MISCOMMUNICATION VERSION 2

 

 

            The evening after the fight in Volusia, Oliver just had to go for a slow walk by the river. He could barely manage it, but he felt compelled. He was restless. He still had angry energy at his thorough defeat, due to the Forresters having ganged up on him so unfairly.

            He hadn't counted on encountering Forresters this evening. Not the same three who'd beaten him, fortunately. The other three. Oliver stopped in his tracks and watched them warily.

            They stopped in turn and looked at him.

            "Well now." Arch stepped closer to peer at him. "Looks like you been in right smart of a scrap."

            "You...you don't know?" Oliver asked.

            "Us? We been huntin' all day. We don't know nothin'. Somethin' happen in town?"

            "Y...yes."

            "Hm." Pack moved in for a closer inspection. "Seems to me our brothers aimed to go to town today. Did they see the fight?"

            "Y...you could say that." Oliver couldn't keep resentment out of his tone.

            "Now wait jest a minute here." Arch reached toward Oliver's battered face.

            The blond drew back reflexively.

            Arch was surprised. "Easy there, son." He gently tilted Oliver's face up to his own. "Lord! Someone done one helluva job on you! Now iffen I didn't know better, I'd say that this here looks like our handiwork."

            "That's a fact," Pack agreed in mild surprise of his own. "And this here boy do be a mite skittish with us, too."

            "Yes indeed," Arch acknowledged. "Oliver, are you gonna tell us our brothers done this to you?"

            "I...I ain't sure I'm gonna tell you-all nothin'."

            "I think that's a yes," Pack noted ruefully.

            "Well I be dogged," Gabby said.

            Their close scrutiny of his mutilated face was getting on Oliver's nerves. He pulled free from Arch and backed up a pace.

            Arch asked mildly, "Why'd they do it?"

            "'Cause I love Twink."

            "Oooo!" Pack whistled. "Lem's gal."

            "She ain't, neither!" Oliver dared.

            "And, uh," Arch surmised. "Buck and Mill-wheel got into it, did they?"

            Oliver nodded and his eyes dropped, trying not to let them see the fear that the memory inspired.

            "Woooh! You pore boy!" sympathized Arch.

            Oliver's eyes rose again, trying to look brave, but mostly failing.

            Pack wondered, "Ain't none o' them Volusia jessies tried to stop 'em?"

            Arch made an impolite sound. "Ain't none o' them got the guts to try to stop ary one of us from nothin', let alone three of us!"

            "No," Oliver agreed. "But the Baxters tried."

            All three Forresters guffawed.

            Gabby roared, "Them puny Baxters?!"

            "I'd love to of seed that!" Pack declared with gusto.

            "Wait a minute." Arch was suddenly suspicious. "When they seed they couldn't stop 'em, what then?"

            "They got into it."

            The Forresters were stunned.

            "Gawd! Is they alive?" Gabby wondered.

            Oliver nodded. "Jody, barely."

            Now they were thunderstruck.

            "Who hit leetle Jody?" Pack demanded.

            "Lem."

            Arch whistled. "Oh my."

            "And Penny?" Gabby prompted.

            "A mite battered. He'll be okay. Jody and me's worse."

            "I kin see that. You, I mean," Arch commented.

            Oliver was uncomfortable again.

            "Well," Pack supposed, "I reckon our brothers'll be a mite riled at them Baxters now. And at you," he added pointedly.

            "Likely there'll be more trouble," Arch assumed.

            Oliver shifted uneasily. "Are...are you gonna hurt me?"

            "Us? Now?" Arch wondered. "No."

            "You been through enough today," Pack confirmed.

            "Thank you." Oliver turned to go.

            "But Oliver," Arch called to him. "We make no promises 'bout the future."

            Oliver met his gaze again and nodded grimly.