the town had. And now he was dead.","\n","^Someone in the crowd screamed. ","ev",{"VAR?":"villains_known"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^Taggart and Dobbs",{"->":".^.^.^.31"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^The other men",{"->":".^.^.^.31"},null]}],"nop","^ drew.","\n","^\"Easy boys,\" Cyrus said. \"No need killing anybody ain't asking for it.\" He addressed the crowd. \"Listen. This town is already dead and don't know it. Me and my friends are going to get what we're owed, and then we're going to move on. I suggest you do the same. And in the meantime, stay out of our way.\"","\n","^No one stirred.","\n","^Cyrus fired three more times into the air. \"Go on, now. Get!\"","\n","^The crowd moved off, talking in low whispers but going.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"mc_seen"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^Tom stood still in disbelief, and Cyrus spotted him as the crowd thinned. \"You again.\" He aimed his pistol. Tom, frozen, stared down the barrel, big as a well. Cyrus fired, and the hammer fell with a dull clack. \"Well, ain't you lucky. I forgot to reload.\"","\n","^Tom ran.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.44"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^Tom slunk away with the rest, feeling like a coward himself but not knowing what else do to.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.44"},null]}],"nop","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-3","flg":4},{"c-3":["\n",{"->":"Catalyst"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"Catalyst":[["^\"Papa wouldn't do that, would he?\" Tom asked his mother once home. \"Risk the men's lives for money?\"","\n","^\"You know he wouldn't.\"","\n","^He did, but still it felt good to hear her confirm it. He filled her in on the events of the meeting, including the shooting, expecting she'd announce immediate plans for their departure.","\n","^\"We can't leave, Tom. Not yet,\" she said, surprising him. \"We're going to have a service for your father. And I mean to collect that death benefit. We need that money to move on.\"","\n","^\"There's no money,\" Tom said. \"And even if there was, it's not safe. They shot Jensen. They killed him.\"","\n","^But no matter how he argued he couldn't talk her out of trying. The next morning, after arranging a neighbor to sit for Maggie, they set off. Tom did as he'd seen his father do many times and offered his mother his arm and escorted her to the Copper Canyon payroll office.","\n","^Jensen had kept an office up at the mine, but many of the miners preferred, or at least had agreed, to have their wives collect their pay in town instead. More of it seemed to go toward essentials that way. A fellow named Demming manned the office, doing the books and distributing wages.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":".^.^.g-0"},{"#f":5}],"g-0":[["ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^As Tom and his mother drew near, a boy about Tom's age flew out the door and sprawled in the street. Tom recognized him from his rare but memorable appearances at school. His name was Jake. He was the son of one of the miners. His father must have died in the cave-in. Tom felt an instant kinship with him.","\n","^Jake gathered himself and stood, wiping a smear of blood from beneath his nose. Tom hurried over to lend a hand, but Jake whirled on him, fists raised.","\n","^\"Just wanted to see if you were okay,\" Tom said, stepping back to give the boy some room.","\n","^\"Bastards,\" Jake said. He glanced over his shoulder at the payroll office, then exhaled through gritted teeth and let his hands unclench. \"Maybe you'll have better luck.\"","\n","^\"Doesn't your mother need to claim the death benefits?\" Tom asked. He'd heard that Jake's father lived with an Apache woman as his common-law wife on the outskirts of town but had never seen her. From what Tom had seen of how the townsfolk treated Jake, a half-breed, he wasn't surprised that his mother chose not to mingle.","\n","^\"My mother is dead,\" Jake said without affect.","\n","^\"I'm sorry,\" Tom said. He couldn't tell if she'd passed this morning or last year; Jake's expression revealed nothing.","\n","^Jake regarded him silently, which Tom took for acknowledgement, then walked away.","\n","^Tom rejoined his mother as laughter sounded from inside the payroll office. He tugged her arm. \"Please. Let's go. There's nothing but trouble in there.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.2"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^As Tom and his mother drew near, a man flew out the door backward as if kicked by a mule, landing hard on his ass in the street. It was Mr. Chang, who ran one of the two shops in town—Chang's Mercantile. His daughter, Lin, rushed up to help. She'd been waiting patiently on the boardwalk outside the office. Mr. Chang refused her assistance. He stood on his own, brushing the dirt from his trousers, as the two exchanged a flurry of words in Chinese, then stalked off with his wounded dignity.","\n","^Laughter sounded from inside.","\n","^Tom tugged his mother's arm. \"Please. Let's go. There's nothing but trouble in there.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.2"},null]}],"nop","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-1","flg":4},{"c-1":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-1"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-1":["^\"No,\" his mother said. When she set her mind to a thing, she didn't flex.","\n","^She marched up the door and pushed it open. It was cramped quarters inside, with three men taking up space meant for one or two.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"villains_known"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^Tom recognized the men from the town meeting immediately. The \"survivors,\" Dobbs and Taggart. Dobbs had the paymaster, Mr. Demming, vest torn and glasses askew, pushed up against the wall. Taggart sat in Demming's chair, boots kicked up on the desk.","\n","^\"Well, look who it is,\" Taggart said, pointing at Tom. \"Too bad Cyrus ain't here. He's got something for you. Payback, he said.\" He grinned. \"I'll let him deliver it himself.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.6"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^Mr. Demming, the paymaster, vest torn and glasses askew, had been pushed up against the wall by a wiry, young man, not much older than Tom, called Johnny Dobbs. In Demming's chair sat a gruff-looking man with his boots kicked up on the desk. The scar on his face told Tom that this was Lionel Taggart. A man not be trusted, his father had often said. Dobbs and Taggart worked the mine, or had before the tragedy. Though Tom hadn't gotten close enough to identify them at the town meeting, they had to be the two that had stood beside Cyrus when he shot Jensen.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.6"},null]}],"nop","\n","^Tom's mother ignored the men and spoke directly to the paymaster. \"Mr. Demming, are you all right, sir? I have business with you.\"","\n","^\"I'm sorry, Mrs. Bauer,\" Demming said in a strangled voice, \"I'm afraid I can't help you now.\"","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-2","flg":4},{"c-2":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-2"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-2":["^Taggart spoke. \"Our Mr. Demming here hasn't got any money to pay death benefits. Or anything else. Least that's what he says. We've asked him a few times, and he's stuck to his story, but I reckon we'll keep asking till he finds another answer.\"","\n","^\"Move along, Mrs. Bauer,\" Dobbs said. \"You don't want any part of this.\"","\n","^\"Mr. Demming?\"","\n","^\"Please go, ma'am. I'll be fine,\" Demming said, though he didn't look it.","\n","^\"I see.\" She turned to leave, but Taggart swung his feet off the desk, landing his bootheels with a crack on the wood floor.","\n","^\"Hang on now. What's in that purse? Anything you got came to you from Jensen. And anything that was Jensen's is ours.\"","\n","^\"All I've got is a church donation for my husband's funeral service.\"","\n","^\"We'll take it,\" Taggart said, snatching the purse from her hands.","\n","^Tom's blood boiled.","\n","ev","str","^Punch Taggart","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-3","flg":4},"ev","str","^Escort mother to safety","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-4","flg":4},{"c-3":["\n","ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"impulsive","re":true},"^Tom acted without thinking, punching Taggart square in the face hard enough to make him yelp. He grabbed the purse back and bolted through the door. But he didn't get two steps outside the office before he heard his mother scream and Taggart's voice call out, \"Bring it back, boy. Don't make us hurt your mama.\"","\n","^He had no choice. There were two of them, and they were armed. He slunk back into the office.","\n","^Taggart took the purse again. \"Go on. Get out of here, fore we change our minds.\"","\n","^\"You've got my money,\" Mrs. Bauer said. \"At least give me back my purse.\"","\n","^\"Nah,\" Taggart said, cocking the hammer of his Colt. \"Think we'll keep that too.\"","\n","^To her credit, Tom's mother didn't flinch. She stared Taggart down, then made a graceful exit. Once they were outside, she laid into Tom. \"That was reckless, Tom. Brave but reckless. You could've got yourself shot. Those are dangerous men ...\" She trailed off. \"I suppose I should have listened to you. You were right. Well, I've got to visit the preacher empty-handed. No need for you to be part of that. I'll meet you at home.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-3"},{"#f":5}],"c-4":["\n","^Tom swallowed his rage and took his mother outside, leaving the purse with the men. To his surprise,his mother thanked him. \"You were right, Tom. We never should have come. Well, I've got to visit the preacher empty-handed now. No need for you to be part of that. I'll meet you at home.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-3"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-3":[["ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n",{"->":"RecruitJake"},{"->":".^.^.^.2"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n",{"->":"RecruitLin"},{"->":".^.^.^.2"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"RecruitJake":[["^As his mother walked off, Tom put his mind to scheming how he'd redress the wrong done his family. He was halfway into an elaborate revenge fantasy when a shadow fell across him. He turned and saw Jake appraising him with cool, dark eyes.","\n","^\"You're still here,\" Tom said.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"impulsive"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"mc_seen"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"I wanted to see if they'd pay you,\" Jake said, \"because of your mother. But no, not even you. At least you tried something. I thought after Cyrus threatened you at the meeting you would have been afraid to try anything. Afraid to even come here.\"","\n","^\"Cyrus wasn't in there.\"","\n","^\"Did you know that?\"","\n","^\"No,\" Tom admitted.","\n","^\"He would have killed you if you had been, and still you went,\" Jake said with admiration. \"After Taggart called your pa a coward, I thought you might be—\"","\n","^\"My father wasn't a coward!\"","\n","^\"Maybe he was and maybe he wasn't,\" Jake said. \"I don't put much stock in the words of those three that got out. But anyone who could say different is dead.\"","\n","^Tom, hotter than a chicken on a spit, prepared to thrash an apology out of Jake, but two things stopped him. First, that Jake hadn't actually called his father a coward, only reported on him that had; and second, that Jake, who must hate these men even more than he did, was a potential ally for his revenge.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.3"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"I wanted to see if they'd pay you,\" Jake said, \"because of your mother. But no, not even you. At least you tried something. After Taggart called your pa a coward at the meeting, and you snuck away, I thought you might be—\"","\n","^\"My father wasn't a coward!\"","\n","^\"Maybe he was and maybe he wasn't,\" Jake said. \"I don't put much stock in the words of those three that got out. But anyone who could say different is dead.\"","\n","^Tom, hotter than water on the boil, prepared to thrash an apology out of Jake, but two things stopped him. First, that Jake hadn't actually called his father a coward, only reported on him that had; and second, that Jake, who must hate these men even more than he did, was a potential ally for his revenge.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.3"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.6"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"mc_seen"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"I wanted to see if they'd pay you,\" Jake said, \"because of your mother. But no, not even you.\"","\n","^He turned as if to walk away, then said. \"I admit to being curious about you too. After Cyrus threatened you at the meeting, I'd a thought you'd be afraid to even come here.\"","\n","^\"Cyrus wasn't in there.\"","\n","^\"Did you know that?\"","\n","^\"No,\" Tom admitted.","\n","^\"He would have killed you if you had been, and still you went,\" Jake said with admiration. \"But then you turned tail and walked once you got here. I'm not sure what to make of you.\"","\n","^\"Things would have gone different if I'd come alone,\" Tom said, \"but I had to look out for my mother.\"","\n","^Jake nodded. \"Fair enough. After Taggart called your pa a coward, I thought you might be—\"","\n","^\"My father wasn't a coward!\"","\n","^\"Maybe he was and maybe he wasn't,\" Jake said. \"I don't put much stock in the words of those three that got out. But anyone who could say different is dead.\"","\n","^Tom, hotter than water on the boil, prepared to thrash an apology out of Jake, but two things stopped him. First, that Jake hadn't actually called his father a coward, only reported on him that had; and second, that Jake, who must hate these men even more than he did, was a potential ally for his revenge.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.3"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"I wanted to see if they'd pay you,\" Jake said, \"because of your mother. But no, not even you.\"","\n","^He turned as if to walk away, then said, \"I admit to being curious about you too. After you snuck away from the meeting last night, I'd a thought you'd be afraid to even come here. Sure enough, you tucked tail and run here too. Taggart called your father a coward. I guess the apple don't fall far from the tree.\"","\n","^Tom, hotter than a chicken on the spit, dragged the heel of his boot in the dirt to carve a rough line between the two of them, then put up his fists.","\n","^\"I'm not a coward and neither is my father. I'll fight anyone that says different.\"","\n","^Jake held his open hands out in supplication. \"All right, you're willing to stand up for what you believe. You're not a coward—we don't have to fight about it. As for your pa, I don't put much stock in the words of those three that got out. Maybe he was, and maybe he wasn't. But anyone who could say different is dead.\"","\n","^That wasn't near enough an apology for Tom's liking, and he prepared to thrash one out of Jake, but two things stopped him. First, that Jake hadn't actually called his father a coward, only reported on him that had; and second, that Jake, who must hate these men even more than he did, was a potential ally for his revenge.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.3"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.6"},null]}],"nop","\n","^\"Taggart, Dobbs, Cyrus—they're going to destroy the town,\" Tom said","\n","^\"Seems likely,\" Jake agreed.","\n","^\"Someone has to stand up to them.\"","\n","^\"Who? You?\"","\n","^Tom nodded.","\n","^Jake grinned. \"Well. We're going to need some help.\"","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":"Assemble"},{"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"RecruitLin":[["^As his mother walked off, Tom put his mind to scheming how he'd redress the wrong done his family. He was halfway into an elaborate revenge fantasy when a shadow fell across him. He turned and saw the girl from before—Lin, the shopkeeper's daughter. She appraised him with cool, dark eyes.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"impulsive"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"You're too impulsive,\" she said. \"You should wait for an opportunity, not fight two armed men yourself.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.4"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"That was smart,\" she said. \"I can tell you wanted to fight, but you're willing to wait until the odds are in your favor.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.4"},null]}],"nop","\n","^Tom, who in all the months he'd sat two rows behind the girl in the town's one-room schoolhouse had never heard her utter a word, marveled that she could speak at all, let alone perfect English. Here was a potential ally for his revenge.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"impulsive"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"What would you have done different?\" Tom demanded.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"mc_seen"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"Not make enemies of men with guns,\" Lin said. \"Cyrus threatened you last night. If he were here today instead of his men, you would be dead.\"","\n","^\"You were there? At the meeting?\" Tom asked. \"I didn't see you.\"","\n","^\"I didn't want to be seen. You would have been smarter to avoid attention yourself. You saw what happened to Jensen.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.5"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"Against such men?\" Lin said. \"Avoid them.\"","\n","^\"I'm not a coward.\"","\n","^Lin shook her head. \"Better to duck a fight you can't win. Bravery is for those who can afford to lose.\"","\n","^Tom didn't know if he held with that. Bravery, in his mind, was an unassailable virtue. But he allowed as how there could be advantage in being brave and smart.","\n","^\"You were smart last night,\" Lin continued. \"Staying on the edge of the crowd, avoiding attention.\"","\n","^\"You were there? At the meeting?\" Tom asked. \"I didn't see you.\"","\n","^\"I didn't want to be seen. You saw what happened to Jensen.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.5"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.10"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"I don't know if anyone's ever called me smart before,\" Tom said.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"mc_seen"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^Lin bit back a retort. \"You're learning,\" she allowed. \"But last night was ... unwise.\"","\n","^\"You were there? At the meeting?\"","\n","^She blew past his question. \"And to confront these men after Cyrus threatened you ... You're lucky he wasn't here.\" She shook her head.","\n","^\"I didn't see you there,\" Tom said.","\n","^\"I did't want to be seen. You saw what happened to Jensen. The same could happen to you if you're not careful.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.5"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"Maybe not book smart,\" Lin said.","\n","^Tom launched a protest, but Lin held up her hand. \"I've seen your test scores,\" she said. \"But you're observant, and you're naturally cautious. I saw you at the meeting. When everyone else was crowding in for a better view, you chose a safer vantage.\"","\n","^\"You were there? I didn't see you.\"","\n","^\"I didn't want to be seen. You saw what happend to Jensen. That could have been you.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.5"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.10"},null]}],"nop","\n","^\"Someone has to stand up to them,\" Tom said. \"They're going to destroy the town.\"","\n","^\"Who? You? Against all three of them?\"","\n","^\"We could team up,\" Tom said. ","<>","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"impulsive"},{"VAR?":"mc_seen"},"&&","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^Brave and smart. They made an unbeatable combination.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.22"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"impulsive"},{"VAR?":"mc_seen"},"||","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^He was coming around to her way of thinking.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.22"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^After all, they thought alike.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.22"},null]}],"nop","\n","^\"That would still be two against three,\" Lin said.","\n","^Tom grinned. He knew he had her; she was arguing details. \"Let's find a few more,\" he said, \"to even the odds.\"","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":"Assemble"},{"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"Assemble":[["^Chapter Two
