After the Second Fall Pt. 03.2

Fortunately, there was a well nearby that he and Rachel used to get the necessary water. In less than a bell, the injured woman was washed and bandaged -- as best as Rachel could manage -- and Pip carried her back to the bar, where she was deposited in the unoccupied bedroom.

"Is there anybody that can take care of her?" Rachel asked Raleigh. After several vague, noncommittal answers, she gave him a disappointed look and walked away. "Nobody is going to nurse her back to health, Pip. They won't say it directly, but I don't think anybody really likes her, and there's no family to speak about."

"I figured. I guess that means we'll take her with us and hope that the next town has a doctor."

Rachel nodded. "I'll sell Raleigh some of the food we brought from the farm to make room and have him hold the chits for the Crannerts. Actually, I have a better idea. I'm going to go see that underground operator. I think his name is Carter."

Pip gave her a curious look.

"He's the one that warned Raleigh about Paul coming, and I know he's sweet on Marion. I'll suggest that he can take the chits to them directly and maybe stay on. I'm sure they could use another set of hands as the weather starts to get colder, and surely somebody else knows how to use the underground thing."

By the midday meal they were on the road again, with Pip exceedingly grateful to be away from small minded people -- excepting of course for the woman now secured snugly in the cart between the two bicycles.

Figgerdy, it turned out, was two long days North of Fitzen. During the journey, Mathilda's condition slowly deteriorated, and the woman was unconscious, feverish, and pale when they arrived in town. As expected, there was no doctor, but a local midwife was willing to try to help.

Unlike Fitzen, Figgerdy was a proper town, with local leadership in the form of a mayor and a Sheriff to keep the peace. Neither were particularly pleased to see a fighter roll into town, especially with a sick woman, and they immediately sent an inquiry, to which they received the following response:

From: FITZEN, RALEIGH HAGGET

To: FIGGERDY, BOB OWENS, JIM PARK

Message: JOE BEAT HER AND IS DEAD NOW. PIPER HELPING. DO NOT FUCK WITH HIM. HE IS THE REAPER.

The underground operator's eyes were wide as he handed the message to the Sheriff, who read it twice before passing it to Bob, the mayor. "I don't like it."

"You and me both, Jim. You want to talk with him, get the story?"

"Not even a little bit."

The mayor nodded and sighed. "Time to earn my living, I guess."

While Sheriff Park looked on from a distance, Bob Owens walked slowly toward the fighter and the several women gathered around. "Hiya, Jess, what's going on?"

The midwife looked up, then returned her attention to her patient. "It seems this lady's husband beat her up, so these two brought her here for help. She's not doing well, but I'm going to see what I can do."

After nodding, the mayor looked up at the fighter, whose expression was neutral, and introduced himself. Instead of the huge man answering, a pretty woman with dark hair stepped forward. "I'm Rachel," she said, offering her hand, which Owens shook automatically. "This is Mathilda, from Fitzen. She was married to a man they called Little Joe, although I don't know anything else about either of them." She detailed the fight as best she could, then waited to see if the mayor had any questions.

"Why?" Owens asked a bit cynically. "It's awful neighborly of you and all, but what's in it for you?"

"Well, we lived in Fitzen for a while, so we feel a sense of responsibility. Besides, we're heading North and the road comes through town," Rachel replied easily. "Other than not being able to bring as much food as we would have liked, it was no hardship."

"So you're going to keep going then?" There was a hopeful note in the mayor's question.

"We would like to, but we don't have enough chits to pay for Mathilda's care for more than a few days, so it looks like we'll need to stay around until we can make more."

"Actually," volunteered Owens quickly, motioning the Sheriff over, "we might be able to help there." When the Sheriff arrived, the mayor started speaking quickly. "Jim, this is Rachel. They're just passing through, but feel a responsibility to get help for this poor woman. Do you think we can pay for her care so they can keep going?" He looked up at Pip, and then back to Rachel. "I mean, you barely know her, right?"

Pip let the question hang for half a dozen beats, then softened his expression. "We would appreciate that very much, Mr. Mayor," he said, holding out his hand to shake, then doing it again for the Sheriff. "The truth is, we keep getting sidetracked, so making some progress soon would be good. Otherwise, we might have to stay all Winter."

"I'm sure it won't be too much of a problem," the Sheriff supplied, then looked to the midwife. "Jess, just come see me and I'll take care of the costs."

