by A. J. Marcus
“Turns out some patron came forward with video of the incident. Makes it look really bad for John,” Chip explained. “But it sounds like they’re going to use the gay hysteria defense. John’s saying that Dale made a pass at him right before the joust started.”
“That’s bullshit!”
“I know, and the odds are it won’t stand up to the evidence, but that’s how some of these fundies are.” Chip paused as a patron came up for a bag of popcorn.
Customers decided they were hungry for both treats the men were selling, cutting their conversation off. Without having to move, they were soon out of wares.
“We’ll talk more at the party,” Austin said. “I need to go refill my pole and hit the west side of the site before my shift is over.”
“Cool, see you later.”
Austin picked up his pole and headed back to the bakery to get more pretzels. His mind raced at the thought that John was going to try to say Dale made him attack by making a pass at him. He’d heard of that defense before but never thought he’d actually know someone who would use it. How could they prove John was lying? There was still a gag order on the major players in the case. That was probably why Austin hadn’t heard anything on the news about it. Neither the fair nor John’s church wanted it let out that John had gone off on a homicidal homophobic attack. It would paint both groups in a bad light.
“Out again?” Sam, the bakery manager, asked as he came in the door.
“Yeah,” Austin replied. “It’s hot today and folks are hungry.”
“Thirsty too. We’re going through water like there’s no tomorrow,” Sam said. “You’ve got time to load up and head off toward the elephant rides. At this rate, you’ll be through another pole before your shift ends. You know, you’ve done a great job this season, Austin. If Phillip is still running short staff next year, you’re welcome back.”
“Thanks, Sam,” Austin replied as he started transferring pretzels to his pole. “Not sure what next year is going to bring, but I’ll keep that in mind.”
Still worrying about Dale, Austin wandered back out with a full pole and started up the hill, calling out “Pretzels!” at the top of his lungs. Pretty soon people were flocking around him, hungry for the twisted dough.
An hour later, after selling out and completing his shift, Austin slipped his tips in the pouch at his waist and headed down the hill to find Dale and Catherine for a bite of lunch before his afternoon at the pirate shop.
Catherine and the ladies-in-waiting were the first ones he spotted as he entered the staff café behind the lower food court area. The women were an array of bright colors gathered around Dale, who was dressed in his customary black tunic. He still had his arm in a sling Austin and Jasmine had made of black cotton to match his tunic. Dale waved to him, and his pulse quickened as it normally did when he saw his lover.
“Hot day out there peddling pretzels?” Dale asked as the ladies parted to allow Austin to sit down with them.
“Yeah, but you kinda expect that on the final day,” he replied. “It would be nice if it’d rain, but we haven’t had any in weeks.”
“Not since that awful day when John went nuts,” said one of the ladies Austin recognized but didn’t know.
“At least Dale is back up and around,” someone else said.
“So what are your plans for after the fair, Lady Melody?” Dale asked the first woman who spoke.
She blushed a bit. “Well, Friday, I auditioned for a part in the community theater’s Romeo and Juliet. I haven’t heard if I got the part yet or not. If I get that, I’ll be doing it for a couple of months and then see what comes along.”
“Fire in the campground!” someone shouted, interrupting their conversation.
“My stuff’s back there!” screamed a redheaded woman who jumped up and ran.
Dale surged to his feet. “They might need help with the horses.” “Max can handle it.” Austin stood and cut him off.
Stern hazel eyes bored into Austin. It was a look he’d never seen on Dale’s face before. He backed up. Something in that gaze told him there was nothing he could do to stop Dale from going.
“I’ll go with you,” he said. “Maybe I can keep you from hurting yourself again.”
“Thanks,” Dale replied as the two of them took off at a run toward the column of black smoke that rose up ahead of them.
“I’m coming too!” Catherine announced as some of the other ladies headed away from the fire.
