The Loss of Talulah

As soon as Brody hopped aboard Wagon Wheel departed, Missy swept into action.

She summoned the captain who was the law onboard ship when it traveled the river.

"Captain, I want this ship out of the dock and onto the river as quickly as possible and be prepared to fulfill your responsibility as Judge and Jury, in the case of the Liberty Belle versus Betsy and Co, these girls have been identified by BG's Deputy as being implicitly involved in the conspiracy to murder Barton Denver."

"Conan, I hate to ask this of you, but I want them dragged to hold and held on their knees beside Talulah's body where they will be rewarded with the justice they deserve."

He had never seen that look of pure malice in her eyes before, this was not the woman he had grown to respect and love, all he could sense was a cold silent rage and hatred, that could only be satisfied by revenge.

"I also want all of Talulah's girls present and will seek volunteers from their number to strip them bare and scrub off their makeup and perfume, with a bristle brush, that's been worn nearly bare on the decks of this ship."

Sensing a little hesitation, she added.

"Conan I'm sorry, I know this is barbaric, but trying to kill Denver and ruin all the good he has tried to do, is more than I can bear. To be honest I could just as easily slit their throats with my own hands and watch as they squirm and bleed dry on the deck."

"I know for sure that after this, they won't let me pass through Saint Peter's Gate."

It didn't take long for him and his men to round all the girls, who troupe behind them as they dragged Betsy, Milly, and Thelma by their hair to the hold.

Missy is already there stood feet astride, In front of the cot that bore the forlorn body of Talulah, face down, arms splayed wide dangling to the deck, allowing her painted nails to scrape the boards, Her pearly white blouse was soaked in blood and her once beautiful hair now flopped over the end of the cot, all matted, where the blood had knitted with the dusty and sooty soil, from the railway siding.

"These girls and their deceitful leader came to this boat of their own free will, who like yourselves had been rescued from Comancheros, brothels or some other form of destitution, one such brothel was unscrupulously run by the now-dead Madam, who now lays dead before you.

Having been given their freedom and the opportunity to use their skills for their advantage and secure a new life for themselves as many had done so before, the treacherous snakes chose to turn on the hand that fed them.

They have not only betrayed my husband, they have betrayed you and all the good work you have done in your efforts to become one with this community, so I ask you, not what I should do, but what we should do to make an example of them?"

The girls were at fever pitch and lusted for blood, it was not a pretty sight, this angry horde of screaming Banshees.

"Before I let you lose to take your revenge, we need to purge them, so remove all their clothing and give them a good old-fashioned scrub, don't leave a single sign of their time on the ship".

Like a swarm of locusts, the horde poured over them, ripping off their clothes and scrubbing their naked bodies until red-raw, when finished they were discarded like wet rags, weeping on the deck and no one cared, apart from Conan who could not bear to look and glanced away in disgust.

It was only Missy who spotted this, which caused her to pause and look around at what she had caused. She may have been affected by her good friend's disgust, but it was most likely she felt shame for what she'd done. In any event, it was this moment that changed her direction and saved the lives of the girls.

She brought the madness to a sudden halt.

"Ladies, ladies, I'm sorry, but we must stop this insanity, for it makes us no better than them, it's time we did the right thing and turned them over to the law.

But first I want a written confession from all the girls, signed and witnessed by the Captain, then they are to be dressed in sacks and delivered to the Sherriff's office, for trial by a judge and jury of their peers."

"Sorry Conan, one last request.

Tie and bind them and lead them barefoot-like black slaves to the Deputy, where each can deliver their confession by hand."

"Ladies, even though it saddens me I want to see Tallulah's body bathed, dressed and made to look her absolute best and laid out on the bed in her room."

Missy knew that even in his disappointment Barton would not wish to see her body abused in any way and would expect her to be given a funeral pyre, set adrift on a raft, to sail into the night on the river.

When all was done, she told Barton one to one and then had Conan carry Barton to Tallulah's room. She knew there would be terrible grief in his heart for she had also loved other men but did not know what form the grief would take.

Conan sat Barton on the edge of her bed and moved respectfully aside, the look in his eyes and the sad expression on his face were enough to break anyone's heart, he could not speak, he just reached out and stroked her hand one last time.

He waved his hand for the ceremony to begin, Talulah was carried aloft by Conan, Bart, Brett and Jhonny who placed her with surprising tenderness atop the raft's funeral pyre. Barton insisted on setting it afire and with all the dignity he could muster, he reached out with a blazing torch, one touch and it burst into flames and with a slightest of prods, it floated away.

There were no words only thoughts.

"I did warn you, my love, that it would not go well if you turned your back on me.

I told you that I would protect you to the end of your days even though my true love Missy would always come first.

I guess you saw coming second as the first loser, and for that, I can't blame you, it is not a place I would have wished to grace.

I hope you find yourself in a better place, rest assured you will be sorely missed.

As you know I'm not a religious man, but Gods Speed, till we meet again.

It was bittersweet."