at least he'll be without orders, without direction. I'd like to think he'll vanish, but even if he doesn't, this should buy us enough time to figure out how to destroy him.” He looked at the assembled men. “If any of you want to withdraw from this enterprise, now is the time.”
Nobody moved and nobody spoke.
“Good!” said Roosevelt. “We meet in front of the Grand Hotel at sunrise tomorrow morning.” He bared his teeth in his familiar grin once more. “And then the Rough Riders will prove that a small but motivated group of men can make a difference!”
HOLLIDAY SAT AT A TABLE in the Grand's restaurant, facing Roosevelt, who was clearly enjoying his meal.
Finally the gambler could stand it no longer. “You ever going to talk to me, Theodore?”
“I thought we'd been talking all day,” answered Roosevelt, sprinkling some salt on his lamb chops. “By the way, you really should dig in,” he continued, indicating Holliday's untouched plate. “These are excellent.”
“Damn it, Theodore!”
“You don't like lamb? Then maybe I'll have one of yours when I'm done with mine.”
“Keep this up and you won't have to wait for War Bonnet,” said Holliday irritably. “I just may kill you myself.”
Roosevelt chuckled heartily. “Yeah, I've heard about your skills as a dentist, Doc.”
“Theodore!” growled Holliday.
“Doc, haven't you figured out that I'm not about to discuss anything concerning tomorrow while we're in public. We'll finish our meal, grab some of that scrumptious pecan pie for dessert, and then we'll go up to my room, where there won't be anyone around to overhear.”
“What difference does it make who listens and who doesn't?” demanded Holliday. “You're leaving town at sunrise anyway.”
Roosevelt looked to his left, then his right. Finally he learned forward and said, very softly, “Can you keep a secret?”
“Of course.”
Suddenly Holliday was facing the familiar Roosevelt grin again. “So can I.”
“Wyatt had his faults,” muttered Holliday, “but you make him look pretty goddamned good as a partner.”
“Doc, you're a bright man,” said Roosevelt. “If you'll just put that brain to use, you'll know exactly what's going to happen when we go up to my room.”
Holliday stared at him, frowning in puzzlement, for almost a minute. Then, suddenly, he smiled and relaxed. “All right, Theodore. I apologize. I've had a lot on my mind.”
“Apology accepted,” said Roosevelt. “Now, are you going to eat your lamb chops or not?”
Holliday pushed his plate across the table, and poured himself a drink.
“I would never tell a man who seems totally unaffected by liquor to give it up,” said Roosevelt, “but you've got to eat more, Doc. What are you—five foot ten or eleven? You can't weigh a hundred thirty pounds.”
“A hundred twenty-two, last time I looked,” said Holliday. “I guess I'll have to drink more to make up the weight.”
“Just out of curiosity, have you ever been drunk?”
Holliday nodded. “Oh, yes,” he said, nodding his head. “Worst time was about two years ago. I got so drunk I couldn't count, I thought I couldn't lose, and I blew every penny I'd saved for the sanitarium in one night at the tables.”
“I'm sorry,” said Roosevelt.
“You should be happy.”
“That you went broke?” asked Roosevelt, frowning.
“That I needed money,” said Holliday. “That's why I turned bounty hunter and killed Henry McCarty.”
“Never heard of him.”
Holliday smiled. “Yes, you did. Out here most people called him Billy the Kid.”
“I thought Pat Garrett killed him.”
“That's what most people think,” replied Holliday. “We made a deal. I got the money, he got the fame—and the book sales. I think in the long run he'll make out better than I did. Part of my reward money's gone already, and Garrett's book keeps on selling.”
“I had no idea,” said Roosevelt.
“Well, now that you know, put that idea out of your head, or at least to the back of it where you keep other stuff you're never going to tell anyone.” Holliday downed his drink. “It was an interesting couple of days. I killed the Kid, and Geronimo killed Hook Nose. I think he'd just had enough. Hook Nose and Geronimo were the two most powerful medicine men, and they did everything in concert. I think if Hook Nose hadn't gone against him, Geronimo would never have sent for you or been willing to deal.”
“Interesting,” said Roosevelt.
“History,” replied Holliday with a shrug.
Roosevelt finished his lamb chops, went to work on one of Holliday's, and finally ordered dessert.
“You sure you won't have some?”
Holliday shook his head, and suddenly smiled. “I probably haven't got the strength any more to