Chapter 11: Arthur and Sango
After conversing with the man, Arthur walked into an old bar and had a few shots of whiskey and played a disturbing game known as Five Finger Filet where one put his hand flat on the table and bounced a big knife between the areas of their fingers to see who could do it in the fastest time. Kagome and Sango paled at the sight of Arthur and his random opponent playing with sharp knives and even accidentally cutting their own fingers in the process. Arthur was surprisingly very good at this. Sometimes he'd perform some hand and knife tricks after completing a round and when he won, but it was still disturbing to watch.
"I guess that's what Michiru meant by gambling with knives…" Kagome groaned her face green with nausea.
"I just hope those…horseshoes he talked about weren't anywhere near as disturbing as this," Sango paled. Although Arthur was obviously good with a knife, that still didn't alleviate her disturbance with this display.
Once he was done, he went outside to his horse only to frown at how dirty she was. He pulled out his horse brush and began brushing the dirt off her body with soothing noises as the horse tossed her head and nuzzled it against Arthur's.
"There, there…" Arthur soothed, "…that's my girl… Let's get'chu lookin' good!"
Kagome and Sango both smiled at this. Arthur was a bad man to be sure, but he loved his horses and cared for them. Once the dirt and dust was brushed off, Arthur mounted her saddle and rode the trails in Valentine back to Horseshoe Overlook.
"Hey! Who's there?" Bill called out as Arthur approached.
"It's me," Arthur called back.
"Look who's back!" Bill greeted with a wave.
"What you up to?" Arthur asked.
"Nothing much."
"Well, there's plenty of work to do around here."
"Okay then…"
Arthur sped his horse to the camp, hitched her, and walked through it. He turned to the tree they had tied Kieran up to only to see it empty.
"Guess Dutch is giving Kieran a chance to prove himself…" Arthur spoke, "…he did save my life, so…I guess that O'Driscoll deserves that at least…"
He could even hear Karen and Kieran talking about how grateful Kieran was that they didn't kill him with Karen telling him they're mostly good people deep down despite acting tough. He eyed Pearson finishing a stew that Kieran obviously had a bowl of now that he was freed, so Arthur took a bowl for himself and downed it.
"Evening," Miss Tilly greeted Arthur.
"Hey, so that feller that was hassling you in Valentine?" Arthur asked.
"I'll…tell you another time, okay?" Tilly said hesitantly.
Arthur nodded and went to the box where people made donations for supplies in camp.
"Hey Arthur!" Uncle greeted from behind.
"What you want?" Arthur grumbled.
"Man, you are one sour son-of-a-bitch, ain't ya?"
"Only when I see you."
After dropping the ring that he took from that dead O'Driscoll that nearly killed him into the box along with fifty dollars, he shook his head and said, "Ain't nothing personal."
"Sure seems that way to me…" Uncle grumbled.
Arthur then went to his own tent area and eyed his small mirror and straight razor. He looked into it and held it up to his face. He then shaved his medium-thick beard almost completely from his face as Sango and Kagome gasped as Dr. Ingles smirked.
"Oh my…!" Kagome exclaimed grabbing the collar of her kimono.
"Arthur…" Sango murmured softly as she witnessed a clean-shaven Arthur Morgan for the first time, "…he so beautiful…"
"Isn't he though?" Dr. Ingles giggled, "Not only is he beautiful, he's a man's man."
Now that he was shaved, he started wandering about when Kieran suddenly came up to him.
"Mr. Arthur," He began, "I told Dutch, I feel I should tell you, I saw some of Colm's boys riding 'round."
"Down here?" Arthur asked, "What they want?"
"I have no idea!"
"They see ya?"
"I don't think so."
"Okay…" Arthur nodded thoughtfully, "…well, thanks for letting me know, Kieran."
Arthur then made his way to Pearson's kitchen area. He spotted a crate full of beers, took one, and downed it before tossing the bottle aside as it smashed into a million pieces against the table.
"Typical drunk…" Kagome grumbled.
There was a squirming and thrashing inside the tube as soon as this was said as Kagome gasped. It wasn't confirmed if Michiru could hear them or not, but obviously he could sense disturbances around him and perhaps he didn't care for his ancestor being insulted like that.
