The note was written in a scrawl

Chapter 18) River Boy meets Churchail
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Next morning it was cold.
Grandpa got up and went fishing despite the danger.

River Boy left along the railroad going toward the main highway.
Top Hat's car was left behind in Blacktown so River Boy had to hitchhike to Abbeyville.

The first ride got him a couple miles. He was waiting at a farm road turn-off when the oddest coincidence caused Howard, Maggie's sister's husband to stop and pick him up, only because Howard recognized the boy who was walking with Maggie the day she got in a fight at the soda shop. Joel told him the boy was from Blacktown.

Howard risked his life and decided to give the Negro a ride. He was determined to resolve the question about who this boy was and what he was doing with Maggie,
It was obviously very dangerous stopping for a Negro, except River Boy looked white so it was safer.

River Boy jumped in the car. He knew who Howard was and greeted him saying, hello Howard my name's River Boy it's good to meet you, shaking hands.

Howard was surprised by this well-mannered Negro who wasn't really a Negro not that it mattered because both had things to do.
Howard was on his way to Abbeyville to visit a young female office worker for a quick exchange of sweat.
River Boy was on his way to Abbeyville to save Trinity from becoming lost in history.
A meeting of futures you might say that could affect Howard more than getting smeared with a slice of secretary pie.

Howard started off by asking how do you know Maggie?
River Boy was in no mood to feed crackers to the parrot but realized he needed to step carefully, which was more his style than not.
He answered, I know her from school.
Oh are you in the same English class?
That was a rude comment to demonstrate that he knew River Boy was in dumbbell English.
No, we went fishing together.
Wow what a shock. Howard was pretty sure Joel didn't know that Maggie went fishing with a Negro.

River Boy quickly added, I fish with a lot of kids from high school and their parents too.
Well, that was news to Howard too.
River Boy followed with his own question, want to go fishing sometime? I know the perfect spot.
We'll catch Ol' Sporty. I know where he hides and I'm gonna get him one of these days.

Ol' Sporty was a legendary fish.
Must've been 6 feet long.
River Boy told the story to Howard, and said, remember last year when Ol' Sporty took a bite out of a boat down there and after the boat sunk he almost ate the guy before he got back to shore?
Howard shook his head. He'd never heard that one.
River Boy continued, that fish woulda eaten him too if the man hadn't reached the log just in time. I saw it myself.
Howard was amazed, River Boy spoke excellent English.

They barely traveled 5 miles down the road before River Boy and Howard were laughing together about catching that fish. Of course the whole story was made up. The fish was real, but sinking a boat and trying to eat a man was not.

When they reached Abbeyville, Howard offered to drive him all the way up to the Churchail mansion.
Oh, you don't need to do that.
Howard, said, oh yes, I'll give you a ride.

When they arrived in front of the mansion, River Boy added I have an appointment with the commissioner.
No such thing was true.
In fact he didn't have a plan.
Howard was so impressed he asked, do you want me to wait? I'll give you a ride back.

Oh no, River Boy said they'll drive me.
Wow Howard wanted to know more.
River Boy stepped out of the car and leaned back in and shook Howard's hand saying thank you so much and congratulated him on his new baby.
Don't forget we're going fishing.
Ok, Howard said smiling.
Then River Boy looked down and said.
Your wife knows.
He didn't wait for Howard's reaction before turning and walking toward the front door and up the steps on the porch.
Howard stayed long enough to see several men wave a greeting to River Boy as he walked directly in through the main door and not the servant entrance.

Stunned that his wife might know about the infidelity, Howard changed his mind about Abbeyville and raced back to Trinity.

Churchail's appointment secretary also saw a strong young man get out of a new car and walk with importance.
She saw him greeted by several men, both Negro and white, and then come in the front door like he'd been there before.

She needed to find out who this was. She had the office helper bring River Boy into the inner office ahead of others. Many had been waiting hours and would never get in at all.
There was a mutter of disgruntlement.

