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

36. Home, Sweet Town

"This was a part of my home."
Her heartbeat rose. Her courage lowered.
"A part of my childhood."
It was a very strange and anxious feeling for the young lizard woman named Rice. She stood next to a cactus; her roadrunner stood beside. In the distance the roofs of the almost forgotten town looked out from the wide desert landscape where she hadn't been back there since over 10 years.
She made a few steps forward, but then a few steps back and stood on her origin point.
Shall I do it, or not?
Thoughtfully she counted the needles of the cactus.
"Do it, do it not, do it, do it not, do it, do it not..."
She had never disregarded a rule of her father.
She set her eyes back on the town. Slowly she reached into the pocket of her jeans and contemplated the little object in her hand.
So a long time ago. Why did she forget it?
Sadly, she rolled the candy paper between her fingers. Trying to call back the memories of the day.
"Just a little glance," she said to herself. "A very, very little glance."
She looked at her roadrunner.
"Neddy, you stay here."

"Where are the kids?" Chorizo asked from his bar stool over to Kinski.
"Stump takes a walk with them," the rabbit answered.
They were still sitting in the saloon. Bill sat on a bar stool between them, his head propped on his hands and stared at the broken saloon mirror.
"I think, that's a good thing," Kinski continued. "He needs fresh air."
"Here." Buford put a plate on the counter. "Work for your stomach."
"What's that?" Chorizo asked and eyed the filled plate.
"Chili con carne, with baked beans and rice."
Shortly after, a very sad, deep sigh, followed with a helpless moan. The Gila monster covered his face and sank with his upper body on the table.
Kinski rolled his eyes and looked angrier than before.
"Was that necessary?"
Buford didn't understand. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Ach, forget it, idiot."
Chorizo raised his hand. "In this case, give me the con carne, with very much chili."
Kinski narrowed his eyes more and knocked on the table, while he patted over Bill's back. "More cactus juice."

Carefully, she peeked around the corner of the dentist house.
Two ladies and a thin man disappeared in a big house, maybe the folks house. Then she walked behind the houses of the silent town.

"I'm sure you will look great with that!"
Fresca clapped her hands, while the thin ferret named Mr. Taylor, who was the master tailor of the town, rubbed over his chin and eyed the albino rattlesnake.
"What's your suggestions?" he asked. "A shawl, a scarf around the neck and a hat? Maybe something for her tail. Maybe a chainlet."
"Sweet," Fresca said.
"And what about the little girl?" Melonee asked and looked around. "Where is she?"

With a loud sigh of relief, the little aye-aye closed the big door and leaned with her back against it. "Phew, I have pity with her."
She didn't like fashion shows.
The girl looked around. She stood in an almost dark big room, just the sunlight shined through the colored windows. Slowly the girl walked forward. On the wall stood a gigantic shelf with many books.
She stopped. Inquisitorial she eyed the big wooden desk. Must be for an important man.
She realized a movement. The little girl winced. Something had moved in a sand filled glass.
The mouse looking girl went over to it. It was a little aquarium, without water inside. The windowsill was much higher than her so that she had to stand on her tiptoes. Her long nose touched the glass and generated a condensation of her breath on it.
Something was moving in the sand. It crawled and a little fish-looking head peeked out.
"Uhm?"
"Good day."
The girl was horrified and whirled around to the strange man's voice. She hadn't heard the turtle who had rolled inside the room and stood in front of her now.
With folded hands the mayor watched the girl who hid under the desk.
"I meet seldom a visitor," the old man said and looked down.
Shyly the girl ducked.
Mayor John looked over to the aquarium. He reached inside and the lung fish crawled on his hand immediately. With the fish on his hand, he rolled over to the desk where the girl was still hiding. The turtle bent forward and held it down.
"Don't be afraid. You can touch him. He doesn't bite."
The girl eyed the fish. Carefully, she tapped on the fish body. The lungfish lifted his head a little and looked at her.
Mayor John rolled back with his wheelchair. The girl came out slowly, still watching at the fish in his hand.
"Cool fish," she said.
"Yes, that's August. An African lungfish."
"I thought fishes only live in water."
"He is a very special fish."
"Can I hold him?"
"Here you are."
She took the fish in her arms. "Uh, he is heavy."

"Mmmmmmmmm..... no."
Mr. Taylor shook his head. "No, this fades out... no, too dark... no, too colorful for a light skin... That's better."
With fast movements he compared swatches and measured everything with his measuring tape. The albino rattlesnake didn't move and didn't say anything, she didn't know what to do. It was so crazy.
"Uho," Melonee cheered with delight. "That could be nice. What do you think, Mr. Jake?"
But Jake hadn't directed his eyes at the fashion show. Instead, he was looking through the window.
"Mr. Jake? Sheriff?"
"Mm?" Now he seemed to realize their voices. "What?"
"What do you think of that color for a hat?"
"Nice, uhm, excuse me."
"Oh, he wants to be surprised," Fresca guessed and chuckled.
"I think I got it," Mr. Taylor said. "I will finish it in less than a few hours."

