GUN SALAD

“So, you folks are going after Gunn, huh?”

The sheriff leaned back in his chair and stroked his mustache, lost in thought. He seemed quite at home in his new surroundings already, and Roulette was glad to see it; after all, it had been she and her friends who’d been tasked with moving his desk and other relevant belongings into Parge and O’Fleef’s firm for the time being (pending the restoration of his half-destroyed office).

“...I don’t suppose I could steer you away from that course of action?” he asked, smiling wryly. “I’m sure you know this already, but he’s the most powerful man on the range. I reckon you won’t be able to get to him without the Nasty Nine catchin’ wind of it neither.”

Roulette shook her head emphatically. “I won’t back down, Caden. I can’t. Besides, we dealt with Bubba Lee just fine, didn’t we? How bad can the rest of the Nine possibly be?”

“Big talk, considerin’ you nearly lost one of your own right here in Toothless,” he reminded her. “It’ll only get harder from here on out–I guarantee it. But if you’re sure, I s’pose I’ll do what I can to help. You got me and my people out of a jam, after all.”

With that, Caden straightened up and started rifling through the drawers of his desk, contributing further to the air of clerical chaos that had come over the law office since its return to earth. Conrad and Solomon flitted this way and that, gathering up loose papers, righting furniture, and returning office supplies to their proper places. They worked diligently to undo the mess Bubba Lee had left, casting occasional haughty glances in the sheriff’s direction. Roulette had the impression that they resented his presence in their little sanctuary.

…Or maybe they just longed to get at the messy pile of documents trapped under the feet of his newly relocated desk.

A minute or so later, the sheriff retrieved what he was looking for and slapped it down atop the desk for their perusal. Roulette unfurled the old, yellowed scrap of parchment to reveal a crudely drawn map–a map of the whole range, from the looks of it.

“We’re here in Biffle County,” he began, tapping at the easternmost edge of the map with his index finger. “If you want Gunn, you’ll want to head to Ballistona far to the west. Notice how you’ll need to pass through every other county to get there? If you look closely, you can see that the enclaves are clearly marked.”

He looked to the others in the group, then. “Some of you don’t look to be from around here, so I’ll explain. You can think of the enclaves like a county’s capital city, only scummier and more dangerous. They’re like big, industrial forts with walls made of scrap metal, and each one is overseen by one of Gunn’s Nasty Nine. Forget us sheriffs; the leaders of each enclave are the real authority out here on the range, and they don’t take too kindly to anyone who threatens their claim to power. I’d recommend givin’ the enclaves a wide berth in your travels. They’ve got all manner of armaments, soldiers, and gun emplacements on hand to make your lives miserable.”

“No problem,” Roulette scoffed, leaning back with a confident grin on her face. “We’ve got an airship. We can breeze over the enclaves–maybe even a county or two–without anyone bein’ the wiser.”

Now it was Caden’s turn to shake his head. “There are a few problems with that idea,” he began. “Right now, it’s fair to say the range is like one big ol’ weapons R&D department. Gunn prides himself on runnin’ the tightest arms manufacturin’ operation in the world, and he and his cronies are dead-set on keepin’ it that way. I’ve heard they take down every airship they see just on the off chance that the crew’s harborin’ a spy.”

“See? What did I tell you?” Mimi sneered, giving Morgan’s arm a slap. “Outside of Trigger City, it’s all idiotic, paranoid provincials. It’s a wonder we haven’t been shot down already!”

To his credit, the sheriff took her slight in stride. “The only place it’s safe to fly an airship ‘round here is along the coasts. The enclaves are too far inland to trouble you there, and fuel is easy to come by on account of all the steamships comin’ and goin’. Out on the range proper, most minin’ operations are run out of the enclaves, so they tend to keep all the coal for themselves, with a token amount set aside to keep the railway runnin’.”

“Hm. So there is a rail system,” Marka mused. “That could be a safe way to travel the continent.”

