“I’s found dem and he’s with dem, they’s meeting in the forest northwest of Sainte Genevieve.”
“Good work, stay far ahead of them and do not let them see you.”
“I won’t, there’s this man that I know named Big Phil, he looks kinda like the product of a man having relations with a pig but he is a craftsman and a hunter, he specializes in explosives but he has many weapons and an inventory that will be useful to us if you’re going to have a chance against the wizard. Plus, he offers discounts to friends of mine and he owes me a favor. He lives in a shack along the river, north of my current location, now he speaks a rural dialect, so if ya don’t understan’ what he sayin’, I can translate,” Princeton assures Marshall.
“Chester and I will head to your location. We can see what he has to offer,” Marshall responds.
The man in brown looks down at her as he begins, “They say a man can only be as good as his adversaries and, after all these years, I believe I’ve found mine. We’re living on the fringe waiting for society to collapse as it inevitably will, nature will take back what man has built but this man that murdered Carmen Parnassus, whether he acknowledges it or not, he is not a part of society anymore. This is why he travels with an outlaw on a fool’s errand and a street thug who betrayed the only code he knew. These are the only people he can trust if he even trusts either one of them. But his weakness is one that can be exploited, he is the type of man that will risk his life for people he does not know and if given the choice to save many or a few, he will choose many even if the few are of personal value to him. He won’t kill me because of this code that he follows but he will attempt to bring me to justice, I am not bound by man’s laws but a jury will look at what we’ve done and they will take me away from you. But you shall continue my work, you shall be my legacy, the torch shall be passed so my work can continue on and should he ever come for you, remember his weakness and use it against him, understand?”
“I understand, I just don’t know if I’m strong enough to do what you can,” she admits.
“I have educated you in our ways, you are trained to survive the elements, you know all my secrets, you must believe in yourself, you have inner strength, our customs must be followed, you shall lead in your own way, but never doubt yourself. You were chosen for a reason, let nature be your sustenance and look within, that is where all the answers lie.”
“If he intends to capture you, why do you not destroy him?”
“I sent the animal king to do so, if he meets us by the river, then he will have successfully dispatched my foe, but if he does not return, I shall send you north and I will face him and his outcasts on my own. He shall be out of his element but we know these woods. Our community will rise up and if we cannot defeat three men, then perhaps a new start under your leadership is what is required.”
“Will I have the book to take with me?”
“Yes, you shall have the book and supplies, you’ll pack just what we practiced, take your bow and quiver with you, I can see your mind is worried. Let’s fish just like we always used to do.”
“I’d like that.”
“I knew you would.”
“When you left earlier, I feared you would not return.”
“I shall never leave you; you will be the one to leave me. That is how it must be. If I escape, I will join you and if not, you are prepared to take my place. Should he ever try to find you, train another to take your place for, as I have passed my secrets down to you, so too shall you pass yours down to another. It is all part of the cycle, the wheel must turn, it does not stop for any of us.” They fish until nighttime along the banks of the river; he puts his arm around her as they head back to their followers. “Remember that I love you child.”
“I love you too,” she says, the stars are shining brightly above them, she looks up and then looks back at him. “What’s the matter?” she asks him.
“I’m just tired child. Do not worry about me. Emotion is not a weakness,” he tells her. “I have been at this for so long without adequate rest. This life is all about struggle and suffering, it weighs on a man or a woman. In life we cannot be attached to anything for attachment leads to further suffering. Everyone that we love or care about, they’re taken away from us eventually, it is just the wheel turning and it shall turn for me. Society is lost because they cling to their possessions, capitalism is cannibalism, they cling to their jobs, they cling to their power, they cling to their illusions, they may provide a temporary comfort but little more, the suffering is the only constant. If they were wise, they would abandon it all and join us but they will not and ultimately they will destroy themselves because they don’t know any better, they fail to see the futility of their ways, there is no security in this world, a man who feels security is a man who lives in ignorance.”
