Sam and Flat entered the area with the fire again; Sam was limping as Flat supported him. Meriem, who was still seated where she had been by the fire, looked at them surprised.

“Oh, you’re back already?” she remarked.

“I couldn’t hold it any longer,” replied Sam, “we had to stop.”

The prairie witch gave him a dirty look. “We…have a designated area to do that kind of thing. You couldn’t make it that far?”

“I really had to go,” Sam answered.

“We’re in a cave made of stone. No soil or water. Now that passageway is going to smell like piss for who knows how long.” She gave Flat a look as if he should have known better or tried harder to get his buddy to the proper location. After all, so far she had found Flat to be an upstanding fellow. This, however, was not upstanding.

Flat could tell what the look meant and he stared down at the ground. “Sorry, he really…had to go…” he said, trying to defend Sam’s actions. Sam, however, already seemed over it.

“Set me down by the fire,” he instructed Flat, “I’d like to get to know our hostess a little better.” Sure, Flat had already built up a repertoire with Meriem and was to ask her about the spell book when alone, but Normal was still away collecting café buffalo meat and Sam couldn’t yet do his part to learn where the stolen money was hidden. Besides, Sam reasoned, Flat seemed to have developed some sort of fondness for the prairie witch; he had to see what he could learn himself in case his pardner was already too far gone under a her spell of hers. They had a job to perform if they wanted to escape the long arm of the law; Sam certainly still was after that goal, even if Flat was faltering.

Meriem chuckled a little. “Hostess? Calling me that makes it sound like this all is some sort of stately manor.”

“You strike me as the sort who would have a stately manor. That dress you have on is real fancy.”

As was the case with her fashion choices of the past, the dress Meriem wore was a bit low-cut compared to the normal attire of the ladies in Fox Den. Flat did his best to keep his eyes level with hers, but Sam made no secret of what it parts of her body he was staring at.

Meriem, however, didn’t seem to mind. She grabbed a bit of fabric by her shoulder. “Yes, I do try to dress myself well. This is a beautiful dress, isn’t it? Alas that my face can’t match it.”

“Your face is plenty fine,” replied Sam, “but those scars are hard to miss. What happened? It looks like you were burned in a fire?” Of course, Sam already knew this, but he wanted to hear more from the woman herself than Flat was willing to press.

Flat, in fact, was not happy with Sam’s question. “Sam!” he exclaimed.

“Now, now,” Meriem said, holding a hand up to Flat, “it’s okay. He’s fine to ask. Yes, Sam, these scars are from a fire.”

“And how did you end up in a fire?”

“I was pushed,” replied Meriem in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Why would a lovely lady like you be pushed into a fire?”

“I guess because I was being naughty.”

Suddenly, Sam’s gaze locked with hers. Like Flat, Sam could feel a power, almost as if Meriem was trying to cast a spell on him, much as she had done on the sheriff years ago. But, like Flat had been able to do, it seemed Sam resisted her magic; there was a POP and, like that, things felt normal once again.

There was a clear look of confusion on Meriem’s face. It only stayed a moment as she glanced to Flat and then back to Sam. An out of place smile crossed her face.

“Well, anyway,” she said causally, as if nothing had happened, “if you want to know more you’ll have to buy me dinner. I don’t make it a habit of telling my life story to just anyone.”

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The three of them continued to make small talk for awhile. Flat and Meriem primarily spoke, that is- Sam would utter a word or two at times but the pair seemed wrapped up in their own conversation. Meriem, as before, inquired about horses and what made a particular horse worth stealing. Flat seemed happy to share, much to Sam’s chagrin; in fact, Flat seemed at ease with the woman both knew to be a prairie witch. Sam, in turn, remained guarded. He noted the woman chose not to answer most questions directed her way, instead coming back with more equestrian questions to keep Flat talking.

“-Say,” Sam interjected suddenly, causing Meriam and Flat to pause, “You’ve got an awful lot of questions about horse thieving.”

“Well,” Meriem answered, not missing a beat, “I’ve never met horse thieves before. There’s much I don’t know.”

“And I’ve never met a prairie witch before,” retorted Sam, “and there’s much I don’t know either. Tell me a bit more about how you became a prairie witch. Was it something you were born into?”

