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Chapter 78: Deal Struck
Edith had thought she'd escaped the wolf's den only to fall into the tiger's lair.
Yet, just as panic began to take hold, Johnny's detailed explanation of the plan slowly revealed his true intentions.
After careful consideration, Edith finally decided to follow Johnny's advice.
She stepped forward resolutely, faced the group, and summoned the courage to speak.
"I accept your proposal, but I have several conditions that must be met."
"First, you must guarantee that the work you offer us is completely legal."
"Second, if possible, give us a little more time. There are only two of us, and moving the whole household will take a while!"
With the bargain struck, Johnny exhaled in relief, turned to Mr. and Mrs. Adler, and smiled as he gestured for them to follow.
He invited them to tour the ranch with Edith and her son.
When everything was arranged, Johnny looked at the silent Kieran and said earnestly:
"Kieran, next time I hope you're the one who pulls the trigger, instead of always waiting for someone else to act."
"Even if your aim's off and you don't hit, it still scares them—remember that."
Kieran remained quiet, but gave a slight nod to show he understood.
Then Johnny swaggered toward the three debt collectors.
Arms folded, he fixed them with a sharp stare and declared:
"See? This is how you collect a debt—got it?"
The trio shrank like frost-bitten eggplants, nodding meekly.
"Y-yes, boss." Johnny barked:
"Good. You're not going anywhere. Come with us to the bank; once the paperwork's done, you'll get your money."
They dared not object, bobbing their heads like pounding garlic, too timid to utter a word of complaint.
The difference between game and reality is vast.
Unlike in the game, Downes Ranch is astonishingly large.
It stretches endlessly, all crops and buildings as far as the eye can see.
It boasts two big sheep pens, a medium cattle yard, and a small chicken coop.
All are filled with livestock.
Curiously, inside one sheep pen hides a black-and-white border collie.
It crouches sneakily among the sheep, almost invisible unless you look closely.
The clever dog must have darted for cover when it heard the earlier gunshots.
Sometimes a dog can be too smart for its own good.
The ranch enjoys an excellent location and solid facilities; the flora and fauna are already managed, ready for autumn's harvest.
Its only drawback is the cramped living quarters.
Considering Mrs. Towns's plight, even the hard-bargaining Arthur didn't haggle too harshly.
The final price was set at seventeen hundred dollars.
Sadie sympathized deeply with Edith; she knew what a woman faced after losing her husband.
Almost every woman in the country had to take demeaning work unless she ran a business with her husband.
Sadie said they weren't in a rush, that Edith could pack slowly, and that she and her husband planned to build a new house—the current one was far too small.
Felling timber and drawing plans would take time, giving Edith ample opportunity to move her belongings.
Edith thanked her warmly, clutching Sadie's hands in gratitude.
Inside, she began mapping out the next stage of her life.
From what she'd seen, Johnny's crew looked fierce but left room for mercy.
The work they spoke of wouldn't be unbearable—merely hard labor.
Finding work on her own would be difficult; housing alone was a problem, let alone her son's schooling.
She and her husband had planned to save for a few more years, then move to a big city like Saint Denis and send their son to school.
Now she would have to work first and figure the rest out later. Seventeen hundred dollars sounded like a lot,
but her husband's debts totaled eleven hundred. Six hundred wasn't enough to settle in Saint Denis.
Soon Edith offered to go with them to the bank, pay off the debts, and take things one step at a time.
A short while later they reached the bank in Valentine and, under the townsfolk's gaze, completed the transfer of ownership.
Before parting, Johnny told Edith he'd find her once the job was ready.
Then he returned to the inn with Mr. and Mrs. Adler.
"Arthur, Sadie, you'll need blueprints for a new house, and I happen to know a man who can draw them—interested?"
Arthur's interest flared; a connection like that could save money and yield a house built exactly to taste.
He asked eagerly who it was.
"The old fellow you met once, the one who camps by the kitchen keg all day."
Before the Adlers could react, Arthur blurted in disbelief:
"Him? He only knows how to drink and find camp when it rains. Don't tell me you bought another of his tall tales about his youth?"
But Johnny insisted he'd heard the old man spout technical terms when drunk, proof he was an expert.
Though skeptical, Arthur figured meeting a familiar face couldn't hurt.
He promised Johnny twenty-five dollars for a set of plans, and a hundred more if the old man helped build.
Certain the world had gone mad, Arthur amused himself by riffling through the cigarette cards in his satchel while the other two talked on.