The Shoes Come First: A Jennifer Cloud Novel

by Janet Leigh

  ~

  Villa’s men moved their horses behind their leader in a half circle. Some of the curious townsfolk had come out to see why the shooting had stopped, and a crowd was starting to form. As Caiyan stopped in front of Villa, Brodie and I were riding under cover of the trees from the opposite direction toward Caiyan. His face darkened with irritation as he saw me. All eyes were fixed on Caiyan. Brodie let me off at the edge of the road, forced his pistol in my hand, and told me to try to blend in with the townspeople. He turned Gypsy and rode her out of the tree shadows and toward the mayhem.

  The sound of shotguns arming indicated the Villistas had finally seen Brodie. Villa told his men to hold their fire. Brodie joined Caiyan in the center of the road. Pancho Villa pointed his gun on Brodie.

  “I see your worthless compadre has joined you for the execution. This man works for the Carranzistas. He was caught spying on us.”

  “No, he works with me,” Caiyan said. “He was watching the Mafusos.”

  “How do I know what you say is true?” Villa said.

  “Mortas told me of your plans to invade Camp Furlong near Columbus, New Mexico,” Caiyan lied. The townspeople gasped and moved farther away from Villa and his men. Villa shook his head in disbelief.

  “I have a deal to make with you, Villa,” Caiyan said.

  “I make no deal with you, gringo.”

  “Ahh, but this deal involves magic.” Well, that piqued Villa’s interest.

  “What kind of magic?” Villa asked curiously.

  “I can make a man disappear.”

  The Villistas laughed, and a few townspeople let out stressful groans in disbelief.

  “I bet you I can make this chap disappear,” Caiyan said, pointing to Brodie.

  “And if I can’t, you may execute me however you like, but if I make him vanish, you leave the people of this town and never return here.”

  “As you must know, I am a man of my word,” Villa replied, stroking his mustache and contemplating the wager in his mind. “I will make this bet with you, and if this is true, you will show me how.”

  Caiyan and Brodie dismounted. I moved closer to a large man wearing an apron. I noticed it was the blacksmith we had met previously. I fell into his shadow, staying out of sight of the Villistas.

  I heard Caiyan say to Brodie, “Why is she still here?”

  Brodie shrugged in his outback way. “Dunno, mate, I thought she could help.”

  “Cripes, has everyone gone mad?”

  “OK, folks, everyone stand back,” Caiyan demanded. “I must first summon my disappearing machine.”

  The crowd laughed skeptically, but moved back a few feet. Villa was still on his horse in front of Caiyan, his gun pointed to Caiyan’s chest. Brodie was standing facing Caiyan with his back to Villa and the Villistas.

  “Summon your vessel,” Caiyan whispered to Brodie.

  As Brodie touched his key and mumbled something, Caiyan stood with his hands spread out like Moses parting the Red Sea.

  There was a crack of thunder, and Brodie’s bathtub appeared in front of Caiyan. The crowd cried out with astonishment. Villa raised a hand, and there was a sudden silence.

  “Parlor tricks,” Villa claimed. “I have seen them at the traveling circus. You have managed to make a washtub appear in front of us.”

  Some of the townspeople nodded their heads in agreement. Others stood staring in awe.

  “Now I will have my partner get in the magic machine, and I will make him disappear right before your eyes.”

  I suddenly had a vision of the David Copperfield show. Maybe that’s how he made the elephant disappear. Maybe David Copperfield was one of us.

  Caiyan saw me standing next to the blacksmith. He cut his eyes to the right. I followed and saw Dan lingering next to the water trough. Slowly I made my way over to him and climbed on. Brodie stepped into the bathtub.

  “Good luck, mate, see you back at the office.” Caiyan clapped Brodie on the shoulder, and they did the arm-hold thing that I equate to a guy hug. Caiyan moved back and raised his arms in the air.

  There was a loud gurgle, and Brodie was gone. The crowd shrieked in amazement. Villa walked his horse to the spot Brodie had just occupied.

  “I do not know how you do your tricks, gringo, but I am a man of my word. I will leave this town.”

  A few people cheered. Villa raised his gun, and they cowered back.

  “But I did not agree you would go free.”

  My heart sank. He was going to kill Caiyan anyway.

  Then I heard the sound of pounding hooves. I turned in time to see Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins, their son, Johnny, and all the cowboys who worked on the ranch driving the Hobbses’ herd of hopped-up mules toward us.

  “That’s our queue, sunshine, we’re oota here.” Caiyan jumped up behind me on Dan. He gave Dan a kick, and we galloped off.

  Villa and the Villistas were after us, shooting their guns. Luckily the mules had slowed down the pursuit.

  “Why didn’t you go back with Ace?” Caiyan asked angrily.

  “I was worried about you.”

  “Damn,” was his only response.

  I could still hear the gunfire behind me. We rode Dan through a break in the trees, and I heard a loud crack. In the center of the clearing, sparkling with the reflection of the morning light, stood a red phone booth. The kind you see in England with a crown above the door. I knew Caiyan was a defender, so he couldn’t take me with him. My heart leaped into my throat. Was he going to leave me for Villa? He pulled on Dan’s reins, and the horse came to a halt. Dan was breathing hard, but I felt like I was going to hyperventilate. Caiyan helped me off, then he slid down to the ground.

  “Thanks, Dan.” Caiyan gave him a pat on the behind, and he wandered off into the trees.

  Caiyan grabbed my hand.

  “Where should I go?”

  “You are going with me.”

  He pulled me into the phone booth.

  “But you’re a defender. You can’t transport two people. We could get lost in time.” I shuddered.

  “Aye, then I hope this works.”

  Villa cut through the trees. I heard gunfire, and a bullet pinged off the phone booth. Caiyan said something I couldn’t hear over the gunfire, then put his mouth to mine, and we disappeared.