Incidentals

by Kathy Knudsen1

Every episode has both major and minor characters and sometimes there is more to a minor character than meets the eye. Each Chapter will be about one such character. Not all chapters will fall in the same order as the series episodes, and likely one or two episodes will be skipped over (i.e. Return to Devil's Hole because I never watch that one).

12. Chapter 12

Logan (From Never Trust an Honest Man)

~ a postmortem account of events

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It's been my experience that there are just four kinds of people in this world.

The good.

The bad

The good with a little bad

The bad with a little good.

It's also been my experience that there ain't many that are good, and there ain't many that are good with a little bad in em. So that pretty much leaves the bad, and the bad with a little good in em, and I think the ratio is about 9-1 in favor of the bad.

Take the Preacher for example. Now I know there are some who would say he's bad with a little good, and they might even site the fact that he wouldn't kill Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry for the reward money on account of he used to ride with em. But that don't make him the least bit good. That just proves he's foolish enough to put stock in loyalty, and there ain't nobody that don't have a limit to the amount of loyalty they'll dole out.

But when Quirt came to me and offered me money to kill them two drifters, it was misguided loyalty that sent me to The Preacher to partner with me on the job. There ain't more than two, maybe three men in all the world that I would trust to help me kill a man, and I thought Preacher was one of em.

Killing ain't nothing more than a job to me. When you're born into nothin' and your life just goes downhill from there, well you don't put much stock or value in something as meaningless as a life. I shouldda just done the job alone, but I didn't know who them two were till Preacher told me, so I wouldn't have gained nothing more than the money Quirt offered me. So I don't see asking Preach for help as a mistake in that sense. No, my mistake came from not killing the Preacher before he took the opportunity to kill me. Yes sir, the minute Preacher told me who them two were, and he got up to walk away, I shouldda turned and shot him in the back. But I didn't, and I guess that goes to show I might be in that one percent of bad with a little good in em.

Now I'm sure The Preacher's telling folks that killing me was an accident, and that may or may not be true. Preacher knows more about them Ten Commandments than I do, so I suspect he'll be arguing that point at the Pearly Gates someday. But he stole my money and I bet there's likely a Commandment against that too, so I'd like to hear him try to talk his way outta that one.

Yeah, for all his preaching and Bible toting, as sure as I am dead, Preacher's going to hell. I figure him and me will be settling the score when that time comes.

I bet them two outlaws are licking Preacher's boots with their gratitude for saving their miserable lives. Now I know better than to think there's justice in the world, but you can bet I'm hoping that Quirt is the one that comes out on top. I don't know his motive for wantin' them two killed, but I hope he succeeds, and I hope he snuffs Preacher out with em.

I know what you're thinking after hearing me spout off like this, but you're wrong. I ain't no worse than any of the rest of em. Quirt, Preacher, Curry and Heyes, they're all just looking out for themselves, and that's all I was doing, too... Just looking out for myself.

I just miscalculated Preacher. That's all.