","\n","^Less than 48 hours after the town meeting, Copper Canyon had become, if not a ghost town, a town near death. Word of the incidents at the payroll office spread—","ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^of Jake, who had been denied his father's death benefit and beaten in the process",{"->":".^.^.^.8"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^of Lin's father, who'd tried to collect on his overdue account and been thrown bodily out",{"->":".^.^.^.8"},null]}],"nop","^, and of Tom's mother, who'd not only been denied her husband's death benefit but, insult to injury, had been robbed. After that, several families moved on without even inquiring after benefits. Most of the rest kept to themselves, behind locked doors and shuttered windows, rarely venturing out.","\n","^Tom and ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ canvassed the town, talking to every kid they could find and assembling a group of seven in Jensen's warehouse at the edge of town. With the mine closed down, no one would be by to disturb them. The warehouse was secured, but that was no obstacle for Tom who treated a Keep Out sign as a challenge and a padlock as a puzzle. He quickly found his way in and threw open the door for ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ who invited the others in then stood beside Tom.","\n","^When the mine was in full swing, refined ore would be stored here for transport. Now it was all but vacant. Two long-haul ore wagons stood empty, beside a smaller wagon, built to the size of the trail that ran between the warehouse and the mine.","\n","^First in the door was a blonde girl in a flower-print dress and boots. She went straight for the wagons. \"Do you think anyone's feeding the horses?\" Fiona Fletcher, Tom thought. He'd aimed to recruit her twin brother, Felix, and she'd come along for the ride. He was glad she had. She was a spitfire.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"I set 'em loose,\" Jake said. \"They can fend for themselves. No one left with the mine to take care of 'em.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.29"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"Oh, the horses,\" Lin said. \"I hadn't thought of that.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.29"},null]}],"nop","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":".^.^.g-0"},{"#f":5}],"g-0":["^The blacksmith's son, Charlie, was next in the door. He grabbed a barrel that must've weighed a hundred pounds empty, flipped it on end, and hopped up on it as a seat.","\n","^Ximena, a shy girl with dark bangs, looked for a place to sit, then stood awkwardly inside the door. A boy Tom recognized, but didn't know and hadn't invited, came and stood in the center of the room with his hands on his hips, scowling with disapproval. Tom looked at ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ who shrugged and shook ","ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^his",{"->":".^.^.^.13"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^her",{"->":".^.^.^.13"},null]}],"nop","^ head. Bart Blechman. He must have come with one of the others. The more the merrier, Tom thought, though Bart didn't look that merry.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^Bringing up the rear, Fiona's twin, Felix, grabbed the door to pull it close behind him. Just as he did, a girl with straight black hair darted in and stood by Ximena. She was Lin, the shopkeeper's daughter at Chang's Mercantile.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.18"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^Bringing up the rear, Fiona's twin, Felix, pulled the door closed behind him.","\n","^Wait, the numbers didn't add up. He and Lin had invited five, not counting Bart, but there were—he double-checked—seven here. Counting Bart. Who was missing?","\n","^He turned and spotted Jake, slouched against the side of the smaller ore wagon, who grinned from beneath the brim of his hat. Tom hadn't seen or heard him enter.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.18"},null]}],"nop","\n","^\"Okay, let's get started,\" Tom said. The others formed a loose arc with Tom and ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ at the focus. Felix dragged a hay bale beside Charlie's barrel for the girls to sit on. \"We're here to figure out how to take our town back from these gunmen.\"","\n","^\"They come into my father's shop and take what they want without paying,\" Lin said. \"This man Taggart threatened to burn the shop down. My father won't stand up to them.\"","\n","^\"No one will,\" Jake said. \"Everyone's afraid after they shot Jensen.\"","\n","^\"If we don't do something,\" Felix said, \"they're going to run this town into the ground.\"","\n","^\"They're going to use it up and throw away the rind,\" Fiona said. \"Folks are already starting to move on.\"","\n","^\"Anyone got any ideas?\" Tom said.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-1","flg":4},{"c-1":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-1"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-1":["^\"Here's an idea,\" Bart said, moving to eclipse Tom. \"Get rid of these girls so we can get serious about this. Who invited them anyway?\"","\n","^\"We did,\" Tom said, nodding to indicate ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^.","\n","^\"Got a problem with that?\" Fiona said, standing up. Bart might outweigh her, but she had the height of him.","\n","^Bart raised his hands in mock surrender and stepped back into the circle. \"Not with your brother here to back you up.\"","\n","^Felix laughed. \"She don't need my help. She can shoot the flame off a candle at a hundred yards. Hell, she can probably lick you in a fair fight.\"","\n","^\"Rein it in,\" Tom said. \"The enemy's out there, remember?\"","\n","^Bart gestured in Felix's direction. \"That's what we need. Guns. There's three of them, and they're armed. No way we can stand up to them without guns.\"","\n","^\"No guns,\" Tom said. \"Long as we're unarmed, we're just a bunch of kids making mischief.\"","\n","^Charlie hopped off the barrel he'd been using as a stool. \"Heard enough.\" He slapped the dust from his dungarees. \"Guns or no guns,\" he pointed at Bart, \"that one is going to get you all killed.\"","\n","^\"Charlie,\" pleaded Tom. The blacksmith's son was the biggest and strongest of them. Tom had been counting on that strength.","\n","^Charlie shook his head. \"Someone's going to die before this is over. It's not going to be me. I'm going home.\" He left without looking back.","\n","^Bart snorted. Tom wanted to punch his smug face, but he had to get the situation back on track. Everyone was looking to him.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-2","flg":4},{"c-2":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-2"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-2":["^\"No guns,\" Tom said again, hoping to stave off any other defectors. \"Charlie's right. We get in a shooting war with these thugs, they're going to kill us. We're just going to prank 'em, provoke 'em, harry 'em, humiliate 'em. Generally make life miserable enough for them that they clear out. They already said they're planning to leave. We just gotta hurry 'em along.\"","\n","ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^\"It can work,\" Jake said, \"if we're brave and united.\"",{"->":".^.^.^.7"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^\"I think it can work,\" Lin said, \"as long as we're smart and we stick together.\"",{"->":".^.^.^.7"},null]}],"nop","\n","^\"That's a terrible idea,\" Bart said. \"You all can't be stupid enough to think that'll work.\"","\n","^Ximena scurried for the door. \"Sorry, I have to go.\"","\n","^\"Don't let this loud mouth drive you off,\" Felix said.","\n","^\"Yeah, stay,\" Fiona chimed in.","\n","^\"I thought you were attempting to secure the death benefits we'd been promised,\" Ximena said. \"I have no need for revenge.\"","\n","^\"It's not revenge,\" Tom said. \"I'm trying to save the town.\"","\n","^\"My family has already decided to leave. I'm sorry,\" she said again, and exited.","\n","^Tom, deflated by the exodus of a second member of the group, turned his frustration on Bart. \"You have a better idea?\"","\n","^\"Yeah. Put me in charge.\"","\n","^The rest of them shouted Bart down. Tom raised his hands for silence. \"I get that you want to be in charge, but that's not what I asked. Do you have a better idea?\"","\n","^Bart shrugged.","\n","^\"Okay, then,\" Tom said. \"We'll stick with what's on the table. Unless anyone else has a suggestion?\"","\n","^\"We're with you,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ said. ","ev",{"VAR?":"secondary"},"out","/ev","^ and the twins agreed. Bart shrugged noncommittally.","\n","^\"In or out, Bart. You can't sit on the fence.\"","\n","^\"In, I guess. I still think it's a terrible idea.\"","\n","^Tom considered his options. They were already down two; he didn't want to lose a third. Though he didn't care for Bart, an extra pair of hands might make a difference. And if Tom forced the issue and Bart left, the rest of them would be exposed to whatever mischief he might attempt in revenge. He didn't seem the type to let such an affront go. On the other hand, he'd caused nothing but trouble so far. His only contributions had been dangerous and divisive. He'd cause trouble either way—which was the lesser evil?","\n","^He glanced at ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ for help, but ","ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^he",{"->":".^.^.^.62"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^she",{"->":".^.^.^.62"},null]}],"nop","^ gave Tom a look that said the decision was his.","\n","ev","str","^Kick Bart out","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-3","flg":4},"ev","str","^Keep Bart in","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-4","flg":4},{"c-3":["\n","ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"bart_expelled","re":true},"^\"That's not good enough,\" Tom said. \"If you're not with us one hundred percent, you're not with us at all.\"","\n","^Bart stared. \"You're kicking me out?\"","\n","^\"You're kicking yourself out, sounds like,\" Jake said.","\n","^\"Fine,\" Bart said. \"Get yourselves killed. Not my problem.\" He made a show of kicking up as much dust as he could as he stalked off.","\n","^\"Smart,\" Lin said when he'd gone. \"He's trouble.\"","\n","^\"A bullet dodged,\" Jake agreed.","\n","^\"Maybe,\" Tom said. \"I've got a feeling he might come back to haunt us.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-3"},{"#f":5}],"c-4":["\n","ev",0,"/ev",{"VAR=":"bart_expelled","re":true},"^\"We need you with us one hundred percent,\" Tom said. \"Okay?\"","\n","^\"I said I was in,\" Bart repeated.","\n","^\"Okay.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-3"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-3":["ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-5","flg":4},{"c-5":["\n",{"->":"PlanIntoAction"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"PlanIntoAction":[["^Chapter Three
","\n","^\"So, who do we go after first?\" Tom said. \"Cyrus is dangerous.","ev",{"VAR?":"mc_seen"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^\" And he's already gunning for me, Tom thought, but didn't care to admit. \"",{"->":".^.^.^.8"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^ ",{"->":".^.^.^.8"},null]}],"nop","^Dobbs is probably the easiest target. He's young and not that bright. Easy to prank, but not a big loss to the others if we can manage to drive him off. Taggart, well, he's smarter and meaner than Dobbs, but I don't know if he's a killer. And he and Dobbs are close. If we can drive out Taggart, Dobbs might go along with him.\"","\n","ev","str","^Target Johnny Dobbs","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},"ev","str","^Target Lionel Taggart","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-1","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":"TargetDobbs"},{"#f":5}],"c-1":["\n",{"->":"TargetTaggart"},{"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"PlanIntoActionTwo":[["^They gathered again that evening. Tom and ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ shared what they'd seen about Dobbs, riding out like a whipped cat. \"But now that he's out of the way, who do we go after next? Cyrus? Or Taggart?\"","\n",["ev","str","^Target Lionel Taggart","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},"ev","str","^Target Nathaniel Cyrus","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-1","flg":20},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":"TargetTaggart"},{"#f":5}],"c-1":["\n","^\"Cyrus is too dangerous,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ said. \"He killed Jensen. We should save him for last and hope he gets discouraged when we drive off his friends.\"","\n","^Tom was relieved to hear ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ say what he'd been thinking.","\n",{"->":".^.^"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5,"#n":"loop"}],null],{"#f":1}],"TargetDobbs":[["^After discussing it further, they decided together to go after Dobbs to score an easy victory. But how?","\n","^\"What do we know about him?\" Tom asked. \"What are his weaknesses?\"","\n","^\"There's a girl he likes,\" Lin said. \"Works at the Snakehead Saloon. He calls on her every day after breakfast. Walks in like he owns the place and gives her a big ol' smile.\"","\n","^\"So, what, then?\" Jake said. \"We talk to her, tell her to be mean to him, hope he dies of a broken heart?\"","\n","^But Fiona had picked up something through some shared intutiion. \"How does she feel about him?\"","\n","^\"Well,\" Lin said, \"she acts friendly enough, but I get the impression she's kinda scared. He comes on like he's wooing her, but he never lets anyone forget him and his buddies run the town now.\"","\n","^\"So, he's going to take what he wants, but at the same time, he wants her to like him,\" Tom said.","\n","^\"Or fake it well enough,\" Lin agreed.","\n","^\"I got an idea,\" Tom said.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":".^.^.g-0"},{"#f":5}],"g-0":["^Early the next morning, the ","ev",{"VAR?":"bart_expelled"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^five",{"->":".^.^.^.6"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^six",{"->":".^.^.^.6"},null]}],"nop","^ of them met up again to put the plan into action. Johnny Dobbs took his breakfast in the restaurant attached to the hotel. He and the others had moved into the hotel after Cyrus shot Jensen, claiming they were \"owed.\" Never mind that Jensen didn't own the hotel. And never mind that they only served breakfast till nine o'clock. Dobbs strolled in at ten, expecting to be served. And until someone in town was willing to stand up to him and his friends, well, he got what he wanted.","\n","^\"Who's going to do it?\" Tom said, thinking the others would nominate him as the obvious candidate.","\n","^\"I'll do it,\" Lin said, surprising him. \"I'm invisible to them. Dobbs will never even notice me.\"","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"bart_expelled"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^The others murmured agreement.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.15"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^Bart interrupted. \"I'll do it.\"","\n","^Disappointed though he was that the others hadn't chosen him, Tom was even less inclined to turn Bart loose on his own. \"Lin made a good case,\" he said. \"And I think we're all in agreement.\"","\n","^Bart wouldn't let it go. \"It should be me. I'm stronger than she is, faster than she is.\"","\n","^Fiona rolled her eyes. \"You're not smarter than she is, though, are you? Strong and fast don't matter much when you're trying to be stealthy.\"","\n","^Bart opened his mouth to speak, saw the others were all set against him, and closed it again without a word.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.15"},null]}],"nop","\n","^\"All right,\" Tom said. \"Let's get into position.\" He passed Lin a vial of India ink. She slipped it into her pocket and went inside.","\n","^After five minutes had passed, and Lin still hadn't emerged, Jake said, \"What's she waiting on?\"","\n","^Tom, who had been wondering the same thing, held up a hand, counseling patience, as Johnny Dobbs mopped up the last of his baked beans with his biscuit. Dobbs wiped his mouth with his napkin, then held up a table knife as a mirror to check his smile.","\n","^\"Waiting for him to finish eating, looks like,\" Tom said.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-1","flg":4},{"c-1":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-1"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-1":["^Satisfied, Dobbs licked his teeth, put down the knife, and held out his coffee cup for a refill without looking.","\n","^Lin, standing behind him, filled his coffee cup half way from the silver-plate coffee pot. Dobbs, still without looking, shook his cup impatiently. Lin quickly dumped the vial of dark liquid into his coffee, then filled his cup to the brim from the pot.","\n","^A few minutes after that, Dobbs stepped out the front door, took in the air, and smiled—showing his teeth and gums stained black as coal.","\n","^\"Look at that!\" Felix said. \"He looks like a witch.\"","\n","^\"Shh, don't let him hear you,\" Tom said.","\n","^Dobbs set his hat on his head and snapped the brim between his thumb and forefinger before strutting down the boardwalk toward the Snakehead.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-2","flg":4},{"c-2":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-2"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-2":["^\"What do we do?\" Jake said. \"Lin's still inside.\"","\n","^The sun, just cresting the buildings on the far side of the street, threw maddening reflections on the plate glass of the restaurant window, but Tom thought he caught a glimpse of Lin waving them on.","\n","^Tom felt uncomfortable leaving Lin behind but caught a glimpse of her through the window waving them on.","\n","^\"Follow Dobbs,\" he said. \"She'll catch up.\"","\n","^They did just that, taking care not to be seen. The saloon window's curtains were closed, so they didn't have a view inside, but they could hear the plinking of a piano and a murmur of conversation. And they could hear it all grind to a halt as Dobbs stepped into the saloon.","\n","^\"That'd be Dobbs smiling, I reckon,\" Tom said.","\n","^They heard a stifled laugh, followed by a wail of dismay that cut off abruptly.","\n","^\"And that'd be him looking in the mirror over the bar,\" Jake said.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-3","flg":4},{"c-3":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-3"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-3":["^Dobbs came flying out of the Snakehead with his hands clapped over his mouth, running so fast his feet struggled to keep pace. He stumbled, lost his hat and left it in the dust. The other patrons poured out onto the boardwalk to laugh and jeer as Dobbs ran down the street.","\n","^\"What did I miss?