Arthur then marched up to a big rock where the German money-lender, Strauss, was reading his ledger by lantern light as the sun set in the horizon out yonder.
"Herr Morgan," He called out, "Herr Morgan."
"Mr. Strauss."
"Busy, my friend?"
"Why?"
"I'll cut you in."
"Loaning?" Arthur asked, "Already?"
"You know how it is…" Strauss replied, "…people is happy to borrow off someone like me, but…" He then looked up at his tall imposing friend, "…more enthusiastic paying back to someone like you."
"Of course," Arthur nodded as both girls frowned, "Who are they?"
"Let me see…" Strauss said flipping through his ledger, "…a Chick Matthews, works at Guthrie Farm. He's a hand, I believe. Mr. Wrobel…the small holder at Painted Sky…runs the operations there…badly. Miss Lilly Millet is a ranch maid up at Emerald Ranch."
"And here was me believing Dutch's bluster about us helping folk…" Arthur murmured.
"It's legal work, Mr. Morgan," Strauss said handing Arthur a slip of paper containing the names of these people and where they all lived, "Debtors belong in prison…we are doing them a favor."
"Aye…" Arthur sighed, "…and I'll make sure they see it in them terms."
"Put the debts in the deed box and try not to kill them," Strauss instructed, "It's very bad for business."
"Should've known…" Dr. Ericsson sighed, "Strauss always gets Arthur to pick up debts from the people he lends money to."
"Why?" Sango asked worriedly.
"To use him," Dr. Garter frowned, "Strauss needs someone tall, strong, intellect, and imposing to lean on debtors that won't pay, and Arthur fits the bill highest."
Arthur walked towards his horse when he heard the voice of Miss Grimshaw from behind.
"Mr. Morgan," She called out, "Mr. Morgan."
Arthur turned around, "Yes, Miss Grimshaw?"
"One of the girls saw that friend of yours, Mary Gillis, sniffing about."
"Mary?" Arthur gasped.
"Yes," Miss Grimshaw grumbled, "I never liked that woman, Mr. Morgan. Funny business."
Arthur stood still a moment as Miss Grimshaw turned around and walked away. He then went back to his horse and climbed aboard riding off. As he rode, he turned to his horse and spoke.
"Mary…" Arthur sighed as he looked down at his mount, "Hmm, speaking of the ladies in my life, I just realized something…" He murmured patting the horse's neck, "I haven't given ya a name, girl." He rode atop his steed as he looked her up and down, "Hmmm….you'll need a feminine name….you've got a pale hide but a very dark brown mane and ponytail….beautiful hazelnut brown eyes….you're a strong filly…..you've been through some major trauma that nearly caused your death that required you to spend a lot of time out of action to get your strength up, and yet are still so loving, shy, and affectionate…hmmm…."
"Arthur takes picking a name for his horse very seriously," Kagome spoke up, "I wonder what he'll name her?"
Looking his horse in the eyes from below on her saddle, Arthur shook his head and said to her, "I-I-I dunno what it is girl, but…" Arthur began, "…something in me is telling me you should be named 'Sango.'"
"Huh…?" Sango gasped as her cheeks started to turn pink, "A-A-Arthur…?"
The horse tossed her head in a nodding fashion as Arthur smiled.
"Alright," He smiled, "Sango it is then!"
All eyes were on Sango as her face turned redder and redder as she slumped onto the couch too embarrassed to continue watching now. Arthur has given his horse a name, but was it Arthur or Michiru within him that named this horse?
Arthur rode Sango over a hill and across a river greeting strangers he passed along the road. He then spotted a mesa up ahead and according to his map; this was Painted Sky Ranch where Mr. Wrobel lived. He dismounted from Sango and walked up to a two-room farmhouse. He pulled out his confiscated double-barrel shotgun, crept to the door in the night, and then burst in as Mr. Wrobel, who was sitting in his rocking chair, leapt out in surprise.
"Knock knock, Mr. Wrobel," Arthur said.
Mr. Wrobel began speaking in a language unbeknownst to anyone, including Arthur, but the subtitles translated what he was saying into Japanese for the girls to read.
"What language is he speaking?" Kagome asked, "It sounds European."
"Polish, I think," Dr. Ericsson answered.
"Excuse me," Mr. Wrobel frowned, "Whatever are you doing in my house?"
