Supper was finished and I wish I could say that it had been glorious. Changes would be coming to this kitchen soon. At the very least, Rachel Byrne could get involved and train the staff. The breakfast had been good, but it hadn’t been great. This just would not do.

We moved to the sitting room so the servants could clear the dining table. There wasn’t really enough seating for all of us in the sitting room, but we’d only be here a short while. As everyone settled in I immediately begged forgiveness from all to have a quick side word with Amos and Sheriff in the study.

The topic was obvious and while wine and spirits were being offered to our guests, I spoke with a very nervous Amos in the study.

“Do you know what to say? Do you have a flower?”

Of course, no one had thought to give him a flower to offer and he certainly didn’t have a ring. Sheriff started to leave to fetch one just as Aunty showed up with a single elegant rose from the garden. “I was sure y’all wud forget this part. I figured he didn’t have time to get a ring made.”

Damn that woman was good, she handed the rose to Amos and I took over again, "We’ll all go in and you just wait to a count of fifty. Then come in and walk straight to Madeleine. Kneel down, look her in the eye, hold up the rose to her and say your offer. Understand?”

He barely nodded and I thought he might be shaking.

“You’ll be fine. Just remember to hold the rose up to her while you say the words. If she accepts, just sit on the seat next to her and hold her hand gently.” With that, we left him to suffer in his well of anxiety and took our places in the sitting room.

I had barely picked up my glass when Amos walked in the door. The ladies had sat Madeleine on a loveseat by herself, but with so many people standing around, he had trouble locating her. Everything went fairly smoothly from there. They both pulled off their lines and Sheriff offered a toast to the newly engaged.

We split into groups after the toasts, but it was destined to be a short night. The only bit of public excitement left was when Amos went to lead his fiancée to the servants' quarters. He was diverted and guided upstairs, where a proper bedroom awaited with a bow on its door. Amos seemed utterly confused at this point but Madeleine knew what was happening here. She took over and dragged him into the room. It was actually kind of comical.

*** ***

I retreated to the office, I wanted to look out the window a bit and think. There is no rest for the wicked though and Jeb was there, the wheelwright was with him. I had forgotten all about them. The plus side was that Brin was there. One of the servants had brought him a horse blanket to lie on, so he could hang out with me. Brin, I knew and could easily relate to.

The wheelwright turned out to be the easiest conversion of all. He and his wife had heard the speech and they wanted in. In fact, they looked like the newly converted lining up for baptism; too bad I didn’t have a ritual for them. I had to trust Jeb with the details and he left with the couple in tow. I wasn’t even sure if I’d been told their names. Is this what it was like? If it was, we’d have to change how it was done. I was left with the feeling that he would have cheerfully said, “Sure you can fuck my wife,” as she eagerly threw herself on the bed. It reminded me of what had happened earlier with Grace. Did that really happen today?

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Did Hitler and Kennedy feel this way when it happened to them? Was that Castro’s deal?

Brin was a great contemplation buddy, much better than bourbon…which I’d now had too much of. So I had a last cigarette and took myself off to bed.

*** ***

False dawn brought me out of my slumber. There was much to be done and not much time for it. But first, I wanted to talk to a few people; I knocked on Sheriff’s door before I headed down for coffee. I had to rouse the cook again. This would definitely not do, over the long run. Our veterans would keep odd hours and we needed an ash boy or girl watching the fires anyway. Trusting fireplaces to keep to themselves was a very bad idea that led to an untold number of deaths, even in the modern world.

I had barely gotten my first cup of coffee when both Sheriff and Amos showed up with their women in tow…or being led by their women. I couldn’t tell for sure. I asked for Aunty, and Madeleine was off like a shot. I swear I had barely finished the good mornings and lit a cigarette, when Aunty appeared. Naturally, she immediately fussed about no food being out and headed for the hearth. I had to call her back while the cook was still in one piece.

I cut to the chase and asked about yesterday and the speech, watching them closely for reactions. They started to offer praise but I stopped them and asked for truths.

“People looked at me different. Like suddenly I could do no wrong in their eyes. Am I really like that? Am I that man? Have I become Napoleon? I’m still just Zach to me, but how do YOU feel about me now?”

Well this set them aback for a moment. Finally, Lucinda broke out with the truth, “You frighten me now.” She said it quietly and looked away, going silent.

She had broken the dam though and Sheriff spoke up, “Yeah. She’s right. You scare me now. You remind me of Castro or Stalin maybe even Kennedy or Hitler with the way you can just have people suddenly believe in you.” He didn’t flinch though, and pushed on, “Yesterday, I would have burned down heaven if you had asked and they all would have helped me.”

There was a long pause before he said, “I’m highly educated and have studied what this brings. Still, I couldn’t see past the sound of your voice or the power of your personality. I completely doubt myself now.”

I was more concerned by the minute and Aunty just made it worse when she sipped her tea and quietly said, "When you first came to us, you brought words of hope. I had dreams of safety and happiness. Almost like a children’s story.

“You spoke powerfully yesterday, with urgency and force. People were moved with energy and there will be a great crop of new babies next spring. All of this was good.

“But new dreams came, also. I dreamed of a bloody battlefield and a lone warrior on a black horse stood upon it. He held the flame of death in one hand and had the bloody spear of retribution in the other. He saw a distant motion on the field and the spear struck over great distance and vanquished his foe. He rode away then and he was alone. There was no one to ride with him.”

The silence was deafening until Amos quietly said, “Your M-16,” and suddenly thunder spoke from the sky and hell broke loose.

Go ahead and hate your neighbor

Go ahead and cheat a friend

Do it in the name of heaven

You can justify it in the end

There won't be any trumpets blowing

Come the judgement day

On the bloody morning after

One tin soldier rides away

- Dennis Lambert & Brian Potter