\" Lin said, joining them.","\n","^\"Just a vain fool with ink-blacked teeth,\" Jake said.","\n","^\"You did good, Lin,\" Tom said. \"Any trouble?\"","\n","^\"I got stuck serving coffee. Every time I stepped toward the door, someone had their cup out—I had to stop and pour. I could have pranked half the town if I'd had more ink.\"","\n","^\"Good thing you didn't. We only want to drive out the troublemakers.\"","\n","^\"We should go after Taggart now,\" Jake said.","\n","^\"Not now, we've got chores,\" the twins said, and Tom allowed as how he'd promised his mother some help around the house.","\n","^\"Let's meet back here tonight,\" Tom said. \"And plan our next move.\"","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-4","flg":4},{"c-4":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-4"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-4":["^The others wandered off in their own directions, but ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ lingered.","\n","^\"It can't be that easy,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^he",{"->":".^.^.^.13"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^she",{"->":".^.^.^.13"},null]}],"nop","^ said. \"A little embarrassment is all it takes?\"","\n","^\"Well,\" Tom said, \"there's only three of them. And they ain't the only men in town with guns. Fear and intimidation are their main weapons, and we just took that from Dobbs. His teeth'll be black for days. How's he going to stand up in front of a crowd without them laughing at him?\"","\n","^As ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ pondered that, they heard indistinct shouting from the second floor of the hotel. A few minutes later, Dobbs came down with a pair of saddle bags slung over his shoulder and a bandana masking the lower half of his face. He patted his head, feeling for his missing hat, and cursed. He saddled up his horse and rode out of town heading south.","\n","^\"Looks like you've got the truth of it,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ said.","\n","^Tom grinned. \"One down, two to go.\"","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^Jake shook his head. \"He was weak. Black teeth should only make him look more fearsome. Will Taggart and Cyrus be so easy to shame?\"","\n","^Tom hoped so. Jake was right about Dobbs—he was a simpleton—but Taggart and Cyrus were hard men.","\n","^\"It'll work,\" Tom said. \"It has to.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.36"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^Lin didn't share his enthusiasm. \"Dobbs is a simpleton. But Taggart and Cyrus are hard men. I worry about retaliation if we strike at them and miss.\"","\n","^Cyrus worried Tom too. The prospector had a demonstrated tendency toward violence. \"Then we'd best not miss,\" Tom said.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.36"},null]}],"nop","\n","ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"dobbs_gone","re":true},{"->":"PlanIntoActionTwo"},{"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"TargetTaggart":[["^Taggart was the obvious choice, they agreed.","\n","^\"If he folds","ev",{"VAR?":"dobbs_gone"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^, and Dobbs already gone,",{"->":".^.^.^.8"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^, Johnny Dobbs won't stand up without him,",{"->":".^.^.^.8"},null]}],"nop","^\" Jake said, \"Cyrus will be alone. Vulnerable. We can go after him then, if he doesn't just leave on his own.\"","\n","^\"So how do we provoke Taggart?\" Tom said.","\n","ev",{"VAR?":"bart_expelled"},"!","/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^\"Provoke,\" sneered Bart. \"We should be trying to croak him not provoke him.\" The others ignored him.",{"->":".^.^.^.18"},null]}],"nop","\n","^\"He's a dandy,\" Lin said. \"His clothes are important to him. He has three suits.\"","\n","^\"Three?\" Felix said. \"Who in their right mind owns three suits? Two's plenty. One for Sunday, one for every other day.\"","\n","^\"Does Taggart even go to church?\" Fiona said. \"One should be plenty for a man like him.\"","\n","^\"He has three,\" Lin said again. \"One to wear, one out for cleaning, and a spare in case anything happens to the one he's got on. He always has to look perfect.\"","\n","^\"Man like that, owns three suits just in case anything happens to one of 'em, gotta be pretty upset when something does happen,\" Tom said.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"bart_expelled"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.32"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"Taggart's a gunman,\" Bart said. \"You think a little dirt on his trousers is going to incapacitate him?\"","\n","ev",{"VAR?":"dobbs_gone"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^\"Dobbs was a gunman,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ said quietly, \"and he's gone.\"",{"->":".^.^.^.7"},null]}],"nop","\n","^\"You in or you out, Bart?\" Tom asked. \"Because I thought you said you were in.\"","\n","^Bart set his face in a frown but didn't speak.","\n","^\"Besides,\" Tom said, \"it won't just be a little dirt.\"","\n","^\"Or just one of his suits,\" Lin said.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.32"},null]}],"nop","\n","^\"He'd be even more upset if something happened to two of 'em,\" Jake said.","\n","^Tom grinned. \"I imagine so. And if something were to happen to all three of 'em? Okay. Here's what we're going to do.\"","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":".^.^.g-0"},{"#f":5}],"g-0":["^The ","ev",{"VAR?":"bart_expelled"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^five",{"->":".^.^.^.6"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^six",{"->":".^.^.^.6"},null]}],"nop","^ of them met at the warehouse the next day, as agreed. Tom knelt and sketched a diagram in the dirt floor, and the others gathered around as he quizzed the others on their parts.","\n","^\"I already snuck into Taggart's hotel room and rigged his spare suit,\" Jake said. \"It's all taken care of.\" He sat cross-legged atop the barrel Charlie had dragged into position at their first meeting.","\n","^\"You're that good with a needle and thread?\" Lin asked from across the circle.","\n","^\"Been making my own clothes for years,\" Jake said.","\n","^\"And no one saw you?\" Lin asked. ","ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"!","/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^Tom grinned at that, Lin grilling Jake the way she'd grilled him earlier.",{"->":".^.^.^.21"},null]}],"nop","\n","^\"No one ever sees me unless I want to be seen,\" Jake said.","\n","^Felix and Fiona followed this exchange with amusement, eyes darting back and forth between Jake and Lin","ev",{"VAR?":"bart_expelled"},"!","/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^, while Bart sat, sullen and alone, on the hay bale with folded arms",{"->":".^.^.^.31"},null]}],"nop","^.","\n","^\"Lin, how about you?\" Tom asked.","\n","^\"I had some trouble at the laundry,\" Lin said. \"They chased me out of there before I could say boo.\"","\n","^\"That's no good,\" Tom said, standing and brushing the dirt from his knees. \"Plan don't work unless we get all three of his suits.\"","\n","^\"I know. So I drafted Fiona.\"","\n","^\"And I was successful,\" Fiona said, holding up package wrapped in brown paper. \"Told them Taggart paid me a nickel to pick up his suit, and they handed it over without blinking.\"","\n","^\"Perfect,\" Tom said. \"Now it's my turn.\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"dobbs_gone"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^ This time he didn't open it up for discussion; he didn't want to be cheated out of the fun.",{"->":".^.^.^.49"},null]}],"nop","\n","^\"How you going to do it, Tom?\" Felix said. \"Come straight at him? Or hit him from behind?\"","\n","ev",0,"/ev",{"temp=":"stealth"},["ev",{"VAR?":"dobbs_gone"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"There's honor in facing your enemy,\" Jake said, \"but only if they are honorable as well.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.3"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"Stealth worked for us with Dobbs,\" Lin said. \"We should stick with that. Our best advantage is they don't know who we are that we're even attacking them.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.3"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.58"},null]}],"nop","\n","ev","str","^Straight at him","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-1","flg":4},"ev","str","^From behind","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-2","flg":4},{"c-1":["\n","ev",0,"/ev",{"temp=":"stealth","re":true},"^\"I'm going to come straight at him,\" Tom said. \"After what he did to my mother, I want to look in his eyes when I do it. I want him to know it was me.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.skip"},{"#f":5}],"c-2":["\n","ev",1,"/ev",{"temp=":"stealth","re":true},"^\"From behind,\" Tom said. \"No point letting 'em know who we are. That'd just make us targets for retaliation.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.skip"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"skip":["ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-3","flg":4},{"c-3":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-1"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-1":["ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ exited the warehouse first and, after determining the coast was clear, waved the rest outside. They split up to take their positions—","ev",{"VAR?":"secondary"},"out","/ev","^ and Fiona on watch, Felix ","ev",{"VAR?":"bart_expelled"},"!","/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^and Bart ",{"->":".^.^.^.15"},null]}],"nop","^set to run interference in case Taggart came after Tom. \"Nothing overt,\" Tom said, \"just get in his way. Trip him up. Accidental like.\"","\n","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ stuck by Tom as they waited for Taggart. Tom shoved his hands in his pockets and scuffed the dirt with his shoes. He wasn't good at waiting. He wished he'd brought his jackknife along for something to do.","\n","^\"Here he comes,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ said, nudging Tom out of his torpor. \"Who's that with him?\"","\n","^Seven hells. It was Taggart, sure enough, but Cyrus was by his side. That changed the calculus. Tom could evade one pair of eyes but two? And the prospector already had it in for him. Maybe he should hand off his assignment to someone else. That was the smart move. ","ev",{"VAR?":"dobbs_gone"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^ But he'd already had to sit on the sidelines while Lin poured the ink in Dobbs coffee. What good was it being in charge if he didn't get to do anything?",{"->":".^.^.^.36"},null]}],"nop","\n","ev",0,"/ev",{"temp=":"substitute"},"ev","str","^Delegate","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-4","flg":4},"ev","str","^Carry on","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-5","flg":4},{"c-4":["\n","ev",1,"/ev",{"temp=":"substitute","re":true},"^\"Someone has to take my place,\" Tom said.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"You're backing off?\" Jake said.","\n","^\"It's the smart play,\" Tom said, believing it but still feeling the heat of shame in his cheeks.","\n","^Jake regarded him silently. ","<>","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"stealth"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"You want me to sneak up on him? Attack him from behind?\"","\n","^Tom nodded.","\n","^\"All right. I'll do it.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.10"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"All right. I'll do it.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.10"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.9"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"Felix?\" Lin suggested. \"He's fast.\"","\n","^\"No, he's already in position","ev",{"VAR?":"bart_expelled"},"!","/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^ with Bart",{"->":".^.^.^.9"},null]}],"nop","^ to run interference. It has to be Jake. I'll tell him. Wait here.\"","\n","^Tom crossed to where Jake was keeping watch and filled him in.","\n","^\"I'll do it,\" Jake said","ev",{"VAR?":"stealth"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^, \"but not straight on. I'll sneak up on him.\"",{"->":".^.^.^.20"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^.",{"->":".^.^.^.20"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.9"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-2"},{"#f":5}],"c-5":["\n","^Tom decided to stick with his plan. ","<>","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"stealth"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^So what if there were two of them? He'd just have to be twice as sneaky. He could do it. Probably.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.6"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^Since he was coming straight at Taggart, what difference would it make if Cyrus saw him as well?","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.6"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-2"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-2":[["ev",{"VAR?":"substitute"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^Tom nodded. He clapped Jake on the back as cheerfully as he could manage, but it ate him up to let the other boy steal his glory.","\n","ev","str","^Jake","/str",{"VAR?":"stealth"},"/ev",{"->":".^.^.^.^.^.success"},{"->":".^.^.^.3"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"stealth"},{"VAR?":"mc_seen"},"!","&&","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","ev","str","^Tom","/str",{"VAR?":"stealth"},"/ev",{"->":".^.^.^.^.^.success"},{"->":".^.^.^.3"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","ev","str","^Tom","/str","/ev",{"->":".^.^.^.^.^.failure"},{"->":".^.^.^.3"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"#f":5}]}],{"success":[{"temp=":"stealth"},{"temp=":"prankster"},["ev",{"VAR?":"prankster"},"out","/ev","^ spilled enough water onto the dusty road to mix up a good mud pie—firm enough to hold together for a good throw, wet enough to splatter on impact. When he had it just right, he hurled it at Taggart. His aim was true, and he caught the man in the ","ev",{"VAR?":"stealth"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^rump",{"->":".^.^.^.10"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^crotch",{"->":".^.^.^.10"},null]}],"nop","^, splashing his breaches and the lower part of his jacket with mud.","\n","^Taggart whirled, hand on his gun, thinking perhaps he'd been shot, but ","ev",{"VAR?":"prankster"},"out","/ev","^ had already ducked out of sight behind the store. Cyrus laughed as Taggart wiped his backside and came up with handful of brown. ","ev",{"VAR?":"prankster"},"out","/ev","^ cursed himself good-naturedly for missing a trick and not mixing in a handful of horse dung in with the mud. He couldn't hear what they were saying from his vantage, but he gathered from their change of direction that they were heading for the laundry, at Taggart's insistence, to pick up his clean suit and drop off the one he had on.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":".^.^.g-0"},{"#f":5}],"g-0":["ev",{"VAR?":"prankster"},"out","/ev","^ rejoined the group, and they followed the two men, arriving just in time to witness the scene at the laundry. Taggart roared when he learned that his clean suit had gone missing and stomped off toward the hotel. Cyrus called after him, \"Meet me at the Snakehead when you're pretty again,\" and headed in the opposite direction, chuckling to himself.","\n","^The group took bets among themselves on how long it would be before Taggart returned, or whether he'd return at all. Lin thought he might detect the sabotage done to his suit, in which case he'd send out the suit he had on to be laundered. Fiona didn't think Taggart would ever trust the laundry again and might stay in his room indefinitely. Jake said no way Taggart would detect his work and would be down in a few minutes, wanting to rejoin Cyrus. Tom voted with Jake because what fun would it be if Taggart didn't come out in public wearing the rigged suit?","\n","^In the end, Jake was right, and Taggart came down the steps a few minutes later. He looked carefully up and down the street for troublemakers, and, not seeing any, embarked on a stately stroll toward the saloon. After ten steps, he whirled around as if convinced someone were behind him.","\n","^\"What's he doing?\" Lin said.","\n","^\"Just wait,\" Jake said.","\n","^Taggart turned and took another step, then spun again.","\n","^\"There's no one there,\" Felix said.","\n","^\"That's the breeze he's feeling,\" Jake said.","\n","^\"What breeze?\"","\n","^Taggart answered that question himself, waving his hand behind him as if something were tickling his cheeks. He was interrupted in this dance by a weasel-faced man named Brody, an opportunist who had quickly aligned himself with the new reality in Copper Canyon. Brody tipped his hat deferentially to Taggart and attempted to step around him but became tangled up in something invisible.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-1","flg":4},{"c-1":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-1"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-1":["^Even from across the street, Tom and the rest could see the airy gap that had developed in Tagagrt's breaches. And the fact that, in his haste, he had neglected to put on fresh underclothes.","\n","^Taggart whirled on Brody. \"Don't touch me.\"","\n","^Brody raised his hands—I wouldn't dare—then pointed down with one wagging index finger. What was left of Taggart's pants had collected around his ankles. As Taggart bent to pull them up, he realized how fully his buttocks were exposed and stood again. Then realized his nakedness extended to the front as well.","\n","^Brody offered Taggart his hat, which Taggart accepted with a growl, holding it before his crotch and walking carefully back toward the hotel. As he passed Brody, he shifted the hat to his rear and accelerated his pace, only to slip in the puddle ","ev",{"VAR?":"prankster"},"out","/ev","^ had made earlier, sprawling face first in the mud.","\n","^That was too much for Tom and the gang, who could no longer hold in their laughter, the sound of which only fueled Taggart's rage. But the angrier he became, the more he thrashed in the mud, unable to right himself. Brody came to his aid, offering his hand, but only managed to be pulled down into the muck himself. When Taggart finally made it to his feet, he was covered from head to toe in mud.","\n","^\"Least he's not naked anymore,\" Tom said, provoking another gale of laughter.","\n","^\"Don't let's celebrate too much yet,\" Felix said. \"He may be humiliated, but he ain't gone.\"","\n","^\"You sound like Bart,\" Fiona said, shoving her twin playfully.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"bart_expelled"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.23"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"Where is Bart?\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ asked.","\n","^They looked around. Flush with success, none of them had noticed that Bart had slipped away.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.23"},null]}],"nop","\n","^Taggart, at last, made his way into the hotel, tracking mud all the way.","\n","^\"If you all want to head home,\" Tom said, \"","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ and I can keep watch on Taggart.\"","\n","^Reluctant as they all were to cut short the celebration, most had chores and other obligations. They made their plans for the next meeting and said their goodbyes.","\n","^Tom and ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ settled in to wait.