Arthur pointed his shotgun at Mr. Wrobel's chest as he fell to the ground pleading.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"I am here on behalf of Leopold Strauss," Arthur said slowly and loudly, "Where's our money?"
The name registering in Mr. Wrobel's mind, he got out, "Ah, Leopold Strauss….I have money."
"Goddamn it," Arthur grumbled, "You don't speak English, do you?" Putting away his shotgun, he then let out a roar as he lunged downwards laying a right hook to Mr. Wrobel's face as Kagome gasped waking Sango up from her shock earlier.
"Now, you remember where you're keeping that silver?" Arthur asked angrily.
"Give me time," Mr. Wrobel pleaded, "I will get the money."
"No," Arthur frowned, "Still don't understand you." With that, he grabbed Mr. Wrobel by the collar and threw him to the side aggressively, "Where is the money? Gold? Dollars?"
"Don't do this!" Mr. Wrobel said in Polish, but managed to get out in English, "I have nothing!"
"Next time you decide to speak English…" Arthur said as he slammed his fist into Mr. Wrobel's face as he sprawled face-first into the floor, "…you'd better tell me something I actually want to hear!"
Mr. Wrobel began pleading saying "no" and "nie" alternating between English and Polish in his pleading as Arthur grabbed him by the neck, squeezed for a few seconds, and then tossed him down.
"Ah, no, no, no, no…please no…" Mr. Wrobel pleaded in English as Arthur held his revolver to Wrobel's head as tears were starting to form in Sango and Kagome's eyes at this display of cruelty, "No have money…but…but I have this…" He slowly got to his feet as Arthur kept his gun to him, "It's good…it's good…valuable… It's…it's Warszawa, yes."
"I have your things?" Arthur asked, "Okay? I have anything in here or out there?"
"Yes…" Wrobel nodded afraid.
Arthur put away his gun and searched Wrobel's house for valuables. He started with his office area.
"You must'a come here with something?" Arthur asked as he went to a nightstand in the far left corner and opened its drawer. It was bare as Arthur then went to a drawer on the other side. He opened all five drawers in it to see nothing in them either.
"The longer I look, the madder I get…" Arthur growled out warningly, "Don't even speak English…" He returned to the main living area and spotted a dresser next to the bedroom door. He opened it, but only found a pack of cigarettes.
"Very valuable?" Wrobel pleaded, "Good?"
"Not good yet," Arthur answered as he went into Wrobel's bedroom. There was a dresser with a big oval mirror on top of it in the lower right corner.
"Better be something somewhere," He grumbled as he opened the drawers in the dresser. Nothing. He looked in the wardrobe, but still nothing. He spotted a chest at the foot of Wrobel's bed and opened it. It was bare of valuables and supplies too. Arthur was getting angry. He returned to the living area and spotted a nightstand next to the back door. He opened it, and inside was something of value. An antique watch. He took it as Wrobel watched sobbing.
"No, no, no, no…" He whimpered. It was obviously a treasured heirloom.
"Yes, yes, yes, yes." Arthur answered coldly. He then turned to the cupboard in Wrobel's kitchen and spotted an expensive bottle of brandy. He took it.
"Don't do this!' Wrobel pleaded in Polish again before trying to speak English, "I need. Must eat. Prosze!"
"Okay," Arthur said, "That should about cover things." He looked Wrobel up and down and saw he was leaning against the handle of another drawer. Obviously, he was hiding something. Sango, through her tears, returned to the pod pleading. Although Arthur continued to punch Tommy in that street fight despite Sango pleading for Michiru to stop, she still had to try to reason with him.
"You've taken enough to settle the debt," Sango pleaded to Michiru, "Just leave, Michiru. Please?"
Arthur shook his head and left through the back door, deciding not to rob Mr. Wrobel as Sango sighed in relief. He then whistled for his horse as she came up to him with a whinny. Arthur then pulled out the list of other debtors but decided that he'd caused enough misery for tonight. He rode back to Horseshoe Overlook, but along the way after recrossing the river he spotted some men on a ledge with green scarves holding lanterns.
"Those O'Driscolls that Kieran was telling me about…" Arthur growled as he pulled out his repeater and rode up to them. They were too close to the vicinity of the camp and had to be dealt with.
