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

20. Black Day

Mr. Merrimack sat like always behind his desk with deep worry lines on his forehead and nervously moving hands. He became more anxious when the little group with the sheriff entered his office. First, he was calm when he asked Bill about the nice badge on his jacket. Kinski added a joke, but then he became serious again. The rabbit bent forward and said only one sentence.
In a split second, Mr. Merrimack was like replaced. He jumped to his feet, so that the chair fell down with a loud crash.
"No!" he cried. "I tried to forget it and now you are forcing me to remember that horrible day. I never want to talk about it anymore!"
With that, he crawled on his knees and hid himself under the desk.
Kinski sighed and looked down. "Just this time. You know much more about it and..."
At this moment, the squirrel jumped up and ruffled his head hair.
"I have nightmares in my dreams! Nightmares... nightmares- night-mares..."
Mr. Merrimack hyperventilated. He grasped at some tablets, threw them into his mouth and chewed them hastily. Suddenly he coughed badly when some tablet crumbs met his lung.
"Easy does it!" Chorizo said and patted on his back.
"Here, drink that. I'm sure you will feel better after that," Kinski said and held a little bottle before him.
Chorizo eyed the little bottle. "What's that?"
"A mixture of herbal juices, salt, sugar, castor oil, pickled insect legs and..."
Mr. Merrimack grabbed the bottle and emptied it.
With loud breathing, he handed the bottle back to the wide-open-eyed Kinski.
"... and alcohol."
The banker hiccupped loudly several times and swayed a little. Stump brought the chair and put the squirrel on it.
"Are you feeling better?" Kinski asked unsurely.
"Hmm?"
Mr. Merrimack blinked.
"Alright." Kinski rubbed his forehead. "Just tell us what happened that day."
"Hmm. What day?"
"The day before the drought," Jake said now.
Mr. Merrimack eyed the rattlesnake with addled look. "Mmm."
Now it was Bill who took the banker aside. "11 years ago, in the bank. Do you remember Josephine?"
The squirrel winced. With trembling hands, he rubbed his fingertips and talked like in trance.
"I remember like it was yesterday, unfortunately. I still have nightmares about it..."

"...It was a day like all the others before. It was a time when the water still flowed through the tubes. And my full bank... ehm... it was a hot day in the bank."
Mr. Merrimack put his glasses away when the door was opened. A brown lizard in light blue dress entered the bank, followed with two smaller lizards, they were similar dressed like her. One of them wore a long braid while the other one had strong curly hair. The bigger lizard wore a pinned-up hairstyle.
Mr. Merrimack smiled. "Oh, Josephine and your two daughters. How nice."
The two lizard girls chuckled cheerfully.
Mr. Merrimack laughed and bent forward.
"Well, what would you like today? Something special?"
The two girls hid behind her mother and peeked at him. The female lizard chuckled.
"But just a little pocket money."
The squirrel reached under the counter and fetched two very little water bottles and handed them to the two girls. Both took them and ran to the door.
"Children!" the female warned. "What do you say?"
"Thank you!"
With that the children ran outside.
"But don't buy too many sweets!"
"So, what about your man?" Mr. Merrimack asked.
"Like always, thanks for asking. In a few years we will redeem the whole debts for the land. He is working very hard."
Mr. Merrimack nodded.
Suddenly the door was opened with a loud slam.
Mr. Merrimack paled.
„Oh! Mr. J. Jenkins!"
The big rodent didn't say a greeting word. With heavy quick footsteps, he walked to the bank counter. He pushed Josephine aside, grabbed the collar of the banker, pulled him over the table and showed him the fist in his face.
"Listen, Mr. Bankman! There is a bad rumor that someone stole money from my account with bribes. Do you know something?"
"But Mr. Jenkins Sir..."
"Hola!"
Mr. Jenkins turned around. His face was filled with more rage when he saw a big rabbit in the door frame of the bank.
"Danby!" he yelled. "Where is my money?!"
Danby waved his hand. "I don't know what you're on about."
"You know very well what am I talk about! You bribed that bastard!"
The rodent added his pulling around Mr. Merrimack's collar.
Josephine was afraid that he could strangle him and went around the counter. Fortunately, Jenkins released the squirrel and paid his attention at Danby.
"It's still my land!" he yelled.
"Mine!" Danby corrected. "We get it first."
"We discovered it first!"
"Put your land where the sun doesn't shine anymore!"
"Gentlemen, gentlemen," Mr. Merrimack cried and raised his hands. "We could find a solution without violence."
His eyes were growing wide when Jenkins drew a revolver.

