"If he goes, I go!" Poka'aki said, but softly.
"I, too!" declared George. "Father, you are making a mistake, but it is not my pleasure to show you how you have been deceived. It is Red Fox who discovered the lie, and it is Red Fox who will point it out to you."
"No! He lies!" roared József Fehér. "Red Fox has wanted to marry Briella since they were children. Well, I know it, and I will not permit it. Briella will marry this man, as she agreed to do. There is nothing any of you can do! Nothing! Now, get out of here, Red Fox, before I call my servants to throw you out."
Red Fox smiled and said, "I guess they could try."
"Get out of here now!"
Red Fox could barely believe it when József Fehér pulled a gun from his jacket and pointed it at him.
Frederic followed his father's action, as did Maximillian, taking hold of his own weapon, which had been neatly hidden within his jacket.
"Father! Frederic! Maximillian! Put those weapons away at once!" cried Poka'aki. "Father, this is Red Fox, who has been like a son to you."
"A son, say you! Well, I disavow him now!"
Red Fox stepped forward, shoving Poka'aki and George behind him. He said, "You all have an open shot at me! Or are you too cowardly to pull the trigger?"
So intent was he upon what he would do if any one of them should take courage and shoot, he didn't see both Poka'aki and George come up beside him, their own weapons drawn.
"Stop this at once! Stop it, do you hear!"
Mária Fehér stepped into the room, coming to stand in front of Red Fox. But, Red Fox would not hide behind a woman's skirts, and he stepped in front of her.
Mária Fehér scooted to Red Fox's side. "Stop it now! Sit down! Now! Put away your guns! I wish you could all see yourselves. You are all acting like little boys who haven't gotten their way. Either you stop this at once, or you will all leave my house—all of you. Now!"
When no one disarmed, Mária exclaimed, "Now! Do you hear? Put your guns away now, or I will disinherit all of you as my family! I promise you I will. I have watched you all acting like spoiled little boys, and up until now I have not said a word, hoping you would somehow find some humanity and maturity within you. But, this I will not tolerate. Put away your weapons! Now!"
No one moved. But, then Maximillian shut one eye while he was still aiming his pistol at Red Fox, and Red Fox, seeing it, pushed both women to the ground while he leaned away and, like a flash, shot toward the man, jumping on him and wrestling him to the ground.
The shot went wild. Meanwhile, a struggle ensued between the two men as Red Fox sought to disarm Maximillian, afraid the man would damage one of the women or another of the family members.
Slamming the man's hand on the floor, the gun at last rolled away free. But, as soon as it had and Red Fox had released his hold a little, the man reached into his pocket and drew out a knife, thrusting it into the arm Red Fox was using to grip him.
Grunting his frustration that the man had gotten the best of him, Red Fox renewed his efforts, and soon the knife slid out of the Easterner's hold.
But, Red Fox didn't let the man up. He would allow him nothing. Indeed, Red Fox held him down as though the man were a weasel, an animal whom all Indians know fights unfairly and savagely.
It wasn't until George came down onto his knees beside them and held a gun to Maximillian's head that the man slumped to the ground.
George asked, "Are you hurt, almost-brother?"
"Only a little," said Red Fox. "It is nothing. I will now show you all the lie."
But such was not to be done just yet. Poka'aki had come down to seat herself beside him, and with a wet white cloth, she dabbed at his wound, finishing her handiwork by tying another cloth around his arm to stem the flow of blood.
"I am ashamed of you, my husband," said Mária Fehér into the interim. "I am ashamed of you, too, Frederic! Ashamed at what you did to our daughter because you thought you knew bestfor her! Well, I will stand no more of this. Briella is different! Do you hear me? She is different! She has grown up here in this beautiful and free country! She did not grow up in Hungary, nor in the East! This is a free land, and you have no right to tell her what she has to do or whom she has to marry! I will stand this no longer! Do you understand? No longer! I declare my daughter to be a free woman and capable of making her own decisions. Now, sit! Both of you!"
They sat.
Said Mária Fehér, "Now, as soon as you are able, Mr. Red Fox, will you kindly show us all the lie that is contained in these papers? We will wait until you are able to do so."
"I am able to do it now,” said Red Fox, coming up to his full height. “Where is the paper you were about to place your mark on?"
József Fehér threw the document at him, accidentally whacking his hand into the table at the same time.
"Ouch!" declared the elder Fehér.
