Editing Five of Diamonds: 'Pedro'

Met a man with a Card, once.  Didn't know it when he walked in the store, though.  Some folk say that a real Gunslinger has a feel about 'em, and that you can tell 'em on the street, but this one just looked like a skinny little Mexican boy, couldn't have been older than seventeen.

I forget what he'd come round to buy.  I think it was bullets, but that don't seem right.  I do remember him saying he was goin' to a church, some new one they'd built a ways west.  He had a crucifix on, and I remember it was real shiny.  Must've been nickel, I guess.  Anyway, we got to talking for awhile, and he was a real kindly sort.  I never had particular trouble with Catholics, but he said he had a fight with some of the folks he prayed with.  He showed me the Gun, then, and said that some of 'em thought that a man couldn't go to God with that Gun in his hand, so he was lookin' for a new place to pray; he didn't want to stir up trouble, but he had to keep the Card.

We'd talked for awhile, me about the family, him about God, when two other Mexican fellas burst in.  I asked 'em what they wanted, but they just started yellin' at the boy in Spanish.  He started talkin' back to 'em-- I guess he was trying to calm 'em down, but you know I don't speak a word of anything but English.

I figured they were the folks he'd told me about, and I saw they had guns 'emselves, not Cards, but it don't take a Card to kill a man.

I never saw anyone angrier than those two fellas were, and when I saw 'em goin' for their guns, my heart about stopped.  Now, you know I've carried an iron m'self ever since Audrey died, and even as my hands were shaking I went for it, but what happened next I'll never forget.

The boy was fastern' all of us.  One, two, three, and he'd had us all in his sights, one after another, but he didn't shoot.  Didn't need to.  I don't know what the Mexican fellas would tell you, but I soon as that gun was on me, I stopped dead.  Couldn't move a muscle!  Just... all of a sudden I felt like someone was watchin' me, and that they didn't like what they saw.  Guilty, I guess.  Guilt like a rock on my chest.

It didn't last. 'Bout three heartbeats and I could move again, and I saw he'd emptied his gun into the other fellas-- he didn't kill 'em, just put a bullet in each leg, and one in both of their gun arms.

They were on the ground, groaning, and he took the time to take their guns, took their bullets too.  And he looked at me, kinda sad, and he said “I apologize for my brothers, sir,” and he called something to them in Spanish: “Lo que ates en la tierra, será atado en los cielos!” and then he ran out.

God Almighty, I couldn't believe it when his brothers told me what that means!

---------

Back to [[Wild Cards: Stories of the World]]

Back to [[Wild Cards]]