“Even someone like you doesn’t feel secure?”
“I wouldn’t be who I am if I did,” he answers.
A few hours later Chester and Marshall arrive at the location and Princeton is pacing on his brown bronco.
“We have cut a swath though the southern parts of this state chasing after a man with supernatural powers who has control over a large serpent and means to kill us all along with a box in his possession with a god damn demon inside, with a merry band of followers who may try to behead us, and a family that lives in cave that may try to sacrifice us to appease said serpent. Not to mention that he can make the dead appear, he apparently can see into the future, and his followers are all on heavy hallucinogens. Am I leaving anything out?” Princeton asks.
“There is a logical explanation for all of it, he is unique but he is just a man. Why are you all worked up?”
“Because they is on foot but I saw him in the forest with his followers and I’m not convinced there’s a logical explanation for what he does, I know what I saw. Not to mention that I have not eaten a full meal in nearly three days nor lain with a woman since I met the two of you, that might not matter to you detective, because you is some kind or monk or some shit and Chester, well, I don’t know what the hell you is, not to mention that unclaimed treasure that is my rightful birthright which is waiting for me to claim it.”
“I will help you retrieve the treasure but first, we must find the man in brown.”
“But we don’t even know why he does what he does?”
“Mao said take over the rural areas, surround the cities, and then watch them fall, I believe that is why he does what he does,” Marshall explains.
“So he aims for a societal collapse, then he and his followers will be left, New Testament style,” Princeton says. “Big Phil’s shack is down that slope, if they want society to end, I say we end theirs first.”
“If there’s an inbred kid on his porch playin’ the banjo, I ain’t goin’ in there,” Chester says. Princeton directs them to the shack which is down a slope, the Mississippi chugs along churning in its low dark crawl, the shack is dilapidated, there are scraps of metal and projects out in front of the cabin, Marshall sees a double door that leads to underground storage. “This looks like a junkyard,” Chester remarks.
“It is the playground of a backwoods genius,” Princeton replies, he knocks on the door of the shack; they hear rattling around inside of the cabin, the clanging of metal and the sound of something large falling over.
“Whoos it?” a gruff voice asks them.
“Why it is the outlaw Princeton Wright and two friends of mine,” Princeton replies.
“Dey ain’ dap lice is dey?”
“No, no police,” Princeton replies.
“Wha da pawr’?”
“Boom,” Princeton replies.
“A’ight den,” he says as he opens the door, he is an overweight man with no shirt on, his eyes are small and dark, his hair is brown and greasy, his skin is red from the sun, he has trousers with black grease stains on them and black streaks and burn marks.
“I’m Marshall Tumbler and this is Chester Swanson,” Marshall says.
; “Ah, ples ta met choo. Ah Big Phil, des wh’ fren’ ca’ ma.”
“All right, Big Phil,” Marshall says.
“We are going to capture a dangerous man. We need supplies,” Princeton says.
“Ah se, come wif’ me, is’ got da worship on accoun’ of da ‘poclypse, stack wit goodiez,” Big Phil says.
“Sorry, but what the hell is he saying?” Chester asks.
“He said we’ll go with him to his workshop, he stocked up for the apocalypse, we can look at what he has,” Princeton explains.
“I could understand most of it,” Marshall admits. Big Phil takes them to the double doors, he pulls a gray key out of his trousers and unlocks the huge padlock, then throws aside the oversized chain.
“Don’t tuch nuthin’ naw,” Big Phil says.
“We won’t,” Princeton assures him. They all head down the stairs and into his workshop stocked with explosives, firearms, machines that he’s built by hand whose purpose is uncertain. “Now that’s what I need,” Princeton says as he heads over to the crates of dynamite.
“Takin’ whatchoo wan’, wee settl’ up at de en’,” Big Phil says. Marshall looks at a net that hangs on one of the walls of the bunker.
