The man looked him up and down. Father Kilkenny felt like a rabbit under the eyes of a hawk.
“Alright,” the man said. Then he walked over and rolled up the leg of his jeans. “Here.”
And there it was on his calf; the Wanted Man’s tattoo. At least, it looked a good deal like the tattoo the Father had heard of. But any talented artist could produce a copy that looked right from a distance. Ignoring his complaining back, he got to the dusty ground and examined the tattoo closely; it was a depiction of the Wanted Man himself standing with spears cutting through him, like the Lance on Longinus. The art work was stunning too, impossible to have been drawn onto a man unless he’d been dead at the time. If it were a forgery, it was a damn good one.
The Father was still checking for signs of it being fake when the tattoo looked up at him in defiance for a moment, visibly shifting position to do so. No man could forge that.
“It is you,” Father Kilkenny whispered, crossing himself.
“Yeah,” the Wanted Man confirmed.
He offered the Father a rough hand and helped him to his feet.
Father Kilkenny stepped back and dusted himself off, buying some time. The Lord had sent the Wanted Man to look after Crucifix, he was sure of it; who could protect a town on its last legs better than the Wanted Man himself? He thought he was here on another mission though. And maybe he ultimately was. But the Father needed to convince him to stay, to fight.
“Penelope Chalmers?” the young girl asked, interrupting his train of thought.
That was a topic he didn’t want to get onto just yet. “Pardon me, I’ve not introduced myself. I’m Father Kieran Kilkenny. And you are?”
“Please to meet you, Father,” the girl said somewhat disingenuously. “My name is Eleanor Naismith.” She did curtsey though.
“Daughter of William B. Naismith?” he asked.
“That would be me.”
His stunned expression must’ve asked why she was here for him because she continued “I’m here because I have a keen interest in the Badlands. More accurately, in carrying on what my father has started. And there is no better way to start such a career than by coming on a mission with, and being protected by, the Wanted Man. Also Penelope is a close friend of mine and I wish to see her returned safely.”
“Fair enough, I guess” the Father said. Then he turned to the Wanted Man. “Surely you don’t call yourself the Wanted Man?”
“No. Dust.”
“Short for Dustin?”
Dust shrugged.
Good. They were building a bit of a rapport. That would make it harder for them to dismiss Crucifix’s need. “And you said your other friend’s name was Shadows Fade?”
Dust nodded. He was not a talker when he didn’t need to be.
Father Kilkenny knew a little Comanche from an old drinking buddy so he tried it out. “Greetings, Shadows Fade. My name is Father Kilkenny.”
The warrior smiled. “Greetings Father. Your Comanche is terrible.”
Eleanor giggled at this. Shadows Fade shrugged and maintained her smile.
Dust hadn’t reacted at all. “You don’t understand her?” the Father asked.
“Nope.”
“That must be awkward.”
“Penelope Chalmers?” Dust asked this time.
