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"Perhaps it wasn't the home that was ugly, but the things that surrounded you." He told her.
"Your very intelligent. I never knew a man to think so much, especially an Indian. Did you go to school?" she twisted her head to look at him. The firelight flickered, illuminating his face, she stared. She'd never looked at an Indian, like she did Moon. He was intelligent, brave, and a very good person. She liked talking to him, he made sense. That was rare where she came from.
"Yes, some time ago I attended the mission school. My father always told me he wanted me to be smart, what you call intelligent. He said wise men don't make fools of themselves."
"He sounds intelligent too." She smiled.
"Was your father an educated man?"
"My step-father was smart in some ways, not book learning, but in how to manage. But according to my mother, my real father was very intelligent."
"And you… did you go to school?"
"Yes, for a while. I did learn to read and write, do my sums. But after we moved here, all I could do was read to learn."
"You quit going to school?"
"Yes," she stared. "My step-father said women had no use for learning."
"Then he was a fool. I too find it amusing to find a woman who can speak of many things. I enjoy talking to you, at least when we are not talking about the barn incident."
"Thank you. Most people want me to shut up. But yes, he was a fool about many things. I found him to be intelligent in ways that others aren't. Before my mother died, he was very cunning, and he knew a lot about man things, hot to fix things, how to make do with very little. But as far as books and education go, he had little of that and thought it not necessary. A man that gets by with only wit and wisdom thinks he needs no education. But he certainly didn’t think women needed to be educated."
"Ah yes, they want to keep you in your place."
"Exactly." She smiled. "And that is the real reason I'm not married. Few people I know want to sit down and talk about things, things that don't necessarily concern them. I enjoy learning from others. How do you know if you are right about something, if you don't listen to others to form your own opinion?"
"You have an intelligent mind."
"I don't mean to sound bitter toward my father, because in some ways I had great respect for him. He loved my mother dearly. For that I cared for him. I tried my best to respect him, but after my mother died, he changed so much, it was the whiskey that did that to him. I realized that soon enough. I'm not opposed to a man having a drink now and then, but he abused the privilege."
"Then it is best I brought you with me. As a drunk can do many things that he shouldn't."
She stared at him now, "I know," she admitted softly. He twisted his head as though puzzled. "I'd have killed him if he'd tried." She frowned. "I'd already made up my mind about him. As a step-father it would be wrong for him to do that, and I would pull the trigger."
"But you didn't with Earl."
"Earl only acted that way when he drank. Other times he was fairly decent, and I had no quarrel with him, as he shielded me from my father many nights. So, in some ways I was grateful to him."
"I don't understand, you said you couldn't kill Earl."
"Not because I cared about him. Killing Earl would be murder. Killing a father that was trying to do such a thing to me… I would have to kill him. I would have no choice, he was my mother's husband, not mine."
A soft smile curled his lips, "I believe you would. Tell me, how many men have you killed?"
She stared a moment, "You're making fun of me?"
"Teasing you," he smiled. "Where did you get the gun?"
"I bought it."
"You… bought it?"
Her eyes took on a sadness he hadn't expected. "Well, I started to. There was a very nice lady at the General Store, and I told her I needed a gun. She saw my father drunk many times and I guess she understood. She took one look at me and gave me the gun. She said they'd have to be close to me for it to do any good, but that I should use it, if I had to. She said she'd even be my witness if necessary. I really liked her."
"He would do such a thing to you?" Moon stood up now and paced back and forth his face mirroring anger.
"He was my step-father, not blood kin, and he was crazy when he drank. That's why I didn't mind Earl being around. By the time Earl would leave, my father would be so drunk he'd go to sleep. And then I could sleep."
