RANGO // OӘͶAЯ - Another Outlaw Story [Engl.]

18. The Merchant

It was early in the morning. Jake was so tired that he didn't wake up with the sun. He overslept the breakfast, until loud voices woke him up.
"You're not serious! You can't do that!"
He recognized Bill's voice which sounded very desperate. He left the bed and slithered out of the room.
"Take it easy, William," Mayor John replied calmly.
The voices came from outside behind the house.
Quickly the rattlesnake crawled to the back door and ajarred it.
In the backyard stood an old cart with a peccary. Mayor John sat not far away in his wheelchair and watched how two shabby clothed prairie dogs, a smaller and a bigger one, transported an oil painting wrapped in a blanket. Next to them stood an old man, maybe a desert mole rat with squash-hat, blindfolded face and with a walking cane.
"That's very generous of you," he said with hoarse voice. "I have a fondness for paintings. I'm sure I will afford a good sale price."
With a silent gesture Mayor John stared ahead while Bill was going up and down around him.
"I can't believe it! Take it back!"
"It's too late William," Mayor John said with weakly voice. "There is no other way for us."
The old desert man smiled and chuckled. "Good choice, Mayor, Sir. It's an honor for me to do business with you."
"Ouch!"
The old man twirled around. "Jedidiah! Ezekiel! You'd better watch out! I wanna get back my money for a sale."
The two prairie dogs nodded. "Yes, pappy."
Suddenly some strong hands grabbed the old man's dirty jacketed.
"What do you think are you getting?!" Bill cried at him.
"Easy does it," the man said and chuckled again, what Bill made angrier.
"You damn...!"
"What's the problem?" Jake asked and crawled out of the house.
Mayor John covered his face. "Nothing, Mr. Jake."
"That bastard is misappropriating our..."
"Hey, hey!" The old man interrupted Bill's accusation. "That's malicious falsehood!"
He pushed the Gila monster away and sniffed.
"Mmm. I never smelled and heard you here. Are you new here?"
Jake eyed the stranger. He seemed to be blind.
"I'm the new sheriff."
"Aha."
With that the old man walked forward and touched Jake's nose. The mole wrinkled his face and whispered at his "sons" who had finished their work and stood next to him now.
"Does he look like he sounds?" the man asked.
"Uhm, yes, pappy," Jedidiah said.
"Hmm, hmm." The man scratched his chin deep in thoughts. "AH! You must be the snake what the others are talking about, aren't you?"
Jake narrowed his eyes, while the man continued and ate some cactus fruits. "The clans around don't talk about something other. We make some coffee party from time to time."
He grinned.
Jake snorted with distrust. "No fear?"
"HA!" The mole laughed. "Young boy, I saw and experienced so many things in my life which you wouldn't dream in your nightmares about it."
Jedidiah and Ezekiel rolled their eyes. "Not again."
"Yes, I tamed so many wild animals and no one had the ability defeating me."
The old man swung his cane. "I had defeated all in the desert and I rode on their backs. Horses, bulls, cows, roadrunners, bats, big spiders and hawks!"
"Well, well, Pappy," Ezekiel interrupted and together with his brother, they pulled him away to the cart. "Feel the sun, pappy. It's late. We still have some other business to do."
"Mr. Balthazar!" Mayor John cried and all three came to a hold.
"Yes, indeed. Of course." The man named Balthazar released himself from the grabs and walked a few steps forward. "That's right. You give me what I need, and I give you what you need."
He snipped with his fingers. "0,5 gallons of water, according to agreement."
With that Jedidiah and Ezekiel unloaded several water canisters, next to the Mayor.
Bill stood beside and watched it all with a cold glance.
After the last canister had left the cart, the old man nodded at Mayor John. "Good day!" He waved at Bill and bared his head in front of Jake. "It was nice meeting you." And turned around. "Come on, boys."
Together they mounted the cart and rode away.
The three reptiles followed them with their eyes, until the cart was already gone.
Mayor John turned around with his wheelchair and disappeared in the town hall house.
Jake looked at Bill, who stood there with cramped fists. Then he turned around without saying a word.

It had passed one hour after the suspect meeting. Jake had secluded himself somewhere in a lonely part of the city and shot some cans. Portley and Stanley sat on an old fence and watched the snake's can shooting.
"You need many bullets for a single can," Portley said.
Jake snorted a little. "It's not a regular gun, son." He shot the second can down from a stone. "It's a Gatling Gun."
"Can I get a one, too?" Stanley asked.
"That's nothing for kids."
Portley snorted. "And what about this?"
He pulled out a slingshot, aimed and shot a can.
Jake looked with confusion. Then he sighed. "I think that's enough for you now."
He winced when he was hearing footsteps and turned around.
Bill walked up to him, his hands crossed on his back and looked more than thoughtfully.
"Mr. Jake?" He began. "I... I had to think about what you said yesterday."
His voice sounded pressed.
"Yes."
Bill sighed deeply. "I can't watch it any longer how John is selling our town! With that what he did today, he was gone too far."
Jake raised his eyebrows. "Why?"
"The oil painting... it was the favorite picture of Margaret."
"His wife?"
Bill lowered his glance. "Yes."
There was silence for a moment.
"If the water comes back," Bill muttered. "If we had water, everything would be like it used to be."
Jake looked at him.
"Meaning?"
Bill gave him a seeking help look. "Would you search for the water?"
Jake narrowed his eyes. It meant a lot for the Gila monster. He saw it.
"I could try."
"Then I will help you."
Jake's eyes grew wide. "You take the undersheriff job?"
"Just to get back the water."
Jake kept silent. Then he smiled. "Welcome aboard."
Bill sighed. "On a sinking ship."