"Hey Buddy! Call your fucking dogs off!"
The guy standing next to him looked like he couldn't figure out if he wanted to scream, throw up, or shoot them. I didn't even turn around to look. I could see them from the sounds I was hearing. I kept walking towards them. I holstered the one Ruger and began reloading the other. As I did I kept eye contact with the guy who had yelled at me. He was undecided still. I was trying to pin him with my eyes. I was also hoping Zane knew enough to watch my back. If I had to shoot them I was going to piss some people off. Well at least the dogs will eat good I thought and smiled. Smiling probably wasn't the right thing to do at the moment.
I saw Mr. Undecided face change. He was now sure about one thing. He didn't like me. The guy who yelled the first time saw it too. "What the hell are you grinning about buddy?"
"Because I am a magician."
"What?" His reply wasn't said as a question as much as it was verbal shorthand for "Are you a fucking idiot?"
"I'm grinning because if either one of you peckerwoods shoot my dogs I am to make your head disappear."I was really getting pretty good at the country boy lingo I thought. That made me smile too.
"Because I am a magician."
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if i understood correctly, but what you've re-posted of these rewritten parts seems like it's much better - .
plus i'm glad G is back
"....if either one of you peckerwoods shoot my dogs..."
ReplyDeleteSpaghetti Apocalypse. I read that in Clint Eastwoods hoarse voice from the man with no name series (Good, Bad and Ugly, etc...).
And I love it!
Gardener is the anti-hero that perfectly fills the need I have for a heroic figure fighting the battles that can't be fought. The robo-signer that is a cog in the foreclosure wheel? Just some gal that wants to pay for her kids to go to college. The deputy that tosses people out of their house serving the eviction notice. Same thing. He didn't cause it. Didn't profit from it. Just wants to get home at the end of the day and see how the kids did in school. Watch some TV and go to bed...
But Gardener, in the AA future, he just kicks ass and takes names. The gray area is gone. The black and white of good and evil is no longer camouflaged. "I was just doing my job," doesn't mean shit to Gardener. It's one of the reasons I like this story so much.
It's the post apocalyptic American Western.
NMD,
ReplyDeleteHe is a magician because he is going to make his head disappear.
Yeah. The benefit of rewriting and OJT writing I think.
Going through AA I after the Ulysses Press editor marked it up was a learning experience too. It's the same book but better now.
D^2,
ReplyDeleteYou got it! That is exactly what I am trying do and that it how I see him. He is the post-apocalypse gunslinger. A reincarnation of Wyatt Earp and his type.
The quickest way to get some unwanted attention is to refer to someone as "Buddy" or "Pal". Although those terms don't get much use anymore. They have been replaced with "Mother F***er".
ReplyDeleteBest to just make their heads go away.
Go Woof!
Jim in MO.
Jim,
ReplyDeleteYeah. MoFo is in use a lot more. Buddy is the politer version but means the same thing. Strange but in DC people from certain areas are old fashioned in their politeness. Why? Partially upbringing. Partly because to not be is disrespectful. Being disrespectful with the wrong person can be a very bad thing.
As usual, it was worth the wait.
ReplyDeleteThank You Nova
Stusual,
ReplyDeleteThanks
Yea! Missed this stuff, glad to have it back.
ReplyDelete