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.5Mary PreussLars sent the crew to the woods anyway.Axel wasn't dead, he said, Hanniganwas, and dead or alive, the sonofabitch wasn't going to shut down Severtson'scamp.Production wasn't up to standard that day, of course, except by KlaplanahooandMacurdy.There was a lot of talking, much of it about Macurdy: how quicklyhe'd moved, how accurately and powerfully he'd thrown.Two days later a deputy arrived with a court order: Macurdy was to come in fora hearing.Lars demanded to know why.Because, the deputy told him, anyone whowillfully killed someone, even with good cause, had to have a court hearing,to establish in law that the act had been necessary.That way, he explained,no one could ever claim he'd done wrong by it.Lars explained back that that was a lot of bullshit-at no one could ever saythere was anything wrong with what Macurdy had done.But he took the deputyout to Roy's and Macurdy's cutting strip, and Macurdy left for town in thesherifffile:///D|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry/Deskt.,%20John%20-%202%20-%20The%20Bavarian%20Gate.html (34 of 452)3/12/2004 11:18:07 PMfile:///D|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry/Desktop/New%20Folder/Dalmas,%20John%20-%202%20-%20The%20Bavarian%20Gate.html department's new 1933 Ford V-8,with a radio like the police car in Miles City.Macurdy wasn't worried; the deputy's aura reflected friendly admiration.In town, the sheriff, Fritzi Preuss, sat behind his desk with his right armand shoulder in a cast.His face was drawn, his aura marked by trauma and thestrong analgesic he'd been given for pain.Hannigan's bullet had smashedthrough his humerus, an injury much more traumatic than a flesh wound orordinary fracture.Nonetheless he got to his feet, shook left hands with Macurdy, and with a mildGerman accent, asked some routine questions.One was where he'd comePage 16ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlfrom-county, state, and home address-Fritzi writing the answers slowly incareful, left-handed block letters.Having come to Oregon to keep from being traced, the questions made Macurdyuncomfortable."I'd rather my folks don't get word of this," he said."They'dworry."Fritzi grunted."Your address I need only for the record.I'm not going towrite to your family.But the law says I also have to contact the countythere, to find out if you have a criminal record." He paused, fixing Macurdywith his eyes."Do you have a criminal record?"Macurdy shook his head."No sir."Fritzi smiled lopsidedly."Good! I tell you what: We kill two birds with thesame stone.I tell them I want the information because I'm considering hiringfile:///D|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry/Deskt.,%20John%20-%202%20-%20The%20Bavarian%20Gate.html (35 of 452)3/12/2004 11:18:07 PMfile:///D|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry/Desktop/New%20Folder/Dalmas,%20John%20-%202%20-%20The%20Bavarian%20Gate.html you as a deputy.I am, you know; toreplace Marvin.You should make a good deputy.You are big; that helps whenloggers are in town.You think quick;that's always good for a lawman.And after what you will have a reputation.They will talk about you in camps all the way to Canada, to California."Macurdy stared."It's a better job than logging," Fritzi continued calmly."I know.I havedone both.There won't be lay-offs, you won't have to live in a bachelor camp,the work isn't as hard, and you don't get rained on so much." He half smiledagain."It's safer, too.""I don't know," Macurdy said."I like logging."The sheriff grunted."Axel says you are new here.Do you know we get seventyinches of rain a year? Sixty of it between October and May.All you've seen isthe dry season."A phone rang.Fritzi ignored it; a deputy picked it up."Well," Fritzi wenton, "you don't have to decide right now.But I'll handle it that way with yourcounty back east.""Excuse me, sheriff," the deputy said, "it's Onni Hautala.That fire on DevilsCreek has crowned and crossed the ridge; spotted all over the next drainage.He says he's got a bad blowup on his hands, and wants you to shut down all thelogging in the county till we get some rain."file:///D|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry/Deskt.,%20John%20-%202%20-%20The%20Bavarian%20Gate.html (36 of 452)3/12/2004 11:18:07 PMfile:///D|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry/Desktop/New%20Folder/Dalmas,%20John%20-%202%20-%20The%20Bavarian%20Gate.htmlThe sheriff stood and took the phone."Onni," he said, "you really think it'sthat bad?.That will make problems--hundreds more people not working.Hundreds more eating on credit or the county, or not eating at all.Allright, if it's that bad, we'll shut them down.Maybe the state will hire themto fight the fire.Okay, I'll tell them you said it."Fritzi hung up and turned to Macurdy."So now the logging is shut down for awhile, and you got to find something else.Probably fighting fire day andnight [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]