People ran in all directions as Dale and Austin got closer to the campground. Austin wondered if someone had left a campfire burning. It wasn’t uncommon for people to leave fires unattended, even though festival staff had been warning people about fires due to the extremely dry conditions. He hadn’t spent a night in the camp since Dale’s assault, since they’d been staying up at Max’s; it was easier to go back to the cabin every night.
The black smoke billowed as they cut around the edge of it, running toward the corral. It smelled like a campfire, but this was no campfire. The two remaining jousters—William, the Earl of Canterbury; and Sir Marcus—along with the squires, were trying to help Max get the horses under control, but the smoke was blowing toward them, terrifying the animals.
“We’ve got to get those horses out of there!” Dale shouted as the first flames appeared along the wooded edge of the corral.
Catherine beat them to the gate and held it open for them. Two halters and lead ropes hung on the post next to her. Dale grabbed them and thrust one at Austin. The nylon was becoming a common feeling, as he’d been helping with his lover’s horses at the ranch, but he didn’t know these horses, and they were terrified.
Austin followed Dale toward where the others had the horses pushed against the far edge of the corral. The horses whinnied as more smoke rolled at them. They pawed the ground and tried to move away from the humans trying to reach them. William managed to get a halter on the big white horse that pulled the carriage in the parade, and he began pulling the beast toward the gate, where Catherine waited to open it for him. But the huge draft horse planted his hooves and, with a white-eyed glare, refused to move. Dale swung the halter he had in his hand and caught the horse hard on the rump. The horse reared, whinnied, and shot toward the gate, practically dragging William along with it.
Marcus managed to get a halter on the horse he normally rode, and it followed him out nervously. The big black horse William rode didn’t want Max coming close to it. Tossing its head and backing into the barbed wire that formed the far side of the corral, the horse was determined not to be cooperative.
“Max, I’ll cut him off on this side,” Dale said, moving around to the other side. “Charger, it’s all right.” His voice took on a soft soothing tone. It was the tone he used with his own horses in everything they did.
Max echoed the quiet tones and reached out to stroke the terrified horse’s neck. Seconds later he had a halter in place and was leading the horse out.
Austin tried to decide which of the three remaining horses he should go after. The palomino John had always ridden didn’t look like something he was ready to tackle, so he went after the bay that was one of the extras. He approached carefully, keeping his hands out, the way Dale had shown him to do. Heart beating madly, he started talking softly to the horse.
“It’s okay, horse. You’re a good horse. We need to get this halter on you and get you out of here.” It was all he could do to keep his voice steady and focus on the beast he’d selected. The smoke grew thicker, and people were shouting and screaming behind him. If he was going to save the critter, he had to ignore everything but the horse.
The steed’s big brown eyes showed a lot of white as it slowly backed itself into the corner. Austin held his hand out and kept talking. Soon his fingers touched the soft muzzle. The velvety ears flicked forward.
“It’s all right.” He continued in his soothing voice as he brought the halter up to slip it on the horse. “We’re going to get this on you and get you out of here.
” Heat and sweat rolled off the horse’s neck as he stroked it. The beast trembled as he fastened the buckle on the halter and took hold of the lead rope he’d slung over his shoulder.
With the horse under control, he turned and headed toward the gate. The fire had reached the edge of the trees that marked the end of the campground. It blazed scarlet, billowing thick black smoke up and out. Against that hellish backdrop, Catherine’s blue court dress stood out like a shining beacon of hope as she swung the gate open.
“To the trailers,” she said, pointing to where Max and the jousters were loading the other horses.
The bay walked skittishly at Austin’s side as they headed toward the trailers. He wondered where Dale was. Glancing back over his shoulder, he spotted Dale trying to get the halter on the palomino. The big horse didn’t want to have anything to do with Dale, but he persisted.
“Thanks, Austin,” Max said, reaching for the bay’s lead rope.
“No problem. If you’ve got this one, I’ll see if I can help Dale get the big one.”
Max nodded. “We’ll be over there as soon as we get these guys settled in. I’ll send Marcus off with this load. We can get the last two in the other trailer.”