"Ol' Dutch's chained Sally!" One of the O'Driscolls called out to Arthur.
"What'd you call me, you son-of-a-bitch?" Arthur called back as he pulled and shot him off his horse. Suddenly, four more O'Driscolls appeared from out of nowhere. Arthur was outmanned, but O'Driscolls worked in numbers, not good shots.
"Run him down!" One of them yelled.
It took a bit, but Sango moved Arthur to a safe location where he could aim effectively and shoot them.
"We'll watch you die, Morgan!" One called out from a distance only to have a bullet put in his head. Soon he shot them all as they fell off their horses all dead in less than a minute. Even one who fled for cover behind a cluster of pine trees was eventually shot down. After confirming that no more were coming, Arthur climbed off Sango's back and looted their corpses. Taking ammunition, bourbon bottles, a silver pocket watch, four cans of chewing tobacco, and about twelve dollars in money. He then got on Sango again.
"Not bad, Sango," Arthur smiled petting Sango's neck as she whinnied in delight of her master's affection. He rode her a few meters before spotting the O'Driscolls' campfire which has a red lock box on it. He stopped her, got off, and opened the lock box. There wasn't anything of value inside, but there was a piece of fruit.
"A peach," Arthur deduced, "Not a whole lot of worth, but Sango will like it. She earned it for keeping me safe." He put the peach into his satchel and spotted a wedge of cheese next to the box. He took that too.
With all their stuff taken, Arthur got onto Sango's back, but lost control of her for a moment as they crashed into a pine tree sending Arthur off the saddle. He got up, dusted himself off, and soothed Sango tenderly and got up on her.
"Sorry, girl…" Arthur soothed offering the peach to her mouth as an apology. Sango took the peach from his hand and swallowed it. They rode up the hill back to camp as Arthur caressed her neck again. Once back in camp, he hitched her again and went to the donation box putting in the watch and put the watch and brandy inside. Arthur knew the total would amount to $38.55 and took from the box the $3.45 from it as payment for his service. He then opened the ledger beside it and looked over a list of supplies and necessities. He looked at an upgrade to Strauss's medicine wagon tent that would give the camp more medicine. The combined total of his and the others' contributions at this point was well over $100, and the upgrade would cost only twenty-four. He bought the upgrade.
"How did you get on, Herr Morgan?" Strauss spoke from behind him.
"Called in on the small holder…Wrobel," Arthur answered, "Didn't even speak English."
"Good, very good," Strauss nodded.
"My pleasure," Arthur said tipping his hat.
"Well, if it's pleasure you're after, there is one other," Strauss began as Arthur turned to listen, "This farmer, preacher, feller who I met in Valentine, Mr. Downes."
"The opinionated little do-gooder?" Arthur said remembering the man that stopped him from finishing Tommy off in the streets, "Yeah, I know the one. I certainly know the type."
"Thank you, Herr Morgan."
"There's no need to thank me," Arthur said as he grabbed the ladle to the stew pot and took a sip from the ladle, "Like you said…it's pleasure I'm after."
"Pleasure?" Kagome gasped, "He…beat that Wrober guy for his valuables…for fun?"
"He's more slippery than he seems," Strauss said, "I've tried being polite, don't take any nonsense."
"Nonsense, me?" Arthur asked.
"If he doesn't have the money, beat him." Strauss instructed.
'Well, I usually do…" Arthur sighed as he wiped his hands.
"I know. I know…" Strauss nodded.
"That's why he uses you…" Sango frowned.
Arthur turned back to the ledger and realized that the gang was low on ammo. He saw an upgrade to his own tent which housed the camp's ammunition and purchased the upgrade for forty-eight dollars. Soon the camp would not only have different medicines, but different kinds of ammunition. He also purchased two more medicine upgrades.
"Mr. Morgan," Miss Grimshaw spoke.
"Yes, Miss Grimshaw?" Arthur said again.
"Mr. Matthews gave me a message for you," She explained, "He said when it was convenient to head into Emerald Ranch. He's looking at a few business things there."
"Okay," Arthur nodded.
"Oh, he'll find something too, he always does." Miss Grimshaw said, "Well, you be well now, Mr. Morgan."
