The Doctor And The Rough Rider Part 6

"A lot of people think I'm one."

"I'd heard of you and read about your exploits," said Roosevelt. "You've been arrested your fair share of times, but as far as I can tell, you've never been convicted of anything."

"True enough," agreed Holliday.

They rode for two more hours, with Roosevelt finding fascinating things all over the barren landscape, and then Holliday brought his horse to a stop.

"What is it?" asked Roosevelt.

"We're getting close," replied Holliday. "I don't see them yet, but I can't imagine he hasn't got some warriors watching us."

"He does," said Roosevelt. "I've seen them for the last mile. I thought you'd seen them too."

Holliday peered into the distance. "By that boulder off to the left," he said.

"Right. And a couple in the gully over there."

"d.a.m.n! For a man with spectacles, you've got d.a.m.ned good eyesight, Theodore."

"Comes from being a hunter," answered Roosevelt. "You get an instinct for things that don't seem quite right, even before you can spot what's wrong with them." He looked ahead again. "I a.s.sume they're just making sure we're not coming with what I think you call a posse."

"Yeah," said Holliday. "When we get a little closer to the lodge, they'll ride out and accompany us. They'll probably take our weapons, too. I'd advise you not to make a fuss about it."

"Can the greatest of the medicine men be hurt by a bullet?" asked Roosevelt curiously.

"Probably not," said Holliday. "But any member of his tribe can."

"Ah!" said Roosevelt, nodding his head. "I hadn't even considered that."

"That's because you've never been to his camp before."

"How did Bat kill a warrior if he was unarmed?"

"Man pulled a knife on him," replied Holliday. "I think he was just trying to scare him. Bat took the knife away from him and stabbed him." He looked off to his right. "Six more, and they're not making any effort to hide themselves."

A moment later they were surrounded by Apache warriors, who offered no word of greeting or sign of recognition to Holliday as they rode along. After another mile the party came to a stop.

One of the warriors rode up to Holliday and held out his hand, and Holliday carefully withdrew his pistol and handed it to him. The warrior gave it to another, and held out his hand again.

"d.a.m.n!" muttered Holliday, pulling out a Derringer he kept tucked in a pocket in his vest.

Roosevelt followed suit, handing over his rifle and his pistol. The warrior held out his hand for more.

"That's all I've got," said Roosevelt.

The warrior gestured again.

"Here," said Roosevelt, removing his coat and handing it to the warrior. "See for yourself."

The warrior examined the coat, handed it back, hopped down from his horse, and ran his hands over Roosevelt's pants, then nodded his head. He climbed back onto his horse, and the little party began moving forward again.

"How's that for irony?" said Roosevelt. "I just started carrying a six-gun today, and I've already lost it."

"They'll return it later," Holliday a.s.sured him.

Five minutes later Geronimo's lodge came into view.

"It's smaller than I imagined," remarked Roosevelt. "This can't be the headquarters of the whole Apache nation."

"It's just where he stays when he's in this area," explained Holliday. "No one knows where the bulk of his people live, which is probably why they're still a large and powerful tribe."

When they reached the first of the structures, they stopped, and Roosevelt and Holliday dismounted. One of the warriors took their reins and led their horses off.

Roosevelt frowned. "I hope they don't intend on keeping them," he said. "I don't relish a walk all the way back to Tombstone."

"I thought you'd relish a run to it," said Holliday with a smile. "Don't worry. They're just making sure we don't leave before the negotiations are over."

"Where is he?" asked Roosevelt, looking around.

"Who knows?" replied Holliday. "He could be one of the birds in that tree, or a snake, or even one of the horses. He'll be Geronimo when he's convinced himself you're the man he sent for."

A mangy dog sauntered up, wagging its tail and panting heavily.

"Geronimo?" Roosevelt asked Holliday.

Holliday shrugged. "Who knows?"

Roosevelt squatted down and petted the dog. As he did so, he saw a burly shadow fall across the dog. He looked up and found himself facing an imposing figure of a man, stern and dignified.

"You're Goyathlay," he said with absolute certainty.

"And you are Roosevelt," said Geronimo.

"I have come a long way to meet you," Roosevelt said in Apache.

"I speak your language," said Geronimo. "And we have important things to discuss."

"If this is a private conversation," said Holliday hopefully, "I can just go sit in the shade of that hut, and maybe relax with a drink from"-he padded his flask through his coat-"my special water supply."

