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Jasper and the Mare

John E. Stith


The giant sun scorched the desert on Flagstaff, better known to offworlders as Western World. Nearly everything for kilometers was either dazzlingly bright, or hidden in small impenetrable shadows, with little in between. To Jasper Kroft, the view was a bit like looking up at one of Flagstaff’s moons. Everything seemed to be either black or white.

The only two pleasures Jasper felt in that moment were the slight breeze and the trust in his sure-footed mare, Edwina.

Jasper straightened his spine and squeezed his thighs to stop next to Sam, Rufus, and Bobby, the rest of the posse. The air stilled. The desert instantly felt intensely hotter.

Bobby walked ahead to examine tracks. That the four of them were stopped and looking at tracks, rather than racing toward a dust cloud in the wake of Logan Tarin and his gang, was heavily discouraging. Maybe the other posse was having more luck.

Or maybe they were already dead, like the previous two teams.

Jasper made a clicking sound and let the reins touch the left side of Edwina’s neck. Sometimes Edwina was moody, but she, too, could see the sliver of shade next to the nearby bluff.

The shade wasn’t deep enough to cover them both, but at least the horse got a break. Jasper ruffled her sorrel mane to try to say, “Thanks. We’ll quit as soon as we can.”

The rest stop was over in just minutes. Bobby came back to the group and pointed to a narrow canyon mouth. Bobby was a young man with cold eyes and a hot temper. Truth be told, Jasper would almost prefer to be hunting Bobby rather than Logan Tarin and his gang. But only Logan’s guys had actually robbed a bank and killed multiple pursuers. As far as Jasper knew.

Sam, their leader, cocked his head in the direction of the canyon mouth and urged his mount into motion. Rufus and Bobby fell in behind Sam.

Jasper said softly to Edwina, “Come on, girl. Looks like we’re not done yet.” He squeezed his calves and the horse moved out. Together, they pulled into the rear of the diamond formation.

This was new territory to Jasper. They were hours out of Comstock, kilometers from resupply.

Another halt. Once more, Bobby went ahead to check the trail, and once again, the four posse members were on their way. The canyon mouth was close enough that they rode single file. Jasper fell in behind Rufus.

Jasper’s feeling of unease grew as the canyon walls rose on either side. He was well aware of the wisdom that said you could tell a gelding where to go, ask a stallion, and negotiate with a mare, but Edwina pressed ahead without complaint. Jasper thought he could feel the nervousness in the tough, wiry animal. Then again, maybe that was in him.

The canyon walls steepened. The way ahead grew narrower, the canyon bed a mix of powdery dust and occasional rocks and boulders.

Jasper kept glancing back to make sure Logan’s gang wasn’t following them. The sides of the canyon grew higher.

His breath started to come easier when the canyon twisted slightly, and he could see the gap between walls widened ahead.

The relief was short-lived.

Edwina’s head lifted. For a fraction of a second, Jasper’s head felt as if he were underwater.

Pressure mounted on his face and chest. And then came the deep rumbling of a dynamite explosion. Rocks, then boulders started tumbling down the canyon walls.

Edwina was in motion even before Jasper could say a word or nudge a rib. She reared, backed away, and tried to turn.

A second later, Jasper and Edwina were headed back out of the canyon. But it was too late. A rock the size of Jasper’s fist hit one of his shoulders. The top of Jasper’s head might have been stoved in, but his hat crumpled and turned a deadly blow into a hideously strong impact.

Edwina tipped sideways as a rock bigger than Jasper’s head hit her neck. Behind them, the deluge of rocks thundered even louder. The rest of the posse was lost in the crushing fall of rocks and boulders. Dust billowed past.

Jasper arched his back in pain as another stone hit his shoulder blade. Edwina surged forward.

This time, a rock did hit Jasper in the side of the head.

* * *

Sometime later, Jasper surfaced from a dream in which Logan Tarin’s gang set off dynamite to bring the canyon walls tumbling down on the posse. Slowly, Jasper realized he wasn’t dreaming; he was actually lying in that rockfall.

A sharp rock bit into his back. A dull pain came from one knee.

