Unshaken

Revenge Is a Dish Best Eaten

Three nights later, Dutch decided it was time for the attack. "Ride out!" Dutch yelled as the group left Shady Belle. Liam thought about Hosea's words. He decided not to say anything to Dutch about it, knowing Dutch was angry with Bronte as it was. "Angelo Bronte is many things. He took Jack, he set me up and he beat the living hell out of poor Liam here. He will pay for what he did!" Dutch said as they rode. "He saw new blood, he knows we're a threat." Lemmy said. "Exactly. Which is why we are putting him out of commission. If we don't do this, he will continue to fund these lawmen to try and kill us! We have to do this." Dutch said with anger.

They arrived in Lagras and walked up the dock. "Thomas." Dutch greeted the man. "Mr. Dutch. The boat's ready if you want to leave now." Thomas said. "Not yet, we're waiting for someone." Dutch told him. As they stood waiting and cleaning their guns, Dutch and Bill started talking. "So Dutch, what's Tahiti like anyhow?" Bill asked. Liam looked at John and Lenny for a moment. He wasn't sure he wanted to go to "Tahiti" and if they'd actually even make it there. "I have no idea. But I hear it's paradise." Dutch said. Bill laughed. "That's what they said about the west, and look how that turned out." He said. "It's men, like Mr. Bronte, like Mr. Cornwall, that ruined the west. They ruin everything." Dutch said, he was still not happy. Liam was inclined to agree. "So... there's no folk like that in Tahiti?" Bill asked. Liam felt like he was hearing a small child ask questions. "There's folks like that everywhere. But in Tahiti, to my understanding, folks feed them to sharks, rather than make them kings." Dutch said grimly. Bill laughed, not picking up the mood. "That would be paradise." Bill said. "Exactly." Dutch said, looking out onto the stagnant water.

They heard wood creaking on the docks and saw Arthur walking up, Rifle in hand. "Arthur, there you are, come on." Dutch said, eager to go. Arthur looked at Liam with a frown. "What are you doing here, son?" He asked as they climbed on the boat. "Bronte seems to not like me very much, so I figure I'll return the favor." Liam said, climbing to the front, sitting by Bill. Dutch, John and Lenny sat in the middle while Arthur sat in the back with Thomas, who was rowing them there. "Thomas, let's get going." Dutch said as he sat. "Right you are." Thomas said as he started rowing them into the bayou.

They rode for a bit. Fog covered the murky water in the dead of the night. Dutch laughed. "Hey Bill, you were a sharpshooter in the Calvary, weren't you?" Dutch asked, his tone had changed. Liam could tell he was messing with Bill. "What?" Bill asked confused, slightly defensive. Liam turned his head towards the water to hide his laughing. "When we get there, maybe you could help with the suppression fire." Dutch said. "I never said I was no sharpshooter." Bill shot back. "Oh, that's right, w-what was it? Oh, that's right, the nation's most loyal latrine digger, wasn't that it?" Dutch asked. Liam looked down a laughed a bit harder, still trying to hide it. The dark, foggy night and croaking frogs helped. "Yeah, well I fought and I fought well." Bill said. "So you always tell us." Dutch said. "Taught me something you could do with learning. The Indians were savages." Bill said looking forward again. Liam was about to say something about it but then Dutch's tone changed. "Watch your mouth there, boy. Watch it. Only type of savage in these parts are moonshine swilling, pompous, inbred locals." Dutch said.

"Dutch, I saw things out ther-" Bill said, cutoff by Dutch. "I don't doubt you saw things, Bill, but your tiny little mind was too small to comprehend what you saw. What you saw, was people who lost everything to savagery. The savagery of peasants. Failures come from Europe to reap some awful vengeance on God's last creation." Dutch said. Liam respected Dutch's views on the Natives. The newspapers were always making them out to be the monsters, when they were the real victims, especially Lynne. "Interesting way you boys got preparing for a killing." Arthur said. "I'm sorry I wasted my trying to teach you boys, love you though I do." Dutch told them. "Well, leaving love aside, you think we got this?" Arthur asked. "Don't you ever leave love aside, Arthur. It's all we got." Dutch said.