George Chesbro: Bleeding in the Eye of a Brainstorm

John Wayne said, "I hear tell you didn't even let the sheriff back in there know what was going on until it was almost too late. You must have tumbleweed for brains, little pilgrim."

I felt the blood rush to my face. "All right, Duke, now you're getting me pissed off. Speaking of brains, it wasn't my mind-or my life-at stake in this thing. I was just a facilitator, Duke. I wasn't calling the shots. These people had good reason to be wary of the authorities, medical and legal. If you'd been in my saddle, Duke, you'd probably have done the same damn thing. Not only that, but I think it's probably politically incorrect for you to refer to me as being up to my ass in a particular tribe of proud Native Americans. So I don't need to hear any more of your shit."

Garth and Mary exchanged glances, and Mary inclined her head slightly. Garth nodded, then laughed as he put his arm around my shoulders and hugged me. "You did good, Mongo," he said in his normal voice, indicating that John Wayne had finally ridden off into the sunset and I was back in his good graces. "You did real good, and I'm damn proud of you. It was just a little difficult to take, finding out what you'd been trying to deal with alone while I was off falling on my ass on the ski slopes, and you hadn't even bothered to call me. Aside from the fact that I feel an occasional twinge of affection for my brother, it made me feel like a fool. It's my place to be there for you when you need help, just like you've always been there for me. I was really pissed."

"So I noticed. Not contacting you seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I can see your point. I really am sorry. If you hadn't ridden to the rescue, I'd be dead, and probably all the patients as well."

"Apology accepted."

"Gerard filled you in?"

Garth shook his head. "He told me about your call only after I'd learned about your situation from other sources and contacted him again; you'd asked him not to tell me, and he didn't. Once I'd already learned what was happening, his agreement with you was moot, and he filled me in on Punch and Judy."

"Then who got in touch with you?"

"Actually, I got calls from two people. The first was from Felix MacWhorter, who hadn't spoken to me or had a kind word to say in years. It seems you've been doing quite a job of diplomacy with the man, because he thought enough of you to track me down and tell me he was worried about you and thought you could use some help; I'd left a message on my answering machine at the house giving the number where I could be reached in case of an emergency. He also sent me a copy of the Punch and Judy tape, and that told me all I needed to know about Lorminix and Heinrich Muller. I also got a call from Veil."

I grunted, said, "That figures."

"He thought you needed more backup. Also, he knew I'd probably hold him responsible if anything happened to you."

"For Christ's sake," I said, shaking my head. "He never said a word."

"Aha. That's because I asked him not to. I thought it only fitting that I treat you the same way you'd treated me. Besides, I thought there were certain advantages to keeping you in the dark."

"Yeah? Name one."

"It gave me a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling of satisfaction. I think better when I'm feeling good."

"Ho, ho, ho."

"Besides that, I didn't want you distracted and worrying about me. I know that's why you didn't call; you were trying to protect me. You thought you had all the bases covered here, and you didn't want to risk having me get my ass in a wringer over in Switzerland if you told me about Lorminix and the patients' need for more medication. I shouldn't tell you this, but I'm not unappreciative of your motives."

"How the hell did you get the capsules?"

"Simplicity itself. I had Heinrich Muller's name from the Punch and Judy tape, so I just went and asked him for more capsules."

"You're putting me on, right? I can't believe Muller would even agree to talk to you, much less agree to give you the medication."

"He didn't have much choice. I visited him at home; his house didn't have much of a security system. He woke up in the middle of the night to find me sitting on the edge of his bed."

"Ah," I said, rolling my eyes. "The old horse's head gambit."

"Something like that."

"Dare I ask what became of Herr Muller?"

"Never laid a hand on him. I was the soul of sweet reason. The Duke patiently explained the situation to him, and then appealed to his conscience. He finally agreed that the shortage of medication for the patients was an atrocious thing, and something should be done about it. He invited me to come back to his office, where he just happened to have a supply of said capsules in his safe. He insisted that I take all of them, and then he insisted on helping me get through customs with them. Why, the man even insisted on accompanying Mary and me when we flew back to New York in the Lorminix corporate jet. He couldn't have been more cooperative."

"Jesus, you must have scared the shit out of him."

"Well, now that you mention it, the Duke did seem to make him a bit nervous."

Mary laughed, then stepped forward and put her arms around both of us. "Okay, now that the two of you have kissed and made up, let's go get something to eat. I'm starved, and I'm buying."

"Mongo," my brother said to me seriously, "you're never going to make the mistake again of forgetting who loves you, right?"

"Right."

"Right," Garth drawled. "Then let's saddle up and go find ourselves a chuck wagon."