“Can you ask him if he has a bigger one of those, we’ll take as many as he’s got and rope, we need a lot of rope,” Marshall says.
“That net there, Phil, ya got a bigger one?” Princeton asks.
“Ow bi’?” Phil asks.
“Big enough to hold a group of men, at least 800 pounds if possible,” Marshall replies.
“Man-size, ud, I’s ha’ dree. Ya nees da pulliz and roops fo’ dem. Whatchoo gon’ catcha?”
“He’s askin’ what we need to catch, he says he has three but you’ll need pulleys and rope,” Princeton responds.
“I thought he heard me before, we’re going to catch people with it,” Marshall tells him.
“Ya hear that, Phil, we’s gonna catch people,” Princeton responds.
“Gruvva,” Big Phil responds.
“He said groovy,” Princeton replies. Big Phil takes them outside and rigs up one of the large nets, between two poles; he demonstrates how to set up the pulleys.
“Git un i’ dere,” Big Phil tells Princeton.
“You fuckers better not tell no one anythin’ about this, it’s downright humiliatin’. Princeton Wright is not a guinea pig.” Princeton walks into the middle of the net; Phil hits the base of the tether and the net goes up quickly with Princeton inside.
“How many men will that hold?” Marshall asks.
“Fo’ or fi’ dependi’ o’ dey siza,” Big Phil responds.
“Now lower me down you big bastard,” Princeton responds.
“I say we leave him up there for awhile,” Chester replies. Marshall buys the nets, rope, and pulleys, along with a few other supplies, Princeton takes the crate of dynamite and some ammo, then they begin again on their trek after the man in brown.
“Perryville is back that way and I need to get to that vault, where the wizard will be is northwest of here. This, detective, is where we part ways,” Princeton says.
“I don’t understand, the agreement was you would help us catch him, then we would get your gold,” Marshall says.
“I ain’t a good man like you. I don’t think I could ever be. You and I wasn’t meant to be on the same side. If you was alive during Hank’s time, it would be him you’d be tryin’ to catch, right?”
“I can’t really answer that. Those were different times but yes, I have caught many a murderers, I can’t answer that question though, different times. I don’t know what to tell you, I know his story and there are similarities between the two of us.”
“But you know, in your heart, that you would have been after him. He and I, y’see we’re the same kind of people. I am a thief, I have robbed people, I have killed men, it is a cruel world and I am cruel in kind. I am a mean son of a bitch, no offense to my mother, I am selfish, my true nature would just take over and you would be sore at me so I thank you for your help but I cannot join you to see it through.”
“I was in a gang,” Chester says, “and I’ve killed men too but I have changed and you can too. I did terrible things, things I’ve never told no one but this man gave me a choice and he gave me a path. It is possible to change your ways.”
“But a man knows himself and what he’s capable of. I am not capable of being a good person; I was just along for the ride. Now I need to take my dynamite and I need the journal and the map, then I’ll be on my way.”
“You can’t just run away from the fight,” Chester says.
“I’ve never run away from a fight in my life but that man out there, despite what you all say, he ain’t a normal man. I ain’t afraid of fighting him but my legacy is in that vault and I am a selfish person. I wish I could be more like you, Marshall, but it’s not in my character.”
“I wish there was something I could say to change your mind. Think of the story you’d be able to tell,” Marshall says.
“If you live, you mean? A dead man has no stories to tell and a dead man sure as hell can’t claim no treasure that’s been hidden and is his rightful birthright.”
Marshall hands him the journal and the map, Princeton takes his crate of dynamite, Marshall pulls out a stack of cash, he counts out three thousand dollars, he hands it to Princeton.
“What’s this for?” Princeton asks.
“That land around the vault may be owned by someone else. If you aim to claim that gold, you’re going to have to buy the land first. Don’t show the landowner the dynamite or the map or the journal, you just offer cash for the land, wait it out until the deal goes through, that way whatever you find will legally be yours,” Marshall says.