The appointment secretary wanted to know River Boy's business.

Never shy about telling a lie, he invented a sudden promotion for himself and said, I'm the Mayor of Blacktown.
Ordinarily that position would result in a tour of the kitchen with quick exit out the servant door.
But Molly Princess was from Blacktown, and she had been killed. The secretary knew she was Churchail's prized mistress that caused him to cry.

The secretary thought this was an attempt to extort money but got distracted by River Boy's next story.
He asked her, you remember the time a Negro just about drowned in the river except Thomas Churchail III saved him?
Yes, the appointment secretary said.
Well, I was the one who pulled them out after they got caught on that sunken tree that was dunking them up and down. Remember that?
Well, that was news. The secretary heard a different version, but River Boy seemed to tell it better.
Before the secretary had time to digest that whopper, River Boy distracted her by saying, but I'm here about problems in Blacktown that affect Trinity. We can solve the problems, and make a deal too.

The secretary started to feel wonderful about this young man, and promptly sent him through the door into Churchail's office.

The Commissioner was stout and vital. He looked up at River Boy and barked, what you got for me?
River Boy wasted no time and just sat down and said, a man named Spade killed Molly Princess.
Well, tell the sheriff.

River Boy said, it's bigger than that. The payments are affected.

Hold on a minute, who the hell are you?
The guard standing at the side started moving toward River Boy.
Churchail motioned for him to wait.
You come here with nothing claiming to be the Mayor of a bunch of Negroes? You look damn white to me.

River Boy said, I bring money you can't see.
Well that was new one to Churchail.
Money I can't see? What the hell are you talking about?
Let me tell you, River Boy started off, but not before Churchail interrupted and said, no, hell no. Let me tell you, I better start hearing that shine rag pop or I'm going to throw you out right now.

River Boy, caught off guard, had no choice except start making a bubble gum popping noise with his mouth and then smiling.
The commissioner was puzzled by this Negro making fun of him except River Boy looked like he had a secret in the corner of his eye, you know, where the gleam and the color meet when the light is just right.

River Boy, always the creative teller of stories and half-truths meshed perfectly with the Churchail style.
He looked down and said, poor Molly. Everybody respected her. She was with a girlfriend, another girl of virtue who goes to church every Sunday with her mama. They were coming home after the Wednesday night service, but Spade and another man forced them into that billiard hall. It was a terrible gunfight I heard. Spade used poor Molly to hide behind, and then shot her for no reason.
If only she hadn't gone to church that night, she would still be alive today.
Mr Commissioner, I plead that you to measure justice on only those who are guilty, and that is Spade.
The people in Blacktown had no part of this.

Churchail said, hold on. It happened Tuesday night, and the girls were working at the pool hall.
River Boy quickly added, that might have been true in some tellings, but those people might also be wishing for an account by the white people. What I'm telling you is the truth.

The guard and Churchail exchanged glances, both almost smiling about this giant pile of shit being told by some damn white boy who might be a Negro, or whatever, sitting there in the office pretending he was the mayor of anything. It was so unbelievable that it was almost believable.

Churchail shook his head and said, look boy, I don't know who you are, but why don't you just tell me what you want?

River Boy straightened himself rock hard, looking square at the commissioner, said, we don't want the Klan coming to Blacktown. And the men will take care of Spade.
The room went silent.

River Boy was far short of giving the Commissioner anything that would motivate him to care about the Klan straightening out a town full of Negroes. But his beloved Molly Princess. She was a beautiful young girl.
Churchail realized he might solve several things at once.
He pondered a bit and said, I'll see what can be done.

I don't know if god feels remorse or just balances the equation but Churchail was going to meet with the Upstate Boys in a couple days, and River Boy just gave the fox a new weasel, plus a chance at revenge over Molly Princess.

River Boy left without knowing what the commissioner was going to do, but the pause before answering said Blacktown had chances.

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