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"dobbs_gone"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"What if he doesn't leave?\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ asked.","\n","^\"He'll leave,\" Tom said, more by way of convincing himself. \"Dobbs left. Taggart will leave too.\"","\n","^Sure enough, a few minutes later, Taggart came down in the suit he'd been wearing earlier with a pair of saddlebags slung over his shoulder. He'd made an effort to brush off the worst of the mud, but the stain was unmistakeable. He mounted his horse and rode south out of town.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.45"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"It can't be this easy,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ said. \"A little humiliation, that's it?\"","\n","^\"Well,\" Tom said. \"There's only three of them. And they ain't the only men in town with guns. Fear and intimidation are their main weapons, and we just took that from Taggart. How's he going to stand up in front of a crowd without them laughing at him?\"","\n","^As ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ pondered that, they heard indistinct shouting from the second floor of the hotel. A few minutes later, Taggart and Dobbs came down with saddlebags slung over their shoulders. Taggart had changed back into the suit he'd had on earlier. He'd made an attempt to brush off the worst of the mud, but the stain was unmistakeable. The two, looking none to happy with each other, mounted their horses and rode south out of town.","\n","ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"dobbs_gone","re":true},{"->":".^.^.^.45"},null]}],"nop","\n","^\"Two down,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ said.","\n","^\"And one to go,\" Tom said.","\n","^\"The toughest one.\"","\n","ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"taggart_gone","re":true},"ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-2","flg":4},{"c-2":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-2"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-2":[{"->":"Regroup"},{"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"failure":[{"temp=":"prankster"},"ev",{"VAR?":"prankster"},"out","/ev","^ spilled enough water onto the dusty road to mix up a good mud pie—firm enough to hold together for a good throw, wet enough to splatter on impact. When he had it just right, he stepped into the street, but Cyrus spotted him immediately and nudged Taggart. The two of them fixed him with an almost reptilian stare, and ","ev",{"VAR?":"prankster"},"out","/ev","^'s blood ran cold. He'd made a terrible mistake. His upraised hand trembled so violently that the mud pie dissolved and ran down his arm.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"bart_expelled"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^Cyrus grinned at his fear and drew a slow finger across his throat as a promise of trouble to come, and the two men headed into the saloon.","\n",{"->":"Regroup"},{"->":".^.^.^.14"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^Cyrus grinned at his fear ... until an egg-sized stone pummeled his shoulder, accompanied by a victory cry.","\n","^\"Hah!\"","\n","^Tom gaped. It was Bart, out of position and out of character, taking on the two gunmen by himself with a handful of rocks.","\n","^Bart threw another stone, which missed, and a third, which hit Taggart in the chest hard enough to knock the wind out of him.","\n","^Cyrus whirled and drew, dropping to one knee as he did. Tom saw the dust kick up inches from Bart's feet before the sound of the shot reached his ears.","\n","^Bart, oblivious or disbelieving, threw another stone.","\n","^\"Run!\" Tom screamed. \"Bart, run!\"","\n","^The terror in Tom's voice spurred Bart into motion where the gunshot hadn't. Bart ran.","\n","^Cyrus fired again. The shot went wide, buzzing past Bart's ear, causing him to flinch away and stumble. That stumble saved him as the next shot went over his head. Bart flopped face first into the dirt, scrambled to his feet and kept going.","\n","^Tom shouted himself hoarse. \"Run! Run!":"Disband"},{"->":".^.^.^.14"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"#f":1}],"#f":1}],"Regroup":[["ev",{"VAR?":"bart_expelled"},{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},{"VAR?":"dobbs_gone"},"&&","||","str","^ERROR: Regroup: Taggart should be gone or Bart should be expelled","/str",{"f()":"assert"},"pop","/ev","\n","ev",{"VAR?":"bart_dead"},"!","str","^ERROR: Regroup: Bart should be alive but isn't.","/str",{"f()":"assert"},"pop","/ev","\n","^Chapter Four
","\n","^The group met up the next day at the warehouse—which they were beginning to think of as their own private clubhouse—to take stock and plan their next move.","\n","^\"We gotta go after Cyrus now, right?\" Lin said, looking none to pleased with the idea.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^With Dobbs and Taggart gone, the sky felt bluer and the wind sweeter. Anything was possible, and everyone was buzzing with ideas for pranks and how best to target Cyrus.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.32"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"dobbs_gone"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^Tom felt responsible for the foul-up with Taggart, but at least Dobbs was out of the way. All they needed were some fresh ideas.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.32"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^Tom felt responsible for the foul-up with Taggart. Maybe they should have gone after Dobbs first, the easier target.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.32"},null]}],"nop","\n","^An ominous, low whistle cut through the breeze, catching their attention. They turned to look, and Bart Blechman came around the side of the warehouse. He stood awkwardly, not sure what to do with his hands, then shoved them in his pockets.","\n","^Jake stepped forward. \"You got a lot of nerve showing your face around here.\"","\n","^Tom restrained him with a touch on the shoulder and spoke to Bart. \"What do you want?\"","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":".^.^.g-0"},{"#f":5}],"g-0":["^\"You wouldn't listen to me,\" Bart said. \"So I found someone that would.\"","\n","^Again the low whistle. Tom realized what should have been obvious—it wasn't Bart. The whistle was too deep, too full, too cruel for a child. Cyrus stepped into view.","\n","^\"Well, well, well, look what we got here. Buncha kids trying to meddle in my business.\"","\n","^\"You rat,\" Lin spat at Bart. \"You coward.\"","\n","^\"Told you we should've got guns,\" Bart said.","\n","^\"Shut up,\" Cyrus told him dismissively, now that he'd served his purpose. \"The rest of you, go home. Your little game is over. I know your names. I know your faces. I know where your mamas live. If anyone makes any more trouble for me","ev",{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^,",{"->":".^.^.^.16"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^ and mine,",{"->":".^.^.^.16"},null]}],"nop","^ I'll make trouble for you.\"","\n","^No one moved.","\n","^\"Go on, now. Get,\" Cyrus said. \"All but the ringleader. Who's in charge of this circus?\"","\n","^No one spoke.","\n","^Cyrus looked at Bart who pointed a shaky finger at Tom.","\n","^\"I should have known,\" Cyrus said. \"I already owed you for this,\" he patted his leg where the bullet had furrowed it, ","<>","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"and now for two men gone. Dobbs wasn't the brightest, but Taggart was good company and useful.\" Cyrus laughed. \"Funny thing—Taggart was always the one urging restraint. Now you gotta deal with me unrestrained.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.33"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"dobbs_gone"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"and one of my men gone. Not my best man—Dobbs couldn't outshine the moon on a cloudy day—but one of mine, and you drove him off. You gotta pay for that too.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.33"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"so I'm going to enjoy this.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.33"},null]}],"nop","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-1","flg":4},{"c-1":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-1"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-1":["^Cyrus drew his revolver and held it casually by his side. \"I got something special planned for you, boy,\" he told Tom. \"Don't worry, I'll give you a head start.\" He looked around. \"The rest of you, go on, get out of here. Less you want what he's got coming.\"","\n","^A hot bead of sweat ran down Tom's forehead and into his eye, making him blink. He desperately wanted to wipe it away but didn't dare move. \"Get out of here,\" he whispered to ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^, who was closest.","\n","ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^\"We can't leave you alone with this snake bit-crazy outlaw,\" Jake whispered back.",{"->":".^.^.^.14"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^\"We're not leaving you alone with this evil man,\" Lin whispered back.",{"->":".^.^.^.14"},null]}],"nop","\n","^\"You gotta,\" Tom said.","\n","^Cyrus thrust his gun in the air. \"Go on, now. Get! I'm serious.\" He fired and they felt the crack of the shot like a slap. \"Run,\" Cyrus roared.","\n","^Still they stayed. Tom felt a swell of pride for his friends that almost drowned out his terror for their safety. Almost. They stood resolutely, daring Cyrus to make good on his threat. ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^, ","ev",{"VAR?":"secondary"},"out","/ev","^ and the twins. Even Bart.","\n","^Even Bart, who, incredibly, stepped forward. \"You said you wouldn't hurt anyone.\"","\n","^Cyrus looked at Bart like the remains of a bug on the heel of his boot. \"You still here?\"","\n","^\"You said you was just gonna scare 'em,\" Bart persisted.","\n","^\"What do you care?\" Cyrus said. \"They didn't want you. So you said. You with them or not?\"","\n","^\"I ...\" Bart's eyes darted to Tom and the others, then back to Cyrus. \"I ...\"","\n","^Slowly, ever so slowly, Cyrus thumbed back the hammer of his Colt. The click-click-click of the cylinder rotating a fresh cartridge under the firing pin reminded Tom of the warning rattle of a sidewinder.","\n","^\"Well?\"","\n","^Bart snapped back to Cyrus, still without an answer, \"I ... I ... \"","\n","^He's with us! Tom wanted to scream, but couldn't get the words out, his throat too constricted to swallow or speak.","\n","^Cyrus casually reached out with his gun hand as if he meant to poke Bart in the chest with the barrel—and pulled the trigger. The Colt roared in his hand, and the force of the shot knocked Bart off his feet.","\n","^Cyrus turned his eyes back on Tom, but Tom could only look at Bart, lying in a spreading pool of mud and blood.","\n","^\"Who's next?\"","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-2","flg":4},{"c-2":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-2"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-2":["^They ran. All but Tom, who couldn't move. He didn't blame them. He would have run too, but his knees had turned to water.","\n","^Cyrus fixed him with his eye. \"Your friends run pretty good,\" he said. \"Let's see how fast you can run.\" He started counting down from ten.","\n","^Tom had only the open desert at his back. Ten seconds wouldn't get him out of range of the man's long-barreled Colt, assuming he was honorable enough to count down to one before firing—a poor assumption. He ran the only direction he could—directly at Cyrus.","\n","^\"... nine ... eight ...\" Cyrus blinked in surprise and stepped back as Tom launched himself at him. They sprawled in the dust, and the Colt went flying. Cyrus recovered quickly, delivering an elbow to Tom's temple that dazed him.","\n","^Cyrus scrambled to his feet. The Colt lay in the dirt a few yards away. He grinned. \"Guess I don't need to bother counting any more, do I?\"","\n","^Tom eyed the distance between them, mapping the triangle that had him at the apex with Cyrus and the Colt on the short side.","\n","^Cyrus seemed to guess what he was thinking. He drew his Bowie knife, a wicked blade nearly as long as his forearm that flashed like a mirror in the sun. \"Come at me again, boy, and I'll gut you like a fish.\"","\n","^Now Tom was out of options. He turned and ran, out into the desert. Behind him he heard Cyrus swear, heard the thwak of the knife as Cyrus threw it down angrily, point sticking in the dirt. He kept running, faster than he'd ever run before, trying to put as much distance between him and the gun as possible before— Crack! The sound of the shot made him stumble, but he found his feet and kept going, not knowing where he was heading, just running for his life. Crack! Again, and a small fountain of dust burst up in front of him.","\n","^\"You better run,\" Cyrus called. \"Run and keep on running. If I see you again, you're dead.\"","\n","^Tom ran, his legs on fire, his heart pounding. He stumbled down an arroyo, narrowly missing a boulder that could have shattered his knee. Leaning over with his hands braced on his knees, he took a moment to catch his breath and listen.","\n","^There were no more shots, no more shouting. Cyrus probably hadn't pursued him. He felt safer in the cover of the arroyo, though, and didn't want to poke his head out to see.","\n","^He glanced about. The arroyo ran roughly north-south. He could turn down, toward Mexico, though he could see that the narrow canyon was already growing shallower in that direction and his cover would soon give out. Or he could turn north, up into the hills. That would take him, eventually, to the mine.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-3","flg":4},{"c-3":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-3"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-3":[{"->":"Mine"},{"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"Disband":[["^Chapter Four
","\n","ev",{"VAR?":"bart_dead"},"str","^ERROR: Disband: Bart should be dead but isn't","/str",{"f()":"assert"},"pop","/ev","\n","^By the time Tom made it back to the rendezvous, Lin and Jake were waiting for him. Just the two of them. ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ answered his unasked question. \"The others aren't coming.\"","\n","^Tom spoke slowly. \"I wanted to help him, but my legs turned to water. I couldn't ...\"","\n","^\"If you had, you'd be dead,\" Jake said.","\n","^Tom nodded. \"What now?\"","\n","^\"It's over. It's too dangerous,\" Lin said.","\n","^\"So that's it? They win? They get to do whatever they want? Terrify the town? Tear it apart looking for Jensen's payroll?\"","\n","^\"It was supposed to be just pranks, but now Bart's dead. I didn't like him, but he didn't deserve that.\"","\n","^\"None of us do,\" Lin said. \"I guess that's it. Time to go home.\"","\n","^Jake spoke. \"You can't go home, Tom. Cyrus knows who you are. He'll be waiting for you.\"","\n","^\"What am I supposed to do?\"","\n","^\"They said they'd be moving on in a few days,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"primary"},"out","/ev","^ said. \"Hide out. Let us know where you'll be, and we'll come get you when the coast is clear.\"","\n","^Tom thought. If he had a horse, he could ride out into the brush and camp, but he didn't. The town was so small that he couldn't possibly hide from Cyrus and the others if they came looking for him. But he knew one place they wouldn't pursue him.","\n","^\"The mine,\" Tom said. \"I'll be at the mine.\"","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":".^.^.g-0"},{"#f":5}],"g-0":[{"->":"Mine"},{"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"Mine":[["^Chapter Five
","\n","^Tom surveyed the remains of Jensen's \"business office.\" At its best, it had never been more than a shack, but now it was less than that, just a pile of wood after apparently having been flattened in the quake. Tom had hoped to find food, supplies and shelter in the office. Now he didn't know what to do.","\n","^The low rumble of distant thunder drew his attention to the gathering storm clouds. He needed shelter, and there was only one place to go—into the mine itself.","\n","^In the dwindling light, the mine entrance resembled a tomb. Which it was, he realized. Twenty-two men had died in there, were still buried inside. Including his father.","\n","^Cyrus had called his father a coward and blamed him for the deaths of the other miners. But that didn't fit with the man he knew. Mining was dirty, dangerous work, but his father had never shirked at it, never passed off his own faults as other's, and never, as far as Tom knew, been afraid of anything his whole life.","\n","^Besides, how could Cyrus possibly know what had happened that day? He hadn't even been in the mine. He'd been fired earlier in the day by Jensen and had been in town when the quake struck.","\n","^The entrance was shored up by timbers, sturdy beams of wood that conveyed stability even after the quake. Still he lingered at the threshold. The narrow opening, just enough for two men to walk side by side, admitted little light. The entrance shaft dwindled quickly into darkness. No, not shaft—adit.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":".^.^.g-0"},{"#f":5}],"g-0":["^\"Shafts are vertical,\" his father had told him. \"If it's horizontal, it's called an adit, if it leads to an exit, or a drift if it doesn't.\" So he had the vocabulary, but that wouldn't help him navigate the mine. Without a map and a light he'd likely lose himself forever. Tom had been up to the mine before— to meet his father after work or bring a forgotten lunch—but he'd never been inside. He knew that the initial adit branched into a series of maze-like drifts a few dozen yards in. And what was there inside for him? Nothing but rock and dust and the bodies of the dead.","\n","^The first fat, cold drops of rain on his skin made the decision for him. Tom stepped inside.","\n","^Immediately the air temperature dropped and his skin turned to gooseflesh. He shivered. The sudden cold felt unnatural, but it was just the cold air from the mine, he told himself. He moved far enough in from the entrance to avoid getting splashed by the rain, but not so far that he couldn't see.","\n","^Tom found a flat spot and brushed it free of stones and pebbles. The sky opened up and rain came down in earnest. He turned up his collar, pulled his shirt tightly around him and gazed at the narrow rectangle of light that marked the entrance, though there was little enough to see but the slashing rain. Soon, even that faded into darkness.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-1","flg":4},{"c-1":["\n",{"->":"Mine.0.g-1"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-1":["^He must have fallen asleep, for he woke with a start. Some unfamiliar sound had roused him from a sleep haunted by nightmares. It was dark. Quiet. The storm had passed, and he could just make out the mouth of the mine by starlight. A breeze carried the faint sounds of activity, of murmured voices and the distant ring of steel on stone. A rescue, he thought. Cyrus ","ev",{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"!","/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^and the others ",{"->":".^.^.^.6"},null]}],"nop","^must have moved on, and the remaining townfolk banded together to dig out the trapped miners. But how could they have gotten past him in the night? Or could it be Cyrus ","ev",{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"!","/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^and his crew ",{"->":".^.^.