"Thank you, Sheriff," Rachel said sweetly. "If there's a room available, we'll spend the night and be gone come morning."

"Of course," the Sheriff replied, then indicated a building across the courtyard. "I'll show you there myself."

It didn't take long to realize the Sheriff's hospitality was actually his way of keeping an eye on the newcomers; it really didn't matter, as all Pip and Rachel wanted to do was eat and go to sleep. Alas, it wasn't to be, since small towns spread rumors like dry grass spreads fire.

It started with a question -- the question, really -- posed by a boy of about sixteen. He had heard the gossip from his older brother, who had heard it from a cousin, who got it from the friend of a friend, and so on, all the way back to the underground operator. "Are you really the Reaper?"

There wasn't an Adam sized table, so Pip was sitting on the floor with Rachel leaning on his shoulder; he looked at the boy for a dozen beats. "I'll tell you my name if you tell me yours."

The boy didn't hesitate. "Fig."

"Like the town?"

"That's right," came his defiant response, "what of it?"

"Nothing at all. I'm Piper, but my friends call me Pip," he said, holding out his hand, which Fig shook as best he could given the size difference.

"So you're really him."

Pip shrugged and the boy turned to Rachel. "I'm Fig."

"Rachel."

Fig looked back to Pip. "Is she your wife? Why is she so small?"

Pip laughed and Rachel smiled; a few others started to find excuses to be a little closer to the conversation. "Not my wife, but she is my friend. I picked her to come with me because she's nice to look at, and also because she makes me laugh."

Unseen by the boy, Rachel kicked Pip's thigh as hard as she could, but barely elicited a response.

"She is pretty," Fig allowed.

"She's alright," Pip confirmed with a smile before receiving another clandestine kick. "You know what else? She can tell the future -- wanna see?"

A third kick in the same spot finally made Pip flinch and he subtly shifted away.

Fig's eyes narrowed and he stared at Rachel skeptically. "I don't believe it."

Having her fake superpower questioned in public was a slight that Rachel wasn't going to accept, so she stood up fully and glared at her skeptic. "Three chits and I'll do it. If you're not satisfied, I'll give them all back."

The disappointed look on Fig's face was enough to make Rachel laugh again, but she kept her face serious for the sake of theater.

"I... don't have any chits on me."

Rachel narrowed her eyes and sat back, folding her arms. "Fine, I'll tell you one thing, and you tell your friends about me. Deal?"

Fig nodded enthusiastically, foregoing his earlier disbelief in favor of a free offering.

"How would you like to know who you're going to marry?"

The warring looks of terror and expectation on his face were priceless and Rachel's mask broke. "Fig, it's okay, you don't have to be scared," she told him reassuringly. "I'll only tell if you want me to."

"I..."

"Go on, Fig!" someone called from the crowd, which was now standing around quite close. The boy nodded, but still looked uneasy.

"You're the mayor's son, aren't you?" Rachel asked, which was confirmed with a nod. "You have his nose and chin." She studied him further, taking one of his hands again and examining the fingers and nails. She pulled him closer and felt his shoulders, making the boy blush red, then leaned back in her chair.

"So, Fig Owens, you're probably the bravest person in this whole town, coming over to talk to the Reaper when no one else would. You're smart enough to be skeptical, and innocent enough to look forward to marriage. You don't mind hard work, and if I'm being honest, you're pretty easy on the eyes."

The onlookers erupted in cheers and jeers, and several smacked Fig on the back while he turned a deep crimson. When the commotion died down, Rachel smiled reassuringly.

"You will need a woman that's strong and smart and reliable. Somebody that you can depend on when you become Mayor in Fitzen." Fig's eyes went wide and Rachel held up her hand to her mouth. "Oops, I wasn't supposed to tell you that. Oh well," she said with an exaggerated eye roll. "Should I keep going, or is that enough?"

"Yes! I mean, please keep going," Fig replied, all hints of skepticism gone. Behind him, the crowd was almost silent.

"The woman you marry will be beautiful and engaging, and you won't mind that she's your equal in all things. In fact, it's the thing that will draw you to her the most. Her name is..."

"Mary Beth Crannert," supplied Fig in disbelief, to which Rachel smiled broadly while folding her arms. The boy collapsed onto the chair behind him as shouts rose up again. Somewhere in the confusion he was hauled off, leaving Pip smiling at Rachel.

