The Arrival of Rez Diamond
By
Geltab
* * * * *
PUBLISHED BY:
The Arrival of Rez Diamond
Copyright © 2013 by Geltab
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
The Arrival of Rez Diamond
Along the banks of a noisy river a mystery came to live in our midst. He walks like one of us, talks like us, but there can be no denying it, he is not one of us. We have our normal share of cutthroats and thieves around our tiny town of “Three Hands,” what growing shithole doesn’t? Everything was just starting to run smoothly until he set up camp outside of town besides that damned river. An assassin they say no living being has the skill to kill, be it an individual or an army. In some parts of this world they call him the “Army Annihilator,” and they whisper it in hushed tones! They call him this for good reason, solely through audacity, skill, and intelligence he has single handedly destroyed armies and their kingdoms ambitions. The last word among the law was, now he goes to the highest bidder; he’s out of our price range. You can begin to see why his presence caused me so much consternation and anxiety. Question after question rang through my pea brain, why is he in Three Hands? Why did he reveal himself in a big, bright tent by the river? Why did he make spectacle of himself arriving in town? It just didn’t make any sense and that was a terrifying thought, if Rez Diamond had a reputation for anything besides killing, it was making sense.
“Screw me sideways, Rez Goddamn Diamond! THE Rez Diamond, scary, legend, myth, killer, here in tiny Three Hands,” I said out loud to myself as I stood in my broken down office, hands on hips trying to find a reason. I went outside and damned near tripped on a vagrant, he didn’t even apologize. I told him once, “If you’re here when I get back it’s to the dungeon.”
“Please sir, spare a coin?” He begged in boozy words with a hiccup, he didn’t even make eye contact.
Before I could reply again, “Squeak” a young hang around girl came running up to me, just like most mornings.
“Sherriff! Sherriff! Did you hear the news? Have you seen him?” I played dumb.
“Seen who Squeak?” I said while saddling “Benny,” my horse.
“You know who!” She leaned in to whisper in my ear, “Rez Diamond.” She looked around scared; making sure no one heard her. Funny kid,
“How could I have missed him riding through the street yesterday dressed like a peacock?”
“You didn’t like the shirt? I thought it was fancy and neat. Anyways, a few of us are gonna go by the hills and look down the river at his tent today, bye sheriff.”
“See you later Squeak.” Squeak’s been an orphan in Three Hands since I’ve been sheriff. She might be too curious for her own good. I decided long before seeing Squeak that I was going to have a small talk with Rez Diamond out by his tent to ascertain certain intentions in Three Hands.
The day was clear and sunny with a bright blue sky, not a cloud in sight. The ride from town to where Rez Diamond camped only took an hour as the crow flies. While I was riding out there I had too much time to think. ‘Maybe he made such a spectacle hoping the sheriff would come see him, but why…again?’ I needed answers from the legendary man himself. There are actually people in the world that now believe in magic because they think Rez Diamond is a wizard or some type of living god for the things he is said to have done. I know he is no wizard, he has no supernatural magic, he is just a man, and to me that makes him all the more horrific. I decided to go speak to him alone because…well…there is no one else. Who can I make my deputy, Squeak? No, not in Three Hands; the only time anyone wants the sheriff is when they’re in danger of being killed or they need somebody buried. As far as the law in Three Hands it was only me and my old horse Benny.
Well, he certainly knew how to make camp that’s for sure. A giant, multicolored tent was setup next to the river like some gaudy, arrogant bird flapping its wings in the breeze. The approach of my horse must have given me away, though I was not trying to sneak up on someone famous for being deadly. Out of one of the colored flaps came an even more festooned man. Wearing robe after robe of every color silk under the sun hanging loosely about his body with a red turban on his head I will say this, Rez Diamond cuts an impressive figure. He must be close to seven feet tall,
“Good day sheriff,” he spoke in a thick northern accent. His cheekbones were high and his skin was a deep red.
“Good day sir, I am looking for a Mr. Rez Diamond.”
“In the humble flesh sir,” he said while taking a low bow.
“Good to meet you Mr. Diamond, you know we in Three Hands are a simple people from nothing but a small dirt village and we’re sure you have been in palaces the world over. Still, when we hear that a genuine celebrity such as you is nearby and not taking advantage of our hospitality that’s a case for wonder and concern on behalf of some people.”
We stood silent for a moment until he nodded and answered,
“I see, well if that is the cause of alarm let me place you at ease my good sheriff. I have not used the town’s services because I am only passing through; I will be camped here for one more day then leaving…with your permission of course sheriff?” He added quickly onto the end of his statement.
“I understand Mr. Diamond; I had to check for the people. If you have a free moment please come into town for a drink. People would talk about it for ages!”
“Thank you sheriff,” he smiled back at me and waved as if telling me to leave without saying so.
We nodded to each other; I turned Benny back towards Three Hands convinced of his passing through, but not completely at ease. The ride back being an uneventful clip clop of dust clogging my throat, I decided to stop by the bar in town to wet my whistle before going back to my office. When I entered the bar I saw Squeak and her two idiot friends drinking leftovers just out of sight in the back. I doubled my pace towards them, making a comment to the bartender as I passed.
“Great Goddamned job you’re doing here Joe!”