"Nobody here," she thought with relief when she tiptoed in the shadows of the yards. When she had to pass an alley, she looked around before she ran over it. Then she continued her way on tiptoes.
She froze. In the corner of her eye, she had seen a building what she knew very well. Carefully she looked at it.
The bank.
She had no time to speak, suddenly a strong force tied her female formed body and covered her mouth. Shortly after, two burning eyes looked into her afraid ones. Her efforts of escape were useless, but she struggled in the rattlesnake's grasp. But the more she moved the more he added his pressure.
The snake lifted her up and took her closer. "Is there no way to avoid visitors from outside?"
The female muttered something, what was suppressed by the snake body.
He waited until her resistance became weaker. At the end she lay in his rolled body and looked at him shyly. Maybe she was ready to keep calm. The snake narrowed its eyes warningly.
"Don't dare to scream."
He gave her a last squeeze and released her.
"What do you want here?" he asked before she could complain.
"I don't know what you mean," she replied and stood up. But her tries of running run away were destroyed when the snake surrounded her with his long body.
"What has your father in his mind again?"
She ducked her head when he bent more down to her.
"No, my father doesn't know that I'm here. At least not yet. Who knows how long my sister can put him off."
Standing in front of a venomous snake without a weapon took away all her forces to tell a story.
"So in this case, I guess you came because of him."
She winced. "Because of whom? No. How do you know?"
She covered her mouth.
"I put one and one together," he said. "And I have the impression, you and him fit together very well."
"Uhm," she blushed deeply and covered her cheeks. "Why this?"
"He would do the same stupid thing. At least, we averted it because I don't like the imagination that bullets filled his brain."
"Because of last night, I have to apologize. I thought you could be one of the crazy clan people."
"Mmpf." The black hatted rattlesnake flicked with his tongue. "They aren't my sympathies, too. But I would ask first, before I shoot at someone's leg." He gave her a chiding look. "And I thought first before I had to shoot someone in self-defense."
The lizard woman rubbed her forehead with shame. "I have to admit my or more our father is a really stubborn person."
"Like you."
She growled angrily, but it was a shy growl. Silently she looked at the sheriff, finally she stroked a strand of hair aside of her long-braided hair and stood firmly in front of him. Jake smirked gently. She was an adult young woman, but still like a child, which had never met her childhood. But she tried to behave like a strong woman. She lifted her chin a little and folded together her hands.
"And you are the sheriff?"
"Does it interest you? Or just because he is my deputy?"
She narrowed her eyes.
"And what now?" She asked with firmly voice. "Are you going to arrest me? Father will be not amused."
"Arresting you? I want to live without more problems. We have enough of these. Go back home."
He turned around.
"Home?" She crossed her arms with frustration. "A place where I have to stay like in prison do you call home?"
"Do you want that we get problems?"
She swallowed petulantly. "No, that's not my purpose, but I will not go without..."
She stopped.
"Without what?"
"W-without making a round through my hometown."
Jake hissed with a trace of melancholy. Stubborn like her father.
"If you want to talk with him, he is in the saloon."
She blushed again. "How can you dare... uhmpf!"
Stamping her foot on the ground, she gave up and swallowed down her anger.
"No objections? What's wrong with you?"
He gave her an annoyed look. "I'm tired to listen his wailing longer."
"He is wailing?" she asked with surprise.
He rolled his eyes. "Yes, because of you."
The snake pointed his gun tail at her. "It would be nice if you explain him, that it's the best you and him should go ways apart. Would be healthy for all of us."
He grinned innerly. Her reaction came immediately, what he had guessed.
"You sound like my sister. How stupid are you all?"
"So you don't want to tell him what I said?"
"No." She crossed her arms again.
"Then tell it directly to him what you want to tell."
"Uhm?"
"What is it? Has the cat got your tongue, or what? Did you think I would tell him? I told you where he is."
"Uhm." She tipped her fingertips together. "But not in front of all these people."
"Big mouth and now so shy." The snake hissed. "Your relationship is not my problem."
"Relationship?"
She is shyer than she looks if it's about boys, Jake thought.
The woman looked around. When Jake didn't avoid his gleeful glance, she raised her hands in anger. "Alright! Alright, I will talk with him, but not here."
"Where instead?"
Again, she ducked head shyly. "Could you do me a favor?"