"I'm always well, Miss Grimshaw," Arthur said walking back to his tent. There, waiting for him, was a piece of paper. He picked it up and read it.
"'Dear Arthur,'" He began, "'I've written this letter a hundred times or more, and I can't get it right. It's me. You know it's me from the bad handwriting. I know I said when we last spoke and I was going off to get married, that we would not speak again. I know I said a lot of things, and I meant them, I suppose, at the time, but I am not so proud as not to speak to people who care for me or cared for me.'"
"Sounds like someone who cares about Arthur," Kagome deduced.
"It's from Mary Linton," Dr. Ingles replied, "Arthur's ex-girlfriend."
"'I've been in Valentine for a couple of months,'" Arthur continued to read, "'I had some bad luck and, well, it's a long story and not an interesting one, but I am here for now. I saw a couple of the girls, or whatever the polite term is for them, that ran with you and your associates back in town and I heard tell of a man who sounded like you. I would love to see you again, if you could spare me a little bit of your time. I'm renting a room at Chadwick Farm, just north of Valentine. Yours, Mary Linton'"
Arthur folded up the letter and turned to Dutch's tent just to his right.
"Arthur," Dutch greeted sitting next to his girlfriend, Molly O'Shea.
"Dutch," Arthur nodded, "Miss O'Shea."
"Well," Dutch said getting to his feet, "It feels like we're finally getting back on our feet."
"You find a buyer for them bonds we stole?" Arthur asked.
"Not yet," Dutch admitted, "But Hosea's working on it."
"When we heading west?" Arthur asked.
"Soon…" Dutch answered hesitantly before shaking his head, "I don't know."
"Feels like…" Arthur began as Dutch sat back down in a wooden fold-up chair, "…things have changed. The whole world has changed." He paused for a moment as he looked out at nothing as he added, "They don't want folk like us no more." He turned back to Dutch, "We're being hunted."
"We are smarter than them," Dutch answered, "Only the feeblest of men take jobs in the government."
Chuckling at this, Arthur answered, "I hope so."
"Trust Dutch, Mr. Morgan," Molly spoke from the side as she needle-worked, "You have to."
"They got Micah," A voice called out as they turned to see Lenny riding up, "Dutch. Arthur."
"What's going on?" Dutch asked.
"They got Micah," Lenny explained frantically, "He's, he's been arrested for murder. He was in Strawberry, and…"
"It's okay, son," Dutch said, "Breathe."
Lenny took a moment to catch his breath as he said, "They nearly lynched me. They…they got Micah in the sheriff's office in Strawberry…and there's talk of hanging him."
"Here's hoping…" Arthur grumbled.
"Arthur," Dutch scolded.
"What?" Arthur asked, "The fool brought this on himself. You know my feelings about him, Dutch."
"You think I can't see past his bluster to the heart inside?" Dutch asked, "He is a fine man."
"No!" Arthur insisted, "I ain't saving that fool!"
"I can't go," Dutch answered, "My face will be all over West Elizabeth. I am asking. He would do it for you."
"I don't think he would, but…" Arthur began, "…fine, alright."
"Arthur…" Dutch murmured.
"You okay, Lenny?" Arthur asked turning to the boy sitting at a table catching his breath.
"Yeah, course I'm okay."
"You don't seem okay."
"You take that kid into town," Dutch ordered turning back to his tent, "Valentine, not Strawberry. Get him drunk. And Arthur? No crazy business."
"I've given that up," Arthur protested.
"And you get Micah out of that jail," Dutch ordered.
Sighing, Arthur nodded before turning back to Lenny.
"Come on, son," He began picking Lenny back up, "I'll get to it, Dutch. Just…can't drop everything."
"Get him drunk?" Kagome frowned, "There are other ways to deal with fear and stress."
"But most take up time," Dr. Garter said, "Drunkenness is looked at by many to be a quick means of forgetting one's trauma if only for a moment."
"I guess…" Kagome relented as they watched Arthur and Lenny get on their horses.
"Okay, Sango…" Arthur spoke getting on his horse's back with Lenny galloping behind.
"I rode as fast as I could," Lenny explained, "Didn't stop for nothing."
"Yeah, you look like you been through it."
Sighing, Lenny said, "I'm beat… We finally get off that mountain, then this… Micah's got a crazy side, Arthur."