“I can’t take your money; you’ve done too much all ready.”
“Consider it a down payment on your future. No matter what happens, I believe in you, I wouldn’t have brought you along if I didn’t. Someday maybe you’ll look me up.” Princeton looks at the ground for nearly a full minute, he looks up at Marshall.
“I don’t quite know what to say,” Princeton admits.
“Just take the money and say you’ll look me up,” Marshall advises. Princeton takes the money, he looks at Chester.
“No matter what happens, you protect him. I never thought I would say this but Chester, I’m gonna miss you too, you’s just like a big ol’ bear,” Princeton says.
“Whoever said I needed protection?” Marshall asks.
“You’ve got skills, detective but going up against that wizard, all bets are off.”
“I’m not big on good-byes,” Chester says to Princeton. “But I will say that it’s been entertaining.”
“Your god damn right it has been,” Princeton says. “You boys’ll be bored to tears until the fireworks begin. Maybe I’ll read about you in the papers, if he don’t kill you that is,” Princeton says as he puts on his bearskin again and tucks the journal into a pocket on the opposite side of his black jacket beneath.
“You’re really going to wear a bearskin in the spring?”
“It ain’t on account of the cold,” Princeton says as he picks up his crate of dynamite, “it’s on account of the message that it sends.”
“What message is that?” Marshall asks.
“Lock up your whiskey and womenfolk, don’t fuck with the outlaw Princeton Wright,” he says and smiles, he turns and walks away, Marshall and Chester watch him until he is gone into the darkness of the forest.
“I know I had told you before that I didn’t fully trust the boy but that was unexpected,” Chester remarks.
“He made his choice; I won’t say it was unexpected though I did think that revealing the location of the gold for him would lead him to help us in our cause. The only thing that troubles me is he claims to know himself yet his self-assessment isn’t accurate.”
“How so?”
“He has goodness in him; he just doesn’t see it yet.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: ENDG
AME
Marshall and Chester inspect the cabin, then the cave, then they sweep the surrounding woods. “He will address his followers at night, they will watch him speak while he’ll have a few breaking the branches and lighting the fire, they will go to their spot to begin sawing the branches beforehand, that is when we will set the net, we’ll be together, hoist them up, it will be easy enough, he’ll send the forbearers out, there are countless ways out but we’ll set the dummy up with a flashlight, we’ll trap them as well, any stragglers we’ll have to take down, hit the rest of the followers with teargas, we’ll have the night vision goggles on, the ones that don’t disperse, we’ll have to incapacitate, they’ll be on hallucinogens, just don’t let them overwhelm you, he will retreat to his cabin, I will confront him alone, you save the old man and his wife, the parents of the animal king. No matter what happens, leave me in the fire, if he manages an escape, then you attack him, otherwise leave him to me, understand?”
“Yes, I’ve been waiting for a chance to hit someone for a long time,” Chester explains.
“Just don’t lose control. You’ve got a lot of pent up aggression; it’s good to let some of it out but no killing, clear?”
“Clear, I wish you’d let me handle the man in brown.”
“I need to get him on tape, if he plays his cards the way I expect him to, he’ll admit to the murders and to rigging the steamboat, he won’t know the bomb has been disarmed. If you see the girl, rescue her, they will not be together, he may send her off altogether, I’ll have the radio jammer in case if he rigged anything else up to explode, the followers that run, let them escape, our only necessary captures are the forbearers and the man in brown.”
“I don’t agree with using a ring of fire to trap him.”
“Why not?”
“Because it traps you in there too and we’re in a forest. I’d prefer to see what’s going on. I don’t feel comfortable with you trapped along with him.”
“It ensures he won’t escape. I’ve lost partners before to men like him, I will not lose a third.”
“I’ll give you ten minutes in there, then I’m rushing in.”
Detective Tumbler and the Man in Brown (Detective Tumbler Trilogy Book 2) Page 21