Furgus handed out some candies.
"Well, two lollipops for you and your sister. And five candies for each of you."
The two sisters thanked and paid.
At this moment, there was a little movement at the window. The lizard girl with the long-braided hair looked aside where a little boy looked through the window inside.
She smiled.
It was a lizard like her. Just a little older and bigger. She had seen him several times before, when they visited the town.
Suddenly the boy winced and ran away.
"Come on," her sister said and together they left the store.
The girl with the long hair looked around, but the lizard boy was gone.
"What are you looking for?" The other female lizard asked.
"Wait a moment," her sister answered and walked down the sidewalk.
The other girl rolled her eyes and crossed the street to the bank.
Meanwhile, the girl searched and looked around the corner of the house.
The lizard boy winced when their eyes met.
"Hello," she greeted.
The boy looked at her with shy eyes. "H-hi."
"Why are you lurking around?"
"Uhm... just only thus."
She chuckled. Then the girl rummaged around her dress pocket and reached out a papered candy.
"For you."
The boy looked at her with wide eyes.
"It's yours," she said and came closer when the boy didn't move.
Slowly he took the candy. "Thanks."
She chuckled and licked over her lollipop.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Jenkins yelled. "The town is too small for both of us!"
Mr. Merrimack and Josephine had hidden behind the counter and watched how Danby was drawing his revolver, too.
"You're right. It's really a small town."
Seconds of dead silence passed between the two rivals.
Suddenly Danby jumped behind a table and shot.
Jenkins avoided and saved himself behind the bank counter.
An exchange of shots broke out in the bank.
Suddenly the door was opened. Jenkins swung his revolver to the door.
"NO!"
Josephine, who recognized her little daughter first, threw herself on the rodent.
A loud bang cut the air again.
"NO! What have you done?!"
Mr. Merrimack rushed forward and caught the body of the female who sank to the floor.
At this moment, Danby took the chance and ran through the door.
Jenkins didn't care about the lizard who lay in front of his feet and pushed the squirrel away. He aimed and shot at Danby. The last bullet hit his chest and he fell down on the street.
"I hit the bastard!"
Jenkins ran around the counter. Suddenly another shadow appeared in the door frame.
Amos didn't think long and shot at the rodent.
The rodent let fall his gun and crashed on the floor.
Amos snorted in disgust. "Shooting is bad for your health."
"Josephine!" A loud voice cried behind the bank counter. "Where is Doc? We need a doctor!"
The lizard girl stood there like frozen until big hands pushed her away.
"Clear out!" Amos scolded. "That's no playground!"
"Beans!"
The other girl with the long hair ran at her and grabbed her arm. "What happened?"
But her sister didn't say a word. Some people came running to the bank.
Suddenly the girl began to cry. "MUM!"
"Didn't I say, keep outside?"
Amos grabbed the two girls and threw them to a rodent woman. "Don't let them go inside. Hey!"
A male lizard in pants and shirt ran over the street to the bank.
"Beans! Rice! What's going on?"
"Mum!" the girl cried. "Something happens with mum."
"Hey!" Amos ran behind the lizard who ran inside the bank.
"Josephine!"

Mr. Merrimack winced. "She was dead. My god, she was dead. She was lying on the ground. Dead."
He covered his eyes and sobbed.
Silence filled the room, accompanied by the squirrel's weeping.
Stump patted his shoulder. He didn't feel better than him.
Jake was the first one who interrupted the silence.
"And what happened after that?"
"That's what I can tell you," Chorizo said. "As much as I know, Joel took Josephine home on his ranch."
"Joel, was that..."
"Yes, the lizard, who ran inside the bank, was her husband. He has a ranch outside the town."
"His ranch isn't in my near," Stump said. "It's on the town opposite."
"Well, and after that? Nothing more happened?"
"Not quite," Chorizo said. "Kinski you know, you were in town while he was appearing that day, almost a few months after that bloody deed."
Kinski sighed. "Indeed. After the people had recovered from that, Joel appeared in the entrance of the town. Without warning, he fired a shot with his rifle and yelled down the street: "I curse you! I curse the whole town!" After that he disappeared. We never saw him again. He never came to town anymore, also his daughters. They never left the ranch again."
Jake thought carefully. "Hmm. Maybe we should pay a visit to him."
"Ha, ha, ha, ha." Mr. Merrimack laughed anxiously. "Dream on! He will shoot you before your eyes meet his door. He doesn't tolerate people on his land. Even not Amos was in the position to bring him to reason. He hates all people."
"I will make a try."
"For what?" Bill asked.
"It's too suspicious that the water disappeared shortly after that. Maybe he can tell us more."
Kinski scratched his head. "Do you think we haven't done it already? He doesn't talk with anyone. All what you get are bullets from him."
Jake sighed. "Let's see."
With that, he turned around.
The four exchanged glances.
"Uhm... I think, it's the best we come with you," Kinski said. "For good measure."
Stump lowered his glance. "I, I think, it's the best to stay here because of... just in case, if she should wake up... just maybe."
"That's okay, bro," Kinski said and patted his shoulder.