Don't Poke the Bear!

Chapter 7

I DON'T KNOW all the why's and wherefore's pertainin' to women, so I can't say why Gentry seemed annoyed with me earlier, and happy with me now. I mean, I know she's happy she got what she wanted, which was to stop the music, but I don't know why she wanted it stopped in the first place. And whatever annoyed her earlier still ain't been addressed, so I got that hangin' over my head. So even though all the men below are cheerin' me on, thinkin' I'm goin' upstairs to bedpost my sweetheart, I knew when she called for me that she weren't extendin' me a romantic invitation.

This time when I try the door, it opens. Gentry's sittin' in a chair beside the bed where the old man is sleepin' peacefully. She has two lanterns goin', and I get a better look at him than I care to. He's white and pasty, and his skin is hangin so loose, he looks like a bean bag with only half the beans inside.

When I walk in, she looks up.

I start first: "You made me look bad down there, in front of them fellers."

"I know." She looks down at her hands in her lap. "I'm sorry."

I nod. "You never done that before, so I figure you must a' had a good reason."

"I did."

"That why you called me up here?"

"No. I called you up here 'cause I felt bad about how I shamed you in front of your friends. I called you up here so they'd think you're getting pussy."

"Am I?"

"No."

"Oh."

"I mean, I'm your woman. I'll give it up if that's your fancy."

"I don't want to get it that way."

"I know you don't, but that's how it'd be." She sighs, then says, "How about I explain myself, and then we can couple up after closin' time?"

I smile. "That'd make a fine name for a song."

"What would?"

"Couplin' after Closin' Time."

She shows me a curious smile, the kind she gives when I've surprised her by bein' clever or thoughtful. I can see her repeatin' it in her head. Then she says, "Why, that'd be a great song title, Emmett!"

"You think?"

"I do. Maybe you could think out a whole set of words for it."

"If only we were allowed to play music here," I say.

She smiles the exact same smile again, only this time she leaves the sweet part out. Then she scrunches her mouth and says, "Touche."

"Huh?"

"It's a French word."

I perk up. "A nasty one?"

"Monique and Scarlett used to say it. Means you got me back."

"Well, it weren't a nice thing for me to say. The second it come outta my mouth I wished it hadn't. Specially since you ain't even give me your reason yet."

Gentry nods, thoughtfully. Then says, "It's the bear."

I break out into a grin. "Did you see him? I mean, weren't that the most amazin' thing ever?"

"No. Sergio told me how it's done."

"Who's Sergio? How what's done?"

"Rudolph."

I take my hat off, run my fingers through my hair, put the hat back on. She sees me doin' this and smiles.

"What?"

"You always do that. Makes you look like a little boy."

"Wait-is that a good thing?"

"Very good thing. But I'll start over. Sergio's the dead guy." She points to the old man lyin' three feet from her. I jump back a step and reflexively draw my gun.

"He's dead?"

"Well, of course he's dead!"

She shakes her head at my stupidity, and says, "Put your gun away, crazy man."

When I do, she adds, "Seriously, Emmett. Have you ever seen a man sleep with both eyes open, makin' a dead-eyed stare?"

"I have."

"Who?"

"Turd Nelson."

She snorts. "I'm not one of your drinkin' friends, Emmett."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Means you're not going to get away with spinnin' a yarn about something that never happened."

I pause a minute. "How'd you know it was a yarn?"

"Think about it."

I try to think, but nothin' happens.

Then Gentry says, "The name."

"What, Turd Nelson?"

"Uh huh."

"What's wrong with it?"

"No Christian woman would name her son Turd."

"Not even Alice Crapper?"

Gentry can't help but smile, since Alice Crapper's the actual name of a Dodge City woman we met, whose name we joke about all the time. "Not even her," she says.

I look at Sergio. "How long's he been dead?"

"About ten minutes."

"Who's Rudolph?"

"The bear."

"And what's he done?"

"It's not what he's done, it's what's been done to him."

"And what's that?"