^.13"},null]}],"nop","^still looking for compensation, even if they had to dig it out of the rock itself? The sound faltered and faded away to a silence so profound he wondered if he'd heard anything at all. Perhaps it had just been his imagination, fueled by bad dreams.","\n","^Still, the breeze had been real. And had been coming from inside the mine.","\n","ev","str","^Wait for morning","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-2","flg":4},"ev","str","^Investigate sounds","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-3","flg":4},{"c-2":["\n","^If he went exploring, he'd only get lost, maybe fall down a shaft and break his leg, or break his neck. Better to wait till morning. Who knew what the new day would bring?","\n","ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"wait","re":true},"ev",0,"/ev",{"VAR=":"investigate","re":true},{"->":"Finale"},{"->":"Mine.0.g-2"},{"#f":5}],"c-3":["\n","^He couldn't let it go. Even if it turned out be nothing but his imagination, he couldn't rest until he knew for sure.","\n","ev",0,"/ev",{"VAR=":"wait","re":true},"ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"investigate","re":true},{"->":"Investigate"},{"->":"Mine.0.g-2"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-2":[{"->":"Finale"},{"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"Investigate":[["^Tom made his way deeper into the mine, moving slowly and by feel.","\n","^\"This is crazy,\" he said aloud to himself. The sound of his own voice, dead and flat in the inky blackness of the mine, was enough to raise the hairs on the back of his neck.","\n","^As far as he knew, there were no vertical shafts that he might tumble into, but there were other dangers: loose blasting caps, improperly stowed and unstable dynamite, rockfall from the earthquake that could turn an ankle or trap and break a leg, or any number of wild creatures that might have taken shelter from the storm—coyotes, rattlers, mountain lions.","\n","^Stop it, he thought. You're just scaring yourself to no end.","\n","^He continued moving, testing every footstep before he committed his weight. The sounds grew louder, and he moved with more confidence. It had to be the miners trying to dig their way out. He could hear the ring of steel on stone. He ducked an outcropping of rock that would have brained him, then realized he'd ducked it because he could see it. Not easily, but enough to know it was there, a slightly deeper black silhouetted against the graying tunnel walls. There was light coming from somewhere.","\n","^Tom redoubled his pace. Light meant the miners had to have cut a passage. Even if it were still too small to crawl through, he could speak to them. He could speak to his father.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":".^.^.g-0"},{"#f":5}],"g-0":["^The tunnel bent sharply. Tom navigated the turn with his head down, picking out the path with his eyes now that there was light to see. As the tunnel flared open into a larger cavern, he lifted his eyes and saw .... not the rockfall he'd been expecting but nearly two dozen men revealed by the light of their safety lamps.","\n","^From stories his father had told him, Tom had a rough idea of mining operations. Men would work a seam with picks in teams of two or three, digging out the rich ore and shoveling it into carts to be processed outside. When the seam ran out or disappeared into the rock, they'd set charges to blast a new passage.","\n","^Tom couldn't make sense of the scene before him. They appeared to be working in reverse, removing the dynamite from the boreholes rather than setting it.","\n","^His father had often wished for \"proper Nobel dynamite\" and not the cheap, treacherous, patent-skirting formulation Jensen favored, which relied on an inferior filler to stabilize its nitroglycerin and was more prone to sweating and premature detonation.","\n","^The men were handling the dynamite as gingerly as pure nitroglycerin. By light of the miners' lamps, Tom could see a translucent, brownish substance like tree sap, staining the red paper casing. That meant the dynamite was old and extremely unstable. The nitroglycerin had sweated through the packaging, forming shock-sensitive crystals. The slightest touch could set them off.","\n","^Tom's father was overseeing the process. All other work had halted to ensure no distractions.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-1","flg":4},{"c-1":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-1"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-1":["^One of the men skidded on a loose rock","ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^—Jake's father",{"->":".^.^.^.5"},null]}],"nop","^. There was a collective gasp and suspension of breath before he caught his balance.","\n","^\"God damn Cyrus,\" another man said.","\n","^\"No chatter,\" Tom's father said. \"Focus on the task at hand.\"","\n","^The work continued—slowly, gingerly—then halted again for no reason that Tom could see. The men swayed as if the ground moved beneath their feet.","\n","^Another earthquake! But Tom felt nothing. The ground wasn't moving beneath his feet.","\n","^\"Steady! Steady!\" his father called, as the men rode the bucking ground.","\n","^An unseen force shoved its way through the men, breaking for the exit.","\n","^\"Dobbs! No!\" someone shouted.","\n","^Was Dobbs here, Tom wondered. He'd left town already. Why would he return to the mine? And why couldn't Tom see him?","\n","^Something invisible had tangled itself in the blasting wire and threatened to yank a bundle of dynamite from the hands of the miner nearest Tom. Seven sticks, he saw, wired together and studded with crystals.","\n","^\"Taggart, help me!\"","\n","^The bundle fell. Time slowed. In that endless pause, Tom realized he couldn't see Taggart either. The invisible men, the motionless earthquake—he was looking at a scene from the past. These men, all of them, even his father, were already dead. He was looking at phantoms.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-2","flg":4},{"c-2":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-2"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-2":["^A searing white light blinded him, and he felt a rush of wind, a ghostly blast wave, rush over him, around him, throughhim. When his vision cleared, the tunnel had been filled in with rock and debris, forming a solid wall so close he could reach out and touch it. What would have happened if he'd been a foot closer at the time of the explosion? Or would he have bumped into the rockfall when he tried to approach? He didn't know.","\n","^He did know that the earthquake hadn't killed the townsmen; the blast had. The unstable dynamite, improperly set by a drunken Cyrus before he was fired. Tom's father wasn't a coward; Dobbs and Taggart were. They'd run when the earthquake hit, when the others were trying to undo the mess Cyrus had made. And Taggart himself had been the proximate cause of the blast.","\n","^Before the blast, Tom had picked up a safety lamp of his own. Now he wondered if it were real. Or was it a ghost lamp he held? The burning wick threw off light enough to see by, real or not. He held it high and caught a glimpse of something shining overhead. A river of gold ran through the newly exposed rock overhead. No, it had to be copper. This was a copper mine. He lifted the lamp higher. The seam blazed yellow by the light of the lamp—it was gold after all.","\n","^A low moan startled him. Tom whirled around, lamp swinging wildly from his hand. There was nothing behind him. He put his ear to the rockfall and heard it again, a single, low moan. And then, horribly, a swelling chorus of cries and screams of the men damaged in the blast and crushed beneath the rock.","\n","ev","str","^Stay with the miners","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-3","flg":4},"ev","str","^Follow the seam","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-4","flg":4},{"c-3":["\n","^Tom decided to stay with the miners, though there was nothing he could do to help them.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-3"},{"#f":5}],"c-4":["\n",{"->":"FollowSeam"},{"->":".^.^.^.g-3"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-3":["^He couldn't speak to them to comfort them or promise to carry their dying words to their loved ones. They were dead men, ghosts, playing out their final agonies in isolation. They would never even know he was there. Sometimes, Tom thought, you have no choice, even when it feels like you do. You do what you have to do, because that's who you are. No matter how useless he felt, no matter that the miners didn't even know he was there, that they'd been dead for days, Tom knew. That's what mattered.","\n","^It was awful. Those that hadn't been killed instantly suffered for hours, alone and in pain, blind, burned and crushed. They took hours to die. Tom stayed with them. He listened to their dying cries, hoping to hear his father's voice in the tumult","ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^ or Jake's father's",{"->":".^.^.^.7"},null]}],"nop","^. But his father had been too close to the blast—he was one of the lucky ones","ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^—and he couldn't distinguish Jake's father's voice from the rest",{"->":".^.^.^.13"},null]}],"nop","^.","\n","^The voices faded out one by one. The last was a boy, just 18, a few years older than Tom, calling for his mother. Tom recognized his voice, though he didn't know him well. Albert Harris. His family had come to Copper Canyon a few years back to open a store, but it had failed, and Albert's father had passed shortly after from pneumonia. Albert had gone to work in the mine while his mother and sisters took in sewing to make ends meet. And now Albert was dying too. What would become of his family once he was gone?","\n","^Tom thought of his own mother, wondering for the first time if she was worried for him. Guilt gnawed at him.","\n","^Albert's cries grew softer and more infrequent. Tom had to press his face tightly against the rock to hear, and was surprised to find it damp. And even more surprised to discover that it was wet from his own tears. He hadn't cried when his father died, but now he found himself weeping for a near stranger.","\n","^He closed his eyes and leaned in to the rock. The sound faded away. The silence swallowed him.","\n","^A moment later came the unmistakable ring of steel on stone. Light filtered through Tom's closed eyelids. He opened them and saw, not the rockfall, but the same scene he'd just witnessed, the miners quickly but carefully trying to rectify Cyrus's mistake.","\n","ev","str","^Stay again","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-5","flg":4},"ev","str","^Follow the seam","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-6","flg":4},{"c-5":["\n","^Tom decided to stay again.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-4"},{"#f":5}],"c-6":["\n",{"->":"FollowSeam"},{"->":".^.^.^.g-4"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-4":["^Tom stepped forward without thinking, then remembered the rockfall. He put his hands out but felt nothing. Not possible, he thought. Where I'm standing should be solid rock. Still, an opportunity had presented itself. If he could communicate with the men, if he could prevent Taggart from getting tangled in the blasting wire, or the miner from dropping his bundle of dynamite ...","\n","^Arms reaching out in front of him, he stepped forward again, feeling nothing.","\n","^\"No chatter,\" Tom's father said, again.","\n","^Tom waved and shouted to get his attention, but went unnoticed. He tried to tug on the sleeve of the miner closest to him ... but his hand passed through the garment as if weren't there.","\n","^\"Steady, steady,\" his father called, as the earthquake shook the cavern floor.","\n","^It was all playing out exactly as before. Tom was helpless to alter events, unable to interact with them in any way. He watched in horror as ","ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^Jake's father stumbled, and ",{"->":".^.^.^.15"},null]}],"nop","^the unseen Dobbs and Taggart fled, leaving their fellows to die. The dynamite detonated, the ceiling fell, and Tom found himself back in the tunnel once more, listening to the cries of the dying.","\n","^Tom slumped in despair, head in his hands. There was nothing he could do.","\n","^No, that wasn't true. He could listen. The first time, he'd been overwhelmed by shock and grief, unable to process what had happened. Now, confronted with the inevitability of events, he had some distance. He could listen. He could sort through the cries and the moans for those that were actually speaking and remember their names and something of what they said. It wasn't much, but in the end he had a list of some half-dozen families he could approach and say—his last thoughts, his last words were of you.","\n","^And when poor Albert suffered his drawn out death, Tom stayed with him till the end. Listening.","\n","^Because he had his eyes open, Tom saw the transition as it unfolded. The rockfall, glowing by the light of his safety lamp, faded through translucency into invisibility, affording the same view into the cavern as before—the miners desperately trying to unwind the placement of the unstable dynamite.","\n","ev","str","^Stay a third time","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-7","flg":4},"ev","str","^Follow the seam","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-8","flg":4},{"c-7":["\n","^Tom decided to stay a third time.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-5"},{"#f":5}],"c-8":["\n",{"->":"FollowSeam"},{"->":".^.^.^.g-5"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-5":["ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"ghosts_resolved","re":true},"^The third time, Tom knew he couldn't alter fate. He stepped into the scene without agenda, not knowing what to do, not knowing what he could do, only that he had no choice. This time he focused, not on the miner with the dynamite, but on his father. Tom didn't try to speak to him or get his attention; he only wanted to watch him. To his surprise, his father turned to him.","\n","^\"Tom? What are you doing here? It's not safe.\"","\n","^\"I ... \" The words caught in his throat. Tom was stunned that his father had recognized him, wasn't even sure how that was possible. What could he say to him in these final moments of his life? He realized the truth even as he heard himself speak. \"I came to say goodbye.\"","\n","^His father stared at him curiously, all thoughts of the effort to stabilize the dynamite abandoned. \"Goodbye?\"","\n","^Tom nodded.","\n","^One by one, the ghosts of the other miners began to fade away, some laying down their burdens first, others carrying them away to wherever it was they were headed. ","ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^Jake's father gave him a look of curiosity, or perhaps recognition, before he vanished.",{"->":".^.^.^.19"},null]}],"nop","\n","^Tom's father looked around and watched as his men drifted off to whatever afterlife awaited them, then turned back to Tom. \"Thank you,\" he said. \"Goodbye, Son.\" Then he, too, was gone.","\n","^When the explosion came, it came without the violence of previous iteration, beginning as a soft white glow that quickly swelled to an unbearable brightness. Tom shut his eyes. When his vision returned, Tom found himself beside the rockfall once more, safety lamp still in his hand, and overhead, the gleam of gold.","\n","ev","str","^Follow the seam","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-9","flg":4},{"c-9":["\n",{"->":"FollowSeam"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"FollowSeam":["ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"gold_found","re":true},"^Tom lifted the lamp again. Incredible. It really was gold. The seam began as a hairline in the rock before widening to the width of his thumb. From there it flowed, spreading, branching and rejoining like a river, until it was the width of his hand. Just the gold he could see had to be worth more than five years of copper dug from the mine. There was no telling how much more lay buried out of sight.","\n","^Cyrus, Dobbs and Taggart had all fled or been fired before the earthquake and the explosion. They couldn't have known about the gold, and the way they'd behaved in town, tearing apart the payroll office looking for cash, confirmed it. If they learned of it, though, they'd never leave. They'd kill to gain control of the mine and its treasure. Tom had to keep the secret till they moved on.","\n",{"->":"Finale"},{"#f":1}],"Finale":[["^Epilogue
","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","ev","str","^Jake","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"finder","re":true},"ev","str","^male","/str",{"f()":"set_pronouns"},"pop","/ev","\n","ev","str","^Lin","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"friend","re":true},["ev",{"VAR?":"gold_found"},{"VAR?":"ghosts_resolved"},"&&",{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"&&","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","ev","str","^Tom","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"gold_holder","re":true},"ev",{"^->":"EndingJakeOne"},"/ev",{"VAR=":"ending","re":true},{"->":".^.^.^.29"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"gold_found"},{"VAR?":"ghosts_resolved"},"&&","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","ev","str","^Lin","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"gold_holder","re":true},"ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"lin_goodbye","re":true},"ev",{"^->":"EndingJakeTwo"},"/ev",{"VAR=":"ending","re":true},{"->":".^.^.^.29"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"gold_found"},{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"&&","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","ev","str","^Jake","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"gold_holder","re":true},"ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"jake_goodbye","re":true},"ev",{"^->":"EndingJakeThree"},"/ev",{"VAR=":"ending","re":true},{"->":".^.^.^.29"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"gold_found"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","ev","str","^Tom","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"gold_holder","re":true},"ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"jake_goodbye","re":true},"ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"lin_goodbye","re":true},"ev",{"^->":"EndingJakeFour"},"/ev",{"VAR=":"ending","re":true},{"->":".^.^.^.29"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"ghosts_resolved"},{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"&&","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"jake_goodbye","re":true},"ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"lin_goodbye","re":true},"ev",{"^->":"EndingJakeFive"},"/ev",{"VAR=":"ending","re":true},{"->":".^.^.^.29"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"ghosts_resolved"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"jake_goodbye","re":true},"ev",0,"/ev",{"VAR=":"friend_waiting","re":true},"ev",{"^->":"EndingJakeSix"},"/ev",{"VAR=":"ending","re":true},{"->":".^.^.^.29"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","ev","str","^Lin","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"finder","re":true},"ev",0,"/ev",{"VAR=":"jake_finder","re":true},"ev","str","^female","/str",{"f()":"set_pronouns"},"pop","/ev","\n","ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"lin_goodbye","re":true},"ev","str","^Jake","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"friend","re":true},"ev",0,"/ev",{"VAR=":"friend_waiting","re":true},"ev",{"^->":"EndingJakeSeven"},"/ev",{"VAR=":"ending","re":true},{"->":".^.^.^.29"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n",{"->":"EndingEight"},{"->":".^.^.^.29"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.4"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","ev","str","^Lin","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"finder","re":true},"ev",0,"/ev",{"VAR=":"jake_finder","re":true},"ev","str","^female","/str",{"f()":"set_pronouns"},"pop","/ev","\n","ev","str","^Jake","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"friend","re":true},["ev",{"VAR?":"gold_found"},{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"&&",{"VAR?":"ghosts_resolved"},"&&","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","ev","str","^Tom","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"gold_holder","re":true},"ev",{"^->":"EndingLinOne"},"/ev",{"VAR=":"ending","re":true},{"->":".