"How did you do that?" the Sheriff demanded, sitting in the chair from which Fig had just been dragged. Rachel shrugged and smiled mysteriously, but he wouldn't be dissuaded.

"Listen, you have no idea what you just did. You may have just ruined Fig's entire life."

Rachel gave him a look saying clearly, 'Oh, really -- why is that?' and he sighed in frustration.

Looking around surreptitiously, the Sheriff beckoned to both Pip and Rachel, urging them to lean closer. "How about we cut out the horseshit and pretend like we're friends, okay? Now, please, tell old Jim what's going on."

'What do you think?' Pip asked Rachel silently.

'He may be one of the good ones. Tell him as much as you want.'

"Alright, Jim," Pip said as he leaned back, "but first tell us why Fig no longer has a future."

The Sheriff let out a long sigh and sat back himself. "Well, the first issue is Fitzen. They've never had a Mayor or anything like it, and they don't want one."

"How much of that is because the people in town, and how much is because of the other Sheriff, Paul?" Rachel asked.

Jim started to reply, then stopped, realizing there was nothing he could say.

Rachel nodded sadly, seeing realization dawn. "When Mathilda was attacked, no one in the entire town would care for her. We never met her before, and in fact she said some rather nasty things about Piper. They desperately need somebody to take charge, and Fig is a natural leader. It's written in his body posture, his assertiveness; even the way people crowded around him and cheered with him. Fig doesn't have to be the Mayor, but I certainly don't see anything that speaks against it happening."

Nodding, Jim turned to Pip. "Did you kill Paul?"

"I told him twice that guns don't scare me. He decided to see if that was true."

Jim swallowed with difficulty. "And the other three?"

"The older two didn't learn from the Sheriff," Pip answered joylessly. "One of them accidentally shot the other and then fell off his horse. Neither made it.

"As for Jeremiah, he's doing well. I think he and Mitsy Crannert will get married soon."

The Sheriff looked like a spirit from his past had taken hold of him from the inside, causing his face to pale and his forehead to bead with sweat. "You really do know the Crannerts?"

"We spent several months with them."

"So what you said about Mary Beth..."

Rachel nodded. "It's a real possibility. In a couple years she'll be Mitsy's rival when it comes to looks, but she's even more headstrong. In all of the time we spent in Fitzen, I didn't see a single young man that was at all worth her time. On the other hand, the things I said about Fig are true, but remember, I never said her name. That was him."

Jim struggled to find an adequate response. "You don't understand. From Kiefer to Figgerdy and beyond, everybody knows about the Crannert women, going back four or five generations. There's a reason theirs is the only homestead that still exists away from the towns: it's because they're smart and strong."

"And beautiful," Rachel offered, to which Jim nodded sadly.

"So beautiful."

"So why are they all alone?" Pip asked rhetorically.

"Alone?" The Sheriff failed to find more words for almost a hundred beats. "Bert?"

"He hit Mitsy," Rachel answered and Jim's eyes went wide.

"They could really use some extra hands, Sheriff," Pip added. "With Bert gone, it's just Jeremiah and the ladies working the fields. I pulled in most of the Fall harvest, but come Spring they're going to need help."

Silence settled on the trio as Jim stared off into space.

Rachel placed her hand gently onto his. "Lucille?"

Jim nodded, just enough to be seen.

"Listen to me, Jim," Rachel said seriously, waiting until he was looking into her eyes. "If that emotion I see in you is anything other than a heartfelt desire to make her happy, stay away from her."

Sheriff Park pulled his hand back and his face turned red. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm the woman in love with her," Rachel replied menacingly, placing a hand on her knife and slowly pulling it out, her eyes fierce. "And if anything bad happens to her because of jealousy or lust or greed, it won't be Piper that comes calling, it will be me."

There was a tense moment, then Jim relaxed. "You do know her then," he admitted. "That's the kind of devotion those women cause, Lucille even more than the rest."

Rachel nodded and relaxed, sliding her knife back into its sheath and taking a deep breath. "You, too, then?"

"For a long time: probably twenty years."

"Why did she choose Bert?" Pip asked.

"I... don't know. I met her the first time shortly after they were married, when I relocated here. I grew up in the city and came looking for something different. I can't tell you how many times I wished I had arrived just one year sooner."

Rachel stood and took two steps so she was looking down at the Sheriff. "How long until you can be at their farm?"

