Frozen Tears

Feel dirty afterwards,
Ben Hodes and Justin sit in the back office in the darkening dusk each with a half full glass of whisky. The bottle is half empty.

There is a skummy feeling in the air, but it is nearly washed away with Whisky and a sense of that the ugly "job" that had to be done was done.

carney piss You get eurphoria.
Hands go to glasses. Numb eyes meet. Feeling no pain or remorse now. An evil smile breaks over their faces and they laugh with a fierceness that is the inverse of their shame and humiliation at taken another life.

Hungry Colorado Miner across the head
Wash Stonecyphercan't recall where he is. Some sort of vauge gauzy prision that holds his consciousness muffled. Last thing he recalls is coming into the valley to settle a dispute with the mine owners. Everything was going well, he had his men under control and everyone intended on being friendly. What happened? How come how could not recall time after that stage? A fear began to lurk in what remained of his consciousness. A tought not of himself but of hos young daughter Lizzy. Something had gone wrong. Now he swelled with force trying to move to get back to Lizzy. He was vaugly conscouious of a wind blowing discarded papers down a long outdoor hallway. But nothing more physical than a sense of further dissapation came from his exertions.

What will Lizzy do? An eye forms in his vision, all seeing with a reminding glance to it. It a wave of repose he is rejoined with a deep comfort, his Lodge Brother Martin Fierro will care for Lizzy. They had made arrangements in the case of some disaster like this.

Evil hungry
"Some people say you can't kill an idea" Hodes slowly croaks in a drunken pontification, "but you can kill it's carrier."

"And learn the living what they ought not ta think" Justin slurs confidently.

We have a couple of real old boys here taking care of history for the...the what...

We have not gotten that far. And you have not read Galactic Life Unveiled published by Borderland Scinces...for that story of evil you will have to wait.

Lawful Good that lie just beneath.
Wash had died in the night. There was extreme anger in the miners camps and talk of an outright lynching of Ben Hodes and Travis.

Wash lay in the coffin. Indeterminate waves of some fading pulse, some non-physical aspect of his identity if life was still present...attached to the situation and not free to leave.

Was it Lizzy? He could not see the future but instead had a vauge feeling of powerlessness and unease.

Tears in frost.
Lizzy Stonecypher feels the grave gape open so wide it could consume her. Her tears fall to the ground melting the ground with hot grief only to be overcome by the cold inertia of frost that she had encountered since she came into the valley. She is terrified, angry and for the first time in her life she feels alone. How could he leave her like this? How could he be so stupid to have to lead those men...and then the biting shame of those thoughts. She knew her father was a man of principle who had told her many times that the life of one man can purchase the freedom for many if the fight was just.

Martin Fierro stands close to Lizzy. She instinctivly turns to him and burys her face in his arm. Martin was Wash's best friend and was over for dinner most nights of the week. Martin would bring his guitar and play the songs of the Goucho and even some Italian songs of the medival carnival.

Creatively chaotic into pleasure till we die.
Earlier in the Lodge Room, Martin Fierro dons his apron, white gloves, top hat and gavel and prepares for the Ceremony of Passing. Air thickens with a magnetic light that darts and pulses through the Lodge Room, crawling along the fancy plasterwork, pillars, and insignia of the officers.

Wash is almost completely conscious on the otherside now. A swirling gate is opening to a vast complex, a building which rises out of the nothingness and towers above what can be percieved. He gives three knocks at the door and is admited. In that moments the energy in the Lodge can almost be heard to sizzle.

In the middle of it is metal band chaos, healed all his wounds, sip a beer mutha fuckas.
A silver band is placed around finger of Wash, it is embalzoned with a strange star that shoots arrows in eight directions and he is given a sip of beer. Martin careful to pour it into his mouth and throat so that the corpse actually drinks.

Wash Stonecypher no more, a radiant being stands beyond the gates and calls forth a blessing on his brothers who have assisted him in passing.

Bright Half Moon, Since the passage of Argentinian Anarchist.
Martin speaks over the final sip of wine in his glass. "I have made arrangements for you to go to Italy where I have a sister who will be able to take care of you. It is not safe for you here in Colorado." Setting the empty glass he picks up his guitar and begins to play a familiar tune.

"The Songs of Italy that I love" she looks to the ground "...they wrote my fate."

Martin sings in Italian

Farewell beautiful Lugano, Farewell my sweet land,

Driven away guiltlessly, The anarchists are leaving.

And they set off singing, With hope in their hearts

Ceaselessly banished, We will go from land to land,

Promoting peace and declaring war,

Peace among the oppressed, war to the oppressors.

There's a coffin and 3,000 comrades,

We were all clasping our flags,

And we swore that night,

That is won't end this way Povero Pinelli (Poor Pinelli),

Anonymous and innocent,

You loved anarchy.