^.^.^.33"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"gold_found"},{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"&&","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","ev","str","^Jake","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"gold_holder","re":true},"ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"jake_goodbye","re":true},"ev",{"^->":"EndingLinTwo"},"/ev",{"VAR=":"ending","re":true},{"->":".^.^.^.33"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"gold_found"},{"VAR?":"ghosts_resolved"},"&&","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","ev","str","^Lin","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"gold_holder","re":true},"ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"lin_goodbye","re":true},"ev",{"^->":"EndingLinThree"},"/ev",{"VAR=":"ending","re":true},{"->":".^.^.^.33"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"gold_found"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","ev","str","^Tom","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"gold_holder","re":true},"ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"jake_goodbye","re":true},"ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"lin_goodbye","re":true},"ev",{"^->":"EndingLinFour"},"/ev",{"VAR=":"ending","re":true},{"->":".^.^.^.33"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},{"VAR?":"ghosts_resolved"},"&&","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"lin_goodbye","re":true},"ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"jake_goodbye","re":true},"ev",{"^->":"EndingLinFive"},"/ev",{"VAR=":"ending","re":true},{"->":".^.^.^.33"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"lin_goodbye","re":true},"ev",0,"/ev",{"VAR=":"friend_waiting","re":true},"ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"jake_finder","re":true},"ev",{"^->":"EndingLinSix"},"/ev",{"VAR=":"ending","re":true},{"->":".^.^.^.33"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"ghosts_resolved"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","ev","str","^Jake","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"finder","re":true},"ev","str","^male","/str",{"f()":"set_pronouns"},"pop","/ev","\n","ev",1,"/ev",{"VAR=":"jake_goodbye","re":true},"ev","str","^Lin","/str","/ev",{"VAR=":"friend","re":true},"ev",0,"/ev",{"VAR=":"friend_waiting","re":true},"ev",{"^->":"EndingLinSeven"},"/ev",{"VAR=":"ending","re":true},{"->":".^.^.^.33"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n",{"->":"EndingEight"},{"->":".^.^.^.33"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.4"},null]}],"nop","\n","^He heard a sound. Footsteps approaching. Damn. He was trapped by the rockfall, with no way deeper into the mine. If it was Cyrus, ","ev",{"VAR?":"gold_found"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^he'd see the gold and claim if for himself—and shut Tom up in the bargain.",{"->":".^.^.^.12"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^he didn't stand a chance.",{"->":".^.^.^.12"},null]}],"nop","\n","^He snuffed his safety lamp and felt for something he could use as a weapon. His hand closed on a rock. He made himself as small as he could in the dark.","\n","^\"Tom?\" the whisper came. A figure stepped into view with a lamp of their own. \"Tom? What are you doing crouched down in the dark?\"","\n","^\"","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^?\"","\n","^The figure lifted ","ev",{"VAR?":"his"},"out","/ev","^ lamp, and Tom could see that it was really ","ev",{"VAR?":"him"},"out","/ev","^.","\n","^\"","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^!\" Tom stood, grinning, surprised at how happy he was to see his friend.","\n","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^ surprised him even more by ","ev",{"VAR?":"jake_finder"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^pulling him into a bear hug and pounding his back",{"->":".^.^.^.54"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^throwing her arms around him",{"->":".^.^.^.54"},null]}],"nop","^. \"You're safe!\"","\n","^\"I am,\" Tom said, disentangling himself. He smiled sheepishly. \"I thought you was Cyrus.\"","\n","^\"Cyrus left,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^ said. ","<>","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"Guess he was starting to feel like he was losing his grip on the town, what with Taggart and Dobbs gone and you standing up to him. He took off in the night, like a thief.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.70"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"dobbs_gone"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"He took off in the night, like a thief, along with Taggart.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.70"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"He took off in the night, like a thief, along with Taggart and Dobbs.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.70"},null]}],"nop","\n","^\"That's great,\" Tom said, retrieving his own lamp and relighting it.","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-0","flg":4},{"c-0":["\n",{"->":".^.^.g-0"},{"#f":5}],"g-0":[["ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"str","^Jake","/str","==",{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"||","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"It's not bad,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^ allowed. \"But the town's still done for. Folks were kinda holding their breath while Cyrus ran wild. Now that he's gone, they realize he was right. There's nothing there.\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"He"},"out","/ev","^ tipped his head toward the cave entrance. ","<>","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.2"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^But the added illumination caught streaks of tears on her face. She'd been crying before she hit the trail, or maybe even as she was hiking up to the mine. As Tom watched, fresh rivulets carved new paths through the grime. \"Lin? What is it?\"","\n","^Lin wiped the tears away with the heels of her palms. \"Taggart made good on his threat,\" she said. \"Right before they left, they burned my father's store.\"","\n","^\"Your family,\" Tom asked, knowing they lived above the store. \"Are they okay?\"","\n","^\"They're alive,\" Lin said, unable to contain her bitterness. \"We got out in time. But the store, everything in it—everything we had—is gone.\"","\n","^\"I'm so sorry.\"","\n","^\"It's not your fault,\" Lin said painfully, sounding as if she were trying to convince herself. \"They were evil men. If we hadn't stood up to them, no telling how many shops and homes they'd've burned, how many men they would have killed.\"","\n","^\"If there's anything—\"","\n","^She cut him off. ","<>","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.2"},null]}],"nop","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"friend_waiting"},"!","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"C'mon,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"he"},"out","/ev","^ said and led the way outside.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.8"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"friend"},"str","^Jake","/str","==","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"C'mon. Jake's waiting outside.\"","\n","^\"Too afraid of the dark to venture into the mine?\"","\n","^\"Jake's keeping an eye out for ","<>","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^Cyrus, case he doubles back. ","<>","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.11"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"dobbs_gone"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^Cyrus and Taggart, case they double back. ","<>","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.11"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^Cyrus and them, case they double back. ","<>","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.11"},null]}],"nop","\n","^Plus he said he don't feel right coming in, seeing as how this here is basically a grave for all those men.\"","\n","ev",{"VAR?":"investigate"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^Tom thought of the ghosts but said nothing.",{"->":".^.^.^.20"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^Tom shivered.",{"->":".^.^.^.20"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.8"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"friend"},"str","^Lin","/str","==","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"C'mon. Lin's waiting outside.\"","\n","^\"Too afraid of the dark to venture into the mine?\"","\n","^\"She didn't want to come poking around in the dark with the critters,\" Jake said, then hesitated. He must've seen something in Tom's eyes by the flickering light of the safety lamps. \"Uh ... are there critters?\"","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"ghosts_resolved"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^Tom told him of his encounter with the spirts of the miners—of Cyrus's deadly incompetence and Dobbs and Taggart's treachery, of seeing Jake's father and his own, of listening for their cries in the dark, of the boy not much older than themselves and his lonely death.","\n","^Jake listened to it all in silence. At some point he sat down, but he never looked away or asked Tom to halt his telling.","\n","^\"I didn't know Albert,\" Jake said when Tom was done. \"Never met him. But my pa told me stories of some of the others. That was ...\" he trailed off, his eyes searching the darkness for the words to express his intent, then shook his head.","\n","^\"That must've been hard to listen to,\" Tom said. \"I'm sorry.\"","\n","^\"No,\" Jake said, \"it's not that. I just wish I could've been there.\" He rested his hand on Tom's shoulder and said, \"Thank you. Thank you for being a witness. For setting them free.\"","\n","^Tom nodded. Hard as it had been to experience, it had been harder still to relate it to his friend, but worth it on both counts.","\n","^\"C'mon,\" Jake said and lead the way outside.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.10"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"gold_found"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^Tom thought of the spirits of the miners he'd seen, but Jake would never believe him. He kept it to himself. \"Nah, no critters.\"","\n","^\"C'mon,\" Jake said and lead the way outside.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.10"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^assert(false, \"Lin waiting, gold not found, ghosts unresolved\")","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.10"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.8"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^assert(false, \"friend waiting and someone other than Jake or Lin.\")","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.8"},null]}],"nop","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-1","flg":4},{"c-1":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-1"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-1":[["ev",{"VAR?":"friend_waiting"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^At the entrance, a figure silhoutted against the bright sky waved. It was ","ev",{"VAR?":"friend"},"out","/ev","^. Tom waved back and hurried to greet ","ev",{"VAR?":"jake_finder"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^her",{"->":".^.^.^.12"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^him",{"->":".^.^.^.12"},null]}],"nop","^.","\n","^\"I'm glad I got to see you before we leave,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"friend"},"out","/ev","^ said.","\n","^\"Leave? Where are you going?\" Tom said. He snuffed his lamp once more and hung it from a nail protruding from one of the entrance timbers. ","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^ followed suit.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"friend"},"str","^Lin","/str","==","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"Back to California,\" Lin said. \"We've got people there.\"","\n","^California! More than a thousand miles away. He'd never see her again.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.31"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"I signed on with the Fletchers. They're heading out to El Paso this afternoon, and they can use an extra hand while traveling. Then, guess I'll see what turns up for me out there.\"","\n","^El Paso, with a population of nearly 4,000, was a bustling metropolis compared to Copper Canyon but hundreds of miles away. He'd never see Jake again.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.31"},null]}],"nop","\n","^\"This whole town's dried up,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"friend"},"out","/ev","^ said. \"About to blow away.\"","\n","^\"I told you,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^ said.","\n","^\"You too?\" Tom said.","\n","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^ gave a noncommital shrug that Tom took for a reluctant yes.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.2"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"Where's ","ev",{"VAR?":"friend"},"out","/ev","^?\" Tom asked as they reached the entrance.","\n","^Instead of answering, ","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^ took Tom's lamp and hung it on a nail protruding from one of the entrance timbers, then hung his own beside it.","\n","^Tom knew that ","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^ had heard him, so instead of repeating the question, he waited patiently for a response, but every second itched at him.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"friend"},"str","^Lin","/str","==","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"She left. Her family packed off to California this morning,\" Jake said at last. \"They couldn't stay. They've got nothing.\"","\n","^California! More than a thousand miles away. He'd never see her again.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.24"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"He left. Signed on with the Fletchers,\" Lin said at last. \"They're heading to El Paso and needed an extra hand for the trip. Said there's nothing here for him now.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.24"},null]}],"nop","\n","^Tom was gutted. He would have at least liked the chance to say goodbye.","\n","^\"What about you?\" he asked.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"friend"},"str","^Lin","/str","==","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"I'm going too,\" Jake said. \"I signed on with the Fletchers. They're heading out this afternoon, and they can use an extra hand while traveling. Then, guess I'll see what turns up for me out there.\"","\n","^\"California as well?\" Tom asked, thinking maybe he could convince his mother to tag along. At least all of them would be in the same state.","\n","^\"No, they're aiming for El Paso,\" Jake said.","\n","^El Paso, with a population of nearly 4,000, was a bustling metropolis compared to Copper Canyon. In truth, Tom couldn't picture his mother moving to Texas, let alone California. If they moved on, they were like to head back East, where her people were from.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.32"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^She shook her head. \"My family's heading out tomorrow.\"","\n","^\"Texas as well?\" Tom asked, thinking maybe he could convince his mother to tag along. At least they'd all be in the same state.","\n","^\"No, we're moving back to California,\" Lin said. \"We've got people there.\"","\n","^California! Over a thousand miles away. In truth, Tom couldn't picture his mother moving to California, let alone Texas. If they moved on, they were like to head back East, where her people were from.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.32"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.2"},null]}],"nop","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-2","flg":4},{"c-2":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-2"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-2":[["ev",{"VAR?":"gold_found"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"No one has to leave,\" Tom said. \"I ...\" He hesitated, not sure what to tell them. With Jensen dead, he didn't know who had rights to the mine. And if word got out, who was to say but that some other latent outlaw might burst into full-fledged villainy and seize control of the mine by force? But there was gold enough in the seam he'd discovered to restore the fortunes of everyone in town ten times over. Enough to keep Copper Canyon going for years. \"I have an idea I'm working on. A way to save the town.\"","\n","^That was vague enough that neither Jake nor Lin pressed for details, chalking it up as yet another of his wild schemes likely to be more adventure than success.","\n","^The three of them shared a companionable silence as they walked back toward town. How different, Tom thought, to make this journey, with no one shooting at him. With—he had a realization that stopped him in his tracks—with his two best friends.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.2"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^After all they'd been through, Tom couldn't believe it could end like this. They'd found each other, fought together and stood up against the men who'd taken over their town","ev",{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["^—and they'd won—",{"->":".^.^.^.7"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["^, ",{"->":".^.^.^.7"},null]}],"nop","^but his friends were leaving all the same. If only things had gone different.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.2"},null]}],"nop","\n","^A week ago, he hadn't known Jake or Lin to say hello to. Maybe a nod if they crossed paths in the street, but that was rare enough to be remarkable. Jake didn't frequent the one-room schoolhouse and mostly kept to himself. Lin had been a regular and diligent student, but Tom had never heard her speak a word. Now he counted them as two of the best friends he'd ever had.","\n","^\"What's that?\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"friend_waiting"},"/ev",[{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["ev",{"VAR?":"friend"},"out","/ev",{"->":".^.^.^.12"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev",{"->":".^.^.^.12"},null]}],"nop","^ said, knocking Tom out of his reverie.","\n","^\"Hmm?\"","\n","^\"In your hand. You been worrying it since we left the mine. Good luck charm?\"","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-3","flg":4},{"c-3":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-3"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-3":[["ev",{"VAR?":"gold_found"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^Tom looked down. It was the stone that he'd picked up in the dark, thinking Jake was Cyrus. He looked at it, really, for the first time and realized what he was holding—a nugget of near pure gold.","\n","^\"Gold,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"friend"},"out","/ev","^ breathed.","\n","^And then there was nothing for it but for Tom to tell them what he'd found.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"lin_goodbye"},"!",{"VAR?":"jake_goodbye"},"!","&&","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"You done it, Tom, you saved the town,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^ said.","\n","^Tom knew it wasn't that easy. He began listing the obstacles yet in their way, but the two were ebullient.","\n","^\"We'll figure it out,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^ said.","\n","^Tom fell into conversation with ","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^ as they made their way down the dusty trail to Coppper Canyon. They talked excitedly of the future prospects of the town, and he handed ","ev",{"VAR?":"him"},"out","/ev","^ the gold nugget to examine for ","ev",{"VAR?":"him"},"out","/ev","^self. When ","ev",{"VAR?":"he"},"out","/ev","^ handed it back, Tom turned to give ","ev",{"VAR?":"friend"},"out","/ev","^ a chance, but ","<>","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"jake_primary"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^she hushed him and pointed.