"Two days in my buggy."

"Good. I'm going to give you a message that I want you to pass along to Lucille. Will you do that for me?"

He nodded, his eyes wide at Rachel's intensity, which went wider still when she threw a leg over his lap. "Tell her that Rachel misses her," and with that, Rachel pulled the Sheriff into a breath stealing, heart stopping kiss that lasted upward of a hundred beats. Sitting back, she blinked and looked down. "Do you think you can do that for me?"

After his brain started working again, the Sheriff nodded and Rachel leaned in close again, this time speaking softly into his ear. "Soft touches to the backs of her ears and the insides of her elbows drive her crazy, and she likes to be held tightly after sex."

Dismounting, Rachel completed her trip back to Pip's side. "Do you still think we ruined Fig's life?"

Jim shook his head seriously, looking at Rachel warily, like he was scared she was going to upend his life some other way.

She smiled sweetly. "Send her a message before you leave to let her know you're coming. The anticipation will drive her crazy."

Chapter 12

"Hello again, Mayor Harryx."

The man turned to look at Rachel, who was grinning in a self-satisfied way. His eyes narrowed slightly, then recognition dawned. "Ah, Director..."

"Frazier," she supplied.

"Right, right. And Mr. Piper, of course," he said, looking back to Pip. "What, uh... how..."

"We're not here in an official capacity," Rachel stated to save him from further confusion. "We're on a tour of the lands North of Rieckenburg, and since we were in the area, we thought it would be interesting to visit."

True to his position, Harryx's mind caught up to the situation and his office smile returned. "Yes, definitely interesting," he said while arching an eyebrow. "And you pedaled your... vehicle... all the way here?"

Still grinning, Rachel nodded and tipped her head to Pip. "He did most of the work, of course."

"Of course," allowed the Mayor. "And what is it you, uh, want... exactly?" he asked, still looking at the much larger man.

"I would like to see your city and meet some of your Mods," answered Pip.

The Mayor looked skeptical, his brow raising again. "That's it?"

"And see what Annora called the compound."

Harryx folded his arms and narrowed his eyes as if he had solved a longstanding mystery. "I'm sure you would."

"We would," added Rachel easily, "and if I remember correctly, you were in favor of some of Rieckenburg's Adams visiting."

There were a few beats where Harryx's mouth worked silently, then he shrugged. "I guess I did. And he's interested in meeting some of our Mods to, uh, procreate?"

Rachel tipped her head to Pip, who remained neutral.

After looking back and forth between the two visitors, Harryx took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It feels like we're negotiating, but I'm not sure for what. You want to look around and maybe work on getting some of our Mods pregnant?"

"We just want to see the world before Pip has to go back to the Arena. Anything interesting that happens along the way is a bonus."

There was a longer pause. "I'll see what I can do." Harryx turned and called over a man that had been standing nearby, dressed in a heavy gray shirt decorated by silver buttons and a red cap with matching gray brim. "Captain, I need to make some arrangements. For the time being, please show our guests to my residence." He started to move off, then stopped. "And take them around to the Northeast entrance so they don't cause too much of a stir.

"Appearances, you know," he added for Rachel.

"Thank you, Mayor Harryx," she offered with a slight bow of her head.

"Carlos, please."

"Then call me Rachel," she replied, holding out her hand.

"And I'm Pip," added the Adam.

"Is that right?" asked the Mayor skeptically. "Anyway, we'll have dinner together this evening, and in the morning, or maybe afternoon at the latest, we'll try to get you two over to the compound."

"Thank you, Carlos," Rachel responded with more warmth than she felt.

For his part, the Captain was professional though not particularly courteous. Pip noticed but didn't care: his attention was focused on Marbelo. Even from outside it was quite a sight, set between two large-ish hills with a river roughly bisecting the entire valley. Where Rieckenburg tended toward right angles and gray concrete, here the city followed the curves of the water, then sprawled chaotically outward until it crashed into the boundary wall. Without the threat of invasion to keep it in check, the metropolis had broken through its cordon in many places, refusing to be constrained as its population grew.

The Mayor's residence was less ostentatious than Rachel had personally expected, consisting of a sprawling single floor structure nestled between similar structures. For Pip, it was a surprise to find that the building was not large enough for him to enter standing. "I don't think they ever intended to have people your size here," Rachel suggested, then led him into the small front yard to sit where he would be more comfortable.