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Despite everything, despite a future as dark as that cold wall, he smiled

62

BENNY WHEELED AROUND TO GAPE AT PREACHER JACK

"That’s impossible! This place can’t be Ga’s i Benjamin Imura," said Preacher Jack with a soft chuckle

"I don’t understand! To tiroused the black man with the raven tattoos "Used to be ahim a ration of crap for it Your brother’s a pain in everyone’s butt out here, kid"

"Was," corrected Preacher Jack, holding up a slender finger "Tom Imura’s day is over None of our fellowship need fear that sinner or his violent ways A bright new day has dawned out here in the Lord’s paradise Believe it, for it is so"

Nix curled her lip in distaste "Really? What I believe is that when Toly--"

Preacher Jack suddenly stepped forward and struck Nix across the face with an open-handed slap that was so shockingly fast and hard that it spun her around and dropped her to her hands and knees

Benny cried out and tried to catch her while also trying to drag out his bokken He failed in both atterabbed Nix by the hair and pulled her away Benny instantly stopped fu with the sword and punched the man in the solar plexus The ht Benny how to use his whole body to put force into a punch The little pig eyes bulged, and the hed and released his hold Benny sla crashing into the black led liet to her feet, but she was dazed and bleeding Preacher Jack’s blow had opened up soe, Benny whipped out his bokken and swung it with all his strength at Preacher Jack’s grinning mouth

It never connected

Preacher Jack was old--in his sixties, with a face as lined as a road --but he stepped into the blow and caught the wooden sith one calloused hand The sudden stop jolted Benny, but the shock of it, the see impossibility of it, froze hiripped his sword and then looked up into Preacher Jack’s face That smile never wavered

"Surprise, surprise," whispered the preacher With his free hand he punched Benny full in the face Benny reeled back, bright blood spurting fro left arrass

Worh the air in front of Benny’s eyes, and his whole head seeroaned softly and rolled onto her side

The two bounty hunters were on their feet now, and they glared down in fury at Benny The big whiteto stomp Benny, but Preacher Jack stopped hier, Heap--take their toys," said the preacher The two"Don’t htened looks at the old man and i else that could be used as a weapon, including their fishing line and storher than they needed to be, and their searching hands were far more personally intrusive than necessary Nix yelped in pain and indignation and kicked the pig-eyed et by inches Heap snarled at her and stepped back

Preacher Jack stood over the people Strange, and wondrous and full of mysteries," he murmured Weird shadoirled in his pale eyes "I knohat questions ht at this very moment, indeed I do"

Benny spat blood out of hisabout us"

"Actually,buck, I knowto be so unfortunate for you"

"Tom will kill you," said Nix with real heat

"Oh … I pray he tries"

Digger and Heap chuckled

Nix wiped blood frooing to find you, girl Lord oh Lord but we’ve made it easy for him to find you To find me" Preacher Jack stepped closer and squatted down so that he was nearly eye to eye with Benny and Nix "Mmm … didn’t expect that answer, did you? Tellto happen? Do you think you’re going to be rescued by the big bad Fast Tommy? Tom the Swordsman, Tom of the Woods … To this?" pleaded Nix "Why can’t you people just leave us alone? All ant to do is leave this place"

"Leave? And go where?"

Nix pointed east "Far away from you and all this stuff We don’t want any part of it"

"You want to go east?" So moved behind Preacher Jack’s eyes, and for a moment he almost looked afraid Then his eyes hardened "Oh, o east There’s nothing out there for you"

"Yes there is," Nix said "There’s--" She stopped, cutting off her oords

"What were you going to say? That there’s a plane? A big, shiny jet plane?" Preacher Jack shook his head "Iyou a kindness to keep you fro you’d find east of here is horror and heartache"

"As opposed to the good times and bunnies we have here," said Benny However, despite his snarky comment, Preacher Jack’s words--and that look that had passed behind his eyes--opened an ugly door of doubt deep in Benny’s soul Had Nix caught it too?<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>