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.47"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^realized he was no longer beside them.","\n","^\"Lin?\" he said.","\n","^She hushed him and pointed.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.47"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.16"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"lin_goodbye"},{"VAR?":"jake_goodbye"},"!","&&","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"You done it, Tom, you saved the town,\" Jake said. \"Lin, you can stay.\"","\n","^\"That's great for the town,\" Lin said, \"but my father's set. He says Copper Canyon is cursed. This won't change his mind.\"","\n","^She scanned the horizon, looking for what, Tom didn't know. The sky was clear and blue.","\n","^\"We should get back,\" she said and set off.","\n","^Tom and Jake hurried after her, hard pressed to match her pace.","\n","^\"Here, Lin,\" Tom said, jogging to reach her side. He pressed the gold nugget into her hand. \"Take it. Maybe it'll help.\"","\n","^Lin refused without breaking stride, saying she didn't want it, but Tom insisted—as a memento of their friendship, if she didn't want to sell it. Eventually, she relented.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.16"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"jake_goodbye"},{"VAR?":"lin_goodbye"},"!","&&","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"You done it, Tom, you saved the town,\" Lin said. \"Jake, you can stay.\"","\n","^\"That's great for the town,\" Jake said, \"but it doesn't change anything. The Fletchers already sold their place, and there's nothing here for me.\"","\n","^He wouldn't meet Tom's eyes, and Tom suspected there was more to the story than he'd admit, but his mind seemed fixed.","\n","^\"Take it, Jake,\" Tom said, pressing the nugget into his friend's hand. Jake tried to refuse, saying he didn't need it, but Tom insisted—as a memento of their adventure.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.16"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"jake_goodbye"},{"VAR?":"lin_goodbye"},"&&","/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"I did it. We did it,\" Tom said. \"We saved the town.\"","\n","^\"That's great for the town,\" Lin said, \"but my father's set. He says Copper Canyon is cursed. This won't change his mind.\"","\n","^\"And the Fletchers already sold their place,\" Jake said. \"Besides, there's nothing here for me.\" He wouldn't meet Tom's eyes, and Tom suspected there was more to the story, but his mind seemed fixed.","\n","^With that there was nothing left but to make the long walk back to town. The gold felt heavy in Tom's hand. What good was it if his friends were leaving?","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.16"},null]}],"nop","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.2"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^Tom shook his head—their luck hadn't exactly been good—but opened his palm. It was the stone stone he'd picked up in the dark, thinking ","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^ was Cyrus, a chunk of azurite the size of a goose egg that had cracked in two. A thin vein of pure copper streaked through the rich blue mineral.","\n","^He laughed bitterly. For a second he thought it had been gold. That would have saved the town. His friends wouldn't have to leave ...","\n","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^ interrupted his reverie. \"You think you failed, Tom, but you didn't. ","<>","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"taggart_gone"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^We drove off Dobbs and Taggart. Who knows how long Cyrus would have hung around looting the town with his buddies still around? ","<>","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.19"},null]}],["ev",{"VAR?":"dobbs_gone"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^We drove off Dobbs. Who knows how long Cyrus and Taggart would have hung around looting the town if we hadn't? ","<>","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.19"},null]}],"nop","\n","^We stood up to them. They tried to take our town away, and we stood up to them when no one else would. That counts for something.\"","\n","^\"Does it?\" Tom asked. \"We're never going to see each other again.\"","\n","^\"Sure it does,\" ","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^ said. \"Wherever we end up, we'll all carry the memory of what you tried to do. Me, you, ","ev",{"VAR?":"friend"},"out","/ev","^, even the Fletchers. You brought us together, Tom. You hatched the plan. Without you, none of us would have done nothing. Now? Something like this ever happens again, there's five of us ready to stand up and follow your example.\"","\n","^\"Thanks—\" Tom began, but ","ev",{"VAR?":"finder"},"out","/ev","^ hushed him and pointed.","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.2"},null]}],"nop","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-4","flg":4},{"c-4":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-4"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-4":["^Ahead of them in the road, Cyrus stepped out from behind a rise, looking mean and worse for wear. He walked stiffly on his injured leg, squinting into the morning sun, palm resting on the handle of his Colt. He still wore the bandana he'd tied around his thigh, now stained a dark reddish-brown.","\n",["ev",{"VAR?":"gold_found"},"/ev",{"->":".^.b","c":true},{"b":["\n","^\"Found gold up at the mine, did you?\" Cyrus said in a drawl made hoarse by dust and dehydration. \"I'll take that,\" he said of the nugget in ","ev",{"VAR?":"gold_holder"},"out","/ev","^'s hand. \"And then you all can turn around and show me where you found it.\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.4"},null]}],[{"->":".^.b"},{"b":["\n","^\"I've got unfinished business with you,\" he said in a drawl made hoarse by dust and dehydration. He drew his Colt and aimed at each of them alternately. \"Eenie, meenie, minie, moe. Who will be the first to go?\"","\n",{"->":".^.^.^.4"},null]}],"nop","\n","ev","str","^Continue","/str","/ev",{"*":".^.c-5","flg":4},{"c-5":["\n",{"->":".^.^.^.g-5"},{"#f":5}],"#f":5}],"g-5":[{"->":"ending","var":true},{"#f":5}]}],{"#f":1}],"EndingJakeOne":["^Tom's fingers tightened around the gold. The tighter he squeezed, the colder it felt in his hand. He considered his options, flashing back to the apple core he'd thrown at Cyrus earlier. As light and dried out as it had been, it was still enough to disrupt his shot. A good hit with the gold nugget would do real damage, maybe take him out of action entirely.","\n","^\"Tom—\" Lin began, but Cyrus cut her off.","\n","^\"Listen to her, boy. She's smarter'n you ever were.\" Cyrus drew his revolver and held it loosely by his side. \"Or don't. I reckon I can find the seam myself. You managed to. But you can buy yourself some time and a sweeter death if you show me. Maybe I'll even let your friends live.\"","\n","^Cyrus raised his pistol ... then stepped backward in surprise as Lin walked directly up to him—until the muzzle of the gun was pressed against her chest.","\n","^\"I'll kill you, girl,\" Cyrus snarled, thumbing back the hammer.","\n","^\"Go on then,\" Lin said, her voice eerily calm.","\n","^\"Lin, no!\" Tom shouted, frantic but frozen by indecision. Cyrus had the drop on her. Anything Tom did would only provoke him into pulling the trigger. He felt Jake tense beside him.","\n","^\"Don't think I won't,\" Cyrus said.","\n","^In response, Lin grabbed the Colt by the barrel and yanked. Caught off guard again, Cyrus stumbled forward, losing his grip on the pistol.","\n","^Jake sprang at Cyrus, tackling him to the ground. Belatedly, Tom joined him, pouncing on Cyrus and pummeling him into submission. Between the two of them, they managed to truss him up good. With Cyrus disarmed and tied, Tom turned his attention back to Lin.","\n","^\"What was that?\"","\n","^\"He was bluffing,\" Lin said. \"I could tell, soon as he stepped into the road. Three of us and one of him? Coward like that would have fired from cover before we even knew he was there. Then when he raised his gun—\"","\n","^\"The cylinder was empty,\" Jake said.","\n","^\"You saw that too?\"","\n","^\"Wait,\" Tom said. \"He was out of bullets?\"","\n","^\"Yeah,\" Jake said. \"But there still could've been a round under the hammer.\"","\n","^\"No one's stupid enough to carry a Colt with a round under the hammer,\" Lin said. \"Even I know that. The firing pin rests directly on the chamber. You even jostle it with a round in place it'll go off.\"","\n","^Then Tom had to tell them the story of how, yes, Cyrus had been exactly that stupid when he'd put a bullet into his own leg before the earthquake.","\n","^\"Well, I guess he learned his lesson,\" Lin said. Cyrus's revolver still dangled from her grip by the barrel. She looked at it in disgust, then flung it off the trail into the sagebrush.","\n","^Bam!","\n","^They all flinched at the sound of the shot.","\n","^\"Guess maybe he didn't,\" Jake said dryly.","\n","^\"Excuse me,\" Lin said, and stepped off the trail in the other direction. Tom and Jake heard her retching, then she rejoined them, looking a little green.","\n","^\"I could have died,\" she said.","\n","^\"Well, you didn't,\" Tom said. \"You saved us.\"","\n","^\"And you saved the town,\" Lin said. \"I guess we're even.\"","\n","^\"We did,\" Jake said. \"The three of us. Together.\"","\n","^\"Well, not yet. We still got to haul this snake into town. And we gotta figure out who has title to the mine now Jensen's gone. And how to extract–\"","\n","^\"Details,\" Jake said.","\n","^\"Details,\" Lin agreed.","\n","^Tom grinned. Details indeed. What couldn't they accomplish, together?","\n",{"#":"CLASS: end"},"^The End","\n","end",{"#f":3}],"EndingJakeTwo":["^\"You can have it,\" Lin said, holding up the nugget for Cyrus to see. \"It's not worth getting killed over.\"","\n","^\"Smart girl.\" Cyrus drew his revolver and held it loosely by his side. \"Bring it here.\"","\n","^It was over quicker than Tom could see. Lin offered the gold with her hand outstretched, but as Cyrus reached for it, the nugget tumbled off her fingers into the dirt. Cyrus swore and bent to pick it up ... then knelt with an odd exhale of breath and lay down in the dirt himself.","\n","^The first thing Tom noticed—Lin's hair was down, dancing off her shoulders in the breeze. The second thing—the hairpin that she wore to keep it up was buried in Cyrus's neck, blood jetting from the wound.","\n","^Tom saw her hands were shaking, though her voice came clear and firm.","\n","^\"I couldn't stay in Copper Canyon now. Even if I wanted to. Not with blood on my hands.\"","\n","^\"He meant to kill us,\" Tom said, kicking the gun away from Cyrus's hand. \"Once we showed him the seam. He wasn't going to let us live.\"","\n","^\"What now?\" Lin said.","\n","^\"There's no law in Copper Canyon,\" Jake said. \"I say we leave him for the buzzards.\"","\n","^\"Sounds about right to me,\" Tom said. \"Lin?\"","\n","^She nodded her assent.","\n","^Tom retrieved Lin's hairpin, wiping it clean on Cyrus's trousers—his shirt was soaked through with blood. He handed it to her. She thanked him but left her hair down.","\n","^\"Nearly a year my family's lived in this town, and I never had a friend. Now I've got two, and we're leaving,\" Lin said. \"You think we'll ever see each other again?\"","\n","^Tom thought it unlikely but didn't like to say it. \"Anything can happen,\" he said. \"Who knows what the future holds? But for now, we can walk into town together.\"","\n",{"#":"CLASS: end"},"^The End","\n","end",{"#f":3}],"EndingJakeThree":["^Jake gave the gold a light toss in the air and caught it again, testing the weight of it. \"You sure you want this?\"","\n","^\"Let him have it,\" Lin said. \"It's not worth getting killed over.\"","\n","^\"Listen to her, boy. She's smarter'n you ever were.\" Cyrus drew his revolver and held it loosely by his side. \"Or don't. I reckon I can find the seam myself. You managed to. But you can buy yourself some time—\"","\n","^That was as far as he got before the hollow thump of the stone hitting his forehead stopped his voice. His eyes swam and turned up, and he collapsed like a tent in the rain. Jake had thrown the lump of gold harder and truer than Tom could have imagined. Though it was only the size of a robin's egg, it was heavier than a stone five times the size and packed a wallop.","\n","^\"Is he ...\" Lin began.","\n","^\"Dead?\" Tom finished. \"I reckon so.\"","\n","^Jake kicked the gun out of Cyrus's hand and knelt to check his breath, laying one finger under his nose. \"He's dead,\" Jake said. He stood, almost defiantly. \"And good riddance. You know he meant to kill us.\"","\n","^\"What now?\" Lin said.","\n","^Tom didn't know. \"There's no law in Copper Canyon. But we can't just leave him for the buzzards.\"","\n","^Jake looked as if there were nothing he'd rather do more. \"Fletchers are leaving in an hour,\" he said. \"I don't suspect anyone's going to miss Cyrus or weep that he's gone, but I'd just as soon be out of town when this comes to light in case anyone's of a mind to make trouble. Give me till then before you head into town, then tell it just like it happened. You two had nothing to do with it, and I'll already be on the road.\"","\n","^Tom and Lin looked at each other then back at Jake. They nodded in assent.","\n","^\"So this is goodbye,\" Tom said.","\n","^\"Less you come to El Paso,\" Jake said with a half-hearted smile that betrayed its own optimism. And though Tom liked the sound of that, he knew his mother wouldn't want to leave. Not now. And if they did go, they'd head back East where she had people.","\n","^\"We made a hell of a team, though, didn't we?\" Tom said. He and Jake shook, and Lin hugged him fiercely. They all stepped back and took in the moment.","\n","^\"Well, don't want to draw this out,\" Jake said. He turned and started down the dusty trail alone. Tom and Lin watched him go.","\n","^\"Do you think we'll ever see him again?\" Lin asked.","\n","^\"Anything can happen,\" Tom said. Who knew what the future held? And they had made a hell of a team.","\n",{"#":"CLASS: end"},"^The End","\n","end",{"#f":3}],"EndingJakeFour":["^Tom's fingers tightened around the gold. The tighter he squeezed, the colder it felt in his hand. He considered his options, recalling their first encounter on the boardwalk before the earthquake. He'd considered throwing the apple core before hitting on the trick of reflecting the sun off his knife blade. His jackknife was tucked in his back pocket—no time to get it out, and he doubted the same trick would work twice. But he had something better than an apple core—the nugget. A good hit would do real damage, maybe take Cyrus out of action entirely.","\n","^\"Let him have it,\" Lin said. \"It's not worth getting killed over.\"","\n","^He knew she was right, but it galled him to have Cyrus snatch his victory away like this. Tom relaxed his grip on the gold.","\n","^\"Listen to her, boy. She's smarter'n you ever were.\" Cyrus drew his revolver and held it loosely by his side. \"Or don't. I reckon I can find the seam myself. You managed to. But you can buy yourself some time and a sweeter death if you show me. Maybe I'll even let your friends live.\"","\n","^That settled it for Tom. He knew Cyrus intended to kill them all.","\n","^\"Now, boy! I ain't got all—\"","\n","^That was as far as he got before the hollow thump of the stone hitting his forehead stopped his voice. His eyes swam and turned up, and he collapsed like a tent in the rain. Tom had thrown the lump of gold harder and truer than he could have imagined. Though it was only the size of a robin's egg, it was heavier than a stone five times the size and packed a wallop.","\n","^\"Is he ...\" Lin began.","\n","^\"Dead?\" Jake finished. \"I reckon so.\"","\n","^Tom was no stranger to mischief, but he'd never taken a life, never even come close. His hands shook.","\n","^Jake kicked the gun out of Cyrus's hand and knelt to check his breath, laying one finger under his nose. \"He's dead,\" Jake said. \"And good riddance. You know he meant to kill us. Once you showed him the seam. He wasn't going to let us live.\"","\n","^Tom nodded wordlessly.","\n","^\"What now?\" Lin said.","\n","^\"There's no law in Copper Canyon,\" Jake said. \"I say we leave him for the buzzards.\"","\n","^\"Sounds about right to me,\" Lin said. \"Tom?\"","\n","^Tom nodded his assent. He retrieved the gold nugget, wiping it clean on Cyrus's shirt. The three of them began the long walk back to town.","\n","^Just as well his friends were leaving, he thought. He'd miss them, but this way would be clean. They had his back—for now. But how long before they soured on him? He'd killed a man. He'd saved the town, but at what cost?","\n",{"#":"CLASS: end"},"^The End","\n","end",{"#f":3}],"EndingJakeFive":["^Tom let the stone tumble from his fingers and stepped forward. \"Me,\" he said. \"It's me you want. Let them go.\"","\n","^Cyrus narrowed his eyes. \"Don't tell me what to do, boy. Just for that, you go last. You can watch your friends die.\" He swung the pistol toward Jake and pulled the hammer back.","\n","^Tom watched in horror as Cyrus's finger squeezed the trigger. The hammer fell ... and nothing. Only a dull clack. The round under the hammer was spent. Cyrus had forgot to reload.","\n","^For a moment, no one moved. Then Cyrus turned tail and ran, fast as his injured leg would carry him. Jake made to go after him, but Lin held him back. \"Let him go,\" she said. \"He's not worth it.\"","\n","^Then, as the tension flooded out of them, they burst out laughing.","\n","^\"I think we've seen the last of him,\" Tom said. He handed Jake the stone. \"Here. You keep this. Not as a good luck charm, as a memento.\"","\n","^Down the valley, the town spread out before them.","\n","^\"We really did make a difference, didn't we?\" Tom said.","\n","^\"We did,\" Jake said. \"The three of us. Together.\"","\n",{"#":"CLASS: end"},"^The End","\n","end",{"#f":3}],"EndingJakeSix":["^Tom let the stone tumble from his fingers and stepped forward. \"Me,\" he said. \"It's me you want. Let him go.\"","\n","^Cyrus narrowed his eyes. \"Don't tell me what to do, boy. Just for that, you go last. You can watch your friend die.\" He swung the pistol toward Jake and pulled the hammer back.","\n","^Tom watched in horror as Cyrus squeezed the trigger. The gun roared a gout of flame and black smoke. Jake cried and fell. The barrel, big as a cannon, swung toward Tom.","\n","^Cyrus thumbed the hammer back again, slowly, relishing it. He fired a second time ... the hammer fell ... and nothing. Only a dull clack. The chamber under the firing pin was empty.","\n","^For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Cyrus turned tail and ran, fast as his injured leg would carry him. Tom wanted to give chase, but he had to check on Jake.","\n","^He lay on his side, clutching his arm, grimacing with pain. \"I'm okay,\" he said. \"Go after him.\"","\n","^\"He's not worth it,\" Tom said, tending to Jake's wound. He daubed the blood away and saw he'd been lucky; the bullet had merely creased the upper arm. If they could stave off infection, Jake would escape with nothing more than the occasional nightmare and an ugly scar. He bandaged him up as best he could with a strip of fabric torn from the hem of Jake's shirt, which was cleaner than anything he was wearing.","\n","^Tom offered his hand to help him up, but Jake shook him off.","\n","^\"Not yet,\" he said. \"I'm not ready.\"","\n","^So Tom sat down beside him on the trail. \"Take all the time you need,\" he said. \"I'm not going anywhere.