“Forget it,” Caden replied. “The Grand Wesson Railway only exists for the benefit of Gunn’s people. It’s rare for anythin’ but supplies ‘n’ resources to travel along those rails… And what few passenger trips there are cater only to the elite: Government officials. Big city rich folks. And, of course, the Nasty Nine themselves. If you’re not one of the chosen few, you ain’t gettin’ a spot. That’s all there is to it.”

“So, what are we supposed to do then?” Morgan grumbled. “Walk?”

The sheriff shrugged his shoulders. “That’s up to you. I’ve told you just about all I know when it comes to gettin’ around Wesson–I’m a bit of a homebody, y’see.” He rose to his feet with a smile, then, taking up Bubba Lee’s weapon from his desktop. “Now, I hate to leave you all so soon after what you did for Toothless, but I figure I’d best take our boy Bubba Lee on a countywide tour. He was kind enough to bring down all the bubbles around here–when forced to, at gunpoint–but he’s made victims of half the townsfolk in Biffle these past few months, and I want to make sure he sets ‘em right before I take him back to the enclave.”

Roulette cocked a brow at that. “After all he’s done, you’re goin’ to set him free?”

“Well, sure. I can’t have all the most powerful Gunslingers on the range comin’ down on me for keepin’ him locked up,” he said. “I know it ain’t exactly justice, but it’s better this way. Trust me. You can keep the map, by the way–I reckon you’ll need it more than I will.”

Then the old man winked and departed with a wave, leaving them alone with Conrad and Solomon (who wasted no time in drifting over to hover anxiously nearby). Roulette sighed and vacated her chair, allowing the two lawyers unrestricted access to the messy floor beneath Caden’s desk.

“Have at it, boys,” she invited, hands on her hips. “We’ll go ahead and get out of your way now. In fact, I do believe this’ll be goodbye. If we happen to see any potential clients on our travels, we’ll be sure to send ‘em your way.”

“Appreciated!” Solomon chirped from his place beneath the desk. “And again, thank you all so very much for saving Conrad and I! Should you ever wish to seek legal amends for an injury of your own, do let us know, won’t you?”

Conrad stood up straight and clapped a hand over his heart. “We’ll take the case, pro bono!”

“N-Now, let’s not be too hasty, Conrad!” Solomon sputtered just as they were leaving. Roulette smiled and led her friends out into the sunlit streets of Toothless, well-pleased by all they had accomplished since their arrival. It had been a diversion, alright, but the sight of dozens of recently-returned citizens walking the main drag alongside them made it all worth it.

All that remained was the matter of what they’d all do next. And, much to her surprise, it was Mimi who ended up raising the issue:

“I’ve been thinking about what the sheriff said,” she announced, “and I have decided that it might be best if I flew the airship to Trigger City… Alone.”

Her sudden proclamation drew a bewildered gaze from everyone in the group. “Alone?” Roulette echoed. “What for?”

Mimi reached into her back pocket and produced an unfamiliar object: a long, glowing sliver of the mineral known as arcan ore. “Just before we left Sebastopol, Anua gave me this,” she said, holding it up to the light for all to see. “It’s deep arcan ore–one of the rarest substances on the planet. With it, a Gunsmith can craft weapons and attachments more powerful than any other… But not without a fully-furnished workshop.”

She spun to regard them all as they reached the outskirts of town, walking backwards as she detailed the rest of her plight. “If I go to Trigger City, I’m certain to find the tools I need to work this material. And it’s hard to explain, but I sense a kind of… Potential emanating from it. Like it’s meant for us–meant to give us the strength we need to see all this through.”

The girl paused, then, seemingly unable to keep the smirk from her lips. “...Plus, I’ll admit, I hate the range and I feel as though I won’t be of any use out here anyway. This way, at least, I may actually be able to do some good.”

Roulette looked between her and the rest of their companions. She’d been hesitant to split the group at first, but Mimi had raised some good points. “I’m okay with it,” she said at length. “Anyone have any objections?”

“I have no objections,” Marka replied, glancing furtively in his daughter’s direction, “but I do have a request:

“I want you to take Beretta with you.”