Mule Thought #10 (the buckskin jenny tells a story): Genesis. And I saw when the Foal opened one of the gates, and I heard thunder, one of the four great mules saying, Come and see. And I saw, and beheld a white mule with a bow and a crown and she went forth conquering. Then the Foal opened the second gate, and I heard the second mule say, Come and see. This mule was red with a great sword entrusted to take peace from the earth, and that men should kill one another and all other creatures too, all and all and all. Then the third gate, and I heard the third mule say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black mule with a pair of balances on her back, and I heard a voice in the midst of the four mules say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. Then the fourth gate, and I heard the voice of the fourth mule say, Come and see. And I looked, and beheld a buckskin mule and her name was Death. (The remnants of the pack huddled close now.) Hell followed her with the power to kill with sword, with hunger, and with the beasts of the earth, kicking, stomping to pulp, biting, and when she opened the fifth gate, I saw under the altar the souls of the slain crying, etc., Please please please! Those men who had no mercy, never once, did not even know they lacked it, a great earthquake, and the sun became black and the moon became as blood and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree cast her figs away shaken of a mighty wind, and every mountain and island was moved out from their places and the kings of the earth, “great” men, rich men, yes, chief captains, mighty men, so called, and every enslaved man and every free man hid himself in dens and caves in the mountains, and they said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the wrath of the Foal: The great day of Mule Wrath is come.

When she entered the light, Ginny looked the dead men over. She had the Ruger in a makeshift belt. She bent over Dan for a long time. She shoved wet from her cheeks. She rolled Dan off the .270. Her fourth finger in the trigger, others bound together. She raised the rifle at Ella. Ella held her hands up.

“No words?” Ginny said.