\"","\n",{"#":"CLASS: end"},"^The End","\n","end",{"#f":3}],"EndingJakeSeven":["^Tom let the stone tumble from his fingers and stepped forward. \"Me,\" he said. \"It's me you want. Let her go.\"","\n","^Cyrus narrowed his eyes. \"Don't tell me what to do, boy. Just for that, you go last. You can watch your friend die.\" He swung the pistol toward Lin and pulled the hammer back.","\n","^Tom watched in horror as Cyrus squeezed the trigger. The gun roared a gout of flame and black smoke. Lin cried and fell. The barrel, big as a cannon, swung toward Tom.","\n","^Cyrus thumbed the hammer back again, slowly, relishing it. He fired a second time ... the hammer fell ... and nothing. Only a dull clack. The chamber under the firing pin was empty.","\n","^For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Cyrus turned tail and ran, fast as his injured leg would carry him. Tom wanted to give chase, but he had to check on Lin.","\n","^She lay on her side, clutching his arm, grimacing with pain. \"I'm okay,\" she said. \"Go after him.\"","\n","^\"He's not worth it,\" Tom said, tending to her wound. He daubed the blood away and saw she'd been lucky; the bullet had merely creased the upper arm. If they could stave off infection, she'd escape with nothing more than the occasional nightmare and an ugly scar. He bandaged his friend up as best he could with a strip of fabric torn from the bottom of her skirt, which was cleaner than anything Tom was wearing.","\n","^Tom offered his hand to help her up, but she shook him off.","\n","^\"Not yet,\" she said. \"I'm not ready.\"","\n","^So Tom sat down beside her on the trail. \"Take all the time you need,\" he said. \"I'm not going anywhere.\"","\n",{"#":"CLASS: end"},"^The End","\n","end",{"#f":3}],"EndingEight":["^He heard a sound. Footsteps approaching. Damn. He was trapped by the rockfall, with no way deeper into the mine. If it was Cyrus, he didn't stand a chance. He snuffed his safety lamp and felt for something he could use as a weapon. His hand closed on a rock. He made himself as small as he could in the dark.","\n","^How would the miner even know to look for him here? Maybe it was Lin or Jake come to tell him the coast was clear. As the glow of a lamp dawned in the narrow corridor, Tom allowed himself some measure of hope. Surely it had to be his friends come to find him.","\n","^A harsh, direct light replaced the warm glow as the lamp turned the bend, made harsher still by the truth it revealed. The hand holding the lamp belonged to Cyrus, looking mean and worse for wear. He walked stiffly on his injured leg. He still wore the bandana he'd tied around his thigh, now stained a dark reddish-brown.","\n","^\"Well, boy. Thought I might find you here,\" Cyrus said, holding the lamp high. His other hand rested on the handle of his Colt. \"Your little friends told me where to look.\"","\n","^\"No,\" Tom whispered. \"They wouldn't.\"","\n","^\"Oh, they didn't want to, at first,\" Cyrus allowed. \"The half-breed put up a hell of a fight.\"","\n","^Tom flinched at the ugliness of the word. A week ago, he hadn't known Lin or Jake to say hello to. Maybe a nod if they crossed paths in the street, but that was rare enough to be remarkable. Jake didn't frequent the one-room schoolhouse and mostly kept to himself. Lin had been a regular and diligent student, but Tom had never heard her speak a word. Now he counted them as two of the best friends he'd ever had.","\n","^His biggest regret was that he wouldn't have a chance to say goodbye.","\n","^\"Called you a coward,\" Cyrus said, \"but held his tongue no matter how we beat him. Now the China girl,\" Cyrus leaned in with a leer, \"she softened up when we torched her family's shop. She told us everything. Once the truth was out, the breed confirmed it. And here we are.\" He drew his revolver.","\n","^Here we are, Tom thought, reflecting on his missteps.","\n","^\"Any last words?\" Cyrus said.","\n","^Nothing Tom could say would make a difference now. He squeezed the rock tighter in his hand and thought back to his earlier encounter with the old prospector. Then he'd managed to distract him with the sunlight reflecting off his blade","\n","^He'd at least go down with a fight.","\n","^As he shifted his weight to free his throwing arm, Cyrus said, \"I see what you got there, that rock in your hand. Maybe your friend was wrong about you; maybe you're not such a coward.\" He thumbed the hammer back on his revolver. \"I can't say it's a fair fight, but it's a fight. Make your move.\"","\n","^Tom threw the stone, hard and fast and true.","\n","^Cyrus's gun roared ...","\n",{"#":"CLASS: end"},"^The End","\n","end",{"#f":3}],"EndingLinOne":["^Tom's fingers tightened around the gold. The tighter he squeezed, the colder it felt in his hand. He considered his options, recollecting his first encounter with Cyrus on the boardwalk before the earthquake. He'd thought then of throwing his apple core before hitting on the trick of reflecting the sun off his knife blade. Now his jackknife was tucked in his back pocket—no time to get it out, and he doubted the same trick would work twice. But he had something better than an apple core—the nugget. A good hit would do real damage, maybe take Cyrus out of action entirely.","\n","^\"Let him have it,\" Lin said. \"It's not worth getting killed over.\"","\n","^He knew she was right, but it galled him to have Cyrus snatch his victory away like this.","\n","^\"Listen to her, boy. She's smarter'n you ever were.\" Cyrus drew his revolver and held it loosely by his side. \"Or don't. I reckon I can find the seam myself. You managed to. But you can buy yourself some time and a sweeter death if you show me. Maybe I'll even let the girl live.\"","\n","^That settled it for Tom. He knew Cyrus intended to kill them both. They had to make a stand. Earlier, Cyrus's pistol had been holstered, and he'd fumbled the draw. Now that it was out, even if Tom scored a direct hit, Cyrus would have time to get off one clean shot. If Tom were by himself, he'd take the chance, but he couldn't risk Lin catching a stray bullet.","\n","^\"When I say,\" Tom whispered to Lin, quiet as a breeze, \"you run as fast as you can.\" But she clutched his arm, preventing his throw.","\n","^Cyrus raised his pistol ... then stumbled forward a step. His eyes rolled up into his skull, and he fell like a cut tree, crashing full-length on the ground.","\n","^Where he'd been standing, Jake now stood, holding a bloodied stone. \"Don't worry,\" Jake said. \"This snake'll live to stand trial. You got anything to tie him up with?\"","\n","^\"Jake!\" Lin cried.","\n","^Tom felt he tension flood out of him.","\n","^\"He made a helluva racket,\" Jake said, grinning, \"crashing through the sage with that leg of his. I'm surprised you two didn't hear him.\"","\n","^\"Well, we didn't,\" Tom said. \"You did. You saved us.\"","\n","^\"And you saved the town,\" Jake said. \"I guess we're even.\"","\n","^\"We did,\" Lin said. \"The three of us. Together.\"","\n","^\"Well, not yet. We still got to haul this snake into town. And we gotta figure out who has title to the mine now Jensen's gone. And how to extract–\"","\n","^\"Details,\" Lin said.","\n","^\"Details,\" Jake agreed.","\n","^Tom grinned. Details indeed. What couldn't they accomplish, together?","\n",{"#":"CLASS: end"},"^The End","\n","end",{"#f":3}],"EndingLinTwo":["^Jake gave the gold a light toss in the air and caught it again, testing the weight of it. \"You sure you want this?\"","\n","^\"Let him have it,\" Lin said. \"It's not worth getting killed over.\"","\n","^\"Listen to her, boy. She's smarter'n you ever were.\" Cyrus drew his revolver and held it loosely by his side. \"Or don't. I reckon I can find the seam myself. You managed to. But you can buy yourself some time—\"","\n","^That was as far as he got before the hollow thump of the stone hitting his forehead stopped his voice. His eyes swam and turned up, and he collapsed like a tent in the rain. Jake had thrown the lump of gold harder and truer than Tom could have imagined. Though it was only the size of a robin's egg, it was heavier than a stone five times the size and packed a wallop.","\n","^\"Is he ...\" Lin began.","\n","^\"Dead?\" Tom finished. \"I reckon so.\"","\n","^Jake kicked the gun out of Cyrus's hand and knelt to check his breath, laying one finger under his nose. \"He's dead,\" Jake said. He stood, almost defiantly. \"And good riddance. You know he meant to kill us.\"","\n","^\"What now?\" Lin said.","\n","^Tom didn't know. \"There's no law in Copper Canyon. But we can't just leave him for the buzzards.\"","\n","^Jake looked as if there were nothing he'd rather do more. \"Fletchers are leaving in an hour,\" he said. \"I don't suspect anyone's going to miss Cyrus or weep that he's gone, but I'd just as soon be out of town when this comes to light in case anyone's of a mind to make trouble. Give me till then before you head into town, then tell it just like it happened. You two had nothing to do with it, and I'll already be on the road.\"","\n","^Tom and Lin looked at each other then back at Jake. They nodded in assent.","\n","^\"So this is goodbye,\" Tom said.","\n","^\"Less you come to El Paso,\" Jake said with a half-hearted smile betrayed its own optimism. And though Tom liked the sound of that, he knew his mother wouldn't want to leave. Not now. And if they did go, they'd head back East where she had people.","\n","^\"We made a hell of a team, though, didn't we?\" Tom said. He and Jake shook, and Lin hugged him fiercely. They all stepped back and took in the moment.","\n","^\"Well, don't want to draw this out,\" Jake said. He turned and started down the dusty trail alone. Tom and Lin watched him go.","\n","^\"Do you think we'll ever see him again?\" Lin asked.","\n","^\"Anything can happen,\" Tom said. Who knew what the future held? And they had made a hell of a team.","\n",{"#":"CLASS: end"},"^The End","\n","end",{"#f":3}],"EndingLinThree":["^\"You can have it,\" Lin said, holding up the nugget for Cyrus to see. \"It's not worth getting killed over.\"","\n","^\"Smart girl.\" Cyrus drew his revolver and held it loosely by his side. \"Bring it here.\"","\n","^It was over quicker than Tom could see. Lin offered the gold with her hand outstretched, but as Cyrus reached for it, the nugget tumbled off her fingers into the dirt. Cyrus swore and bent to pick it up ... then knelt with an odd exhale of breath ... then lay down in the dirt himself.","\n","^The first thing Tom noticed—Lin's hair was down, dancing off her shoulders in the breeze. The second thing—the hairpin that she wore to keep it up was buried in Cyrus's neck, blood jetting from the wound.","\n","^Tom saw her hands were shaking, though her voice came clear and firm.","\n","^\"I couldn't stay in Copper Canyon now. Even if I wanted to. Not with blood on my hands.\"","\n","^\"He meant to kill us,\" Tom said, kicking the gun away from Cyrus's hand. \"Once we showed him the seam. He wasn't going to let us live.\"","\n","^\"That's not why I did it,\" Lin said.","\n","^\"I know,\" Tom said, thinking of her family, of the terror they must have felt, scrambling to escape their room over the shop through the smoke and flames. \"You did nothing wrong.\"","\n","^\"What now?\" Lin said.","\n","^\"There's no law in Copper Canyon,\" Jake said. \"I say we leave him for the buzzards.\"","\n","^\"Sounds about right to me,\" Tom said. \"Lin?\"","\n","^She nodded her assent.","\n","^Tom retrieved Lin's hairpin, wiping it clean on Cyrus's trousers—his shirt was soaked through with blood. He handed it to her. She thanked him but left her hair down.","\n","^\"Nearly a year my family's lived in this town, and I never had a friend. Now I've got two, and we're leaving,\" Lin said. \"You think we'll ever see each other again?\"","\n","^Tom thought it unlikely but didn't like to say it. \"Anything can happen,\" he said. \"Who knows what the future holds? But for now, we can walk into town together.\"","\n",{"#":"CLASS: end"},"^The End","\n","end",{"#f":3}],"EndingLinFour":["^Tom's fingers tightened around the gold. The tighter he squeezed, the colder it felt in his hand. He considered his options, recollecting his first encounter with Cyrus on the boardwalk before the earthquake. He'd thought then of throwing his apple core before hitting on the trick of reflecting the sun off his knife blade. Now his jackknife was tucked in his back pocket—no time to get it out, and he doubted the same trick would work twice. But he had something better than an apple core—the nugget. A good hit would do real damage, maybe take Cyrus out of action entirely.","\n","^\"Let him have it,\" Lin said. \"It's not worth getting killed over.\"","\n","^He knew she was right, but it galled him to have Cyrus snatch his victory away like this. Tom relaxed his grip on the gold.","\n","^\"Listen to her, boy. She's smarter'n you ever were.\" Cyrus drew his revolver and held it loosely by his side. \"Or don't. I reckon I can find the seam myself. You managed to. But you can buy yourself some time and a sweeter death if you show me. Maybe I'll even let your friends live.\"","\n","^That settled it for Tom. He knew Cyrus intended to kill them all.","\n","^\"Now, boy! I ain't got all—\"","\n","^That was as far as he got before the hollow thump of the stone hitting his forehead stopped his voice. His eyes swam and turned up, and he collapsed like a tent in the rain. Tom had thrown the lump of gold harder and truer than he could have imagined. Though it was only the size of a robin's egg, it was heavier than a stone five times the size and packed a wallop.","\n","^\"Is he ...\" Lin began.","\n","^\"Dead?\" Jake finished. \"I reckon so.\"","\n","^Tom was no stranger to mischief, but he'd never taken a life, never even come close. His hands shook.","\n","^Jake kicked the gun out of Cyrus's hand and knelt to check his breath, laying one finger under his nose. \"He's dead,\" Jake said. \"And good riddance. You know he meant to kill us. Once you showed him the seam. He wasn't going to let us live.\"","\n","^Tom nodded wordlessly.","\n","^\"What now?\" Lin said.","\n","^\"There's no law in Copper Canyon,\" Jake said. \"I say we leave him for the buzzards.\"","\n","^\"Sounds about right to me,\" Lin said. \"Tom?\"","\n","^Tom nodded his assent. He retrieved the gold nugget, wiping it clean on Cyrus's shirt. The three of them began the long walk back to town.","\n","^Just as well his friends were leaving, he thought. He'd miss them, but this way would be clean. They had his back—for now. But how long before they soured on him? He'd killed a man. He'd saved the town, but at what cost?","\n",{"#":"CLASS: end"},"^The End","\n","end",{"#f":3}],"EndingLinFive":["^Tom let the stone tumble from his fingers and stepped forward. \"Me,\" he said. \"It's me you want. Let them go.\"","\n","^Cyrus narrowed his eyes. \"Don't tell me what to do, boy. Just for that, you go last. You can watch your friends die.\" He swung the pistol toward Lin and pulled the hammer back.","\n","^Tom watched in horror as Cyrus's finger squeezed the trigger. The hammer fell ... and nothing. Only a dull clack. The round under the hammer was spent. Cyrus had forgot to reload.","\n","^For a moment, no one moved. Then Cyrus turned tail and ran, fast as his injured leg would carry him. Jake made to go after him, but Lin held him back. \"Let him go,\" she said. \"He's not worth it.\"","\n","^Then, as the tension flooded out of them, they burst out laughing.","\n","^\"I think we've seen the last of him,\" Tom said. He handed Lin the stone. \"Here. You keep this. Not as a good luck charm, as a memento.\"","\n","^Down the valley, the town spread out before them.","\n","^\"We really did make a difference, didn't we?\" Tom said.","\n","^\"We did,\" Lin said. \"The three of us. Together.\"","\n",{"#":"CLASS: end"},"^The End","\n","end",{"#f":3}],"EndingLinSix":["^Tom let the stone tumble from his fingers and stepped forward. \"Me,\" he said. \"It's me you want. Let her go.\"","\n","^Cyrus narrowed his eyes. \"Don't tell me what to do, boy. Just for that, you go last. You can watch your friend die.\" He swung the pistol toward Lin and pulled the hammer back.","\n","^Tom watched in horror as Cyrus squeezed the trigger. The gun roared a gout of flame and black smoke. Lin cried and fell. The barrel, big as a cannon, swung toward Tom.","\n","^Cyrus thumbed the hammer back again, slowly, relishing it. He fired a second time ... the hammer fell ... and nothing. Only a dull clack. The chamber under the firing pin was empty.","\n","^For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Cyrus turned tail and ran, fast as his injured leg would carry him. Tom wanted to give chase, but he had to check on Lin.","\n","^She lay on her side, clutching her arm, grimacing with pain. \"I'm okay,\" she said. \"Go after him.\"","\n","^\"He's not worth it,\" Tom said, tending to her wound. He daubed the blood away and saw she'd been lucky; the bullet had merely creased her upper arm. If they could stave off infection, she'd escape with nothing more than the occasional nightmare and an ugly scar. He bandaged her up as best he could with a strip of fabric torn from the hem of her dress, which was cleaner than anything he was wearing.","\n","^Tom offered his hand to help her up, but she shook him off.","\n","^\"Not yet,\" she said. \"I'm not ready.\"","\n","^So Tom sat down beside her on the trail. \"Take all the time you need,\" he said. \"I'm not going anywhere.\"","\n",{"#":"CLASS: end"},"^The End","\n","end",{"#f":3}],"EndingLinSeven":["^Tom let the stone tumble from his fingers and stepped forward. \"Me,\" he said. \"It's me you want. Let him go.\"","\n","^Cyrus narrowed his eyes. \"Don't tell me what to do, boy. Just for that, you go last. You can watch your friend die.\" He swung the pistol toward Jake and pulled the hammer back.","\n","^Tom watched in horror as Cyrus squeezed the trigger. The gun roared a gout of flame and black smoke. Jake cried and fell. The barrel, big as a cannon, swung toward Tom.","\n","^Cyrus thumbed the hammer back again, slowly, relishing it. He fired a second time ... the hammer fell ... and nothing. Only a dull clack. The chamber under the firing pin was empty.","\n","^For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Cyrus turned tail and ran, fast as his injured leg would carry him. Tom wanted to give chase, but he had to check on Jake.","\n","^Jake lay on her side, clutching his arm, grimacing with pain. \"I'm okay,\" he said. \"Go after him.\"","\n","^\"He's not worth it,\" Tom said, tending to Jake's wound. He daubed the blood away and saw he'd been lucky; the bullet had merely creased the upper arm. If they could stave off infection, Jake would escape with nothing more than the occasional nightmare and an ugly scar. He bandaged his friend up as best he could with a strip of fabric torn from the bottom of Jake's shirt, which was cleaner than anything Tom was wearing.","\n","^Tom offered his hand to help Jake up, but he shook him off.","\n","^\"Not yet,\" he said. \"I'm not ready.\"","\n","^So Tom sat down beside him on the trail. \"Take all the time you need,\" he said. \"I'm not going anywhere.\"","\n",{"#":"CLASS: end"},"^The End","\n","end",{"#f":3}],"global decl":["ev","str","^","/str",{"VAR=":"primary"},"str","^","/str",{"VAR=":"secondary"},0,{"VAR=":"jake_primary"},0,{"VAR=":"mc_seen"},0,{"VAR=":"villains_known"},0,{"VAR=":"impulsive"},0,{"VAR=":"dobbs_gone"},0,{"VAR=":"taggart_gone"},0,{"VAR=":"bart_dead"},0,{"VAR=":"bart_expelled"},0,{"VAR=":"wait"},0,{"VAR=":"investigate"},0,{"VAR=":"gold_found"},0,{"VAR=":"ghosts_resolved"},"str","^Jake","/str",{"VAR=":"finder"},"str","^Lin","/str",{"VAR=":"friend"},1,{"VAR=":"jake_finder"},1,{"VAR=":"friend_waiting"},"str","^Tom","/str",{"VAR=":"gold_holder"},0,{"VAR=":"jake_goodbye"},0,{"VAR=":"lin_goodbye"},{"^->":"EndingEight"},{"VAR=":"ending"},"str","^he","/str",{"VAR=":"he"},"str","^him","/str",{"VAR=":"him"},"str","^his","/str",{"VAR=":"his"},"str","^his","/str",{"VAR=":"hers"},"str","^He","/str",{"VAR=":"He"},"str","^His","/str",{"VAR=":"His"},"/ev","end",null],"#f":1}],"listDefs":{}};