Austin turned and ran back to the corral. Ahead of him, Catherine wrestled with the stock tank and finally rocked it over, spilling seventyfive gallons of water across the corral. He doubted it would be enough to stop the fire, but it might buy them some time if the flames made it across the grassy space that separated the corral from the burning campground.
Not pausing in his sprint toward Dale, Austin vaulted over the gatepost into the now damp corral. He slowed as he approached Dale and the horse.
“It’s okay, big fella,” Dale said softly, trying to get his hands on the horse that kept jerking away. The golden horse was determined to stay just out of arm’s reach. The billowing smoke had darkened the beast’s colors to a dingy brown. “We’re going to get you out of here. We can’t leave you trapped here. Austin, come up on his other side,” he ordered without turning around.
With slow, deliberate steps, Austin moved toward the horse’s other side. Ears flicked toward him as he walked closer, using his own soft voice. He didn’t have another halter, but if he could get the horse’s attention, maybe Dale could get the tack on the beast. As he stepped forward, talking softly, hands outstretched, Austin finally managed to touch the terrified horse. He ran his hand up the large forehead, stroking and talking calmly while Dale eased in on the other side and slipped the halter on. The horse looked almost as relieved that someone had control of the situation as the men were.
“Thanks for the help,” Dale said as they started toward the gate. “We’ll make a horseman out of you one of these days.”
“I’m a quick study when I have a good teacher.” Austin’s spirits rose with his lover’s praise. He looked toward Catherine and the fire advancing in the warm wind across the dead grass of the parking area. “We need to get out of here!”
“One more horse to go,” Dale said as Max and William came back into the corral with halters in hand.
“Hopefully they can catch him quickly,” Austin replied. “How’s your shoulder holding up?”
Dale grimaced. “It hurts, but this needed to be done.”
“Folks are trapped in the fire!” Chip screamed, running toward them.
“What?” Dale turned with the lead rope still in his good hand.
“We don’t know who, but there are at least two people toward the center of camp,” Chip explained. “We can hear them shouting. Sounds like a man and a woman. Trees have fallen over the road in, and we can’t drive in to them.”
“Shit!” Dale stepped toward the palomino’s side with a worried look on his face.
“Dale, what are you going to do?” Austin asked, a lump of dread rising in his throat.
“I’ve got to try and save them. The fire is too heavy to walk through. Precious can get in faster than we can on foot. With luck, I can steer him with just the halter and lead rope. If I can get him running, maybe we’ll get through without too many burns.”
“Are you crazy?” Austin’s head pounded almost louder than his heart. He couldn’t believe Dale was about to ride a horse into a burning forest to rescue people.
“No, I’ve got to do this. I can’t let people die when I might be able to save them. The fire is spreading too fast. We don’t have time to wait for the firemen to get here.” He grabbed Austin in his good arm and gave him a quick hard kiss. “I love you.”
Tears ran down Austin’s face. “I love you too. Don’t get yourself killed.”
Chapter 33
Dale’s shoulder screamed as he vaulted onto Precious’s back. He knew he could ride bareback, but would the horse listen to him with just the halter and lead rope? Wishing it were one of his own horses, he kicked his boots into the soot-covered golden sides and urged the horse into the smoke.
Precious shot forward and the heat from the fire engulfed them. Sparks from the trees rained down as they plunged toward the center of camp. Dale’s lungs burned as they galloped deeper into the inferno. On foot, an unprotected human wouldn’t have gotten more than a few dozen yards before succumbing to the heat and smoke.
The big horse reared as a tree exploded in front of them. Hot sap shot out. Several globs caught Dale’s clothing, but he managed to keep his seat from years of riding, even as his shoulder complained as he threw his arms around the horse’s golden neck. The roar of the fire was nearly deafening, but he could hear people calling for help and pushed the horse on.
The smoke engulfed them for a moment, leaving Dale coughing. Precious shied away as flames shot up from a bush to their right.