"What were you boys doing?" Arthur asked, "You're supposed to be scouting ahead for us."
"I kept asking him what we was doing, but he was 'You worry too much, kid,' 'Just some business to attend to, kid.'" Lenny explained, "You know how he is."
"Yes…I do…"
"He was half-soaked before we even got there. Then we ran into some fellers, one of them Micah knew, drank some more, and this is supposed to be a dry town we're in too."
"And then he shoots one of them," Arthur deduced, "I know how that goes."
"Couldn't even tell you quite how," Lenny began again, "It happened like the strike of a match. The law was on us fast too. They was ready to string me up there and then, but I got away. Just about."
"You're alright now," Arthur said, "We'll take care of it."
"So you're gonna go get him?" Lenny asked, "I'll come with you."
"No, you leave it to me," Arthur said, "For now, let's drink something, forget about Micah."
"It was drink that started all this…" Lenny replied hesitantly.
"We'll just have a couple," Arthur said, "Settle you down, then head back. Okay?"
"Okay," Lenny nodded.
"Now…I should warn you," Arthur began, "Me and a couple of the other boys got in a bit of a fight last time we was here."
"What kind of fight?"
"Ohh, nothing big," Arthur lied, "We kept it clean. We're all good."
Scoffing, Lenny said, "If you say so, Arthur."
By now, they were turning into the main street of Valentine. They approached the red saloon that had been repaired from all the damage from Arthur's brawl with Tommy.
"Well, here we are," Arthur said as he hitched Sango to the rack. He and Lenny then went inside and went to the bar as Arthur tossed some change on it.
"Just one or two," Lenny asked, "Right Arthur?"
"Course, just a drink," Arthur assured him, "No big drama." He addressed the bartender, "Can we get a couple of beers, please?"
"You," The bartender spoke pointing at Arthur recognizing him, "I don't want no trouble."
"And you'll get none from me," Arthur assured him, "I was defending myself."
"Tommy, he's…" The bartender began.
"He'll be fine," Arthur said as he tossed the bartender some more money, "Here, have one for yourself."
"Thank you," The bartender suddenly smiled as he uncorked a bottle of beer for himself.
Taking a swig, Lenny said to Arthur, "Micah seemed to know a lot of people. That was the problem."
"How you mean?" Arthur asked.
"I mean, I done seen a lot of crazy, crazy stuff, but Micah-" Lenny began.
"I seen a lot of crazy, crazy stuff." A drunkard to Arthur's right repeated.
"Will you shut up?" Arthur grumbled.
"Will you shut up?" The drunkard parroted.
"Be quiet, buddy," Arthur warned.
Chuckling, the drunkard said, "They're dullards. My Lord…you men is dull…"
"Leave this fool alone," Lenny said.
"Leave the fool alone," The drunkard repeated as Arthur sat with his beer bottle stewing in annoyance, "People been leaving me alone for the last ten years. I'm bored with being left alone."
Finally, unable to take anymore, Arthur clasped the drunk on the back and said, "Listen, buddy…you're a charming fellow…one of the best." He then gestured to Lenny, "But me and the kid here, we're trying to talk business, so could you…possibly leave us alone?" Holding up his hands, he said, "No offense intended."
"Ain't no pleasing some folk…" The drunk muttered as he stumbled away, "…was just…trying to be friendly."
As soon as he was away, Arthur and Lenny clinked their bottles and slammed their beers down.
"How about another, Arthur?" Lenny asked.
"Sure, why not?" Arthur spoke ordering two more beers as they drank those down as well, "Well…perhaps we should be heading back now?"
"What?" Lenny spoke, "Why? We're just getting started, Arthur Morgan! How about we finish with some shots?"
"Ya know, Lenny?" Arthur began, "That's the best idea I've heard all day!"
"Oh no…" Sango said shaking her head, "I think I know where this is heading…"
Sure enough, for the next hour or so, they all watched helplessly as Arthur and Lenny began spending all day and into the night taking shots of whiskey at tables, sitting on the stairs chugging bottles of beer, making faces, and messing with a pianist playing music as Arthur nudged his shoulder laughing.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" A visibly drunk Arthur Morgan laughed at the pianist, "That's great, partner." He then turned around looking to see his friend had disappeared, "Lenny? Lenny, where are you…?" He started to stumble about the saloon as the screen's image became blurred, stretched a bit, and waving about. Arthur turned to a group of men at the bar.