For the very first time, Jasper regretted settling on Flagstaff. Everyone who came here voluntarily left behind the seduction of automation and self-repairing bodies. But they carried too much baggage with them. Like Logan and Bobby. The wide-open spaces here were littered with human vices. As the prophet once said, “No matter where you go, there you are.”

After a few seconds or a couple of minutes, he blinked and wiped blood from his eyes so he could see again. An enormous landslide filled the nearby canyon floor. Only he and Edwina had avoided being crushed and buried.

But even that bit of good news had its limits.

Jasper couldn’t feel his right leg. It was pinned under a rock he’d never lift on his own.

And Edwina was hurt. The mare was on her side, one leg bent at an impossible angle.

For a second he was oblivious to his own pains. “I’m real sorry, girl.”

He haltingly reached for his Colt Walker replica so he could at least put Edwina out of her misery. Then he’d have to decide on a bullet for himself.

But before he could even get the barrel lined up on Edwina, a metallic voice sounded from near the horse’s head.

“Hold up there, Jasper. Don’t do anything rash.”

Jasper froze. “Who said that?”

“Just put the pistol away.”

Utterly baffled, Jasper did so. Nothing was making any sense. He must have really been hit hard in the head.

Edwina struggled to right herself. She flopped back onto the rocks and dirt, like a foal trying to walk for the first time.

She tried again. This time she was able to get to her feet. The right foreleg jutted out at an unnatural angle.

“That’s better,” said the voice. It seemed to come from Edwina.

“Who’s here?” Jasper asked.

“Just me. The one you call Edwina.”

Jasper was dumbstruck. “You—ah—since when do horses talk?”

“I’m not a horse. I’m an Antaleon.”

“Are you saying this is heaven?”

“No, you foolish human. I’m an alien.”

Jasper looked wildly around to see where the voice was really coming from. No one was there except for him and Edwina.

Jasper made the mistake of shaking his head.

When the pain subsided and he could see again, something was different.

“Your leg,” he said, “Your leg is changing. Is it—”

“I’m making repairs.”

“Repairs?”

“You are still dazed.”

“No. My head feels pretty clear. But you don’t make sense.”

The mare’s leg almost looked normal now.

“Look, Jasper. You were pretty decent to me. So I’ll explain.”

“Explain what?”

“Stop talking. I’ll tell you.”

“Who is this really?”

“Just listen. I’m an Antaleon. That’s an alien, to you. My name would just be gibberish, so let’s skip that.”

“An alien.”

“Not from the Earth or even Flagstaff. From the stars even farther from Earth than you are now. We are extremely long-lived beings. But we are not immune to boredom. Some of us have developed a fondness for inhabiting your animal bodies.”

“This is not making sense.”

“I can stop now.”

Jasper hesitated. “No. Go on.”

“This is a way we can experience rare emotions. Excitement. Fear. Lust.”

“Lust?”

A sound that might have been laughter. “Not for you humans. Do not flatter yourself.” Edwina put weight on the leg that just moments ago had been twisted out of line. The leg held.

Jasper gritted his teeth. “I don’t suppose you can get this rock off my leg?”

“Sorry. I am telling you this only because you do not have long to live. And because you treated me well.”

“I just did what any decent man would have.”

“I like you, Jasper. You are modest and kind. But you’re wrong. Not all men are like you.” Edwina took a couple of steps forward and then back. The leg appeared to be completely normal. “Oh, that feels better.”

“How is this possible—”

“Shhh.” Edwina’s head rose as she listened to distant sounds.

“What do you hear?”

“Humans and horses. Maybe the other posse.”

Jasper felt a rush of relief he hadn’t expected to feel. Surely a couple of men could lever the rock off his leg.

“I’m sorry, Jasper,” Edwina said.

“Sorry? This is good news.”

“You’ve been a good companion. A decent human. But I can’t let you share our little secret.”

Jasper had a sudden insight. “I ain’t gonna tell—”

“This is difficult for me, but I’m going to have to put you down.”

Jasper reached for his pistol, but before he could touch it, Edwina’s horseshoed hoof hit the side of his head. Hard.



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