The Magnificent Seven Plot Bunny #1

Old West Universe

Character used:  Ezra, Chris, Vin

Warning: references to attempted suicide

Submitted by: knoteach

 

Stopping the young man that had come into town that afternoon, Ezra said, “Young man, would you wish to earn a dollar?”

 

The startled young man looked up sharply, “Sure.  What I gotta’ do for it?”

 

“Just deliver this to the gentleman dressed in black that is sitting outside the jail, his name is Chris Larabee.  Just tell him it’s from Ezra,” Ezra handed the young man a single playing card and a silver dollar.  Even if Chris never knew what he meant, it would make Ezra feel better. 

 

“That’s it?” the teenage said.

 

“That is all, sir.  I trust you have decided to assist me in this?”  Ezra assured him.

 

“Sure,” the young man said before turning and ambling up the street toward the jail.  Ezra watched him for a few moments before mounting.

 

Turning Chaucer away from town, Ezra rode out.  It was over, he had known that since the debacle last night, now he just need to find some peace.

 

<<<~7~>>><<<~7~>>>

 

Chris balanced the chair he was sitting in on two legs as he surveyed the town.  He was off duty in another two hours then he could hunt up Ezra.

 

Damn, he had made a mess of things last night.  He was going to be lucky if he could convince the man that they did want him to stay.  Sighing, Chris scrubbed his face with his hand.  He could really blame the man for not wanting to stay.  They hadn’t really made it easy for him. 

 

As Chris contemplated what his unthinking actions had wrought, a young man approached, “You Chris Larabee?”

 

Dropping the chair to all four legs he stood and walked over, “Yeah, I’m Larabee.  What you want?”

 

“Somebody gave me this to give to you.  Said to tell you it’s from Ezra,” the young man handed over the card and waited.

 

Chris looked at the card perplexed and a little worried.  Ezra never did anything without a reason, but Chris couldn’t think of any reason for Ezra to give him one card out of a deck.  “Thanks,” he murmured before sitting back down in his chair.  When he didn’t say anything else, the young man moved on down the street toward the saloon.

 

Ten minutes later, Chris was still trying to figure out what the card was supposed to mean when Vin meandered up.  “What ya’ got, Cowboy?”

 

Throwing a half-hearted glare at the lanky tracker, Chris said, “Ezra sent me this, don’t know what it’s supposed to mean though.”

 

“What is it?” Vin asked as he moved to stand right beside his friend.

 

Chris handed Vin the card, “It a card out of his deck.”

 

Vin looked at the card Chris handed him.  Vin’s tanned face went a sickly pale green as he remembered a conversation he had had with Ezra a few weeks before.

 

<<<~7~>>><<<~7~>>>

 

Vin entered the saloon to find Ezra already ensconced at his usual table.  “What you doin’ up this early, Ez?”

 

“Good morning, Mr. Tanner.  I am doing my morning deal, as I do every morning.  I came up my usual today,” Ezra shifted the cards in his hand so that Vin could see the ace of spades sitting on the top in the deck.

 

“Ya’ always deal up the same card, so ya’ bother?”  Ezra seemed to be in a talkative mood, so Vin tried to encourage him.

 

“On the contrary, Mr. Tanner.  The cards do not always fall the same on any given day,” Ezra said with a smile as he set aside the ace and started riffling the cards in his hands.  “Some days I come up with the queen of diamonds, which means I shall have a very good day at the tables,” and the queen suddenly appeared beside the ace.  “Or the queen of hearts, indicating a good day with the ladies,” and that queen appeared on the table too and a grin on Ezra’s face. “It depends on how the day is to go.  I have dealt myself every different card in the deck at one time of another, with the exception of one.”  Ezra looked Vin straight in the eyes, almost daring him to ask the question he could see in Vin’s eyes.

 

“What one ain’t ya’ dealt ya’self?” Vin took the challenge gladly.

 

Ezra sent the cards flashing from one hand to the other swiftly, before dealing the king of hearts.  Vin picked up the card and looked at it, then quirked one eyebrow at Ezra in silent request for an explanation.

 

“You are aware, Mr. Tanner, that the ace of spades is known as the death card, but what is much less known is that there is another card in the deck that indicates death,  this one.  If you’ll notice, the king’s sword is turn back at his own head.”  At Vin’s nod, Ezra finished, “For that reason this is known as the suicide king or the suicide card.”

 

<<<~7~>>><<<~7~>>>

 

The card he now held in his hand was the king of hearts.