"Can't…find my friend…" He staggered out, "You know where he went…?"
"Don't know," They answered as Arthur turned to a blonde fanning herself.
"You know which way my friend went?" Arthur asked her.
"Sorry, can't help," She frowned. Arthur stumbled to a stranger coming down the stairs.
"You seen that feller that I was with?"
"Can't say I have, I'm afraid."
He went to a brunette fanning herself.
"Hey, you seen my friend anywhere?"
"Best ask someone else about that."
He walked up to a door trying to open it, but it was locked.
"Lenny, where are you?" Arthur called out, "Lenny!" He stumbled all over the bar calling, "Hey, Lenny!" Ignoring all the strange looks he was getting, he yelled out, "Lenny!"
He managed to make his way up the stairs continuing to look while looking at a young blonde barmaid for a bit before resuming his search for Lenny. He walked out a backdoor to a balcony, but Lenny wasn't there either. He went back inside and walked up the upper floor and then found a familiar face that was balancing a glass on his forehead while trying to keep his balance.
"What you doing here, kid?" He asked.
"Hello, Arthur," Lenny greeted, "You know what? I don't know-" Then he let out a gasp as the glass fell off his forehead and fell down to the floor below shattering on the floor as the two of them began laughing at this like a pair of drunken idiots. Then they picked up two more bottles of beer and began to drink them down. They chuckled and danced about.
"Well, why ain't you never married?" Lenny asked Arthur.
Looking at nothing for a few seconds, Arthur turned to Lenny and said, "No one would have me."
Their drunken shenanigans continued with Arthur jumping up and down like a fool, Lenny pounding his chest, and Arthur talking to himself.
"That's the thing you see, cause it-" He then turned around to see Lenny gone again, "Lenny?" He looked about again calling out, "Lenny!"
"Get away from me!" Lenny's voice cried out from below as Arthur turned to see Lenny in between to rough looking men.
"You in here, Lenny?" Arthur called out as he went downstairs to intervene, "Lenny, where you at?!" He made his way downstairs to see Lenny standing on the bar evading those two men. "Leave the kid alone, you goddamned animals!" He drunkenly called out.
"Who do you think you're talking to?" One of them demanded.
"Nobody…" Arthur hiccupped, "…I'm talkin' to nobody…"
"What did you say?" The first man who had a yellow coat and a thick mustache with mutton chops.
"What?" Arthur asked.
"I said, what did you say?"
"Get lost, buddy!" Arthur said shoving the man as the pianist stopped fearing another brawl.
"Shut up, mister!" The man said, "Yeah…shut your mouth, mister…"
"Oh no…." Kagome grumbled, "Here we go again…!"
They brawled for a minute, but barely touched each other as they held each other and started drunkenly laughing as they all hugged it out and danced the can-can to the pianist's music along with the bartender and all the men in the saloon.
"This is…actually rather funny to me," Sango giggled for a moment, "They look so stupid and foolish, and yet…so adorably cute at the same time. They're all smiles and laughter."
"Ugh…." Arthur groaned out as he broke from the dance line, "…gimme a moment…" He went outside to a haystack, unzipped his drawers, and started to relieve himself as everyone turned away with Sango still giggling.
Once Arthur finished urinating, he looked about to the blurry imagery before him as he stumbled to the backdoor to reenter. Walking back in, he called out to his friend.
"Lenny, where you hiding now…?" Arthur called out. He looked all around to see…Lenny's face on everybody's shoulders. Even the barmaids looked like Lenny in a dress and corset.
"Gosh," Kagome said, "He's smashed."
"That's one way of putting it…" Dr. Garter nodded.
"Lennyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!" Arthur called out, "Ohhhhhhh, Lennyyyyyy! Lenny…you…you BASTARD….!"
He approached a man on the stairs that dressed in attire similar to Lenny's.
"Damn it, Lenny! Stop sloping off on me!" He said to the stranger's face only for his real appearance to come out.
"How many have you had, pal?" The stranger asked backing away as Sango continued her mirth.