“Come on, horse, we’ve got to get through this!” Dale urged, even as his throat constricted from the smoke.
The shouting grew louder as he pushed on toward the center of camp, which was a small rise east of the jousting arena. The wind whipped the smoke around to the point that all he could do was steer Precious toward the shouts. For a moment, Dale could just make out a couple of silhouettes amidst the fire. It looked like one man and one woman. Then the big palomino cleared the edge of the trees that defined the center of camp.
“Come on!” Dale called out hoarsely. The smoke was so thick he could barely draw a breath. The heat pounded against him. Only the cleared area around the central campfire pit provided a small spot of protection from the flames, and that was diminishing with every second. “Get on. I can get you out of here!”
The woman ran over. “Oh God! Dale, thank God.” It was Lady Jocelyn, one of Catherine’s friends.
“Thank you for bringing my horse.” The man’s voice was rough with smoke, but it was unmistakably John Bishop.
“John, we’ve got to get out of here. Dale came to rescue us!” Jocelyn screamed at him.
“I won’t be rescued by no faggot. He brought me my horse.” John rushed forward and slammed his fist into Dale’s waist.
John’s attack, combined with the smoke and confusion, caught Dale off guard. He grabbed hold of Precious’s long golden mane, but it wasn’t enough to keep him from falling off. He tried to roll so he didn’t land on the new shoulder. Even falling on the other side sent waves of pain through him. The smoke was so thick he fought to catch his breath. He had to get up. He knew he couldn’t run through the flaming camp and make it out alive. He had to be in control of the horse.
“John, before the attack, I thought we were friends. I never realized you were such an asshole bigot!” Dale shouted as he rolled under the horse and came up next to John. Using his good fist, he slammed into John’s groin hard enough to double him over. He brought his knee up in John’s face, flinging him backward and onto the ground.
A tree exploded near them and Precious stepped away from the noise, nearly crushing John’s head with his huge feet.
John screamed and scrambled to get away.
I should leave him here to fry. Dale stood for a second, debating what to do. Bu
t he couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t at least try to get John out of there. And what would Austin think of him if he did that? “John, be reasonable. We have to get out of here!” Dale shouted as he grabbed for the lead rope.
“I ain’t being rescued by no sissy pants! Give me my horse and I’ll rescue the damsel like I’m supposed to.”
“Please, you dumb oaf, let’s all get on the horse and get out of here!” Jocelyn screamed over the fire’s roar.
John swung at Dale. Dale ducked and hit him hard in the chest. John staggered back, coughing from pain and smoke. Dale pressed his advantage and kicked John hard in the head. The man went down as another tree exploded.
Dale stepped over, and John didn’t move. “Jocelyn, help me get him on the horse.”
“You think we can get him up there?” she asked. “He sure is a tall horse.”
“We have to try. You heft his other side and we’ll get him up there.” Dale started to lift with his good side. John was heavier than he looked, but together they managed to get him upright. Precious tried to side step away as they started to heft John up on him.
“Precious, stand still,” Dale told the horse. “I know it will be a bit strange, but we’ll be out of here faster if you just stand still.”
He kept talking to the horse as he and Jocelyn leaned John against its side. Then, with a hand on each thigh, they moved together and laid him across the horse’s broad back.
“You next,” Dale said to Jocelyn. He cupped his hands, and although his shoulder screamed in protest, he ignored it and got Jocelyn astride the horse, sitting on the withers, in front of John. Then he took a running jump and vaulted up so he straddled Precious’s wide hips.
“Hang on to the mane, and I’ll steer,” Dale said. “Come on, Precious, let’s get out of here!” he shouted as he awkwardly kicked forward to get the horse moving back into the wall of flames that crept up the rise toward them.
“The jouster arena might be closer!” Jocelyn yelled as they started out.
“Which way?” Dale didn’t want to admit the smoke had him all turned around. He could only hope they picked the shortest route out of the fire.