"No," said Geronimo.

"No?" repeated Holliday, making no attempt to hide his annoyance. "I brought him. What more do you want?"

"It is important that you listen too," said Geronimo, "because when we are done, it will start a war such as you have never dreamed about."

Holliday stared at him for a moment, then pulled out his flask. "I think I'll have that drink right now," he said.

IT IS TIME," said Geronimo when he and Roosevelt were sitting cross-legged on the ground in the shade of Geronimo's hut, facing each other. Holliday, who had some trepidation about lowering himself to the ground gracefully and an absolute certainty that if he managed it he could never get up on his own power, remained on his feet a few feet away. "That is why I have sent for you."

"I appreciate that," replied Roosevelt. "I have two questions." Suddenly he grinned. "Well, two right now. A lot more later."

"You may ask."

"Why me?"

"You are a man of honor."

"Thank you," said Roosevelt. "But there are many men of honor."

"Not as many as you think," said Geronimo. "And though you are a very young man, you are the best of them."

"I'm flattered that you should think so," replied Roosevelt, "but there are many better men."

Geronimo stared at him for a long moment. "Do you truly believe that?" he said at last.

Roosevelt stared back for just as long. "No," he finally admitted. "No, I don't."

"Good. Because if you answered otherwise, I would not know that I can trust you." He paused. "You had a second question?"

Roosevelt nodded. "Why now?"

"It is time."

"It is past time, but why have you decided to lift the spell now?"

"Many reasons," said Geronimo. "The man Edison will soon know how to negate much of our magic."

"We both know you could kill him before that happens," offered Holliday from where he stood.

"He has done me a service. I will not kill him while I am obligated to him."

"You paid it off," said Holliday. "He found a way to remove the spell and the railroad from your burial ground, and you removed Billy the Kid's supernatural protection."

Geronimo shook his head. "I paid you, Holliday. You were the one who faced McCarty called the Kid. I did not pay Edison, and until I find a way, he is safe from me." Another pause. "But he is not safe from the other tribes."

"You said many reasons," said Roosevelt. "What are some others?"

"There are too many White Eyes," answered Geronimo. "Already many thousands of you have crossed the river. You have even built towns. We no longer have the power to stop you, only to hinder you. Eventually your nation will reach from one ocean to the other, and if we fight you every step of the way is it not beyond your people to wage a war of extermination, which we cannot win."

"I would fight against that," said Roosevelt.

"I know. That is another reason I have chosen you."

"After you, Hook Nose was the strongest of the medicine men," said Holliday, "and you killed him almost two years ago. This should be a stroll in the park."

Geronimo frowned. "I do not understand."

"With no Hook Nose, there should be no meaningful opposition," said Holliday.

Geronimo shook his head. "How little you know."

"Enlighten us," said Roosevelt.

"The medicine men of the other Indian nations have always resented my power, and now they have a reason to openly oppose me. They have no intention of lifting the spell."

"If you're the strongest..." began Holliday.

"I am stronger than any one of them," explained Geronimo. "I am not stronger than most of them acting in concert."

"How many others are there?"

"More than fifty."

"And how many oppose you?" continued Holliday.

"Perhaps thirty-five, perhaps forty."

"And you think with Theodore on your side, you can beat them?"

"Theodore?" asked Geronimo, frowning.

"Roosevelt," said Holliday.

"It will take more than him," said Geronimo.

"What or who else will it take?" asked Roosevelt.

"Edison and Buntline," answered the Apache.

"What will you want them to do?"

Geronimo shrugged. "It depends on what the other nations do."

Roosevelt shook his head. "We need a better strategy than to just sit here waiting for them to strike first." He turned to Holliday. "Doc, you've got to have a lot of friends who are good with guns."

Holliday smiled a bittersweet smile. "I have never had a lot of friends."

"Then we'll recruit them."

"To face the warriors of fifty-five Indian nations?" asked Holliday in amused tones.

"There have to be alternatives." He turned to Geronimo. "You didn't send for me just so I'd be an easier target for your enemies. What do you have in mind?"

"I chose right," said Geronimo, nodding his head in satisfaction. "I sent for you to make sure you had not changed since you first came to me in a vision three years ago, that you were still the man best fit to lead your nation across the river, and to make peace with my nation."

Roosevelt looked at him expectantly, and finally the old man continued.

"I will show you what you must eventually face, Roosevelt."