I grabbed Squeak by her collar and she dropped the glass on the floor. Her two buddies whose names I never learned scattered like the names I had given them; Cock and Roach.
“Squeak…Squeak…Squeak. You lied to me. You knew I was heading out to see Rez Diamond at his camp and you take the opportunity to trick old Joe here at the bar to find yourself some drink? Is that about right?” I let her go and ordered my own shot of whiskey.
“No sheriff honest, we went out there and came back already.”
“Oh you did? Man, these young ones are quick Joe. So you saw him too?” I asked the stuttering, stammering Squeak.
“Yeah sheriff, we sure did.” Squeak said leaning onto the bar next to me.
“Such a short guy, and why is he wearing all brown today?” I asked Squeak while looking into my cup. She let out a forced guffaw.
“Yeah really, why is everyone afraid of such a small guy? I guess he seemed bigger on that horse yesterday.”
&nb
sp; I took another shot before teaching Squeak a lesson,
“That’s two lies Squeak, you never went no where and you know it! If you had you’d know the man is as big as a building and dressed like the sun. Now come on, let’s go.” I said taking her by the elbow.
“Go where sheriff?”
“You’re gonna spend the night in a cozy dungeon cell right next to my desk so I can show you what lying gets you in Three Hands.”
Squeak came with no struggle, but on the way out I tripped over the filthy beggar again! I was in a sore mood now and leniency had no room within me. Before he could ask me for a coin he was in my other hand, my anger got the better of me and I walloped him a few times with the butt of my gun. Together he and Squeak could spend the night in my cheery abode. The drunk kept hiccupping and babbling on and on about me violating his Empirical rights, which is why I knocked him in the face again. Squeak just kept moving with her head down. I opened the “Dungeon door” as we call it and they each took separate cots on opposite sides of the cell. The drunk collapsing and falling on his cot into an almost immediate sleep, while Squeak sat on the edge of her cot with head in hands.
“I’m sorry Squeak, but you really need to learn no lying to me. I need to be able to trust your word one day.” I said beginning to feel some remorse for following through on putting Squeak in the dungeon, now that my anger had been fed.
“I know sheriff, I know.” Squeak said as she lay down on her side exhaling loudly.
‘Now I can get some of this paperwork done finally!’ I thought to myself as I eased down into my chair. Just as I picked up the pen, Joe the bartender burst into the room. I went with the bullshit,
“Howdy Joe, long time no see. How’s the bar going?”
“Sheriff, there’s another fight gone wrong! Crazy Davey has his sword to old man Harring’s throat again and says he’s gonna do it for real this time!”
I stood, along with my anger at being disturbed once again when all should be calming down for the night.
“Goddamn crazy Davey! Threatening to kill his old man every fucking week! It makes no sense to me, does it to you Joe? Get ready for a loud next door neighbor Squeak, unless I knock him out first!” I said to her while putting on my hat and heading back to the bar with Joe tailing behind.
Squeak in the Cell
The begging drunk began to stir and curse as the sheriff slammed the door behind him. He managed to sit up against the wall, burp and look at Squeak. The drunk shut his eyes and looked away in disgust.
“What are you rolling your eyes for? You’re the one who took the beating?” Squeak said as the beggar moaned.
“I know, I know. I just hate this part.”
“What part?” Squeak asked him.
“You know girl, the part in all stories and books where the bad guy gets his licks in and seems to be winning. I just can’t wait until the end of stories like that.”
The drunken bastard looked at Squeak through his right eye which was still open and working. With a sudden movement more catlike than human, Squeak sprang to her feet and with a long, vigorous stretch seemed to now stand a foot taller, beginning to take on a different appearance. The atmosphere in the small room seemed to darken and the air became thick to move in and out of their lungs.
“What makes you think he’s the bad guy?” Squeak spoke in a new voice and wearing a new face almost as if the adolescent she was a moment ago were just an old suit. The voice sounded like one who stands calm in the center of a raging storm, never rattles, never scares.
The drunken beggar’s face went as white as a sheet upon cleaning day; he was meeting his dungeon mate for the first time…
“Rez Diamond? It…it…can’t be! You’re just that little girl! I saw the real Rez Diamond killed in Frankmot, I watched it with my own two eyes!” The drunk screamed pointing his fingers to his eyes as Rez approached closer.
“We see only what we want to believe.”
Sheriff
The sheriff returned exhausted and successful at stopping Davey and his old man from killing each other, once again. Plopping down in his chair while removing his hat, the sheriff was through his first whiskey shot before he saw the note lying on his desk.
“My righteous sheriff,
I know this will find you well. You shall find young Squeak sleeping soundly in your cell. You shall also find a deceased man in the other cot known only to you as a beggar and vagrant. I shall spare you the gory details; let us say the very wealthy father of the child he raped and murdered cares more about revenge than forgiveness. Speaking on that topic, do forgive my actor at the river; he was only doing what I paid him for. Squeak will have a headache when she wakes but take heart, for all is well!
Yours in absentia,
Rez Diamond
The sheriff leaned back in the rickety wooden chair and took a deep breath as he laid his hat across his face, succumbing to the events of the day. He tossed his feet up and turned out the desk light to catch some shuteye himself, mumbling “That sneaky son of a bitch,” as he fell into dreams of assassins.