"Lenny…!" He called out to a guy in a blue coat.
"I'm Clyde, you got the wrong feller."
He stumbled across the terrace and came across another in more attire similar to Lenny.
"I been looking all over for you, Lenny!"
"Lenny? What are you talking about?"
He walked up to a door and called in.
"Lenny? Lenny!" He went in only to see a man and a woman with Lenny's heads on their shoulders going at it as they yelled in shock and fright as Arthur backed away and shook his head.
"Well…" Sango spoke, "…that was awkward…"
"Did not need to see that…" Kagome agreed.
Arthur called out to others only to realize none of them were Lenny. He then tried to exit the saloon to look outside only to trip over his own two feet and fall to the floor. He yelled out for Lenny as he struggled to get back to his feet.
"Arthur!" Lenny's voice called out as he turned to see Lenny in his face lifting him up, "Arthur, what are you doing?"
Arthur then gave his friend a good slap as he chuckled. Lenny then let out a smile as he also smacked Arthur across his face! He then slapped Arthur across the face four times as the patrons all cheered before they returned to the bar to slam down pints of beer now that the bar's night beer barrel was open.
"You're…you're a…" Lenny stammered drunk as he patted Arthur's shoulder, "…you're a good friend to me, Arthur."
"Shut up…" Arthur grumbled smacking Lenny's arm off him before grabbing his mug and said, "…cheers." They clinked their mugs and drank more.
"Cheers…" The annoying drunk from before said as Arthur turned to him.
"Not you again…" Arthur slurred out grabbing the man by his coat, dragging him outside to a pig sty, and then dunking his face in the trough of water repeatedly as he lifted him out to hear him breathing for air before dunking his head back in. He held him there for about half a minute before bubbling was seen and heard before it suddenly stopped and tossed his dead body aside before Lenny and Arthur began rolling in the mud laughing their heads off. Sango's mirth however suddenly disappeared.
"That's not funny…" She frowned, "…that's not funny at all."
"And yet the two of them are whooping and hollering their butts off like it's one big joke," Kagome said shaking her head in disgust.
The duo struggled to get out of the pen and into the main streets as their laughter turned to regurgitation as they started vomiting and getting the attention of the sheriff and his deputies.
"This way…this way…" Arthur said to Lenny who was hunched over vomiting still.
"Th-There they are, there they are!" The sheriff called out as a deputy tackled Lenny to the mud, "Those are the men! I got him…I got the bastard!"
"Come here, you drunk fool!" A deputy called out to Arthur.
"NEVERRRRRR!" Arthur called back as he made a run for it, "YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIIIIIVEEEE!" He ran down an alleyway as another deputy appeared out of nowhere getting in his way.
"You…stop right now, you drunken fool," He called out as Arthur turned to his right and ran more, "I said stop!"
Arthur saw a small fence in his way as he ran and leaped over it calling back, "Life….libery….and the pursuit of happiness! Heh! Heh! Heh!" He made his way into the woods and ran, and ran, and ran on foot for miles before arriving at some small train station with a little woodsy area. He made his way to the woodsy area and collapsed dead drunk in there.
"Good stopping point," Dr. Garter said as the screen went off, "It's getting late."
"Huh?" Kagome said looking outside to see that it was indeed nightfall as she felt her eyes getting heavy, "Oh right…well, guess I'd better head to my tent…night guys."
"Goodnight, Kagome," They all called out as the scientists left Sango all alone. She pulled back up to her couch and curled up under Michiru's half-naked body.
"I…saw some things I liked like…Arthur shaved and….his funny drunkenness, but…" She frowned, "…at the same time, I saw him bully that poor farmer and drown a man in a pig's water trough. Lenny talks about Micah having a crazy side, but I could say the same for Arthur. At most times, he seems to care, but at others…he's a complete devil."
Yawning she stretched out, and said, "Oh well…at least the bet's still on, and maybe I'll see more of what I like in Arthur next time…" Smiling a bit as she added, "And he did pick a rather sweet name for his horse." She rose and turned to Michiru sleeping, chuckled, and said, "Or was that you?" Rolling her eyes, she went to the tube and smiled saying, "If it was…how sweet." She found herself puckering her lips and kissing the glass while tears flowed through her eyes, "If only I could….if only I could…"