Meriem blinked. “Well, yes…”

“So what happens to boys?”

“What do you mean?”

“Ain’t witches girls?” Sam asked.

“Yes.”

“So, if it’s something you’re born into, wasn’t your mother a witch?”

“Sam…” Flat tried to moderate his friend, but Sam ignored him.

“Yes, she was,” answered Meriem. “And my grandmother, and my great-grandmother…”

“So, if witches are always girls, what happens if a witch gives birth to a boy?”

“They…have a son,” replied Meriem, confused as she shot a glance Flat’s direction.

“Just a regular, old boy?”

“I mean…:” Meriam paused a moment, “Boy babies of prairie witches tend not to be as healthy as girl babies. Many die, and those that live are not as robust as their sisters…”

“And did you know any boys growing up? Anyone particularly close to you who was a boy?”

“Sam,” Flat said again, not sure what Sam was up to but not liking the direction of questioning.

“Well-” Meriem began, but was interrupted by the sound of Normal walking back into the area. Long strips of meat were thrown over his shoulders.

“Good buffalo,” he exclaimed with a smile. His uneven eyes found their way over to Sam. “You better!”

“Haha, yes,” Sam replied, smiling back, “I am better. Thanks to your quick thinking and strength! I owe you- and, of course, Meriem- a big thank you for that.”

Meriem didn’t respond. Sam could sense she was thinking something but could not tell what.

“That really is a lot of meat, Normal!” remarked Flat, trying to keep the atmosphere friendly, “Are you planning to cook it all?”

“She cook,” clarified Normal, motioning to Meriem.

“Yes, I’ll cook it just the way you like,” said Meriem, rising to her feet and collecting some of the strips of meat from her companion. “We got to keep you well-fed so you stay nice and strong.”

Flat rose to his feet as well. “Here, Meriem, let me help,” he offered. The witch’s natural smile crossed her ruby red lips which made Sam narrow his eyes in concern.

“Oh, Flat, thank you! I’m…not used to help. Other than from Normal, I mean.”

“If you need help cooking I can assist with that too,” added Flat, “Not that my cooking abilities are anything to write home about, but I’m usually the one on cooking duty when Sam and I are on the move.”

“Your food is decent,” Sam confessed.

“Well, I’m…I’m sure I can cook these strips pretty well by myself, Flat, but if you’d like to chat with me here while I’m cooking I wouldn’t mind.”

“Hallway piss,” remarked Normal, turning around and sniffing the air.

Meriem sighed, “Yes, Normal, it seems Sam couldn’t wait to get to the right room.”

“Why not?”

“Why not, Sam?” Meriem asked, almost accusatory.

“…it wasn’t that much piss,” Sam countered. He did not see Flat’s fondness for the woman, even if Flat truly wasn’t under her spell.

“Normal,” Meriam remarked, “Flat and I are going to start cooking the meat and it’d probably be best if you moved Sam back a little bit from the fire. That would give us more space.”

“Sorry, Normal,” Sam shrugged, “my leg is getting better but I’m going to need some more of your help.”

“No problem,” Normal approached, using his muscular right arm to grab Sam by his shirt collar and pulling him backwards. He made a wincing face as he did so that caused him to let out a moan.

“Is it your back again?” the prairie witch inquired. Normal nodded.

“Oh, having back problems?” Sam asked, seeing this situation as an opportunity, “I’ve been told a time or two I give good massages. Kneel down, Normal, I’ll see what I can do for you. “

“You massage?” Normal asked, clearly surprised to hear that.

“Not usually guys, but yeah, I’ve given massages a time or two. Here, you helped me, let me see if I can help you.”

Normal seemed more than willing as he dropped to his knees.

“Please massage,” he said.

Sam glanced over at Flat and gave him a look. Flat seemed to understand as he gave a subtle nod back. This was just as Sam had hoped- he could talk to Normal and see if the big fellow would spill where the money he had stolen from the bank was being kept. Flat, in turn, would be able to continue to win Meriem’s confidence and get the prairie witch to reveal her spell book’s hiding place. Everything was coming together.

Sam cracked his knuckles and placed his hands in the center of Normal’s back.

“Alright, buddy,” Sam remarked, “get ready to have the best massage of your life.”